🧬 Lineage and Background
- Name: Ibrāhīm ibn Āzar (or Tārikh in other narrations)
- Title: Khalīlullāh – The Friend of Allah
- Born: In Babylon (Iraq), during a time of widespread idol worship
- Descendants: His sons Ismāʿīl and Ishāq are the forefathers of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and Prophet ʿĪsā (AS) respectively.
🌍 The World at His Birth
He was born in a society ruled by a tyrannical king (Namrūd) where:
- Idolatry was deeply rooted.
- People worshipped the stars, sun, moon, and man-made idols.
- Even his own father (Āzar) made and sold idols.
🧠 Early Wisdom and Rejection of Idolatry
Ibrāhīm (AS), even as a young boy, questioned the false beliefs around him:
“Do you worship what you yourselves carve, while Allah created you and what you make?”
[Surah As-Saffat 37:95–96]
He rejected idol worship logically:
- He observed the stars, then the moon, then the sun — and realized all were temporary and not divine.
- He concluded:
“Indeed, I have turned my face toward Him who created the heavens and the earth, inclining to truth, and I am not of those who associate others with Allah.”
[Surah Al-An‘ām 6:79]
💥 Breaking the Idols
To expose their falsehood, Ibrāhīm (AS):
- Destroyed all the idols in the temple except the biggest one.
- When questioned, he said:
“Ask the big one — if it can speak!”
[Surah Al-Anbiya 21:63]
The people were silenced but remained stubborn.
🔥 Thrown into the Fire
In rage, they built a massive fire to burn him alive.
- He was thrown in by catapult due to the heat.
- But Allah commanded:
“O fire, be coolness and peace upon Ibrāhīm.”
[Surah Al-Anbiya 21:69]
He walked out unharmed, a great miracle of Allah.
🏃♂️ The Migration
Rejected by his people and king, Ibrāhīm (AS) migrated with his wife Sārah and nephew Lūṭ (AS).
“Indeed, I will go to [where] my Lord has ordered me. Indeed, He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.”
[Surah As-Saffat 37:99]
He settled in Shām (Levant) and later traveled to Egypt and Mecca.
👶 The Story of Hājar and Ismāʿīl
- Ibrāhīm (AS) was childless for many years.
- Allah gave him Ismāʿīl (AS) from his second wife Hājar.
- He was ordered by Allah to leave Hājar and baby Ismāʿīl in the desert of Mecca.
Hājar ran between Ṣafā and Marwah, desperately searching for water — until Zamzam miraculously gushed from the ground.
This place later became Makkah — a sacred land.
🕋 Building the Kaʿbah
Years later, Ibrāhīm (AS) returned to Mecca, and he and Ismāʿīl (AS) built the Kaʿbah:
“And [mention] when Ibrāhīm and Ismāʿīl raised the foundations of the House…”
[Surah Al-Baqarah 2:127]
They made duʿā for all future generations:
“Our Lord, accept [this] from us… and make us Muslims [in submission] to You…”
[Surah Al-Baqarah 2:127–128]
🔪 The Great Sacrifice
Ibrāhīm (AS) had a dream that he was commanded to sacrifice his son — a test of absolute faith.
“O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I [must] sacrifice you. So see what you think.”
[Surah As-Saffat 37:102]
Ismāʿīl (AS) replied:
“O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, among the patient.”
As Ibrāhīm (AS) was about to sacrifice him, Allah intervened:
“You have fulfilled the vision.”… and We ransomed him with a great sacrifice.”
[Surah As-Saffat 37:104–107]
A ram was sent instead — commemorated today in Eid al-Adha.
👴🏼 Ishāq and Grandchildren
- Later, Ibrāhīm (AS) was given Ishāq (AS) from his first wife Sārah.
- Ishāq (AS) had a son Yaʿqūb (AS), also a prophet.
- Allah made his lineage full of prophets.
🕊️ His Character and Legacy
Ibrāhīm (AS) was:
| Trait | Description |
|---|---|
| Hanīf | Purely monotheistic, away from all forms of shirk |
| Khalīlullāh | The Friend of Allah |
| Forbearing (Ḥalīm) | Wise, patient, and gentle |
| Truthful (Ṣiddīq) | Always spoke the truth |
| Hospitable | Welcomed guests warmly (Surah Dhāriyāt 51:24–27) |
“Indeed, Ibrāhīm was a nation, obedient to Allah, inclining toward truth, and he was not of the polytheists.”
[Surah An-Naḥl 16:120]
🕊️ Death and Burial
- Ibrāhīm (AS) passed away peacefully in Hebron (al-Khalīl) in modern-day Palestine.
- His grave, along with Sārah, Ishāq, Yaʿqūb, and Yūsuf, is believed to be in the Cave of the Patriarchs.
🧠 Lessons from the Life of Ibrahim (AS)
| Lesson | Meaning |
|---|---|
| True faith requires sacrifice | He was willing to leave his family and even sacrifice his son for Allah. |
| Monotheism is worth standing for | He rejected idols even when facing death. |
| Tawakkul (Trust in Allah) | He left Hājar and Ismāʿīl in the desert, relying solely on Allah. |
| Dua is powerful | His prayers were answered in generations to come. |
| Legacy lives on through obedience | The rituals of Hajj, Zamzam, Kaʿbah, and Eid all come from his story. |
🏛️ Summary of Prophet Ibrahim (AS)
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Title | Khalīlullāh (Friend of Allah) |
| Main Locations | Babylon, Levant (Shām), Egypt, Mecca |
| Miracles | Survived the fire, visions from Allah |
| Family | Hājar, Sārah, Ismāʿīl, Ishāq, Yaʿqūb |
| Legacy | Father of monotheism, key figure in Judaism, Christianity, Islam |
| Honored In | Qur’an, Torah, Bible — the only prophet revered in all three |
| Burial | Hebron (al-Khalīl), Palestine |
