Prophet Abraham | The Friend of Allah and Builder of Ka'bah

(Cite: Hamdani, Mufti Shah Rafi Uddin & Khan, Dr. (Mufti) Imran. (2018), Prophet Abraham , Encyclopedia of Muhammad , Seerat Research Center, Karachi, Pakistan, Vol. 1, Pg. 121-136.)

Abraham is a very important religious figure. Three of the world's most prominent religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, are often called "Abrahamic religions" because they see themselves as worshiping the God of Abraham. ¹ His genealogy is described as, Abraham Ibn Tarikh, Ibn Nahur, Ibn Sarough, Ibn Raghu, Ibn Phaligh, Ibn Aher, Ibn Shalih, Ibn Arfghshand, Ibn Sam, Ibn Noah . ² His father’s name was ‘Tarikh’ ³ , and at the time of Abraham’s birth, he was 75 years old. ⁴ According to Ibn Asakir, Abraham’s mother’s name was ‘Ameelah’, but Al-Kalbi stated that her name was ‘Buna bint Karbata bin Karshi’. ⁵

Historical sources record that Abraham lived in Mesopotamia and that his tribe followed paganism. In fact, historical sources state that nearly all Middle Eastern tribes at that time either worshipped hand-made idols or various celestial bodies (e.g., the moon and the sun), ⁶ but Abraham never worshipped them. In fact, he openly refuted these beliefs. The evidence is stated in the Holy Quran as:

إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَانِتًا لِّلَّهِ حَنِيفًا وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ 120⁷

Indeed, Abraham Was a leader, obedient to Allah, and detached from all; and he was not a polytheist.

Abraham is mentioned in the Holy Quran more than any other prophet except for Moses . In the Bible, he is portrayed as an opponent of idolatry, a person who converses with God and the angels, the father of Ishmael and Isaac , a founder of sacred places, and a pious man who was prepared to sacrifice his son at God’s command. Islamic traditions emphasize his role as the builder of the ancient Kaaba and his connection with many of the Hajj rituals. His wife, Hagar , and their son Ishmael are associated with the well of Zamzam in the Sacred Mosque and the ritual “running” between the hills of Safa and Marwa. One of the most important memorials in the Sacred Mosque courtyard is the Station of Abraham, where it is believed he stood while building the Kaaba. Muslims commemorate the attempted sacrifice of his son every year during the Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice), which closes the Hajj season.

The Holy Quran does not say which of Abraham’s two sons, he intended to sacrifice, but the consensus reached among Muslims is that it was Ishmael (). In Judaism, it is believed to have been his other son, Isaac . Abraham is thought to have been buried in the West Bank town of Hebron, which is called al-Khalil in Arabic in memory of Abraham’s reputation as “the friend” of God. ⁸

Early Life

Abraham was endowed with spiritual understanding from an early age. ⁹ This is the reason why he exhibited a very different character and a superior moral understanding even though he grew up among pagans. At a later stage of his life, he finally separated himself from the people and devoted himself to God. However, he did not content himself with this separation alone, for he then sought to explain God’s existence to them and called them to believe in Him. The people of the tribe, however, refused to accept the truths he told them out of loyalty to their ancestors’ religion. ¹⁰ As the Holy Quran states:

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُوا مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالُوا بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا أَوَلَوْ كَانَ آبَاؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ170¹¹

And when it is said to them, “follow what Allah has sent down”, they say, “on the contrary, we shall follow what we found our forefathers upon”; what! Even if their forefathers had no intelligence, or guidance?!

Since his tribe was far away from the true faith, they refused to believe in the truth and continued with paganism. According to them, their made-up religion was true, divine and rational (which it wasn’t).

Abraham , like all prophets and believers, did not make this mistake. He never abandoned the truth, even when his relatives and friends—in fact, his whole tribe—opposed him. Still, his belief in One God was unshakable, and no difficulty or pressure managed to turn him from his chosen path. God revealed to Abraham that He was the Creator of everything in the universe and that those who believed otherwise were utterly mistaken.

Although his tribe wanted him to live and believe like them, Abraham turned his back on his tribe’s traditional belief system, rejected its false deities, and declared that only God truly existed. In order to deepen and reinforce his faith, God showed Abraham proofs of His power and dominion. ¹²

So Abraham knew that the idols could neither help nor harm anyone. He saw that the flies would sit on those statues (which the statues could not wave off), and the food left for the idols was eaten by the mice (and the statues couldn’t even stop them).

After watching all this, he asked Azar (his uncle): “Why do you worship these idols? Why do you bow down to them? Why do you ask these idols for things, when they can neither speak nor hear? They can neither help nor harm anything, so why do you put food and drink before them? Why, when they cannot eat or drink?” Azar could not answer these questions, and became angry. Abraham turned to give his people the same advice, and they also became angry since they could not answer his questions. ¹³

One day Abraham’s uncle saw him riding the statue of Mardukh and became furious. He ordered his son not to play with it again. Abraham asked: "What is this statue? It has big ears, bigger than ours." His uncle answered: "It is Mardukh, the god of gods’ son! These big ears show his deep knowledge." This made Abraham laugh, even though he was only seven years old at that time. At first, such a sight seemed funny to Abraham , but later he began to feel angry. Was it not astonishing that all the people could be deceived? What added to the problem was that Azar wanted him to be a priest when he grew up. He wanted nothing more from his son except he revere those statues, yet Abraham never stopped displaying his hatred and disdain of them. ¹⁴

Prophethood of Abraham

Prophets are special people whom God selected and endowed them with superior qualities. Their powerful faith, pleasing moral virtues, superior character, and exemplary behaviour always attracted those around them, and eventually they were forced to move away from their pagan and misguided beliefs and societies. One of the most important qualities setting them apart is the fact that God revealed the truth to them. The truth about the prophethood of Abraham is portrayed in the Holy Quran as:

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ رُشْدَهُ مِن قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا بِهِ عَالِمِينَ ‎51‏ ¹⁵

And indeed We bestowed Abraham with guidance from the beginning, and We were aware of him.

