CHAPTER 1
Prophet Ibrahim (AS) Constructs the Kaaba
A young man named Ismael sat under the shade of a leafy tree, mending a quiver of arrows.
With the well of Zamzam behind him, he busily polished and fixed the pointed edges of the arrows.
He looked up to see a graceful and distinguished man walking towards him.
It was his father, Ibrahim (peace be upon him). Ismael immediately stood up to greet him.
HIs father was not a usual man, like you and me. He was extraordinary.
Allah had selected his father to be a Prophet and to spread His message to the people around him.
He never asked, “But why?”
He never doubted, “What if?”
“Give him your things to sell,” advised Harisa. “Oh gosh, why didn’t I think of this before?”
When Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) desired to be blessed with a child, he naturally turned to his beloved Lord to ask for a son.
“Oh Allah, grant me a righteous son,” He had prayed with all his heart.
And so, as an answer to his earnest prayers, Allah had blessed him with a dutiful and obedient child, Ismael (Peace be upon him).
Ismael was just like his father.
Responsible, dependable, and extremely faithful to Allah the Almighty.
“Ismael, Allah has ordered me to do something,”
Ismael (Peace be upon him) promptly replied that his father must obey whatever Allah had commanded.
Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) asked if he would assist him in the assigned task.
“Certainly, I am here to help you.” he responded instantly.
Pointing towards a slightly raised area in the surroundings, Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) said, “Allah has commanded me to build a House for Him there.”
Ismael (Peace be upon him) started gathering stones and handing them one by one to his father to lay them in place.
“Our lord, accept this from us. You are All Hearing, All Knowing.” The father and son prayed together.
Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) raised his hands towards the heavens,
“Our Lord, make us both your devoted and submissive followers.”
“Show us the ways to worship and accept our repentance,”
Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) prayed, as he gazed at the Holy Kaaba in humble admiration.
Oh my Lord, make me and my descendants establish prayer, Our Lord, accept my request.”
“Oh Lord, forgive me, my parents and all believers on the day of Judgement.”
CHAPTER 2
A Dream and a Challenge
Ismael (Peace be upon him) had been brought up exceptionally well. Under his mother’s upbringing, he had learned the best of manners.
He respected his father, Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) and held him in high esteem.
Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) loved his son dearly as well and looked forward to his companionship as he grew older.
One day, however, Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) had a strange dream and woke up contemplating what he had seen. He saw that he was sacrificing his son Ismael!
Ismael! The son he cherished so much, the son he loved so much. The son he had so heartfully prayed for!
He saw the dream again and again, for three consecutive nights. And then it was crystal clear to him what he must do.
He realized immediately that he had received a command from Allah the Almighty. Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) went to his son and said to him softly,
“My dearest son, I have seen in a dream that I am sacrificing you. What are your thoughts on this, my dear son,” he enquired, compassionately.
It was a simple question, and Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) wanted to prepare Ismael for what he was planning to do.
He was ready to carry out the orders of Allah, without asking any questions. Ismael (Peace be upon him) listened calmly and responded with understanding.
“Oh my dear father, do what you have been ordered to do,”
He knew his father was not acting out of whim. The dream was a divine order from Allah and divine orders were followed without questions.
It was unbelievable, how calmly Ismael (Peace be upon him) surrendered to his father’s wish!
“With Allah’s will, I will deal with this patiently,”
The noble Ismael (Peace be upon him) reassured his father that he was ready to follow the command of Allah wholeheartedly.
CHAPTER 3
A Miracle on Top of Mount Arafat
Satan watched as Ibrahim and Ismael (Peace be upon them) made their way towards the mountain of Arafat. They had decided to offer the sacrifice there.
Satan was flabbergasted. How could a servant of Allah be so submissive?
“Psst. Hey, what do you think you’re doing? Are you actually planning to sacrifice your son?”
Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) was determined and no whispers of Satan had the power to stop him.
He threw seven pebbles at Satan and drove him away.
But Satan was not ready to give up so easily either. Halfway up the mountain, he whispered again,
“Come on, think of some way out, maybe you can do something else instead,” he said, desperate to distract Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him)
Once again, he was driven away by a shower of seven stones.
“He’s your son! Don’t you love him?”
Satan urged one more time, hoping to defeat Ibrahim’s (Peace be upon him) resolve. But again, Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) grabbed seven pebbles and chased Satan away for good.
Finally, the father and son reached the mountain top and were ready for the unique sacrifice.
“My dear father, tie me well enough so that I don’t toss and turn too much. Protect your clothes from my blood, it will bring grief to my mother.” instructed Ismael (Peace be upon him).
Taking his own shirt off, he added, “You can give her my shirt, she can take some comfort from it after I am gone,”
Ismael (Peace be upon him) wasn’t scared one bit. Even at this crucial moment, he was concerned about the well being of his parents.
Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) was overwhelmed by his son’s submissiveness. Tears welled up in his eyes and he kissed Ismael tenderly.
“My dear son, what a good helper you are, You have helped me so much in this task assigned by Allah,” he said emotionally, overwhelmed by the strength of Ismael’s character.
Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) lay his beloved son down and gently placed a knife on his neck.
He tried to run the knife quickly but it wouldn’t cut through! By Allah’s miracle, a copper plate appeared between the knife and Ismael’s skin!
Just then, a voice called out, asking Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) to stop.
“Oh Ibrahim, you have fulfilled the dream,” Allah instructed Ibrahim to let his beloved son go.
Allah did not require the literal sacrifice of Ismael! (Peace be upon him). The dream had just been a test! And a tough one indeed!
Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) saw a wooly ram with curved horns make its way towards them. He understood that it was sent from Allah and sacrificed it in place of his precious son.
The dream had been fulfilled. Allah’s command had been executed.
The incredible test of devotion and submission had been successfully cleared by both Ibrahim and Ismael (Peace be upon them).
Written By:
Mahrukh Nida Ahsan
References:
Tafseer Ibn Kathir
Ma’arifal Quran
Qasas Ul Anbiya
