Stories of the Prophets

Isma'il (A.S.)

Prophet Isma'il (Ishmael)

Abraham leaves Hajar and Ishmael

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, 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 2 days. He turned around and walked away. He wife hurried after him

asking: "Where are you going Abrahim, 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 Allah had commanded him to do this. She asked him : "Did Allah command you to do so?"

He replied: "Yes." Then his great wife said: "We are not going to be lost, since Allah Who has

commanded you is with us."

Abraham invoked Almighty Allah 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 prayers perfectly

(Iqamat as salat) so fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and O Allah 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 Allah." (Ch 14:37-38)

Hajar and Ishmael - Narrated by Ibn Abbas

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 Kaba under a tree on the spot of ZamZam

at the highest place in the mosque. 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 Allah 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 Allah saying the following prayers: