Author: Abdul Hai Lay'yan
The Divine Education Model in the Family of the Prophets (Part 35)
The Story of Sacrifice: The Meeting of Father and Son
After Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) left his wife Hajar and his infant son Ismail in the barren, waterless valley of Makkah, he returned toward Sham with tearful eyes and a heart full of grief and longing. His heart yearned for his beloved child, who had been granted to him after years of waiting and old age. Ibrahim never ceased praying for Ismail, and the image of his son never left his thoughts and imagination, not even for a moment.
Days, months, and years passed one after another. Finally, Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) once again decided to set out for that barren desert, intending to return to the place where he had left that pure and noble seed, that piece of his very being — Ismail (peace be upon him). This journey was filled with both hope and fear. After a long separation and enduring many hardships, the long-awaited moment finally arrived, and the meeting between Prophet Ibrahim and Prophet Ismail (peace be upon them) took place.
Father and son embraced one another — an embrace that marked the end of suffering and the beginning of peace and happiness. Ismail had no complaints about his father’s long absence, nor about what Ibrahim had done in the past (leaving them in the desert). His mother Hajar had not filled his heart with hatred, resentment, or enmity. On the contrary, Ismail recognized well the rights and honor of his father — a result of the righteous upbringing of his mother. From then on, the meetings of father and son continued regularly, and each time their love and affection for one another grew stronger.
The Dream of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) Regarding the Sacrifice of His Son Ismail
Years passed, and Ismail (peace be upon him) grew up. He reached an age where he could work alongside his father, strive, and take responsibility. It was at this time that Allah the Almighty subjected father and son to a trial even more difficult than the first (leaving Hajar and Ismail in a barren valley without water). This was a test that deeply shook both body and soul, but its purpose was to reveal the hidden truths in the depths of the hearts of Allah’s chosen servants and sincere believers — a test to demonstrate the extent of loyalty and submission to the Divine command.
This test was the command to sacrifice his son — the very son for whom Ibrahim had prayed for years, morning and evening, with humility and supplication: (رَبِّ هَبْ لِی مِنَ الصَّالِحِینَ * فَبَشَّرْنَاهُ بِغُلَامٍ حَلِیمٍ﴾ [1] Translation: “My Lord, grant me [a child] from among the righteous.” So We gave him good tidings of a forbearing boy.
Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) had constantly implored his Lord to grant him a child to replace the kin and relatives from whom he had been separated due to his call to monotheism and the rejection of idolatry. Allah the Almighty answered his prayer and granted him Ismail (peace be upon him). With Ismail’s birth, Ibrahim’s eyes were comforted, his heart was filled with joy, and his hopes revived that Allah had blessed him with a son in his old age after years of despair.
But this joy and comfort were soon coupled with a great trial. As soon as the boy grew and reached the age of youth and maturity, Allah commanded Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) in a dream to sacrifice him. This divine command was not a satanic whisper but rather a clear and manifest instruction from Allah, conveyed to His Prophet through a vision in a dream. This dream became a turning point in the lives of Ibrahim and Ismail, marking the beginning of a story of unmatched faith, submission, and sacrifice.
The Submission of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) to the Divine Command
When Allah the Almighty instructed Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) in a dream to sacrifice his son Ismail (peace be upon him), Ibrahim accepted the command with complete submission and immediately set out to fulfil it. Thus, he shared the matter with Ismail: (فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ السَّعْیَ قَالَ یَا بُنَیَّ إِنِّی أَرَى فِی الْمَنَامِ أَنِّی أَذْبَحُكَ فَانْظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَى﴾ [2] Translation: “And when he reached with him [the age of] exertion, he said, ‘O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I [must] sacrifice you, so see what you think.’”
What incredible faith, obedience, and submission! This elderly Ibrahim, who had cut ties with his people and kin, migrated from his homeland, and only in his old age was granted a son after years of longing — this very son whom Allah described as forbearing — had not yet spent much time with him, had just reached the age of striving and working alongside his father, when Ibrahim saw in a dream that he must sacrifice him.
Ibrahim (peace be upon him) knew this vision was a divine indication calling him to sacrifice. What was his response? He never hesitated, no feeling other than obedience entered his heart, and no thought other than submission crossed his mind. Indeed, it was only an indication, not an explicit revelation or direct command. Yet, it was a divine signal delivered through a dream, not through waking command [3]. Though Allah could have commanded it in waking life, He chose to reveal it in a dream — to intensify the trial and to ensure their response would manifest complete submission and sincerity to Allah (Allah knows best) [4].
In fact, Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) accepted his Lord’s command without objection, without asking, “Why, O Lord, must I sacrifice my only son?” Rather, he submitted wholeheartedly, free of fear or anxiety, embracing the divine order with tranquility and full satisfaction.
This complete serenity appears in Ibrahim’s words to his son when he calmly presented this tremendous command to him. His approach was meant to reassure Ismail’s heart, to shield him from Satan’s whispers, and to prevent any doubts about his father’s love from arising in his mind. Ibrahim did not want to drag his son to death by force, nor impose Allah’s command upon him coercively. Instead, with words full of tenderness, compassion, and kindness, he said to him: (یَا بُنَیَّ إِنِّی أَرَى فِی الْمَنَامِ أَنِّی أَذْبَحُكَ فَانْظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَى﴾ [5] Translation: “O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I [must] sacrifice you, so see what you think.”
The Manner in Which Ibrahim (peace be upon him) Presented the Divine Command
Ibrahim conveyed the matter in words that reflected full self-control, certainty in the command he faced, and conviction in fulfilling his duty. At the same time, they were the words of a believer who did not let the enormity of the divine command instill fear in his heart, nor did he rush to carry it out hastily in order to escape its heavy weight (even though it was undoubtedly a difficult command). Why? Because Allah asked Ibrahim to sacrifice his son with his own hand — yet Ibrahim received it with serenity, and he presented it to his son in such a way as to invite reflection and consent.
He did not surprise his son by executing the command abruptly; rather, he shared it with him as if it were an ordinary matter. For in his heart, whatever Allah wills is to be embraced with honor. His son too must be aware and accept the command with willing submission — not compulsion — so that he too may attain the reward of obedience, taste the sweetness of submission, and embrace the act as his own.
Ibrahim wished for his son to experience the same joy of voluntary obedience that he himself had tasted, to share in a blessing he considered more lasting and valuable than life itself.
Continues…
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References
[1] As-Saffat: 100–101
[2] As-Saffat: 102
[3] Sayyid Qutb, Fi Zilal al-Qur’an, Vol. 5, p. 2994.
[4] Naseruddin Abu Sa‘id Abdullah al-Baydawi, Anwar al-Tanzil wa Asrar al-Ta’wil, Beirut: Sha‘ban Institute, n.d., Vol. 5, p. 9.
[5] As-Saffat: 102
