HISTORY OF TABARI
VOLUME 2
TARIKH WA RASUL AL MULK
Discussion of That Account on the Authority of the Messenger of God
According to Abu Kurayb-'Ubaydallah b. Musa and Muhammad b. Ismail al -Ahmasi-'Ubaydallih b. Musi -Ibn Abi Layla-Ibn Abi Mulaykah-`Abdallah b. 'Amr-the Prophet s.a.w: Jibril a.s came to Ibrahim a.s on the day of Tarwiyah and went with him to Mina, praying with him the midday, afternoon, sunset, late evening, and dawn prayers in Mina. Then in the morning he took Ibrahim a.s to Arafat and set him down at the thorn bush where people stay, and prayed with him the midday and afternoon prayers together. He stood with Ibrahim a.s until he had prayed the sunset prayer very quickly, then rushed him into a crowd and prayed with him the sunset and evening prayers together. Then they remained and together they prayed the dawn prayer very quickly, and then very slowly. After that he rushed Ibrahim a.s to Mina, threw the stones , performed the sacrifice, shaved his head, and finally hurried to the House. Then God ordered Muhammad to "follow the religion of Ibrahim a.s, as one upright by nature. He was not an idolator. " [220. Qur' an, 16:123.]
According to Abu Kurayb-'Imran b. Muhammad b. Abi Layla-his father-'Abdallah b. Abi Mulaykah- 'Abdallih b. `Amr: The Messenger of God told a similar tale.
Then God Tested His Friend Ibrahim a.s with the Sacrifice of His Son
The earliest sages of our Prophet's nation disagree about which of Ibrahim's a.s two sons it was that he was commanded to sacrifice. Some say it was Isaac, while others say it was Ishmail a.s. Both views are supported by statements related on the authority of the Messenger of God. If both groups of statements were equally sound, then-since they both come from the Prophet only the Qur'an could serve as proof that the account naming Isaac is clearly the more truthful of the two. [221. Kisai, 160-62, also sees Isaac as the sacrificial victim, although he mentions differing opinions as well. Tha'labi, Qisas, 80-82, presents the conflicting parties and the arguments on both sides, and then presents the story 182-83) in two versions with Isaac and Ishmael as victi ms.]
The account naming Ishaq comes down to us through Abu Kurayb-Zayd b. al-Hubab-al-Hasan b. Dinar- `Ali b. Zayd b. Jud`an-al- Hasan-al-Ahnaf b. Qays -al-`Abbas b. 'Abd alMuttalib-the Prophet in a conversation in which he said, "Then we ransomed him with a tremendous victim. [222. Win, 37:107] And he also said, " He is Ishaq."
As for Who Said That:
According to Abu Kurayb-Ibn Yaman-Mubarak -al-Hasan-al -Ahnaf b . Qays-al-Abbas b . `Abd al- Muttalib: The quote, " We ransomed him with a tremendous victim ," refers to Ishaq.
The account naming Ishmail a.s has come down to us through Muhammad b. `Ammar al- Rani-Ismail b. `Ubayd b . Abi Karimah-`Umar b. `Abd al -Rahim al- Khattabi - Abdallah b. Muhammad al -`Utbi, a descendant of `Utbah b . Abi Sufyan-his father-`Abdallah b . Said-al-$unabihi : We were with Mu`awiyah b. Abi Sufyan and the subject of the victim, Ishmail a.s or Ishaq, came up . You have come to a person who knows the answer . We were with the Messenger of God when a man came to him and said, "0 Messenger of God! Repeat to me the knowledge God has given you, 0 son of the two victims!" The Messenger of God laughed and they said to him, " Who are the two victims , 0 Messenger of God ?" He said, " When ` Abd alMuttalib was ordered to dig Zamzam, he vowed that if God would make it easy for him, he would sacrifice one of his sons.
The choice fell upon 'Abdallah, but his maternal uncles prevented it, saying, 'Ransom your son with one hundred camels.' So he did that , and Ishmael was the other victim." Now we will speak of those early authorities who said it was Ishaq a.s, and those who said it was Ishmail a.s.
Concerning Those Who Said It Was Ishaq a.s:
According to Abu Kurayb-Ibn Yamin-Mubarak - al-Hasan-al -Ahnaf b. Qays-al-`Abbas b. `Abd al-Muttalib: The quote, "Then We ransomed him with a tremendous victim," refers to Ishaq a.s.
According to al-Husayn b. Yazid al-Tahhan-Ibn dris-Dawud b. Abi Hind-'Ikrimah-Ibn 'Abbas: The one whom Ibrahim a.s was ordered to sacrifice was Ishaq.
According to Ya'qub-Ibn 'Ulayyah-Dawud-'IkrimahIbn 'Abbas: The victim was Ishaq.
According to Ibn al-Muthanna-Ibn Abi 'Adi Dawud-'Ikrimah-Ibn 'Abbas: The quote, "Then We ransomed him with a tremendous victim," refers to Ishaq.
According to 'Ibn al-Muthanna-Muhammad b. Ja'far-Shu'bah-Abu Ishaq-Abu al-Ahwas: A certain man boasted to Ibn Masud , "I am so - and-so son of so-and - so, son of the noble elders." And 'Abdallah said, "This is Yusuf b. Yacub a.s, son of Ishaq a.s the victim of God, son of Ibrahim a.s the Friend of God."
According to Ibn I;Iumayd-Ibrahim b. al-Mukhtar -Muhammad b. Ishaq-'Abd a1Rahman b. Abi Bakr-alZuhri-al-'Ala' b. Jariyah al-Thaqafi -Abu Hurayrah-Ka'b: When God said, "Then We ransomed him with a tremendous victim," He was speaking of Ibrahim's a.s son Ishaq.
According to Ibn Humayd-Salamah-Muhammad b. Ishaq-'Abdallah b. Abi Bakr-Muhammad b. Muslim alZuhri-Abu Sufyan b. al-'Ala' b. Jariyah al-Thaqafi, the confederate of Banu Zuhrah-Abu Hurayrah-Ka'b al-Ahbar: The son whom Ibrahim a.s was commanded to sacrifice was Ishaq.
According to Yunus-Ibn Wahb-Yunus-Ibn Shihab-'Amr b. Abi Sufyan b. Usayd b. Jariyah al-Thaqafi: Ka'b said to Abu Hurayrah, "Should I tell you about Ishaq a.s, the son of the prophet Ibrahim a.s?" Abu Hurayrah ra answered, "Certainly." So Ka'b gave the following account: When Ibrahim a.s was told to sacrifice Ishaq, Satan said, "By God! If I cannot deceive the people of Ibrahim a.s with this, I shall never be able to do it." So when Ibrahim a.s went out with Ishaq a.s to sacrifice him, Satan visited Ibrahim a.s ' s wife , siti Sarah, in the shape of a man whom Ibrahim's a.s people knew, and asked her, "Where is Ibrahim a.s going so early with Ishaq a.s?" She said, "He went off early on some errand." Satan said, "No, by God! That is not the reason he left so early." siti Sarah asked, "Then what is the reason ?" He said, "He took him out early to sacrifice him." siti Sarah said, "There is no truth to that, he would not sacrifice his own son." Satan said , "By God, it is true ." siti Sarah said, " And why would he sacrifice him?" He replied, "He claims that his Lord ordered him to do it ." siti Sarah said, " If his Lord ordered him to do that, it is best that he obey." Then Satan left Sarah and went to Isaac, who was walking with his father, and said, " Where is your father taking you so early?" Isaac answered, " He is taking me on some errand of his ." Satan said, "No, by God, he is not taking you out on an errand. He is taking you out early to sacrifice you." Isaac said, "My father would not sacrifice me." Satan told him, "Certainly he would." Ishaq a.s asked, " Why?" Satan told him, " He claims that his Lord ordered him to do it." Isaac answered, "By God! If the Lord told my father to do that, he should certainly obey Him." So Satan left him and went on to ibrahim a.s, saying, "Why are you taking your son out early?" Ibrahim a.s said, "I am takinghim on an errand ." Satan answered, "By God, you took him out early only to sacrifice him." Ibrahim a.s asked, "Why would I do that?" Satan said, "You claim that your Lord ordered you to do it." Ibrahim a.s said, "By God, If my Lord orders me to do that, I will surely do it." When Ibrahim a.s took Ishaq a.s to sacrifice him, God stayed his hand and ransomed him with a "tremendous victim." Ibrahim a.s said to Ishaq a.s, "Arise, my little son, for God has released you." And God said to Ishaq a.s , " I will grant you any prayer you choose to make now." Ishaq a.s said , " My God! I pray to You that I be granted this, that You grant entry into paradise to any worshipper, past or present, who encounters You and does not make anything a partner with You." (Here Ka'b's account ends.)
According to 'Amr b. 'Ali-Abu 'Asim-Sufyan-Zayd b. Aslam-'Abdallah b. 'Ubayd b. 'Umayr-his father: Moses said, "0 Lord! Why are you addressed as '0 God of Ibrahim a.s, Ishaq, and Yacub a.s? "' God answered, " Abraham never considered anything at all equal to Me, but put Me above all things; Ishaq was generous to Me in the matter of the sacrifice and in other matters ; and as for Yacub a.s, the more tribulations I inflicted upon him the more good thoughts he thought about me."
According to Ibn Bashshar-Mu'ammal-Sufyan-Zayd b. Aslam-'Abdallah b. 'Ubayd b. 'Umayr- his father: Musa a.s asked God, " 0 Lord! Why did you give Abraham , Isaac, and Jacob what you gave them ?" And God' s answer was the same (as that given above).
