The Messengers of Allah
'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, again (I repeat) Praise be to Allah], the life of Hazrat Ibrahim (as) [Abraham], as I explained last week, was far from easy. He faced numerous trials, starting with his own parents, and also encountered Namrud [Nimrod] and his people who sought to burn him alive in a great fire simply because he made them question the false gods they were worshipping.
After being persecuted and driven away, he left
his homeland and emigrated with his wife, Sarah. In the place they went to,
there was a tyrant king. When the king heard that a man had arrived in his
kingdom with a beautiful woman, he sought Sarah (ra) for himself. When the king
summoned Hazrat Ibrahim (as) for questioning, Ibrahim (as), upon realising that
their lives were in danger, did not have the choice but to present his wife as
his sister to prevent the king from killing them if he ever discovered that
Sarah was his wife. He placed his trust in Allah and prayed for the safety of
his wife and himself in this foreign land. When he returned to Sarah, he
recounted what had happened and instructed her not to contradict what he had
told the king, that is, that Sarah was his sister. He explained that in the
entire land, they were the only two believers in Allah and His unicity. Thus,
he sent Sarah (ra) to the king, placing all his trust in Allah.
Not only did Ibrahim (as) place his trust in
Allah, but Hazrat Sarah (ra) did place her trust in Him as well. When the king
was alone with her and had evil intentions on her, but before he could approach
Sarah, she performed Wudu (ablutions) and recited this invocation: “O
Allah! If I have believed in You and Your Messenger, and have preserved my
private parts from all except my husband, then please do not let this pagan
(idolater) overpower me.” As soon as she finished her prayer, the king had a
seizure, causing him to convulse and his legs as well. Seeing this, Sarah
prayed again: “O Allah! If he dies, people will say that I have killed him.”
The king then returned to normal and attempted to approach her again. Sarah
performed Wudu (ablutions) once more and repeated the same invocation.
The same incident occurred two or three times, after which the king refrained
from approaching her, believing that Sarah was either a demon or a sorceress,
as he suffered attacks each time he tried to approach her. Finally, he summoned
Ibrahim (as) and accused him of sending a Satan to him. He then allowed both of
them to leave, but before they departed, he gave Sarah a servant named Hajra
(ra), who would later become the mother of Isma’il (as), and consequently, the
mother of the Arabs and all true Muslims.
In the lives of the prophets, as well as their wives, and children, we find lessons for all of us. During that time, everything was harmonious between Hazrat Ibrahim (as) and Hazrat Sarah (ra). They lived their lives under Allah’s guidance for a long time, but they were childless. They felt a void in their lives, yet they placed their trust in Allah. Finally, when Allah gave the good news that He would bless Ibrahim (as) with a son, Hazrat Ibrahim (as) was overjoyed but also realized that his wife was unable to bear children. How would Allah fulfil such a promise? When he shared this with his wife, Sarah, she herself offered her maid, Hajra (ra), to her husband so that he could have a child with her.
Islamic teachings inform us that when Sarah
(ra) offered her servant to Ibrahim (as), it was not an improper relationship
that ensued. Rather, there was a pure relationship between them, and Ibrahim
(as) married Hajra (ra) with Allah’s permission. It was by Allah’s grace and
definitely according to His plan that all this transpired. The falsified Bible
gives a negative image of Hajra (ra) and consequently of her relationship with
Ibrahim (as) and their son, Hazrat Isma’il (as), who was born from their union.
We must understand that some people and groups,
in an attempt to prove their own truth, disparage others by believing them to
be wrong. However, time has shown us how Allah chose Hajra (ra). Despite being
a servant, she came from a noble lineage, but life’s circumstances made her a
slave in the court of a tyrant king. Through the miracles and signs bestowed
upon Ibrahim (as) and Sarah (ra), Allah brought Hajra (ra) into the household
of a prophet, chose her as his wife, and designated her to bear the blessed
child. Thus, Hajra (ra), by living in the house of Hazrat Ibrahim (as) and
being in direct contact with his teachings, where he preached the oneness of
Allah, also became a believer and believed in Hazrat Ibrahim (as). It was only
after she became a believer that Allah inspired Sarah to give Hajra (ra) to Hazrat
Ibrahim (as) in marriage.
