The Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) was called the “Father of
Prophets”. The Jews, The Christians and the Muslims all treat him as the
“Father of Prophets” He (a.s.) had married Sarah and lived happily in Palestine.
After many years they did not have any children, so Sarah suggested him to
marry her maid Ha’jerah. Allah gave them a son Isma’il. They moved to Arabia
and were living happily. After a while he (a.s.) wanted to go to see Sarah and
he left them behind and prayed to Allah for their safety. “Our Lord! I have
settled part of my descendants in a barren valley, by Your Sacred House, our
Lord, that they may maintain the prayer. So, make the hearts of the part of the
people fond of them, and provide them with fruits, so that they may give
thanks.” (37:14). The food and water
left by him was running low. She placed Isma’il on sand and started running on
the Mount of Safa and Marwa desperately looking for water. She ran seven times.
On return she saw that water started to come from the sand where the baby was
kicking the ground. She exclaimed “Zamzam”. Allah not only saved the future
prophet and his mother but also made it a sign for the future humanity. During
the season of Hajj, the Hajis also run between the mounts of Safa and Marwa
seven times. “Indeed, Safa and Marwa are among Allah’s sacraments.” (2:158)
Earlier, Prophet Ibrahim logically established the Unity of
Allah by considering the giant heavenly bodies like sun, moon, and stars as
creations of Allah and not deities to be worshipped. “When he saw a star and said, ‘This is my Lord!
‘When it set, he said, ‘I do not like those who set’. Similar was his remark
for moon. When he saw sun rising, he said, ‘This is my Lord! This is bigger!
But when it set, he said,’O people, indeed I disown what you take as His
partners.” (6:78)
He even destroyed the idols of the community he was in. The
tyrant of the times, Nimrod ordered him to be burned alive in a mammoth fire
lit up for this purpose. Shaytan came to help the people to burn Ibrahim in the
fire, but the problem was how to throw him in it. Shaytan told the people to prepare
a catapult and hurl him in the fire. Allah, the Most Powerful saved Ibrahim
from the fire by ordering fire to become cool for him and not hurting him. “We
said, ‘O fire! Be cool and safe for Ibrahim.” (69:21)
Allah ordered Ibrahim and his son Isma’il to raise the
foundations of the old House of Allah Ka’ba. Hence the father and the son rebuilt
the Ka’ba as stated in the Glorious Qur’an, “As Ibrahim raised the
foundations of the House with Ismail (they prayed) ‘Our Lord, accept it from us!
Indeed, You are the All-hearing, the All-knowing. ’Our Lord, make us submissive
to You.” (2:127-28)
Ibrahim dreamed three nights that he was sacrificing his
son; “I see in a dream that I am sacrificing you. See what you think. “He said,
“Father! Do what you have been commanded. If Allah wishes, you will find me to
be patient. So, when they both had submitted (to Allah’s will) and he had laid
him down on his forehead, We called out to him, ‘O Ibrahim! You have indeed
fulfilled the vision! Thus, indeed do We reward the virtuous! This was indeed a
manifest test. Then We ransomed him with a great sacrifice. (37:102-106)
Similarly, when Ibrahim was tested, and he fulfilled them then
Allah made him the Imam of the mankind. Ibrahim was already a prophet hence the
reward must be superior to his existing status. Hence, the Imamate is superior
to prophet hood. “And when His Lord tested Ibrahim with certain words, and he
fulfilled them, He said, ‘I am making you the Imam of mankind. ‘Said he, ‘And
from among my descendants?’ He said, ’My pledge does not extend to the unjust.’
(2:124)
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