According to Abu Kurayb -Ibn Yaman-Isra'il-Jabir-Ibn Sabit : He was Ishaq.
According to Abu Kurayb-Ibn Yaman-Sufyan-Abu Sinan al-Shaybani -Ibn Abi al - Hudhayl : The victim was Ishaq.
According to Abu Kurayb-Sufyan b. 'Ugbah -I;iamzah alZayyat-Abu Ishaq-Abu Maysarah : Yusuf a.s told the king to his face, " You wish to eat with me when I, by God , am Yusuf a.s, son of Yacub a.s the prophet of God, son of Isaac the victim of God, son of Ibrahim a.s the friend of God."
According to Abu Kurayb-Waki'- Sufyan-Abu Sinan-Ibn Abi al-Hudhayl : Yusuf a.s said to the king.... The ( rest of the) account is roughly the same.
According to Musa b. Harun- ' Amr b. HammadAsbat-al-Suddi- Abu Malik and Abu Salih -Ibn'Abbas and Murrah al-Hamdani-Ibn Masud and some of the companions of the Prophet : Ibrahim a.s was instructed in a dream to "carry out your promise that if God granted you a son by siti Sarah you would sacrifice him."
According to Ya'qub-Hushaym -Zakariya' and Shu'bah-Abu Ishaq-Masruq : When God said, "Then we ransomed him with a tremendous victim ," that was Ishaqa.s.
As for Those Who Said It Was Ishmael a.s:
According to Abu Kurayb and Ishaq b. Ibrahim b. Habib b. al-Shahid -Yahya b . Yaman-Isra' il-Thuwayr -Mujahid-Ibn ' Amr: The victim was Ishmail a.s.
According to Ibn Bashshar-Yahya-Sufyan-Bayan -al-Sha ' bi-Ibn ' Abbas : The quote, " Then We ransomed him with a tremendous victim," refers to Ishmail a.s.
According to Ibn Humayd-Yahya b . Wadih-Abu Hamzah Muhammad b. Maymun al-Sukkari- ' Ata' b. al-Sa'ib-Said b. Jubayr-Ibn'Abbas: The one whom Ibrahim a.s was commanded to sacrifice was Ishmail a.s.
According to Ya' qub-Hushaym-'Ali b. Zayd-'Ammar, the client of the Banu Hashim , and Yusuf b . Mihran-Ibn 'Abbas: Ishmail a.s was the one meant by the statement, "Then We ransomed him with a tremendous victim."
According to Ya'qub-Ibn 'Ulayyah-Dawud alSha' bi-Ibn 'Abbas: It Was Ishmail a.s. On another occasion Ya'qub-Ibn 'Ulayyah said: Someone asked Dawud b. Abi Hind, "Which of his two sons was Abraham ordered to sacrifice?" And Dawud quoted al-Sha'bi as having said, "Ibn 'Abbas said that it was Ishmail a.s."
According to Ibn al-Muthanna-Muhammad b. ja'farShu'bah-Bayan-al-Sha'bi-Ibn 'Abbas: As for the one whom God ransomed with a tremendous victim, it was Ishmail a.s.
According to Ya'qub-Ibn'Ulayyah-Layth- Mujahid-Ibn 'Abbas: God's words, "Then We ransomed him with a tremendous victim," refer to Ishmail a.s.
According to Yunus b. 'Abd al-A'la-Ibn Wahb 'Umar b. Qays-'Ata' b. Abi Rabah-'Abdallah b. 'Abbas: The ransomed one was Ishmail a.s, but the Jews claimed it was Ishaq a.s. The Jews, however, are untruthful.
According to Muhammad b. Sinn al-Qazzaz-Abu 'Aqim -Mubarak-'Ali b. Zayd--Yusuf b. Mihran-Ibn'Abbas: The one whom God ransomed was Ishmail a.s.
According to Muhammad b. Sinan-Hajjaj- Hammad-Abu 'Aqim al-Ghanawi-Abu al-Tufayl Ibn 'Abbas: A similar statement. According to Ishaq b. Shahin-Khalid b. 'Abdallah Dawud-'Amir: The one whom Abraham wanted to sacrifice was Ishmail a.s.
According to Ibn al-Muthanna-'Abd al-Ma Dawud-'Amir: This verse, "Then We ransomed him with a tremendous victim," refers to Ishmail a.s, and the two horns of the ram are hanging in the Ka'bah.
According to Abu Kurayb-Ibn Yaman-Isra'il--Jabir-al-Sha'bi: The ransomed one was Ishmail a.s.
According to Abu Kurayb-Ibn Yaman-Isra'il-Jabir-al-Sha'bi: I saw the ram's horns in the Ka'bah.
