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Abraham in Islam

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For information on the racehorse, see Ibrahim (horse)

Ibrahim (Arabic: ابراهيم), also known as Abraham, is an important prophet in Islam, and the father of the Prophet Ismail (Ishmael), his firstborn son, who is considered the Father of the Arabs. Ibrahim is commonly termed Khalil Allah, Friend of God.

Islam regards many of the Old Testament "Patriarchs" as prophets of God, and hence as Muslims. Ibrahim is regarded as neither Jew nor Christian but a Hanif (follower of the right path).

Commemoration of Ibrahim

The faith of Ibrahim is called Millat-e-Ibrahim in the Qur'an. Muslims believe that Ibrahim is a prophet of God, in accordance with the narrative of his life in the Qur'an. Ibrahim and his son Ismail are said to have built the Kaaba in Mecca. (Qur'an 2:125). Ibrahim also has an important role in one of the Pillars of Islam, the Hajj, which is a pilgrimage to the Holy Mosque. The principal aspect of the Hajj is remembering Ibrahim's sacrifice of Ismail (Ibrahim's firstborn son) and his path to the altar where Iblees (Satan) attempted to dissuade him three times. Those places where Satan appeared are marked with three symbolic stones where pilgrims throw stones. Moreover a part of the Hajj is a commemoration of the sacrifice and efforts of the wife of Ibrahim Hajre, Hagar, to find water for her son Ismail, when he was near dead with thirst. She ran between the two hills, Safa and Marwa, seven times and this ritual, Saaee (means effort/struggle in Arabic) is mandatory for all pilgrims to Mecca. During her quest for water she saw that a spring of fresh water had erupted near where her son Ismail lay. That spring became the basis of founding the city of Mecca, since fresh water was scarce in that barren land, and many tribes settled around there. This spring has been running for thousands of years. Ibrahim settled his wife and son in the valley of Mecca by God's order, to pioneer a civilization. It was from this civilization that the final prophet of Islam, Muhammad, was later born.

In some traditions, Muslims have a specific dua that they recite daily, asking God to bless both Ibrahim and Muhammad. Islamic prayer, Salat, that occurs five times a day, also includes many parts that ask God for his blessings upon Ibrahim; the most in the prayer. According to Islamic tradition, Ibrahim is buried in Hebron. In the Masjid al Haram in Mecca, there is an area known as the "station of Ibrahim" (Maqam Ibrahim مقام), which bears an impression of his footprints.

Ibrahim in the Qur'an

There are numerous references to Ibrahim in the Qur'an. According to the Qur'an, Ibrahim is the spiritual father of all the believers. He is mentioned as an upright person who was neither a polytheist nor a Christian or a Jew (Qur'an 3:67). An example is like the one below:

O ye who believe! Bow down and prostrate yourselves, and worship your Lord, and do good, that haply ye may prosper And strive for Allah with the endeavor which is His right. He hath chosen you and hath not laid upon you in religion any hardship; the faith of your father Ibrahim (is yours). He hath named you Muslims of old time and in this (Scripture), that the messenger may be a witness against you, and that ye may be witnesses against mankind. So establish worship, pay the poor due, and hold fast to Allah. He is your Protecting Friend. A blessed Patron and a blessed Helper. (Qur'an 22:78)

According to the Qur'an, Ibrahim reached the conclusion that anything subject to disappearance could not be worthy of worship, and thus became a monotheist (Qura'n 6:76–83). While some Muslims — like Jews — believe that Azar who was an idol-maker was the father of Ibrahim, the majority of Muslims believe that Tarakh was his father and Azar was Ibrahim's uncle (Father of Ibrahim). Ibrahim broke his uncle's idols, calling on his community to worship God instead. They then cast him into a fire, which miraculously failed to burn him (Qur'an 37:83–98). The well-known but wholly non-canonical Qisas al-Anbiya (Ibn Kathir) records many more details of his life, which are commonly referred to in Islamic accounts.

The sacrifice

Traditionally, Muslims believe that it was Ishmael rather than Isaac whom Ibrahim was told to sacrifice. In support of this, Muslims note that the text of Genesis, despite specifying Isaac, appears to state that Ibrahim was told to sacrifice his only son ("Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac," Jewish Publication Society translation, Genesis/Bereshit 22:2) to God. Since Isaac was Ibrahim's second son, it is arguable there was no time at which he would have been Ibrahim's "only son", and that this supports the Muslim belief that there was an original text that must have named Ishmael rather than Isaac as the intended sacrifice. The Qur'an itself does not specify by name which son Ibrahim nearly sacrificed saying only that it was his only son (Qur'an 37:99–111). Isaac (Ishaq in Islam) is also considered a prophet in Islam.

Muslims believe Ibrahim's dream was a test from God. When Ibrahim told his dream to Ismail, it was Ismail who convinced Ibrahim to fulfill God's order. So this was a test for both Ibrahim, who had longed for a son for such a long time, and for Ismail. Shaytaan (the devil Satan) appeared before Ibrahim and Ismail to try and deceive them. Ibrahim and Ismail threw stones at Shaytaan as a response. This is commemorated during the jumrah, one of the rites undertaken by Muslims making the required pilgrimage to Mecca. As Shaytaan had failed to deceive Ibrahim and Ismail, he went to Ibrahim's wife, and mother of Ismail, Hajar. When he told her what had happened she did not believe him, but when he told her that Ibrahim believed he was carrying out God's will, Hajar said: "If it is God's will, let what God wills be done". Their faith had overcome Shaytaan.

The entire episode of the sacrifice is regarded as a trial that Ibrahim had to face from God. It is celebrated by Muslims on the day of Eid ul-Adha.

References in the Qur'an

Prophets in the Quran
آدَمإِدرِيسنُوحهُودصَالِحإِبْرَاهِيْملُوطإِسْمَاعِيْل
إِسْحَاقيَعْقُوبيُوسُفأَيُّوْبشُعَيْبمُوسَىهَارُونذُو الكِفْلدَاوُد
سُلَيْمَانإِلْيَاساليَسَعيُونُسزَكَرِيَّايَحْيَىعِيسَىمُحَمَّد
Note: Muslims believe that there were many prophets sent by God to mankind. The Islamic prophets above are only the ones mentioned by name in the Quran.