Stories of the Prophets
Ibrahim (AS) – Part 2
(Oct 9, 2020)
الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على سيد المرسلين وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين
For several days all the townspeople helped in gathering wood for the fire. They dug a deep pit, filled it with firewood and ignited it. They brought a catapult with which to cast Ibrahim into the fire. Ibrahim was put on the catapult, his hands and feet were tied. The fire was ready with its flame reaching the sky. The people stood away from the pit because of the great heat. Then the chief priest gave his order to cast Ibrahim into the fire. The angel Jibril came near Ibrahim’s head and asked him: “O Ibrahim do you wish for anything?” Ibrahim replied: “Nothing from you.”
The young Ibrahim submitted to the fate chosen for him by the Lord of the Worlds. He did not lose faith, rather the trial made him stronger. Ibrahim did not flinch in the face of death in the fire even at this tender age. Rather his last words according to a narration in Sahih al-Bukhari, before he was thrown into the fire were: “Allah is sufficient for me and He is the best disposer of affairs.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)
The catapult was shot and Ibrahim was cast into the fire. But his descent into the blaze was as descent on steps in a cool garden. The flames were still there, but they did not burn for Allah the Almighty had issued His command: “O fire! Be you coolness and safety for Ibrahim.” (al-Anbiya’, 21:69) The fire submitted to the will of Allah, becoming cool and safe for Ibrahim. It only burned his bonds, and he sat in the midst of the fire as if he were sitting in a garden. He glorified and praised Allah the Almighty, with a heart that contained only his love for Allah.
Here again is an example of Ibrahim proving true to the trials he faced. His belief in Allah was tested here, and he proved that he was even prepared to surrender his existence to the call of Allah. His belief was evidenced by his action. Allah had not willed any harm for Ibrahim who had a great mission ahead of him. He was to be the father of some of the greatest prophets known to humanity.
The people, the chiefs, and the priests sat watching the fire from a distance. It was burning their faces and nearly suffocating them. It kept burning for such a long time that the disbelievers thought it would never be extinguished. When it did burn out, they were greatly amazed to find Ibrahim coming out of the pit untouched by the fire. This miracle shamed them, but it did not cool the flame of anger in their hearts.
The king at the time of Ibrahim was called Namrud. When he heard of Ibrahim’s safe exit from the fire he became very angry. He feared that the status of god he had proclaimed for himself was now challenged by an ordinary human being. He summoned Ibrahim to the palace and held a dialogue with him which Allah Almighty recounted: “Have you not thought about him who disputed with Ibrahim about his Lord (Allah) because Allah had given him the kingdom? When Ibrahim said to him: “My Lord (Allah) is He Who gives life and causes death,” he said: “I give life and cause death.” Ibrahim said: “Verily, Allah causes the sun to rise from the east; then make it rise from the west. Thus the disbeliever was confounded. Allah does not guide the unjust.” (al-Baqarah, 2:258)
Ibrahim’s fame spread throughout the entire kingdom. People talked about how he had been saved from the blazing fire and how he had debated with the king and left him speechless. In the meantime, Ibrahim continued calling people to believe in Allah, exerting a great effort to guide his people to the right path. He tried every means to convince them.
However, despite his love and care for his people, only one woman and one man of his people shared his belief in Allah. The woman’s name was Sarah and she became his wife. The man’s name was Lut, who was his nephew, and who later became a prophet.
When Ibrahim realized that no one else was going to believe in his call, he decided to emigrate. He left his people and traveled with his wife and his nephew to a city called Ur, then another called Haran, and then to Palestine. After Palestine, he traveled to Egypt, calling people to believe in Allah wherever he traveled, judging fairly between people, and guiding them to truth and righteousness.
