al-Ṣaffāt

فَلَمَّآ أَسْلَمَا وَتَلَّهُ لِلْجَبِينِ

وَنَادَيْنَاهُ أَن يَآ إِبْرَاهِيمُ

قَدْ صَدَّقْتَ الرُّؤْيَآ كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُـحْسِنِينَ

إِنَّ هَذَا لَهُوَ الْبَلآءُ الْمُبِينُ

103. “So when they both submitted (to Our command) and he (Abraham) laid him (the son) prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice),”

104. “And We called out to him: ‘O Abraham!’”

105. “Indeed you have proved true the dream; verily thus do We reward the doers of good!”

106. “This is indeed the manifest trial.”

The commandments of Allah (s.w.t.) are sometimes for trial. Allah wanted that Abraham would detach his heart, not that the Ishmael’s blood might be shed. In these holy verses, the Qur’an says:

Again here the Qur’an explains shortly and lets the hearer pursue the story with the waves of his affections. Some commentators have said that the objective meaning of the Qur’anic phrase /tallahu lil jabin/¹⁰ was that Abraham put the forehead of Ishmael on the dust according to the son’s own suggestion, lest his eyes might see the son’s face and the fatherly affections would be exited and might hinder the fulfilment of the command of Allah/.¹¹

However, Abraham put the son’s face on the dust and moved the knife and, swiftly and powerfully, put it on the child’s throat, while his soul had been filled with excitement, and it was only the love of Allah which forwarded him undoubtedly alongside his way. But the sharp knife left the least effect on the smooth throat of his child. Abraham was in full surprise. He tried again and used the knife, but for the second time it affected naught. Yes, Abraham, the friend, says: “Cut it”, but Allah, the Majestic, says: “Do not cut”; and the knife obeyed only Allah’s command.

In the next verse, the Qur’an with a short and expressive sentence, puts an end to all expectations and says:

That is, We give them both the success of triumph in trial, and We do not let his beloved child be lost for him. Yes, he who submits thoroughly to Him and has one goodness in its highest degree will not have any recompense, but this. Then, in the next verses it adds:

To sacrifice a child by his own hand, a young child who is worthy enough, for a father who has been expecting such a son, is not simple action. How can he detach his heart from such a child? And more important than that without showing any frowning, but with the utmost submission and contentment, he hastens to fulfil this commandment. He accomplished all the primary affairs up to the last stage, so that he would not neglect anything from the point of psychological and practical preparations.

And more wonderful than that, there was the absolute submission of this lad before this command, who eagerly and with certainty of mind, by the grace of Allah and submitting to His will, hastened to receive the sacrifice. Some Islamic narrations indicate when this action was done, Gabriel (surprisingly) shouted: ‘Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar’ (Allah is the greatest! Allah is the greatest). And Abraham’s son cried: “There is no god but Allah. Allah is the greatest!”

And the devoted father, the hero, also said:

“Allah is the greatest and the praise belongs to Allah.” ¹²

Footnotes

1. 10. The Qur’anic word /tallahu/ is derived from /tal/ originally in the sense of a high place and the whole phrase means that he put one side of his face on the ground in a high place.
2. 11. The Qur’anic word /tallahu/ is derived from /tal/ originally in the sense of ‘a high place’ and the whole phrase means that he put one side of his face on the ground in a large place.
3. 12. The commentaries of Qurtabi, and Rauh-ul-Bayan.