اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ بِجَمِیعِ مَحَامِدِه کُلِّهَا عَلَی جَمِیعِ نِعَمِهِ کُلِّهَا… اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ مالِکِ الْمُلْکِ مُجْرِی الْفُلْکِ مُسَخِّرِ الرِّیاحِ فالِقِ الاْصْباحِ دَیّانِ الدّینِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمینَ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ عَلی حِلْمِهِ بَعْدَ عِلمِهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ عَلی عَفْوِهِ بَعْدَ قُدْرَتِهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ عَلی طُولِ اَناتِهِ فی غَضَبِهِ وَهُوَ قادِرٌ عَلی ما یُریدُ
Praise is to God with all his praises, for all his blessings. . . Praise is to God, the owner of the property, the operator of the orbit, the bender of the wind, the glory of the morning, the religion of the beliefs, lord of the worlds; praise is to God for his dream after his knowledge and thank God for forgiveness after his power, and praise be to God for his long patience in his wrath and he is capable to do what he wills
و نشهد أن لا اله الا الله وحده لا شریک له، و أَنَّ محمداً عبده و رسوله ارسله بالهدی و دین الحق لیظهره علی الدین کله و لو کره المشرکون اوصیکم عبادالله و نفسی بتقوی الله و اتباع امره و نهیه، و اخوفکم من عقابه
And we bear witness that there is no god but God alone, without partner, and that Muhammad is his servant and messenger, he sent him with guidance and the religion of truth, that he might proclaim it over all religion, even if the polytheists hated it.
Lessons from the first stage of Ibrahim Khalil’s biography
1. Not to be attached to mortal affairs: Ibrahim Khalil proposes a principle as a criterion for getting close by heart, which is understandable and acceptable to all human beings, and that is “I do not like declines”. Perishable and declining things are not worth to be close to them. All worldly affairs are perishable. There is no eternal wealth, no status, and no offspring. According to the holy Qur’an:
الْمَالُ وَالْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَالْبَاقِيَاتُ الصَّالِحَاتُ خَيْرٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَاباً وَخَيْرٌ أَمَلاً؛
Wealth and children are an adornment of the life of the world, but lasting righteous deeds are better with your Lord in reward and better in hope. (Kahf: 46)
2. Rationality: We must always rely on reason and rationality in all stages of life. All divine commands are based on human intellect and nature. The great divine prophet Ibrahim, in protest to the polytheists, criticizes their lack of understanding of what is worthy of worship and says:
أُفٍّ لَكُمْ وَلِمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ؛
Fie on you and what you worship besides Allah! Do you not exercise your reason?’ (Anbiya: 67)
3. Relying on God: Man should always have warmth and trust in the almighty and wise creator. The word of the prophet Ibrahim in all stages of his life is monotheism and reliance on the one God, and avoidance of any polytheism:
إِنِّي وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ؛
‘Indeed I have turned my face toward Him who originated the heavens and the earth, as a Hanif, and I am not one of the polytheists.’ (An’am: 79)
Life careers of Ibrahim Khalil
2. Living in Palestine
According to the Torah, Ibrahim migrated to Canaan at the age of seventy-five with “his wife Sarah, his nephew Lot, and his slaves and all their possessions.”
There are reports in the holy Qur’an about the presence of Ibrahim Khalil in the land of Palestine, some of which are better understood by referring to the Torah. Such as the conversation between Ibrahim and God which is mentioned in the holy Qur’an:
وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ أَرِنِي كَيْفَ تُحْيِي الْمَوْتَى، قَالَ أَوَلَمْ تُؤْمِنْ؟ قَالَ بَلَى وَلَكِنْ لِيَطْمَئِنَّ قَلْبِي. قَالَ فَخُذْ أَرْبَعَةً مِنَ الطَّيْرِ فَصُرْهُنَّ إِلَيْكَ ثُمَّ اجْعَلْ عَلَى كُلِّ جَبَلٍ مِنْهُنَّ جُزْءاً ثُمَّ ادْعُهُنَّ يَأْتِينَكَ سَعْياً وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ؛
And when Abraham said, ‘My Lord! Show me how You revive the dead,’ He said, ‘Do you not believe?’ He said, ‘Yes indeed, but in order that my heart may be at rest.’ He said, ‘Catch four of the birds. Then cut them into pieces, and place a part of them on every mountain, then call them; they will come to you hastening. And know that Allah is all-mighty and all-wise.’ (Baghare: 260)
This conversation and action of Ibrahim, which gave him more faith and confidence, is similar to the account in the Torah and shows that it happened in the land of Palestine.
Children of the prophet Ibrahim Khalil
Sarah was the wife of the prophet Ibrahim and she was sterile, so Ibrahim married Hagar who was the maidservant of Sarah in Palestine, by the command of God, and Ismael was born as the first child of Ibrahim.
The holy Qur’an speaks of angels who came to Ibrahim: وَلَقَدْ جَاءَتْ رُسُلُنَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ بِالْبُشْرَى، قَالُوا سَلَاماً، قَالَ سَلَامٌ، فَمَا لَبِثَ أَنْ جَاءَ بِعِجْلٍ حَنِيذٍ؛ Certainly Our messengers came to Abraham with the good news, and said, ‘Peace!’ ‘Peace!’ He replied. Presently he brought [for them] a roasted calf (Hood: 69). These angels gave the good news of the birth of a child from Sarah to Ibrahim Khalil. The holy Qur’an says:
وَامْرَأَتُهُ قَائِمَةٌ فَضَحِكَتْ فَبَشَّرْنَاهَا بِإِسْحَاقَ وَمِنْ وَرَاءِ إِسْحَاقَ يَعْقُوبَ؛ قَالَتْ يَا وَيْلَتَى أَأَلِدُ وَأَنَا عَجُوزٌ وَهَذَا بَعْلِي شَيْخاً إِنَّ هَذَا لَشَيْءٌ عَجِيبٌ؛ قَالُوا أَتَعْجَبِينَ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ رَحْمَتُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ عَلَيْكُمْ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ إِنَّهُ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ؛
His wife, standing by, laughed as We gave her the good news of [the birth of] Isaac, and of Jacob, after Isaac. She said, ‘Oh, my! Shall I, an old woman, bear [children], and [while] this husband of mine is an old man?! That is indeed an odd thing!’ They said, ‘Are you amazed at Allah’s dispensation? [That is] Allah’s mercy and His blessings upon you, members of the household. Indeed He is all-laudable, all-glorious.’ (Hood: 71-73)
Some believe that this child of Ibrahim was named “Isaac” in response to the state of Sarah (laghing). In the holy Qur’an, Isaac and his son Jacob are mentioned as an added blessing and mercy of God, which indicates that before Isaac, God had given another child to Ibrahim and Isaac is not the eldest son of the prophet Ibrahim:
وَ وَهَبْنا لَهُ إِسْحاقَ وَ يَعْقُوبَ نافِلَةً، وَ كُلاًّ جَعَلْنا صالِحينَ؛
And We gave him Isaac, and Jacob as well for a grandson, and each of them We made righteous. (Anbiya: 72)
Thus Ibrahim Khalil, who had no children until his old age, had two sons: Ismail and Isaac.
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِى وَهَبَ لىِ عَلىَ الْكِبرَ إِسْمَاعِيلَ وَ إِسْحَاقَ إِنَّ رَبىّ لَسَمِيعُ الدُّعَاءِ؛
All praise belongs to Allah, who gave me Ishmael and Isaac despite [my] old age. Indeed my Lord hears all supplications. (Ibrahim: 39)