THE PROPHET’S ACENT TO HEAVEN

          In the 12^th year of the call in the month of Rabi-ul-Awwal (some say the 27^th of Ramadan or the 27^th of Rajab) was the date of the holy Prophet’s ascent to heaven, popularly known as Miraj came to pass. The popular version as witnessed/stated in the traditions/hadith is that the holy prophet (pbuh) was lying one night within the enclosure of the holy Ka’ba in Mecca when suddenly the archangel Gabriel came with a steed called ‘Buraq’ running like lightning, had the prophet mounted thereon and went to mosque of Jerusalem (i.e. Al-Aqsa).  The holy Qur’an says regarding this occurrence, “GLORY BE TO HIM WHO TOOK HIS SERVANT FROM THE SACRED MOSQUE TO THE FURTHEST MOSQUE (JERUSALEM) OF WHICH WE HAD BLESSED ITS PRENCINTS SO THAT WE MAY SHOW HIM SOME OF OUR SIGNS.” (17:1) From this verse coupled with tradition/hadith the prophet’s (pbuh) night journey from the holy Ka’ba to the mosque of Jerusalem has been firmly established. Thereafter, the steed was kept outside and the prophet entered the masjid and prayed two ra’ka. 

Then he went to the first heaven with Gabriel. In this way he crossed the seven heavens after meeting all the great Prophet’s (pbuta) who welcomed him with great honor.  In the 7^th heaven, he was taken by Gabriel up to the Lote-tree which is the furthest limit of men and angels.  They can not go beyond that, nor their knowledge exceeds that limit. The holy prophet alone went a little further and spoke with Allah (awj) behind a veil and received revelations and secret knowledge which no mortal had attained before.  The Qur’an refers to this meeting of his with Allah: “…WHILE HE WAS IN THE HIGHEST PART OF THE HORIZON THEN HE APPROACHED AND CAME CLOSER DREW NEAR AND NEARER, THEN HE WAS THE MEASURE OF TWO BOWS AND CLOSER STILL. HE REVEALED TO HIS SERVANT WHAT HE REVEALED. THE PROPHET’S MIND AND HEART IN NO WAY FALSIFIED WHAT HE SAW. WILL YE THEN DISPUTE WITH HIM ABOUT THAT WHICH FOR INDEED HE SAW HIM (GABRIEL) AT A SECOND DESCENT. NEAR THE LOTE TREE BEYOND WHICH NO ONE MAY PASS. NEAR IT IS THE GARDEN OF ABODE. BEHOLD THE LOTE-TREE WAS SHROUDED IN MYSTERY UNSPEAKABLE!) HIS SIGHT NEVER SWERVED NOR DID IT GO WRONG FOR TRULY HE DID SEE THE SIGNS OF HIS LORD THE GREATEST! (51:7-18) Thereafter the prophet (pbuh) returned in the same night after attaining the highest spiritual perfection.

This night journey of the prophet baffled the imagination of the people and hence the enemies of the prophet and did not believe in his ascent. Some of the Quraish asked him to describe the mosque of Jerusalem (Quds) and he was successful. The companions of the prophet believed the prophet in the narrative of his ascent, but some of them differed with regard to its actual nature, whether it was spiritual, physical or whether it was in a dream. Hazrats Ayesha and Muwayiah (rah) held that it was purely spiritual, in other words, his soul was taken to see the signs of Allah, they were supported by the great saint Hasan al-Basri. The greater body of the companions and their successors hold the doctrine of physical ascent in other words the prophet went to heaven with the body. They gave stress on the word ….There is another group that says it was only an experience in a dream.

These differences arose only because the knowledge and experience of man cannot comprehend an incomprehensible thing. Whenever such inconceivable things such as predestination, paradise and hell ect. have been described differences found congenial room. The best thing is to leave to Allah what is beyond comprehension and believe in the words of the holy prophet (pbuh) and let not any controversy misguide us…”   

   

COMMENTARY

The subject of this khutbah is also known as the “Night journey” to the Muslim ummah while the narratives concerning it have been rigorously authenticated in the major works/collections of the hadith literature (Bukhari &Muslim). Among its highlights is the “meet and greet” of prophet Muhammad with the previous prophet’s and messengers (pbuta), as an indication of his connection to them in several areas. First is their believing, preaching and maintaining the primary belief of Tawheed (monotheism).

Second, is family lineage from the great patriarch Abraham (Ibrahim), despite the Bible focusing on Hagar being a slave/bondwoman making her son Ishmael by Abraham not one to inherit due to the implied inferiority to Sarah and her son, Issac (pbuta), because of social status.

Sister Maryam Jameelah writes in part, “…St.Paul’s epistles in the new testament condemn Ismail and his descendants even more vehemently than the Old Testament. “…Tell me ye that desire to be under the law; do ye not hear the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons the one of the bondwoman, the other by the freewoman. But he (Ismail) who was born of the bondwoman was born after the flesh but he of the freewoman was by promise…now we (Christian) brethren, as Issac was, are the children of promise. But him that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit, even so it is now.

Nevertheless, what sayith the scripture, cast out the bondwoman and her son for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So, therefore we (Christians) are not children of the bondwoman but of the free”. (Galatians, 4:21-31) ²

In the Islamic tradition, Ishmael/Isma’il is accorded the full status and respect of a prophet similar to the prophet’s of Israel (pbuta)…“AND ISMA’IL AND ELISHA. AND JONAS AND LOT…“THESE WERE THE MEN TO WHOM WE GAVE THE BOOK, THE AUTHORITY, AND PROPHETHOOD…”  (6:86,89) One Muslim scholar writes, “Of all people, prophets (peace be upon them all) had the most exalted and mature souls. They were immune from such things as being wrong, erring, unawareness, perfidy, bigotry, obstinacy, following the nafs (passions/desires), grudge and hatred. Prophets communicated and explained the things intimated Allah ta’ala. The teachings of Islam, commands and prohibitions communicated by them, are all true. Not one of them is wrong or corrupt.” ³ “NO PROPHET CAN BE FALSE TO HIS TRUST..” (Al-Imran, 3:161) The trust is their office of prophethood which includes all the virtues and character perfections mentioned. This ayat and others effectively refutes/rejects the biblical narratives that charge the great prophets of Israel and others with all manner of sins and heinous crimes. “…The Bible speaks of deceit and lies attributed Abraham, cheating and treachery to Isaac and Jacob, adultery to David, incest to Lot, idol worship to Aaron, apostacy to Solomon and inhuman brutalities to Moses and Joshua, and at the same time calls them men after God’s own heart …” Thus, “..all those calumnies which the Bible heaps on the holy character of the Prophets… the Qur’an clears them”, In clear contrast to these contaminated Biblical accounts stand the pure and sublime theism and the practical code of morals contained in the Qur’an…” ⁴

The logic of denigrating the prophets in the Biblical accounts makes it easy to understand several principal beliefs of Christianity; First is Saul/Paul exalting Prophet Jesus into the son of God, that includes God incarnate (i.e. taking a human form), being a hold over from the Greco-Roman mythology of Mithra/Mithras and others.  Second is the universal savior for all humanity although he (pbuh) stated he was for the“…lost sheep of Israel” (Matt.15:24), that is confirmed in Al-Qur’an (3:48-51), along with this last sacred scripture stating prophet Muhammad’s  (pbuh) mission was for all mankind (21:107). 3) In addition to Paul ‘abrogating’ the law of Moses (pbuh) (Gal. 3:13) and 4) claiming to be inspired by Jesus (pbuh). (Acts. 22: 6-15).      

Returning to the prophet`s heavenly ascent, most historical and authenticated religious reports (ahadith) state the prophet Suliaman/Solomon (pbuh) building masjid Al-aqsa a.k.a. the temple of Solomon in Jerusalem which is referred to as the furthest mosque in the above ayat. This designation is another indication of the connection between the Judeo/Christian and Muslim traditions starting with the Islamic belief in all the prophets and messengers (pbuta).

It has been reported that after this miraculous event when the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) spoke of it to the people they scoffed as the shaykh stated, “Some of the Quraish asked him to describe the mosque of Jerusalem (Quds) and he was successful.  One scholar explains this in contemporary norms, “in order to rout and disgrace Rasulullah (pbuh) (they attempted to test him…At that moment hadrat Jabrail brought Masjid-i Aqsa. [like watching television], in front of my eyes, I saw, counted, and answered their questions at once.” ⁵

(pbuh)—Peace be upon him.

(pbuta)—Peace be upon them all.

 

 

 

 

NOTES

1 Reliance of the Traveller trans. by Nuh Hamim Keller pg. 994

2 Islam versus Ahl al-Kitab past and present.  Pg. 32   

3 Belief and Islam. (Waqf Ikhlas publications). Pg.95   

4 lessons from stories of the Qur’an by Ali Musa Raza Mujahir: Introduction

5 Endless Bliss, Third Fascicle. (Waqf Ikhlas publications). Pg.279

 

 

RACISM AND ISLAM II

 

RACISM AND ISLAM II

 

 Continuing from part one’s essay on Racism and Islam is the question of the Muslim response to racism and the Sharia’s prohibition of it. I mention this as it is well known that Islam is both belief and action so that a Muslim’s~~~ conformity to the lawful and abandoning the unlawful in the sacred law/shariah is considered a proof of his or her assertion of faith. The old saying ‘actions speak louder than words’ is consistent with the perfection of Islam reflected in the text sources (Qur’an and Hadith) after accepting the beliefs of Islam with one important difference, the texts were divinely revealed meaning they must be obeyed if our statements of faith/belief is true.

