Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
When Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) was approximately ninety years old, he made dua to Allah Ta’ala to bless him with a son to continue his mission of inviting people to Allah Ta’ala. It was then that Allah Ta’ala blessed him with a son, Nabi Ismail (‘alaihis salaam).
However, soon thereafter, Allah Ta’ala commanded him to take his wife, Hazrat Haajar (radhiyallahu ‘anha), and his infant child, and leave them in the desert of Makkah Mukarramah.
At that time, the city of Makkah Mukarramah and the structure of the Ka’bah Shareef did not exist. It was a barren land, void of vegetation and civilization. There was no water to be found and no shelter to be seen anywhere in this area.
Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) brought them to Makkah Mukarramah and left them in this barren land in fulfilment of the command of Allah Ta’ala.
After bringing them here, as Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) turned to leave, his respected wife called out to him and asked, “How can you leave us here all alone?”
However, seeing that Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) did not respond, she then asked, “Did Allah Ta’ala command you to leave us here?” Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) gestured in the affirmative, to which she replied with complete conviction in Allah Ta’ala, “In that case, He (Allah Ta’ala) will take care of us and will not allow us to perish!”
This was the staunch and steadfast imaan of Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) and his family, and the sacrifice that they made in order to fulfil the command of Allah Ta’ala.
Allah Ta’ala loved their sacrifice so much that He made it the means of the Zam Zam water starting to flow, and he made the sa’ee (running) of Hazrat Haajar (radhiyallahu ‘anha) between Safaa and Marwah part of the rituals of hajj and umrah until the Day of Qiyaamah.
The Test of Slaughtering His Son
Thereafter, when Nabi Ismail (‘alaihis salaam) was a young boy, six or seven years of age, Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) was instructed, via a dream, to slaughter his son, Nabi Ismail (‘alaihis salaam). Since the dreams of the Ambiyaa are a form of wahi from Allah Ta’ala and are true, Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) knew that this was the command of Allah Ta’ala.
This test which Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) was put through, was the final and ultimate test – the test to determine whether he would submit before the command of Allah Ta’ala or give preference to his heart’s desire.
After being blessed by Allah Ta’ala with a son in his old age, he was now being commanded to sacrifice this one and only child.
Like any other parent, Hazrat Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) definitely loved his child and desired to see his child living with him in this world. Yet, the command of Allah Ta’ala dictated that the desire to see the child living, no matter how intense, must be curtailed and the child be sacrificed.
Hazrat Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) did not hesitate, for even a single moment, in giving preference to the command of Allah Ta’ala over his heart’s desire. Each of these incidents speak volumes of the extent to which Hazrat Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) had surrendered himself to the divine command of his Creator.
However, it was also the desire of Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) that his son wholeheartedly submits before the command of Allah Ta’ala.
Therefore, he informed his son about the dream and asked him what he felt regarding the matter.
Despite his son still being a child, since he was nurtured upon the true values of Islam, and the love of Allah Ta’ala had been embedded within his heart, he spontaneously replied:
یٰۤاَبَتِ افۡعَلۡ مَا تُؤۡمَرُ ۫ سَتَجِدُنِیۡۤ اِنۡ شَآءَ اللّٰہُ مِنَ الصّٰبِرِیۡنَ ﴿۱۰۲﴾
O my beloved father! Do as you have been commanded! You will find me, insha Allah, to be from the patient ones! (Surah Saaffat v. 102)
Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) then lay his son down on the ground and placed the blade on his neck. We can imagine the feeling in his heart, at that moment, yet he was prepared to sacrifice even his beloved child for the pleasure of Allah Ta’ala.
Allah Ta’ala depicts the sacrifice of father and son in the Qur’aan Majeed in the following words:
فَلَمَّاۤ اَسۡلَمَا وَ تَلَّہٗ لِلۡجَبِیۡنِ ﴿۱۰۳﴾ۚ وَ نَادَیۡنٰہُ اَنۡ یّٰۤاِبۡرٰہِیۡمُ ﴿۱۰۴﴾ۙقَدۡ صَدَّقۡتَ الرُّءۡیَا ۚ اِنَّا کَذٰلِکَ نَجۡزِی الۡمُحۡسِنِیۡنَ ﴿۱۰۵﴾ اِنَّ ہٰذَا لَہُوَ الۡبَلٰٓـؤُا الۡمُبِیۡنُ ﴿۱۰۶﴾
When both (father and son) submitted before the command of Allah Ta’ala, and he (Hazrat Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam)) laid him (Hazrat Ismail (‘alaihis salaam)) on his forehead (for sacrifice), We called out to him “O Ebrahim! You have fulfilled (the command you were given in) the dream!” Thus, indeed do We reward those who do good. Indeed, this was a great test. (Surah Saaffat v. 103-106)
When one examines this verse, one finds that Allah Ta’ala described the action of Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) and his son, Nabi Ismail (‘alaihis salaam) using the word ‘Aslamaa’, which stems from to root word ‘Islam’ – to submit. In other words, both father and son wholeheartedly submitted before the command of Allah Ta’ala and showed true Islam.
However, despite Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) trying to slaughter his son, the knife would not cut. Allah Ta’ala then sent a ram from Jannah to be slaughtered as a substitute for his son. Allah Ta’ala describes this test saying:
اِنَّ ہٰذَا لَہُوَ الۡبَلٰٓـؤُا الۡمُبِیۡنُ ﴿۱۰۶﴾
Indeed, this was definitely a great test (which clearly demonstrated the submission of Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) to the command of Allah Ta’ala). (Surah Saaffat v. 106)
It was after Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) passed this test that Allah Ta’ala blessed him with the honour of building the Ka’bah Shareef – the centre of hidaayat for mankind until the Day of Qiyaamah, and in building the Ka’bah, he was assisted by this son, Nabi Ismail (‘alaihis salaam).
