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When Abraham realized that no one else was gong to believe his call, he decided to emigrate.\u00a0 He left his people and traveled with his wife and Lot to a city called Ur, then to another called Haran, and then to Palestine.<\/p>\n
Allah the Almighty told us: But Lut had faith in Him: he said: “I will leave home for the sake of my Lord: for He is Exalted in Might and Wise. (29:26)<\/p>\n
After Palestine Abraham traveled to Egypt, calling people to believe in Allah wherever he traveled judging fairly between people, and guiding them to truth and righteousness.<\/p>\n
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Abu Hurairah narrated that Abraham (PBUH) did not tell a lie except on three occasions, twice for the sake of Allah (Exalted and Almighty) when he said “I am indeed sick (at heart)!” (37: 89) and when he said: ” (I have not done this but) the big idol has done it.”\u00a0 The (third was) that while Abraham and Sarah (his wife) were going (on a journey), they passed by (the territory of) a tyrant.\u00a0 Someone said to the tyrant: “This man (i.e. Abraham (PBUH) is accompanied by a very charming lady.”\u00a0 So, he sent for Abraham and asked him about Sarah saying: “Who is this lady?” Abraham said: “She is my sister.” Abraham went to Sarah and said: “O Sarah! There are no believers on the surface on the earth except you and me.\u00a0 This man asked me about you and I have told him that you are my sister, do not contradict my statement.”\u00a0 The tyrant then called Sarah, and when she went to him, he tried to take hold her with his hand, but (his hand got stiff and) he was confounded.\u00a0 He asked Sarah: “Pray to Allah for me and I shall not harm you.\u00a0 So Sarah asked Allah to cure him and he got cured.\u00a0 He tried to take hold of her for the second time, but (his hand got as stiff as or stiffer than before and) he was more confounded.\u00a0 He again requested Sarah: “Pray to Allah for me and I shall not harm you.”\u00a0 Sarah asked Allah again and he became all right.\u00a0 He then called one of his guards (who had brought her) and said: “You have not brought me a human being but have brought me a devil.”\u00a0 The tyrant then gave Hajar as a maidservant to Sarah.\u00a0 Sarah came back (to Abraham) while he was praying. Abraham, gesturing with his hand, asked: “What has happened?”\u00a0 She relied: “Allah has spoiled the evil plot of the infidel (or immoral person) and gave me Hajar for service.”\u00a0 Abu Hurairah then addressed his listeners saying: “That (Hajar) was your mother, O Bani Ma-is-Sama (i.e., the Arab, the descendants of Ishmael, Hajar’s son).”<\/p>\n
Abraham’s wife Sarah was sterile.\u00a0 She had been given an Egyptian woman, Hajar, as a servant.\u00a0 Abraham had aged, and his hair was gray after many years spent in calling people to Allah.\u00a0 Sarah thought that she and Abraham were lonely because she could not have a child.\u00a0 Therefore, she offered her husband her servant Hajar in marriage.\u00a0 Hajar gave birth to her first son Ishmael (Isma’il) when Abraham was an old man.<\/p>\n
Abraham lived on earth worshipping Allah and calling people to monotheism, but he was journeying to Allah, knowing that his days on earth were limited and that they would be followed by death, and finally resurrection.\u00a0 The knowledge of life after death filled Abraham with peace, love, and certitude.<\/p>\n
One day he begged Allah to show him how He brought the death back to life. Allah commanded Abraham to take four birds, cut them up, mingle their body parts, divide them into four portions, and place them on top of four different hills, then call back the birds in Allah’s name.\u00a0 Immediately the mingled parts of the birds separated to join their original bodies in different places, and the birds flew back to Abraham.<\/p>\n
Almighty Allah revealed: Behold! Abraham said: “My Lord! show me how thou givest life to the dead.\u00a0 He said: “Dost thou not then believe?”\u00a0 He said: “Yea! but to satisfy my own understanding.”\u00a0 He said: “Take four birds; tame them to turn to thee; put a portion of them on every hill and call to them; they will come to thee (flying) with speed.\u00a0 Then know that Allah is Exalted in Power Wise.” One day, Abraham woke up and asked his wife Hajar to get her son and prepare for a long journey.\u00a0 In a few days, Abraham started out with his wife Hajar and their son Ishmael.\u00a0 The child was still nursing and not yet weaned.<\/p>\n Abraham walked through cultivated land, desert, and mountains until he reached the desert of the Arabian Peninsula and came to an uncultivated valley having no fruit, no trees, no food, no water.\u00a0 The valley had no sign of life.\u00a0 After Abraham had helped his wife and child to dismount, he left them with a small amount of food and water which was hardly enough for two days.\u00a0 He turned around and walked away.\u00a0 His wife hurried after him asking: “Where are you going, Abraham, leaving us in this barren valley?”.<\/p>\n Abraham did not answer her, but continued walking.\u00a0 She repeated what she said, but he remained silent.\u00a0 Finally, she understood he was not acting on his own initiative.\u00a0 She realized that Allah had commanded him to do this. She asked him: “Did Allah command you to do so?” He replied: “Yes.”\u00a0 Then his great wife said: “We are not going to be lost, since Allah, Who has commanded you, is with us.”