He is the firstborn son of Ibrahim and the son of Lady Hajar. Ibrahim, following God’s command, took Hajar and her son to the location of Mecca and left them there with a small amount of water and dates. When the provisions ran out, Lady Hajar began to search for water, moving back and forth until God guided her to the water of Zamzam. Many people then came to the area. Later, God commanded Ibrahim to build the Kaaba and raise its foundations. Ismail would bring the stones while Ibrahim built until they completed the construction. Then, God commanded Ibrahim to sacrifice Ismail, as Ibrahim saw in a dream that he was sacrificing his son. When he told Ismail, he said, “O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if God wills, among the patient.” God then ransomed him with a great sacrifice. Ismail was a skilled horseman, being the first to tame horses. He was patient and gentle. It is said that he was the first to speak clear Arabic. He was truthful in his promises, commanded his family to pray and give alms, and called for the worship and oneness of God.
His Story: The First Test:
God mentioned in His Holy Book three scenes from the life of Ismail (peace be upon him). Each scene represents a trial and test for both Ibrahim and Ismail (peace be upon them). The first of these scenes is God’s command to Ibrahim to leave Ismail and his mother in a barren valley with no water or food. Ibrahim (peace be upon him) obeyed this divine command. Contrary to what is mentioned in some Israelite traditions, Ibrahim did not take his son and wife to the valley of Mecca because Sarah, his first wife, forced him due to her jealousy of Hajar. Reflecting on Ibrahim’s life, one would find that he only received his orders from God. He placed his wife and son there, leaving them with a small amount of food and water. Then he turned and walked away. His wife hurried after him, saying, “O Ibrahim, where are you going, leaving us in this valley where there is nothing?” Ibrahim (peace be upon him) did not respond and continued walking. She repeated her question, but he remained silent. Finally, she understood that he was not acting on his own. She realized that God had commanded him to do so and asked, “Did God command you to do this?” Ibrahim (peace be upon him) replied, “Yes.” His faithful and great wife said, “We will not be lost as long as God is with us and He commanded you to do this.” Ibrahim walked until a mountain hid him from their view. He then stopped, raised his hands to the sky, and prayed to God: “Our Lord, I have settled some of my descendants in an uncultivated valley near Your sacred House, our Lord, that they may establish prayer. So make hearts among the people incline toward them and provide for them from the fruits that they might be grateful.” (Quran 14:37) The House of God had not yet been rebuilt, and the Kaaba had not been constructed. There was a higher wisdom in God’s command to Ibrahim. Ismail, the child left with his mother in this place, and his father would later be responsible for building the Kaaba. God’s wisdom dictated that someone should inhabit this valley so that civilization could extend to it. After Ibrahim left his wife and infant son in the desert, the water ran out, and the food was exhausted. The mother’s milk dried up, and Hajar and Ismail felt thirsty. Ismail began to cry from thirst. His mother left him and started searching for water. She walked quickly until she reached a mountain called “Safa.” She climbed it and looked for a well, a person, or a caravan, but there was nothing. She descended quickly from Safa, and when she reached the valley, she ran with the effort of an exhausted person until she crossed the valley and reached the mountain “Marwa.” She climbed it and looked around but saw no one. She returned to her child, who was crying more intensely from thirst. She hurried to Safa, stood on it, and then ran to Marwa, looking from its top. She went back and forth seven times between the two small mountains. Seven times she went and returned - and this is why pilgrims go seven times between Safa and Marwa, commemorating the actions of their first mother and their great prophet Ismail. After the seventh time, Hajar returned, exhausted and panting, and sat beside her son, whose voice had become hoarse from crying and thirst. At this desperate moment, God’s mercy reached her. Ismail struck the ground with his foot while crying, and a well of Zamzam water gushed forth beneath his foot. The water saved the lives of the child and the mother. The mother began to scoop water with her hands, thanking God. She drank and gave her child to drink, and life began to flourish in the area. Her belief was confirmed when she said, “We will not be lost as long as God is with us.” Some caravans began to settle in the area. The water that gushed from the Zamzam well attracted many people, and civilization began to spread over the place. This was the first trial. The second trial is the sacrifice.
The Second Test:
Ismail grew up, and Ibrahim’s heart became attached to him. He loved him dearly, especially since he was born to him in his old age. God tested Ibrahim with a great trial because of this love. Ibrahim saw in a dream that he was sacrificing his only son, Ismail. Ibrahim knew that the dreams of prophets are revelations. Consider how God tests His servants. Reflect on the nature of this test. We are before a prophet whose heart is the most compassionate on earth. His heart expanded with love for God and His creation. He had a son in his old age, and there was no hope of having another. Then he surrendered to sleep and saw in a dream that he was sacrificing his only son. What kind of struggle arose within him? It is a mistake to think that no struggle occurred. This situation would not be a clear trial without a struggle. A struggle arose within Ibrahim, stirred by the tender feelings of fatherhood. But Ibrahim did not question the reason behind sacrificing his son. Ibrahim was not one to question God’s commands. Ibrahim thought about his son. What would he say to him if he laid him on the ground to sacrifice him? It would be better to tell his son, as it would be kinder to his heart and easier for him than taking him by force and sacrificing him by force. This was better. The matter was settled, and he went to his son and said, “O my son, I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice you, so see what you think.” Notice his gentleness in conveying the message to his son, leaving the matter for the son to consider in obedience. The matter was decided in Ibrahim’s view because it was a revelation from his Lord. What did the noble son think of this? Ismail replied, “O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if God wills, among the patient.” Reflect on the son’s response. A person who knows he will be sacrificed submits to the divine command, expresses God’s will, and reassures his father that he will find him patient. It is patience in any case and in every situation. Perhaps the son found it sweet to die by God’s command. Ibrahim discovered that his son competed with him in loving God. We do not know what emotions surged within Ibrahim after his patient son submitted. God swiftly transitions us to the scene where Ismail is lying on the ground, his face down to spare him from seeing himself being sacrificed. Ibrahim raises his hand with the knife, and God’s command is obeyed. “So when they had both submitted,” the Quran uses this expression, “So when they had both submitted,” this is true Islam. You give everything, leaving nothing of yourself. Only then, at the moment when the knife was about to fulfill its purpose, God called out to Ibrahim. The test was over, and God ransomed Ismail with a great sacrifice. This day became a festival for a people not yet born, the Muslims. These moments became a festival for Muslims, reminding them of the true meaning of Islam that Ibrahim and Ismail embodied.
The Story of Ismail’s Wife:
Ismail lived in the Arabian Peninsula as long as God willed. He tamed and domesticated horses and used them. The water of Zamzam helped settle and develop the area. Some caravans settled there, and tribes inhabited it. Ismail grew up and got married. Ibrahim visited him but did not find him at home and met his wife. He asked her about their life and condition, and she complained of hardship and difficulty. Ibrahim said to her, “When your husband returns, tell him to change the threshold of his door.” When Ismail returned, his wife described the man to him. He said, “That was my father, and he commands me to separate from you. Go to your family.” Ismail married another woman. Ibrahim visited her, asking about their condition, and she told him they were in blessings and goodness. Ibrahim was pleased with this wife for his son. The Third Test: Now we come to the third test, a test that does not only concern Ibrahim and Ismail but millions of people after them until the Day of Judgment. It is a mission entrusted by God to these two noble prophets: the mission of building the House of God on earth. Ismail grew up and reached his full strength. Ibrahim came to him and said, “O Ismail, God has commanded me to do something.” Ismail replied, “Do what your Lord has commanded you.” Ibrahim asked, “Will you help me?” Ismail said, “I will help you.” Ibrahim then said, “God has commanded me to build a house here.” He pointed to a low-lying area. The command was given to build the Sacred House of God, the first house established for people on earth, and the first house where humans worshiped their Lord. Since Adam was the first human to descend to earth, the credit for building it the first time goes to him. Scholars say that Adam built it and circled around it as the angels circle around the Throne of God. Adam built a tent to worship God. It was natural for Adam, as a prophet, to build a house for the worship of his Lord. Mercy surrounded this place. Then Adam died, centuries passed, and the house’s trace was lost and its location hidden. Now, Ibrahim received the command to build it again, so it would remain standing until the Day of Judgment, God willing. The construction of the Kaaba began. The Kaaba was demolished several times in history, and its construction was renewed each time. It has remained since the time of Ibrahim until today. When the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, was sent to fulfill Ibrahim’s prayer, he found the Kaaba where it was last built. However, those who built it did not dig its foundation as Ibrahim did. From this, we understand that Ibrahim and Ismail exerted an effort that later generations could not replicate. The Prophet stated that he wished to demolish it and rebuild it on the foundation of Ibrahim, but he refrained due to the people’s recent conversion to Islam and his fear that they would be tempted by its demolition and reconstruction. He wanted to build it to reach the foundations of Ibrahim and Ismail. What strenuous effort did these two noble prophets exert alone? They had to dig the foundation deep into the ground, cut stones from distant and nearby mountains, transport them, level them, build them up, and elevate them. This task required the effort of a generation of men, but they built it together. We do not know how long it took to build the Kaaba, just as we do not know how long it took to build Noah’s Ark. The important thing is that Noah’s Ark and the Kaaba were both refuges for people, places of reward and safety. The Kaaba is Noah’s Ark, fixed on the earth forever, always waiting for those seeking salvation from the flood’s horrors. God did not tell us about the time it took to build the Kaaba. He told us about something more important and beneficial: the selflessness of those who built it and their prayers while building it. Surah Al-Baqarah (2:127-129): “And [mention] when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House and [with him] Ishmael, [saying], ‘Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed You are the Hearing, the Knowing. Our Lord, and make us Muslims [in submission] to You and [raise] from our descendants a Muslim nation [in submission] to You. And show us our rites and accept our repentance. Indeed, You are the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful. Our Lord, and send among them a messenger from themselves who will recite to them Your verses and teach them the Book and wisdom and purify them. Indeed, You are the Exalted in Might, the Wise.’” The greatest Muslims of their time, Abraham and Ishmael, prayed to God to accept their work and make them submissive to Him. They knew that hearts are between two fingers of the Most Merciful. Their compassion led them to ask God to bring forth from their descendants a Muslim nation devoted to Him. They wanted to increase the number of worshippers, those who circumambulate, bow, and prostrate. The prayer of Abraham and Ishmael reveals the concerns of a believing heart. They were building God’s House, yet they were preoccupied with the matter of faith, indicating that the House is a symbol of faith. They then prayed to God to show them the way of worship that pleases Him and to accept their repentance, for He is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful. Their concern extended beyond their time, praying for a messenger to be sent to these people. This prayer was fulfilled when Muhammad, the son of Abdullah, was sent, peace be upon him, after many ages. The construction of the House was completed, and Abraham wanted a distinctive stone to mark the starting point for circumambulating the Kaaba. He instructed Ishmael to bring him a unique stone different from the stones of the Kaaba. Ishmael set out to fulfill his father’s command. When he returned, Abraham had already placed the Black Stone in its position. Ishmael asked, “Who brought it to you, father?” Abraham replied, “Gabriel, peace be upon him, brought it.” The construction of the Kaaba was completed, and the monotheists and Muslims began circumambulating it. Abraham stood and prayed to his Lord the same prayer as before, asking Him to make the hearts of the people incline towards the place. Notice the expression: “incline” depicts an irresistible descent towards something, with the pinnacle being the inclination towards the Kaaba. From this prayer was born the deep desire in the hearts of Muslims to visit the Sacred House. Everyone who visits the Sacred Mosque and returns to their homeland feels an increasing thirst the more they drink from it, and their longing deepens the further they are from it. When the times of pilgrimage come each year, this mysterious longing claws at the heart, yearning to see the House and thirsting for the well of Zamzam.
God said when the disputants argued about Abraham and Ishmael: Surah Al-Imran (3:67): “Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was one inclining toward truth, a Muslim [submitting to Allah]. And he was not of the polytheists.”
