Prophet Ibrahim (a.s), one of God’s most fabulous creations. His life was full of difficulties we can all learn from. Nevertheless, he became an example for humanity.
As Muslims around the world arrive on the Hajj pilgrimage or prepare to fast, pray and do charity work during Dur Hijjah, it is essential to remember the story behind the Hajj.
It all begins with our Father, the Prophet Ibrahim (as), one of God’s most fabulous creations. His life was full of difficulties. From which we could learn and from which Prophet Ibrahim became an example for humankind. His sincere obedience and unwavering faith made him known as the friend of Allah.
Birth of Prophet Ibrahim (AS):
The Prophet Ibrahim (AS) was born in the ancient Chaldean city (now known as Babylon in Iraq) to the famous idolater Azar ibn, his Nahoor, and Mary. Raised in an idolatrous home, the Prophet Ibrahim (as) grew up watching his Father make idols from wood and stone. In the year of Prophet Ibrahim’s (AS) birth, people worshiped wooden and stone idols, or the planets, moon, sun, and stars.
Nevertheless, miraculously, Allah SWT blessed Prophet Ibrahim (As) with his wisdom and spiritual understanding from a very early age. This led him to question everything he saw, and even though his Father tried to explain their beliefs to the holy child, deep down, Prophet Ibrahim (as) was never satisfied.
Ibrahim hears the voice of God:
One night Ibrahim went to the mountains to see the sky and observe nature. After a while, Ibrahim heard a voice calling him it was none other than Allah, his Lord. He ordered Ibrahim to submit and become a Muslim.
Ibrahim fell to the ground, trembling. He prostrated before Allah and cried, I submit to the Lord of the Universe. Ibrahim’s life changed forever, and his heart was filled with great Ibrahim is trying to spread the word of Allah:
Ibrahim was given a new mission. It is to guide His people to the truth and help them accept Allah as the true God. He first turned to his Father, whom he loved very much. Ibrahim said:
Why do you not hear, see, and worship those useless to you? Father, I have knowledge that you do not have. Lead you on a straight path.
[Quran 19:42-48]
The angry Father declined Ibrahim’s request and told his son to get out of his sight.
Ibrahim then decided to focus his efforts on bringing the people of his city to the embassy of Allah, but they rejected his word and threatened him with violence. Inspired to take a different approach to transform the minds and spirits of his people.
Ibrahim’s plan
Ibrahim knew that the townspeople would go out to a big feast on the eve of a big celebration. So when they left, Ibrahim went to their temple to carry out the mission of the Prophet. However, nevertheless, first, to destroy their idols, except the most prominent ones so that He may explain their ways’ errors to them.
When the townspeople returned, they were horrified. Their idols lay in ruins. They immediately remembered Ibrahim’s exhortation to worship only Allah and submit to his monotheistic faith. They asked him, Are you the one who did this? Ibrahim replied no. This statue was the tallest of them all! The townsfolk replied You know they cannot speak Ibrahim said. He cannot even defend himself. Are you all out of your mind?
They kept silent because they knew Ibrahim had made a legitimate claim, but their pride would not allow them to reject the idols they had worshiped for generations. Anger welled up in the crowd.
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Miracle of fire
The crowd shouted to burn Ibrahim to death. They wanted revenge for the damage done to their idol. However, Ibrahim’s blood is enough. So King Nimrod of Babylon and his priests approved the decision to burn him alive. The news spread quickly, and thousands of people from all over the kingdom came to watch the execution. Online Quran Classes in USA.
A huge hole was dug in the ground and filled with wood. It was the most significant fire anyone had ever seen. Ibrahim was tied up, his hands and feet chained tightly, put into a vast catapult, and thrown into the fire. At that moment, Ibrahim was visited by the angel Jibril who said, Do you want anything? Ibrahim replied that his only wish was to please Allah and seek his mercy.
Allah did not permit the execution of his beloved Prophet. He commanded the fire to be calm and peaceful to Ibrahim, and the fire obeyed, only burning Ibrahim’s chains. I left the fire without doing anything. The onlookers gasped in amazement and exclaimed, God of Ibrahim saved him from the flames!
Sarah and Ibrahim
After defeating the Babylonian king Nimrod in a battle of words, Ibrahim continued his essential mission – to spread the word of Allah. Only a woman named Sarah and a man named Lot listened and followed Ibrahim. The group of three traveled through Syria and Palestine, calling people to serve Allah and do good deeds.
Ibrahim and Sarah got married, hoping to have a child who would help spread Allah’s message from Allah, but as time went on, it became clear that Sarah was unable to conceive. The couple moved to Egypt, where Sarah got a servant named Hajar. Sarah was sad to see her husband’s hair turn gray. She offered Hajar as her husband’s second wife because she could not bear to see him grow old without having children. After praying to Allah, Ibrahim and Hajar were blessed with a little boy named Ismail.
Wife of Prophet Ibrahim (AS):
Prophet Ibrahim (AS) is the Father of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. This was because he was married to his two women who had different backgrounds. Lady Hajar, the first wife of Prophet Ibrahim (AS), was an enslaved Egyptian living in Mecca.
