One of the greatest prophets of Islam is the prophet Ismail. His name is found in the Qur'an 12 times. Ismail was the eldest son of the prophet Ibrahim and the Egyptian maidservant Hajar. In biblical tales, he is identified with Ishmael. The scriptures say that he came to earth with a specific 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 Adnanite Arabs. In the Islamic faith, the role of this person is much more important than in biblical traditions. Muslims also consider him the 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, the prophet Ibrahim, very long asked Allah for a son. His pleas were heard. Moreover, Ibrahim was already then at an advanced age. According to some reports, he was 98 years old at that time. Other sources say that the first-born was born when his father was already 117 years old.
After 4 years, 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. On the way, they stopped in Egypt, where the ruler of the country presented Sarah with a servant Hajar. In Palestine, they spread their faith.
Firstborn
Years passed, but the family had no children. Then Ibrahim asked his wife to sell his maid to him in order to conceive a son with her. Sara agreed. After some time, Ismail was born. It was a long-awaited child.
Sarah also longed to become a mother. Therefore, she asked Allah to give her a son. After a very short time, despite his old age, Ibrahim's wife was able to conceive a child. He was called Ishar.
Ismail's childhood
The Prophet Ismail in Islam is a strong person. This is an example to follow. He suffered many hardships in his life. They pursued him from childhood. Sarah did not like sharing her husband with another woman. Hajjar was her servant, and now she is equal to her. Ibrahim loved her child as much as Ishara. It poisoned Sarah's mind. She envied Hajar.
Once in a children's game, Ismail defeated Ishara. Ibrahim took him to his knees, and Ishara planted him next to him. Sarah was very offended. She said in anger that she wanted to distance Hajar from their home. Ibrahim loved his wife, so he listened to her.
Allah told him to take Hajjar with his son to the Kaaba’s house in Mecca, which was destroyed at that time. They had to rebuild it. Here, Ismail and Hajar fell into a completely unfriendly atmosphere. Burning heat, lack of water and wild animals were a threat to their lives.
When the baby was thirsty, his mother could not find him water. Her searches were in vain. The woman already thought that they were dying, but suddenly she saw a spring under the feet of her son. Ishmael kicked the ground, and she gave them water. This source was called Zamzam.
The heyday of Mecca
The Prophet Ismail, whose biography began with such trials, together with his mother was able to survive in this scorching desert. They were sitting near the source. Birds began to fly into the water, animals came. Following them came people. They asked Hajar 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 set up tents, formed a small town.
In Mecca, Hajar and Ismail were respected. People who came here, gave them various benefits, rendered honors. Ibrahim also began to come here. His visits were short-lived so Sarah would not be worried due to his long absence. The father was glad to see his son and his mother in good health.
The young years of Ismail
The Prophet Ismail suffered many blows of fate. Only recently he experienced loneliness and fear in the midst of a hot desert, and now fate again exposed him to a new blow. Hajjar left this world. This was a great shock to Ibrahim. He was very grieving over her.
When Ismail grew up, people from the Juhum tribe found him a bride named Same. But she was an unworthy, rude woman. The father conveyed a message to his son, where he said to find another wife. The son did so. He married a good, kind girl.
Father and son built the house of the Kaaba stone by stone. Here they held their religious rites, distributed them among the inhabitants of the nearest tribes. For the sake of this temple all torment and difficulties were overcome. People who fell into it had to abandon idolatry and come to one God. Here Ishmael and Ibrahim performed Hajj.
Test of faith
The Prophet Ismail in Islam is a pure and humble figure. Ibrahim received his son as a reward for his faith. But Allah wanted to check her. He sent the prophet a dream in which he saw an order to cut the throat of his son. For any other person, this 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 so that Ibrahim looked in the face of his weakness, and also was able to overcome it. In Hajj rites, sacrifice is a necessity.
Father and son came to Mina. Satan tempted them along the way, but they were strong in faith. When the father put a knife to the throat of his son, the blade did not cut Ismail's throat.
The knife said that the Almighty orders him not to do this. Allah sent a ram to them, which they sacrificed. God does not want blood. He sends difficult trials on the way of people to confirm them in the faith.
Self-sacrifice
Thanks to humility, the prophet Ismail is a symbol of humility. He knew where his father was leading, but did not resist it. He went through all his trials with his head held high and firm faith. These tests teach people how to deal with their weaknesses.
If you delve deeper into these traditions, you can understand that God did not want bloodshed. He demanded that his servants prove their humility and faith. Ishmael at the sacrifice asked his father to tie his legs and hands so as not to splatter his father’s clothes with blood. He took a kneeling pose and told Ibrahim not to look in the eyes. By such actions, the son tried to reduce his burden.
The Prophet Ismail appears to be a very strong person. He understood how hard it was for his father to fulfill this command of Allah. At this 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 humility.
Hajj Rite
The Prophet Ismail, the ancestor of Muhammad, is one of the key characters in Islam. His sacrifice was great. His life has been saved. Instead, a sheep was sent as a sacrifice sent by Allah from his Gardens of Eden. Therefore, all the animals that are sacrificed during the Hajj on the festival of Kurban symbolize the victory of man over his weaknesses. Not everyone is able to give the most valuable that they have, for the sake of others.
The ram sent to Ibrahim and Ismail is at the same time a reward for their steadfastness in the face of trials. During the Hajj ceremony, believers must throw 7 stones in the Jamra Uhra, and then 21 stones in three pillars of stone. This is a symbol of opposing the temptations of Satan, so you can drive away from him his words of temptation.
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 difficult times think not of himself, but of others. Such a worldview is worthy of respect and the highest praise.
Having become acquainted with the life that the prophet Ismail passed, each person can look deeper into himself. Allegorically, this story teaches us to fight our weaknesses, to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of others, to be devoted to a common goal.