 Ma’sha’llah, turning to a distorted interpretation of certain authenticated Hadith   some Christian clergy and their followers have tried to use against the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) of calling black people “raisin heads.” As usual the Christians got it wrong similar to their accepting the distortion of the original message of Jesus (pbuh) who they claim to believe in to this very day.

To put this falsehood in perspective a few facts are in order: First, the Prophetic narratives that mention a man with a “head like a raisin”  reflect the Prophet’s (pbuh) means of educating Muslims in several areas, starting with the criteria of religious, legal and political authority. He used the example of people the Arabs of that time generally ‘looked down’ on as inferior to drive the point home.

Second: what is a raisin—a deformed grape.  By using this wording the Prophet (pbuh) was saying a leader’s looks and physical appearance could be offensive but this has no bearing on his capacity to lead. In saying this he rejected racism and tribal exclusiveness being the opposite of what he is criticized for in the Hadith. Here again we see deviated people twisting the sacred words of the last Prophet (pbuh) as they did with the previous Prophets and Messengers, i.e., Musa (Moses) and Issa (Jesus). (Alhs)

Third: the hadith indicates the importance of maintaining the ‘chain of command’ as Allah has stated, “OBEY ALLAH, HIS PROPHET AND THOSE CHARGED WITH AUTHORITY AMONG YOU.” (4:59). Fourth is the Islamic principle of credible expertise – in other words, choosing the best person for the job.           

It is interesting to note that playing the ‘race card’ is among the foundations of the Judeo-Christian tradition before the Prophet Muhammad’s time, (see Exodus 4:22) during his time and still lives in the hearts and minds of many non-Muslims today. 

The reason Allah (SWT) chose the Children of Ibrahim/Abraham (pbuh) was that his tradition of faith and service would be passed on to his descendants reflected in the Qur’anic term Millat-Ibrahim.   

During the lifetime of the Prophet (pbuh) some Jews attempted to distort their scriptures in one case to make the Prophet appear to look like them; more European than Semitic. This is said to be the background of the ayat: “THEN WOE TO THOSE WHO WRITE THE BOOK FROM THEIR OWN HANDS AND THEN SAY THIS IS FROM ALLAH...”  (2:79)   (The Holy Qur’an in today’s English Yahiya Emerick pg. 52 and Tafsir Usmani/The Noble Qur’an Vol.1, pg. 34)

Among the proofs the Prophet’s (pbuh) words were distorted to imply racism is reflected is his interactions with Black people. Usama Ibn Zayd was of ‘mixed’ parentage: his father was Arab, Zayd Ibn Haritha while his mother was African, Umm Ayman. Usama was among the Ahle-Bait or people of the Prophet’s house and not as a slave whom the Prophet loved. In addition is the well-known African Companion, Bilal ibn Rab’aah the chief Muaddhin (caller to prayer) along with acting as a distributor of the Zakat/treasury funds at the order of the Prophet (pbuh). In one incident an Arab Muslim made a disparaging remark about Bilal’s mother/parentage, when the Prophet (pbuh) heard about this he rebuked the Companion, saying “I see the signs of ignorance (racism, ethnic superiority) are still with you.” He then went to Bilal and sought his forgiveness for the remark.   

On a contemporary note, there are several Masajids in adjoining neighborhoods ‘run’ by immigrant African Muslims whose Khatibs/Imams know the Qur’an, Hadith and the Seerah books from the Arabic language speaking of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in the most loving and respectful terms. Are they brainwashed or are they carrying a religious tradition based on the faith of Islam that goes back over 1400 years?       

I hope that none of my Muslim brethren were deceived into thinking or speaking ill of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as this comes dangerously close to unbelief if not unbelief proper. Whether due to the lack of knowledge on the issue of race from the Islamic tradition or being subtly influenced by the ignorant rantings of the two groups declared as deviated in the Qur’an (Jews and Christians), the result of their faith possibly hanging in the balance is the same.

 Alhs—Alay he salaam

 pbuh—peace be upon him

SWT - SubhanaAllah wa Ta'ala

THE ARABS AND THE KA'BA

 

"Ancient Arabia did not have a centralized government of any form. That is, there was no national governing body, or no one man, such as a king ruling the people. The Arabs were organized into tribes, with each tribe having its own chief, who was responsible for his own tribe in both war and peace. The members of a tribe were friendly with each other, and if one was in need of something the others tried to help him as much as they could.

As the Arabs were divided into different tribes, so were they divided by religion. Some Arabs were Christian, others were Jews, but the majority were idol worshipers-Pagans. These pagans prayed to the sun, the moon and the stars, but most of them prayed to idols fashioned by their own hands, whether out of stones, wood and any other material they could gather together. They even had special temples in which they offered sacrifices to these idols.

