Tweet
One night Ibrahim had
a bad dream.
He dreamt Allah told
him to sacrifice his son Ismail.
Ibrahim thought it was
Shaytan (Satan) playing nasty
tricks on him.
The next night Ibrahim had
the same horrid dream.
Ibrahim knew that
Allah would only
ask him to do such
a thing if he had good
reason.
Even though he loved
his son dearly, he was
prepared to do this
difficult thing for Allah.
Ibrahim told
Ismail they
had to go to
Mount Arafat.
He took a knife
and a rope with him.
On the way they passed
a place called Mina.
The devil, Shaytan, came
to Ibrahim and
tried to talk him
out of sacrificing
his son. Shaytan told Ibrahim : "Are you crazy ? You're not going to kill your own son ?"
Ibrahim turned his back
on him and would not listen.
When they reached Mount
Arafat, Ibrahim told Ismail
what Allah wanted him to do.
Ismail listened and accepted
what was to happen. He was
an exceptional child.
He too was a
great prophet.
Ismail told his father to tie
his hands and legs and blindfold
himself so he would not struggle and
make his father even more upset than
he was going to be and Ibrahim was
blindfolded so he would not see his
son suffer.
Ibrahim did as Ismail
had said. He then took
the knife and did what
Allah had told him to
do. When he took
the blindfold from his
eyes he looked down, not
at his son but at a
dead ram.
Ismail was at his side.
Ibrahim was afraid.
He thought he had disobeyed
but then he heard a voice
telling him not to worry. Angel Gabriel stopped his hand and told him it was a test by your Lord.
Allah looks after his
followers. Ibrahim and Ismail
had passed a difficult test.
Each year, during the
month of Dhul Hijjah,
many Muslims, from all
over the world, travel
to Makkah.
They want to remember
what Ibrahim and
Ismail did.
In the month of Dhul Hijjah
these pilgrims go to Makkah,
Mina and Arafat.
They visit places
where Ibrahim and Ismail
lived and preached.
They give a sacrifice just
as Allah commanded
Ibrahim to do. The pilgrims
sacrifice animals in
memory of the deed.
We must obey
Allah's commands
as Ibrahim and
Ismail did. We
obey by doing
the things we
know are right,
praying, obeying
our parents and
always telling
the truth.
“And when Abraham and Ismail raised the foundations of the House (praying): Our Lord, accept from us; surely Thou art the Hearing, the Knowing. Our Lord, and make us both submissive to Thee, and raise from our offspring a nation submissive to Thee, and show us our ways of devotion and turn to us mercifully; surely Thou art the Oft-returning to mercy, the Merciful. Our Lord, and raise up in them a Messenger from among them who shall recite to them Thy messages and teach them the Book and the wisdom, and purify them. Surely Thou art the Mighty, the Wise.” (The Holy Quran, 2:127–129)
The festival we are commemorating today — Id-ul-Adha — marks the event of the readiness of Abraham even to sacrifice his son Ishmael when Abraham thought that he had been commanded by God to sacrifice him.
Islam does not teach that God’s true guidance to mankind was given for the first time through the Prophet Muhammad, and that the religions which existed before his time were false. On the contrary, it teaches that God had been raising His true messengers before the Prophet Muhammad in all nations. Many of these prophets and their stories are related in the Quran. Their examples are also an inspiration for Muslims. The Prophet Muhammad’s life showed a reflection of the qualities of all these prophets, so that a Jew can see Moses in the Holy Prophet Muhammad, a Christian can see Jesus, and even a Buddhist can see Buddha in the life of the Prophet Muhammad.
The Prophet Muhammad came to revive the same fundamental teachings as all these prophets had been giving. The followers of earlier religions had drifted away from the original teachings given to them by their prophets, and the Prophet Muhammad came to remind them of those original teachings : worshipping One God, Unique. Unique in his Lordship, Unique in his Attributes, Unique in his Essence, Unique in his Names...
All praise be to Allah alone !
May he bestow his peace and blessings on Prophet Ibrahim and those who follow his guidance.
a bad dream.
