The Prophet Ismail in Islam

One of the greatest prophets of Islam is the prophet Ismail. His name is found 12 times in the Qur'an. Ismail was the eldest son of the prophet Ibrahim and the Egyptian servant Hajar. In biblical stories, he is identified with Ishmael. The scriptures say that he came to earth with a mission. The Prophet was to spread his faith among the tribes that inhabited the Arabian Peninsula at that time .

Muslims today consider Ismail the initiator of the Adnan Arabs. In the Islamic faith, the role of this person is much more important than in the biblical traditions. Muslims also consider him the ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad. Who was Ismail, what was his life, should be considered in detail.

Beginning of life

It should be noted that the life of the prophet Ismail begins with the wonderful story of his birth. His father the prophet Ibrahim very long asked for a son from Allah. His entreaties were heard. And Ibrahim was already in his old age. According to one information, he was at that time 98 years old. In other sources it is said that the first-born was born when his father was already 117 years old.

Four years later, Ibrahim had a second son from his first wife, Sarah. He married her at the age of 37. The family moved from Babylon (now Iraq) to Palestine. Along the way, they stopped in Egypt, where the ruler of the country gave Sarah the servant Hajjar. In Palestine, they spread their faith.

The Birth of the First-born

Years passed, but the family had no children. Then Ibrahim asked his wife to sell his maid to him to conceive a son. Sarah agreed. After a while, Ismail appeared. It was a long-awaited child.

Sarah too longed to become a mother. So she asked Allaah to bestow upon her son. After a very short time, despite his advanced age, Ibrahim's wife was able to conceive a child. He was called Ishar.

Childhood of Ismail

The Prophet Ismail in Islam is a strong personality. This is an example to follow. He suffered a lot of hardships on the path of life. They persecuted him from childhood. Sarah did not like to share her husband with another woman. Hajjar was her servant, and now she was equal with her. Her child Ibrahim loved as well as Ishar. This poisoned Sarah's mind. She envied Hajjar.

Once in a children's game, Ismail defeated Ishar. Ibrahim took him to his knees, and Ishara planted next to him. Sarah was very offended. She said in anger that she wanted to remove Hajjar from their house. Ibrahim loved his wife, so he listened to her. Allah told him to take Hajjar and his son to the ruined house of the Kaaba in Mecca. They had to rebuild it. Here, Ismail and Hajar fell into a totally unfriendly situation. Burning heat, lack of water and wild animals were a threat to their lives.

When the baby wanted to drink, the mother could not find water for him. Her search was futile. The woman already thought that they were dying, but suddenly she saw a spring under her feet. Ishmael kicked the earth, and she gave them water. This source was called "Zamzam".

The heyday of Mecca

The Prophet Ismail, whose biography began with such tests, along with his mother was able to survive in this scorching desert. They were sitting near the source. Birds began to fly to the water, animals came. After them came and people. They asked Hajjar who she was, how she ended up here.

After her story, people from the Juhum tribe who lived nearby, asked the woman to drink water from the spring. Hajjar gave them water. In return, people gave her food. Gradually, other tribes began to arrive here. They put up tents, formed a small town.

In Mecca, Hajjar and Ismail were respected. The people who came here gave them different blessings and honors. Began to come here and Ibrahim. His visits were short-lived, so that Sarah did not worry because of his long absence. The father was glad to see the son and his mother in good health.

Young years of Ismail

The Prophet Ismail suffered many blows to fate. Only recently he experienced loneliness and fear in the midst of a burning desert, and now fate again subjected him to a new blow. Hajjar left this world. This was a great shock for Ibrahim. He was very sad about her.

When Ismail grew up, people from the Juhum tribe found him a bride named Same. But she turned out to be unworthy, a rough woman. The father gave his son a message where he said to find another wife. The son did so. He married a good, kind girl.

The father and his son built the house of the Kaaba on a pebble. Here they conducted their religious rites, distributed them among the inhabitants of the nearest tribes. For the sake of this temple all the sufferings and difficulties were overcome. People who got into it had to give up idolatry and come to the one God. Here Ismail and Ibrahim performed Hajj.

Test of Faith

The Prophet Ismail in Islam is a figure of pure and submissive. Ibrahim received a son as a reward for his faith. But Allah wanted to check it out. He sent a prophet a dream, in which he saw an order to cut his throat to his son. For any other person, it would be too much. But according to legend, Ibrahim was so firm in his faith that he completely trusted the Almighty.

This action was necessary for Ibrahim to look into the face of his weakness, and also be able to overcome it. In the rites of hajj the victim is a necessity.

Father and son came to Mina. On the way they were tempted by Satan, but they were strong in faith. When the father put a knife to his son's throat, the blade did not cut Ismail's throat. The knife said that the Almighty commanded him not to do this. Allah sent them a ram, which they sacrificed. God does not want blood. He sends severe trials in the way of people for their confirmation in the faith.

Self-sacrifice

Thanks to the manifested humility, the prophet Ismail is a symbol of obedience. He knew where his father was leading, but he did not resist it. He passed all his tests with a high head and firm faith. These tests teach people to fight their weaknesses.

If you delve deeper into these traditions, you can understand that God did not want bloodshed. He demanded from his ministers to prove their obedience and faith. Ismail on the sacrifice asked the father to tie his legs and hands, so as not to spray his father's clothes with blood. He took a kneeling position and told Ibrahim not to look into his eyes. By such actions, the son tried to reduce his burden.

The Prophet Ismail is a very strong person. He understood how hard it was for the father to fulfill this command of Allah. At that moment he did not think about himself, but only about the will of the Most High and about his loved ones. Therefore, this person serves as a symbol of obedience.

Hajj rite

The Prophet Ismail, the ancestor of Muhammad, is one of the key characters in Islam. His sacrifice was great. His life was saved. Instead of him, a ram was sent to the victim, sent by Allah from his paradise gardens. Therefore, all the animals that are sacrificed during the Hajj in the holiday of Kurban, symbolize the victory of man over his weaknesses. Not everyone is able to give the most valuable things that he has, for the sake of others.

The sheep sent to Ibrahim and Ismail are also a reward for their steadfastness in the face of trials. During the ritual of Hajj, believers should throw 7 stones at Jamra Ukhra, and then 21 stones in three pillars of stone. It is a symbol of opposition to the temptations of Satan, so you can drive away from him his words of temptation.

The meaning of the doctrine is the need to sacrifice oneself in certain situations for the sake of a common cause. At the same time, a man like Ismail should, even in a difficult moment, not think about himself, but about others. This world view is worthy of respect and highest praise.

Having become acquainted with the life that the prophet Ismail has passed, every person can look into himself deeper. In the allegorical form, this story teaches us to fight against our weaknesses, to sacrifice ourselves for others, to be committed to a common goal.