While explaining this verse, Ibn Kathir states:

‘In this verse Allah Almighty says that Abraham was given guidance when he was small.’ ¹⁶ This guidance was given via divine revelations, as the Holy Quran states:

إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَفِي الصُّحُفِ الْأُولَىٰ 18‏ صُحُفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ 19‏ ¹⁷

Indeed, this is in the former scriptures. In the books of Ibrahim and Moosa.

Regarding this verse, Qurtubi states: يعني الكتب المنزلة عليهما¹⁸ i.e. “Books were revealed to them both”. This shows that God had sent down texts to Abraham before His revelation of the Torah to Moses . ¹⁹ Furthermore, at another place in the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty said:

أَمْ لَمْ يُنَبَّأْ بِمَا فِي صُحُفِ مُوسَىٰ ‎36‏ وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ الَّذِي وَفَّىٰ 37²⁰

Did not the news reach him, of that which is mentioned in the book of Moosa. And of Ibrahim who was most obedient?

These verses establish the fact that divine scriptures were revealed towards Abraham . Secondly, it is also an established fact that revelations are only sent towards the prophets, if both facts are added, then resultantly, prophethood of Abraham is proved.

The Big Temple

At that time idolatry was commonly practiced by all. ²¹ There was a big temple in the town that was full of idols. In the middle of the temple, there was a special place which hosted the most prominent of their gods. Abraham greatly despised all these wood and stone (idols), and wanted the people to worship the true Creator. So he told them that Allah is the Lord of the universe who created mankind, provided them with all the facilities and one day, all would die and return to Him. He also told them that idol worship is a grave sin and is detested by Allah.

When the people did not listen to Abraham , he decided to do something about their state of disbelief, but did not reveal it. He knew that there was going to be a great celebration on the other bank of the river which would be attended by all the people. Abraham waited until the city was evacuated, then he came out cautiously, directing his steps towards the temple. The streets leading to it were empty and the temple itself was deserted for the priests had also gone to the festival outside the city. Abraham went there carrying a sharp axe. He looked at the stone and wood statues of the gods and at the food laid in front of them as offerings. He approached one of the statues and asked: "The food in front of you is getting cold. Why don't you eat?" The statue kept silent and rigid. Then Abraham moved on and asked the other statues around him. ²² This account is stated in the Holy Quran as:

فَرَاغَ إِلَىٰ آلِهَتِهِمْ فَقَالَ أَلَا تَأْكُلُونَ ‎91‏ ²³

He then sneaked upon their deities and said, “Do you not eat?”. “What is the matter with you, that you do not say anything?”

Abraham , then raised his qaddoom ²⁴ and started smashing the false gods worshipped by the people. He destroyed them all except one on whose neck, he hung the axe. After this, he left the temple. He had fulfilled his vow to show his people a practical proof of their folly in worshipping something other than Allah. When the people returned, they were shocked to see their gods smashed to pieces, lying scattered all over the temple. They began to guess who had done that to their idols and Abraham's name came to their minds. ²⁵ The account is narrated in the Holy Quran as:

قَالُوا مَن فَعَلَ هَٰذَا بِآلِهَتِنَا إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ ‎59‏ قَالُوا سَمِعْنَا فَتًى يَذْكُرُهُمْ يُقَالُ لَهُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ ‎60‏ قَالُوا فَأْتُوا بِهِ عَلَىٰ أَعْيُنِ النَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْهَدُونَ ‎61‏ قَالُوا أَأَنتَ فَعَلْتَ هَٰذَا بِآلِهَتِنَا يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ ‎62‏ قَالَ بَلْ فَعَلَهُ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَٰذَا فَاسْأَلُوهُمْ إِن كَانُوا يَنطِقُونَ ‎‎63‏ فَرَجَعُوا إِلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ فَقَالُوا إِنَّكُمْ أَنتُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ ‎64‏ ثُمَّ نُكِسُوا عَلَىٰ رُءُوسِهِمْ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا هَٰؤُلَاءِ يَنطِقُونَ ‎65‏ قَالَ أَفَتَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُكُمْ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَضُرُّكُمْ ‎‎66 أُفٍّ لَّكُمْ وَلِمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ ‎‎67‏ قَالُوا حَرِّقُوهُ وَانصُرُوا آلِهَتَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ فَاعِلِينَ 67²⁶

They said, “Who has done this to our Gods? He is indeed cruel!” Some of them said, “We heard a youth speak ill of them – the one called Ibrahim.” They said, “Therefore bring him in front of the people, perhaps they may testify.” They said, “Did you do this to our Gods, O Ibrahim?” Said he, “Rather, their chief may have done it; so question them, if they can speak.” So they turned towards their own selves and (inwardly) said, “Indeed you yourselves are unjust.” Again they were inverted upon their heads; saying, “You know well that these do not speak.” He said, “What! You worship, instead of Allah, one that neither benefits you nor harms you?” “Disgrace be upon you and all the idols whom you worship instead of Allah; so do you not have sense?”

Furious, they demanded that Abraham be arrested and tried. This was exactly what Prophet Abraham expected to happen. He wished that the matter should not remain confined to the priests and the attendants, but the common people also should be present there to witness that their deities were helpless and their priests were deluding them about their powers. ²⁷

At the trial they asked him if he was responsible for breaking the idols. Smiling, he told them to ask the biggest idol which was still intact. ²⁸ The very sentence, “So question them”, is a clear proof that it was not a lie when Abraham said: “But this has done it, biggest of them, this one”. What he intended by this was to make them realize and confess that their idols were helpless because they could do nothing to protect themselves and could not even speak. It is clear that when a person poses an unreal question for the sake of argument in order to bring home the fact that the position taken by the other party is untenable, it cannot be considered as a lie; firstly, because the speaker himself never intended it to be a lie, and secondly, because the addressees also knew that it was not a lie.

The foregoing remarks have been necessitated because of a tradition that Abraham told three lies in his life, of which one is the above mentioned event. The second allegation is mentioned in the Bible that he declared his wife to be his sister. (Gen. 12: 12-13, 18: 19). It is a pity that this tradition has given rise to two divergent opinions. The orthodox traditionalists actually believe that Abraham told these lies just because an authentic tradition says so. They do not consider that it is compulsory to discard the tradition according to which a prophet is accused of being a liar. ²⁹

Nimrod Tries To Burn Abraham

When the people were unable to answer any of Abraham’s questions, they captured him and brought him before their king Nimrod. The next set of events is narrated in the Holy Quran as:

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِي حَاجَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي رَبِّهِ أَنْ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ الْمُلْكَ إِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّيَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ قَالَ أَنَا أُحْيِي وَأُمِيتُ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْتِي بِالشَّمْسِ مِنَ الْمَشْرِقِ فَأْتِ بِهَا مِنَ الْمَغْرِبِ فَبُهِتَ الَّذِي كَفَرَ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ 258³⁰

Did you (O dear Prophet Muhammad ) not see him who argued with Ibrahim (Abraham ) concerning his Lord, as Allah had given him the kingdom? When Ibrahim (Abraham ) said “My Lord is He Who gives life and causes death”, he answered, I give life and cause death; Ibrahim said, “So indeed it is Allah Who brings the sun from the east-you bring it from the west!” – The disbeliever was therefore baffled; and Allah does not guide the unjust.

The words ‘he’ and the disbeliever refers to Nimrod. Abul Hasan Nadawi states that when Nimrod was told that Allah grants life and causes death, he ordered his servants to present a man before him. Once, that man was presented, he had him killed. Then, he ordered his servants to bring a man who was given a death sentence. Once that man was presented, he let him live. After doing these acts, Nimrod said: “See, I give life and death as well. I killed one man and let the other man live. ³¹

Knowing all this was just a fluke, Abraham asked Nimrod to bring the sun from the west. This second statement left Nimrod stranded in a tight spot. He knew that the sun and moon were controlled by the Supreme Creator only. But the devil within him was not prepared to accept the truth which Abraham was presenting. Left with no other option, Abraham was sent to prison. He remained in prison for ten days, after which the king decided to have him burnt alive. The Holy Quran states:

قَالُوا حَرِّقُوهُ وَانصُرُوا آلِهَتَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ فَاعِلِينَ 68‏ قُلْنَا يَا نَارُ كُونِي بَرْدًا وَسَلَامًا عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ‎69 ‏ ³² ‏

Translation: They said,”Burn him and help your Gods, if you want to.” We said, “O fire, become cool and peaceful upon Ibrahim.”

The king ordered the people to dig a deep pit, fill it with firewood and ignite it. They brought a catapult with which to cast Abraham into the fire. Abraham was placed on the catapult while his hands and feet were tied. The fire was blazing with full strength and its flames were reaching the sky. The people stood away from the pit since it was radiating a lot of heat. Then the chief priest gave his order to cast Abraham into the fire. The catapult was fired and Abraham was cast into the burning fire. However, his descent into the blaze was felt as if one was placed in a pleasant cool garden. The flames were still there, but they did not burn Abraham since Allah Almighty had issued His command to the fire.

The fire submitted to the will of Allah, and became pleasant cool for Abraham . 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 only contained love for Allah and there was no space for fear, awe, or worry. It was filled with love only.

The throng, the chiefs, and the priests sat watching the fire from a distance. It was burning their faces and nearly suffocating them. The fire kept burning for such a long time that the disbelievers thought it would never extinguish. When it did burn out, they were greatly amazed to find Abraham coming out of the pit untouched by the fire. Their faces were black from the smoke, but his face was bright with the grace of God. ³³

This incident did not discourage Abraham in any way. He continued to preach the divine religion but the people still did not listen to him. Instead, everyone, including his relatives were angry with him. Only two people believed Abraham . A woman (Sarah) who became his wife and a man whose name was Lut. He was a prophet. This is recorded in the Holy Quran as:

فَآمَنَ لَهُ لُوطٌ ۘ وَقَالَ إِنِّي مُهَاجِرٌ إِلَىٰ رَبِّي إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ 26³⁴

So Lut believed in him; and Abraham said, “I migrate towards my Lord; indeed only He is the Almighty, the Wise.”

