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Ibrahim AS {Abraham} is a revered personality in Qur'an, Bible and Torah as well. Here's the summary of our teachings

 

Ibrahim (alayhis salam) prayed for a righteous son and his prayer was answered. To him and Hajra was born the son Ismail (alayhis salam).

 

 

Ismail (alayhis salam) grew up strong in the belief of Allah. When he had become old enough to have become helpful, Ibrahim (alayhis salam) saw in a vision from Allah that he was to sacrifice his son. You can imagine how heavy-hearted he was at the thought of giving up that long-awaited son. But he never thought to go against the command of Allah. He went to his son and told him of the vision and asked him what he thought of it. Now Ismail (alayhis salam), although very young, never hesitated. If it was Allah�s will, he said, he would go along with it.

 

Ibrahim (alayhis salam) and Ismail (alayhis salam) prepared for the sacrifice and just as Ibrahim (alayhis salam) was about to perform it, Allah intervened. Allah provided a ram for sacrifice in place of Ismail (alayhis salam), for Ibrahim (alayhis salam) and Ismail (alayhis salam) had passed the test of faith which Allah had set for them.

 

Few lessons we get to learn from this story are

 

 

You mentioned Isaac, right ! I just looked at it.

 

Well, we believe it was his other son Ismail AS. We will have a look at what Bible says.

�Hagar (Hajirah) bore Abraham a son, and he named him Ishmael. Abraham was eighty six years old at the time.� (Gen. 16:15-16) �Abraham was hundred years old when Isaac (Ishaq) was born�. (Gen. 21:5)

We can deduce from the above two verses that Ishmael was 14 years old when his younger brother Ishaq was born and for 14 years before Ishaq was born, Ishmael was the only son of Prophet Ibrahim.

Now, the Bible states that Ishmael and his mother Hajirah were sent to the wilderness after Ishaq was born (Gen 21:9-13). It means, according to Bible, Ishmael was at least 14 years old when he and his mother were left alone in the wilderness. On the other hand Islamic traditions say that Ishmael was an infant when Prophet Ibrahim left him in his mother�s lap to live alone in the Makkan desert. Before we analyse the next sequence of the event in the Bible, it is worth noting here that Hajirah and Ishmael were left in the wilderness of Parang (Gen 21:20) which is a name of Makkan in Bible. The Bible narrates ahead: �Early the next morning Abraham gave Hagar some food and a leather bag full of water. He put the child on her back and sent her away. She left and wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba. When the water was all gone, she left the child under a bush and sat down about a hundred meters away. She said to herself, �I cannot bear to see my child die�. While she was sitting there, she began to cry. God heard the boy crying and from heaven the angel of God spoke to Hagar, What are you troubled about, Hagar? Do not be afraid, God has heard the boy crying. Get up, go and pick him up, and comfort him. I will make a great nation out of his descendants�. Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well. She went and filled the leather bag with water and gave some to the boy. God was with the boy as he grew up; he lived in the wilderness of Parang and became a skilful hunter�. (Gen.21:14-20)

Please read the above paragraph again. Many a detail differs from the Islamic description of the event, but one thing is crystal clear. The description of the child in the above paragraph is not of a 14 plus old boy. Ishmael�s mother was an old lady and a 14 plus boy is quite young. The child Hajirah helplessly put in the bush was certainly an infant. A boy of more than 14 years would rather look after the old mother, instead of needing her care.

The Bible and the Islamic traditions agree here that Ishmael was in infant when left alone with his mother in the Arabian Desert. This deduces that Ishmael was the only son of Prophet Ibrahim when he was left in the wilderness, as Isaac was born only after Ishmael had become 14.

Now, immediately after the account of Ishmael attaining the age of boyhood when he was old enough to learn the use of arrows for hunting say 13-14 years, the Bible starts narrating the event of sacrifice. The context and the sequence of events betray that the name Ishmael has been replaced by Isaac by some ancient copier of the Old testament.

Another important clue of the son involved is found when the Book of Genesis relates the event of sacrifice. The boy who was going to be sacrificed was old enough to carry the load of woods: �Abraham made Isaac carry the wood for the sacrifice..� (Gen. 22:6). In the account, immediately preceding the occurrence, Isaac had just been born while Ishmael had attained the age of boyhood. If Ibrahim took Isaac with him to the altar, and made him to carry the wood, then the story of more than a decade is missing from the Bible. All things fall in place if the son accompanying Ibrahim, was Ishmael instead of Isaac.