<\/p>\n Abraham invoked Almighty Allah thus: “O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in a valley without cultivation by thy Sacred House; in order O our Lord that they may establish regular prayer: so fill the hearts of some among men with love towards them and feed them with Fruits: so that they may give thanks.\u00a0 O our Lord! truly Thou dost know what we conceal and what we reveal: for nothing whatever is hidden from Allah whether on earth or in heaven.” (14: 37-38)<\/p>\n Ibn ‘Abbas narrated: “The first lady to use a girdle was the mother of Ishmael.\u00a0 She used a girdle so that she might hide her tracks from Sarah (by dragging it).\u00a0 Abraham brought her and her son Ishmael, while she was suckling him, to a place near the Kaba under a tree on the spot of Zamzam, at the highest place in the mosque.\u00a0 During those days there was no body in Mecca, nor was there any water so he made them sit over there and placed near them a leather bag containing some dates and a small water-skin containing some water and set out homeward.\u00a0 Ishmael’s mother followed him saying: “Oh Abraham!\u00a0 Where are you going leaving us in this valley where there is no person whose company we may enjoy, nor is there anything (to enjoy)?” She repeated that to him many times, but he did not look back at her.\u00a0 Then she asked him: “Has Allah ordered you to do so?”\u00a0 He said: “Yes.” She said: “Then He will not neglect us,” and returned while Abraham proceeded onwards.\u00a0 On reaching the Thaniya where they could not see him, he faced the Ka’ba, and raising both hands, invoked Allah in saying the following prayers: “O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in a valley without cultivation by thy Sacred House; in order O our Lord that they may establish regular prayer: so fill the hearts of some among men with love towards them and feed them with Fruits: so that they may give thanks.”<\/p>\n Ibn ‘Abbas’s narration continued: “Ishmael’s mother went on suckling Ishmael and drinking from the water (she had).\u00a0 When the water in the water-skin had all been used up, she became thirsty and her child became thirsty.\u00a0 She started looking at him (i.e. Ishmael) tossing in agony.\u00a0 She left him, for she could not endure looking at hi, and fund that the mountain of As-Safa was the nearest mountain to her on that land.\u00a0 She stood on it and started looking at the valley keenly so that she might see somebody, but she could not see anybody.\u00a0 Then she descended fro As-Safab and when she reached the valley, she tucked up her robe and ran in the valley like a person in distress and trouble, till she crossed the valley and reached the mountain of Al-Marwa.\u00a0 There she stood and started looking, expecting to see somebody, but she could not see anybody.\u00a0 She repeated that (running between Safa and Marwa) seven times.”<\/p>\n The Prophet Muhammad (as-PBUH) said: “This is the source of the tradition of the Sa’y the going of people between them (i.e. As-Safe and Al-Marwa).\u00a0 When she reached Al-Marwa (for the last time) she heard a voice and she asked herself to be quiet and listened attentively.\u00a0 She heard the voice again and said: “O, (whoever you may be)! You have made me hear your voice; have you got something to help me?” And behold! She saw an angel at the place of Zamzam, digging the earth with his heel (or his wing) till water flowed from that place.\u00a0 She started to make something like a basin around it, using her hand in this way, and started filling her water-skin with water with her hands, and the water was flowing out after she had scooped some of it.”<\/p>\n The Prophet (PBUH) added: “May Allah bestow mercy on Ishmael’s mother! Had she let the Zamzam (flow without trying to control it)(or had she not scooped from that water to fill her water-skin), Zamzam would have been a stream flowing on the surface of the earth.”<\/p>\n The Prophet (PBUH) continued:\u00a0 “Then she drank (water) and suckled her child.\u00a0 The angel said to her: ‘Don’t be afraid of being neglected, for this is the House of Allah which will be built by this boy and his father, and Allah never neglects his people.” The house (i.e. the Ka’ba) at that time was on a high place resembling a hillock, and hen torrents came, they flowed to its right and left.<\/p>\n “She lived in that way till some people from the tribe of Jurhum or a family from Jurhum passed by her and her child, as they (i.e. the Jurhum people) were coming through the way of Kada’.\u00a0 They landed in the lower part of Mecca where they saw a bird that had the habit of flying around after and not leaving it.\u00a0 They said: “This bird must be flying around water, though we know that there is no water in this valley.”\u00a0\u00a0 They sent on or two messengers who discovered the source of water and returned to inform them of the water.\u00a0 So, they all came (towards the water).\u00a0 Ishmael’s mother was sitting near the water.\u00a0 They asked her: “Do you allow us to stay with you?” She replied: “Yes, but you will have no right to possess the water.;”\u00a0 They agreed to that.\u00a0 Ishmael’s mother was pleased with the whole situation, as she used to love to enjoy the company of people. So, the settled there, and later on the sent for their families, who came and settled with them so that some families became permanent residents there.\u00a0 The child (i.e. Ishmael) grew up and learned Arabic from them and (his virtues) caused them to love and admire him as he grew up, and when he reached the age of puberty they made him marry a woman amongst them”<\/p>\n The Prophet (PBUH) continued: “After Ishmael’s mother had died, Abraham came after Ishmael’s marriage in order to see his family that he had left before, but he did not find Ishmael there.\u00a0 When she asked Ishmael’s wife about him she replied: “He has gone in search for our livelihood.”\u00a0 Then he asked her about their way of living and their condition, and she replied: “We are living in misery; we are living in hardship and destitution,’ complaining to him.\u00a0 He said, “When you husband returns, convey y salutation to him and tell him to change the threshold of the gate (of his house).”<\/p>\n “When Ishmael came, he seemed to have felt something unusual, so he asked his wife: “Has anyone visited you?” She replied, “Yes, and old man of such-and-such description came and asked me about you, and informed him, and he asked about our state of living, and \/I told him we were living in hardship and poverty.” On that Ishmael said: “Did he advise you anything?” She replied: “Yes, he told me to convey my salutation to you and to tell you to change the threshold of your gate.’\u00a0 Ishmael said: “It was my father, and he has ordered me to divorce you.\u00a0 Go back to your family.” So, Ishmael divorced her and married another woman from among them (i.e. Jurhum).<\/p>\n “Then Abraham stayed away from them for a period as long as Allah wished and called on them again but did not find Ishmael.\u00a0 So he came to Ishmael’s wife and asked her about Ishmael.\u00a0 She said: “He has gone in search of our livelihood.”\u00a0 Abraham asked her: “How are you getting on?” asking her about their sustenance and living.\u00a0 She replied: “We are prosperous and well-off (i.e. we have everything in abundance).”\u00a0 Then she thanked Allah.\u00a0 Abraham said: “What kind of food do you eat?”\u00a0 She said: “Meat”.\u00a0 He said: “What do you drink?” She said: “Water”.\u00a0 He said: “O Allah!\u00a0 Bless their meat and water.”<\/p>\n The Prophet (PBUH) added: “At that time they did not have grain, and if they had grain, he would have also invoked Allah to bless it.\u00a0 If somebody has only two things as his sustenance, his health and disposition will be badly affected, unless he lives in Mecca.”<\/p>\n The Prophet (PBUH) continued: “Then Abraham said to Ishmael’s wife” ‘When your husband comes, give my regards to him and tell him he should keep firm the threshold of his gate.”\u00a0 When Ishmael came back, he asked his wife: “Did anyone call on you?” She replied: “Yes, a good looking old man came to me,” so she praised him and added: “He asked about you and I informed him, he asked about our livelihood and I told him that we were in good condition.” Ishmael asked her: “Did he give you any piece of advise?”\u00a0 She said: “Yes, he told me to give his regards to you and ordered that you should keep firm the threshold of your gate.”\u00a0 On that Ishmael said: “It was my father, and you are the threshold (of the gate).\u00a0 He has ordered me to keep you with\u00a0 me.”<\/p>\n “Then Abraham stayed away from them for a period as long as Allah wished and called on them afterwards.\u00a0 He saw Ishmael under a tree near Zam-Zam, sharpening his arrows.\u00a0 When he saw Abraham, he rose up to welcome him (and they greeted each other as a father does with his son or a son does with his father).\u00a0 Abraham said: “O Ishmael!\u00a0 Allah has given me an order.” Ishmael said: “Do what your Lord has ordered you to do.”\u00a0 Abraham asked: “Will you help me?”\u00a0 Ishmael said: “I will help you.”\u00a0 Abraham said: “Allah has ordered me to build a house here,” pointing to a hillock higher than the land surrounding it.<\/p>\n “Then they raised the foundations of the House (i.e. the Ka’ba).\u00a0 Ishmael brought the stones while Abraham built, and when the walls became high, Ishmael brought this stone and put it for Abraham, who stood over it and carried on building.\u00a0 When Ishmael was handing the stones, and both of them were saying: “Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us for thou art the All-Hearing the All-Knowing.” (Surah 2: 127)\u00a0 Then both of them went on building and going round the Ka’ba saying: “”Our Lord! accept (this service) from us for thou art the All-Hearing the All-Knowing.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari)<\/p>\n Ibn ‘Abbas narrated a slightly different version: “When Abraham had differences with his wife (because of her jealousy of Hajar, Ishmael’s mother), he took Ishmael and his mother and went away.\u00a0 They had a water-skin with them containing some water.\u00a0 Ishmael’s mother used to drink water from the water-skin so that her milk would increase for the child. When Abraham reached Mecca, he made her sit under a tree and afterwards returned home.\u00a0 Ishmael’s mother followed him, and when they reached Kada’, she called him from behind: “O Abraham! To whom are you leaving us?”\u00a0 He replied: “(I am leaving you) to Allah’s (care).\u00a0 She said: “I am satisfied to be with Allah”.\u00a0 She returned to hr place and started drinking water from the water-skin, and her milk increased for her child.<\/p>\n “When the water had all been used up, she said to herself: “I had better go and look so that I may see somebody.”