He dreamt Allah told
him to sacrifice his son Ismail.
Ibrahim thought it was
Shaytan (Satan) playing nasty
tricks on him.
The next night Ibrahim had
the same horrid dream.
Ibrahim knew that
Allah would only
ask him to do such
a thing if he had good
reason.
Even though he loved
his son dearly, he was
prepared to do this
difficult thing for Allah.
Ibrahim told
Ismail they
had to go to
Mount Arafat.
He took a knife
and a rope with him.
On the way they passed
a place called Mina.
The devil, Shaytan, came
to Ibrahim and
tried to talk him
out of sacrificing
his son. Shaytan told Ibrahim : "Are you crazy ? You're not going to kill your own son ?"
Ibrahim turned his back
on him and would not listen.
When they reached Mount
Arafat, Ibrahim told Ismail
what Allah wanted him to do.
Ismail listened and accepted
what was to happen. He was
an exceptional child.
He too was a
great prophet.
Ismail told his father to tie
his hands and legs and blindfold
himself so he would not struggle and
make his father even more upset than
he was going to be and Ibrahim was
blindfolded so he would not see his
son suffer.
Ibrahim did as Ismail
had said. He then took
the knife and did what
Allah had told him to
do. When he took
the blindfold from his
eyes he looked down, not
at his son but at a
dead ram.
Ismail was at his side.
Ibrahim was afraid.
He thought he had disobeyed
but then he heard a voice
telling him not to worry. Angel Gabriel stopped his hand and told him it was a test by your Lord.
Allah looks after his
followers. Ibrahim and Ismail
had passed a difficult test.
Each year, during the
month of Dhul Hijjah,
many Muslims, from all
over the world, travel
to Makkah.
They want to remember
what Ibrahim and
Ismail did.
In the month of Dhul Hijjah
these pilgrims go to Makkah,
Mina and Arafat.
They visit places
where Ibrahim and Ismail
lived and preached.
They give a sacrifice just
as Allah commanded
Ibrahim to do. The pilgrims
sacrifice animals in
memory of the deed.
We must obey
Allah's commands
as Ibrahim and
Ismail did. We
obey by doing
the things we
know are right,
praying, obeying
our parents and
always telling
the truth.
“And when Abraham and Ismail raised the foundations of the House (praying): Our Lord, accept from us; surely Thou art the Hearing, the Knowing. Our Lord, and make us both submissive to Thee, and raise from our offspring a nation submissive to Thee, and show us our ways of devotion and turn to us mercifully; surely Thou art the Oft-returning to mercy, the Merciful. Our Lord, and raise up in them a Messenger from among them who shall recite to them Thy messages and teach them the Book and the wisdom, and purify them. Surely Thou art the Mighty, the Wise.” (The Holy Quran, 2:127–129)
The festival we are commemorating today — Id-ul-Adha — marks the event of the readiness of Abraham even to sacrifice his son Ishmael when Abraham thought that he had been commanded by God to sacrifice him.
Islam does not teach that God’s true guidance to mankind was given for the first time through the Prophet Muhammad, and that the religions which existed before his time were false. On the contrary, it teaches that God had been raising His true messengers before the Prophet Muhammad in all nations. Many of these prophets and their stories are related in the Quran. Their examples are also an inspiration for Muslims. The Prophet Muhammad’s life showed a reflection of the qualities of all these prophets, so that a Jew can see Moses in the Holy Prophet Muhammad, a Christian can see Jesus, and even a Buddhist can see Buddha in the life of the Prophet Muhammad.
The Prophet Muhammad came to revive the same fundamental teachings as all these prophets had been giving. The followers of earlier religions had drifted away from the original teachings given to them by their prophets, and the Prophet Muhammad came to remind them of those original teachings : worshipping One God, Unique. Unique in his Lordship, Unique in his Attributes, Unique in his Essence, Unique in his Names...
All praise be to Allah alone !
May he bestow his peace and blessings on Prophet Ibrahim and those who follow his guidance.