The Ka'ba, which was built by the Prophet Ibrahim (als) and his son Isma’il (als), as a place in which to worship 'One God' was taken over by these 'pagans', and it became the main temple for their idols. The Ka'ba held over 360 idols, and nearly every family had its own idol, its own 'home made' God. During certain months of the year, people from all parts of Arabia would come to visit these idols and to enjoy the sacrifices and the fairs (bazaars) which lasted for weeks. At these fairs, people made new friends and cleared up any misunderstandings among themselves. Poets sang their songs and orators read their rhetorical speeches. Poems and speeches the audiences liked were memorized and repeated by these people when they returned to their homes. In addition, the best speeches and poems were written in golden letters on scrolls that were hung on the door of the Ka'ba until the following year, giving the people ample opportunity to memorize them.

These fairs also served as an important source of income for the Meccan merchants. Members of the Qurayish tribe who were the merchants of the city sold their wares at very high prices. As I said before, most of the Arabs prayed to idols, they prayed to these gods which they could touch and see, because they thought they could give them help. In reality they were not very religious because the most important thing in life for them was to make money.

The city dwellers, especially, desired money and sought their own pleasures no matter what the consequences. Wine was drunk in the streets like water. People had no pity for their enemies, torturing and even burning them at the stake with no mercy. Those considered weak and those traveling the country were robbed. Married men had many wives, and women were treated very badly and were considered as part of her husband's property. As such, boys could inherit their father's wives along with the rest of their holdings. The people were also very sad when a girl was born, and some even buried a newborn female infant alive.

 

On the other hand, the Arabs were brave and very generous. If a stranger went to their home or tent he was greeted and made to feel at home. He was given the best to eat and drink, and was protected, if need be by his enemies. They were and are very hospitable people. In the midst of these people, and these customs (both good and bad) our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was born and raised ....”

 

 COMMENTARY

The above Khutbah gives some background information on the character and conditions of the pre-Islamic Arabs and the first house of worship for mankind-the Ka'ba. Although most Arabs trace their lineage and religious traditions to Ibrahim (Abraham), in both religious beliefs and social norms, the Arabs particularly the Qurayish, (in the time of our Prophet) strayed from the ways of the great Patriarch. Over the course of time, idolatry replaced monotheism just as oppression and materialism replaced justice and benevolence among the children of Ismail (alhs). Yet, despite their flaws, as one scholar explains,  “... their virtues and natural potentialities were much more in comparison. They held in themselves possibilities of rising into a power that could change the course of history ... They had not been corrupted by the traditional traits of culture and intellectualism; that is why Banu Isma’il were called Ummi ~ that is unaffected by external cultural influences. The simplicity, the natural facilities, and the social traditions of the Arabs were the basic factors that invited the Mercy of Allah to choose them as the first people where a worldwide revolution could be launched. This thesis has been aptly elaborated by Shah Waliyullah in the first part of his 'Hujjat-Allah-al-Baligahah as well as by Khudri in his ‘History of Jurisprudence’ (Evolution of Social Institutions in Islam by Dr. Sayyid Matlub Husayn pgs.30-31)

The late Shaykh also mentioned in the khutbah the pre-Islamic fairs held in Mecca and their showcasing Arab poetry and rhetorical speech. This is due in part to the Arabs' love of the spoken word, for scholars tell us that the Arabic spoken by the Arabs of the seventh century "...was also the most archaic of all the Semitic languages, closer to the mother-Semitic than the rest." (Islamic Thought and Culture, (Compilation of papers) Edited by Ismai’l R. Al-Faruqi pgs. 20-23) Simply put, the type of speech among the people of this time contained much of the older/earlier characteristics of the Semitic languages amounting to pure, almost uncorrupted dialects. This phenomenon is also related to Ibrahim and the Ka'ba as the Arabs" ... could not have preserved intact their archaic language over the centuries while forgetting their attachment to the Ka'ba. The memory of the Arabs which served them as the repository of their oral literature and tribal histories, was not about to forget such decisive figures as Abraham and Ishmael, who play cyclical roles in the existence of the Arab nomads. If this is so then the Ka'ba is the most ancient sanctuary still in use at the present day, and the Pilgrimage to Mecca is the most ancient ritual still in operation. The Qur'an says, "LO! THE FIRST SANCTUARY APPOINTED FOR MANKIND WAS THAT AT MECCA, A BLESSED PLACE, A GUIDANCE TO THE PEOPLES; WHEREIN ARE PLAIN MEMORIALS (OF ALLAH'S GUIDANCE); THE PLACE WHERE ABRAHAM STOOD UP TO PRAY; AND WHOSOEVER ENTERETH IT IS SAFE." AND PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOUSE IS A DUTY UNTO ALLAH FOR MANKIND, FOR HIM WHO CAN A WAY THITHER." (3:96-97) (Islamic Thought and Culture, (Compilation of papers) Edited by Ismai’l R. Al-Faruqi pgs. 20-23)  