\u00a0 She ascended As-Safa Mountain and looked, hoping to see somebody but in vain. When she came down to the valley, she ran till she reached Al-Marwa Mountain.\u00a0 She ran to and fro (between the two mountains) many times.\u00a0 Then she said to herself: “I had better go and see the state of the child.”\u00a0 She went and found it in a state of one on the point of dying.\u00a0 She could not endure\u00a0 to watch it dying and said (to herself): “If I go and look, I may find somebody.”\u00a0 She went and ascended Al-Safa an Al-Marwa.\u00a0 Again she said (to herself ): “I had better go back and see the state of the child.”\u00a0 But suddenly she heard a voice, and she said to that strange voice: “Help us if you can offer any help.” Lo! It was Gabriel (who had mad the voice).\u00a0 Gabriel hit the earth with his heel like this (Ibn’ Abbas hit the earth with his heel to illustrate it), and so the water gushed out.\u00a0 Ishmael’s mother was astonished and started digging.”<\/p>\n Abu Al-Qasim, i.e. The Prophet (PBUH) said: “If she had left the water, (flow naturally without her intervention), it would have been flowing on the surface of the earth.”<\/p>\n Ibn Abbas continued narrating: “Ishmael’s mother started drinking from the water, and her milk increased for her child.\u00a0 Afterwards some people of the tribe of Jurhum saw some birds while passing through the bottom of the valley and that astonished them.\u00a0 They said: “Birds can only be found at a place is water.”\u00a0 They sent a messenger, who searched the place and found water, and returned to inform them about it.\u00a0 Then they all went to her and said: “O Ishmael’s mother! Will you allow us to be with you (or dwell with you)?” (And thus they stayed there).<\/p>\n “Later on her boy reached the age of puberty and married a lady from them. Then an idea occurred to Abraham, which he disclosed to his wife (Sarah) “I want to call on my dependants I left (at Mecca).”\u00a0 When he went there he greeted Ishmael’s wife and said: “Where is Ishmael?” She replied: “He has gone out hunting.” Abraham said to her: “When he comes tell him to change the threshold of his gate.”\u00a0 When Ishmael came, she told him the same, whereupon Ishmael said to her: “You are the threshold, so go to your family (i.e. you are divorced).<\/p>\n “Again Abraham thought of visiting his dependants whom he had left (at Mecca), and he told his wife (Sarah) of his intentions.\u00a0 Abraham came to Ishmael’s house and asked: “Where is Ishmael?” Ishmael’s wife replied: “He has gone out hunting,” and added “Will you stay (for some time) and have something to eat and drink?”\u00a0 Abraham asked: “What is your food and what is your drink?”\u00a0 She replied: “Our food is meat and our drink is water”.\u00a0 He said: “O Allah! Bless their meals and their drink.”<\/p>\n Abu Al-Qasim, i.e. Prophet (PBUH) said: “Because of Abraham’s invocation there are blessings (in Mecca)”<\/p>\n Ibn Abbas continued: ” Once again Abraham thought of visiting his family he had left (at Mecca), so he told his wife (Sarah) of his decision.\u00a0 He went and found Ishmael behind the Zam-zam well, mending his arrows.\u00a0 He said: “O Ishmael, your Lord has ordered me to build a house for Him.”\u00a0 Ishmael said: “Obey (the order of) your Lord.”\u00a0 Abraham said: “Allah has ordered me that you should help me therein.”\u00a0 Ishmael said: “Then I will do so.”\u00a0 So both of then rose and Abraham started building (the Ka’ba) while Ishmael went on handing him the stones, and both of them were saying: “”Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us for thou art the All-Hearing the All-Knowing.”<\/p>\n When the building became high and the old man (Abraham) could no longer lift the stones (to such a high position) he stood over the stone o Al-Maqam and Ishmael carried on handing him the stones, and both of the were saying: “”Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us for thou art the All-Hearing the All-Knowing.” Allah the Almighty told us of Abraham’s affliction with his beloved son: (and he said after rescue from the fire) “He said: “I will go to my Lord! He will surely guide me!\u00a0 O my Lord! grant me a righteous (son)!\u00a0 So We gave him the good news of a boy ready to suffer and forbear.\u00a0 Then when (the son) reached (the age of) (serious) work with him he said: “O my son! I see in vision that I offer thee in sacrifice: now see what is thy view!” (The son) said: “O my father! do as thou art commanded: thou will find me if Allah so wills one practicing Patience and Constancy!\u00a0 So when they had both submitted their wills (to Allah) and He had laid Him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice).\u00a0 We called out to him “O Abraham!\u00a0 Thou hast already fulfilled the vision!” thus indeed do We reward those who do right. For this was obviously a trial\u00a0 And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice:\u00a0 And We left (this blessing) for him among generations (to come) in later times:\u00a0 Peace and salutation to Abraham!\u00a0 Thus indeed do We reward those who do right.\u00a0 For he was one of Our believing Servants.” (Surah 37:99-11)<\/p>\n Time passed. One day Abraham was sitting outside his tent, thinking of his son Ishmael and Allah’s sacrifice.\u00a0 His heart was filled with awe and love for Allah for his countless blessings.