Stories of the Prophets, peace be upon them.
May Allah's blessings be followed by peace,
Upon the best of all creation.
The Messengers of Strong Will possess a exalted status.
The Story of Ishmael and Isaac, peace be upon them.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.
Blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad,
And upon his family and all his Companions.
To proceed:
There, in Mecca, the Sacred City,
Ishmael, peace be upon him, grew up.
In the course of detailing the story of the Prophet of Allah, Abraham (peace be upon him),
We learned the reason Ishmael came with his mother to Mecca.
We also learned how Ishmael was put forward for sacrifice at the hand of his father,
And how he was ransomed with a momentous sacrifice.
We learned as well how Ishmael helped his father in building the Kaaba.
All of this constituted one aspect of the life of the Prophet of Allah, Ishmael (peace be upon him).
In this gathering,
We will learn about another aspect of his life, Allah willing.
Ishmael (peace be upon him) grew up among the tribe of Jurhum,
And he learned Arabic from them,
Becoming one of the most eloquent and finest among them,
Winning their deep admiration.
When he reached young adulthood,
They married him to a woman from among them.
Sometime after that, his mother Hagar passed away.
After a period of time,
Abraham (peace be upon him) came to Mecca
To check on his son's condition.
He did not find Ishmael at home,
So he asked his wife about him.
She said:
"He has gone out hunting to seek food for us."
She did not realize that the inquirer was her husband's father.
Then Abraham (peace be upon him) asked her about their livelihood and condition.
She said:
"We are in a miserable state,"
Complaining to him of their hardship and poverty.
Abraham (peace be upon him) said to her:
"When your husband returns,
Convey my greetings of peace to him,
And tell him:
'Change the threshold of your door.'"
Then Abraham (peace be upon him) left, returning to Palestine.
Ishmael (peace be upon him) returned from his hunting trip,
And asked his wife:
"Did anyone visit you?"
She replied, "Yes,
An old man of such-and-such description came to us,
And he asked us about you,
So I informed him.
He also asked about our livelihood,
And I told him that we are in distress and hardship."
He said:
"Did he advise you with anything?"
She said, "Yes,
He instructed me to convey his greetings of peace to you,
And says to you:
'Change the threshold of your door.'"
Ishmael (peace be upon him) said:
"That was my father, Abraham.
He has commanded me to separate from you.
Return to your family."
So he divorced her.
Then the Prophet of Allah, Ishmael (peace be upon him), married
Another woman from Mecca.
Abraham stayed away from them for as long as Allah willed.
Then he visited them after some time,
And again did not find his son Ishmael.
So he asked his wife about him,
And she said:
"He has gone out hunting to seek food for us."
He asked her about their livelihood and condition,
And she said:
"We are in good health and abundance,"
And she praised Allah, the Exalted and Glorious.
So he asked her:
"What is your food?"
She said:
"Meat."
He said:
"And what is your drink?"
She said:
"Water."
Whereupon Abraham (peace be upon him) prayed:
"O Allah, bless for them their meat and water."
Then he said to her:
"When your husband returns,
Convey my greetings of peace to him,
And instruct him to keep the threshold of his door firm."
When Ishmael (peace be upon him) returned home,
He asked his wife:
"Did anyone come to you?"
She said, "Yes,
A handsome old man came to us,
Of such-and-such description,"
And she spoke highly of him.
"He asked me about you,
So I informed him;
And he asked me about our livelihood,
So I informed him that we are well."
Ishmael asked:
"Did he advise you with anything?"
She said, "Yes,
He conveys his greetings of peace to you,
And commands you to keep the threshold of your door firm."
He said:
"That was my father,
And you are the threshold;
He has commanded me to keep you."
When Ishmael (peace be upon him) reached full maturity,
Allah revealed divine inspiration to him,
So he became a Prophet,
Sent to the Arabs in the Peninsula and its surroundings.
He called his people to monotheism (*Hanifiyyah*), the creed of his father Abraham (peace be upon him),
And to the worship of Allah alone, without any partner.
He fulfilled the message in the most complete manner,
Spreading pure monotheism across the Arabian Peninsula.
Thus Mecca became a land of monotheism,
Knowing neither idols nor polytheism,
And it remained for a long period upon the creed of Ishmael (peace be upon him),
Until 'Amr ibn Luhayy al-Khuza'i brought idols to Mecca and the Arabian Peninsula,
And the people began worshipping them.
Thus, he was the first to alter the religion of Abraham (peace be upon him),
And the one who introduced polytheism into the Arabian Peninsula.
Indeed, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw him
Dragging his intestines in the Hellfire.
Allah Almighty has mentioned Ishmael (peace be upon him) in the Qur'an twelve times,
Across eight surahs,
Describing him therein with noble attributes.
Among those attributes were truthfulness and faithfulness to covenants.
Allah commanded His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)—
And commanded us following him—to mention the story of His Prophet Ishmael (peace be upon him),
For he was truthful to his promise and never broke it.
Among his greatest fulfillments was his patience during the sacrifice,
When he said to his father: "You will find me, Allah willing, among the patient."
He fulfilled that pledge and yielded to his father to sacrifice him.
Another instance was his promise to his father Abraham, the Intimate Friend of Allah (peace be upon him),
To assist him in building the House,
And he fulfilled his promise,
Just as Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, narrated in His Book, saying:
“And when Abraham and Ishmael were raising the foundations of the House, (Abraham prayed): Our Lord! Accept from us (this duty). Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Hearer, the Knower.” (2:127)
“And when Abraham and Ishmael were raising the foundations of the House, (Abraham prayed): Our Lord! Accept from us (this duty). Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Hearer, the Knower.” (2:127)
"Indeed, You are the Hearing, the Knowing."
It has also been reported that he promised a man to meet him at a certain place,
So Ishmael (peace be upon him) arrived, but the man forgot.
Ishmael waited for that man throughout his day and night,
And when the next day came, the man arrived,
So Ishmael (peace be upon him) said to him:
"I have remained here waiting for you since yesterday."
This praiseworthy trait is a characteristic of all the Prophets,
But Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, singled out Ishmael (peace be upon him) for praise because of it
To honor and exalt him, as he was renowned for it
And it was particularly prominent in his character.
Among the qualities of the Prophet of Allah, Ishmael (peace be upon him), was also
His deep devotion to calling others to Allah and rectifying society.
He began with his own family and inner circle,
As he used to command them to perform prayer and pay zakat.
Thus, he combined personal righteousness with reforming others,
Calling to Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, his close family
And all the followers of his faith.
Among his attributes was also attaining Allah Almighty's pleasure,
Due to his compliance with his Lord's command and his diligence in obeying Him,
As well as his eager pursuit of His pleasure.
So Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, was pleased with him,
Making him among His elite servants and close allies.
Allah Almighty said:
“And make mention in the Scripture of Ishmael. Lo! he was a keeper of his promise, and he was a messenger (of Allah), a prophet.” (19:54)
"Indeed, he was truthful to his promise, and he was a Messenger and a Prophet."
“He enjoined upon his people worship and almsgiving, and was acceptable in the sight of his Lord.” (19:55)
“He enjoined upon his people worship and almsgiving, and was acceptable in the sight of his Lord.” (19:55)
Fakhr al-Din al-Razi said regarding the verse of Allah Almighty:
“He enjoined upon his people worship and almsgiving, and was acceptable in the sight of his Lord.” (19:55)
"It represents the pinnacle of praise,
Because the one with whom Allah is pleased
Is the one who succeeds in every act of obedience to the highest degrees."
Ishmael (peace be upon him) was also described with patience,
As Allah Almighty said:
"And Ishmael, Enoch, and Dhul-Kifl;
Each was of the patient.
And We admitted them into Our mercy;
Indeed, they were of the righteous."
Thus, he was described alongside the other mentioned Messengers with patience.
A servant does not truly deserve the title 'patient'
Until he fulfills patience in all its forms.
He (peace be upon him) was also described as being among the chosen best,
As the Lord, Blessed and Exalted be He, testified to that for him,
Saying:
"And remember Ishmael, Elisha, and Dhul-Kifl;
And all are among the chosen best."
What is meant by 'the chosen best'
Are those whose conditions are complete in righteous deeds, noble character,
Praiseworthy qualities, and sound traits.
He (peace be upon him) was also described with forbearance (*hilm*),
In the statement of Allah Almighty:
"So We gave him good tidings of a forbearing boy."
Forbearance means composure and deliberation in matters,
Which is a hallmark of the wise.
He was also described with strength and resolve,
As manifested in his actions,
Including what Allah Almighty mentioned
Of his raising, together with his father, the foundations of the Ancient House.
Raising the foundations undoubtedly required
[He possessed] physical strength,
as peace be upon him
was an exceptionally skilled and powerful archer.
Indeed, he, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"Shoot, O children of Ishmael,
for your father was an archer."
He, peace be upon him, was also described as being
favored above other creatures.
For Almighty Allah informed us
concerning Ishmael and a number of the prophets
and messengers, peace be upon them,
that He favored them over all the worlds.
Allah Almighty said:
“And Ishmael and Elisha and Jonah and Lot. Each one (of them) did We prefer above (Our) creatures,” (6:86)
“And Ishmael and Elisha and Jonah and Lot. Each one (of them) did We prefer above (Our) creatures,” (6:86)
Ishmael, peace be upon him,
was favored in several respects,
most notably
that Allah Almighty made
from his offspring our Prophet Muhammad,
peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
the Seal of the Prophets and the Master of the Messengers—
may Allah's blessings and peace be upon them all.
In the land of Palestine,
Isaac, peace be upon him, was born.
He was the second son
of the Intimate Friend of Allah, Abraham, peace be upon him.
His mother was Sarah,
to whom the angels brought the glad tidings of his birth
when they came as guests
to her husband Abraham, peace be upon him,
while they were on their way
to destroy the people of Lot.
Allah Almighty bestowed
upon Abraham, peace be upon him,
his son Isaac
after he had grown advanced in age and surpassed
one hundred years of age,
as a sign of the supreme power of Allah Almighty.
Allah Almighty said:
“And tell them of Abraham's guests,” (15:51)
"When they entered upon him
and said, 'Peace!'"
“(How) when they came in unto him, and said: Peace. He said: Lo! we are afraid of you.” (15:52)
"They said, 'Be not afraid.'"
“They said: Be not afraid! Lo! we bring thee good tidings of a boy possessing wisdom.” (15:53)
"He said, 'Do you give me good tidings
although old age has overtaken me?
Of what then do you bring good tidings?'
They said, 'We bring you good tidings in truth.'"
“They said: We bring thee good tidings in truth. So be not thou of the despairing.” (15:55)
"He said, 'And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord
except those who are astray?'"
Then his wife Sarah came forward,
and when she learned of the destruction of the people of Lot,
she laughed and rejoiced
because she knew of their vile conduct
and their corrupted natural disposition.
Then, when the angels brought her the glad tidings
and told her that she would give birth to Isaac,
and after Isaac would live to see Jacob,
she struck her face with her hands out of modesty
and said, "How can I bear a child
when I am an old, barren woman?"
These were two factors that precluded childbearing,
"and besides this, my husband is an old man!
This is indeed an astonishing thing!"
Allah Almighty said:
"And Our messengers came to Abraham with glad tidings;
they said, 'Peace!'
He said, 'Peace.'"
“And Our messengers cam unto Abraham with good news. They said: Peace! He answered: Peace! and delayed not to bring a roasted calf.” (11:69)
"But when he saw their hands
not reaching toward it, he mistrusted them
and felt a apprehension of them."
“And when he saw their hands reached not to it, he mistrusted them and conceived a fear of them. They said: Fear not! Lo! we are sent unto the folk of Lot.” (11:70)
"And his wife was standing by, so she laughed.
Whereupon We gave her glad tidings of Isaac."
“And his wife, standing by laughed when We gave her good tidings (of the birth) of Isaac, and, after Isaac, of Jacob.” (11:71)
"She said, 'Woe to me! Shall I bear a child while I am an old woman,
and this husband of mine is an old man?'"
“She said: Oh woe is me! Shall I bear a child when I am an old woman, and this my husband is an old man? Lo! this is a strange thing!” (11:72)
“They said: Wonderest thou at the commandment of Allah? The mercy of Allah and His blessings be upon you, O people of the house! Lo! He is Owner of Praise, Owner of Glory!” (11:73)
"'May the mercy of Allah and His blessings be upon you, O people of the house!
Indeed, He is Praiseworthy and Glorious.'"
And he renewed for them the landmarks of their religion,
warning and admonishing them against disobeying the command of Allah Almighty,
until his appointed time arrived,
when he was nearly one hundred and eighty years old.
He was then buried beside the grave of his father, Abraham the Intimate Friend, peace be upon him,
in the blessed land of Palestine.
To be continued, if Allah wills.
And Allah knows best.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds,
and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad,
and upon his family and all his Companions.