Stories of Prophets -3

8/12/2019 Stories of Prophets -3

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TOPIC 3

THE SELLER OF IDOLSCOLD FIRE

WHO IS MY GOD?THE INVITATION FOR THE FATHER

TO MECCABAIT AL MAQDIS


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Learning Outcomes

After studying this chapter, you should be able to:

Describe the environment in which Prophet Ibraheem was born. Explain why Ibraheem decided to break the idols worshipped by his people. Explain how intelligently Ibraheem planned the destruction of the idols worshipped by

his people.

Explain how Ibraheem was saved from the fire by Allah the Almighty. Realize the power of Ibraheems arguments before which the idols, celestial bodies and

kings were left speechless.

Understand Allahs caring for His Friends and their families. Explain the origin of the water of Zamzam. Understand how and why the Kaba was built. Realize the human tendency of jealousy even for the true believers.


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1. IntroductionIbraheem was born in an environment where people worshipped everything but Allah the

Almighty. Idols of stone and wood, planets, stars, kings and rulers, everything that the human

mind could imagine was worshipped in some way by people. Ibraheems own father was not

only an idols-worshipper but also an idols fabricator and seller.

Born in such an atmosphere, Ibraheem stood against the entire system of his community:

against all kinds of polytheism. This is the beginning of a life-time struggle in order to bring

humanity back to its Creator, the Almighty Allah.

He faced hardships and sufferings in this mission, but he heroically resisted and

persevered in calling his people to worship Allah alone without associating anything with Him.

The life-time struggle earned him the glorious title of Khaleelullahwhich means the Close

One to Allah and it made his descendants thereafter Prophets and kings.

In brief, this chapter covers the entire life of Prophet Ibraheem (peace & blessings be

upon him) and his struggle with his family, his community, and the whole humanity at that time.

The chapter begins with the seller of idols (Ibraheems father) to cold fire, then Ibraheem search

for his God and his call of people to Him, and it, finally, ends with Ibraheem at Mecca and Bait

Al Maqdis.


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2. The seller of idolsCold fire2.1 The seller of idols

Ibraheems family lived in a city called Babylonia long time ago. His father, Azar, was famous

in the city because he was fabricating and selling idols. Given the wide spread worship of idols at

that time when everything the mind can think of was worshipped, no wonders that the idols

manufacturer and vendor be famous. The city even had a huge building where idols of different

kinds, qualities, and shapes were kept and to which people prostrated and worshipped.

Since his childhood Ibraheem had a strong aversion for the idols. He could understand

why his people, his father included, are prostrating to and worshipping these stone and wood

statues they have made with their own hand. How could people believe that these inanimate

man-made bodies would harm or benefit them? It was reported that Azar sent Ibraheem with his

other brothers to sell the idols he has made in the city. The other sons managed to sell theirs

regularly while Ibraheem returned to his father with his statues unsold because he went around in

the city saying to the people: Who will buy something that will not harm him nor benefit him?

Not surprisingly that Ibraheems statues remained unsold with such poor marketing efforts.

2.2Azars sonIbraheem was intelligent and gifted with spiritual understanding since his young age. Allah

opened his heart and mind to Divine Wisdom as mentioned in the Holy Quran Indeed We

bestowed aforetime on Ibraheem his (portion) of guidance, and We were Well Acquainted with

him (as to his Belief in the Oneness of Allah etc.). (Ch 21: 51).

As a child he noticed that his father used to make strange statues. After long observations

and thoughts, he finally decided to ask his father about what he is making. Azar answered that he


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was making statues of gods. The small child was astonished by this answer and he spontaneously

rejected the idea altogether. How could these statues be gods? He told himself. I used to play

with these statues sitting on their backs.

It was narrated that one day his father saw him riding one of the statues called Mardukh

he became furious and ordered his son not to repeat it again. Ibraheem asked: What is this

statue, father? It has big ears than ours. His father answered: It is Mardukh, the god of gods,

son! And these big ears show his deep knowledge. This made Ibraheem laughed even though he

was only seven years old at that time1.

Ibraheem could not understand how people come to worship what they have made with

their own hands? He knew that these gods are just stone and wood that could neither help nor

harm anyone; they could not eat, drink, hear or speak. He was shocked when he saw people, his

own father included, prostrating and begging these idols for help and even crying in the process.