According to Abu Kurayb-Ibn Yaman-Mubarak b. Fadalah-'Abi b. Zayd b. Jud an-Yusuf b. Mihran: It was Ishmail a.s.
According to Abu Kurayb-Ibn Yaman-Sufyan-Ibn Abi Najih-Mujahid: It was Ishmail a.s.
According to Ya'qub-Hushaym-'Awf-al-Hasan: The quote, "Then We ransomed him with a tremendous victim," refers to Ishmail a.s.
According to Ibn Humayd-Salamah-Ibn Ishaq: I heard Muhammad b. Ka'b al-Qurazi saying that the son whom God commanded Ibrahim a.s to sacrifice was Ishmail a.s. And if we look into the Book of God, in the story of Abraham and the sacrifice of his son, we find that it was indeed Ishmael. When God finished the story about the son of Ibrahim a.s who was to be sacrificed, He said, "and We gave him tidings of the birth of Ishaq, a prophet of the righteous." [223. Ibid., 37:112.] And He said, "We gave her good tidings of Ishaq a.s , and after Ishaqa.s of Yacub a.s . [224. Ibid., 11:71.] He speaks here of a son and a grandson, which means that Isaac could not be the one whom God ordered Ibrahim a.s to sacrifice, since he had a promise from God about his (Ishaq's a.s) future. Thus the one whom he was ordered to sacrifice was Ishmail a.s.
According to Ibn Humayd-Salamah-Muhammad b. Ishaq-Buraydah b. Sufyan b. Farwah al-Aslami: Muhammad b. Ka'b al-Qurazi said that he asked the Caliph 'Umar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz about the matter when they were together in Syria,and 'Umar told him, "I have not looked into this matter, but I do not think it is as you say." Then he sent for a man whom he had with him in Syria, a former Jew who had converted to Islam and became a good Muslim . He was considered to be one of the great Jewish scholars, so 'Umar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz decided to get his view about the matter. He asked him, "Which of his two sons was Ibrahim a.s commanded to sacrifice?" The man answered, "Ishmail a.s, by God, 0 Prince of the Believers! The Jews know that, but they are envious of you, 0 Arabs, because it was your father who was named in God's command and to whom God ascribed such merit for his steadfastness in obeying God's command. They reject that and claim that it was Isaac because Ishaq a.s was their father. " [225. This account appears in the Tha'labi, Qisas, 81.]
According to Ibn Humayd-Salamah-Ibn Ishaq-al-Hasan b. Dinar and 'Amr b . ' Ubayd-al-Hasan b. Abi al - Hasan alBqri: There is no doubt that the son Abraham was ordered to sacrifice was Ishmail a.s.
According to Ibn Humayd-Salamah-Muhammad b. Ishaq: I heard Muhammad b. Ka'b al-Qurazi say the same thing often. As for the above- mentioned proof from the Qur' an that it really was Ishaq , it is God 's word which informs us about the prayer of His friend Ibrahim a.s when he left his people to migrate to Syria with siti Sarah . Ibrahim a.s prayed , " I am going to my Lord Who will guide me. My Lord! Grant me a righteous child." [226. Qur'an, 37:99-100.] This was before he knew Hagar, who was to be the mother of Ishmail a.s. After mentioning this prayer, God goes on to describe His response to the prayer and mentions that He foretold to Ibrahim a.s that he would have a gentle son . God also mentions Ibrahim's a.s vision of himself sacrificing that son when he was old enough to walk with him . The Book does not mention any tidings of a male child being given to Ibrahim a.s except in the instance where it refers to Isaac, in which God said, "And his wife, standing by, laughed when We gave her tidings of Ishaq a.s, and after Ishaq a.s, of Yacub a.s," [227. Ibid., 11:71] and , "Then he became fearful of them. They said, ' Fear not! ' and gave him tidings of a wise son . Then his wife approached , moaning, and smote her face, and cried , 'A barren old woman ." [228. Ibid., 51:28-29.] Thus, wherever the Qur' an mentions God giving tidings of the birth of a son to Ibrahim a.s, it refers to Sarah and thus to Ishaq a.s) and the same must be true of God's words " So We gave him tidings of a gentle son, “ [229. Ibid., 37:101] as it is true of all such references in the Qur'an.
Some say that God would not have ordered Ishaq a.s sacrificed because God foretold his birth before it happened and that of Yacub a.s afterwards , but this claim does not necessarily prove their view correct. God only commanded Ibrahim a.s to sacrifice Ishaq a.s when he was able to walk, and it is conceivable that Yacub a.s could have been born to him before his father was commanded to sacrifice him. Some also say that the ram's horn was seen hanging in the Ka'bah (which would suggest that the sacrifice took place near Mecca and must therefore have involved Ishmail a.s, since Ishaq a.s was in Syria). This is not a sensible argument either, because the horn could possibly have been brought from Syria to the Ka`bah and hung up there.
There follows a discussion of the account about the act of Ibrahim a.s, the Friend of the Merciful, about his son whom he was commanded to sacrifice, and about the nature of the command and the reason behind it: The reason God commanded Ibrahim a.s to sacrifice his son was that, when Ibrahim a.s fled from Iraq and from his people and went to Syria for the sake of his religion and his Lord, he prayed that God would grant him a righteous male child by Siti Sarah, saying, "My Lord! Grant me a righteous child" [230. Ibid., 37:100.] and "I am going to my Lord Who will guide me. My lord, grant me a righteous child." [231. Ibid., 37:99-100.] And when the angels who were sent to alMu'tafikah, the people of Lot, visited Ibrahim a.s, they gave him tidings of a gentle son as God had commanded them to do. And when they did this, Abraham said, "Then he is a sacrificial victim for God." When the boy was born and had become old enough to walk, Abraham was told, "Fulfill the promise which you made to God."
As for Those Who Said That:
According to Musa b. Harun-'Amr b. Hammid-Asbat-al-Suddi-Abu Malik and Abu $alih-Ibn `Abbas and Murrah al-Hamdani-`Abdallah and some of the companions of the Prophet: Jibril a.s told siti Sarah, "Know that [you will have] a son named Isaac, and that after him will come Yacub a.s." And she smote her cheek in wonder, as God said, "She smote her face. " [232. Ibid., 51:29] She said, "Shall I bear a child when I am an old woman and my husband is an old man? This is indeed a strange hing ." They said, "Do you wonder at the commandment of God? May the mercy and blessing of God be upon you, 0 people of this house ! He is the Praiseworthy One, the Glorious One." [333. Ibid ., 11:72-73.] siti Sarah said to Jibril a.s , " What is the sign of this matter?" So he took a dry piece of wood in his hand and bent it between his fingers, and it quivered and turned green . Then Abrahim a.s said, " He is therefore a sacrifice to God."
When Ishaq grew up, Ibrahim a.s had a dream in which he saw him and was told, "Fulfill your promise that if God granted you a son by siti Sarah you would sacrifice him." Then Ibrahim a.s said to Ishaq, " Let us go out and offer a sacrifice to God! " So he took a knife and a rope and set out with Ishaq . When they reached the mountains Isaac asked him, "O my father , where is your victim ?" Ibrahim a.s replied, " 0 my son! I saw in my dream that I should sacrifice you. But consider the matter. What do you think ?" Ishaq told him, " 0 my father ! Do as you have been commanded. God willing, you will find me steadfast in belief. Fasten my bonds so that I do not move about , and tie back your garments so that none of my blood splashes them , lest siti Sarah see it and be saddened . And move the knife quickly on my throat so that death comes easily for me . And when you come back to siti Sarah, greet her with peace ." Ibrahim a.s approached him to kiss him after tying him up ; both of them cried until the tears gathered in a pool beneath Ishaq ' s a.s side . Then he drew the knife across Isaac ' s throat, but the knife did not even scratch him, for God had placed a sheet of copper on Ishaq 's a.s throat. When Ibrahim a.s saw that, he turned him over and tried to cut him on the nape of his neck ; as God has said, " Then, when they had both surrendered , and he had flung him down upon his face ." [334. Ibid 37:103] Then they turned the matter over to God, and God proclaimed, " 0 Ibrahim a.s! You have carried out the dream in full . Turn around !" He turned around and saw a ram. He seized the ram and kissed his son, saying, " 0 my son! Today you have been given to me." This is the meaning of God's saying, "Then We ransomed him with a tremendous victim." [235. Ibid ., 37:107]
Then he went back to siti Sarah and told her the story , and siti Sarah became sad and said , " You wanted to sacrifice my son and did not tell me."
According to Ibn Humayd-Salamah -Muhammad b. Ishaq: It is said that when Ibrahim a.s visited siti Hajar he was carried on al-Buraq, setting out early from Syria. He rested at midday in Mecca, then left Mecca and spent the night with his family inSyria . This was before Isaac was able to walk and take care of himself, at which point Ibrahim a.s expected him to do his duty by worshipping his Lord and glorifying His sanctity. Then Ibrahim a.s was shown in a dream that he had to sacrifice Ishaq a.s.
Nabi Ishmael a.s
According to Ibn Humayd-Salamah -Ibn Ishaq certain scholars : When Ibrahim a.s was ordered to sacrifice his son, he said to him , " 0 my son ! Take the ropes and the knife and let us go to this trail to gather firewood for your family there ." He did not at this point mention anything about what he had been told to do . When he headed for the trail, Iblis, the enemy of God, stood in his way in the form of a man in an attempt to dissuade him from carrying out God's command . He said, " Where are you going, old man? " Ibrahim a.s answered , " I am heading for this trail for something I need in it." Iblis said , " By God! I think that Satan has come to you in a dream and commanded you to sacrifice this little son of yours, so you are about to sacrifice him." But then Abraham recognized Iblis and said to him, "Go away, 0 enemy of God ! By God, I am obeying the command of my Lord in this matter."
