The example of the Prophet Ismail – If we recall the history of one of the most memorable prophetic events and the beginning of the Eid al-Adha worship which is synonymous with cutting sacrificial animals as a form of gratitude to Allah SWT who has given us life, this is an important event for a prophet and his father namely the prophet Ismail AS and the prophet Abraham AS.
This historical event, especially for Muslims around the world, regarding the fortitude of a child, namely the prophet Ismail who, because of Allah SWT’s orders, was willing to sacrifice himself to be slaughtered by his own father, namely the Prophet Ibrahim AS as a form of obedience to Allah SWT, but at the last moment Allah replaced the position of Prophet Ismail The US brought a fat lamb from heaven in exchange for its slaughter and the position of the prophet Ismail was saved and the prophet Abraham passed the test of Allah SWT regarding his obedience to carrying out God’s commands.
This event became very historical because it contained a very deep message about the fortitude of a child and the obedience of a father in carrying out God’s commands and at the same time it was a touching event because in the end they were able to live together again as a family after passing a test from Allah SWT.
As Muslims in the present era, we should be grateful for this incident because in the future there will no longer be stories of a father having to sacrifice his beloved son to be slaughtered but instead replaced with other livestock such as cows, camels and sheep. From this story, we can learn many things about the story of father and son, the obedience of a servant, and the fortitude of a child to his father and God.
For this reason, it is very interesting if in this discussion we will summarize the exemplary story of the prophet Ismail AS and it is very good for us Muslims to emulate the qualities of the prophet Ismail AS as our guide to live life in this world so that we always do good and believe in the power of God.
History of the Prophet Ismail
Isma’il or Ismail (Arabic: إسماعيل, translate. Ismā’īl; Hebrew: יִשְׁמָעֵאל, Modern Yishmael Tiberias Yišmāʻēl) is a character in the Qur’an, Bible and Tanakh. In Islam, he is seen as a prophet and messenger.[1] Isma’il is also associated with Makkah and the construction of the Kaaba. Isma’il was the first child of Abraham and the ancestor of Muhammad. His descendants were called `Arab al-Musta’ribah (“Arabized Arabs”), because they were not native Arabs and learned Arabic from the local natives. The verse that states about the story of the prophet Ismail AS is the following:
“And tell (Muhammad) the story of Ishmael in the Book. He is truly a true promise, an apostle and prophet. And he ordered his family to (carry out) prayers and (pay) zakat, and he is a person who is pleased with his Lord.” (QS) Maryam (19): 54–55
Follow the story of the Prophet Ismail AS
1. The Birth of Prophet Ismail is the Fruit of Patience from a Father (Prophet Ibrahim)
It is said that Prophet Ibrahim and his wife Siti Sarah have not been blessed with a child. Prophet Ibrahim also continued to pray to Allah so that he would be blessed with pious and obedient children. For once, Sarah knew what her husband was waiting for. However, she could not fulfill her husband’s wishes because she had an infertile uterus. Then Siti Sarah came up with a plan to bring Prophet Ibrahim closer to his slave named Siti Hajar and planned to get married.
Siti Sarah also hopes that through this marriage Prophet Ibrahim can have pious children from his marriage to Siti Hajar. Then at one point, Siti Sarah revealed a plan to her husband. Then Prophet Ibrahim said: “First we have to ask Siti Hajar whether she agrees or not.” Then Siti Sarah and Prophet Ibrahim asked Siti Hajar directly and Siti Hajar agreed. Long story short, Prophet Ibrahim and Siti Hajar got married and then Siti Hajar was successfully impregnated by her husband (Prophet Ibrahim).
Then, when Siti Hajar was 9 months pregnant, she gave birth to a child who later became Prophet Ismail. It is said that the birth of the Prophet Ismail was the answer to the prayer that the Prophet Abraham always prayed to Allah. Not in vain, decades of waiting from a father, namely the Prophet Abraham, resulted in the giving of a child as an answer to his prayers so far to Allah SWT.
2. Believing that all decisions of Allah SWT are the best and contain wisdom behind them
Some time after Ishmael’s birth, Allah told Prophet Ibrahim to go to Mecca with Hajar and his son. Without thinking, Prophet Ibrahim obeyed Allah’s command, took Hajar and Ismail along through the desert and stopped near where the Kaaba building now stands. Shortly after arriving there, Prophet Ibrahim left Hajar and Ismail there to return to Sham.
Hajar immediately grabbed Ibrahim’s clothes and said: “O Ibrahim, where are you going? Are you going to leave us in a valley where there is no one and nothing here?” Hajar repeated her question, but no words came out of Ibrahim’s mouth. Ibrahim did not even turn his head to answer his wife’s words. Finally Hajar said: “Did God command you before all this?” Then suddenly Ibrahim answered “Yes”. And Hajar accepted that, saying: “Then God will not leave us.”
Prophet Ibrahim AS traveled to Mecca at the behest of Allah. He moved in with his second wife Siti Hajar and son Nabi Ismail AS. This command from Allah happened because Prophet Ibrahim AS made a decision after seeing his first wife jealous of the happiness of Prophet Ibrahim AS and Siti Hajar. This migration to Mecca occurred by riding a camel and after reaching Mecca they started looking for a place of refuge. We found a tree to use for shelter, it was a dauhah tree and they immediately got off the camels.