There is an incident that happened in Egypt. Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated that Ibrahim (S) did not tell a lie except on three occasions, twice for the sake of Allah when he said: “I am sick,” when his people were holding a festival in honor of their gods. Ibrahim excused himself by saying he was sick, and when he said: “I have not done this but the big idol has done it.” The third was that while Ibrahim and Sarah (his wife) were going (on a journey), they passed by (the territory of) a tyrant. Someone said to the tyrant: “This man is accompanied by a very charming lady.” So, he sent for Ibrahim and asked him about Sarah saying “Who is this lady?” Ibrahim said: “She is my sister.” Ibrahim went to Sarah said “O Sarah! There are no believers on the surface of the earth except you and me. This man asked me about you and I have told him that you are my sister do not contradict my statement.”
The tyrant then called Sarah, and when she went to him, he tried to take a hold of her with his hand, but his hand got stiff and he was confounded. He asked Sarah: “Pray to Allah for me and I shall not harm you.” So Sarah asked Allah to cure him and he got cured. He tried to take hold of her for the second time, but his hand got stiffer than before and he was more confounded. He again requested Sarah: “Pray to Allah for me, and I will not harm you.” Sarah prayed to Allah again, and he became all right. He then called one of his guards who had brought her and said: “You have not brought me a human being but have brought me a devil.”
The tyrant then gave Hajar as a maid servant to Sarah. Ibrahim, gesturing with his hand, asked: “What has happened?” She replied: “Allah has spoiled the evil plot of the infidel or immoral person and gave me Hajar for service.”
Ibrahim’s wife Sarah was barren (sterile). Ibrahim had aged and his hair had turned gray. Sarah thought she and Ibrahim were lonely because she could not have a child. Therefore, she offered her husband her servant Hajar in marriage. Hajar gave birth to her first son Isma’il when Ibrahim was an old man.
When Isma’il was still nursing, Allah yet again chose to test the faith of his beloved Ibrahim and commanded him to take Hagar and Isma’il to a barren valley of Makkah. Indeed it was a great test, for he and his family had longed for such a time for offspring, and when their eyes were filled with the joy of an heir, the commandment was enacted to take him to a distant land, one known for its barrenness and hardship.
So Ibrahim, after having travelled with Hagar and Isma’il, left them there with some water and dates. As Ibrahim began walking away leaving them behind, Hagar became anxious as to what was happening. Ibrahim did not look back. Hagar chased him, ‘O Ibrahim, where are you going, leaving us in this valley where there is no person whose company we can enjoy, nor is there anything here?’
Ibrahim hurried his pace. Finally, Hagar asked, ‘Has Allah asked you to do so?’ Suddenly, Ibrahim stopped, turned back and said,‘Yes!’ Feeling a degree of comfort in this answer, Hagar asked, ‘O Ibrahim, to whom are you leaving us?’
‘I am leaving you to Allah’s care,’ Ibrahim replied. Hagar submitted to her Lord, ‘I am satisfied to be with Allah!’ While she traced her way back to little Isma’il, Ibrahim proceeded until he reached a narrow pass in the mountain where they would not be able to see him. He stopped there and invoked Allah in prayer: “Our Lord! I have settled some of my offspring in a valley barren from any cultivation, by you Sacred House, our Lord, so they may establish the prayer. So make the hearts of people yearn towards them, and provide them with all types of fruits that they may be grateful.” (Ibrahim, 14:37)
Soon, the water and dates were gone and Hagar’s desperation increased. Unable to quench her thirst or to breastfeed her little baby, Hagar began searching for water. Leaving Isma’il under a tree, she began climbing the rocky incline of a nearby hill. ‘Maybe there is a caravan passing by,’ she thought to herself. She ran between the two hills of Safa and Marwa seven times looking for signs of water or help.
Fatigued and distressed, she heard a voice, but could not locate its source. Then, looking down in the valley, she saw an angel, who is identified as Jibril in Islamic sources, standing next to Isma’il. The angel dug into the ground with his heel next to the baby, and water came gushing out. It was a miracle! Hagar tried to make a basin around it to keep it from flowing out, and filled her skin. ‘Do not be afraid of being neglected,’ the angel said, ‘for this is the House of Allah which will be built by this boy and his father, and Allah never neglects his people.’ This well, called Zamzam, is flowing to this day in the city if Makkah in the Arabian Peninsula.
