Ibn Abbas narrated a slightly different version: "When
Abraham had differences with his wife (because of her jealousy of Hajar,
Ishmael's mother), he took Ishmael and his mother and went away. They had a
water-skin with them containing some water. Ishmael's mother used to drink
water from the water-skin so that her milk would increase for her child. When
Abraham reached Mecca, he made her sit under a tree and afterwards returned
home.
Ishmael's mother followed him, and when they reached Kada',
she called him from behind: '0 Abraham! To whom are you leaving us?' He
replied: '(I am leaving you) to Allah's (care).' She said: 'I am satisfied to
be with Allah.' She returned to her place and started drinking water from the
water-skin, and her milk increased for her child.
"When the water had all been used up, she said to
herself: 'I had better go and look so that I may see somebody.' She ascended
As-Safa Mountain and looked, hoping to see somebody, but in vain. When she came
down to the valley, she ran till she reached Al-Marwa Mountain. She ran to and
fro (between the two mountains) many times. Then she said to herself: 'I had
better go and see the state of the child.' She went and found it in a state of
one on the point of dying. She could not
endure to watch it dying and said (to herself): 'If I go and look, I may find
somebody.' She went and ascended Al-Safa mountain and looked for a long while
but could not find anybody. Thus she completed seven rounds (of running)
between As-Safa and Al-Marwa. Again she said (to herself):
'I had better go back and see the state of the child.' But
suddenly she heard a voice, and she said to that strange voice: 'Help us if you
can offer any help.' Lo! It was Gabriel (who had made the voice). Gabriel hit
the earth with his heel like this (Ibn 'Abbas hit the earth with his heel to
illustrate it), and so the water gushed out. Ishmael's mother was astonished
and started digging."
Abu Al-Qasim, i.e. the Prophet, said: "If she had
left the water, (flow naturally without her intervention), it would have been
flowing on the surface of the earth."
Ibn Abbas continued narrating: "Ishmael's mother
started drinking from the water, and her milk increased for her child.
Afterwards some people of the tribe of Jurhum saw some birds while passing
through the bottom of the valley and that astonished them. They said: 'Birds
can only be found at a place where there is water."
They sent a
messenger, who searched the place and found the water, and returned to inform
them about it. Then they all went to her and said: "0 Ishmael's mother!
Will you allow us to be with you (or dwell with you)?" (And thus they
stayed there.)
"Later on her boy reached the age of puberty and
married a lady from them. Then an idea occurred to Abraham, which he disclosed
to his wife (Sarah). 'I want to call on my dependents I left (at Mecca).' When
he went there he greeted (Ishmael's wife) and said: 'Where is Ishmael?' She
replied: 'He has gone out hunting.' Abraham said (to her): 'When he comes, tell
him to change the threshold of his gate.' When Ishmael came, she told him the
same, whereupon Ishmael said to her: You are the threshold, so go to your
family (i.e. you are divorced).'
"Again Abraham thought of visiting his dependents whom
he had left (at Mecca), and he told his wife (Sarah) of his intentions. Abraham
came to Ishmael's house and asked: 'Where is Ishmael?' Ishmael's wife replied:
'He has gone out hunting,' and added: 'Will you stay (for some time) and have
something to eat and drink?' Abraham asked: 'What is your food and what is your
drink?' She replied: 'Our food is meat and our drink is water.' He said: '0
Allah! Bless their meals and their drink.'
Abu Al-Qasim, i.e. Prophet, said: "Because of Abraham's
invocation there are blessings (in Mecca)."
Ibn Abbas continued: "Once more Abraham thought of
visiting his family he had left (at Mecca), so he told his wife (Sarah) of his
decision. He went and found Ishmael behind the Zam-zam well, mending his
arrows. He said: '0 Ishmael, your Lord has ordered me to build a house for
Him.' Ishmael said: 'Obey (the order of) your Lord.' Abraham said: 'Allah has
also ordered me that you should help me therein.' Ishmael said: Then I will do
so.' So both of them rose and Abraham started building (the Ka'ba) while
Ishmael went on handing him the stones, and both of them were saying: "0
our Lord ! Accept (this service) of us, verily, You are the AllHearer, the
All-Knower."'.
