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.
Life cycles of the prophet Ibrahim
3. Living in Saudi Arabia
The Torah speaks of a female argument between Sarah and Hajar. This argument probably made the prophet Ibrahim transfer his wife Hajar and his son Ismael to Arabian lands. According to the Torah, Ibrahim was 86 years old when Ismael was born.
The holy Qur’an quotes the prayer of Ibrahim when he decided to transfer Hagar and Ismael to the land of Mecca:
رَبَّنَا إِنِّي أَسْكَنْتُ مِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِي بِوَادٍ غَيْرِ ذِي زَرْعٍ عِنْدَ بَيْتِكَ الْمُحَرَّمِ رَبَّنَا لِيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ فَاجْعَلْ أَفْئِدَةً مِنَ النَّاسِ تَهْوِي إِلَيْهِمْ وَارْزُقْهُمْ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْكُرُونَ؛
Our Lord! I have settled part of my descendants in a barren valley, by Your sacred House, our Lord, that they may maintain the prayer. So make the hearts of a part of the people fond of them, and provide them with fruits, so that they may give thanks. (Ibrahim: 37)
The famous story of Ismael’s thirst, and Hajar’s movement between the two mountains of Safa and Marwah to find water and then the flow of water from the spring of Zamzam, is not mentioned in the Qur’an, but it is mentioned in the Torah with a slight difference.
Sacrificing a child, the great test of the prophet Ibrahim
Another great divine test that Ibrahim Khalil overcame was the sacrifice of his eldest son Ismael. The holy Qur’an speaks of Ibrahim Khalil’s sincere dream in this regard, and Ismael’s response to Ibrahim’s action:
فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ السَّعْيَ قَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ إِنِّي أَرَى فِي الْمَنَامِ أَنِّي أَذْبَحُكَ فَانْظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَى؟ قَالَ يَا أَبَتِ افْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ سَتَجِدُنِي إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الصَّابِرِينَ؛
When he was old enough to assist in his endeavour, he said, ‘My son! I see in dreams that I am sacrificing you. See what you think.’ He said, ‘Father! Do whatever you have been commanded. If Allah wishes, you will find me to be patient.’ (Safat: 102)
This divine test was far more difficult than the other tests that God had given to Ibrahim Khalil. Ibrahim, who did not have a child until old age, had to sacrifice him in the way of God with his own hands, by the command of God, when his eldest child reached the age of adolescence. And that great divine prophet did not fail to carry out this command of God for a moment. Also his is noble son, who was also at the beginning of his life and enjoying the blessings of the world, and was full of hopes and aspirations of adolescence and youth exposed himself to get sacrificed. He also beautifully accepted this divine command and proved his monotheistic faith.
The holy Qur’an describes the continuation of this severe divine test as follows:
فَلَمَّا أَسْلَمَا وَتَلَّهُ لِلْجَبِينِ؛ وَنَادَيْنَاهُ أَنْ يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ؛ قَدْ صَدَّقْتَ الرُّؤْيَا إِنَّا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ؛ إِنَّ هَذَا لَهُوَ الْبَلَاءُ الْمُبِينُ؛
So when they had both surrendered [to Allah’s will], and he had laid him down on his forehead, We called out to him, ‘O Abraham! You have indeed fulfilled your vision! Thus indeed do We reward the virtuous! This was indeed a manifest test.’ (Safat: 103 – 106)
We can observe in the divine tests that God has always considered the best end for the one who tests. Man should know that God is the most merciful to His servants, and he never wants to harm his servant, and if he puts his servant in a difficult situation, he must have a great reward for his success. The following are verses from the holy Qur’an, following the success of Ibrahim and Ismael in this severe divine test:
وَفَدَيْنَاهُ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيمٍ؛ وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِي الْآخِرِينَ؛ سَلَامٌ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ؛ كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ؛ إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ؛
Then We ransomed him with a great sacrifice, and left for him a good name in posterity: ‘Peace be to Abraham!’ Thus do We reward the virtuous. He is indeed one of Our faithful servants. (Safat: 107 – 111)
Apparently, this is the last test of God to test the character of Ibrahim, as well as his ability to take on a great responsibility from God. It is after Ibrahim’s pride in these severe divine trials that the almighty God grants him the position of Imamate and places a great mission on his shoulders:
وَإِذِ ابْتَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا قَالَ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِي قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ؛
When his Lord tested Abraham with certain words and he fulfilled them, He said, ‘I am making you the Imam of mankind.’ Said he, ‘And from among my descendants?’ He said, ‘My pledge does not extend to the unjust.’ (Baghare: 124)
It is well-understood from this verse that the position of Imamate and guardianship of other human beings in the view of God is higher than the position of prophecy and conveying God’s message to the people. Whoever wants to be the Imam and leader of the people and lead them must have the status of infallibility and be free from any sin, because sin and disobedience to God’s commands is one of the greatest injustices that a sinner commits, and it is one of the greatest insolents that a person can commit to the great position of God.