"The Islamic tradition would have it that the prototype Ka'ba is not earthly but celestial in nature. As a matter of fact, there are a number of otherworldly Ka'bas’, each one the center of its place of existence, just as the Ka'ba at Mecca is the center of the earth."  "The sacred nature of the Ka'ba is clearly indicated by the attitudes prescribed by the Law towards the Black Stone embedded in the eastern corner of the edifice. While making his circumambulation around the Ancient House, the pilgrim should kiss or at least touch the Black Stone. This would have no meaning if the stone were devoid of symbolism. Traditionally it is looked on as the right hand of Allah in the world”’ so that the Pilgrim, in kissing or touching the stone, renews his pact with the Lord of the Ka'ba more or less in the same fashion as a man renews his pact with his fellowman through a handclasps.' Some scholars believe touching or kissing the Black Stone is to renew one's allegiance to Allah in person (by visiting His Sacred precincts) as one renews his pact with his king or commander in person after swearing loyalty to and serving him for many years prior.

With regard to the Hajj and its history, "the actual institution of the Pilgrimage goes back to Abraham's time, the only things introduced by the pre-Islamic Arab pagans being the idols, which were to be found in the Ka'ba itself. Apart from destroying the idols—all 360 of them—and prohibiting the circumbulation of the Ka'ba naked, the Prophet merely purified the Pilgrimage of their paganistic veneer and restored them to their Abrahamic state. There is no adequate reason why anyone would doubt the antiquity of the rituals connected with the Pilgrimage nor their relations to Abraham and Ishmael". (Islamic Thought and Culture, (Compilation of papers) Edited by Ismai’l R. Al-Faruqi pgs. 20-23)  

"The Pilgrimage to Mecca celebrates in its multiple rituals a whole series of events connected with the mission of Abraham his wife Hagar (Hajra) and their offspring Ishmael (lsmai’l). If we stop to examine the different elements in the Pilgrimage that have to do with Abraham and his family, we realize more and more, that the claim of lslam to be a reaffirmation of the Abrahamic way not only on the sacred words of the Qur'an, which count for much already, but also on an ancient, sacred oral tradition that the memories of the nomadic Arabs kept alive in pre-Islamic times along with their observance of the rituals surrounding the Ka'ba and the Pilgrimage to that ancient sanctuary. Let us remember, in passing, that Judaism and Christianity are connected to Abraham through Issac, while Islam is connected to him through Ishmael.” (Islamic Thought and Culture, (Compilation of papers) Edited by Ismai’l R. Al-Faruqi pgs. 20-23). Indeed, the northern Arabs consider him their progenitor, and the Prophet, like the other Arabs in his day had an ancestral line that took him back to Ishmael. That linage was accompanied with a mass of traditions and stories surrounding the Ka'ba and the pre-Islamic Arabs, the so-called pagan Arabs, transmitted as part of their historical and religious connections to that ancient edifice.” (Islamic Thought and Culture, (Compilation of papers) Edited by Ismai’l R. Al-Faruqi pgs. 20-23)

"The rituals of the Pilgrimage proper last for only some five days, beginning on the eighth day of the month of Dhu-al-Hijjah and ending on the 13th, though some pilgrims leave before then. The main rituals have to do with the circumambulation of the Ka'ba, the running two and fro between Safa' and Marwah, the standing on the plain of 'Ararat, the lapidation of the emblems of Satan, the sacrifice of animals at 'Arafat—all of this taking place between Makkah and 'Ararat, with the intervening places of Muzdalifah and Mina having their own importance also." (Islamic Thought and Culture, (Compilation of papers) Edited by Ismai’l R. Al-Faruqi pgs. 20-23)  

"In the symbolism of the Pilgrimage, there is a type of meeting with the Divinity that is in anticipation of the Day of Judgment, and the fact that pilgrims tend to go on the Pilgrimage toward the end of their lives and even consider dying in Makkah as a benediction—all this points to a kind of judgmental nature to this pillar of Islam. The unsewn pilgrim's dress, consisting of two plain pieces of white cloth, and the ascetical restrictions imposed upon all those who enter the sacred precincts indicated a state of confrontation with the Divine Presence that obliterates all the social hierarchies of the profane world; external distinctions disappear, the equality of all the immortal souls face-to-face with their Creator is what now appears. And since in that Divine Presence, the taking of lives, through hunting or uprooting of plants that have also a life of their own, and engaging in sensual pleasures would be out of the question, the Law prohibits all of that by way of keeping the believers within a framework of receptivity towards celestial graces.” (Islamic Thought and Culture, (Compilation of papers) Edited by Ismai’l R. Al-Faruqi pgs. 20-23).

