'The Messenger believes in what
has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. They believe
in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers. (They proclaim) “We make
no distinction between any of His messengers.” And they say, “We hear and obey.
(We seek) Your forgiveness, our Lord! And to You (alone) is the final return.” (Al-Baqara 2: 286)
Alhamdulillah Summa
Alhamdulillah [Praise be to
Allah, Praise be to Allah again], I continue on the subject of my Friday sermon
from past weeks on the Messengers of Allah. Today, I come on the life story of
Hazrat Ibrahim (as) – Abraham.
After Hazrat Nuh (as), there were several prophets who came in the footsteps of Hazrat Nuh (as), who consolidated and fulfilled the Book of Law that he received. Then, after a lapse of time when those teachings were falsified and lost, Allah raised Hazrat Ibrahim (as) as a prophet and messenger. Allah blessed him with His revelations and sent down His commandments upon him. And Allah mentions this in the Holy Quran where He says: “Indeed, this is found in the former scriptures, the scriptures of Abraham and Moses.” (Al-A’la 87:19-20)
All prophets and
messengers, and even all reformers of the Deen of Allah, brought one
single message: Worship Allah alone, and do not
associate anyone with Him! This is the basis of Tawheed (the
Oneness of Allah) – Laa Ilaaha Illallah (There is no one to be
worshipped except Allah). A person must know Allah, know his Lord, and draw
near to Him. All prophets brought the same message, but over time, Shaytan
(Satan) and his army inspired people to take these prophets and messengers as
gods in the worship of Allah. This is where polytheism increased and the light
of the Oneness of Allah slowly began to fade from people’s hearts. But Allah
does not punish a people until He sends among them a messenger.
So, Hazrat Ibrahim (as)
came at a time when his nation and even his own family were deeply involved in
idolatry. His father was an idol maker. But as I explained to you before, when
Allah decrees the coming of one of His Prophets and Messengers into this world,
He prepares him even before his birth so that he gets the ability to carry out
his mission. Hazrat Ibrahim (as) from a young age was different from his father
and his surroundings. While they were deeply involved in idolatry, as we say,
paganism, Allah had already placed in his heart and conscience that the things
they were doing were abominations. Allah nourished him with His mercy and love
and tested him many times, and each time Hazrat Ibrahim (as) emerged victorious
in these tests. Allah described Hazrat Ibrahim (as) as a nation in the Holy
Quran:
“Indeed,
Ibrahim was a nation, devoutly obedient to Allah, inclining toward truth, and
he was not among those who associate others with Allah.” (An-Nahl 16: 121)
In addition, Allah
described him as a person filled with mercy and recognized his heart as a pure
heart. (As-Swaffat 37:85)
Hazrat Ibrahim (as) not
only had a pure heart, but he also possessed other exemplary qualities, and his
faith in Allah was unbreakable. Ibrahim was a leader who guided his people
towards monotheism. Allah called him: IMAM (chief, leader, or guide) of
his people, and Hazrat Ibrahim (as) prayed for his descendants to also become
leaders in faith.
From a young age, he
had a strong aversion to idolatry. He meditated on the creation of the heavens
and the earth and concluded that these creations, including himself, had a
Creator who created everything. He had serious discussions with his own father
and his people, trying to make them understand the oneness of Allah, and encouraging
them to reflect. However, they opposed him and even lit a great fire to burn
him in it. But his Almighty Lord [Allah] came to his help and made the fire
cool for him. (Al-Anbiya 21: 70)
His trust (Tawakkul)
in Allah was so strong and deep that despite all the trials he faced, he
remained always faithful and confident in his Creator, knowing that Allah would
never abandon him.
Hazrat Ibrahim (as) was
also known for his hospitality, where he would welcome his guests with honour,
providing them with food and drink, and making them feel comfortable. The Quran
presents an extraordinary example of his Mehman Nawazi (Urdu) or Diafa
(Arabic) (hospitality) when, unbeknownst to him, he invited three angels in
human form into his home when they came to him. Later, they informed him that
they were angels who had come to him with important messages. What were these
messages? They were about the destruction of the people of Lut (as), of Sodom
and Gomorrah, and also the good news of the birth of his first child with his
first wife, Sarah (ra). When he received this news, he already had his first
child with his second wife, Hajra (ra), who was named Isma’il (as) (Hud 11:72).
Here, the good news of
the birth of Ishaq (as) was given directly to Sarah when the angels visited
them. This was not a vision they received, but rather the actual visit of
angels who took human form and came to their door. The angels did not transform
into humans but only took human form in such a way that if you were present
there, you would also say, ‘These are just ordinary people.’ This is
why, when Hazrat Ibrahim (as) offered them a roasted calf to eat, they did not
eat but revealed their identity and conveyed the news they had to deliver as
instructed by Allah.
Therefore, for Sarah,
it was the good news of her first child that she received, while for Hazrat
Ibrahim (as), it was the good news of his second child that he received at that
moment.
When we talk about
Hazrat Ibrahim (as), we remember the greatest sacrifice that Allah asked of
him, where he received a vision to sacrifice his only son at the time, Hazrat
Ismael (as). The exceptional obedience shown by both him and Hazrat Ismael (as)
was extraordinary and serves as a lesson on how true servants of Allah should
submit to the divine will. Allah tried them, but then saved them from that
situation, and today, as Muslims, we are instructed to commemorate this great
sacrifice during Hajj and the celebration of Eid-ul-Adha, or Bakr Eid.
Insha-Allah, I will delve deeper into this when I explain about
Hazrat Ismael (as) and Hazrat Ishaq (as).
Hazrat Ibrahim (as)
exhibited a lot of tolerance and patience, whether it was when facing his
enemies, the hypocrites around him, or even within his family, with his wives.
There came a time when his first wife, Sarah, could not bear to see Hajra
(Hagar) and sought to get rid of her. But Allah had the greatest plan for the
generation of Ibrahim (as) and Hajra (ra), where Allah commanded Hazrat Ibrahim
(as) to leave his wife and child in the desert near the Holy Ka’aba. It is
through them, through Ismael (as), that we received the greatest of all
prophets, the Rahmatul-lil-Aalameen, Hazrat Muhammad (saws). Alhamdulillah.
All the great
qualities, works, and obedience that Hazrat Ibrahim (as) demonstrated towards
Allah have made him worthy of being the father of nations, a model of virtue
and righteousness. Therefore, we should always keep this great prophet in our
prayers, and we make this prayer as Allah says in the Holy Quran: ‘Peace be upon Ibrahim’ (As-Swaffat 37:110).
May peace always be
upon Hazrat Ibrahim (as) and his wives, his children, his companions, and all
his descendants. Today, it is us whom Allah has favoured and chosen to uplift
his nation, the nation of his most gentle and greatest child, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh).
May Allah have mercy on them, and on us too, and Insha-Allah, may we
have the honour to be in their company in the Hereafter. Insha-Allah, Ameen.
---Friday Sermon of 23 August 2024~18 Safar 1446 AH delivered by Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius.