Author: Abdul Hai Lay'yan
The Divine Education Model in the Family of the Prophets (Part 36)
The son’s obedience to the divine command
What did the son (whose sacrifice was suggested to him in a dream that his father had seen) do? He reached the same level that his father had reached before him. He said: “قَالَ یا أَبَتِ افْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ سَتَجِدُنِی إِن شَاء اللَّهُ مِنَ الصَّابِرِینَ” Translation: “When (he was born and grew up and) reached the age when he could work with him, Ibrahim said to him: O my son! I see in a dream that I must slaughter you (and sacrifice you). See what you think?” He said: O father! Do what you are commanded. You will find me of the patient Allah willing.” [1]
The son receives the command not only with pure obedience and submission; but also with satisfaction and certainty. And he expresses this with the most delicate response, the most correct way and the most eloquent phrase, with a style full of love and closeness, softness and tenderness and stirring the feelings of a father, which shows a strong faith and complete submission to the Lord of the worlds; it also shows that this faith did not make him distracted by the shadow of slaughter, did not frighten him and did not take away his wisdom; rather, he did not even lose his courtesy and love and said: “My father! Do what you have been commanded.” He feels what his father’s heart had felt before; he feels that the vision is a sign and the sign is a command and that is enough for him to obey and carry it out without hesitation or doubt.
In his words to his father: “Do what you are commanded,” he combined permission and justification in this statement; that is, I gave you permission to slaughter me because Allah commanded it. So it is the father’s confirmation and compliance with the divine command in it; also there is politeness towards Allah and the recognition of the limits of his power and ability to endure and seek help from his Lord over his weakness and attributing favor to Him in helping him to sacrifice and assist him in obedience: “If Allah wills, you will find me among the patient.” And he did not consider it heroism, courage, or rushing towards danger without care, and he did not attribute any shadow, volume or weight to himself, but rather returned all favor to Allah, if He helped him in what was asked of him and made him patient over what was intended for him: “If Allah wills, you will find me among the patient.” What politeness with Allah, what glory of faith, what nobility of obedience and what greatness of submission! [2]
Fulfilling the Divine Command as it Came in the dream
And the scene takes another step beyond conversation and words… It reaches the stage of execution. Allah says: “فَلَمَّا أَسْلَمَا وَتَلَّهُ لِلْجَبِينِ” Translation: “When (the father and son) both submitted (to the command of Allah) (and Ibrahim laid the son on the sand) and cast his face on the dust.” [3]
And once again the nobility of obedience, the greatness of faith and the peace of contentment soar beyond anything that humans are accustomed to.
The man goes forward and lays his son on his forehead to slaughter him, and the son submits and does not stop moving, and the matter has reached the stage of objectivity.
They submitted… This is Islam. This is the same trust, obedience, peace, satisfaction, submission, and execution… and both of them find in their being nothing but these feelings that only great faith creates. This is not courage and audacity, not haste and passion; but conscious, reasonable, purposeful, devoted submission, knowing what one is doing and confident in what will become; rather, here is calm, joyful satisfaction, tasting obedience and its beautiful taste. And here Ibrahim and Ismael (peace be upon them) submitted, fulfilled the command and the duty. And nothing remained except for Ismael (peace be upon him) to be slaughtered, his blood to be shed, and his soul to be released. In these sensitive moments when emotions and souls were in turmoil and hearts and limbs were trembling, the divine call came: “وَنَادَینَاهُ أَنْ یا إِبْرَاهِیمُ * قَدْ صَدَّقْتَ الرُّؤْیا” Translation: “And We called out to him, ‘O Ibrahim, you have truly seen and understood the dream (and you acted according to its command and fulfilled your mission. Hold on, you have succeeded in this great test, We do not want any more suffering for you and your child)”. [4]
Yes! Allah does not want anything but Islam and submission, so that there is nothing hidden from Allah or dearer than His command or kept for Himself, even if it were a child, or even if it were a soul and life, left in the soul. And you, O Ibrahim, gave everything and gave the dearest thing, with satisfaction, peace, confidence and certainty; so there was nothing left but flesh and blood, and this is replaced by a sacrifice, every sacrifice of blood and flesh, and Allah will ransom this soul that submitted and performed, with a great sacrifice. And it was said to him: “إِنَّا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِی الْمُحْسِنِینَ” Translation: “Thus do We reward the doers of good.” [5]
We reward them for choosing such a calamity, and We reward them by guiding their hearts and raising them to the level of loyalty, and We reward them by empowering and patiently performing it, and also by deserving the reward. And the tradition of sacrifice on Eid al-Adha, the commemoration of this great event, which is a beacon for the truth of faith and the beauty of obedience and the greatness of submission, was passed on, and the Islamic Ummah returns to it to recognize the truth of their father Ibrahim, who follows his nation and inherits his lineage and creed, and to understand the nature of the creed on which it is built, and to know that that submission is to divine destiny in contented, confident, and responsive obedience, asking its Lord, “Why?” He does not ask, and he does not hesitate in fulfilling His will at His first indication and first guidance, and he does not keep anything within himself, and he does not choose any form or method for presenting what he presents to his Lord except as He has asked him, and then until he knows that his Lord does not want to torment him with affliction, nor to harm him with calamity; rather, He wants him to come to Him obedient, responsive, loyal, fulfilling, and surrendered, and not put anything ahead of Him or surpass Him. And if He knows the truth of this from him (and He is more aware of this), He exempts him from sacrifice and pain, and considers it loyalty and fulfillment for him. And He accepts from him and sacrifices him, and honors him as He honored his father.
The truth of the story of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) has been narrated throughout the generations and centuries, and he is a nation, and he is the father of the prophets, and he is the father of this Muslim nation, and this nation is the heir of his nation. And Allah has appointed for him and upon him the leadership of humanity over the nation of Ibrahim (peace be upon him); so Allah made him Ibrahim’s offspring and lineage until the Day of Judgment. As He says: “سَلَامٌ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ” Translation: “Peace be upon Ibrahim”. [6]
A greeting that is recorded in His eternal book and engraved in the depths of the great being. “Thus do We reward the righteous.” [7] He rewards them with calamity, loyalty, remembrance, greetings and honor. “He was one of Our believing servants.” [8] And this reward is faith, and that truth is faith in what the manifest calamity revealed. [9]
Answer to a Doubt
Perhaps the doubt may be raised here that ordering the slaughter of a human being is a major sin and one of the greatest crimes, and ordering the commission of sins and crimes is not permissible. If so, how did Allah Almighty order Ibrahim (peace be upon him) to commit the crime of slaughter? And whose slaughter? The slaughter of his son!
Imam Qurtubi (may Allah bless him) says in response to this doubt: “Sins and obedience are not the inherent attributes of things; rather, obedience is the act to which a divine command is attributed, and sins are the act to which a divine prohibition is attributed; Therefore, when the command to slaughter the son of (our master Ismail) was issued by (our master Ibrahim “peace be upon him”), this act became an act of obedience and a divine test, which is why Allah Almighty says: “إِنَّ هَذَا لَهُوَ الْبَلَاء الْمُبِینُ” Translation: “This (the great trial that is the slaughter of the son by the father’s hand) is certainly a test that shows (complete faith and sincere certainty in the Lord of the Universe).” [10]
Yes, this is a great test in patience over the slaughter of the son and the soul. [11]
Continues…
References:
- Al-Saffat: 102.
- Muhammad, Sayyid Qutb, In the Shadow of the Qur’an, vol. 5, p. 2995.
- Al-Saffat: 103.
- Al-Saffat: 104-105.
- Al-Saffat: 104-105.
- Al-Saffat: 109.
- Al-Saffat: 110.
- Al-Saffat: 111.
- Muhammad, Sayyid Qutb, In the Shadow of the Qur’an, vol. 5, p. 2997-2995. With a little elaboration.
- Al-Saffat: 106.
- Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Ansari, al-Qurtubi, al-Jami’ al-Ahkam al-Qur’an, vol. 15, p. 112-111.
