PROPHET IBRAHIM

PROPHET IBRAHIM
PROPHRT IBRAHIM (……………) was born among a people who worshiped idols. He grew up among them but Allah had preserved him from idol worship even in his childhood. His father, azar, used to mold and make idols which the people bought to worship. aazar, too, regarded the idols as gods. Allah revealed that ibraihm (…………) addressed his father very mildly and politely, saying:
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“O my father! Surely to me there has come the knowledge that which has not come to you, so follow me, and I shall guide you on a right path. O my father worships not Satan. Surely Satan is a Rebel AGAINST the compassionate. O my father, surely I fear that a chastisement from the Compass- sionate should afflict you, so that you become a friend to Satan.” (surah maryam, verses 42-45)
Aazar, on the other hand cautioned prophet Ibrahim (………………….) to desist from speaking against their gods otherwise he would stone him. He instructed him to go away from them for a length of time.
Prophet Ibrahim (………..)Heard his father’s threat patiently and with a large heart, saying:
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“Peace be you soon shall I seek forgiven for you from my lord. Surely, he is ever gracious to me. “(surah maryam. 47)
He departed, regretting his father’s insistence on
Disbelief One day, later on, he tried to make his people see light and asked, “What are these idols to which you cleave?” (surah al-anbiya, verses 52)
They pleaded that their forefathers had been worshiping them, so they were following in their footsteps. He asked them if they heard their prayer or helped them in any way.
He vowed to himself that he would smash the idols. He found an opportunity when they want out to the fields and gardens outside their city to celebrate one of their eats. He went to the idols and found that they had placed plenty of food in front of their idols. He asked in amazement, “would you not eat?” then he broke the idols with the axe that he had brought, but he spared the biggest of them and placed the axe on its shoulder to make it appear that this one had eliminated the other.
When the people returned from their festivity, they entered the temple only to see the damage. They were dumbfounded and asked each other who could have done it. Some of them named the young man Ibrahim as saying something to the idols and that he had been ridiculing them about the idols. So they asked him if he had done it. He said
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“Nay, he has done it this, the big one of them, so ask them, if they ever speak.” (surah al-anbiya, verses 63)
The people were at a loss what they to say but muttered that he knew that they could not speak. So, they conceded that they were worshipping stones who could nether neither speak nor defend themselves. So, prophet Ibrahim (……………) asked them:
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“Do you then worship besides allay that which neither profits you nothing nor hurts you? Fie upon you and upon what you worship besides Allah! Do you then not understand?” (surah alnabiya, verse 67)
They had no answer to it. However their ego had blinded them to stick to their disbelief. They decided to get rid of sayyidina Ibrahim (…………….) they said:
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“Burn him and help your gods, if you must do anything.”
(surah al-anbiya, verse 68)
They gathered plenty of wood on a very large piece of land and kindled a fire. Then they caught hold of sayyidina Ibrahim (…………………) bound him in a long rope and threw him in the midst of the fire. All the
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“Allah is sufficient for me and he is an excellent guardian.” (See surah all-imran, verse 173 where it is in the plural from)
However, even before that Allah commanded the fire:
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“O fire, be you coolness and safety for Ibrahim.” (surah al-anbiya, verse 69)
The fire could do no harm to him. It merely burnt the rope. Sayyidina Ibrahim (……………) walked out of it to the multitude who stood around to witness his burning.
They were all speechless when they saw the miracle before their eyes. In spite of that except for a few who embraced islam, most of them did neither accept the truth nor rejected their idols. Nimrud the king of their country (babel) was the foremost of the majority. He was not only an oppressor and an associate with gods, but he also laid claim to divinity. He summoned sayyadina Ibrahim (……………….) and asked him, “Who is allay to whom you call the people?” sayyidina Ibrahim (……..)Said that his lord is one who gives life and causes death Nimrud argued with sayyidina Ibrahim (………………) and said, “I give life and death.” He said that he would forgive one of the two prisoners in the prison and execute the other hence, “I too give life and cause death.” On hearing the foolish words, sayyidina Ibrahim (……………..)Presented him with a very sound evidence of Allah’s divinity he said that Allah brings the sun forth from the east, so let him bring it forth from the west. So he was confounded. Allah does not guide the evildoing people. This episode is presented in surah al-baqrah, verse 258.