Despite the challenges, everything was going
well in their household—except for the typical problems faced by married
couples—until the birth of Isma’il. Here, we speak of the jealousy between the
wives of a prophet, and the sorrow of a prophet when things do not go well in
his household, where there are conflicts and jealousy. The presence of Isma’il
made Sarah realize the void she felt due to her inability to have a child. She
prayed fervently. Even though she had given her husband permission to marry a
second time, when she saw her husband’s attention and love being shared, and
the exceptional love of a father for his child, she could not bear it. She
wanted them to go far away. She acted out of natural jealousy, but Sarah herself
was not a wicked woman, because if she were, Allah would not have made her the
mother of a line of prophets. But Allah did not forget Hajra either, and kept
the best of the prophets in her lineage, namely, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh).
It was to avoid friction between his two wives
and to ensure that no one suffered injustice from one or the other – because,
in truth, no one is perfect – that Hazrat Ibrahim (as) turned to Allah in
prayer. At that moment, Allah put His plan into execution: to make Isma’il (as)
the father of a great nation (the Arabs, and consequently the Muslims) – not
only Isma’il (as), but Hajra (ra) also (as the mother of a blessed lineage). Allah
gave instructions to Hazrat Ibrahim (as) to settle them near His Sacred House,
the Holy Ka’aba. Today, this place is known as Makkah, but it was previously
known as Bakkah.
Allah understood Hazrat Ibrahim (as), but not
just Hazrat Ibrahim (as); He also understood Hazrat Sarah (ra) and Hazrat Hajra
(ra). Hazrat Hajra (ra) also received revelations from Allah and was very close
to Allah among all the women of her time. Hazrat Sarah (ra) was also blessed in
such a way that she saw angels come to her house and announce the birth of
Ishaq (ra).
What I want you to understand is that everyone
has their own unique relationship with Allah. Some people have a very strong
connection with Allah, while others have it to a lesser extent. However, all
people need to be true believers to be recipients of such exceptional favours.
Speaking of this, there is a narration reported
by Imam Bukhari which states that once Muadh (ra) went to lead the Fajr prayer
in Yemen. When he reached the verse that says, ‘Allah
took Ibrahim as a friend (Khalil)...’, a man behind him (in the
prayer) exclaimed loudly, ‘May the eyes of Ibrahim’s mother be comforted!’”
We all know that during Prayer (Salat/
Namaz), one should not speak. However, the love for Hazrat Ibrahim (as) was
so strong among the Arab Muslims of that era, a time when Islam flourished in
their hearts, that this love was expressed openly, and the believers prayed for
Hazrat Ibrahim (as)’s mother. When Allah chooses someone to become a prophet, his
parents are honoured to bear and bring him into the world. In the case of
Hazrat Ibrahim (as), his father Azar unfortunately refused to believe in the
high status that Allah had elevated him (Ibrahim) to. But we Muslims think of
his mother, how Allah blessed her with the birth of a prophet. Although the
Quran does not mention her, we must pray that Allah forgives and honours her.
Allah tells us in the Quran that Hazrat Ibrahim (as) prayed for his father as
long as it was not clear whether he would reform or not; but once his father
persisted in his disobedience to Allah and His Messenger, Hazrat Ibrahim (as)
dissociated himself from his father. This reminds us of how Allah reprimanded
Hazrat Nuh (as) when he prayed for his son, despite it being clear that his son
was a rebel and non-believer. Allah made Nuh (as) understand that his true
family were those who accepted him as a prophet and believed in his mission,
and at that moment, all those believers were in the ark with him.
