Hazrat Ibrahim (as) –
Abraham – is considered to be a community (Ummah) and a universe by
himself. The question that arises is why Hazrat Ibrahim (as) was granted the
title of ‘Ummah’?
Ibrahim (Abraham) was an Ummah i.e. a leader having all the good, righteous qualities of a nation, obedient to Allah, Hanif i.e. being someone who worshipped none but Allah and he was not one of the polytheists, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah, and those who joined partners – false gods – with Allah.
Allah chose him from among all the people of that time to grant him the gift of prophethood. And Allah had promised him that He will bless his nation, both materially and spiritually. Hazrat Ibrahim (as) was neither a Jew nor a Christian but a Hanif, that is, someone who turns exclusively to the worship of One God, the True God. Allah had tested him with various trials, and he attracted the love of Allah upon himself through his devotion, his faith, his generosity and his very special love for Allah. It was then that Allah took him as a Friend (Khalil), and made him a whole nation by spreading his descendants to the four corners of the world until this day.
.jpg)
So, if we look at the
genealogy of Hazrat Ibrahim (as) we will see the great grace of Allah that made
His Intimate Friend (Khalilullah) the father of three great nations: the
Jews, the Christians and the Muslims. But what is very important to mention is
that while the Jews and the Christians left monotheism – the worship of the one
true God [Allah], but as Allah had promised Ibrahim (as), as well as Isma’il
(as) and as well as Muhammad (pbuh), He raised the latter with the greatest of
religions, the true guidance, with the true Ummah that rests on the
oneness of Allah, that is, Islam.
So, Hazrat Ibrahim (as)
is considered a nation in himself because of his personality which was so
remarkable that it was equivalent to that of a whole group of people! The
brilliance of his personality far surpassed that of a single being. And He was
a leader and a guide for humanity to come (i.e. the future generations) because
others followed him; and it was in his progeny that Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) was
born. As a leader, he was the inspiration for all the actions of the people who
followed him and so he himself is considered a nation.
Let us also not forget
that he was the only monotheist of his time – a monotheistic nation among a
nation of idolaters. He was such a monotheist that he even inspired Lut (as)
later on. Allah sent – some time after his prophethood – Lut (as) as a
prophet, to two other nations: Sodom and Gomorrah. These two prophets
coexisted, but the degree of proximity of Prophet Ibrahim (as) to Allah far
exceeded the proximity and prophethood of Hazrat Lut (as) in the eyes of Allah.
And as I have indicated to you, Hazrat Ibrahim (as) was the origin and source
of the Muslim nation; he used to perform so many prayers and think only of his
Creator, which was equivalent to the prayers of an Ummah in general, and
which does justice to this Arabic proverb: “This
person is a tribe and a universe on his own.”
Speaking of this
praiseworthy title of Ummah, I would like to draw your attention to an
extraordinary person by the name of Zaid bin Amr bin Nufayl (ra). He was elder
to the Prophet (pbuh) and spent his entire life on the worship of Allah, trying
with all his might to worship Allah just as Hazrat Ibrahim (as) did. He was a
seeker of truth who did not fall into the trap of Arab paganism. Even when the
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was young and had not yet received divine revelation,
Zaid bin Amr (ra) did not hesitate to refute his clan [the Quraysh] and the
other Arabs and remained firm on the worship of Allah alone. Abdullah (ra)
narrated: Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said
that he met Zaid bin ‘Amr [bin] Nufail at a place near Baldah and this had
happened before Allah’s Messenger (pbuh)
received the Divine Inspiration. Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) presented a dish of meat (that had been offered to
him by the pagans) to Zaid bin ‘Amr, but Zaid refused to eat of it and then
said (to the pagans), “I do not eat of what you slaughter on your
stone-altars (Ansabs) nor do I eat except that on which Allah’s Name has been
mentioned on slaughtering.” (Bukhari)
Zaid bin Amr bin Nufayl
(ra) was blessed with a son who became the companion of the Holy Prophet (pbuh)
and who is also recorded among the first ten to receive the glad tidings of
Paradise. And speaking of his father Zaid, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) assured him [Sa’eed
bin Zaid] that Zaid too will be granted Paradise and will be an Ummah on his
own [or by himself] on the Day of Judgement.
So, here we see the
glory of being an Ummah by oneself. When one’s heart is filled with
divine love, one is considered a Wali (comrade, protector or saint).
Hazrat Ibrahim (as) is thus considered to this day as the greatest Wali
of his time, even before his prophetic mission. This sainthood later became
prophethood and apostleship. He is considered the founder of monotheism, after
Nuh (as) and the flood.
At a time when no one
took the name of the Creator and performed the prayers of the Supreme Being,
Hazrat Ibrahim (as) alone thought of Allah, day and night. The Holy Quran
mentions forty of his beautiful qualities; So Hazrat Ibrahim (as) is a universe
in himself. When he called people to accept ‘Tawheed’ (the oneness of
Allah), his enemies put him on a pyre to burn him alive, but then when Allah
saved his life by making that fire cool for him, they banished him from the
country. He faced countless trials but remained steadfast in his belief in the
oneness of Allah.
At one time, he was
childless, and then he was granted progeny through his devotion and prayers to
Allah. And Allah tested him with that same child and his mother Hajra (ra). He
was divinely commanded to leave them in the desert in the vicinity of the place
of the Ka’aba, which was in ruins at that time. He left the child and his
mother in the desert of Makkah, with little provision, but Allah was there as
their Protector and Guardian. When this son, Hazrat Isma’il (as) grew up, he
accepted the Creator’s command to sacrifice him. He faced many trials, and was
crowned with success. So many confrontations to one Ummah alone, and he faced
them all alone, so that the Oneness of God, which he preached will flourish
until the Day of Judgement.
He always worked for
the Truth. He had always shown himself to be courageous and submissive to the
will of Allah. And Allah rewarded him, as well as Isma’il and made them the
fathers of the Muslim nation. They are the illustrious descendants of Hazrat
Muhammad (pbuh), the best of men and prophets. Alhamdulillah!
So, by accepting Hazrat
Muhammad (pbuh), we as Muslims accept all the true prophets whom Allah has sent
for the reformation of nations in the past, and we wait with patience and
wisdom for the coming of reformers, who will also be prophets, but only
non-bearers of law to bring Islam to its peak of glory. The people who will
come as prophets after Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) – like Hazrat Massih Ma’ud Mirza
Ghulam Ahmad and myself [the Khalifatullah] – we do not come as people who will
abolish the Quran, but on the contrary, we come to give the Quran its true
value. We receive divine revelations, which are not new laws that come as a new
Quran, no! But these are the revelations that come from Allah, through Hazrat
Jibreel (as) – Wahy and Ilham both – to give guidance in this
modern world and to give the teachings of the Quran and the Sunnah of our
beloved prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) their true value, their true importance.
Today, we should feel
happy that we are part of Hazrat Ibrahim (as) who was an Ummah on his
own. If Islam was able to flourish today, it is thanks to this unique person
and his devotion. And Allah was so pleased and respected him that he became a
Comrade of Allah. Not every person gets the chance to become a Friend of Allah.
And not just any friend, but a close friend, with whom Allah talks, and in all
his difficulties [which he encounters], it is Allah Himself who removes them,
and gives His chosen servant the joy that comes from Him (Allah).
----Friday Sermon of 21 June 2024~14 Dhul-Hijjah 1445 AH delivered by Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius.