Prophet Ibraheem as a Role Model for all People.
Entrenched priesthood during Ibrahim’s (PBUH) period
Ibrahim (PBUH) started his divine invitation from his own family first. His father was head priest of the kingdom of Nimrod. This was unlike today’s priests. His father’s position as head priest was even more powerful than the king. Unless he was blessed and crowned the king, he could not be allowed to sit on the throne and rule the people. Ibrahim (PBUH) told his father that you carve statues from your hands and worship him as God. This is not right. Why don’t you think that it is totally wrong and unjust? After Ibrahim (PBUH) kept persuading his father to refrain from idol worship, his father warned him to stop, otherwise he would drive away Ibrahim (PBUH) from his house. At this, Ibrahim (PBUH) left his father’s house and continued inviting people to the divine mission. And then he publically confronted the king and debated with him. And then he left his place and migrated to other place:
قَدْ كَانَتْ لَكُمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ إِذْ قَالُوا لِقَوْمِهِمْ إِنَّا بُرَآءُ مِنكُمْ وَمِمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ كَفَرْنَا بِكُمْ وَبَدَا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةُ وَالْبَغْضَاءُ أَبَدًا حَتَّىٰ تُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ إِلَّا قَوْلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ لَأَسْتَغْفِرَنَّ لَكَ وَمَا أَمْلِكُ لَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِن شَيْءٍ ۖ رَّبَّنَا عَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ أَنَبْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ
(60:4) – Indeed, you have had a good example in Abraham and those who followed him, when they said unto their [idolatrous] people: “Verily, we are quit of you and of all that you worship instead of God: we deny the truth of whatever you believe; and between us and you there has arisen enmity and hatred, to last until such a time as you come to believe in the One God!” The only exception was Abraham’s saying to his father “I shall indeed pray for [God’s] forgiveness for thee, although I have it not in my power to obtain anything from God in thy behalf.” [And Abraham and his followers prayed:] “O our Sustainer! In Thee have we placed our trust, and unto Thee do we turn: for unto Thee is all journeys’ end. [Asad]
Ibrahim’s (PBUH) role model and his magnificence
Ibrahim (PBUH) told his father:
يَا أَبَتِ إِنِّي أَخَافُ أَن يَمَسَّكَ عَذَابٌ مِّنَ الرَّحْمَٰنِ فَتَكُونَ لِلشَّيْطَانِ وَلِيًّا (45) قَالَ أَرَاغِبٌ أَنتَ عَنْ آلِهَتِي يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ ۖ لَئِن لَّمْ تَنتَهِ لَأَرْجُمَنَّكَ ۖ وَاهْجُرْنِي مَلِيًّا (46) قَالَ سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكَ ۖ سَأَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكَ رَبِّي ۖ إِنَّهُ كَانَ بِي حَفِيًّا
(19:45-47) – O my father! I dread lest a chastisement from the Most Gracious befall thee, and then thou wilt become [aware of having been] close unto Satan!” He answered: “Dost thou dislike my gods, O Abraham? Indeed, if thou desist not, I shall most certainly cause thee to be stoned to death! Now begone from me for good!” [Abraham] replied: “Peace be upon thee! I shall ask my Sustainer to forgive thee: for, behold, He has always been kind unto me. [Abraham] replied: “Peace be upon thee! I shall ask my Sustainer to forgive thee: for, behold, He has always been kind unto me. [Asad]
Please note how Ibrahim (PBUH) responded to his father’s brusque behavior. A messenger’s heart always yearns to convey the divine message with the hope that someone may soften his heart to accept it so that he may be saved. Here we see that despite his father’s rude treatment, Ibrahim (PBUH) told him before departing that he will keep praying for him so that he may be guided to the right path. But now it has become a ritual to recite the famous verse related to Ibrahim’s (PBUH) laser focus attention to the divine mission with total sincerity with the sole purpose of establishing the Sovereignty of Allah’s Laws without associating with it any partnership of anyone’s else’s law:
إِنِّي وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ حَنِيفًا ۖ وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
(6:79) – Behold, unto Him who brought into being the heavens and the earth have I turned my face, having turned away from all that is false; and I am not of those who ascribe divinity to aught beside Him.” [Asad]
Allah declares here that Ibrahim’s (PBUH) life and his companions’ life is a role model ( أُسْوَةٌ) humanity. The root meaning ( أُسْوَةٌ) is: to alleviate human sufferings; to console humans during moments of crisis; to help solve human’s problems – through establishing the divine system of universal sustenance by removing all impediments (all types of tyranny and oppression) in its way. This is what Ibrahim (PBUH) and his companions actually did and that is why their life is role model for humanity. The model must always be kept in front in order to follow it. If the model is not kept in front, then how can one follow it.