\u00a0 A big tear dropped from his eyes and reminded him of Ishmael.<\/p>\n In the meantime, three angles descended to the earth: Gabriel, Israphael, and Michael.\u00a0 They came in human shape and saluted Abraham.\u00a0 Abraham rose and welcomed them.\u00a0 He took them inside his tent, thinking they were strangers and guests.\u00a0 He seated them and made sure they were comfortable, then excused himself to go to his people.<\/p>\n His wife Sarah arose when he entered.\u00a0 She had become old and white haired. Abraham said to her: “We have three strangers in the house.”\u00a0 “Who are\u00a0 they?” she asked.\u00a0 “I do not know any of them,” he answered.\u00a0 “What food have we got?” Abraham asked.\u00a0 “Half a sheep,” she replied.\u00a0 “Half a sheep! Slaughter a fat calf for them; they are strangers and guests,” he ordered while leaving.<\/p>\n The servants roasted and served the calf.\u00a0 Abraham invited the angels to eat so as to encourage them.\u00a0 He continued, but when he glanced at his guests to assure they were eating, he noticed that none of them touched their food. He said to them: “Are you not going to eat?” He resumed eating, but when he glanced at them again he found that they were still not eating.\u00a0 Their hands did not reach out for the food.\u00a0 He began to fear them.<\/p>\n Abraham’s fears increased.\u00a0 The angels, however, were reading his inner thoughts and one of them said: “Do not fear.”\u00a0 Abraham raised his head and replied: “Indeed I am in fear.\u00a0 I have asked you to eat food but you do not stretch out your hands to eat.\u00a0 Do you intend me evil?”<\/p>\n One of the angels smiled and said: “We do not eat.\u00a0 We are Allah’s angles.” One of them then turned towards his wife and conveyed the glad tidings about Isaac (Ishaaq).<\/p>\n Almighty Allah revealed: “There came Our Messengers to Abraham with glad tidings.\u00a0 They said “Peace!” He answered “Peace!” and hastened to entertain them with a roasted calf.\u00a0 But when he saw their hands went not towards the (meal) he felt some mistrust of them and conceived a fear of them.\u00a0 They said: “Fear not: we have been sent against the people of Lut.”\u00a0 And his wife was standing (there) and she laughed: but We gave her glad tidings of Isaac and after him of Jacob.\u00a0 She said: “Alas for me! Shall I bear a child seeing I am an old woman and my husband here is an old man? That would indeed be a wonderful thing!”\u00a0 hey said: “Dost thou wonder at Allah’s decree? The grace of Allah and His blessings on you O ye people of the house! for He is indeed worthy of all praise full of all glory!”\u00a0 (Surah 11: 69-73).<\/p>\n SECTION THREE – The story of Isaac (Ishaaq) and Jacob (Yaqub) (Peace be upon them)\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The Qur’an does not give details of Isaac’s life (PBUH), but reliable Qur’ anic commentators mentioned that when Abraham felt that his life was drawing to a close, he wished to see Isaac married.\u00a0 He did not want Isaac to marry one of the Canaanites, who were pagans, so he sent a trustworthy servant to Haran in Iraq to choose a bride for Isaac.\u00a0 The servant’s choice fell on Rebekah Bint Bethuel, Ibn Nahor, who was a brother of Abraham.\u00a0 Isaac married her and she gave birth to a set of twins, Esau (Al-Eis) and Jacob (Yaqub).<\/p>\n Ill feelings developed between the two brothers when they grew into manhood. Esau disliked the fact that Jacob was favored by his father and by Allah with prophet hood.\u00a0 This ill-feeling became so serious that Esau threatened to kill his brother.\u00a0 Fearing of his life, Jacob fled the country.<\/p>\n The People of the Book said that when Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, Bint Bethuel, during his father’s life.\u00a0 They said she was sterile, so Isaac prayed to Allah and then she became pregnant.\u00a0 She gave birth to two twin boys.\u00a0 The first one was called Esau whom the Arabs called Al-Eis. He became the father of Rum.\u00a0 The second one was called Jacob, which means Israel (belonging to the people pf Israel).<\/p>\n The People of the Book claimed that when Isaac (PBUH) grew old, his eye-sight had weakened, he had a desire for food, so he asked his son Esau to go hunting and bring him some cooked game.\u00a0 Esau asked him to bless the food and pray for him.\u00a0 Esau, a hunter, went out to get his father the meat. Rebekah, overhearing this, ordered her son Jacob to slaughter two goats of his best flock and cook them as his father liked and bring it to him before his brother returned.\u00a0 She dressed Jacob in his brother’s clothes and put goat skin on his arms and neck, for Esau was hairy while Jacob was not.<\/p>\n When he approached his father with the food, his father asked: “Who are\u00a0 you?” Jacob answered “I am your son”.\u00a0 When his father finished eating, he prayed for his on to be the more blessed brother and to prevail over them and all people, and for Allah to sustain him and his children.<\/p>\n When he left his father, his brother Esau, who had carried out his father’s command, entered.\u00a0 Isaac asked him: “What is this my son?” He answered: “This is the food you like.”\u00a0 Isaac said: “Did you bring it an hour ago and asked me to pray for you?” Esau answered: “No, I swear I did not,” and he knew his brother had preceded him in this matter and he was sick at heart.<\/p>\n The People of the Book said that Esau threatened to kill his brother when their father was dead.\u00a0 They also that he asked his father to pray for him that Allah make the earth good for his offspring and multiply his sustenance and fruits.<\/p>\n When their mother knew that Esau threatened his brother Jacob, she commanded her son Jacob to go to her brother Laban in the land of Haran and abide with him for a time until his brother’s anger had abated, and to marry one of Laban’s daughters.\u00a0 She told her husband Isaac to command him with that advise and pray for him, and he did.<\/p>\n Jacob (PBUH) left his family.\u00a0 When night came he found a place to rest.\u00a0 He took a stone and put it under his head and slept.\u00a0 He dreamed of a ladder from heaven to earth.\u00a0 Angels were ascending and descending and the Lord addressed him and said to him: “I will bless you and your offspring and make this land for you and for those who come after you.”<\/p>\n When he awoke he felt joyful from what he had seen in his dream and vowed, for Allah’s sake, that if he returned to his family safely, he would build here a temple for Allah the Almighty.\u00a0 He also vowed to give one tenth of his property for the sake of Allah.\u00a0 He poured oil on the stone so as to recognize it and called the place “Ayle’s House” (Bethel), which means “House of Allah”.\u00a0 It was to be the location of Jerusalem later.<\/p>\n The People of the Book also said that when Jacob came to his maternal uncle in the land of Haran, his uncle had two daughters.\u00a0 The elder one was called Leah (Lia) and the younger one was called Rachel (Rahil).\u00a0 The later was the better and the lovelier of the two.\u00a0 His uncle agreed to marry his daughter to him on the condition that Jacob pasture his sheep for seven years.<\/p>\n After a period of time, his uncle prepared a feats and gathered people for the wedding.\u00a0 He married Leah, his elder daughter, to hi at night. She was weak-sighted and ugly.\u00a0 When morning came, Jacob discovered that she was Leah and he complained to his uncle: “You deceived me; I was engaged to Rachel and you married me to Leah.”\u00a0 His uncle said: “It is not our tradition to marry the younger daughter before the elder daughter.\u00a0 However, if you love her sister, work another seven years and I will marry you to both of them.” Almighty Allah compensated Leah’s weakness by giving her sons.\u00a0 The first was named Reuben (Robel), after whom there was Simeon (Shamun), Levi (Lawi) and Judah (Yahudh).\u00a0 Rachel felt jealous of Leah’s having sons, she was barren.\u00a0 She gave her slave Bilha to her servant and he had relations with her until she became pregnant.\u00a0 She gave birth to a son and named him Naphtali.<\/p>\n Leah was vexed that Rachel’s slave had given birth to a son, so she in turn, gave her slave Zilpah to Jacob (PBUH).\u00a0 Zilpah gave birth to two son, Gad and Asher.\u00a0 Then Leah got pregnant and gave birth to her fifth son, Isssachar, and later she gave birth to a sixth son, Zebulun.\u00a0 After this Leah gave birth to a daughter named Dinah.\u00a0 Thus, Leah had seven sons from Jacob.<\/p>\n The Rachel prayed to Allah to give her a son from Jacob.\u00a0 Allah heard her call and responded to her prayer.\u00a0 She gave birth to a son, great, honorable and beautiful.\u00a0 She named him Joseph (Yusuf).<\/p>\n All of this happened when they were in the land of Haran and Jacob (PBUH) was pasturing his uncle’s sheep, which he did for a period of twenty years.<\/p>\n Jacob then asked his uncle Laban to let him go and visit his family.\u00a0 His uncle said to him: “I have been blessed because of you; ask for whatever money you need.”\u00a0 Jacob said: “Give me each spotted and speckled goat born this year and each black lamb.”<\/p>\n But at Laban’s command his sons removed their father’s goats that were striped, spotted or speckled, and the black lambs, lest others should be born with those traits.\u00a0 They walked for three days with their father’s goats and sheep while Jacob tended the remaining flock.<\/p>\n The People of the Book said that Jacob (PBUH) took fresh rods of poplar, almond and plane.\u00a0 He peeled streaks in them and cast them into the water troughs for the goats to look at.\u00a0 The young inside their abdomens were terrified and moved and they were born striped, spotted or speckled.\u00a0 When the sheep were breeding, he set their faces towards the balk sheep in Laban’ s flock and put the rods among them.\u00a0 Their lambs were born black.\u00a0 This was considered an example of supernatural powers, a miracle.\u00a0 His uncle and his sons faces changed as if they (the sheep and goats) had been stolen from the.<\/p>\n Allah the Almighty inspired Jacob to return to the country of his father and people, and He promised to stand by him.\u00a0 Jacob told his family that, and they responded and obeyed him.\u00a0 Jacob did not tell Laban of his plans, however, and left without bidding farewell.<\/p>\n Upon leaving, Rachel stole her father’s idols.\u00a0 After Jacob and his people had fled for his country, Laban and his people followed them.\u00a0 When Laban met with Jacob, he blamed him for leaving him without his knowledge.\u00a0 He would have like to know so that he could have made them leave with celebration and joy, with drums and songs, and so that he could have bidden his daughters and sons farewell.\u00a0 And why had they taken his idols with hem?