It was not long afterwards that the tribe of Jurham, moving from southern Arabia, stopped by the valley of Makkah after seeing the unusual sight of a bird flying in its direction, which could only mean the presence of water. They eventually settled in Makkah and Isma’il grew up among them.
It had been close to ten years since Ibrahim had left his wife and baby in Makkah in the care of Allah. After a two month journey, he was surprised to find Makkah a lot different than how he had left it. The joy of reunion was soon interrupted by a vision which was to be the ultimate test of his faith. Allah commanded Ibrahim through a dream to sacrifice his son, the son he had had after years of prayers and had just met after a decade of separation.
Ibrahim consulted his son to see if he understood what he was commanded by Allah. Isma’il said: “O my father! Do that which you are commanded. InshaAllah, you shall find me of the patient.” Isma’il knew the station of his father. The pious son of a pious father was committed to submit to Allah. Ibrahim took his son to the place where he was to be sacrificed and laid him face down. For this reason, Allah has described them in the most beautiful of words, painting a picture of the essence of submission. Just as Ibrahim’s knife was poised to descend, a voice stopped him. Allah says: “We called to him: O Ibrahim: You have indeed fulfilled the vision. Thus do We reward the good. That verily was a clear test. Then We redeemed him with a momentous sacrifice.” (as-Saffat, 37:104-107)
Isma’il was ransomed with a ram. It is this epitome of submission and trust in Allah which millions of Muslims re-enact every year during the days of Hajj, a day called Yawm-un-Nahr – The Day of Sacrifice or Eid-al-Adha – the Celebration of Sacrifice.
After a separation of several years, again the father and son met. It was on this journey that the two built the Ka’ba on Allah’s command as a permanent sanctuary; a place laid for the worship of Allah. It was here, in this same barren desert where Ibrahim had left Hagar and Isma’il earlier, that he supplicated to Allah to make it a place where they would establish the prayer, free from idol worship. There are many beautiful verses in the Qur’an describing the sanctity of the Ka’ba and the purpose of its building.
“Indeed the first House (of worship) appointed for humanity is that at Bakka: Full of blessing and of guidance for all the worlds. In it are signs Manifest; (such as), the Station of Ibrahim; whoever enters it attains security; Pilgrimage thereto is a duty men owe to Allah; those who have the ability.” (al-Hajj, 22:26-27). Prophet Muhammad (S) said: “Indeed this place has been made sacred by Allah the day He created the heavens and the earth, and it will remain so until the Day of Judgment.”
Ibrahim also prayed to Allah that a prophet be raised from the progeny of Isma’il, who would be the inhabitants of this land. Ibrahim’s prayer for a Messenger was answered about two thousand five hundred years later when Allah raised Prophet Muhammad among the Arabs, and as Makkah was chosen to be a sanctuary and House of Worship for all humanity, so too was the Prophet Muhammad (S) born in Makkah was chosen as Allah’s Messenger to all humanity.
It was this summit of the life of Ibrahim which was the completion of his purpose: the building of a place of worship for all of humanity, for the worship of the One True Allah. Through the establishment of this house was the guarantee that Allah, the Allah to whom he called and for whom he made endless sacrifices, would be worshipped forever, without the association of any other god with Him. Indeed it was one of the greatest of favors bestowed upon any human.
The beloved servant of Allah – Ibrahim (AS) about whom Allah said, “I will make you a leader to the nations,” returned to Palestine. He was visited by angels who give him and Sarah the good news of a son, Ishaq. It is at this time that he is also told about the destruction of the people of Lut (AS). Ibrahim (AS) – Allah’s beloved servant passed away in Palestine.
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Resources and References:
Imam Ibn Kathir – Stories of the Prophets
Mufti Menk – Lessons from the Stories of the Prophets in the Qur’an (https://muslimahlifestyle.com/lessons-stories-prophets-quraan-mufti-menk-creation-of-aadam-as/)
Anwar Al-Awlaki – The Lives of the Prophets (https://www.kalamullah.com/anwar-alawlaki.html)
Aisha Stacey – The Religion of Islam (islamreligion.com)