To make things worse, Azar expected Ibraheem to become a priest when he grew up. He

wanted his son to serve their gods. Now how can Ibraheem who had nothing but hatred for the

idols become a priest? On the contrary, Ibraheem thought he should counsel his people and

convince them to give up worshipping idols in order to worship Allah alone. He decided to begin

with his own father because he not only worshipped these idols but he is also the one who is

making them and providing them to the community.

1Ibn Kathir, Imam Abi al-Fidaa Ismail. Stories of the Prophets = Qissasul anbiya. Trans. Muhammad Mustapha,

Azhar Unversity. P. 38 From:www.islambasics.com
http://www.islambasics.com/http://www.islambasics.com/http://www.islambasics.com/http://www.islambasics.com/


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2.3The advice of IbraheemIbraheems father was very angry and furious about his sons attitude towards the idols because

his father not only worshipped idols but sculpted and sold them as well. Thus, the attitude of his

son is very embarrassing for him. Moreover, what his son is calling people to will put an end to

the family business. A business practiced by their fathers and grandfathers in the family. How

could Azar allow his son to make such a sinful act?

On the other hand, Ibraheem thought that it was his duty as a good son to advise his father

against this evil so that he could be saved from ALLAHs punishment. He approached his father

wisely and began using gentle words in order to convince him to abandon worshipping lifeless

idols. The Holy Quran reported to us the dialogue between Ibraheem and his father as follows

(Ch 19: 43-48):

O my father! Why worship that which heareth not, and seeth not and can profit you nothing? O

my father! Verily! There has come to me of knowledge that which came not unto you. So follow

me, I will guide you to Straight Path. O my father! Worship not Satan. Verily! Satan has been a

rebel against the Most Beneficent (ALLAH). O my father! Verily! I fear lest a torment from the

Most Beneficent (ALLAH) overtake you as that you become a companion of Satan (in the

Hellfire).

He (the father) said: Do you reject my gods, O Abraham? If you stop not this, I will indeed

stone you. So get away from me safely before I punish you.

Abraham said: Peace be on you! I will ask Forgiveness of my Lord for you. Verily! He is unto

me, Ever Most Gracious. And I shall turn away from you and from those whom you invoke

besides ALLAH.


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In his Tafseer of the above verses, Ibn Khathir said: Here Allah recounts the argument

between Ibraheem and his father and how he invited him to the truth gently, explaining to him

the falsehood of worshipping idols that could not hear the supplication of their worshippers or

see where they were. How could such idols then support them or provide them with sustenance?!

But his father became angry and did not understand what all these questions meant. He turned a

deaf ear to his advice and even threatened him2.

Ibraheem was not discouraged by the harsh responses that he received from his own

father. Notwithstanding that negative result, he decided to give the same advice to his people. He

was fully aware that he may suffer harm by challenging his people and publically questioning

their way of worship. But it was his duty as a messenger from Allah to deliver his message of

truth to his people.

He went to the people and asked if the idols see them when they prostrate to them or if

they benefit them in any way. They replied that they knew the idols were inanimate things but

their forefathers worshipped before, thus it was enough evidence for them to do the same.

Ibraheem tried to persuade them that their forefathers were wrong and this seems almost

unthinkable to the people who quickly asked Are you just joking? He courageously replied: I

am serious. I come to you with a true religion. I have been sent with guidance from our Lord

Who is worthy of worship, Who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and Who regulates

all affairs of life, unlike the dumb idols which are just stone and wood3.

2Ibn Kathir, Imam Abi al-Fidaa Ismail. Stories of the Prophets = Qissasul anbiya. 2001. Trans. Sayed, G, Tamir, Abu

A.,& Muhammad, A. M. Al-Mansoura: Dar Al-Manarah. P. 72.




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Like his father, the people became angry and did not understand what he meant.

Ibraheem, then, decided to show them the reality of their foolishness: he decided to break their

idols to convince them that they are hopeless bodies that cannot even defend themselves let alone

protect someone else.

2.4Ibraheem breaks the idolsAfter the argument between him and his father, Ibraheem left the family house. When he realized

that the people would not give up worshipping idols, he made the firm decision to destroy these

idols. Once the idols destroyed, there is no room for anyone of his people to still believe that the

idols can do any good to someone since they cannot even protect themselves, Ibraheem thought.

The people of Babylonia had an annual festival when they rejoiced, celebrated and to

which everyone attended. Ibraheem chose that day for the implementation of his plan of

destroying the idols. He knew that the city as well as the temple of idols will be empty on that

day because even the priests will attend the festival which took place outside the city.

