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Prophets

Episode 3: When Abraham Became the Father of Nations

July 24, 2020Dr. Omar Suleiman

After he lost his connection to his own father, Ibrahim made a du’a that produced the nation that would uphold the connection to Allah for generations to come.

What is Hajj? Why is it important? Learn more in What Islam says about Hajj and Umrah 

Transcript

This transcript was auto-generated using AI and may contain misspellings.
So after just having witnessed abandonment from his father and being disgraced by his own family and his own people, as Ibrahim Alayhi Salaam is on his way out, he calls out to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and he says رَبِّي هَبْلِي مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ Oh Allah, grant me righteous offspring. So it's really amazing that he had just lost the connection to his own parents. And in that moment, he's asking Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to be a parent himself and to have the companionship of a child that would be from the righteous. Now, it's really important to understand where this du'a comes from. Number one, the fact that Ibrahim Alayhi Salaam is acknowledging in those moments as well, يَوْمَ لَا يَنْفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ That I'm looking for the honor of the hereafter when there will be no benefits that comes from having children or having wealth, except for the one that comes with a sound heart to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. It's important to understand that Ibrahim Alayhi Salaam is more concerned with the succession of generations that would uphold the monotheism that he came with, than he is with simply having offspring himself. And this is why we see when Zakariya Alayhi Salaam calls out to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, he says, وَإِنِّي خِفتُ الْمَوَالِيَاً وَانْقِرَآءَ إِنِّي خَفَّتُ الْمَوَالِيَ That I'm worried about the lack of people that will continue on with this message. I don't find inheritors of this message amongst my people. And that's why Zakariya Alayhi Salaam chooses to call out to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and to ask him for a child. فَهَبَلِي مِنَّ دُنْكَ وَلِيَّ To give me a child that would inherit this message, not simply give me companionship, but inherit this message and carry forth this message for your glory.
It's very similar to when the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam is in Ta'if and he just witnessed that humiliation. What was the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam's reasoning for not having those people destroyed beyond the mercy that the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam extended towards those people? His hope Alayhi Salaatu Wasallam after Ta'if was in the children of Ta'if. That maybe there will be a generation amongst them that say La ilaha illallah. Maybe there will be people that come amongst them that say La ilaha illallah. So it's important to understand Ibrahim Alayhi Salaam is already oriented towards the hereafter and is affirming on that day, children nor wealth will avail a person. But there's something else with Ibrahim Alayhi Salaam. One of his nicknames is Abu Al-Anbiya. He's the father of the prophets. And when the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam named his own son Ibrahim, he said, I named him after my father Ibrahim. So Ibrahim Alayhi Salaam is the father of the prophets and that after him, all the prophets come from his nations Alayhi Salaatu Wasallam. That's why we find when Allah describes Ibrahim Alayhi Salaam that he was an ummah. He was a nation. One interpretation of him being described as an ummah himself is that the good that emanates from that one person is the good that an entire nation would be able to put forth. Just from Ibrahim Alayhi Salaam himself and some of the scholars, they said he's an ummah and that all the nations come from this ummah, this nation of Ibrahim Alayhi Salaam. After him Alayhi Salaatu Wasallam. Even in those moments where he thought that he might not even have anyone to succeed him. Look what happens instead, right? Children and grandchildren, prophets after prophets ending with the prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam and an entire legacy of people that cling to his remembrance. But there is that element of companionship as well. Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la says, Falamma a'tazalahum wa ma ya'buduna min dooni Allah, wahabna lahu ishaqa wa ya'qub wa kullan ja'alna nabiya
That when he left them and that which they were worshiping beside Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la, we gave him Isaac and Jacob and we made them into prophets. Notice Allah did not mention Ismail. Even though Ismail Alayhi Salaam was older than Ishaq by 13 years, according to some narrations, Allah did not mention him. In fact, Allah mentioned the grandson, Jacob, the grandson Ya'qub. And Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la goes on to say, and we made them into prophets, Wa wahabna lahum min rahmatina And we gave them mercy, a special mercy, the same mercy that Allah would give to Yahya towards his father Zakariya. We gave them a special type of mercy and we gave them lisan al-sidqin aliyya. We gave them a high reputation amongst the people, which is something that Ibrahim Alayhi Salaam asked as well, that people would remember him highly Alayhi Salaam. And look how Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la responded to that. Some of the scholars say the fact that Ismail Alayhi Salaam is omitted here was already a sign to Ibrahim that he would have to sacrifice him, that he wouldn't get to enjoy the companionship of Ismail Alayhi Salaam in his life. However, Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la would have a special plan for Ismail Alayhi Salaam that would achieve the goal of Ibrahim's dua, just as Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la would have that also for his goal with Ishaq and the children of Ishaq Alayhi Salaam.
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