Part of Stories of the Prophets (series completed)
· Lesson 8 of 15
Stories of the Prophets | Episode (8) | The story of Abraham, peace be upon him (2)
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Transcript
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Stories of the Prophets,
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Stories of the Prophets,
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peace be upon them.
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May the blessings of Allah
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followed by
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peace
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be upon the best of all creation,
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entirely,
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those of firm resolve,
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whose station is exalted,
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and a light.
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The story of Ibrahim,
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peace be upon him.
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In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
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In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
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Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds,
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and peace and blessings
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be upon our Prophet Muhammad,
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and upon his family and Companions,
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all together.
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To proceed:
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After the pagan star-worshippers saw
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how Allah,
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Exalted is He, saved Ibrahim, peace be upon him,
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from their tremendous fire,
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it only increased them
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in arrogance and haughtiness.
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So they did not believe in him,
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and they persisted in their disbelief
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and stubbornness,
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except for one single man among them
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who believed in him and followed him,
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and that was Lut, peace be upon him.
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At that point,
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the Prophet of Allah, Ibrahim, peace be upon him, became certain
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that there was no benefit
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in calling these
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people,
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especially since his people wanted
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to kill him in revenge for their alleged
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gods.
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So he thought of migrating to a land
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where he could spread the call
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and convey the message.
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Then Allah Almighty permitted
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him to migrate to the land of
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the Levant—that
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blessed land
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that would be the cradle
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of future divine messages.
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So the Intimate Friend, Ibrahim, peace be upon him,
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embarked on that blessed
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journey and tremendous
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migration to the land of
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the Levant.
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On his way, Ibrahim, peace be upon him, passed
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through a city ruled by a tyrannical
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king named
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Nimrod.
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This king used to claim
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divinity. So when
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he heard the story of Ibrahim, peace be upon him,
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and what had happened to him
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with that fire, he requested
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to meet him. When
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he met him and heard his story,
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he was intrigued by him.
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Ibrahim, peace be upon him,
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mentioned to him that
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he had only entered his city
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to seek provisions
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and continue his journey,
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migrating to his Lord Almighty.
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Thereupon, the king asked him
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about his Lord whom he worshipped,
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so Ibrahim,
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peace be upon him, said to him:
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"I worship Allah, my Lord, alone,
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without any partner,
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the One who gives life and causes death."
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But the king argued with
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Ibrahim, peace be upon him,
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and said, "I am a lord
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as well, and I,
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I give life and cause death."
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The king then summoned two men
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who were condemned to death;
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he executed the first
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and released the other,
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and said to Ibrahim,
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"Look, I have given life to this one,
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for I released him
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after he was counted among
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the dead, and I caused the death
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of the other; so I
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give life and cause death!"
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Here, Ibrahim,
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peace be upon him, realized the sheer foolishness of this tyrant,
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who did not understand that
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Allah, Majestic and Exalted, creates life
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out of nothingness.
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So Ibrahim, peace be upon him, abandoned
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debating him on this point,
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and presented him with another argument
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that silenced him completely,
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saying: "Indeed, my Lord
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brings the sun from
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the east, so bring it
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from the west."
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Thus was the disbeliever dumbfounded,
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his tongue was tied,
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and his arguments were shattered;
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he could find no answer.
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Yet, despite that,
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he remained stubborn and arrogant,
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and forbade Ibrahim from taking
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food provisions from his city,
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as a punishment for not
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believing in him as a lord,
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and threatened him because of that.
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So Ibrahim,
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peace be upon him, departed from his city
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in haste, fearing
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that he might assault him.
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Allah Almighty said:
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"Have you not considered the one who
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argued with
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Ibrahim about
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his Lord because
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Allah had given him
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kingship?
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When
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Ibrahim said, 'My Lord
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is the One who gives life and causes death,'
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when
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Ibrahim said, 'My Lord
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is the One who gives life and causes death,'
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he said, 'I give life
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and cause death.'
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Ibrahim said,
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'Indeed, Allah brings
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the sun from the east,
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so bring it from the west.'
