As a Muslim, you are familiar with the stories of the Prophets that are often told during religious lectures at mosques, schools, and other religious events. These stories are not mere fables, but true accounts of historical events that occurred centuries ago and have contributed to the development of Islamic religion until today. Faith in the Prophets and Messengers is the fourth pillar of faith, and it is important for Muslims to study and understand the stories, miracles, history, and journeys of all 25 Prophets and Messengers.
Believing in the Prophets and Messengers can motivate us to be more active in worshiping Allah Ta’ala, refrain from prohibited actions, and emulate the attitudes and behaviors of the Prophets and Messengers who had honest and true faith.
Prophet Ishaq (AS) was no exception. He was the son of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and brother of Prophet Ismail (AS), who also conveyed the message of Allah SWT to spread goodness and the command that there is no god but Allah. Despite facing various obstacles while conveying Islamic teachings, Prophet Ishaq (AS) remained patient and determined to persevere.
It is, therefore, beneficial for us as Muslims to emulate the qualities of Prophet Ishaq (AS) as a guide to living a righteous life in this world and to always do good and believe in the power of Allah SWT.
To serve as a guide for our everyday life, we have summarized the example of Prophet Ishaq (AS) in this discussion so that Sinaumed’s friends can learn and practice it.
Furthermore, we have presented the discussion below!
History of the Prophet Ishaq AS
As a part of the history of the development of Muslims, researching the history of a figure, especially that figure is a prophet, it is also a good idea to pay attention to the history of this figure briefly to find out how his role was in life in fighting for God’s commands. In this discussion, the character in question is the prophet Ishaq AS, we have presented the history of his life below.
1. Birth of the Prophet Ishaq
In surah As-Saffat verses 112 to 113, Allah SWT says:
وَبَشَّرْنٰهُ بِاِسْحٰقَ نَبِيًّا مِّنَ الصّٰلِحِيْنَوَبٰرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَعَلٰٓى اِسْحٰقَۗ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِهِمَا مُحْسِنٌ وَّظَالِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهٖ مُبِيْنٌ ࣖ –
Meaning: “And We gave him good news with (the birth of) Isaac a prophet who was among the pious. And We bestow blessings on him and on Isaac. And among the descendants of the two there are those who do good and there are (also) those who openly do injustice to themselves.”
It is said that one day Allah SWT sent an angel to meet Prophet Ibrahim AS. They gave two news to the prophet who is known as Abul Anbiya or the father of the prophet. The first news that was conveyed was the revelation of Allah SWT’s punishment on the Sodomites who had disobeyed His commands.
In surah Hud verses 69 and 70 it is stated: “And Our messengers (the angels) came to Ibrahim with good news, they said, “Congratulations.” He (Ibrahim) replied, “Congratulations (on you).” So not long after that Ibrahim served roasted veal meat “.
Then, “So when he saw that their hands did not touch him, he (Ibrahim) suspected them, and was afraid of them. They (angels) said, “Do not be afraid, indeed we were sent to the people of Lut”.
Another news related to Siti Sarah’s pregnancy. As the wife of Prophet Abraham, Sarah was never blessed with children. After all, he was already about 90 years old at that time. Prophet Ibrahim himself was almost 120 years old. Hearing the news, both of them were quite surprised. Because seeing old age, Allah SWT really gives His grace in the form of children. Plus his wife, Siti Sarah, who was provoked to ask questions when she heard the news.
In Surah Hud verses 71-71 it is written: “And his wife stood and smiled. Thus We announced to him the birth of Isaac and after the birth of Isaac, Jacob will be born. gave birth to children and my husband is very old? This is really something extraordinary.” After receiving the “guest”, the two returned to their daily lives. With the permission of Allah SWT, Siti Sarah then became pregnant when she became old. Then little Ishaq was born as the second son after Prophet Ibrahim Ismail with another mother, Ismail himself was about 14 years old at that time.
The name Ishaq comes from the Hebrew word Yiṣḥāq, which means to laugh/smile. The word came from her mother Sarah, who smiled in disbelief after receiving the good news from the angel. He is a character in the Koran, the Bible, and the Tanakh. He was the son of Prophet IbrahIm with Siti Sarah and became the father of Prophet Jacob.