The day of the annual festival came. The streets and the temple were deserted because

everybody was at the event. Therefore, Ibraheem came out armed with an axe and heading

towards the temple where the idols were kept. He entered the temple and found the food laid in

front of the stone and wood statues of the gods as offerings.

Ibraheem wanted to mock the idols before destroying them. So he approached one of the

statues and asked: Come on! The food in front of you is getting cold! Why dont you eat? The

statue remained silent. Then he went around asking all the other statues: Will you not eat of the

offering before you? (Ch 37: 91). He continued mocking them and said: What is the matter

with you that you do not speak? (Ch 37: 92).


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Ibraheem then started hitting the false gods worshipped by the people and destroyed them

except a big one on whose neck he put the axe. He cautiously came out the temple and left

certain that no one is around to witness what he had just done. He felt consoled because he has

given his people a practical proof of their absurdity in worshipping something other than Allah.

But will get the lesson and turn back to the truth?

2.5Who did that?After the festival was over, people returned back to the city. As usual, they headed to the temple

where the idols were kept to show them their respect in this special day. They were surprised,

shocked, and angry to find their gods lying in pieces all over the temple. They immediately

started the investigations to find out who did this to their gods. The name of Ibraheem came to

their minds since he was the one who was questioning their worship of idols. A quick order was

given to bring him now.

They brought Ibraheem in front of the gathering and asked him if he is the one who did

this to their gods. Allah the Almighty said,

- Who has done this to our aliah (gods)? He must indeed be one of the wrongdoers. Theysaid: We heard a young man talking against them who is called Abraham. They said:

Then bring him before the eyes of the people, that they may testify. They said: Are

you the one who has done this to our gods, O Abraham?

- Abraham said: nay, this one, the biggest of them (idols) did it, Ask them, if they canspeak!


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- So they turned to themselves and said: Verily you are the Zalimun (polytheists, andwrongdoers). Then they turned tothemselves (their first thought and said): Indeed you

(Abraham) know well that these idols speak not?

- Abraham said: Do you then worship besides Allah, things that can neither profit younor harm you? (Ch 21: 59-67).

After the investigations and the trial, they ordered to arrest Ibraheem before they meet and

decide on how to punish him. It was clear from the trial that they have realized how foolish is

their worship of these idols that could not speak nor defend themselves. How can they then

defend or protect their worshippers if they cannot defend themselves? But instead of recognizing

the truth, their arrogance pushed them to reject it and even deciding to punish Ibraheem.

2.6Cold fireThe people met and deliberated on how to punish Ibraheem. He has broken our gods and

humiliated us publically on our festival day. He should pay back for what he has done so that he

can serve as a lesson for anyone daring to follow him or to deny our gods. Some of them

suggested that they should burn him and this is what they went for.

They spent several days collecting firewood in order to prepare a big fire to throw

Ibraheem into it. People were incited to participate in gathering the wood as an act of worship to

their idols. It was even reported that ignorant, sick women vowed that if they were cured they

would donate so much wood to burn Ibraheem4.




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Once the fire was ready, they asked people to gather in order to witness the punishment of

the man who is mocking their gods. Ibraheem was then tied and thrown into the fire. It was

reported that Gabriel appeared to Ibraheem hanging between the sky and the earth and told him,

Abraham! Do you need anything? He replied, as from you, I need nothing. Then Gabriel asked

him, and from Allah? He replied He knows better my situation.

Immediately Allahs command to the fire came, O fire! Be you coolness and safety for

Abraham. (Ch 21: 69). The fire became cool and safe for Ibraheem. It only burned the bonds

that tied him. All the people witnessed the miracle: the fire did not harm Ibraheem and this

increased their confusion and shame. Eventually, many people followed Ibraheem after this

event.

3. Who is my God?The invitation for the father3.1 Who is my God?

Another struggle faced by Ibraheem is that between him and the heavenly bodies worshippers.

These are people who worshipped the stars, the planets, the sun, and the moon. He demonstrated

to them that these heavenly bodies should not be worshipped and taken as gods since they are

creatures of Allah and they appeared at one time and disappeared at another time.

The Holy Quran narrated to us how he drew the attention of the worshippers to show

them the falsity of their actions. When he saw the stars, he said This is my lord. But when it set

he said: I like not that those who set.He did the same when he saw the moon and the sun and

concluded that they cannot be his gods since they disappeared. He told them that his Lord is

Allah the Almighty to whom nothing can be hidden and that there is no deity but Allah.


