إِنِّي وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ
he said;"O my people! I am indeed free from all that you join as partners in worship with Allah. Verily, I have turned my face...,"
meaning, I have purified my religion and made my worship sincere,
لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالَارْضَ
"towards Him Who has created the heavens and the earth,"
Who originated them and shaped them without precedence,
حَنِيفًا
Hanifan,
avoiding Shirk and embracing Tawhid.
This is why he said next,
وَمَا أَنَاْ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
"and I am not of the idolators."
Prophet Ibrahim Debates with his People
We should note here that, in these Ayat, Ibrahim, peace be upon him, was debating with his people, explaining to them the error of their way in worshipping idols and images.
In the first case with his father, Ibrahim explained to his people their error in worshipping the idols of earth, which they made in the shape of heavenly angels, so that they intercede on their behalf with the Glorious Creator. His people thought that they are too insignificant to worship Allah directly, and this is why they turned to the worship of angels as intercessors with Allah for their provisions, gaining victory and attaining their various needs.
He then explained to them the error and deviation of worshipping the seven planets, which they said were the Moon, Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. The brightest of these objects and the most honored to them was the Sun, the Moon then Venus.
Ibrahim, may Allah's peace and blessings be on him, first proved that Venus is not worthy of being worshipped, for it is subservient to a term and course appointed that it does not defy, nor swerving right or left. Venus does not have any say in its affairs, for it is only a heavenly object that Allah created and made bright out of His wisdom. Venus rises from the east and sets in the west where it disappears from sight. This rotation is repeated the next night, and so forth. Such an object is not worthy of being a god.
Ibrahim then went on to mention the Moon in the same manner in which he mentioned Venus, and then the Sun.
When he proved that these three objects were not gods, although they are the brightest objects the eyes can see,
قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ
(he said;"O my people! I am indeed free from all that you join as partners in worship with Allah."),
meaning, I am free from worshipping these objects and from taking them as protectors. Therefore, if they are indeed gods as you claim, then all of you bring your plot against me and do not give me respite.
إِنِّي وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالَارْضَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا أَنَاْ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
Verily, I have turned my face towards Him Who has created the heavens and the earth, Hanifan, and I am not one of the idolators.
meaning, I worship the Creator of these things, Who originated and decreed them, and Who governs their affairs and made them subservient. It is He in Whose Hand is the dominion of all things, and He is the Creator, Lord, King and God of all things in existence.
In another Ayah, Allah said;
إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللَّهُ الَّذِى خَلَقَ السَمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ يُغْشِى الَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُ حَثِيثًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ وَالنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَتٍ بِأَمْرِهِ أَلَا لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالاٌّمْرُ تَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَـلَمِينَ
Indeed your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days, and then He Istawa (rose over) the Throne. He brings the night as a cover over the day, seeking it rapidly, and (He created) the sun, the moon, the stars, subjecting them to His command. Surely, His is the creation and commandment. Blessed be Allah, the Lord of all that exists! (7;54)
Allah described Prophet Ibrahim,
وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَأ إِبْرَهِيمَ رُشْدَهُ مِن قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا بِهِ عَـلِمِينَ
إِذْ قَالَ لاًّبِيهِ وَقَوْمِهِ مَا هَـذِهِ التَّمَـثِيلُ الَّتِى أَنتُمْ لَهَا عَـكِفُونَ
And indeed We bestowed aforetime on Ibrahim his (portion of) guidance, and We were well-acquainted with him. When he said to his father and his people;"What are these images, to which you are devoted!" (21;51-52)
These Ayat indicate that Ibrahim was debating with his people about the Shirk they practiced