When the building became high and the old man (i.e. Abraham)
could no longer lift the stones (to such a high position), he stood over the
stone of AlMaqam and Ishmael carried on handing him the stones, and both of
them were saying: "0 our Lord ! Accept (this service) of us, verily, You
are the All-Hearer, the All Knower." Surah 2: 127
Allah the Almighty told us of Abraham's affliction with his
beloved son: And he said (after his rescue from the fire): "Verily, I am
going to my Lord. He will guide me! My Lord! Grant me (offspring) from the
righteous." So We gave him the glad tidings of a forbearing boy. And, when
he (his son) was old enough to walk with him, he said: "0 my son! I have
seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you (offer you in sacrifice to Allah),
so look whatdo you think!" He said: "0 my father! Do that which you
are commanded, Insha' Allah (if Allah wills), you shall find me of the
patient."
Then, when they had both submitted themselves (to the Will
of Allah) and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (or on the side of his
forehead for slaughtering); and We called out to him: "0 Abraham! You have
fulfilled the dream (vision)!" Verily! Thus do We reward those who perform
good deeds totally for Allah's sake only. Verily, that indeed was a manifest
trial - and We ransomed him with a great sacrifice (i.e. a ram); and We left
for him (a goodly remembrance) among generations (to come) in later times.
"Salaamun (peace) be upon Abraham!" Thus indeed do We reward the
Muhsineen (good-doers). Verily, he was one of Our believing slaves. Surah
37:99-111
Time passed. One day Abraham was sitting outside his tent,
thinking of his son Ishmael and Allah's sacrifice. His heart was filled with
awe and love for Allah for His countless blessings. A big tear dropped from his
eyes and reminded him of Ishmael.
In the meantime, three angels descended to the earth:
Gabriel, Israphael, and Michael. They came in human shape and saluted Abraham.
Abraham arose and welcomed them. He took them inside his tent, thinking they
were strangers and guests. He seated them and made sure that they were
comfortable, then excused himself to go to his people.
His wife Sarah arose when he entered. She had become old and
white-haired. Abraham said to her: "We have three strangers in the
house." "Who are they?" she asked. "I do not know any of
them," he answered. "What food have we got?" Abraham asked.
"Half a sheep," she replied. "Half a sheep! Slaughter a fat calf
for them; they are strangers and guests," he ordered while leaving.
The servants roasted and served a calf. Abraham invited the
angels to eat, and he started eating so as to encourage them. He continued, but
when he glanced at his guests to assure they were eating, he noticed that none
of them had touched the food. He said to them: "Are you not going to
eat?" He resumed eating, but when he glanced at them again he found that
they were still not eating. Their hands did not reach out for the food. He
began to fear them.
Abraham's fears increased. The angels, however, were reading
his inner thoughts and one of them said: "Do not fear." Abraham
raised his head and replied: "Indeed, I am in fear. I have asked you to
eat food, but you do not stretch out your hands to eat. Do you intend me
evil?"
One of the angels smiled and said: "We do not eat. We
are Allah's angels." One of them then turned towards his wife and conveyed
the glad tidings about Isaac (Ishaaq).
Almighty Allah revealed: And verily, there came Our
Messengers to Abraham with glad tidings. They said: "Salaam (greetings or
peace)!" He answered: "Salaam
(greetings or peace)" and he hastened to entertain them with a roasted
calf. But when he saw their hands went not towards it (the meal), he felt some
mistrust of them, and conceived a fear of them. They said: "Fear not, we
have been sent against the people of Lot." And his wife was standing
(there), and she laughed (either, because the Messengers did not eat their food
or for being glad for the destruction of the people of Lot). But We gave her
glad tidings of Isaac, and after him, of Jacob.
She said (in astonishment): "Woe unto me! Shall I bear
a child while I am an old woman, and here is my husband, an old man? Verily!
This is a strange thing!" They said: "Do you wonder at the Decree of
Allah? The Mercy of Allah and His Blessings be on you, 0 the family (of
Abraham). Surely, He (Allah) is All-Praiseworthy, All-Glorious." Surah 11:
69-73
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