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'So bring it
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from the west.' So dumbfounded was
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the one who disbelieved,
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and Allah does not guide
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the wrongdoing people."
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And among
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the events that happened
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to Ibrahim, peace be upon him,
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and his wife Sarah on their journey,
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is that they came upon
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a tyrant among tyrants.
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It was said that he was Nimrod himself,
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and it was said that he was another
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tyrannical, oppressive king
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other than Nimrod.
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It was said to this tyrannical king,
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"There is here
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a woman among the most beautiful of women,
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and she is fit
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for none other than you," and they made him covet
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her. So that tyrannical king
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sent
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for Ibrahim, peace be upon him,
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and asked him about the woman who
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was with him. Thereupon,
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Ibrahim, peace be upon him, said,
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"She is my sister."
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So the king released him
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and ordered the soldiers to bring
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Sarah to him.
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The Prophet of Allah Ibrahim,
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peace be upon him, returned to Sarah
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and said to her, "Indeed,
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if this king knows
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that you are my wife, he will overpower me
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to take you. So if he asks you,
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tell him that you are my sister,
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for indeed you are my sister in
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Islam; there is no
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believer on earth besides me and you."
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Ibrahim, peace be upon him, only said
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about Sarah
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that she was his sister
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in order to incur the lesser of two harms;
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for had the tyrannical king known
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that she was his wife,
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he would have killed Ibrahim and taken
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Sarah. However,
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if he knew she was his sister,
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he would take her without having
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to kill Ibrahim, peace
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be upon him.
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When Sarah was taken to the king,
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Ibrahim, peace be upon him, stood
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in prayer.
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When Sarah was brought before the tyrant king,
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he could not contain
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himself and stretched out
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his hand toward her due to her extraordinary beauty.
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Thereupon, Sarah prayed
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to her Lord, saying:
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"O Allah, if You
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know that I have believed in You
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and Your Messenger, and have guarded
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my chastity against all
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but my husband, do not give
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this disbeliever power over me!"
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Instantly, the king's hand was seized
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with a severe paralysis,
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becoming completely stiff and withered,
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and he collapsed in a fit.
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When he recovered, he pleaded with her:
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"Pray to Allah for me,
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and I will not harm you."
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She said to herself: "O Allah,
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if he dies, it will be said
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that she is the one who killed him."
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So she prayed to Allah for his relief,
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and his hand was released.
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Yet the king reached out toward her a second time,
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so she invoked Allah,
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the Almighty and Majestic,
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and he was seized as severely as the first time,
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or even more intensely.
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He begged her once again to pray for him,
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and she did so,
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whereupon his hand was freed.
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But he advanced toward her yet again,
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only to be afflicted just as he had been
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on the first two occasions.
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He then summoned the man who had brought
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Sarah to him
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and said to him: "You
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have not brought me a human being!
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You brought me nothing of the sort!
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Take her back
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to Ibrahim!"
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And he gifted her a maidservant,
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who was Hajar.
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When she was released,
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accompanied by Hajar,
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she returned to Ibrahim, peace be upon him,
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who was still standing in prayer.
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He said to her
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after finishing his prayer:
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"What news do you bring?"
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Sarah replied, summarizing
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all that had transpired:
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"Allah thwarted the plot of the disbeliever,
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and gave us Hajar as a servant."
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Among the significant events
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that Ibrahim,
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peace be upon him, experienced during his journey
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was that he asked Allah a profound question,
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saying:
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"My Lord, show me how You give life
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to the dead."
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Allah, Exalted is He, said to him:
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"Have you not believed, O Ibrahim,
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that I over all things
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am Capable?"
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Ibrahim answered:
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"Yes, my Lord, but
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so that my heart may be at ease."
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The scholars explained:
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Ibrahim, peace be upon him, wished
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to ascend from the level of certainty based on knowledge ('ilm al-yaqin)
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to a higher station,
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which is certainty through direct witnessing ('ayn
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al-yaqin);
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doubt had never crossed his heart
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in the slightest.