Builders of Kabah
When Ibrahim (PBUH) and Ismail (PBUH) were building the Kabah they prayed to Allah:
رَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ
(2:129) – “O our Sustainer! Raise up from the midst of our off spring an apostle from among themselves, who shall convey unto them Thy messages, and impart unto them revelation as well as wisdom, and cause them to grow in purity: for, verily, Thou alone art almighty, truly wise!” [Asad]
Having receptive heart for divine message
The Quran says about Ibrahim (PBUH):
إِذْ جَاءَ رَبَّهُ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ
(37:84) – Behold! he approached his Lord with a sound heart. [Asad]
There is a very important point for us to ponder on this message. And this is Allah’s law about having the heart which is fully satisfied with His message. One should obey Allah’s message with the full acceptance of the heart. Our hearts and thoughts must be in full harmony with each other.
According to Socrates, “Virtue is knowledge” because through virtue you can live your life in the best possible manner. But this is a necessary but not sufficient condition; because just gaining knowledge does not lead to virtuous life. Many individuals have knowledge that some things are harmful but they keep indulging in them because the knowledge has not penetrated their hearts and transformed their inner self.
Birth of Ismail (PBUH) and the prayer of Ibrahim (PBUH)
For a long time, until Ibrahim (PBUH) reached old age, he didn’t have any children. Then Ibrahim (PBUH) prayed to Allah:
رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ
(37:100) – “O my Lord! Grant me a righteous (son)!” [Asad]
Then Allah replied:
فَبَشَّرْنَاهُ بِغُلَامٍ حَلِيمٍ
(37:101) – So We gave him the good news of a boy ready to suffer and forbear. [Asad]
(الحَلِيمٌ ) Al-haleem is an attribute of Allah and is used to mean that neither the disobedience of the unfaithful makes Him flare up nor He is aroused by anger to take some step hastily. Rather, He has framed a law for everything which that thing or being reaches ultimately in any case. This means that every deed has a result, good or bad. Therefore, حَلِيمٌ (haleem) means understanding, authentic, stable, always one to act according to law and principle, one who does not flare up emotionally.
Prophet’s (PBUH) Ibrahim dream of slaughtering his son Ismail
The very first episode became the test of this solid attribute of حَلِيمٌ (haleem) :
فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ السَّعْيَ قَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ إِنِّي أَرَىٰ فِي الْمَنَامِ أَنِّي أَذْبَحُكَ فَانظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَىٰ ۚ قَالَ يَا أَبَتِ افْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ ۖ سَتَجِدُنِي إِن شَاءَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الصَّابِرِينَ
(37:102) – Then, when (the son) reached (the age of) (serious) work with him, he said: “O my son! I see in vision that I offer thee in sacrifice: Now see what is thy view!” (The son) said: “O my father! Do as thou art commanded: thou will find me, if Allah so wills one practicing Patience and Constancy!” [Asad]
Ismail said:
فَلَمَّا أَسْلَمَا وَتَلَّهُ لِلْجَبِينِ
(37:103) – So when they had both submitted their wills (to Allah), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice), [Asad]