Author: Abdul Hai Lay'yan
The Divine Education Model in the Family of the Prophets (Part 46)
The Twelfth Lesson: Prioritizing Divine Commands Over Transient Worldly interests
By divine command, Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) left his wife and infant son alone in a land devoid of water and grass, even though he knew that children and wealth were “sedition” [1] and “the adornment of worldly life.” [2] This action of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) is a lesson for all Muslims until the Day of Judgment, who must prioritize the commands of Allah over everything, including themselves, their families, and their children.
This action also teaches us that if a person acts according to Allah’s command, Allah will never abandon him and will surely save him. As Allah says in the Quran: «یا أَیهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا إِن تَنصُرُوا اللَّهَ ینصُرْكُمْ وَیثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَكُمْ.» Translation: “O you who believe! If you help (religion) of Allah, He will help you (and give you victory over your enemies) and make your steps firm (and establish your affairs and burdens)”. [3]
In this story, Hazrat Hajjar is also a model of faith and certainty. When she asked her husband: “Has Allah commanded you so?” and when heard a positive answer, she said firmly: “Then He will never destroy us.” This statement showed her complete faith and absolute trust in Allah. This incident is a lesson for all women to trust in Allah and have confidence in Him like this noble lady, so that they can help their husbands in the hardships of life and raise children who are faithful and trusting in Allah.
A believing society will be formed by raising such a generation who trust in Allah’s commands all matters and circumstances.
The thirteenth Lesson: Serving Allah requires following His commands and relying completely on Him
When Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) left his wife and child with a few dates and water in a dry and empty desert, he relied completely on Allah. After this, he turned to his Lord and, in the height of his servitude and humility, began to pray and supplicate. This action shows that a believer, after striving and fulfilling his duty, should entrust all matters to Allah and ask for His help.
An example of his prayer is given in the Quran: “رَّبَّنَا إِنِّی أَسْكَنتُ مِن ذُرِّیتِی بِوَادٍ غَیرِ ذِی زَرْعٍ عِندَ بَیتِكَ الْمُحَرَّمِ رَبَّنَا لِیقِیمُواْ الصَّلاَةَ فَاجْعَلْ أَفْئِدَةً مِّنَ النَّاسِ تَهْوِی إِلَیهِمْ وَارْزُقْهُم مِّنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ یشْكُرُونَ.” Translation: “My Lord! I have settled some of my children in a barren land, near Your House, which You have made forbidden, so that they may establish prayer. So make the hearts of a group of people turn towards them and provide them with fruits, perhaps they will be grateful”. [4]
The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also prayed to Allah in the Battle of Badr, after arranging the ranks of his army, with utmost humility and seeking His help: “O Allah, fulfill the promise You have made to me. O Allah, if this group of Muslims perish, You will never be worshipped on earth again.”
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed so much that his cloak fell off his shoulders. At this moment, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) took his cloak and placed it on his shoulders and said: “O Messenger of Allah, do not ask your Lord for help so much, He will fulfill His promise.” After that, the verse “When you asked your Lord for help, He answered your prayer” [5] was revealed. [6] This incident is a great lesson for all leaders and people who should seek refuge in Allah with complete sincerity and humility for every problem and calamity.
Therefore, we conclude that complete servitude to Allah is only achieved by obeying the commands of Allah and then relying completely on Him and supplicating and praying. A believer with a heart full of certainty in Allah first performs his duty, then entrusts everything to Allah and seeks refuge in Him to solve his problems. Allah is also the best answerer to the prayers of His servants and friends.
The fourteenth lesson: The Faithful Woman and Teaching the Lessons of Patience, Endurance, and Trust in Allah
Important lessons of patience, steadfastness, and trust in Allah are presented based on the story of Hajjar and Ismael (peace be upon them). In this incident, after their food and water run out, Hajjar runs seven times between the mountains of Safa and Marwa in search of water, and finally the Zamzam Well springs up by Allah’s will. Three key points are extracted from this story:
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Allah Answers to prayer
The first point is that Allah answers the prayers of His servants. This issue has been emphasized in numerous verses of the Holy Quran. Including: «أَمَّن یجِیبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَیكْشِفُ السُّوءَ وَیجْعَلُكُمْ خُلَفَاء الْأَرْضِ أَإِلَهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ قَلِیلاً مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ.» Translation: “(Are idols better) or He Who comes to the cry of the helpless and removes the calamity and distress when he calls upon Him for help and makes you (humans) successors (one another in) the earth (and at every moment makes nations dominant and established on this earthly globe. Now, considering these matters) is there a god beside Allah?! Indeed, you are very little advised”. [7]
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Motherly Kindness
The second point is to pay attention to the unique maternal affection and kindness. In this story, Hazrat Hajjar, with great worry and thirst, searches for water with anxiety and haste to quench her infant child. For this reason, in Islam, the advice to be kind to the mother is emphasized three times more than to the father, so that children never neglect their mother and do not forget her respect and love.
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Divine reward for faith and trust
The high position of Hazrat Hajjar with Allah is the reward she received because of her complete trust. Because of her boundless faith and trust in Allah, and the confidence she gained after hearing the divine command (“Then He will never destroy us”), Allah rewarded her in various ways: The Zamzam well bubbled for them. Birds gathered around the well, which was a sign for the caravans. People gradually came to that place and lived next to her.
Also, in order to honor her, Allah made the Sa’i (running) between Safa and Marwa one of the pillars of Hajj and Umrah. This act is a symbol of the heartfelt and emotional companionship of millions of Muslims with Hazrat Hajjar, who participate in this ceremony every year and keep her memory alive with their actions and feelings.
The late scholar of the Indian subcontinent, Professor Abul Hasan Nadvi (may Allah bless him), deeply and beautifully analyzes the emergency and necessary movement of Hazrat Hajjar between the mountains of Safa and Marwa as follows:
“Allah immortalized this emergency movement (out of necessity) that a pure and faithful woman made (i.e. her effort between Safa and Marwa to find water for her child). She made this act an optional act that the greatest and wisest men, philosophers, geniuses, kings and great men, in every time and generation, are obliged to perform. Their pilgrimage is not complete except by the Sa’i (running) between these two mountains, which is the place of every lover and the goal of every obedience. Sa’i is the best representation of the place of a Muslim in this world. This act brings together intellect and emotion. She uses his intellect for the benefits of life, but sometimes she surrenders to an emotion that is deeper than intellect. She lives in a world full of glamour and lust, but like someone who moves between Safa and Marwah, she passes by them, she does not cling to anything and her only goal and focus is on what is ahead. She sees his life as limited stages that goes through in obedience to his Lord and in following her predecessors. Her faith does not prevent her from seeking and striving, and her striving does not prevent her from trusting and relying on Allah. This is a movement whose value and message are love and obedience.” [8]
Continues…
References:
- Verse 15 of Surah Taghabun.
- Verse 46 of Surah Kahf.
- Surah Muhammad: 7.
- Surah Ibrahim: 37.
- Verse 9 of Surah Anfal.
- Narrated by Muslim in the Book of Jihad, Hadith: 4563.
- Surah Naml: 62.
- Abu Al-Hasan Ali Al-Hassani, Al-Nadvi, The Four Pillars, Damascus: Dar Ibn Kathir, 1427 BC, p. 237.