This shows that only Lot from the entire crowd came forward to proclaim his belief and accompanied ³⁵ Abraham when he left the city of Ur in Mesopotamia and travelled to the land of Canaan. ³⁶ While Abraham and Sarah (his wife) were going (on a journey) they passed by (the territory of) a tyrant. Someone said to the tyrant, "This man (i.e. Abraham ) is accompanied by a very charming lady." So, he sent for Abraham and asked him about Sarah saying. "Who is this lady?" Abraham said, "She is my sister." Abraham went to Sarah and said, "O, Sarah! This man asked me about you and I have told him that you are my sister, so do not contradict my statement." The tyrant then called Sarah and when she went to him, he tried to take hold of her with his hand, but (his hand became 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 became stiff as or stiffer than before and) he was more confounded. He again requested Sarah , “Pray to Allah for me, and I will not harm you." Sarah asked Allah again and he became alright. 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 girl servant to Sarah . Sarah came back (to Abraham ) while he was praying. Abraham , gesturing with his hand, asked, "What has happened?" She replied, "Allah has spoiled the evil plot of the infidel (or immoral person) and given me Hajar for service." ³⁷

The Birth Of Ishmael

Abraham's wife Sarah was sterile, and Abraham was growing old. Since Sarah couldn’t bear a child, she offered Abraham her servant Hajar in marriage. Hajar then gave birth to her first son Ishmael . One day, Abraham woke up and asked his wife Hajar to get her son and prepare for a long journey. ³⁸ After a few days Abraham along with his family left for Makkah ³⁹ even though the child was still nursing, and was not old enough to wean.

Abraham walked through cultivated lands, deserts, and mountains until he reached the desert of the Arabian Peninsula. The desert had no source of water, trees, or any other form of life. Here, Abraham decided to stay.

The next set of events is depicted in the hadith of Prophet Muhammad . Ibn Abbas narrates:

ثم جاء بها إبراهيم وبابنها إسماعيل وهي ترضعه، حتى وضعهما عند البيت عند دوحة، فوق زمزم في أعلى المسجد، وليس بمكة يومئذ أحد، وليس بها ماء، فوضعهما هنالك، ووضع عندهما جرابا فيه تمر، وسقاء فيه ماء، ثم قفى إبراهيم منطلقا، فتبعته أم إسماعيل فقالت: يا إبراهيم، أين تذهب وتتركنا بهذا الوادي، الذي ليس فيه إنس ولا شيء؟ فقالت له ذلك مرارا، وجعل لا يلتفت إليها، فقالت له: آللّٰه الذي أمرك بهذا؟ قال نعم، قالت: إذن لا يضيعنا، ثم رجعت، فانطلق إبراهيم حتى إذا كان عند الثنية حيث لا يرونه، استقبل بوجهه البيت، ثم دعا بهؤلاء الكلمات، ورفع يديه فقال…. ⁴⁰

…..Abraham brought her and her son Ismail while she was nursing Ismail to a place near the Kaba under a tree on the spot of Zam Zam at the most distinguished position in the mosque. During those days there was nobody in Makkah, nor was there any water. Thus, he made them sit over there and placed a leather bag containing some dates and a small water-skin containing some water near them. He then set out homeward. Hajrah followed him, saying: "O Abraham ! Where are you going, leaving us in this valley where there is no person whose company we may enjoy, nor is there anything else to delight?" She repeated that to him many times, but he did not look back at her. Then she asked him: "Has Allah ordered you to do so?" He said: "Yes." She then said: "Then He will not neglect us," and returned while Abraham proceeded onwards. He then raised his hands and recited a supplication.

The supplication is mentioned in the Holy Quran as:

رَّبَّنَا إِنِّي أَسْكَنتُ مِن ذُرِّيَّتِي بِوَادٍ غَيْرِ ذِي زَرْعٍ عِندَ بَيْتِكَ الْمُحَرَّمِ رَبَّنَا لِيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ فَاجْعَلْ أَفْئِدَةً مِّنَ النَّاسِ تَهْوِي إِلَيْهِمْ وَارْزُقْهُم مِّنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْكُرُونَ ‎37 رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ تَعْلَمُ مَا نُخْفِي وَمَا نُعْلِنُ ۗ وَمَا يَخْفَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ مِن شَيْءٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ ‎38‏ ⁴¹

“O our Lord! I have settled some of my descendants in a valley having no cultivation, near Your Sacred House – O our Lord! So that they may keep the prayer established, therefore incline some hearts of men towards them, and provide them fruits to eat – perhaps they may be thankful.” “O our Lord! You know what we hide and what we disclose; and nothing is hidden from Allah, neither in the earth nor in the heavens.”

After reciting this supplication, Abraham proceeded forwards.

The Trial

This is known as the story of the Zabeeh (the Sacrifice of Ishmael ). Allah said in Chapter As-Saffat, that when Abraham migrated from the land of his people, he supplicated Allah to grant him a righteous son. Allah gave him the glad tidings of a righteous son, Ishmael . Ishmael was his first child, and at the time of his birth, Abraham was eighty six years old. ⁴²

When Ishmael attained the age of thirteen (13) years, Allah Almighty commanded Abraham in his dream to sacrifice Ishmael for His sake. When Abraham informed him about this dream, Ishmael did not hesitate for a second, and offered himself to be sacrificed. The Holy Quran narrates it as:

فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ السَّعْيَ قَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ إِنِّي أَرَىٰ فِي الْمَنَامِ أَنِّي أَذْبَحُكَ فَانظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَىٰ ۚ قَالَ يَا أَبَتِ افْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ ۖ سَتَجِدُنِي إِن شَاءَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الصَّابِرِينَ ‎102‏ ⁴³

And when he became capable of working with him, Abraham said, “O my son; I dreamt that I am sacrificing you – therefore now consider what your opinion is”; he said, “O my father! Do what you are commanded! Allah willing, you will soon find me patiently enduring!”

