Calling Islam

One day, Abraham woke up and asked his wife Hajar to get her son and prepare for a long journey. In a few days Abraham started out with his wife Hajar and their son Ishmael. The child was still nursing and not yet weaned.

Abraham walked through cultivated land, desert, and mountains until he reached the desert of the Arabian Peninsula and came to an uncultivated valley having no fruit, no trees, no food, and no water. The valley had no sign of life. After Abraham had helped his wife and child to dismount, he left them with a small amount of food and water which was hardly enough for two days. He turned around and walked away. His wife hurried after him asking: "Where are you going Abraham, leaving us in this barren valley?"

Abraham did not answer her, but continued walking. She repeated what she had said, but he remained silent. Finally she understood that he was not acting on his own initiative. She realized that God had commanded him to do this. She asked him : "Did God command you to do so?" He replied: "Yes." Then his great wife said: "We are not going to be lost, since God Who has commanded you is with us."
Abraham invoked Almighty God thus:

"O Our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in a valley with no cultivation, by Your Sacred House (the Ka'ba at Mecca); in order, O our Lord, that they may offer regular prayers, so fill the hearts of men with love towards them, and O Lord provide them with fruits so that they may give thanks. O our Lord! Certainly, You know what we conceal and what we reveal. Nothing on the earth or in the heavens is hidden from God." (Qur'an 14:37-38)

Ibn Abbas narrated: "The first lady to use a girdle was the mother of Ishmael. She used a girdle so that she might hide her tracks from Sarah (by dragging it). Abraham brought her and her son Ishmael while she was suckling him to a place near the foundation of [the Ka'ba1] under a tree. During those days there was nobody in Mecca, nor was there any water so he made them sit over there and placed near them a leather bag containing some dates and a small water skin containing some water and set out homeward. Ishmael's mother followed him saying:"O Abraham! Where are you going, leaving us in this valley where there is no person whose company we may enjoy, nor is there anything to enjoy?" she repeated that to him many times, but he did not look back at her. Then she asked him : "Has God ordered you to do so?" He said: "Yes." She then said: "Then He will not neglect us," and returned while Abraham proceeded onwards. On reaching the Thaniya where they could not see him, he faced the Kaba and raising both hands, invoked God saying the following prayers:

"O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring dwell in a valley without cultivation, by Your Sacred House (Kaba at Mecca) in order, O our Lord that they may offer regular prayers. So fill the hearts of men with love towards them, and O God provide them with food and water so that they may give thanks." (Qur'an 14:37)
Ibn Abbas's narration continued; "Ishmael's mother went on suckling Ishmael and drinking from the water (she had) When the water in the water skin had been used up, she became thirsty and her child also became thirsty, She started looking at him (Ishmael) crying in agony. She left him, for she could not endure looking at him, and found that the mountain of As-Safa was the nearest mountain to her. She went to it and started looking at the valley eagerly so that she might see somebody or a well or something, but she could not see anybody. Then she descended from Mount Safa and when she reached the valley, she tucked up her robe and ran in the valley in distress until she crossed the valley and reached Mount of Al Marwa. There she stood and started looking hoping to see somebody, but she could not see anybody. She continued pacing between Safa and Marwa seven times supplicating her Lord for help."The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "This is the source of the rite in Hajj called Sa'y where we repeat the pacing of Hajar between Safa and Marwa. When she reached Al Marwa (for the last time) she heard a voice and she asked herself to be quiet and listened attentively. She heard the voice again and said: "Whoever I hear! I hear your voice; can you help me?" And behold! She saw an angel at the place of Zam zam, digging the earth with his heel (or his wing) till water flowed from that place. She started to make something like a basin around it gathering the dirt with her hands and then started filling her water skin with water."The Prophet (pbuh) added: "May God bestow mercy on Ishmael's mother! Had she let the zam-zam flow without trying to control it, or had she not scooped from that water to fill her water skin, Zam zam would have been a stream flowing on the surface of the earth."The Prophet (pbuh) continued: "Then she drank water and suckled her child. The angel said to her: "Don't be afraid of being neglected because you are near the House of God which will be built by this boy and his father, and God never neglects His people." The House (Ka'ba) at that time was on a high place resembling a hillock, and when torrents came, they flowed to its right and left.

"She lived in that way for a few days and then some people from the tribe of Jurhum passed by her and her child as they were coming through the area of [Bakkah]. They landed in the lower part of Bakkah where they saw a bird that had the habit of flying around water and not leaving it. They said: "this bird must be flying around water, though we know that there is no water in this valley." They sent one or two messengers who discovered the source of water and returned to inform them of it. They all came towards the water. Ishmael's mother was sitting near the water. They asked her: "Do you allow us to stay with you?" She replied: "Yes, but you will have no right to possess the water." They agreed to that. Ishmael's mother was pleased with the whole situation, as she used to love to enjoy the company of the people, so they settled there, and later on they sent for their families who came and settled with them so that some families became permanent residents there. Ishmael grew up and learned Arabic from them and his piety made them love and admire him as he grew up and when he reached the age of puberty he married a woman from among them."The Prophet (pbuh) continued: "After Ishmael's mother had died, Abraham came after Ishmael's marriage in order to see his family that he had left long before, but he did not find Ishmael there. When he asked Ishmael's wife about him, she replied: "He has gone in search of livelihood." Then he asked her about their way of living and their condition, and she replied, "We are living in misery; we are living in hardship and destitution,' complaining to him.' He said: "When your husband returns, convey my salutations to him and tell him to change the doorstep of his house."