Then, sayyidina Ibrahim (……………) wished to learn how Allah gives life to the dead. So, he asked Allah about it very humbly. Allah asked him if hat did not believe. He said promptly that he only wished that his heart may rest at ease. Allah instructed him to get four birds, slaughter them and cut them into small to pieces which he must throw on different hills. Then he must summon them and see how they come to life and return to him. This is recounted in verse 260 of al-baqrah.
Sayyidina Ibrahim (……………….) did as commanded by Allah. He observed that the various parts of the birds moved from their places, joined he with the other parts of the same body and received their soul back again to fly to him on his summons. He was at rest and fell down in prostration to Allah, the one the dominant, the giver of life and death.
Then, sayyidina Ibrahim (…………..) took his wife sayyidina sarah (………..) and set out for sham (which is Syria, palastine, Lebanon and Jordan). Here, he resumed his mission and preached the unit of Allah he invited the people to abandon polytheism and to worship gave him one Allah. Then, he went to Egypt. Before he departed from Egypt, after a short stay, fir ‘awn (pharaoh) many present and to his wife, sarah (……………) he present an Egyptian salave-girl by the name of hajra (…………….) (Hagar). Sayyidina Ibrahim (…….) had grown very old but they had no offspring, so sarah suggested that he should also marry hajrah (………) whereby Allah might give them a child. So, he did marry her, and Allah blessed them with a son, sayyidina isma’il (…………) Allah then commanded him to take his wife sayyidina hajrah (……………) and their infant son to some other place.
He took them to the desert of the Arabian Peninsula, to the valley of makkah. It was then a total wilderness, there being no kind of greenery and no water whatsoever. He left sayyidah hajrah (……….) there and began to return. She asked him, “where are you going, leaving us in the valley?” he gave no reply. So, she understood that was a command of Allah and she asked him if that was so. He said, “Yes.” She said with certitude, “then Allah will not leave us alone.” He raised his hands and prayed:
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“Our lord, surely I have made some of my progeny to dwell in a valley uncultivable, near your sacred house. Our lord, that they may establishsalah so make the hearts of some of mankind to yearns towards them and provides them with fruits that they may give thans.”(surah Ibrahim, verse 37)
Thereafter, sayyidina Ibrahim (………….) used to visit them now and then. When allah bestowed enough provision, etc. to live comfortably, Ibrahim (…………..)Was satisfied.
He loved his son sayyidina ismail (……………..) tremendously as any father should love his children. They look forward to the day when their children will share the burdens of life with them.
Allah decided to try his khalil. Hence, he showed sayyidina Ibrahim (…………………..)A dream in which sayyidina Ibrahim (…………………..)Slaughtered his son, sayyidina ismail (……………………) he woke up worried because his dream was a revelation from Allah by which he must abide. So, he accepted this command willingly and he told ismail (……………) that he had seen the dream and asked him what he thought of it. Like father, the son too had a perfect faith in Allah. Without hesitation, he said to his father that he must do what he was commanded and he would find him patient. This may be found in surah saffat verse 102.
Sayyidina Ibrahim (…………..)Took his son sayyidina ismail (……………….) to the desert outside the city the devil thought that he might arouse paternal love in sayyidina Ibrahim(………………….)and got him to disobey allah. Among other things, he told him that he had only seen a dream. Sayyidina Ibrahim (………………) picked up pebbles from the earth and hit him. He did it seven times and he fled disgraced.
The devil did not give up. He then turned to sayyidina ismail (…………) and told him too that his father had only seen a dream on which he would slaughter him. Sayyidina ismail (…………………) was through his device and he too struck him seven pebbles one after another.
The devil still had a move. He went to sayyidina ismail’s (…………………..)Mother, sayyidah hajrah (…………………) he pleaded with her to save her son. But, she was confident and could not disagree with Allah’s revelation and his command. So, she to hit him seven pebbles and said, “O accursed devil, go away.”
When sayyidina Ibrahim (………………) was on the verge of using the knife which he had placed on his son’s throat, he heard someone call:
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O Ibrahim, you have indeed fulfilled the vision. Surely thus do we recompense the good-doers.” (As saffat verses 104-105)
THIS was Allah’s voice sayyidina Ibrahim (………………….) saw that hadrat jibril(……………) had brought a full, fat ram. And he heard a voice call again to him:
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“And we ransomed him with a mighty sacrifice.” (As saffat,verse 107)
Sayyidina Ibrahim (…………………………) took the ram and slaughtered it in place of his son. This made it clear that he had a firm resolve, a strong faith in allah and a submissive heart to Allah in all circumstance. He could notdisobey Allah at all. His son, sayyidina ismail (……………..) Was of the same nature