This was a command from Allah for His khalil (closest friend). It was a severely trying time. Ishmael was his only son and Abraham was blessed with him at an old age. Earlier, God had also commanded him to leave his son and his wife in a barren land which had no resources that he had obeyed. Allah had taken care of them and his trust in Allah was well placed. Now, he was commanded to offer his son in sacrifice. Still, he hastened to obey his Lord. Then Abraham made preparations to sacrifice his son.. ⁴⁴

Then, Abraham set out with his son Ishmael to the sacrificing spot. It was not an easy task for him. On the way, Satan appeared in the form of an old advising man. He attempted to stop Abraham from offering the sacrifice. However, the firm belief of Abraham kept him determined to comply with the command of Allah. Satan then tried to tempt young Ishmael and persuaded him to run away. Nevertheless, Ishmael was an obedient son, and a firm believer. Satan could not tempt him as well.

An eminent Islamic scholar Muhammad Sanaullah Pani Patti, while commenting on 37: 103 of the Holy Quran, explains it as:

“When Abraham decided to sacrifice Ishmael , Satan made its mission to dissuade Abraham from it. Hence he appeared in human form and went to meet the mother of Ishmael . Upon meeting her, Satan said, ‘do you know where has Abraham taken your son? She replied, ‘both of them have gone to get some wood’. Satan said, ‘I swear by God that Abraham is about to sacrifice your son. He believes that it is the command of God’. Upon hearing this, She said: Firstly, Abraham is a very kind hearted person, and he loves his son. Secondly, if it is indeed a command of Allah, then Abraham is doing well in obeying it’. Furious at his failure, he ran towards Ishmael (who was walking behind his father) and said, ‘do you know where your father is taking you?’ Ishmael replied: ‘I am going with my father to collect some wood’. When Satan heard this, he said, ‘No, I swear by God that he is going to sacrifice you’. Ishmael asked, ‘why?’. Satan replied, ‘Abraham thinks that God has given him this command.’ Ishmael said, ‘if God has given him this command then he should obey it’. When Satan failed to tempt Ishmael as well, he went towards Abraham and said, ‘What do you intend to do?’, Abraham replied, ‘I have some work in the valley’. Satan (the cursed one) said ‘I think that the devil has ordered you to sacrifice your son in that dream’. This much information was enough for Abraham he realized that the human was Satan. He said ‘stay away from me O enemy of Allah, I swear to God that I accept my Lords command and will obey it whole heartedly’. Steaming with his failures, Satan went away. ⁴⁵

Abraham and Ishmael arrived at the sacrificing spot at Mina. Abraham tied the hands and the legs of his son so as not to be perturbed by his pain and restlessness. Then, he blindfolded himself, carried the knife, and moved forward to obey the command of Allah Almighty. Abraham moved the knife over the neck of his son, but it did not cut. ⁴⁶ The Holy Quran narrates it as:

وَنَادَيْنَاهُ أَن يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ 104‏ قَدْ صَدَّقْتَ الرُّؤْيَا ۚ إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ 105‏ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَهُوَ الْبَلَاءُ الْمُبِينُ ‎106‏ وَفَدَيْنَاهُ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيمٍ ‎107‏ وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِي الْآخِرِينَ 018‏ سَلَامٌ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ 109‏ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ ‎110 إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ 11⁴⁷

And We called out to him, “O Ibrahim!”. “You have indeed made the dream come true”; and this is how We reward the virtuous. Indeed this was a clear test. And We rescued him in exchange of a great sacrifice. (The sacrifice of Ibrahim and Ismail – peace be upon them – is commemorated every year on 10, 11 and 12 Zil Haj). And We kept his praise among the latter generations. Peace be upon Ibrahim! This is how We reward the virtuous. He is indeed one of Our high ranking, firmly believing bondmen.

Allah replaced his son (Abraham's ) with what pleased Him and it is well known that it was a white, big-eyed sheep with horns. ⁴⁸ Hence, Ishmael was saved and the sheep was sacrificed. God accepted Abraham’s act of selflessness and loved it so much that he commanded the Muslims to make a sacrifice every year (on Eid Al-Adha). ⁴⁹

The Well Of Zam Zam

Before the arrival of Abraham , the well of Zam Zam did not exist. The details about these details are given in the Hadith of Holy Prophet Ibn Abbas narrates:

