By the grace of Allah, we continue the story of the life of our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This part tells about the prophets Ibrahim and Ismail (peace be upon them) - the ancestors of our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): how they built the Kaaba - the first temple to the One God. How the Arabs, after their death, gradually moved away from the true faith and indulged in idolatry. Who were the ancestors of our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). What happened in the year of the Elephant - when the ruler of Yemen wanted to destroy the Kaaba. And it was in this year that our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was born.
Prophets Ibrahim, Ismail (peace be upon them) and their descendants
After a long journey, Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) approached Mecca, which lies in a valley between desert mountains. Because there was no water, there was no vegetation and human life was very difficult. Accompanied by his wife Hajar and son Ismail (peace be upon him), Ibrahim (peace be upon him) wanted to hide from the cult of idolatry that had spread throughout the world. He wanted to create a center where only Allah would be worshiped, who would be a beacon of true guidance for people, radiating true faith and righteousness.
Allah accepted the intention of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and blessed this place. After Ibrahim left the inhospitable place, water flowed from the spring to provide his small family with the means to survive. Hajar and Ismail (peace be upon him) lived in this arid place, far from other people. Allah blesses the Zamzam spring to this day; people continue to drink its water and take it with them to all corners of the globe.
While Ismail (peace be upon him) was growing up, Ibrahim (peace be upon him) visited him several times. At the command of Allah, he wanted to sacrifice Ismail, who was then still a child, in order to show that his love for Allah was greater than for his own son. Ismail (peace be upon him) also agreed with the command of the Almighty that he should be sacrificed. But Allah saved him and ordered him to sacrifice a ram from Paradise in his place as a ransom. Ismail (peace be upon him) survived: he began to help his father in calling to Allah and became the progenitor of the last Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
During their later visits to Mecca, Ibrahim and his son (peace be upon them) together built the Kaaba, the house of Allah. They prayed to Allah to accept this temple and bless their deeds. They also asked Allah to allow them to live and die in Islam, so that the work of Islam would continue after their death. They asked Allah to send a Prophet from among their descendants, who would revive the call of his ancestor Ibrahim and complete what he started.
“And (remind them in such a way that they imagine before their eyes) (the prophet) Ibrahim erects the foundations of the house [Kaaba], and Ismail (his assistant). (And each of them prayed to Allah): “(Oh) our Lord! Accept from us, because You are truly the Hearing, the Knowing!
(Oh) Our Lord! And make us (two) devoted to You and from (part of) our descendants - a community devoted to You (26), and show us [explain] the places of our worship, and accept our repentance, for You, truly, are the Accepter of repentance, the Merciful!
(Oh) Our Lord! And raise up among them [choose from among them] a messenger from among them (themselves), who will recite to them Your signs, and teach them the Scripture [Quran] and wisdom [the Sunnah and the subtleties of the perfect law of Allah], and purify them (from wicked deeds). [will teach them good behavior], because You are truly Majestic, Wise!” (Surah Baqara, 127-129).
Allah blessed their family and their offspring multiplied in this barren valley. Adnan, a descendant of Ismail (peace be upon him) had many children. Among Adnan's descendants, Fihr ibn Malik in particular was a prominent tribal leader. From the descendants of Fihr appeared Qusay ibn Kilyab. He ruled Mecca and held the keys of the Kaaba. He commanded respect - he distributed Zamzam water and was responsible for feeding the pilgrims. He also led meetings when the noble people of Mecca gathered in council, and he raised the banner of war (decided on the outbreak of hostilities). He alone managed the affairs of Mecca.
Among his sons, Abd Manaf was the most famous, while his eldest son, Hashim became a great man of his people. He provided food and water for pilgrims coming to Mecca. He was the father of Abdul Mutalib, the grandfather of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), who was also responsible for feeding and supplying water to the pilgrims. He was held in high esteem by his people and his fame was ahead of all his ancestors. His people loved him.
The descendants of Fihr ibn Malik were called Quraish. This name began to prevail over all others, and was adopted by the tribe. All Arabs recognized the excellent pedigree and nobility of the Quraish. Their eloquence, politeness and high intelligence were unanimously recognized by everyone.
Idolatry in Mecca
The Quraysh initially continued to follow the religion of Ibrahim and Ismail (peace be upon them), adhering to tawhid and the worship of One Allah, until Amr ibn Luhay became their leader. He was the first to deviate from the religion of Ismail (peace be upon him) and set up idols, which he called on other people to worship. One day he went from Mecca to Syria on trade business, where he saw people worshiping idols. He was so impressed by what he saw that he brought the idols to Mecca and installed them there, commanding the people to worship them.
According to tradition, the people of Mecca, when they left for business elsewhere, took several stones from the Haram as a sign of respect for the holy place. Gradually this led to the fact that they began to worship stones. Subsequent generations forgot the reason why these stones were revered, and the Quraysh began to worship stone idols, as people did in neighboring countries.
Year of the Elephant
At this time, a significant event took place that foreshadowed something important in the future. It meant that Allah wanted a better future for the Arabs, and that the Kaaba would become such an important place as it had never been before - people from all over the world would come to it.
Abraha al-Ashram, the viceroy of the Negus king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) who ruled Yemen, built an impressive temple in Sana'a (the capital of Yemen) and named it Al-Kullais. Thus, he wanted to attract Arab pilgrims (who came to the Kaaba every year) to him. As a Christian, he was jealous of the significance of the Kaaba, and he wanted his church to occupy this important role (in the life of the Arabs).
The Arabs were stunned by the news. They could not treat any other place with the same love and respect with which they treated the Kaaba. They could not exchange it for any other place of worship. They were engrossed in this news and discussed it endlessly. One young Arab from the Kinan tribe went so far as to enter this church and relieve himself there. Abraha was furious when he heard about this and vowed that he would have no peace until he destroyed the Kaaba.
He went to Mecca with a powerful army, which included elephants. The Arabs heard frightening rumors about elephants. They were sad and worried. Although they wanted to hinder the advance of Abraha's army, they realized that they did not have enough strength to fight him. They could only call on Allah and trust Him, since He was the Lord of the Kaaba, that He would protect it.
This trust was clearly demonstrated by a conversation between Abraha and the leader of the Quraish, Abdul Mutalib, the grandfather of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Abraha captured his two hundred camels, so Abdul-Mutalib asked permission to see him. Abraha showed him respect, came down from his throne and sat next to him. When he asked what he wanted, Abdul-Mutalib replied: “I want you to return my two hundred camels.”
Abraha was amazed. He asked: “You came to talk to me about your two hundred camels, which I captured, but you say nothing about the house (Kaaba), in which the faith of your ancestors is concentrated? I came to destroy him, but you don’t talk to me about it!”
Abdul-Mutalib replied: “I am the master of my camels. The Kaaba also has an Owner,” “He will not be able to protect it from me,” objected Abraha. “We’ll see about that,” said Abdul-Mutalib.
When Abraha's army approached, the Quraish hid high in the mountains and in the ravines. They were afraid of the approaching army and expected Allah to save their sacred temple. Abdul-Mutalib stood with a group of Quraysh, holding the door of the Kaaba, asking Allah to help them against Abraha and his army.
Abraha ordered soldiers to enter Mecca, intending to completely destroy the Kaaba. His elephant, whose name was Mahmud, was ready to attack. However, suddenly the elephant knelt down on the road and refused to get up despite the severe beatings. When his enemies turned him to face Yemen, he stood up and immediately set off.
Then Allah sent flocks of birds from the sea; each bird carried stones in its talons. Every time a stone fell on one of Abraha's soldiers, he died. The Abyssinians fled in horror while being hit by stones. Abraha was seriously wounded. When his soldiers tried to take him with them, his limbs fell off one by one. They brought him to Sanaa, where he died a miserable death. The Qur'an describes it this way:
“Have you not (O Muhammad) thought about how your Lord dealt with the owners of the elephant? Hasn't He [Allah] made their plots futile? And He sent flocks of birds against them [the warriors]? They [the birds] threw stones made of baked clay at them [the warriors]. And He [Allah] made them [the warriors] like a field with eaten grains [like eaten straw]" (l05: 1-5)
When Allah drove the Abyssinians out of Mecca, the Arabs' respect for the Quraish increased. They said: “These are the people of Allah. Allah was on their side and helped them defeat their enemies."
The Arabs attached great importance to this event. They began to count time from him, saying: “This happened in the Year of the Elephant,” “so-and-so was born in the Year of the Elephant,” or “this happened so many years after the Year of the Elephant.” According to most historians, the Year of the Elephant corresponds to the year 570 according to the Christian (Gregorian) calendar.
Abdullah and Amina - parents of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
Abdul Mutalib, the leader of the Quraish, had ten sons. Abdullah, the tenth of them, was the noblest of them. In due course, his father married him to Amina, the daughter of Wahb, the leader of the Banu Zuhra clan. At that time, her background and position made her the best woman among the Quraish.
However, Abdullah soon went on a trading trip and died there, leaving a pregnant wife, who was soon to become the mother of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Amina saw many signs and indications that her son would become an extremely important person in the future.
Noble birth and pure lineage of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was born on Monday, the 12th of the month of Rabi' al-Awwal in the Year of the Elephant (570). It was the happiest day for our world. His lineage goes back to Prophet Ibrahim (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
His full name: Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abdul-Mutalib ibn Hashim ibn Abd Manaf ibn Qusay ibn Kilyab ibn Marra Ibn Kaab ibn Lu'ay ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr ibn Malik ibn An-Nadr ibn Kinana ibn Khuzaima ibn Mudrika ibn Ilyas ibn Mudar ibn Nizar Ibn Maadd Ibn Adnan. Adnan's lineage goes back to Prophet Ismail, the son of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon them both).
When the boy was born, his mother informed his grandfather, Abdul Mutalib. He came and looked at the child with love, then took the child in his arms and brought him to the Kaaba. He praised Allah and prayed for his grandson, whom he named Muhammad. This name was not known among the Arabs, so people were surprised that the grandfather gave the boy such a name.
To be continued inshaAllah...
Based on materials from the Jamiatul Ulama website
Muslims all over the world celebrate the most significant religious event of the year - the Feast of Sacrifice - Eid al-Adha, which in the languages of many Muslim peoples of Russia is usually called Kurban Bayram. The holiday continues for the next three days - the days of tashrik.
Seeing his submission to the Almighty, Iblis lost hope and left him. Then the Shaitan decided to test Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and asked him: “Where are you going?” He cursed and drove him away, but the shaitan ran after him again. When Ibrahim (peace be upon him) reached Jamrat al-Aqaba, Jamrat al-Wust, Jamrat al-Sughra (places of throwing stones in Mina), the shaitan each time blocked the path of Ibrahim (peace be upon him), and each time he threw seven stones. Thanks to Allah, the shaitan could not lead Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and his loved ones astray from the right path, the enemy’s envy did not bring results, his cunning and deceit turned against him.
Then Ibrahim (peace be upon him) shared with his son and told about the order of the Almighty: “We are here to sacrifice you, submitting to the will of Allah.” Expressing his humility and consent to become a victim, Ismail replied: “Father, fulfill the command of the Almighty - if Allah pleases, in this you will find my humility and patience.” Ibrahim (peace be upon him) tied his son’s hands and feet and laid him on his right side. Angels in heaven watched the father and son submissive to the Almighty. “Father, it’s not nice to tie me like a sheep, it’s better to untie me,” said Ismail. Ibrahim (peace be upon him) untied the rope, freed his son’s arms and legs, after which he remained lying there, like a resting groom. In parting, he asked to convey salam (greetings) to his beloved mother.
Having said goodbye to his son, Ibrahim (peace be upon him) took a knife and ran it along Ismail’s neck, but the knife did not even leave a mark. Ismail said to his father: “Perhaps it is difficult for you to see my face? Cut without mercy! - and lay down humbly face down. But no matter how hard Ibrahim (peace be upon him) tried, the knife refused to cut and did not harm Ismail’s body at all. Finding himself in a hopeless situation, the angry father threw away the knife, and it (the knife) said to him: “Mighty
When Hajar gave birth to a son, Sarat (the first wife of Ibrahim (peace be upon him)) did not want to live with her under the same roof. At the command of Allah, Ibrahim (peace be upon him) brought Hajar and his son to where the main sacred mosque and the Kaaba are now located. It was a waterless and lifeless place in the desert. He left them in a primitive shelter made from bushes with a small supply of food. This was the command of Allah Almighty.
When the food and water ran out, the baby began to cry. Hajar, finding herself in a difficult situation, climbed the Safa and Marwa hills in search of water. Then Allah opened to them the healing spring of Zam-Zam, the water of which became food and drink for them. Soon the Bedouins began to gather around this place, and a settlement was gradually formed - Bekka, and now Mecca.
Ismail (peace be upon him) was called the father of the Arabs. Of his sons was “Adnan, the ancestor of the tribe of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Ismail (peace be upon him) lived poorly, was engaged in hunting, but his wife was dissatisfied with this. At the behest of his father, Ibrahim (peace be upon him), he divorced with her and married someone else, who was happy with everything.
Some time later, at the command of Allah, Ibrahim (peace be upon him) built the Kaaba, taking Ismail (peace be upon him) as his assistant.
Ismail (peace be upon him) is the one whom Ibrahim (peace be upon him) wanted to sacrifice, but Allah did not allow him to do so. By the will of the Almighty, an angel brought Ibrahim (peace be upon him) a ram from Paradise, which was sacrificed in his place.
Ismail (peace be upon him) died in Mecca at the age of 130 and was buried near the Kaaba.
Ishaq (peace be upon him) (Isaac)- the youngest son of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) from Sarat.
Sarat was the first wife of the prophet and for a long time could not give birth to a child. When Ibrahim (peace be upon him) married Hajar and she bore him a son, Ismail, Sarat was very upset that she did not have a son. At that time she was already 85 years old. After this, Allah rewarded them with their son Ishaq (peace be upon him) and congratulated them on the fact that there would be 1000 prophets in his family.
Ishaq (peace be upon him) was born 30 years (according to other sources - 14) after Ismail (peace be upon him). He was sent to the people of Sham (the territory of Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine) and lived 160 (180) years.
A brief history of each prophet mentioned in the Koran. "Sharh-ul-mukhtasar".
Prophet Ismail- the eldest son of the Prophet Ibrahim, born to the Egyptian Hajar (peace to them all). His name means "submissive to Allah."
Ismail was born when Ibrahim was 86 years old. By the command of Allah, Ibrahim (a.s.) transported and left little Ismail (a.s.) with his mother Hajar defenseless in a deserted desert with a small supply of food and water, relying on the help and protection of the Almighty. The Creator showed great mercy to mother and son, providing them with safety and generous food.
Precisely for Hajar and Ismail (peace be upon them), by the mercy of Allah, the Zamzam spring gushed here, and she was the first to quench her thirst with its life-giving power, and then fed her baby. After some time, the Jurkhum tribe moved here, speaking pure Arabic, which the growing Ismail later learned (a.s.). These people became the founders of the city of Mecca.
Speaking about Ismail (a.s.) it is necessary to remember the story of the sacrifice of Ibrahim (a.s.), when the Creator, testing them, tested the strength of faith and obedience to the Lord, both father and son, and his mother (peace to them all). After all, not one of them succumbed to their feelings and questioned the will of the Almighty, despite any machinations of the shaitan. This is the family of Ibrahim (a.s.) will be known as a family that Allah was pleased with and is a wonderful example. Every year on Eid al-Adha, held on the 10th of the month of Dhul-Hijjah, Muslims who have the opportunity make a sacrifice in memory of this dear family, performing a ritual that they have established since those ancient times.