Hajar and Ismail’s ordeal in the desert
Allah instructed Prophet Ibrahim to prepare Hajar and Baby for his long journey to Ismail. The family traveled to the uninhabited Arabian Desert with miles of dunes. Ibrahim sent Hajar and Ismail up a hill called al-Marwah, leaving his wife and children under the shade of a tree with a sack of date palms and water. Then he went home.
Hajar and Ismail soon ran out of food and water, and mother and son became increasingly dehydrated. Finally, in desperation, Hajar ran seven times up the hills of Azsafa and Al-Marwah, squinting to see if any passing nomads could be seen in the distance. Eventually, she became exhausted and collapsed.
Then Hajar heard a voice. The angel Jibril appeared and slammed his foot into the sand. A stream of water erupted, and Hajar drew water, drank it, and filled his sac with water. This stream is called Zam Zam, and to this day, Muslims on the Hajj drink this holy water.
Hajars had water sources that they could trade with passing travelers. In no time, mother and son had everything they needed to eat and drink. Attracted by the flowing water, more and more people set up camp nearby. They brought their families together and started a new life in Mecca, transforming the barren desert into a bustling settlement. Ismail grew up to be a thoughtful and healthy young man and learned Arabic.
Prophet Ibrahim A.S Great Sacrifice:
According to Islamic history, the Prophet Ibrahim (AS) had a dream one night asking Allah SWT to sacrifice his beloved son, the Prophet Ismail (AS). At first, Prophet Ibrahim (As) thought it was a trick of the devil and quickly dismissed it. However, when the same dream was seen on his three consecutive nights, Prophet Ibrahim (as) recognized it as a divine message from the Creator Allah SWT.
Despite his love for his only son, the Prophet Ibrahim (as) was willing to make a sacrifice. He took his child, the Prophet Ismail (as), with a knife and a rope, to the top of Mount Arafat. When he reached the place, Prophet Ibrahim (as) told his son about the dream and the command from Allah SWT. His obedient son immediately obliged and asked the Prophet Ibrahim (As) to blindfold him so he would not suffer. The Prophet Ismail (As) also asked his Father to bind his feet and hands so that he could not resist.
Therefore, Prophet Ibrahim did as his son said. He bound the feet and hands of the Prophet Ismail (as) and blindfolded him. After that, Prophet Ibrahim (AS) took the knife and fulfilled the wishes of Allah SWT. Nevertheless, to his surprise, when he removed his blindfold, he saw the body of a white-horned ram in front of him. The Prophet Ismail (As) was standing beside him, completely unharmed. The Prophet Ibrahim (as) thought he had failed but heard a voice saying that there was no need to worry and that Allah SWT was always taking care of his devotees. This strengthened his faith.
Faith
What was he known for in Islam? Prophet Ibrahim (AS) is known for his strong faith, humble disposition, devotion, and devotion to Allah SWT. Prophet Ibrahim (AS) underwent several trials during his lifetime. At 75, he was ordered to leave his hometown on the promise of protection and land. During his journey to the appointed land, Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) underwent several trials.
The most famous of them is the holy sacrifice of his son, the Prophet Ismail (AS). Another test was when Allah commanded Prophet Ibrahim (AS) to leave his young son Prophet Ismail (AS), and his wife, Hajar, between Mount Safa and Mount Marwa in Mecca. Prophet Ibrahim (AS) carried out this order and returned to Palestine.
To survive in the deserted valley, the Prophet Ibrahim (A.s) gave his son and wife only a tiny amount of water and a sack of dates. The sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) and the struggles of his son and wife resulted in the miracle of the well of Zamzam sprouting from the dry and barren ground.
Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) and his son Prophet Ismail (AS) dedicated their lives to spreading the word of Allah His SWT. Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and Prophet Ismail (AS) were also partners in building the Sacred Kaaba, which stands on sacred stone.
Today the stone is located in the Grand Mosque of Saudi Arabia, called Makam His Ibrahim. Therefore, the Prophet Ibrahim (a.s) was named Khalilula (Friend of Allah) in Islam for his unfailing devotion to Allah His SWT.
How long did Prophet Ibrahim live?
Islamic scholars have various theories about the Prophet Ibrahim’s (AS) time. Some say he lived 195 years. Others say he lived 175 years. Nevertheless, according to a well-known group of Islamic scholars, the Prophet Ibrahim (AS) lived on earth for 169 years. Therefore, we can conclude that Prophet Ibrahim (AS) lived on earth for over 150 years.
Quran about Prophet Ibrahim (A.S):
The name of Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) is mentioned 69 times in his 63 verses of the Holy Quran. Some of the verses are:
And [O Muhammad, mention], when Abraham was tested by his Lord with commands, he carried them out. [Abraham] said: And from my descendants?
Truly Abraham was [all-encompassing] leader, devotedly obedient to Allah and devoted to the truth. He was not one of those who associate others with Allah.
Muslims worldwide perform Islamic rituals such as Hajj, Prayer, Fasting, and Zakat every year in the name of Allah SWT. Nevertheless, it all began with one of God’s most beautiful creations, the Father of the Prophets. Despite the severity of the ordeal, the Prophet Ibrahim (as) stood firm and kept his promises by carrying out the commandments of Allah SWT, so he is an example for humankind. Therefore, Prophet Ibrahim (As) is known as the Friend of Allah because of his unwavering faith and outspoken obedience.