Ishaq is the second son of Abraham. His mother was Siti Sarah, who was Ibrahim’s first wife. Ishaq has a half-brother, Ismail, sons Ibrahim and Hajar, and another half-brother, sons Ibrahim and Ketura.
Isaac is considered a prophet in Islam. Although his name is mentioned quite a lot compared to other prophets, his story in the Qur’an, according to some scholars, is only news about his birth or murder. The remainder of his life is generally processed by Jewish and Christian sources. The Qur’an does not tell about Isaac’s preaching to specific people, but mentions that he always reminded people about the hereafter.
His name is often associated in the Qur’an with Abraham and Ya’qub and several other prophets, confirming his status as a prophet, a pious and religious figure and given instructions by God to give revelation and guidance. Ishaq is also said to have great strength and high knowledge. It is also stated that Allah gave to his descendants a book and a prophet. Muslims are also commanded to believe in Allah’s revelations, as well as those revealed to Muhammad and other prophets, including Isaac, and are also instructed not to discriminate between prophets and to obey Allah.
2. Death of the Prophet Ishaq
Like the other prophets and messengers of Allah, the Prophet Isaac also died. His death age was 180 years, making him very old.
Before the death of the prophet Isaac, there was a dispute between his servants. Even though he died, there are still many remnants of Prophet Ishaq’s example in the form of life lessons for his people.
Prophet Ishaq never gave up spreading the teachings of Allah’s religion so that they could make this religion their way of life.
Because of his determination to uphold justice and spread the teachings of Allah’s religion, he was able to escape the terrible torments of hellfire.
The Prophet Ishaq was finally buried in Palestinian land, precisely in the Makhpela cave. He was buried with his parents, Sayyidina Sarah and Prophet Ibrahim.
Prophet Ishaq received many favors and gifts from Allah SWT during his life. This is certainly comparable to his struggle to spread the truth in the world.
As good Muslims, we must be able to practice the example of Prophet Ishaq in our daily lives, so that we can always share God’s pleasure.
Follow the story of the Prophet Ishaq AS
1. Prophet Ishaq really loved his parents, wife, children and people. This makes him continue to spread kindness to his people.
There was a time when Sarah, the mother of the prophet Isaac, died first. When Prophet Ibrahim was the father of Prophet Ishaq, his condition began to grow old and Prophet Ishaq himself was not married at that time.
Finally, Abraham’s servant was told to find a wife for Prophet Ishaq. Then this maid searched all the way to Iraq to find a suitable wife for Prophet Ishaq.
The servant finally brought Prophet Ishaq to a woman named Rebekah/Rifqah. Finally they both got married when Prophet Ishaq turned 40 years old.
At the age of 40, Prophet Ishaq decided to marry and start his own family. Prophet Ishaq was reported to have married a woman named Rafqah bint Batuil. However, it turns out that the trials faced by his father and mother. Prophet Ishaq also experienced it. His wife Rafqah is also said to be a barren woman.
Prophet Isaac continued to pray to Allah. He was born thanks to a miracle from Him. So it’s not impossible that God sent back a miracle. Prophet Ishaq and his wife continued to pray with hope and faith.
After a long wait, the fruit of her patience came, Rafqah became pregnant and it turned out that God had given her twins. The child was named Iis or Esau and Jacob. How happy Prophet Ishaq was in his old age when Allah SWT bestowed him with twins.
Then one of his sons later became an apostle. He was Prophet Yaqub and later became the father of Prophet Yusuf, Benjamin and his brothers. And his son, Ya’qub bin Ishaq, who was the forerunner to the formation of the Children of Israel or the Israelites. Prophet Jacob was the son of Prophet Isaac and his mother’s name was Rafiqah. He is also the grandson of Prophet Abraham. Prophet Jacob had a twin brother named Esau/Isu. Prophet Jacob’s parents hoped that their twins would become pious children and follow in the footsteps of their grandfather, Prophet Ibrahim.
