Abraham Sacrifices His Son
It has been more than ten years since Abraham left Hajjar and Ishmael in the desert of Mecca in the care of the Lord. Imagine his surprise when, after a two-month journey, he saw Mecca, which could no longer be called a desolate land. The joy of the long-awaited meeting was overshadowed by the vision – another test of the faith of the prophet. In the dream, the Lord ordered Abraham to sacrifice a son for whom the prophet prayed for Him for so long, and whom he finally saw after many years of separation.
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From the Quran, we know that Abraham was supposed to sacrifice Ishmael. The Lord, along with the great news of the birth of Ishaq, also told Abraham and Sarah about the appearance of the grandson of Jacob (Jacob):
“… Then We told her the good news of Ishaq (Isaac), and after Ishaq (Isaac) – about Jacob (Jacob)” (Quran 11:71)
Also, the biblical version reads:
“But God said: It is Sarah your wife who will give birth to a son to you, and you will call his name Isaac; and I will make my covenant with him, an everlasting covenant, and his descendants after him ”(Genesis 17:19)
So, the Lord promised Abraham a son from whom posterity would come. And He never breaks a given word. What sane person can imagine the origin of the offspring from the one whom they have already sacrificed?
Although the Bible clearly states that Isaac should have been sacrificed (Genesis 22: 2), it is clear from the context that this is just an interpolation, and Abraham should have killed Ishmael.
“Your only son”
As stated in Genesis 22, Abraham was to shed the blood of his only son. Since Ishmael, according to the unanimous opinion of Islamic, Christian and Jewish scholars, is the firstborn of Abraham, he is more suitable for the role of the “only” son.
Yes, Christian scholars often argue about the full rights of Ishmael, because he is the son of a concubine. However, as already mentioned, in Judaism, giving a servant to her husband so that she would give birth to his heir was common among barren women. The child of the concubine was considered the child of the father’s wife and was a full member of the family. Moreover, the firstborn was entitled to a double share of the inheritance, even if it was not loved (Deuteronomy 21: 15-17)
In addition, from the text of the Bible it is clear that Sarah herself was going to accept the child Hagar (Hajjar) as an equal heir. She knew about God’s promise to Abraham: to fill the earth from the Nile to the Euphrates with his descendants (Genesis 15:18); therefore she gave Hagar, assuming that the prophecy would be fulfilled through her. She said:
“… behold, the Lord hath sealed my womb, lest I give birth; Come to my maidservant: maybe I will have children from her “(Genesis 16: 2)
Leah and Rachel, the wives of Jacob (son of Isaac), also gave maidservants to their husbands, that they should bear children with them (Genesis 30: 3, 9-13). Their children were Naphtali, Dan, Gad, Asher (Asher) – one of the twelve sons of Jacob and the ancestors of the twelve tribes of Israel, and, therefore, legitimate heirs.
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From the above, we understand that Sarah considered the birth of children from Hagar to be the fulfilment of the prophecy, and was going to accept them as her own. Conclusion – Ishmael can not be considered an illegal son, he is the rightful heir.
Many times this fact is confirmed by the Lord. The Bible calls it the “seed of Abraham”:
“… and from the son of a slave I will make the people, because he is your seed” (Genesis 21:13)
There is much evidence that it was Ishmael, and not Isaac, who should have been sacrificed not Isaac.
Further, Abraham informs his son of the news in order to see his reaction to the order of the Most High:
“We told him the good news of the meek son. When the son reached to share his zeal with him, [Ibrahim] said:” O my son! Truly, I saw in a dream that I sacrificed you with a slaughter. What do you think [about it]?” The son replied: “O my father! Do what you are told. If it will be good for Allah, you will find me patient” (Quran 37: 101-102)
Now imagine that your father addressed you with the words: “In a dream, I received an order to sacrifice you.” Who among us will take such words seriously, not to mention submission to the will of the father? His sanity is immediately in question.
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Think about this ayat! Truly, only a pious son could respond with such humility. A devout son of a devout father obeyed the will of God. Abraham took him to the place where his son’s blood should have been shed and laid him face down. The Lord further describes a picture of the very essence of humility in the verse, which strikes to the depths of the soul:
“When they both obeyed [the will of Allah] and [the father] threw him [face down] (to perform the sacrifice) (Quran 37: 103)
Abraham raised the knife over his son, but a voice stopped him:
“We appealed to him:” O Ibrahim! You performed [what was told to you] in a dream. ” Verily, this is how We give back to those who do good. Truly, this is an explicit test. ”(Quran 37: 104-106)
Indeed, this is the greatest test – to kill a son who was born in the old age of Abraham, when he so dreamed of a successor! Abraham proved his willingness to give the most precious things to the Lord. That is why the Lord made him the leader of the people and blessed with the offspring of the prophets:
“Behold, Lord Ibrahim (Abraham) tried with commandments, and he did them. He said, “I will make you a leader of the people.” He said: “And from my posterity.” He said: “My covenant shall not touch the wicked” (Quran 2: 124)
Then Abraham offered up a lamb:
“We redeemed him with a great sacrifice” (Quran 37: 107)
This perfect pattern of submission to God is repeated by millions of Muslims every year during the Hajj (pilgrimage) on the day, called Yaum al-Nahr – the day of sacrifice or ‘Eid al-Adha – the festival of sacrifice.
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Abraham returned to Palestine, where the angel rejoiced him and Sarah with the news of his son Ishaq:
“They said:” Do not be afraid! Verily, we have brought you the good news of a smart boy ”(Quran 15:53)
Then Abraham learned about the destruction of the people of Lot.
READ PREVIOUS: Story Of Abraham: Married To Hagar (Hajjar) And Offspring