وجعلت أم إسماعيل ترضع إسماعيل وتشرب من ذلك الماء، حتى إذا نفد ما في السقاء عطشت وعطش ابنها، وجعلت تنظر إليه يتلوى، أو قال يتلبط، فانطلقت كراهية أن تنظر إليه، فوجدت الصفا أقرب جبل في الأرض يليها، فقامت عليه، ثم استقبلت الوادي تنظر هل ترى أحدا فلم تر أحدا، فهبطت من الصفا حتى إذا بلغت الوادي رفعت طرف درعها، ثم سعت سعي الإنسان المجهود حتى جاوزت الوادي، ثم أتت المروة فقامت عليها ونظرت هل ترى أحدا فلم تر أحدا ، ففعلت ذلك سبع مرات، قال ابن عباس: قال النبي صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم: «فذلك سعي الناس بينهما» فلما أشرفت على المروة سمعت صوتا، فقالت صه - تريد نفسها -، ثم تسمعت، فسمعت أيضا، فقالت: قد أسمعت إن كان عندك غواث، فإذا هي بالملك عند موضع زمزم، فبحث بعقبه، أو قال بجناحه، حتى ظهر الماء، فجعلت تحوضه وتقول بيدها هكذا، وجعلت تغرف من الماء في سقائها وهو يفور بعد ما تغرف. قال ابن عباس: قال النبي صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم: " يرحم اللّٰه أم إسماعيل، لو تركت زمزم - أو قال: لو لم تغرف من الماء -، لكانت زمزم عينا معينا…..⁵⁰

…. " Ishmael’s mother went on suckling Ishmael drinking from the water (she had). When the water in the water-skin had been used up, she became thirsty, and her child also became thirsty. She began looking at him tossing in agony. She left Ishmael for she could not stand looking at him, and found that the Mount As-Safa was the nearest mountain to her on that land. She climbed on it and started looking at the valley keenly so that she might see somebody, but she could not see anyone. Moreover, so she descended from As-Safa, and when she got to the valley, she gathered up her gown and headed towards the hills in the valley like a person in distress and trouble till she passed over the valley and reached the Mount Al-Marwa. There she stood and started looking expecting to see somebody, but she could not find anyone. She repeated that running between Safa and Marwa seven times. "This is the source of the tradition of the Sa'y rituals of the Hajj, pilgrimage the pacing of people between them (As-Safa and Al- Marwa). When she reached Al-Marwa (for the last time), she heard a voice, and she asked herself to be quiet and listened attentively. She heard the voice again and said: "O whoever you may be! You have made me hear your voice; have you got something to help me?" And behold! She saw an angel at the place of Zam Zam, digging the earth with his heel (or his wing) till water flowed from that location. She started to make something like a basin around it, using her hand in this way and started filling her water-skin with water with her hands and the water was flowing out, and she had scooped some of it.” Prophet Muhammad added:

"May Allah bestow mercy on Ishmael’s mother! Had she let the Zam-Zam flow without trying to control it, or had she not scooped from that water to fill her water skin, Zam Zam would have been a stream flowing on the surface of the earth."

The Construction Of Ka’ba

The Authentic account regarding the construction of the Ka’ba is given in the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad , Ibn Abbas narrates:

…ثم جاء بعد ذلك، وإسماعيل يبري نبلا له تحت دوحة قريبا من زمزم، فلما رآه قام إليه، فصنعا كما يصنع الوالد بالولد والولد بالوالد، ثم قال يا إسماعيل، إن الله أمرني بأمر، قال: فاصنع ما أمرك ربك، قال: وتعينني؟ قال: وأعينك، قال: فإن الله أمرني أن أبني ها هنا بيتا، وأشار إلى أكمة مرتفعة على ما حولها، قال: فعند ذلك رفعا القواعد من البيت، فجعل إسماعيل يأتي بالحجارة وإبراهيم يبني، حتى إذا ارتفع البناء، جاء بهذا الحجر فوضعه له فقام عليه، وهو يبني وإسماعيل يناوله الحجارة، وهما يقولان {ربنا تقبل منا إنك أنت السميع العليم} (البقرة: 127)، قال: فجعلا يبنيان حتى يدورا حول البيت وهما يقولان: {ربنا تقبل منا إنك أنت السميع العليم}. ⁵¹

Then Abraham stayed away from them for a period as long as Allah wished and called on them afterwards. He saw Ishmael under a tree near Zam Zam, sharpening his arrows. When he saw Abraham , he rose up to welcome him (and they greeted each other as a father does with his son or a son does with his father). Abraham said: 'O Ishmael! Allah has given me an order.' Ishmael said: 'Do what your Lord has ordered you to do.' Abraham asked: 'Will you help me?' Ishmael said: 'I will help you.' Abraham said: 'Allah has ordered me to build a house here,' pointing to a hillock higher than the land surrounding it. Then they raised the foundations of the House (the Kaba). Ishmael brought the stones while Abraham built and when the walls became high, Ishmael brought this stone and put it for Abraham who stood over it and carried on building. While Ishmael was handing him the stones, and both of them were reciting: "Our Lord! Accept this service from us, verily, You are the All Hearer, the All Knower." Then both of them continued building the Kaaba, and while building the Kaaba, they kept circling it and recited: "O our Lord! Accept this service from us, verily, You are the All Hearer, the All Knower."

Allah accepted this service from Abraham and Ishmael , and blessed the Kaaba. Muslims face the Kaaba in every prayer, go there for pilgrimage, and pray there. ⁵² Moreover, the reward of any good deed conducted in this sacred area (Haram) is increased up to a hundred thousand times. ⁵³

Title Of Abraham

Allah gave Abraham the title of Khalilullah (Closest Friend of Allah). As the Holy Quran states:

وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ دِينًا مِّمَّنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ وَاتَّبَعَ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَاتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ خَلِيلًا 125⁵⁴

And whose religion is better than one who submits his self to Allah and is virtuous and follows the religion of Ibrahim, who was far removed from all falsehood? And Allah made Ibrahim His close friend.