 

(alhs) Aly-he-salaam

 

IBRAHIM AL-HANEEF

The Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca is universally acknowledged as an obligatory religious duty for Muslims -- one of Islam's five pillars or principles. What is not generally known is the religious significance behind the various acts which Hajj is made up of.  Any attempt to grasp the true spirit of this important foundation of Islam necessitates turning back the clock to the life of the great patriarch of monotheism, the Father of nations, Allah's Khalil (friend), Ibrahim (alhs).  Some of the rites of Hajj are connected with major incidents in His Blessed life. Our examination of the Prophet Ibrahim's  life will be confined to those events that interrelate to Hajj and parallel the life and Mission of our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

To begin with, "...Abraham was a lover of the Lord from his earliest childhood.  When he grew up, he began to preach openly the "Oneness" of God and condemned the association of any partner or rival with Allah." (The meaning of the Qur’an S.Abul A’la Maududi Vol.1 pg.187)  Most historical accounts portray Ibrahim's father as the chief idol maker and was among the priestly class in the cult of idol worship. Thus, this provided an incentive for Ibrahim to admonish his father first.  This is in addition to the principle among believers that admonishment, mutual support and help begins at home (i.e., with one's relatives) as embodied in the verse, AND WARN THY NEAREST KIN." (26:214) Although this verse is said to have been revealed in the third year of the Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh) Mission, it is one of the earliest revelations commanding preaching openly (Surat-tu-Nabi, Shibli Numani Vol.1, pg 195)

Not only did Ibrahim’s father reject his advice to worship the One true Lord and Creator of all, he became angry and threatened to punish him.  "THE FATHER REPLIED: DOST THOU HATE OUR GODS, O ABRAHAM?  IF THOU FORBEAR NOT, I WILL INDEED STONE THEE: NOW GET AWAY FROM ME FOR A GOOD LONG WHILE!" (19:46)

After publicly preaching, Ibrahim's message to return to the doctrine of pure Tawheed was rejected by the populace (6:80,81). Finally, in an attempt to demonstrate the illogical and erroneous nature of idol worship, Ibrahim breaks all the idols in the temple at Ur (Iraq) except the largest one and leaves the instrument used (an axe) (The Koran, translated by George Sale pg.,320 and Tafsir Usmani, Allama Usmani Vol.2, pg.1466) to destroy them on or next to it. "...NAY, YOUR LORD IS THE LORD OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH, HE WHO CREATED THEM FROM NOTHING; AND I AM WITNESS TO THIS TRUTH. (21:5) SO HE BROKE THEM TO PIECES, ALL BUT THE BIGGEST OF THEM, THAT THEY MIGHT TURN AND ADDRESS THEMSELVES TO IT.  THEY SAID WHO HAS DONE THIS TO OUR GODS HE MUST BE SOME MAN OF IMPIETY!  THEY SAID, WE HEARD A YOUTH TALK OF THEM; HE IS CALLED ABRAHAM.  THEY SAID, THEN BRING HIM BEFORE THE EYES OF THE PEOPLE, THAT THEY MAY BEAR WITNESS.  THEY SAID, 'ART THOU THE ONE WHO DID THIS TO OUR GODS, O ABRAHAM.  HE SAID: NAY, THIS WAS DONE BY THIS--THE BIGGEST ONE!  ASK THEM IF THEY CAN SPEAK INTELLIGENTLY! SO THEY TURNED TO THEMSELVES AND SAID, SURELY WE ARE THE ONES IN THE WRONG! THEN WERE THEY CONFOUNDED WITH SHAME: THEY SAID THOU KNOWEST FULL WELL THAT THESE IDOLS DO NOT SPEAK!  ABRAHAM THEN SAID, DO YOU THEN WORSHIP BESIDES ALLAH THINGS THAT CAN NEITHER BE OF ANY GOOD TO YOU OR DO YOU HARM?  FIE UPON YOU AND THE THINGS YOU WORSHIP BESIDES ALLAH!  HAVE YOU NO SENSE?  THEY SAID, BURN HIM AND PROTECT YOUR GODS.  IF YE DO ANYTHING AT ALL!" (21:56-68)

 In consequence of exposing their irrational creed, the verdict was given by the authorities of the day to "BURN HIM AND PROTECT YOUR GODS..." Maulana Maududi says, that Ibrahim's arrest and trial "...is exactly what Prophet Abraham expected to happen.  He wished that the matter should not remain confined to the priests and the attendants but the common people should be present there to witness that their deities were helpless and their priests were deluding them about their powers.  The priests committed the same folly as was later committed by Pharaoh when he arranged an encounter between the Prophet Moses and the magicians in the open in front of the multitudes of the common people, and the former got an opportunity to show publicly the miracles of the staff were shattered the illusory, magical tricks of the magicians." (The meaning of the Qur’an S.Abul A’la Maududi Vol.7 pgs.157-159)  