<\/p>\n Jacob had no knowledge of his idols, so he denied he had taken them from him.\u00a0 The Laban entered the tents of his daughters and slaves to search, but he found nothing, for Rachel had put the idols in the camel saddle under her.\u00a0 She did not get up, apologizing she had her menses.\u00a0 Thus he could not perceive what they had done.<\/p>\n Then they sat on a hill called Galeed and made a covenant there.\u00a0 Jacob would not ill-treat Laban’s daughters nor marry others.\u00a0 Neither Laban nor Jacob would pass the hill into the other’s country.\u00a0 They cooked food and their people ate with them.\u00a0 Each bade the other farewells they departed each returning his own country.<\/p>\n When Jacob approached the land of Seir, the angles greeted him.\u00a0 He sent a messenger ahead with greetings to his brother Esau, asking forgiveness and humbling himself before him.\u00a0 The messenger returned greetings and told Jacob that Esau was riding towards him with four hundred men.<\/p>\n This made Jacob afraid and he entreated and prayed to All Almighty.\u00a0 He prostrated in humiliation and asked Him to fulfill His promise which He had made before.\u00a0 He asked him to stop the evil of his brother Esau.\u00a0 Then Jacob (PBUH) prepare a great present for his brother: two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty milch camels, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.<\/p>\n He commanded his slaves to take the animals, each drove by itself, and pass on ahead of him with a space between the droves.\u00a0 He instructed them: “When you meet my brother Esau he will ask you, ‘To whom do you belong? Where are you going?’\u00a0 You shall say ‘They belong to your servant Jacob; they are a present to my master Esau.\u00a0 Moreover, he is behind us.”<\/p>\n Jacob stayed behind with his two wives, his slaves and his children for two nights, then continued walking by night and resting by day.<\/p>\n When the dawn of the second day came one of the angles appeared in the shape of a man.\u00a0 Jacob began to wrestle wit him.\u00a0 They were neck and neck until the angel injured his thigh and Jacob became lame.\u00a0 When the day was breaking, the angle said to him: “What is your name?”\u00a0 He answered: “Jacob” The angle said: “After today you shall not b called (anything) but Israel.” Jacob asked: “And who are you?\u00a0 What is your name?”\u00a0 He vanished.\u00a0 Then Jacob knew that he was one of the angels.\u00a0 Jacob was lame, and for this reason the children of Israel do not eat the thigh muscle on the hip socket.<\/p>\n Jacob raised his eyes and saw his brother Esau coming.\u00a0 Jacob prostrated seven times before him, for it was their salutation in that time.\u00a0 It was lawful for them just as the angels had prostrated in salutation to Adam.<\/p>\n When Esau saw him, he ran towards him, and embraced and kissed him and wept.\u00a0 When Esau raised his eyes and saw the women and children he asked, “Who are these with you?” Jacob answered: “Thos whom Allah has given me, your servant.”\u00a0 Leah, Rachel, their slaves, and all the children approached and prostrated before him.\u00a0 Jacob asked Esau to accept his gift and insisted until he did so.<\/p>\n Esau returned and wet in advance before him.\u00a0 Jacob and his family followed with the flocks and hers and slaves to the mountains (Seir).<\/p>\n When he came to Succoth (Sahur), he built a house for himself and shades for his beasts.\u00a0 Then he passed by Jerusalem, the village of Shechem, and camped before the village.\u00a0 He bought a farm from Shechem Ibn\u00a0 Hamor with one hundred goats and built an altar, which he recalled Ayl, as stands today and later Solomon Son of David (PBUT) rebuilt it.\u00a0 It is in the place of the stone which eh had earlier anointed with oil, as was mentioned before.<\/p>\n The People of the Book tell a story of Dinah, daughter of Jacob and Leah. Shechem Ibn Hamor seized her and lay with her by force.\u00a0 Then he asked her father and brothers to let him marry her.\u00a0 Her brothers said: “Circumcise, all of you, and we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters for ourselves; but we do not marry with uncircumcised people.” They (the men of the city) agreed to that, and all of them were circumcised. When the third day came and the pain from the circumcision had increased, Jacob’s sons approached and killed them till the last one.\u00a0 They killed Shechem and his father for the evil they had committed against them and for their worship of idols.\u00a0 That is why Jacob’s sons killed them and seized their money as spoils.<\/p>\n Then Rachel got pregnant and gave birth to a son, Banjamin, but she had a hard labor and died after delivery.\u00a0 Jacob buried her in Ephrath (Afrath). The tomb of Rachel is there till the present day.<\/p>\n Jacob’s sons were twelve men.\u00a0 From Leah there were Rueben (Robil), Simeon (Shamun), Levi (Lawi), Judah (Yahudh), Issachar (Isakher), and Zebulun (Zablun).\u00a0 From Rachel there were Joseph (PBUH) and Benjamin.\u00a0 From Rachel’s slave there were Dan and Naphtali (Neftali), and from Leah’s slave there were Gad and Asher.<\/p>\n Jacob came to hi father Isaac and settled wit him in the village of Hebron which lies in the land of Canaan where Abraham\u00a0 had lived.\u00a0 Then Isaac fell ill and died when he was one hundred eighty years old.