Then Iblis despaired of dissuading Ibrahim a.s and appeared to Ishmail a.s, who was walking behind Ibrahim a.s carrying the ropes and the knife, and said to him, "0 lad , do you know where your father is taking you?" Ishmail a.s answered , " To get firewood for our family from this trail ." Iblis said, "By God! All he wants is to sacrifice you." Ishmael asked, " Why?" Iblis said,"He claims that his Lord commanded him to do it ." Ishmail a.s said, " Then let him do what his Lord commanded; to hear is to obey."
When the boy refused to have anything to do with him, Iblis went to Ishmael's a.s mother Hagar in her dwelling and said to her, "0 mother of Ishmail a.s ! Do you know where Ibraim a.s has taken Ishmail a.s?" She said, "He took him to gather wood for us on the trail." Iblis said, "He took him only to sacrifice him." Siti Hajar said, "Never! He is too merciful to him and loves him too much for that." Iblis told her, "He claims that God commanded him to do it." She said, "If his Lord commanded him to do it, then one should surrender to the command of God."
So the enemy of God returned enraged, for he had not achieved anything with the family of Ibrahim a.s. They had all refused to deal with him, by God's help, and they had agreed with God's command, saying, "To hear is to obey." When Ibrahim a.s was alone with his son on the trail-a trail on Mt. Thabir, [236. A name given to several mountains in the vicinity of Mecca ; see Yaqut, Mu'jam, I, 917ff.] it is said-he said to Ishmail a.s, "0 my son! I saw in a dream that I was to sacrifice you. So consider , what do you think?" Ishmail a.s told him, "0 my father! Do as you were commanded. God willing, you will find me steadfast in faith."
According to In Humayd-Salamah-Muhammad b. Ishaq-certain scholars : Ishmael said to him, "0 my father! If you want to sacrifice me, tighten my bonds so that nothing of me will strike you and lessen my reward, for death is mighty and I am not sure that I will not move with it when I become aware of its touch. Sharpen your knife-blade so that it will finish me off quickly and give me rest. When you lay me down to sacrifice me, turn me with my face down; do not lay me on my side, for I fear that if you look at my face pity will overcome you and hold you back from carrying out God's command. If you think that taking my shirt back to my mother may console her for my loss, then do it."
Ibrahim a.s said, "How well you help me, my son, in carrying out God's command!" Then he bound Ishmail a.s as he had said, and made him fast, and sharpened his blade. Then he laid him down on his front to guard his gaze from his face. Then he plunged the blade into Ishmael's a.s throat, but God turned it on its backside in his hand. When he pulled it back and forth to complete the act the words were proclaimed, "0 Abraham a.s!
You have carried out the dream. This victim is yours as a ransom for your son, so sacrifice it instead of him." God said, "Then when they had both surrendered, and he had flung him down on his face; " [237. Qur'an, 37:103.] however, victims are flung on theirb sides. One of the things which confirms that Ishmael did indeed say "Turn me on my face," as the account says, is God's saying, "... and flung him down on his face, We called unto him, '0 Ibrahim a.s! You have already fulfilled the dream.' Thus do We reward the good. That was indeed a clear test . Then We ransomed him with a tremendous victim. " [238. Ibid ., 37:103-107.]
According to Ibn Humayd-Salamah-Ibn Ishaq-al-Hasan b. Dinar-Qatadah b. Di`amah -ja`far b. Iyas-`Abdallah b. `Abbas: A ram came forth to him from the Garden in which it had been grazing for forty autumns, so Ibrahim a.s released his son. The ram followed him and he took it to the first stoningplace and threw seven pebbles at it, then set it free there. Then he took it to the middle stoning-place and threw seven pebbles at it, then released it. He caught up with it at the great stoningplace and again threw seven pebbles at it. Finally he took it to the slaughtering-place of Mina and sacrificed it. By Him in Whose hand is the soul of Ibn `Abbas! when Islam began, the ram's head and horns were hanging on the downspout of the Ka`bah, thereafter it became debased, that is, dried up.
According to Muhammad b. Sinan al- QazzaziajjajHammad-Abu 'Asim al-Ghanawi-Abu al-Tufayl-Ibn `Abbas: When Ibrahim a.s was commanded to perform all the rituals, Satan appeared to him at the running -place and raced him, but Ibrahim a.s outran him. Then when Gabriel took Ibrahim a.s to the stoning-place of al-`Aqabah, Satan appeared to him, but Ibrahim a.s threw seven pebbles at him and he left. At the middle stoning-place he appeared to him again, and again Ibrahim a.s threw seven pebbles at him and he left. Then he flung Ishmail a.s on his face. Ishmail a.s had on a white shirt, so he said to Ibrahim a.s, "0 my father! I have no garment in which you may bury me except this, so take it off me and then bury me in it."
