By: Sadruddin Noorani, Chicago, USA
Muslims, like the Jews and Christians, trace their ancestry to Prophet Ibrahīm (Abraham) (Peace Be Upon Him; pbuh) who came from a town called “Ur”, west of Kufah, on the west bank of the Euphrates in Iraq and lived about 2,100 years before Hazrat Issā (Jesus) (pbuh). This link is important in that Ibrahīm was an ultimate expression of pure monotheism, calling people to the worship of Allāh alone. Due to the strength of his faith, Allāh gave him the special title of “Khalīl” or beloved friend, not given to any Prophet before, and the Qurān attributes the one and only true religion to the path of Ibrahīm, thus:
“He (Allāh) has chosen you (to convey the Message of Islāmic Monotheism to mankind by inviting them to His religion of Islām) and has not laid upon you in religion any hardship: it is the religion of your father Ibrahīm (Islāmic Monotheism). It is He (Allāh) who has named you Muslims both before and in this (the Qur’ān) that the Messenger (Muhammad) may be a witness over you and you may be witnesses over mankind.” (Qurān 22:78).
On the issue of hardship in religion, the Prophet said;
“Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. But try to be near perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded; and gain strength by offering the prayers…” (Bukhari).
Even as a young child Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) was very wise. He asked his father “Why do you pray to something that cannot see or hear?”. “Stones cannot harm you or bring you any good.” But his father didn’t want to hear.
According to rabbinic (Judaism) tradition, when he found himself alone with the idols of his father he took hold of an axe, smashed all but the largest, and then, in a gesture of contempt, rested the axe standing on the arm of the largest idol. It was all part of his plan. In his heart, he felt that it was wrong and he was convinced that the idols people worshiped were false.
The people could not believe their eyes when they returned. “Who has done this to our gods?” they asked in anger. “The big one did it,” said Ibrahim. “So, ask them if they are able to speak.” But they were just stones. Stones do not talk. “You know that they do not speak,” said the people with shame. Ibrahim’s plan was working. “So why do you pray to them instead of Allah?” asked Ibrahim. “Don’t you have any sense?”
The people did not know what to say. Ibrahim showed them the truth in such a clever way but they were too proud and turned away. Ibrahīm’s life was full of trials. His initial trial was when his people became angry with him for destroying their idols. “Let’s throw him into a blazing fire!” they said with rage. They prepared the fire, its smoke and flames piled high into the air. The fire was burning hot in which they threw him in. Then came an order from Allah, as mentioned in the Qur’an 21:69:
“O fire! Be cool and (a means of) safety for Ibrahim!”
Thus Ibrahim walked out safely. The fire did not harm him at all. A miracle! But there was much work to be done yet; Ibrahim remained brave and dedicated towards the right path.
His next trial was on his migration to Egypt where the Pharaoh tried to seduce his wife Sarah, but Allāh not only protected her but instead the Pharaoh gifted Hajar (Hagar) to Ibrahīm. While in Palestine, Hajar bore him a son, Ismāil (Ishmael), who was a Prophet of Islam.
Note: Sarah was the mother of Ishaq (Isaac), who was a half-brother of Ismail and was also a Prophet of Islam (May God Bless Them All) (Qur’an 11: 69-73).
Ibrahim traveled from place-to-place calling people towards God. Ibrahim feared no one but God. Again, the next test of faith came when Ismail was still a baby and was still being nursed when Allah commanded Ibrahim to take his wife, Hajar and Ismāil to a barren valley of Bakka, 700 miles southeast of Hebron. (In later times it would be called Mecca). So Ibrahīm, after having sojourned with Hajar and Ismāil, left them there with a skin of water and a bag full of dates. There were no trees or signs of life around. It was a dry and empty land. Then Ibrahim, upon the command of God… began to walk away leaving Hajar and Ismail behind. Hajar could not believe it. “Why are you leaving us here?” she asked. Ibrahim kept on walking and did not reply. Hajar kept on asking. Clearly, the Prophet Ibrahim would not leave his family alone in the hot desert without a good reason. Because Allah told him to do so.
