One of the greatest prophets of Islam is the prophet Ismail. His name occurs 12 times in the Qur'an. Ismail was the eldest son of the Prophet Ibrahim and the Egyptian maid Hajjar. In biblical stories, he is identified with Ishmael. The scriptures say that he came to earth with a specific mission. The Prophet was supposed to spread his faith among the tribes that inhabited the Arabian Peninsula at that time.
Muslims today consider Ismail the initiator of the Adnanite Arabs. In the Islamic faith, the role of this person is much more important than in biblical traditions. Muslims also consider him an ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad. Who was Ismail, what was his life path, should be considered in detail.
Beginning of life
It should be noted that the biography of the prophet Ismail begins with the wonderful story of his birth. His father Prophet Ibrahim asked Allah for a son for a very long time. His prayers were heard. Moreover, Ibrahim was already at an advanced age at that time. According to some reports, he was 98 years old at that time. Other sources say that the firstborn was born when his father was already 117 years old.
In 4Ibrahim 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 maid Hajjar. In Palestine they spread their faith.
The birth of the first child
Years passed, but the family had no children. Then Ibrahim asked his wife to sell him his maid in order to conceive a son with her. Sara agreed. After some time, Ismail was born. It was a long-awaited baby.
Sarah also longed to be a mother. Therefore, she asked Allah to give her a son. After a very short time, despite her advanced age, Ibrahim's wife was able to conceive a child. They named him Ishar.
Ismail's childhood
Prophet Ismail in Islam is a strong personality. This is an example to follow. He endured many hardships along the way. They haunted him since childhood. Sarah didn't like sharing her husband with another woman. Hadjar had been her maid, and now she was her equal. Ibrahim loved her child as much as Ishara. It poisoned Sarah's mind. She envied Hajar.
Once Ismail defeated Ishar in a children's game. Ibrahim took him on his knees, and Ischar sat next to him. Sarah was very offended by this. She said in anger that she wanted to move Hajjar away from their home. Ibrahim loved his wife, so he listened to her.
Allah told him to take Hajar and his son to the ruined house of the Kaaba in Mecca. They had to rebuild it. Here Ismail and Hajar got intocompletely inhospitable environment. The searing heat, lack of water and wild animals were a threat to their lives.
When the baby was thirsty, the mother couldn't find water for him. Her search was in vain. The woman already thought that they were dying, but suddenly she saw a spring under her son's feet. Ismail kicked the ground and she gave them water. This spring was called Zamzam.
Rise of Mecca
Prophet Ismail, whose biography began with such trials, together with his mother, was able to survive in this scorching desert. They sat near the source. Birds began to fly to the water, animals came. People followed them. They asked Hajar who she was and 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 set up tents, formed a small town.
Hajar and Ismail were respected in Mecca. People who came here gave them various benefits, showed them honors. Ibrahim also began to come here. His visits were short so that Sarah did not worry about his long absence. The father was glad to see his son and his mother in good he alth.
Young years of Ismail
Prophet Ismail suffered many blows of fate. Only recently he experienced loneliness and fear in the middle of a hot desert, and now fate again subjected him to a new blow. Hajjar left this world. This was a great shock to Ibrahim. He was very sad for her.
When Ismail grew up, people from the Juhum tribe found him a bride named Same. But she turned out to be an unworthy, rude woman. The father gave his son a message where he said to find another wife. The son did just that. He married a good, kind girl.
Father and son built the house of the Kaaba stone by stone. Here they carried out their religious rites, spread them among the inhabitants of the nearest tribes. For the sake of this temple, all torments and difficulties were overcome. People who fell into it had to abandon idolatry and come to the one God. Here Ismail and Ibrahim performed Hajj.
Test of Faith
Prophet Ismail in Islam is a pure and submissive figure. Ibrahim received a son as a reward for his faith. But Allah wanted to test her. He sent the prophet a dream in which he saw an order to cut his son's throat. For any other person, this would be unbearable. But according to legend, Ibrahim was so firm in his faith that he completely trusted the Almighty.
This action was necessary for Ibrahim to face his weakness and also be able to overcome it. In the rites of the Hajj, sacrifice is a necessity.
Father and son came to Mina. They were tempted by Satan along the way, 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.
Knife said that the Almighty ordered him not to do this. Allah sent them a ram, which they sacrificed. God does not want blood. He sends hard trials on the waypeople to confirm them in the faith.
Self-sacrifice
Thanks to the humility shown, the prophet Ismail is a symbol of humility. He knew where his father was leading him, but he didn't mind it. He went through all his trials with his head held high and firm faith. These trials teach people to fight their weaknesses.
If you delve deeper into these legends, you can understand that God did not want bloodshed. He demanded from his servants to prove their obedience and faith. Ismail at the sacrifice asked his father to tie his feet and hands so as not to splash his father's clothes with blood. He took a kneeling posture and told Ibrahim not to make eye contact. With such actions, the son tried to reduce his burden.
Prophet Ismail appears to be a very strong personality. He understood how hard it was for a father to fulfill this command of Allah. At that moment, he did not think about himself, but only about the will of the Almighty and about his loved ones. Therefore, this person serves as a symbol of submission.
Rite of the Hajj
Prophet Ismail, the ancestor of Muhammad, is one of the key characters in Islam. His sacrifice was great. His life was saved. Instead, a ram sent by Allah from his Gardens of Eden was sacrificed. Therefore, all the animals that are sacrificed during the Hajj on the holiday of Kurban symbolize the victory of man over his weaknesses. Not everyone is able to give the most valuable thing they have for the sake of others.
The ram sent to Ibrahim and Ismail is also a reward for their perseverance in the face of trials. During the ritual of the Hajj, believers must throw7 stones in Jamra uhra, and then 21 stones in three pillars of stone. This is a symbol of opposition to the temptations of Satan, so you can drive away his words of temptation from yourself.
The meaning of the teaching is the need to sacrifice oneself in certain situations for the sake of a common cause. At the same time, a person, like Ismail, should, even in a difficult moment, think not about himself, but about others. Such a worldview is worthy of respect and the highest praise.
After getting acquainted with the life that the prophet Ismail went through, each person can look deeper into himself. In an allegorical form, this story teaches us to fight with our weaknesses, to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of others, to be devoted to a common goal.