Then Ibrahim a.s turned and saw a horned, black-eyed, white ram, and he sacrificed it. Ibn 'Abbas said : You have seen us studying this.species of ram.
According to Muhammad b. 'Amr-Abu 'Asim-'Isa and alHarith-al-Hasan-Warga', all of them-Ibn Abi Najih -Mujahid: God's words, "and he flung him down on his face," [239. Ibid ., 37:103.] mean "he put his face toward the earth." Ishmail a.s said , "Do not sacrifice me while looking at my face, lest you have pity on me and do not finish me off. Tie my hand to my neck, then place my face to the ground."
According to Abu Kurayb-Ibn Yamin-Sufyan -JabirAbu al-Tufayl-'Ali: The victim mentioned in the quote, "We ransomed him with a tremendous victim," [240. Ibid ., 37:107.] was a blackeyed, homed, white ram fastened to an acacia tree in Thabir.
According to Yunus-Ibn Wahb Ibn Jurayj-'Ala' b. Abi Rabih-Ibn 'Abbas: The quote, "We ransomed him with a tremendous victim," refers to a ram . 'Ubayd b. 'Umayr said that it was slain on the spot, while Mujahid said that it was sacrificed at Mini at the sacrificing-place.
According to Ibn Bashshir-'Abd al-Rahmin- Sufyan-Ibn Khuthaym-Said b. Jubayr- Ibn 'Abbas: The ram which Ibrahim a.s sacrificed was the ram which the son of Adam a.s had offered up, and it was accepted from him.
According to Ibn Humayd-Ya'qub-Ja'far -Said b. Jubayr: As for the quote, "We ransomed him with a tremendous victim," the ram which Abraham sacrificed had grazed in the Garden for forty years. Its wool was mixed white and black, like red-dyed wool.
According to Abu Kurayb-Mu'awiyah b. Hishim- Sufyin--a man-Abu Silih Ibn 'Abbas: The quote, "We ransomed him with a tremendous victim," refers to a mountain goat.
According to Ibn Humayd-Salamah-Ibn Ishaq -'Amr b. 'Ubayd- al-Hasan : Ishmail a.s was ransomed only by a mountain goat, which was sent down to him from Thabir. God's words, "We ransomed him with a tremendous victim," do not refer only to this sacrifice, but rather to the practice of slaughtering animals according to His religion , for that is the sunnah until the Day of Resurrection. Know that sacrifice wards off an evil death, so sacrifice , 0 servants of God! [241. Although nothing in the Qur' an specifically connects the sacrifice performed on the tenth day of the pilgrimage to the sacrifice required of Ibrahim a.s, later Muslim writers have made this connection.]
In a poem about the reason for which Ibrahim a.s was commanded to sacrifice his son , Umayyah b. Abi al –Salt [342. Umayyah b. Abi al-Salt, a poet of Thaqif at the time of the Prophet; GAL, I, 27-28.] verifies the account of al-Suddi to the effect that the sacrifice was required of Ibrahim a.s to fulfill a vow which he had made:
Ibrahim a.s, the one who carries out the vow to satisfaction, and the bearer of easy-burning firewood For his firstborn , could not desist from him or see himself in a company of enemies.
"0 my son! I have consecrated you to God as a slaughtered kid, but be steadfast ; a ransom for you is ready.
Bind the fetters ; I shall not turn from the knife the head of the manacled captive."
For he has a knife which is quick in the flesh a cutting edge curved like a crescent moon.
While he was taking his garments from him his Lord ransomed him with the best of rams.
"So take this and release your son; verily I do not dislike what you two have done."
A God-fearing father and the other, his offspring; they fled from him on hearing, "Do it!"
People often are unhappy about a thing which brings relief, like the untying of bonds.
According to Ibn Humayd-Yahya b. Wadih-al-Husayn, meaning Ibn Waqid-Zayd-`Ikrimah: God's words, "when they had both surrendered, " [243. Qur an, 37:103.] refer to their surrender to God's command. The boy was satisfied to be the sacrifice, and the father was content to sacrifice him. The son said, "0 my father! Throw me down on my face, lest you look at me and have pity on me, or I look at the knife and become anxious. Thrust the knife from beneath me and obey God's command." For it is as God said, "Then, when they had both surrendered, he flung him down on his face." When he had done that, "then We called unto him, '0 Abraham! You have already fulfilled the dream.' Thus do We reward the good. " [244. See ibid., 37:103-105]
After God had put Abraham to the test-when Nimrod b. Cush tried to burn him in the fire, and when He commanded him to sacrifice his son after he had become old enough to walk and Ibrahim a.s hoped for his help in coming closer to his Lord, and when He made him raise the foundations of the House and devote himself to its rituals-after all this, He put Ibrahim a.s to the test with still further commands which He has mentioned, for He said, "And when his Lord tried Ibrahim a.s with commands and he fulfilled them. [245. Ibid., 2:124.]
