Muslims believe that the prophet Abraham became the leader of the righteous in his time and that it was through him that Adnanite-Arabs and Israelites came.
What was Prophet Ibrahim known for ?
Ibrahim is regarded in Islam as the father of the Arab people ... It is believed that Ibrahim rebuilt the Ka'ba following the great flood. His faith was tested by Allah, which teaches Muslims that they must be prepared to submit to Allah in the same way. Isma'il (see below) was one of Ibrahim's sons.
Prophet Ibrahim (AS) confronting idolatry
One night, Ibrahim (AS) decided to go to a mountain and was thinking about the stars and the moon, which other people worshipped. When he realized that they appeared only at some point during the day, he continued to search for Lord.
One day, Allah (s.w.t) guided him to the truth and came to know that Allah (s.w.t) existed. He then called to his people, including his father, to Islam and that Allah (s.w.t) is the only Lord, the only one to worship. However, his father and the people denied and warned him to be punished.
Ibrahim (AS) then made a plan to destroy all the idols in the temple when all the people were at a festival on the riverbank. However, he did not destroy the biggest statue, but instead, left his axe on it before leaving the temple.
The next day, the people were stunned to see the ‘Gods’ ( idols ) broken in fragments and suspected Prophet Ibrahim to be responsible. When they asked Ibrahim whether he did this act he told them that it was the biggest ‘God’ to have done it as he held the axe. Despite that the people realized that the idols were not able to speak, their foolishness led to decide to burn Ibrahim (AS).
The miracles of Allah (s.w.t) shown to Prophet Ibrahim (AS)
They chained Ibrahim (AS), dug a deep hole, filled it with firewood and lit an intense fire. Before throwing him in, Angel Jibrail came close to his head and asked him whether he wished for something. Ibrahim (AS) said that he only wanted Allah (s.w.t) to be pleased with him. The shooter was launched and Ibrahim (AS) was thrown into the fire. At that moment Allah (s.w.t) ordered the fire to be cool for him. The fire obeyed and Ibrahim (AS) came out unharmed. Nevertheless, the people denied Allah’s (s.w.t) miracle.
When the king of Babylon learned about this event, he was angry and claimed himself as the God and that Ibrahim (AS) was an imposter. He asked Ibrahim (AS) what Allah can do that he cannot. Ibrahim (AS) said that Allah can give and take lives. The king said that he can indeed kill people and cancel death sentences to save lives! Ibrahim (AS) then said Allah (s.w.t) can make the sun rise from the East and asked the king whether he can make the sunrise from the West. The king was left speechless.
One day Ibrahim (AS) asked Allah (s.w.t) how dead people will come back on The day of judgment. Allah (s.w.t) commanded him to take four birds, tear them apart into pieces and then mix the bodies up. He then divided the mix into four parts and placed each part on the top of four hills. He asked Ibrahim (AS) to call back the birds by Allah (s.w.t)’s name. Immediately, the birds’ reassembled to their original parts, came back to life.
Prophet Ibrahim (AS)’s son, Ismail (AS)
In Egypt, the king of Babylon was a dictator and tried to harm Sarah (p.b.u.h). The King tried to hold her hand but his hand got stiff and asked Sarah (p.b.u.h), to ask Allah (s.w.t) to cure him. Her wish was granted. On his second attempt to hold Sarah (p.b.u.h), his hand got stiff again and Allah (s.w.t) cured his hand upon Sarah (p.b.u.h)’s wish. He then realized that Sarah (p.b.u.h) was not an ordinary woman. Before she left, he ordered a servant named Hajira (p.b.u.h) to go with her.
As the Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and Sarah (p.b.u.h) became older, the latter told the prophet to marry Hajira (p.b.u.h) and asked Allah (s.w.t) to bless them with a child named Ismail (AS).
The Prophet Ibrahim (AS), Hajira and Ismail all went for a long journey and reached a desert with no food, fruit, and water. Then, the Prophet left them with some food and water for two days which they brought with them and left them in the desert. Despite Hajira’s call to explain why he did so, she came to know that it was Allah (s.w.t)’s wish. She knew that Allah (s.w.t) was with them.
When the last drop of water was over, Hajira was very thirsty and the baby was crying. She kept running between the Al-Safa and Al-Marwa mountains 7 times in search for someone or some comfort to provide to her child and her. When she came back to sit beside her baby, tired, she heard a noise. She asked for help and saw an angel digging a hole to bring up water. She gathered the water by surrounding it with earth, drank the water and nursed her baby. That water was the “Zam Zam” water.
Ibrahim's Sacrifice
It is said that Ibrahim (AS) experienced a dream one night, in which Allah (SWT) told him to sacrifice Ismail (AS), his beloved son. At first, Ibrahim (AS) believed this was the devil playing tricks on him and he immediately disregarded it. However, the following night, the same dream occurred again commanding him to do the same. Ibrahim (AS) then came to realise that this was no fluke and was, in fact, a message from Allah (SWT).
Ibrahim (AS) loved his son, Ismail (AS). Yet he was fully prepared to follow Allah's (SWT) command and do as He instructed. He took his son to the top of Mount Arafat and brought with him a knife and rope. Upon reaching an appropriate place, he told his son about his dream and what Allah (SWT) had commanded him to do.
Being an obedient son, Prophet Ismail (AS) immediately obliged the wishes of Allah (SWT) and his father and asked that his hands and legs be tied so that he may not struggle and that his father blindfold himself so that he does not have to witness him suffer.
Ibrahim (AS) did as Ismail (AS) had said. Blindfolded and with the knife in his hands, he did as Allah (SWT) had asked of him. When he took the blindfold off, to his surprise, he saw the body of a dead ram in front of him. Ismail (AS) was completely unharmed standing right next to him. At first, he thought that something had gone horribly wrong and that he had disobeyed the order of his Creator. But then he heard a voice telling him that Allah (SWT) looks after his followers and that he need not worry.
A divine miracle had taken place. Ibrahim (AS) and Ismail (AS) had just passed a difficult test from Allah (SWT).
Eid - ul - Adha
Since then, every year, during the month of Dhul Hijjah, the last month of the holy calendar, Muslims from around the world perform Qurbani to remember what Ibrahim (AS) did. We use his deed to inspire devotion, obedience, and submission in our own lives. Muslims sacrifice animals (preferably a goat, cow, or camel) using special rules and practices, in memory of Prophet Ibrahim's (AS) sacrifice.
Therefore, Qurbani for Muslims is a lesson in obedience and submission. We must obey Allah's (SWT) command without pause. We must perform the tasks He has ordained compulsory on all Muslims such as praying Salat, performing Sawm, paying Zakat and embarking on the Hajj pilgrimage. May Allah (SWT) enable us to perform the Sunna of Ibrahim year in and year out. Ameen
Due to the firm faith of both father and son, Isma'eel (AS) was replaced by a ram and his life was spared by Allah (SWT). In this story, we must, therefore, remember that Eid - ul - Adha is not just a celebration, but the remembrance of one of the greatest sacrifices in history.
As we remember the story of Prophet Ibrahim's (AS) sacrifice every year, and we remember the obedience, devotion, and submission that he showed on that fateful day atop the mountain, we think of the importance of the celebration of Qurbani, and what we must do to honour it. For those of us blessed with enough wealth and prosperity that the giving of the sacrificial meat is not something we can do ourselves, Muslim Aid can help.
By donating to Muslim Aid so that your Qurbani obligation may be fulfilled, you serve those most in need and unite the Ummah in this time of joyous celebration as you follow a commandment that is blessed by Allah (SWT).