“Has God told you to leave us here?” she asked. “Yes,” said Ibrahim.
“Then He won’t let us die like this!” Hajar put her trust in God.
The desert heat was beating down hard. Hajar and Ismail were all alone and very thirsty. Ismail cried, curling up into a ball. Hajar was unable to quench her thirst or to breastfeed her little baby. She got up and began looking for water.
She ran through the valley back and forth between two hills, Safā and Marwā, seven times peering far and wide in search of water (later personified by all Muslims during Hajj and/or Umrah). There was no help in sight. Hajar looked down at her poor baby in the middle of the valley. Something strange was happening down there. Finally, God sent the angel Jibril (Gabriel) to guide her to the well of “Zamzam”. There was a spring gushing with water! Hajar came running down. It was a gift from God. She scooped up the water and gave it to Ismail. God saved them with the miracle of the Zamzam well.
Hajar tried to make a basin around it to keep it from flowing out. “Do not be afraid of being neglected,” the angel said, “for this is the House of Allāh which will be built by this boy and his father, and Allāh never neglects his people” (Bukhari) (Qur’an 2:127-129). This well of Zamzam is flowing to this day in the Holy city of Mecca in the Arabian Peninsula.
The desert valley grew into a town called Mecca. Ismail was a young boy now and Hazrat Ibrahim came back to visit him. The joy of reunion was soon interrupted by a vision which was to be the ultimate test of their faith. That was when Ibrahim saw his dream and told his beloved son “O my son! I saw in a dream that I was sacrificing you, so tell me what you think.” It was an order from God and it had to be done.
How do you think Ismail would react to his father’s question? Ismail was brave and obedient. He told his father: “Do what God has ordered you to do.” He would never let the Devil get in the way. Ismail always did what God liked. Ibrahim laid his son down upon his forehead so that he would not have to see his face when sacrificing him.
It was not an easy thing to do. Father and son passed the test and did what God said. Ismail was not harmed (Qur’an 37:104-107). God saved him and put a sheep in his place. Indeed, it was the greatest test of all, the sacrificing of his (then) only child, one born to him after he had reached an old age and years of longing for a progeny (Qur’an 2:124). It is this epitome of submission and trust in Allāh which hundreds of millions of Muslims reenact every year during Hajj. The day, called Yawm un-Nahr—the Day of Sacrifice, or Eid-ul-Adhā—or the Celebration of Sacrifice, the answer to the prayer of Ibrahim and the call to pilgrimage.
The Devil’s tricks did not work with Ibrahim who followed the truth and did what God liked. God took him as a close friend and Ibrahim won in the end. How brave both the pious son of a pious father who were committed to the Will of God!
Allah told Ibrahim to build the house of God called Ka’bah in Mecca. Ismail helped his father too. It was the first house made for people to pray to Allah alone. Ibrahim called the people to visit Ka’bah. Today millions of people answer Ibrahim’s call. People come from every part of the world to Mecca to make Hajj (pilgrimage).
The superiority of the learned man over the devout is like that of the moon, on the night when it is full, over the rest of the stars. A saying quoted from Abu Dārda:
“The learned are the heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets leave neither dinar nor dirham, leaving only knowledge, and he who takes it takes an abundant portion.” (Abu Dawood, Ahmad, Tirmidhi).
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and Imam ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s.) descend from the hereditary Imams of the progeny of Ismail, son of Ibrahim (peace be upon them). Today the living Imam is Shah Karim al-Husayni, also known as the Aga Khan lV. Today the spiritual sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim and his son Mawlana Ismail (peace be upon them) continue to be embodied and renewed in the lineage of Ismaili Imams and the living person of Mawlana Hazar Imam.
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Ismailimail 
A very informational and educational posting by the IsmailiMail. Our congratulations to the IsmailiMail and the write Mr. Noorani of Chicago, USA. An article which must be read and re-read to increase our knowledge of the universal historical events. I have posted the same on my Facebook for further dissemination around the world.
Kamrudin A. Rashid – Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
January 11, 2024.
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