Therefore, Allah did not mention the mother of
Hazrat Ibrahim (as), but out of love for Hazrat Ibrahim (as), we remember his
mother, and we remember all the mothers of the prophets of Allah. Truly, it is
a great honour that among all the women on this earth, Allah chose a particular
woman to bear His prophet. May Allah bestow His mercy upon the mother of Hazrat
Ibrahim (as) and upon all the mothers of the prophets. Those who deserve Allah’s
mercy will certainly, Insha-Allah, receive His mercy.
Thus, we find that each person has a unique
relationship with Allah. The prophets, their parents, their wives, and their
children hold a degree of superiority over the rest of the believers, provided
that these parents, wives, and children are true believers in Allah. Despite
all the trials that Allah places in their path, they say “Labbaik” (Here
we are! [Ready to obey]), and do not turn their backs on Allah and His prophet.
Among the women whom Allah has honoured in Islam and who are clearly mentioned
in the Quran are: the mother of Hazrat Musa (as), the adoptive mother of Hazrat
Musa (as), the mother of Hazrat Isa (as), and the mother of Hazrat Ishaq (as) –
Sarah (ra).
The falsified Bible condemned Hazrat Hajra (ra)
and honoured only Sarah (ra), but Islam came to honour not just Hazrat Hajra
but also Hazrat Sarah. Nowadays, no non-Muslim can claim that Allah favoured
Hazrat Hajra and did not honour Hazrat Sarah, because in the incident where the
angels announced the good news of the birth of Ishaq (as), the angels gave this
good news directly to Sarah (as), even though she was not mentioned by name.
For reasons known only to Him, in His infinite
wisdom, Allah did not directly mention Hazrat Hajra (ra) but honoured her
through the mention of her son Isma’il (as) in the Holy Quran. Was Hazrat Isma’il
the only one in the desert when Hazrat Ibrahim (as) prayed for his descendants?
No! When Hazrat Ibrahim (as) left Hazrat Hajra (ra) and Isma’il (as) there, he
prayed not only for his son and his descendants but also for his wife.
Thus, we see that Allah, in His infinite
wisdom, did not mention Hazrat Hajra (ra) directly but had His greatest prophet
(pbuh) recount her story in detail. He gave this great lady her due honour
because Hazrat Hajra (ra) forms an integral part of the story of Hazrat
Muhammad (pbuh). If he is the prophet of Arabia, it is because Hazrat Hajra
(ra) emigrated and placed her trust in Allah. Hajra is derived from Hijra
(emigration). The word Hajr also applies to a rock, as we say: Hajr-al-Aswad
(the Black Stone) found in the Holy Ka’aba.
Today, if non-Muslims thoroughly analyze the
teachings of Islam, they will find that Allah has mentioned the women and
children of the biblical prophets more frequently than those of the prophets in
the lineage of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). As Muslims, it is obligatory for us to
believe in all the prophets of Allah. If non-Muslims slander the Prophet of
Islam (pbuh), we, as Muslims, must neither lower our dignity and honour, nor
that of the prophets, by slandering the prophets before Islam. This is strictly
forbidden.
Today, while the falsified Bible has slandered
the direct descendants of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), Allah, in His wisdom, has
made the Quran a treasure of honour for the respected people mentioned in the
Bible. Therefore, no one can claim that Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) was biased by
mentioning his own descendants in the Quran while disregarding the descendants
of Hazrat Ishaq, etc. The true teachings of the Jews and Christians are found
in the Holy Quran.
Thus, we should feel happy and proud to be
Muslims, and I encourage people to open their hearts to Islam, for the Quran is
a book of justice and bereft of any doubt. May Allah bestow His blessings upon
Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), his family, and his companions, just as He blessed
Hazrat Ibrahim (pbuh), his family, and his companions. Allah speaks the truth,
and He is our Best Refuge. One day, we will all return to Him. Insha-Allah,
Ameen.