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Thus, Ibraheem clarified to these people that the celestial bodies are not to be worshipped

because they are mere creatures of Allah and are just among the signs of the existence of one

deity Allah the Almighty who said: And from among His signs are the night and the day, and

the sun and the moon. Prostrate not to the sun nor to the moon, but prostrate to Allah Who

created them if you really worship Him.(Ch 41: 37).

3.2Allah is my GodIn his life-time struggle for the cause of Allah, Ibraheem searched for the guidance and for his

Lord the Almighty Allah. He knew that his Lord is Allah and he used the means available to him

to persuade his people to give up worshipping idols and heavenly bodies. He explained to them

that Allah is omnipotent and nothing can overcome Him. Allah is the Lords of all the creatures

and of all the worlds.

Allah guided Ibraheem, sent him as a Prophet to his people, and chose him His Close

Friend. He was ordered to call his people and drove them away from worshipping idols. He

began with his own father, then his community, and finally moved to other cities calling people

to believe in Allah and abandon worshipping creatures like them.

3.3Ibraheems invitationIbraheem delivered the message revealed to him by Allah to his people. He challenged the

peoples worship of idols. He asked them: What do you worship?They answered back We

worship idols. He said: Do they hear you when you call? Or help or harm you? They said:

We found our fathers doing that.Here Ibraheem is trying to show them the irrationality of

worshiping idols. Since everyday action people is motivated by either seeking rewards and


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profits or avoiding pains, he asked them their idols can do one of these things. They answered

back that they worshipped them because they had found their fathers doing so. For Ibraheem,

this is not enough proof to worship idols. Their fathers were human and could be wrong.

He then clearly stated his position towards their idols when he said as narrated by the

Holy Quran I do not worship these idols. Rather, I am the enemy of these idols. I worship the

Lord of all the worlds, the One Who created me and Who guides me, the One Who gives me food

and drink, the One Who heals me when I am ill, and the One Who makes me die and brings me to

life. (Ch 26: 78-81). In other words, your idols did not create anything and did not guide. They

could not do any of these things provided to me by Allah the Almighty; therefore they are not

worth of being worshipped.

3.4In front of the kingAfter challenging the idols and the celestial bodies worshippers and bringing them to their

knees (short of arguments), Ibraheem engaged in another struggle: against those people who

proclaimed are taken as gods. There was one king named Namrud who proclaimed himself god

and was worshipped by people. When he heard that Ibraheem walked out safely from the fire and

that he only prostrated himself before Allah alone and not before anyone else, he became angry

and afraid that Ibraheem may challenge his deity.

So the king Namrud decided to silence Ibraheem and sent for him. Ibraheem did not fear

anyone except Allah so he responded straightaway to the call of the king and came to his palace.

When Ibraheem arrived, the king asked him who is your Lord, Ibraheem to which he answered

My lord (Allah) is He Who gives life and causes death.Then the king said, I also give life and

cause death. It was reported that the king had a man brought before him and had him killed and


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then he had another man brought before him and let him alive. Then turned proudly to Ibraheem

and said: You see! I give life and death. I killed one man and let the other man live5.

Ibraheem wanted to make the king and all the people witness the wrongness of their

worship. So he said to the king: Allah brings the sun from the east. Now you bring it from the

west. The king was bewildered and could not find anything to attack back. This was how

Ibraheem defeated him and left him speechless. After escaping safely from fire and defeating the

king, Ibraheem became famous in the entire kingdom.

Ibraheem pursued calling to worship Allah alone and was trying hard to convince them to

give up worshipping anything else. Despite all his efforts and the power of his arguments, people

deserted him and only one woman Sarah(she became his wife) and one man Lotshared his

belief in Allah. He left Babylonia and traveled with these two believers to another city named Ur,

then another city called Haran, and then to Palestine from which he went to Egypt calling people

to believe in Allah wherever he travelled6.

3.5The invitation to the fatherWe have seen how Ibraheem, as a good son, wanted to guide his father to the Right Path. He

gently said to him as mentioned in the Holy Quran, O my father, why do you worship something

that does not hear or see? Why do you worship something that cannot help or harm anyone? My

father, do not worship Satan! (Ch 19: 44). Despite the wise way he used to approach him, his

5Sayyed, Abul Hassan Ali Nadwi. 1990. The Stories of the Prophets. UK ISLAMIC ACADEMY. P. 43.




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father became angry and answered back harshly, I will beat you. Leave me alone. Do not talk to

me.

Ibraheem patiently replied to his father, Peace be upon you. I will leave this place and

call my Lord. Sad with the harsh feedback from his own father, he decided to leave and go to

another country where he could worship Allah and call people to do the same safely.

4. To MeccaBait Al Maqdis4.1 To Mecca

Things became very difficult for Ibraheem and almost everyone was against him. His people, the

king, and even his own father were angry about his attitude towards their gods. He decided to

travel to a different city where he can worship Allah alone without associating anything to him.

He then packaged his belongings, said his farewell to his father, and left his own land Babylonia.

Ibraheem has became aged after spending many years worshiping Allah alone and calling

people to follow his way of worship. But he was not yet father because his wife and only

follower, Sarah, was sterile. While departing from Egypt to Palestine, Sarah was offered a

female-slave, an Egyptian Coptic girl called Hajar. After spending many years in Jerusalem,

his wife Sarah told him, As Allah deprived me of children, you may marry Hajar, hoping that

she begets children to you7.

He then married Hajar who became pregnant. She started feeling proud over her mistress

Sarah who began to get jealous. Hajar gave birth to a boy that Ibraheem named Ismael.Sarah

became more jealous of Hajar. She complained to Ibraheem and requested that he get Hajar far




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of her sight. He answered her request and took Hajar and her son Ismael to a far place which is

the present Mecca.

He stayed at Mecca for some time and then left his wife Hajar and his son Ismael. It was

reported that when he was about to leave, Hajar asked him: Where are you going? Are you

going to leave us here? Are you going to leave us here when there is neither food nor water? As

he did not reply to her, she asked him: Has Allah commanded you to do this? He said: yes,

and she then concluded that He will not let us die.8Ibraheem walked till he was hidden from

her and then faced the House (Kabah) and raised his hands supplicating to Allah to take care of

his family, O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in a valley without

cultivation, by Thy Sacred House; in order, O our Lord, that they may establish regular Prayer:

so fill the hearts of some among men with love towards them, and feed them with Fruits: so that

they may give thanks. (Ch 14: 37). He has left with them a skin of water and a basket of dates.

4.2Zam Zams wellHajar and her son Ismael stayed there alone in that uninhabited place. When the water finished,

they felt thirsty. The baby began crying of thirst. She then went searching water for her son. She

climbed the nearest mountain Mount Safa looking out for any human being around that can help

her with water for her baby. She saw no one, so she descended, crossed the valley, reached

Mount Marwa and climbed it but saw nobody around. She repeated going forth and back

between these two mountains seven times.

Ibn Abbaas reports that Allahs Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, said: For

this reason people have to walk hastily between them (Safa and Marwa). When she was near

8Sayyed, Abul Hassan Ali Nadwi. 1990. The Stories of the Prophets. UK ISLAMIC ACADEMY. P. 45.


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Mount Marwa, she heard a sound and said, Heatken! (talking to herself). She then listened

attentively and heard the same sound. She then directed her speech to the sound saying, I have

heard you, so appear if you can help. She then found the angel in the location of the Wellof

Zamzam. The angel dug the ground with his heal or with his wing until water sprung out. She

went on limiting it from the four directions and took handfuls of water and put it in her

container, while water kept gushing out every time she took a handful9.

Hajar and her son drank. They lived there for some time before a group of people from a

tribe called Jurhum passing by and found them. They request her permission to settle down

with her near the water. She accepted but told them that she is the one who has the right over the

water. They accepted her condition and this was how Mecca was established.

4.3Ibraheems dreamDuring the stay of Hajar and Ismael at Mecca, Ibraheem was visiting them from time to time. On

the first visit, he was very happy with his son who began to run, play, and go around with his

father. Then another struggle totally different from all what Ibraheem has faced in the past came:

he dreamed that he sacrificed his son Ismael. While the past struggles were between him and the

disbelievers, this one is a true test for Ibraheem himself. Allah chose him as His Close Friend

but now he loved his son Ismael very much: so Allah wanted to test him and see which one

would he sacrifice for the other between his love for Allah and his love for his son.

Ibraheem was a Prophet and the dream of Prophets is truth. So he firmly decided to

implement what Allah had commanded him in the dream. He wanted first to see what is the

9 Ibn Kathir, Imam Abi al-Fidaa Ismail. Stories of the Prophets = Qissasul anbiya. 2001. Trans. Sayed, G, Tamir, Abu



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opinion of his son and asked him, I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice you. So what do

you think? His son Ismael replied: My father, do what you are commanded. Allah willing, you

will find me one of the steadfast. Ch 37: 102).

Ibraheem took his son, a knife and went to Mina where Ismael lay down on the ground

ready to be sacrificed by his own father in order fulfill Allahs command. Once he put the knife

on the throat of his son, Ibraheem has already passed the test because he has proved that he loved

Allah more than his son. Then Allah sent the angel Gabriel with a sheep from the Garden which

he sacrificed instead of his own son. Allah rewarded him and ordered the Muslims to make a

sacrifice annually in remembrance of this pure monotheist family and blessed Ibraheems

descendants from whom there were many Prophets and kings thereafter.

4.4Al KabaAfter a long time away, Ibraheem visited Ismael again at Mecca after the death of Hajar. This

time he informed his son that Allah has ordered him to build a house Kaba at Mecca and he

needed the cooperation of his son. Ismael assured him that he would give him his assistance in

implementing Allahs command. They then started working; they carried stones from around

Mecca and built the Kaba while remembering Allah and asking him to accept this from them,

Our Lord, accept this from us! You are the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing! (Ch 2: 127).

Once again, Allah accepted this work from Ibraheems family and blessed the Kaba.

Toady, millions of Muslims are facing the Kaba in each of the five daily prayers from all parts

of the globe. Other millions are traveling to it annually in order to perform the pilgrimage Hajj

and go around the Kaba in tawaf. They also walk hastily seven times between the mount


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Safaand Marwain remembrance of Ibraheems wife Hajar while she was looking for water

for her son Ismael.

4.5Bait Al MaqdisWhen Ibraheem was away from Hajar and Ismael at Mecca, he stayed at Bait Al Maqdis

Jerusalem with his other wife Sarah. After 13 years of Ismaels birth by Hajar, Allah the

Most Merciful granted Sarah a so whose name was Ishaq. Ibrahim, Sarah, and Ishaq lived in

Palestine (Bait Al Maqdis Jerusalem) while Hajar and Ismael lived in Mecca and Ibraheem

visited them from time to time.

Ishaq erected a house for Allah in Palestine just as his father and brother had done in

Mecca. It is in Bait Al Maqdis Jerusalem and it is known today as Al-Aqsa Mosque which

Allah blessed the land around it. Ismael, Ishaq, and their sons were blessed by Allah and there

were Prophets and kings among them. Ishaq had a son named Yaqub who was a Prophet and

had twelve sons, including Yusuf ibn Yaqub whose wonderful story was fully narrated to us in

the Holy Quran.

Conclusion

This is the summary of the life of one the great Prophets of AllahIbraheem - whose whole life

was devoted to the cause of Allah. He lived a life-time struggle challenging and denying all

kinds of polytheists and calling people to worship Allah the Almighty alone without associating

anything to Him. Allah blessed and rewarded his efforts and made him His Close One. He also

made all the Prophets with divine books after from his descendants. Moreover, Ibraheem was


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ranked second among the Messengers of Firm Will after Muhammad (peace and blessings be

upon all of them). The rest three of Messengers of Firm Will were Noah, Moses, and Jesus.

It was said that Ibraheem was mentioned 35 times in the Holy Quran. Both Jews and

Christians claimed that Ibraheem followed their Dogma. Allah refuted their claims and showed

how ignorant they were because Ibraheem lived before their Gospel was revealed. Allah says,

Abraham was not a Jew nor yet a Christian; but he was true in Faith, and bowed his will to

Allahs (which is Islam), and je joined not gods with Allah. (Ch 3: 67). Thus, he practiced a

pure monotheism which is Islam and was not a Jew nor a Christian nor a polytheist.

According to Ibn Khathir, the People of the Book report that Sarah died in Hebron, in the

land of Canan at the age of 127. Ibraheem buried her and shortly afterwards, he fell ill and died

at the age of 175 or 19010

. Allah knows best.




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REFERENCES

Ibn Kathir, Imam Abi al-Fidaa Ismail. Stories of the Prophets = Qissasul anbiya. Trans.Muhammad Mustapha, Azhar Unversity. From:www.islambasics.com

bn Kathir, Imam Abi al-Fidaa Ismail. Stories of the Prophets = Qissasul anbiya. 2001. Trans.Sayed, G, Tamir, Abu A.,& Muhammad, A. M. Al-Mansoura: Dar Al-Manarah.

Sayyed, Abul Hassan Ali Nadwi. 1990. The Stories of the Prophets. UK ISLAMIC ACADEMY.

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