\u00a0 His sons Esau and Jacob, buried him with his father Abraham Al-Khalil in a cave which he had bought.\u00a0 It was aid that Abraham died at the age of one hundred seventy-five.<\/p>\n All the Almighty declared in the Glorious Qur’an: “And who turns away from the religion of Abraham but such as debase their souls with folly?\u00a0 Him We chose and rendered pure in this world: and he will be in the Hereafter in the ranks of the righteous.\u00a0 Behold! his Lord said to him: “Bow (thy will to me)”\u00a0 He said: “I bow (my will) to the Lord and Cherisher of the universe. And this was the legacy that Abraham left to his sons and so did Jacob; “O my sons! Allah hath chosen the faith for you; then die not except in the faith of Islam.”\u00a0 Were ye witnesses when death appeared before Jacob? Behold he said to his sons: “What will ye worship after me?”\u00a0 They said: “We shall worship thy Allah and the Allah of thy fathers of Abraham Isma`il and Isaac the one (true) Allah to Him we bow (in Islam).”\u00a0 That was a People that hath passed away.\u00a0 They shall reap the fruit of what they did and ye of what ye do! of their merits there is no question in your case!\u00a0 They say: “Become Jews or Christians if ye would be guided (to salvation).”\u00a0 Say thou: “Nay! (I would rather) the religion of Abraham the true and he joined not gods with Allah.”\u00a0 Say ye: “We believe in Allah and the revelation given to us and to Abraham Isma`il Isaac Jacob and the Tribes and that given to Moses and Jesus and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord we make no difference between one and another of them and we bow to Allah (in Islam).” So if they believe as ye believe they are indeed on the right path; but if they turn back it is they who are in schism; but Allah will suffice thee as against them and He is the All-Hearing the All- Knowing.\u00a0 (Our religion is) the baptism of Allah; and who can baptize better than Allah? and it is He whom we worship.\u00a0 Say: Will ye dispute with us about Allah seeing that He is our Lord and your Lord; that we are responsible for our doings and ye for yours; and that we are sincere (in our faith) in Him?\u00a0 Or do ye say that Abraham Isma`il Isaac Jacob and the Tribes were Jews or Christians?\u00a0 Say: Do ye know better than Allah?\u00a0 Ah! who is more unjust than those who conceal the testimony they have from Allah?\u00a0 But Allah is not unmindful of what ye do!”\u00a0 (Surah 2: 130-140)<\/p>\n In another surah Almighty Allah declared: “Ye people of the Book! why dispute ye about Abraham when the Law and the Gospel were not revealed till after him?\u00a0 Have ye no understanding?\u00a0 Ah! ye are those who fell to disputing (even) in matters of which ye had some knowledge! but why dispute ye in matters of which ye have no knowledge?\u00a0 It is Allah Who knows and ye who know not!\u00a0 Abraham was not a Jew nor yet a Christian but he was true in faith and bowed his will to Allah’s (which is Islam) and he joined not gods with Allah.\u00a0 Without doubt among men the nearest of kin to Abraham are those who follow him as are also this Apostle and those who believe; and Allah is the Protector of those who have faith.”\u00a0 (Surah 3: 65-68)<\/p>\n Allah the Exalted also confirmed: “But verily thy Lord to those who do wrong in ignorance but who thereafter repent and make amends thy Lord after all this is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.\u00a0 Abraham was indeed a model devoutly obedient to Allah (and) true in faith and he joined not gods with Allah: He showed his gratitude for the favors of Allah Who chose him and guided him to a straight way.\u00a0 And We gave him good in this world and he will be in the Hereafter in the ranks of the righteous.\u00a0 So We have taught thee the inspired (message) “Follow the ways of Abraham the true in faith and he joined not gods with Allah.” (surah 16: 119-123).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Story of Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac and Jacob [ peace be upon them ] \u00a0 \u0642\u0635\u0629 \u0633\u064a\u062f\u0646\u0627 \u0625\u0628\u0631\u0627\u0647\u064a\u0645\u060c \u0625\u0633\u0645\u0627\u0639\u064a\u0644\u060c \u0625\u0633\u062d\u0627\u0642 \u0648 \u064a\u0639\u0642\u0648\u0628 \u0639\u0644\u064a\u0647\u0645 \u0627\u0644\u0633\u0644\u0627\u0645 {English- \u0625\u0646\u062c\u0644\u064a\u0632\u064a} \u00a0 \u00a0 Imam Ibn Kathir \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1925","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-about-islam"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1925","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1925"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1925\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1926,"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1925\/revisions\/1926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1925"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1925"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1925"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nSECTION 2 – The Story of Ishmael (PBUH)\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nJacob worked for seven years and then married Rachel.\u00a0 It was acceptable in their time, as described in the Torah, for a man to marry two sisters. Laban gave a female slave to each daughter.\u00a0 Leah’s slave was called Zilpah and Rachel’s slave was called Bilha.<\/p>\n