Prophet Ibrahim AS began leaving his wife and children under the dauha tree. Actually Prophet Ibrahim AS did not dare to leave his wife and children in this very quiet and lonely place, but it was all because of Allah’s order, so Prophet Ibrahim AS did not want to violate it. Before Prophet Abraham left his wife and children, he said to his wife: “Fear God who has decided His will. Trust in His power and grace.
He ordered me to bring you (Hajar) here.” It was he who provided security to this abandoned place. Without Allah’s orders and revelations, I can’t bear to leave you with my beloved son. Believe, O Hajar, that Allah will not leave you both without His protection. His mercy and blessings always descend forever, God willing.”
Siti Hajar only brought a bottle of drinking water and some dates. Siti Hajar’s heart felt peaceful after the message of Prophet Ibrahim AS. In this lonely place, Siti Hajar began to pray to God to always provide protection so that she could survive in this dry and lonely place.
3. Obedient and obedient to both parents
Once Prophet Ibrahim AS really wanted to meet Siti Hajar and Ismail and asked Siti Sarah for permission to go meet Siti Hajar and Ismail. After getting permission from Siti Sarah, Prophet Ibrahim AS started going to the place where he left his wife and children in a deserted and quiet place. Arriving at their destination, Prophet Ibrahim AS was surprised because the place that used to be peaceful is now bustling and inhabited and the life of his wife and son is improving and thriving.
Siti Hajar, who saw the arrival of Prophet Ibrahim AS, was very happy and very happy, because she had not seen him for a long time. Likewise Prophet Ibrahim AS was very happy for the meeting of his son and wife and immediately apologized for having to leave his wife and son: “O my wife and children, forgive me. Until now I have never seen your situation of having to preach to spread the truth to the people there.”
Prophet Ibrahim, who was too tired after a long journey, began to rest at Masy’aril Haram (now Musdalifah). Prophet Ibrahim AS, who was sleeping soundly, saw in a dream an order to slaughter his son Ismail, as a sacrifice to Allah. After seeing this dream, Prophet Ibrahim AS immediately woke up from his sleep and kept thinking.
Interpreting the meaning of the dream of slaughtering his son for a long time, until the morning Prophet Ibrahim AS could not close his eyes and was still trying to interpret his dream, he wanted to tell his wife and son, but was afraid of adding to the worries and anxieties of his wife and children. AS went straight to bed to rest his body. During this break, Prophet Ibrahim AS started to dream that he was ordered to slaughter his son: “O Ibrahim. slaughter Ismail as a sacrifice to Allah SWT “
The order to slaughter made Prophet Ibrahim AS confused so that sweat dripped down his forehead. The heart of Prophet Ibrahim AS began to feel restless and restless, so he took ablution water and prayed. After seeing two dreams in the form of orders to slaughter, Prophet Ibrahim AS was convinced to slaughter his son for the third time. In the third dream, Prophet Ibrahim AS began to believe that the command to slaughter was an order from Allah.
After going through much consideration and full of faith, Prophet Ibrahim AS still slaughtered his son Ismail, even though Satan tempted him with the wrong order. Prophet Ibrahim also called his son and began to speak: “My son Ismail, I really want you to always be patient and firm in accepting God’s commands.” Ismail was very sincere and patient in accepting all orders: “Father, what Allah commands, just say! I remained patient and steadfast, and as a servant of God, all his commands had to be obeyed.
Explain the order and I will be patient to listen to it.” After hearing all of his father’s explanations, Ismail continued to show patience and strength. However, his wife Siti Hajar was very surprised to hear all of Allah’s commands narrated in the dream of Prophet Ibrahim AS. Siti Hajar also started crying, tears streaming down her cheeks and could only hug her beloved son before being slaughtered. Siti Hajar could only cry because if that was God’s command, she could not refuse it and would still fulfill all of God’s commands. The next day, Siti Hajar had to release her son from Prophet Ibrahim AS to bring him to fulfill Allah’s command.
On the way to their destination, Prophet Ibrahim AS and Ismail received many temptations from Satan to disobey God’s commands. Even so, with full confidence, the two of them continued their journey to Ismail’s slaughter place. After arriving at his destination, Prophet Ibrahim could not bear to kill his son on a hill, so he covered Ismail’s face. When Prophet Ibrahim AS wanted to fulfill Allah’s order, the angel Gabriel came, who was sent by Allah to prevent slaughter.
The angel Gabriel then replaced Ismail with a goat and told Prophet Ibrahim AS “make that day a day of celebration for the two of you and give goat meat to the poor”. He recounts the incident precisely in the following verse:
“So when the child reached (the age of being able to) try with Ibrahim, Ibrahim said: O my son, I actually saw in a dream that I was slaughtering you. Then think about what you think! He answered, O my father, do what you are commanded; God willing, you will find me among those who are patient.”
“When both of them had surrendered and Ibrahim laid his son on (his) temple, (the patience of the two of them was evident). And We called him: O Ibrahim, indeed you have justified the dream, verily thus We reward those who do good. In fact, this is really a real test. And We ransomed the child with a large sacrifice.”
Conclusion
That’s all for a brief discussion of the example from the story of the prophet Ismail AS.
From the story of the Prophet Ismail AS mentioned above, there are many examples that we can learn and lessons that we can learn to live our daily lives. Reading and emulating the story and character of Prophet Ismail AS teaches us to always obey and be patient with every test given by Allah SWT.
Thus a review of the exemplary story of the prophet Ismail AS. For Sinaumed’s who want to learn all about the exemplary story of the prophet Ismail AS and other religious-related knowledge, you can visit sinaumedia.com to get related books.
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Author: Pandu Akram
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