This particular title of Abraham is used very commonly in Muslim culture and tradition. In the Arab world, Abraham is often referred to solely as ‘The Friend’. Moreover, this title is also mentioned in the Book of Isaiah as well. As the Bible states:

وَأَمَّا أَنْتَ يَا إِسْرَائِيلُ عَبْدِي، يَا يَعْقُوبُ ٱلَّذِي ٱخْتَرْتُهُ، نَسْلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ خَلِيلِي. ⁵⁵

“But you, Israel my servant, you are the people that I have chosen, the descendants of Ibrahim, my friend.

Departure From This World

According to the quotes collected by Ibne Kathir, Abraham was buried, along with his wife Sarah, at the Cave of the Patriarchs ⁵⁶ in Hebron. Known to Muslims as the Sanctuary of Abraham it is also thought to be the burial site of Isaac , his wife Rafaqa (Rebecca ) and Jacob and his wife, Liya .

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• ¹  Robert S. Ellwood, Gregory D. Elles, (1998), The Encyclopedia of World Religions, Facts on File Inc., New York, USA, Pg. 2
• ²  Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir, Stories of the Prophets, (Translated by Muhammad Mustapha), Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, Pg. 38
• ³  Abraham’s father was also known as Azar. (Phyllis G. Jestice, (2004), Holy People of The World: A Cross Cultural Encyclopedia, ABC Clio, California, USA, Vol.1, Pg. 6.). But as per the evidence found in the Holy Quran and the view of learned scholars, it has been established that Azar was the name of Abraham’s paternal uncle, and Tarikh was the real name of Abraham’s father. As the Holy Quran states::
  (٧٤)وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ لِأَبِيهِ آزَرَ أَتَتَّخِذُ أَصْنَامًا آلِهَةً إِنِّي أَرَاكَ وَقَوْمَكَ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ
  Translation: And remember when Ibrahim said to his father (paternal uncle) Azar, “what! You appoint idols as gods? Indeed I find you and your people in open error.”
  (Ibrahim was rightly guided since birth).
  (Holy Quran, Al Ana’am (The Cattle), 6: 74)While commenting on this verse, Ibn Kathir states that the real name of Abraham’s father was Tarikh and not Azar. (Translated from Ibn Kathir (2003), Tafseer Quran Al Azeem, Al Ana’am (The Cattle), 6: 74, Dare Taiba Lin Nashar wa Tawzee, Riyadh Saudia Arabia, Vol. 3, Pg. 288.). Furthermore, it should also be known that the word “ب ا" is used for multiple meanings such as father and uncle. Hence, in the Quran, the word “ب ا" is used for uncle.
• ⁴  Juan E. Campo, (2009), Encyclopedia of Islam, Facts on File Inc., New York, USA, Pg. 9.
• ⁵  Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir (2014), Al Bidaayah Wan Nihaayah (From the Beginning to the End, translated by Rafiq Abdur Rahman), Darul Ishaat, Karachi, Pakistan, Vol. 1, Pg. 239.
• ⁶  Harun Yahya (2005), Prophet Abraham and Prophet Lut (Translated by Carl Rosinni), Global Publishing, Istanbul, Turkey, Pg. 11-12.
• ⁷  Holy Quran, An-Nahl (The Bee) 16: 120
• ⁸  Juan E. Campo (2009), Encyclopedia of Islam, Facts on File Inc., New York, USA, Pg. 9.
• ⁹  Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir, Stories of the Prophets (Translated by Muhammad Mustapha), Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, Pg. 38.
• ¹⁰  Harun Yahya (2005), Prophet Abraham and Prophet Lut (Translated by Carl Rosinni, Global Publishing), Istanbul, Turkey, Pg. 14.
• ¹¹  Holy Quran, Surah Al Baqarah (The Cow), 2:170
• ¹²  Harun Yahya, Prophet Abraham and Prophet Lot, Translated by Carl Rosinni, (2005), Global Publishing, Istanbul, Turkey, Pg. 14-15.
• ¹³  Sayyed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi, Stories of The Prophets, U.K Islamic Academy, Leicester, U.K, Pg. 39.
• ¹⁴  Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir, Stories of the Prophets (Translated by Muhammad Mustapha), Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, Pg. 39.
• ¹⁵  Holy Quran, Al-Najm (The Stars) 51: 51
• ¹⁶  Ibn Kathir (2003), Tafseer Quran Al Azeem, Al Anbiya (The Prophets) 21: 51, Dare Taiba Lin Nashar wa Tawzee, Riyadh, Saudia, Vol. 5, Pg. 347.
• ¹⁷  Holy Quran, Surah Al Aa’la (the Supreme) 87:18-19
• ¹⁸  Imam Abi Abdullah Muhammad bin Ahmed bin Abi Bakr bin Farh Al Ansari Al Qurtubi (2001), Mukhtasir Tafseer Qurtubi, Dar Al Kotob Al-ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 4, Pg. 520.
• ¹⁹  Harun Yahya (2005), Prophet Abraham and Prophet Lut (Translated by Carl Rosinni), Global Publishing, Istanbul, Turkey, Pg. 20-21.
• ²⁰  Holy Quran, Al-Anbiya (The Prophets) 21: 107
• ²¹  S. Baring Gould (1871), Legends of the Old Testament Characters from the Talmud and Other Sources, Macmillan & Co., New York, USA, Vol.1, Pg. 179.