When Ismail (a.s.) reached adulthood, he was married to one of the Amalekite girls. And after the death of Ismail’s mother (a.s.) and after his wedding, Ibrahim came to them (a.s.) to see him, but didn’t find his son at home. Then he began to ask his wife about him, who answered: She said that they live poorly, suffer from poverty, and are in poverty. Saying goodbye to Ibrahim (a.s.) asked my daughter-in-law: “When your husband comes, greet him [on my behalf] and tell him to change the threshold at his door.” Returning, Ismail (a.s.) as if he felt something and asked: [His wife] replied: “Yes, some old man came to us and asked about you and how we live. I told him that we were in need and in distress. Saying goodbye, he told me to greet you and tell you to change the threshold at your door.” Ismail (a.s.) said: “It was my father, and he told me to break up with you.” Ismail (a.s.) he soon divorced and married another woman from the tribe.
Ibrahim (a.s.) spent as much time as Allah pleased apart from them, and then came to them, but again did not find his son. Then he went to his wife and began to ask about him, the woman replied: “He went hunting to get something for us.” She said that they live well, they have enough of everything, and thanked Allah. Leaving Ibrahim (a.s.) said: “When your husband comes, greet him [on my behalf] and tell him to strengthen the threshold of his door.” Returning, Ismail (a.s.) asked: “Did anyone come to see you?”[His wife] replied: “Yes, a handsome old man came to us. He asked about you and how we live. I told him that we live well and everything is fine with us.” Ismail (a.s.) asked: “Did he give you any advice?” She answered: “Yes, he welcomes you and commands you to strengthen the threshold of your door.” Ismail (a.s.) said: “This is my father, and the threshold is you, and he told me not to part with you.”
After some time, Ibrahim (a.s.) the command of the Almighty came to build the House (Kaaba). The Holy Quran says this about it: “...We showed Ibrahim (Abraham) the location of the Kaaba [after all, it had been lost since the time of Noah, since the flood], accompanying this with the words: “Do not elevate anyone or anything to My level (do not deify anything other than the Creator) ! Cleanse My House [Kaaba, that is, the territory of the first temple on earth, the place where it once stood, and build it anew, keeping it clean from the elements of paganism] for all those who come here to make a ritual circumambulation, stop here and will pray while bowing to the ground and bowing to the ground”(Holy Quran, 22:26).
Prophet Ibrahim ( a.s.) went to Mecca to build the Kaaba with his son. Under the scorching sun, reading prayers, they began construction. “...Ibrahim (Abraham), together with Ismail (Ishmael), built the foundation (and erected the walls) of the House (Kaaba), praying: “Lord, accept this from us [with a good deed and action that brings us closer to You]. You hear everything and know everything."(Holy Quran, 2:127). To make it known where to start walking around the Kaaba, Ibrahim installed a special stone in a specially designated place. After construction was completed, Ibrahim ( a.s.), at the behest of Allah Almighty, proclaimed to people the obligation to perform the Hajj. “[Having risen to a hill], announce [Abraham] to the people about [the need for] a pilgrimage [to the temple], they [despite the distances, will hear you] will come both on foot and on emaciated riding animals [as best they can] from the most remote corners of the earth.”(Holy Quran, 22:27).
Prophet Ismail (a.s.) continued to equip the Kaaba even after the death of his father. He was a messenger to the people who inhabited these places and those who lived around them, that is, to the people of the Jurhum tribe, the Amalekites and the Yemenites. For years he called for Islam. He had all the wonderful qualities and was one of the patient righteous.
The Koran says: “Say [O believers, without arguing, but explaining your position and historical sequence]: “We believe in God (the Creator of all things), in what was revealed to us, and also in everything that was revealed to Ibrahim (Abraham), Ishmael (Ishmael), Isaac (Isaac), Yaqub (Jacob) and their descendants, as well as Musa (Moses) [Torah] and Isa (Jesus) [Gospel], and all that was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinctions between them [we do not divide them into ours and strangers, into bad and good, for us they are all equally holy and pure, sinless], and we are submissive to Him [the Only Lord] (Muslims).”(Holy Quran, 2:136).
Prophet Ismail (a.s.) was buried in the Hegira near the Kaaba along with his mother Hajar (peace be upon her).