 Such defiant resistance against the national religion of the day has to rank as a definitive act of moral courage, as this young man of faith (in his thirties)  (Abraham, His Life and Times, Mussarat Husain Zuberi, pg. 88) stood alone preaching to a people whose hearts were as dead as the stone images they worshiped.  The destruction of the idols was not only a great act of faith in itself but also provided a golden opportunity for a public forum on idol worship in general. "...Preparations were made for a month and the huge fire was stroked for seven days and the heat was so intense that no one could get near enough to throw Abraham into it and so he was thrown in from a catapult and stayed there for seven days but no harm came to him as Allah (SWT) has decreed."  (Abraham, His Life and Times, Mussarat Husain Zuberi, pg.60)

 "The commentators relate that by Nimrod's order, a large space was enclosed at Cutha and filled with a large quantity of wood, which was being set on fire burned so fiercely that no one dared venture near it; then they bound Abraham into an engine (i.e., catapult) and shot him into the middle of the fire from which he was preserved by Gabriel who was sent to his assistance; the fire only burning the cords with which he was bound." (The Koran, translated by George Sale, pg.321)

 "The oppressors celebrated the event of throwing this great pious personality into the fire.  When he was being thrown into the fire, Jibra'eel (alayhis salaam) presented himself and said: 'If you need my assistance, I am at your service.'  Ibrahim replied: 'If the assistance is from your side then I do not need it.  For the sake of that Great Being due to Whom this is being done, He Himself is All-Knowing...Whatever He has decided for me I am contented with it." (History of Qurbani by Mufti Muhammad Shafi, pg.5 )

 It is here that the quality and depth of Ibrahim's (alhs) faith is shown.  For it is one thing to preach or talk about the correct belief (At-Tawheed).  It is another to put one's life on the line in its service.  Ibrahim's acceptance of his fate (in the fire) with patience and deep rooted certainty (Yaqin) is shown by his saying, "For the sake of the Great Being due to whom this is being done, He Himself is All-Knowing...Whatever He has decided for me I am contented with it." His faith was so perfect that even when the primary medium of Divine help and Mercy (Jibreel) presented himself, Ibrahim considered his help insignificant, relying directly on He who lives and dies not (awj).

"Allah Ta'ala commanded the fire to become "Bardaw wa Salaaman, cool and peaceful." (20:69) Its’ sky kissing flames turned into a garden of bed and roses. Ibrahim (alhs) walks out of the fire untouched, while the populace is literally stunned.  "After witnessing this clear "Mu'jizah (miracle) of Ibrahim (alhs) instead of accepting Imaan, their enmity increased." (History of Qurbani by Mufti Muhammad Shafi, pg.6)   

The miracle of the fire itself had a few important meanings: 1) it confirmed the truth of Ibrahim's call to worship the One true God; 2) It showed the powerlessness of the idols; 3) The "worship" of idols was a man-made belief; and 4) The Almighty Creator that Ibrahim (alhs) called them to believe in and worship was indeed Almighty, having power over all.  "There is no doubt that this was a miracle and a miracle had to take place to prove the existence and omnipotence of Abraham's God as contrasted with the helplessness of the mute stone gods whom Abraham had smashed and left the main one intact to shame them further...The miracle had to happen to prove the ascendancy of Abraham's Allah, to save Abraham from the raging fire and "make them the losers." (Abraham, His Life and Times, Mussarat Husain Zuberi pg.61)

The incident of Ibrahim breaking the idols and his subsequent punishment was not the first time he had dissented and rebelled against the "authorities" of the day.  Although the Qur'an does not give the name of the unbeliever Ibrahim argued with (2:258), most commentators agree that it was the same King Nimrod who ordered that men should take him as Lord. The commentators relate that the dispute arose because Nimrod demanded that Ibrahim (alhs) bow before him.  Ibrahim not only refused to bow but stated that he would bow before none but Allah.  In an attempt to prove his "god-like" ability of having the power of life and death, Nimrod had two prisoners brought before him.  He ordered that the innocent one be killed and the guilty one set free.  Ibrahim (alhs) retorted by saying, "Allah makes the sunrise from the east.  Can you raise it from the west?" (Tafsir Usmani, Allama Usmani, Vol.1 pg.148)

It is generally accepted that certain events in the lives of all the Prophets and Messengers (pbuta) parallel each other at some point.  The similarities between the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the Prophet Ibrahim (alhs) bear striking resemblance to each other.  In the case of the Prophet Ibrahim the classic story of an upright and Divinely inspired man of faith standing against the society of his birth because of their practices of Shirk and misguidance is again presented.  But this version of the story has a slightly deeper significance.  "The Bible (Old Testament) is absolutely silent on this incident (i.e., breaking the idols) which is a turning point in the history of mankind.  Noah's monotheistic teaching had been forgotten and the first strident call to a Supreme Being, Creator of the Heavens and Earth and whatever there is between them was proclaimed by Abraham never to be forgotten or side-tracked again in human history." (Abraham, His Life and Times, Mussarat Husain Zuberi, pg.58) Indeed, for one of the most important acts this great Prophet would perform under Divine direction is the building of the Ka'ba and establishing the city of Mecca. The first and most enduring Bait (House of) Allah, would become, as it is today, the centerpiece of the only living monument and center established solely for the commemoration and perpetuation of pure Monotheism (At-Tawheed).