• ²²  Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir, Stories of the Prophets (Translated by Muhammad Mustapha), Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudia, Pg. 43.
• ²³  Holy Quran, Saffat (The Rank Makers) 37: 91
• ²⁴  Qudoom or Quddoom: It is tool, used for smoothing rough-cut wood in hand-wood working. (Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir (2010), Early Days (Taken from Al Bidayah wan Nihayah, translated by the Research Department) Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudia, Pg. 248.)
• ²⁵  Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir, Stories of the Prophets (Translated by Muhammad Mustapha), Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, Pg. 43.
• ²⁶  Holy Quran, Al Anbiya (The Prophets) 21: 59-67
• ²⁷ http://www.islamicstudies.info/tafheem.php?sura=21&verse=51&to=75: Retrieved: 04-07-17
• ²⁸  Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir, Stories of the Prophets (Translated by Muhammad Mustapha), Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, Pg. 44.
• ²⁹ http://www.islamicstudies.info/tafheem.php?sura=21&verse=51&to=75: Retrieved: 04-07-17
• ³⁰  Holy Quran, Surah Al Baqarah (The Cow) 2: 258
• ³¹  Sayyed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi, Stories of The Prophets, U.K Islamic Academy, Leicester, U.K, Pg. 44.
• ³²  Holy Quran, Surah Al Anbiya (The Prophets) 21: 68-69
• ³³  Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir, Stories of the Prophets (Translated by Muhammad Mustapha), Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudia, Pg. 44-45.
• ³⁴  Holy Quran, Al-Ankabut (The Spider) 29:26
• ³⁵  Translated from the Arabic text: فَخَرَجَ بِامْرَأَتِهِ سَارَةَ وَمَعَهُ أَخُوهَا لُوطٌ. (Abu Muhammad Abdul Rahman bin Muhammad Bin Idrees Bin Al Munzar Al Tameemi Alhunzali Al Raazi Ibne Abi Haatim (1999), Tafseer Quran Al Azeem, Maktaba Nazaar Mustafa Al Baaz, Saudia, Vol. 6, Pg. 1837.
• ³⁶  Robert S. Ellwood & Gregory D. Elles (1998), The Encyclopedia of World Religions, Facts on File Inc., New York, USA, Pg. 2.
• ³⁷  Abu Abdullah Muhammad Bin Ismail Al-Bukhari (1999), Sahih Bukhari, Kitab Ahadith-ul-Anbiya: Hadith No. 3358, Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudia, Pg. 560.
• ³⁸  Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir, Stories of the Prophets (Translated by Muhammad Mustapha), Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, Pg. 46-48.
• ³⁹  Sayyed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi, Stories of The Prophets, U.K Islamic Academy, Leicester, U.K, Pg. 44.
• ⁴⁰  Abu Abdullah Muhammad Bin Ismail Al-Bukhari (1999), Sahih Bukhari, Kitab Ahadith-ul-Anbiya: Hadith No. 3364, Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudia, Pg. 561.
• ⁴¹  Holy Quran, Abraham(Prophet Abraham) 14: 37-38
• ⁴²  Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir (2014), Al Bidaayah Wan Nihaayah (From the Beginning to the End, translated by Rafiq Abdur Rahman), Darul Ishaat, Karachi, Pakistan, Vol. 1, Pg. 255.
• ⁴³  Holy Quran, Saffat (The Rank Makers) 37: 102
• ⁴⁴  Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir (2014), Al Bidaayah Wan Nihaayah (From the Beginning to the End, translated by Rafiq Abdur Rahman), Darul Ishaat, Karachi, Pakistan, Vol. 1, Pg. 254.
• ⁴⁵  Qaazi Muhammad Sanaullah Pani Pati (2014), Tafseer-e-Mazhari, Zia-ul-Quran Publishers, Karachi, Pakistan, Vol. 8, Pg. 161-162.
• ⁴⁶  Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir (2014), Al Bidaayah Wan Nihaayah (From the Beginning to the End, translated by Rafiq Abdur Rahman), Darul Ishaat, Karachi, Pakistan, Vol. 1, Pg. 255.
• ⁴⁷  Holy Quran, Saffat (The Rank Makers) 37: 104-111
• ⁴⁸  Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir (2014), Al Bidaayah Wan Nihaayah (From the Beginning to the End, translated by Rafiq Abdur Rahman), Darul Ishaat, Karachi, Pakistan, Vol. 1, Pg. 256.
• ⁴⁹  Sayyed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi, Stories of The Prophets, U.K Islamic Academy, Leicester, U.K, Pg. 45.
• ⁵⁰  Abu Abdullah Muhammad Bin Ismail Al-Bukhari (1999), Sahih Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Anbiya, Hadith: 3364, Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudia, Pg. 561-562.
• ⁵¹  Ibid.
• ⁵²  Sayyed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi, Stories of The Prophets, U.K Islamic Academy, Leicester, U.K, Pg. 46.
• ⁵³  Muhammad Bin Yazeed Abu Abdullah Al Qazweeni (Ibn-e-Maja’), Sunan Ibne Maja’, Kitab Iqamatus Salat, Hadith No. 1413, Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudia, Pg. 250.
• ⁵⁴  Holy Quran, Al-Nisa (The Women) 4: 125
• ⁵⁵  The Bible, Isaiah 41: 8
• ⁵⁶  The Cave of the Patriarchs, is also known as the Cave of Machpelah. To Muslims, it is known as the sanctuary of Abraham. It is located in south of Jerusalem.