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The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
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"We are more prone to doubt
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than Ibrahim
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when he said: 'My Lord, show me how You give life
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to the dead.'"
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This was a defense by the Prophet, peace be upon him,
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of his forefather Ibrahim,
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peace be upon him,
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affirming that he never doubted.
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That is to say: as long as
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we ourselves do not doubt,
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then all the more so
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he never doubted either,
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may the blessings and peace of Allah
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be upon him.
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Allah, Exalted is He, commanded Ibrahim,
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peace be upon him:
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“And when Abraham said (unto his Lord): My Lord! Show me how Thou givest life to the dead, He said: Dost thou not believe? Abraham said: Yea, but (I ask) in order that my heart may be at ease. (His Lord) said: Take four of the birds and cause them to incline unto thee, then place a part of them on each hill, then call them, they will come to thee in haste, and know that Allah is Mighty, Wise.” (2:260)
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"Take four birds of whatever kinds you wish,
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then slaughter and cut them up,
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and thoroughly mix their parts
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together.
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Then place a portion of this mixture
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upon the peak of this mountain,
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another portion upon the peak of
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that mountain,
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and another portion upon a third mountain,
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and so on.
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Then call each bird
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by its name,
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and they will come to you alive and in haste,
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flying swiftly back to life."
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Allah, Exalted is He, said:
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"And when Ibrahim said, 'My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead.'
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“And when Abraham said (unto his Lord): My Lord! Show me how Thou givest life to the dead, He said: Dost thou not believe? Abraham said: Yea, but (I ask) in order that my heart may be at ease. (His Lord) said: Take four of the birds and cause them to incline unto thee, then place a part of them on each hill, then call them, they will come to thee in haste, and know that Allah is Mighty, Wise.” (2:260)
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Allah said, 'Have you not
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believed?'
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He said, 'Yes,
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but only that my heart
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may be at ease.'
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Allah said, 'Take four
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birds,
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incline them
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toward you,
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then place
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on each mountain
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of them
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a part;
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then place
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on each mountain
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of them
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a part;
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then call them,
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and they will come to you
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in haste.
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And know
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that Allah is Almighty,
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All-Wise.'"
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Ibrahim,
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peace be upon him, arrived
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at the destination of his migration,
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which was the land of the Levant (al-Sham),
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the blessed land.
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He settled there
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along with his wife Sarah
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and her maidservant Hajar.
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Allah revealed to him the Scriptures,
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containing immense goodness,
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guidance, and righteousness.
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Now Sarah,
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the wife of Ibrahim, peace be upon him,
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was barren
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and had not borne him any children.
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So she gifted Hajar to Ibrahim, peace be upon him,
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in the hope that Allah, Exalted is He,
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might grant him a child through her.
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And indeed,
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Hajar gave birth to Isma'il,
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peace be upon him.
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Consequently, the situation shifted,
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and feelings of jealousy arose in Sarah's heart.
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Then Allah, Exalted is He, commanded
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His Prophet and Close Friend,
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Ibrahim, peace be upon him,
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to depart with Hajar
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and her infant son Isma'il,
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migrating with them toward Mecca.
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Ibrahim, peace be upon him, complied with
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the command of his Lord,
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traveling with Hajar and her son Isma'il
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while she was nursing him,
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until he settled them near the House,
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beside a large tree
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above the location of Zamzam in the upper part
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of the Sanctuary.
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Zamzam did not exist
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at that time,
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nor was there anyone living in Mecca,
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nor was there any water.
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He settled the two of them there,
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placing beside them a leather bag
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containing some dates
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and a waterskin containing water.
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Then he turned around and walked away,
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leaving them there
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as he departed.
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The mother of Isma'il followed him,
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crying out: "O Ibrahim!
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Where are you going, leaving us
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in this desolate valley
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where there is neither human company
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nor any provision?"
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But he did not answer her and kept walking.
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She repeated
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this question to him several times,
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while he continued to walk away
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from her without turning his face
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toward her.
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At last she asked him:
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"Has Allah commanded you to do this?"