The earliest scholars of the Islamic community iummah) disagreed about the nature of these commandments with which God tested Ibrahim a.s and which Ibrahim a.s obeyed. Some say that the commands were thirty portions, that is to say, the laws of Islam. [246. Abraham is here instructed in the fulfillment of the basic duties of Islam which are looked upon as the duties of " natural religion " (fitrah). In the aggadic accounts , Abraham is shown the course of the history of his descendants and is told that if they study the Torah and maintain the Temple service they will avoid hellfire and alien rule; see Ginzberg, Legends, I, 236]
According to Muhammad b. al-Muthanna-'Abd al-A'laDawud-' Ikrimah-Ibn ' Abbas : Concerning God's words, "and when his Lord tried Abraham with commands," Ibrahim a.s was the only man who was tried with this obligation and who fulfilled it correctly . God tested him with commands and he fulfilled them . God wrote his exemption for him when He said, "And Ibrahim a.s who paid his debt . " [247. Qur'an, 53:37] Ten of the commands are in " al-Ahzab " ( surah 33 ), ten in " Bara' ah" (surah 9), and ten in " al-Mu'minin" (surah 23 ) and in " Sa'ala Sa‘il" ( surah 70 ). Thus Islam has thirty portions.
According to Ishaq b . Shahin al-Wasiti-Khalid al-Tahhan -Dawud- 'Ikrimah-Ibn 'Abbas: No one who was tested with this obligation stood up to it except for Ibrahim a.s , who was tested with Islam (surrender) and fulfilled it all. Thereupon God wrote his immunity [248. That is, from hellfire . See below.] for him , saying, " And Ibrahim a.s who paid his debt." He mentioned ten (commands) in "Bara' ah": "Those who turn repentant; those who worship; those who praise;" [249. Ibid ., 9:112.] and ten in " al-Ahzab ": " Men who surrender unto God, and women who surrender ;" [250. Ibid., 33:35 ] ten in surat "al-Mu'minin," up to where He says , " And who pay heed to their prayers ; " [251. Ibid.,23:11-9] and ten in " Sa'ala Sa'il": "And those who are attentive at their worship. " [252. Ibid., 70:34]
According to 'Abdallah b. Ahmad al- Marwzai-'Ali b. alHasan-Kharijah b. Mus'ab-Dawud b . Abi Hind-'Ikrimah-Ibn 'Abbas : Islam consists of thirty parts, and no one ever tested with this obligation carried it out, except Ibrahim a.s. God said, " And Ibrahim a.s who paid his debt, " [253. Ibid ., 53:37.] granting him immunity from the fire.
Other scholars have said that the commands were ten practices of Islam, five being in the head and five in the body.
Concerning Those Who Said That:
According to al-Hasan b . Yahya-Abd al- Razzaq-Ma`mar -Ibn Tawus-his father-Ibn `Abbas : This quote, " And when his Lord tried Ibrahim a.s with commands ," means that God tested him with the acts of ritual purification , five in the head and five in the body . Those in the head are : trimming the mustache , rinsing the mouth , cleansing the nostrils with water, using the toothstick , and parting the hair ( with the fingers). Those in the body are : paring the nails, shaving the pubic hair, circumcision, plucking the armpit, and washing off the traces of feces and urine with water.
According to al-Muthanna-Ishaq- `Abd al- RazzaqMa`mar-al-Hakam b . Aban- al-Qasim b . Abi Bazzah-Ibn 'Abbis: A similar list, except that he did not mention traces of urine.
According to Ibn Bashshar-Sulayman b. Harb- Abu Hilal-Qatidah: God's words, "And when his Lord tried Ibrahim a.s with commands, " [254. Ibid ., 2:124] mean that he tested him with circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, washing the fore-part and rear, using the toothstick, trimming the mustache , paring the nails, and plucking the armpit . Abu Hilal notes that he forgot one characteristic.
According to `Abdan al- Marwazi-`Ammar b . al-Hasan- `Abdallah b . Abi Ja`far-his father-Matar-Abu Khalid: Abraham was tested with ten Islamic practices: rinsing the mouth, cleansing the nostrils with water, trimming the mustache, using the toothstick, plucking the armpit, paring the nails, washing the finger -joints , circumcision , shaving the pubic hair, and washing the rear and the vulva.
Others have said the same, except that they said that six of the ten commands were to do with the body and four of them were to do with the cultic stations.
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