"When Ishmael came, he seemed to have felt something unusual, so he asked his wife: 'Has anyone visited you?' she replied, 'Yes, an old man of such and such description came and asked me about you. I informed him and he asked about our state of living and I told him that we were living in a hardship and poverty.' On that Ishmael said: 'Did he advise you anything?' She said: 'Yes he told me to convey his salutation to you and to tell you to change the doorstep of your hoouse.' Ishmael said: 'It was my father and he has ordered me to divorce you. Go back to your family.' so, Ishmael divorced her and married another woman from among them (Jurhum).

"Then Abraham stayed away from them for a period as long as God willed and called on them again but did not find Ishmael. So he came to Ishmael's wife and asked her about Ishmael. She said: 'he has gone in search of our livelihood.' Abraham asked her; 'how are you getting along?' asking her about their sustenance and living. she replied: 'we are prosperous and well off (we have everything we need).' then she thanked God. Abraham said: 'What kind of food do you eat?' she said: 'meat.' he said: 'what do you drink?' she said: 'water.' he said: 'O Lord! Bless their meat and water.""

The Prophet (pbuh) added: "At that time they did not have grain, and if they had grain he would have also invoked God to bless it. If somebody has only these two things as his sustenance, then his health and disposition will be badly affected unless he lives in Mecca."

The Prophet (pbuh) continued: "Then Abraham said to Ishmael's wife: 'When your husband comes give my regards to him and tell him that he should keep firm the doorstep.' When Ishmael came back he asked his wife, 'did anyone call no you?' she replied: 'yes, a good looking old man came to me,' so she praised him and added: 'He asked about you and I informed him that we were in a good condition.' Ishmael asked her: 'did he give you any piece of advice?' she said; 'yes, he told me to give his regards to you and ordered that you should keep firm your doorstep.' Upon that Ishmael said: 'It was my father, and you are the doorstep to my house. He has ordered me to keep you with me.'

Then Abraham stayed away from them for a period as long as God willed and then came back another time. He saw Ishmael under a tree near Zam Zam, sharpening his arrows. When he saw Abraham, he rose up to welcome him. Abraham said: 'O Ishmael! God has given me an order.' Ishmael said: 'Do what your Lord has ordered you to do.' Abraham asked: 'Will you help me?' Ishmael said: 'I will help you.' Abraham said: 'God has ordered me to build a house here,' pointing to a hillock higher than the land surrounding it.

"Then they raised the foundations of the House (the Kaba). Ishmael brought the stones while Abraham built and when the walls became high Ishmael brought this stone and put it for Abraham who stood over it and carried on building. While Ishmael was handing him the stones, and both of them were saying: "Our Lord! Accept this service from us, verily; You are the All Hearer, the All Knower." (Qur'an 2:127)

The Prophet (pbuh) added:
"Then both of them went on building and going round the Ka'ba saying O our Lord! Accept this service from us, verily, You are the All Hearer, the All Knower." (Bukhari)

When the building became high and the old man (Abraham) could no longer lift the stones to such a high position, he stood over the stone of Al Maqam and Ishmael carried on handing him the stones and both of them were saying: "O our Lord! Accept this service of us, verily You are the All Hearer, the All Knower."

The Prophet (pbuh) said: "Because of Abraham's invocation there are blessings in Mecca."

God put both Abraham and his son through a tough trial. In a deep test of their faith he commanded Abraham to kill his son. Abraham thought it through and went to tell his son. In pure knowledge that their desire should never play a role against the will of God they agreed that it should be done. This is the level of submission of the Prophets (may God's Peace be Upon them).

God 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: "O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you (offer you in sacrifice to God), so what do you think!‎" "O my father! Do that which you are commanded God willing you shall find me of the patient.

Then when they had both submitted themselves to the Will of God and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (or on the side of his forehead for slaughtering); and We called out to him: "O Abraham! You have fulfilled the dream (vision!" Truly! Thus do We reward those who perform good deeds, totally for the sake of God alone. Verily, that indeed was a manifest trial and We ransomed him with a great sacrifice (a ram;) and We left for him (a goodly remembrance) among generations (to come) in later times. "Salamun (peace) be upon Abraham!" Thus indeed do We reward the Truly righteous. Verily, he was one of Our believing servants. (Qur'an 37:99-111)