This analysis will not be complete if I do not relate the most important evidence so far. The Bible reads: �Take your son, God said, �Your only son, Isaac, whom you love so much and... offer him as sacrifice to me�. (Gen 22:2)

From the above references of the Bible, we know that Isaac had never been the only son of his father. Instead it was Ishmael who was the only son of Ibrahim for 14 years. This proves that the son asked to be offered as sacrifice, was Ishmael as the Islamic traditions specify. It also goes on to strengthen the Qur�anic claim of being the only unadulterated word of God, as it announces its challenge: �Will they not ponder on the Qur�an? If it had not come from Allah, they could have surely found in it many contradictions�. (4:82)

After your detailed answer I must make it clear that the above discussion was for finding the truth and straightening the record. We Muslims regard both the Prophets Ishmael and Isaac with esteem and we do not give one Prophet of Allah precedence over other. It does not really make any difference to us whether the son of prophet Ibrahim involved in the event, was Ishmael or Isaac, (Pbuh). What is important for us is that both the father and the son readily agreed for the sacrifice. We must renew our resolve to completely submit before our Lord while recalling the event.

 

Its many months, you were n't active ? Glad to see you . How is sis Herjihad ? May Allah swt ease her days.

 

As shared ayahs by Islamipeace, make us clear that Allah swt did not name the son. Read these ayahs again

 

100. "My Lord! Grant me (offspring) from the righteous.''

 

101. So, We gave him the glad tidings of a forbearing boy.

 

102. And, when he (his son) was old enough to walk with him, he said: "O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you. So look what you think!'' He said: "O my father! Do that which you are commanded, if Allah wills, you shall find me of the patient.''

 

103. Then, when they had both submitted themselves, and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead;) (104. We called out to him: "O Ibrahim!''

 

105. "You have fulfilled the dream!'' Verily, thus do We reward the doers of good.

 

106. Verily, that indeed was a manifest trial.

 

107. And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice;

 

108. And We left for him among the later generations.

 

109. "Salam (peace!) be upon Ibrahim!''

 

110. Thus indeed do We reward the doers of good

 

111. Verily, he was one of Our believing servants.

 

112. And We gave him the glad tidings of Ishaq -- a Prophet from the righteous.

 

113. We blessed him and Ishaq. And of their progeny are (some) that do right, and some that plainly wrong themselves.

 

You can look into the copy of Quran you possess, from chapter 37. So, when we read these ayaat, we find that after the discussion of a son and Ibrahi, by ayah 112, we get to learn abt Prophet Isaac.

 

Here are notes from the commentary of Ibn Kathir

 

This child was Isma`il, peace be upon him, for he was the first child of whom glad tidings were given to Ibrahim, peace be upon him, and he was older than Ishaq. The Muslims and the People of the Book agree, and indeed it is stated in their Book, that Isma`il, peace be upon him, was born when Ibrahim, peace be upon him, was eighty-six years old, and Ishaq was born when Ibrahim was ninety-nine years old. According to their Book, Allah commanded Ibrahim to sacrifice his only son, and in another text it says his firstborn son. But here they falsely inserted the name of Ishaq. This is not right because it goes against what their own Scripture says. They inserted the name of Ishaq because he is their ancestor, while Isma`il is the ancestor of the Arabs. They were jealous of them, so they added this idea and changed the meaning of the phrase "only son'' to mean `the only son who is with you,' because Isma`il had been taken with his mother to Makkah. But this is a case of falsification and distortion, because the words "only son'' cannot be said except in the case of one who has no other son. Furthermore, the firstborn son has a special status that is not shared by subsequent children, so the command to sacrifice him is a more exquisite test.

 

 

 

 

Hello David,

 

Good question !

 

If you did read above posts, you must have learnt that Abraham {AS} was blessed with a son at the age of 86 ! When he was commanded to sacrifice his son, by then , his son was young and was the only child. At these peak stage wherein naturally, parents love there child, very much, Allah swt decided to test him. He wanted to test, Abraham obeys this commandment of Allah swt or hesitates. Likewise it was a test for this young boy, Ismaeel {AS} as well. It was a test of  his patience and resolve, at a young age, in obeying Allah and obeying his father.

 

Both father and son proved to be faithful of Allah swt.

 

If Allah swt needed sacrifice of his son, he would not have send a ram in its place, is n't it ?

 

It was a test from Allah swt. Similarly, we believers are tested by Allah swt. Allah swt said that he shall test us thru health, wealth money, children ----. And he tests us with the burden only which we bear. Since Propeht Abraham was of very strong faith, he was chosen with such strong trial. If such trials were tried today ---- !!!!! ANyways, i hope you are clear with this answer.

 

 

 

 Actually people are actually sacrificed today. Slightly different.. read a book called Disposable People by Kavin Bales about Slavery in the Global Economy. If you have hair it will make it stand out on end.

 

Is it ! Shall look for that book and read, insha Allah.

 

Do these people who give sacrifice and who are sacrificed, get happily ready for the sacirifice or are forced to ?

 

Recently in India, there was a case wherein even today its practiced in by few hindus that when a man dies, his wife is burnt alive along with her husband who died.-