The next similarity between these two great Prophets and the fraternity of Prophets and Messengers (peace be upon them all) in general is the campaign of oppression and maltreatment by the unbelievers in response to their preaching against misguidance, idolatry and Shirk.  The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was informed of this in the conversation between himself and Khadijah's (raah) cousin Waraqa ibn Nuwfal. After acknowledging the Prophet's experience with the Angel Jibreel (i.e, the first revelation) as consistent with the established information known to the savants and sages regarding Wahy or inspiration descending to a Prophet, Waraqa is reported to have said, "Would I be alive when your people would drive you out.  Would they drive me out," asked the Prophet (pbuh)? Waraqa replied it has happened to every Prophet who came with a message." (Bukhari) "AND THEY ILL TREATED THEM FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN THEY BELIEVED IN ALLAH, EXALTED IN POWER WORTHY OF ALL PRAISE." (85:8)

When the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) undertook the Mission of preaching Tawheed and the rejection of Shirk, the response of his people was naturally one of outrage; eliciting both anger and resistance from the common folk and the leaders.  The reasons for this response should not be hard to understand as idolatry was among the cohesive elements of the socio-economic, religious, and socio-political foundations of his society.  In the time of the Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) the reaction of that society to his preaching Tawheed was the same as idol worship was the authorized "religion" of the day.

The solution the Qurayish chose in dealing with this threat to their "security" was similar to the verdict of Nimrod and his cohorts, with one difference:  the punishment of Ibrahim (alhs) was to be carried out in public, probably to quench the people's thirst for revenge and blood-lust for the "sacrilege" committed by him.  A public execution would also help to reinforce the "omnipotent" power of the state. The Qurayish, however chose the cover of darkness and stealth (i.e, covert action) in their plan to assassinate the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

To ensure that there would be no vendettas or blood feuds resulting from their evil plan, its architects made sure that each one of the young men chosen to carry out the Prophet's assassination would be from the most powerful and well-connected families and clans of the Qurayish.  This would make the desire to avenge the Prophet's death by his clan members (Banu-Hisham) impractical as they would have to wage war against the entire tribe. Their only alternative would be to accept blood-wit (i.e., money) for Muhammad's murder; thus averting a tribal blood feud and silencing Allah's Messenger (pbuh) once and for all with one murderous act.                                                                 

Allah (shwta) informed his Messenger (pbuh) of the Qurayish's plan in these Holy words, AND WHEN THOSE WHO DISBELIEVE PLOT AGAINST THEE (O, MUHAMMAD) TO WOUND THEE FATALLY, OR KILL THEE, OR TO DRIVE THEE FORTH; THEY PLOT, BUT ALLAH PLOTTETH; AND ALLAH IS THE BEST OF PLOTTERS" (8:30). The Prophet (pbuh) was also given permission to Migrate to Yathrib (Medina), and informing Ali (rah) of the intent of the Qurayish asked him to stay in his bed until the next day and return the possessions that were deposited in the Prophet's house to their owners. Ali naturally complied. When the Prophet (pbuh) felt the presence of the would-be assassins assembling outside his door, He began to recite Sura Ya-sin, (36:1-10) and when he reached the ninth ayat "AND WE HAVE PUT A BAR IN FRONT OF THEM AND A BAR BEHIND THEM, AND FURTHER WE HAVE COVERED THEM UP SO THAT THEY CANNOT SEE," he began to leave. Miraculously, the assassins were temporarily blinded and Allah's Messenger (pbuh) passed them undetected. Some of the Sira scholars say that as the Prophet (pbuh) and Abu Bakr (rah) were leaving for Medina, the Prophet cast a glance at the Ka'ba and said, O, Mecca thou art dearer to me than the entire world, but thy sons will not allow me to live here."  (Surat-tu-Nabi, Shibli Numani Vol.1, pg 248)                         

To make Hijra or leave one's home or place of birth because of persecution or the denial of freedom to worship Allah is another practice that was common to many of the Prophets (pbuta). Hijra, when properly understood, turns our attention to another characteristic of the Prophet Ibrahim (alhs), for Allah describes him as Haneef. The more familiar meaning of this word is one inclined to a correct state, (i.e., Islam), but it has a few other important connotations:  One who is orthodox or follows an established way; one who turns away, revolts or rebels. In reference to Ibrahim (alhs), it is he who rebelled against Shirk, and the worship of idols and false deities. In spite of the negative connotation used by the mushriks for the early monotheists, this term was considered a badge of honor for the unitarians even in the time prior to the Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh) Mission. 

                                                             GLOSSARY                                            

Awj-as wa jal

Alhs-alay-he-salaam

Shwta-Glorified is He the most high

Rah-radi-allah hum an-hum