In order for this to happen, the prophet Isaac gave his two sons a series of religious lessons and often gave them advice and advice. One thing that the Prophet Isaac always taught was that his two sons should avoid jealousy and envy, immorality and enmity.
The Prophet Isaac always emphasized that his two sons always loved peace and work, so that his two sons always believed in Allah.
Such is the form of love shown by the prophet Ishaq AS for his parents, children and family, he loved them very much until he was even close to death. In fact, he (Prophet Ishaq) complied with his father’s will to find a mate for him and was willing to propose to the girl his father’s choice had given by his servant.
2. Patience Brings Blessings
After their marriage, Prophet Isaac and his wife waited for the birth of their child. However, later it was revealed that Rebekah, who became Prophet Ishaq’s wife, was in fact infertile, so they had difficulty conceiving children.
That is why the Prophet Ishaq and his wife tried to pray to Allah SWT so that they would be given offspring. Prophet Ishaq always prayed with sincerity and confidence to have children.
Because of the persistence of Prophet Ishaq and his wife and the permission of Allah SWT, their prayers were finally answered and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. At that time, Prophet Ishaq was known to be 60 years old.
The first son was named Esau, and the second son was named Jacob. The story of the birth of the Prophet Jacob is recorded in the Qur’an, namely in Surah Al-Anbiya verse 72 which means:
“And We have given him (Ibrahim) Isaac and Jacob, as a gift (from Us). and each of them We made righteous people.”
Over time, the children of the prophet Ishaq began to grow, namely Esau and Jacob, but among them they had completely different personalities and interests. Esau wanted to perfect his hunting skills to become a skilled hunter.
While Jacob has a gentle nature. He prefers to stay at home and help his parents. Jacob was also told that he liked to set up camp around his house.
Esau’s character turned out to be inherited from his father and was very similar to his father’s. At the same time, the gentle nature of Prophet Jacob was inherited from his mother.
When Esau and Jacob reached the age of 15, Prophet Abraham, who was their grandfather, was destined to die. Prophet Ibrahim is known to have died at the age of 175 years. His body was buried near the grave of his wife Siti Sarah.
3. Do not hold grudges between brothers
After old, Prophet Ishaq’s eyesight began to decline. Prophet Ishaq was afraid that he would die anytime, so he told his son Esau to hunt and prepare his favorite food so Isaac could pray for blessings for his older son.
Then his wife Rebekah, knowing Ishaq’s intentions, told Ya’qub to serve Ishaq some food before Esau returned from hunting. Then Rebekah put Esau’s clothes on Jacob and sheepskins on Jacob’s arms and neck, because Esau was a sharp hunter. When Jacob offered food, and when Prophet Ishaq touched Jacob’s body, and said: If it is a voice, it is Jacob’s voice; if it is a hand, it is Esau’s hand.
After eating the dish, Ishaq prays for Ya’qub, whom he thinks is his firstborn son Esau, that he will be blessed with goodness, lots of food, and that he will be the lord of his brother and his descendants.
After Jacob left, Esau came to Isaac and offered him the food his father had asked for. But Ishaq says he eats and prays for him. Ishaq and Esau then knew that it was Ya’qub who had come. Esau weeps for his father, but Ishaq says his prayers cannot be changed. Esau then promised to kill Ya’qub when Isaac died.
Knowing Esau’s threat, Rebekah told Jacob to go to the house of Laban, Rebekah’s brother, in Mesopotamia. Before leaving, Ishaq prayed for Ya’qub and forbade Ya’qub to marry Palestinian women because most people in the area did not believe, so Ishaq told Ya’qub to find a wife in Mesopotamia from the Abrahamic family in Mesopotamia.
After that, Ya’qub left Palestine. Esau heard that his father did not like Palestinian women, even though he had already married two Palestinian women, so he looked for other wives. His third wife was Mahalat, daughter of Ishmael.
Conclusion
That’s all for a brief discussion of examples from the story of Prophet Ishaq AS. From the story of the prophet Ishaq 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 Ishaq AS teaches us to always obey and be patient with every test given by Allah SWT.