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He replied: "Yes."
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She said:
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"Then He will never forsake us!"
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With this firm conviction
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and this reliance upon Allah Almighty,
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Hajar returned
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to her son Ishmael
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in that desolate place,
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completely devoid of any means
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of sustenance.
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As for Abraham, peace be upon him,
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he continued on his way
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until he reached the mountain pass
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where they could no longer see him.
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There, he turned his face toward the House
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and supplicated
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with these words:
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"Our Lord,
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I have settled
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some of my offspring
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in an uncultivated
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valley,
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in an uncultivated
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valley
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near Your Sacred House,
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our Lord, so that they may establish
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prayer.
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Our Lord, so that they may establish prayer!
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So make hearts
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among the people
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incline toward them,
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and provide for them
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and provide for them
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with fruits, so that
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they may be grateful."
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Then he departed,
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peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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The mother of Ishmael began
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nursing her child and drinking
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from that water, until it finally ran out.
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She grew intensely thirsty,
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as did her infant son,
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and she watched him writhing
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in agony from thirst.
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Unable to bear looking
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at him in that desperate
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state, she set out,
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finding al-Safa to be the nearest hill
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rising from the land beside her.
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She climbed atop it
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and turned toward the valley,
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looking to see if there was anyone in sight,
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but she saw no one.
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So she descended from al-Safa,
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and ran with the desperate pace
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of an utterly exhausted person
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until she crossed the valley floor.
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She then came to al-Marwah
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and stood atop it,
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looking to see if anyone was in sight,
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but she saw no one.
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She did that
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seven times, pacing back and forth
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between al-Safa and al-Marwah.
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And on the final lap,
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as she reached the summit of al-Marwah,
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she heard a voice.
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She said to herself, "Hush!"
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addressing herself,
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for there was no one else
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in that place
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for her to silence but herself.
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Then she looked,
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and behold, there was an angel
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at the site of Zamzam,
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near the infant boy.
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The angel dug into the earth with his heel—
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or struck it with his wing—
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until water burst forth.
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Hajar rushed toward the
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water and began damming it up,
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to keep the water from flowing away,
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scooping
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the water into her waterskin
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while it continued to gush forth
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after each scoop.
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The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
16:26
"May Allah have mercy
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upon the mother of Ishmael.
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Had she left Zamzam alone
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without scooping up its water,
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Zamzam would have become
16:36
a freely flowing spring."
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So Hajar drank and nursed her child.
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And the angel said to her,
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"Do not fear being abandoned or lost,
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for here stands a House of Allah
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which will be built by this
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boy and his father."
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The mother of Ishmael remained
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in this state until
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a passing caravan from the tribe of Jurhum arrived.
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They halted in the lower part of Mecca
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and spotted a circling bird,
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hovering in the sky.
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They said,
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"This bird would not hover
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except over water,
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yet we know this valley has no water."
17:12
So they sent someone to bring them news,
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and he found water!
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They returned and informed the clan
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that in this place
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there was indeed water.
17:23
They came,
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and found the mother of Ishmael by the water.
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They said to her,
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"Do you permit us
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to settle near you?"
17:33
This illustrates the noble
17:35
character of the ancient Arabs:
17:37
they sought permission from a vulnerable woman
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accompanied only by an infant child,
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while they were a large company.
17:43
The mother of Ishmael replied,
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"Yes,
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but you will have no
17:49
claim of ownership over the water."
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They agreed, "Yes."
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Thus the mother of Ishmael found
17:56
companionship in them,
17:58
which she dearly welcomed.
18:00
And among them grew up the Prophet
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of Allah Almighty, Ishmael,
18:04
peace be upon him.
18:07
To be continued,
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if Allah wills.
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And Allah knows best.
18:13
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds,
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and may Allah send blessings and peace
18:17
upon our Prophet Muhammad,
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and upon his family and companions,
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one and all.
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You have been listening to Stories
18:26
of the Prophets,
18:35
guidance for the believer.
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May Allah bless
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our master.