Being Like Ibrahim (Alayhissalam)

Prophet Ibrahim’s (alayhissalam) cause and moral values are the basis of the moral values and the cause of Muslims and ardent followers of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). The shariah and moral values brought by our Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) are the perfected version of what his blessed ancestor Prophet Ibrahim (alayhissalam) and all the other prophets brought. Although attempts were made recently to deform the concept of “being like Prophet Ibrahim,” it is the blessed way for all of humanity and should be remembered, especially during Eid al-Adha.

Praise be to Allah. We are on the eve of another Eid-al-Adha. Adha, in religious terms, means slaughtering an animal with certain qualities, using specific methods, in order to get closer to Allah the Exalted.

The first known sacrifice in this world was performed by the sons of Adam (alayhissalam), Habil and Kabil; Habil offered the sheep he raised to the acceptance of Allah Almighty as a sacrifice, while Kabil offered produce from his crops for the determination of the righteous one in the dispute between them. Later, as beliefs and practices diversified, sacrifices came to be performed in different ways and continued in different forms, either as a religious practice or custom.

Just like hajj, the act of sacrifice in our religion was inherited from Prophet Ibrahim (alayhissalam), the ancestor of the prophets.

Prophet Ibrahim’s (alayhissalam) cause

Although adha (sacrificing an udhiyah animal for Allah) has many connotations, it mostly tells us about being faithful and surrendering to Allah like Prophet Ibrahim and Prophet Ismail (alayhimassalam). We are led to serious contemplation through their stories. Every prophet is a strong, impenetrable wall in a unified fortress of tawhid, and our Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is the last and strongest bastion of this fortress. The life and cause of each prophet is an important source for our understanding of tawhid. One of these sources described in detail in the Qur’an and hadiths is the story of Prophet Ibrahim (alayhissalam).

Prophet Ibrahim’s (alayhissalam) cause and moral values are the basis of the moral values and the cause of Muslims and ardent followers of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). The shariah and moral values established by our Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) are the perfected version of what his blessed ancestor Prophet Ibrahim (alayhissalam) and all other prophets taught. For this reason, to understand Prophet Ibrahim (alayhissalam) is to understand our Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).

Only by contemplating that blessed prophet's life and cause can we understand what it means to be like Prophet Ibrahim (alayhissalam) and resemble him in nature and behavior. And because sacrificing udhiyah reminds us of his cause every year, this sacrifice can be said to be contemplation through action.

Being like Ibrahim

Being like Prophet Ibrahim means being first and foremost concerned about finding the truth. Prophet Ibrahim (alayhissalam) was born in a pagan society. Even in his early childhood, before becoming a prophet, he was aware of the blight of polytheism that afflicted the community he lived in and was tirelessly driven to seek and find the truth. He saw and understood the absurdity of worshipping idols that people carved with their own hands, inanimate objects that could neither help nor harm. Nor could he understand worshipping someone who was created like himself. He turned away from the sun, moon, and stars by looking at them and saying, “I like not those that set [vanish, disappear].” (Al-An'am, 76).

Being like Prophet Ibrahim is not to love those who set and disappear. It is to realize that all creation is bound to be extinguished eventually. It is to dedicate all one’s thoughts and efforts to seeking the truth and reality, even if alone in this endeavor.

Being like Prophet Ibrahim is to believe in the cause of Allah and fight for it. Badiuzzaman Said Nursi said, “He who attains true faith can challenge the universe.” A believer with true faith does not turn away from the cause they believe in or make concessions, no matter how difficult the conditions are, even if there are obstacles that seem invincible or insurmountable. Being like Prophet Ibrahim is to have his moral code ingrained in one’s core and fulfill the duty of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, properly and on time, while fighting for truth and the righteous way.

While Prophet Ibrahim (alayhissalam) was smashing the stone idols in order to break the darkness of polytheism and destroy the idols they worship, he left the largest one intact and hung his axe around its neck. Hoping they might understand, he said, “... it was done by the biggest of them- this one. Ask them, if they can talk.” (Al-Anbiya, 63) and sought a way to proclaim the truth. To be like Prophet Ibrahim is to hold the banner of truth high and raise it above falsehood to destroy it.

Being like Prophet Ibrahim means, despite threats and oppression, not giving up on the cause of Allah, serving and fighting for His cause at all costs, and meeting all challenges head-on. Adversities are prevalent on this path to such an extent that, despite being entwined with an unmistakable hope for well-being and security, it is steeped in difficulties and obstacles as a characteristic of this test. Yet, for a person who trusts in Allah the Almighty and entrusts their fate to Him, even if all these difficulties and distress mean taking on a mountain of challenges or crossing a sea of flames, to them, it would be as pleasant as a bed of roses. Being like Ibrahim (alayhissalam) is being able to say, “Allah is Sufficient for me, and he is the Best Disposer of affairs,” as he said when he was thrown into the flames.

Being like Prophet Ibrahim is to submit to Allah's command even if the cost of doing so is leaving your spouse, friend, child, and family behind. Hijrah is an idiosyncratic but integral part of the righteous path and is often the share of the wayfarer who travels it. Hijrah from one’s self, hijrah from one’s homeland, hijrah from one’s family... Hijrah is a journey from one destiny ordained by Allah to another. The hijrah of Prophet Ibrahim (alayhissalam) is a complete submission to Allah's command. He left his home because his Lord commanded it, obeyed the divine order, and entrusted his two beloved ones to Allah, the most reliable of trustees, in a desert in the middle of nowhere. Being like Prophet Ibrahim means not hesitating in the face of divine commands.

Being like Prophet Ibrahim is being generous and sacrificing all one's possessions for the sake of Allah the Almighty. We have also learned from Prophet Ibrahim (alayhissalam) that one of the ways to be friends with Allah is through generosity. And being like Prophet Ibrahim is to do whatever is necessary to nurture and strengthen friendship.

To be like Prophet Ibrahim is to abide by the commands and prohibitions at all costs. It is to obey the order without hesitation even if one is ordered to sacrifice their beloved son, as Prophet Ibrahim (alayhissalam) was ordered to. It is to give up one's life for the sake of a loved one.

To be like Prophet Ibrahim is to revive countries and homelands. Bringing prosperity in the name of Allah to lands that have been dry as dust, be it materially or spiritually is the mark of a believer. Prophet Ibrahim (alayhissalam) reconstructed the most important of the prophetic cities, that is, the cities founded by the prophets, Makkah al-Mukarramah, and rebuilt the first structure on earth built in the name of Allah the Exalted. He taught us to raise cities with the spirit of tawhid. Prophet Ibrahim (alayhissalam) is an architect of civilizations with one foot in Makkah and one foot in Jerusalem. To be like Prophet Ibrahim is to be a founder of civilizations.

To be like Prophet Ibrahim is to invite people to worship Allah. It is to call all people to the path, servitude, cause, order, benevolence, forgiveness, mercy, salam, protection, and Jannah of Allah Almighty. It is to invite all humanity to Islam and the truth, just as Prophet Ibrahim (alayhissalam) called people to gather around the Ka’bah in the presence of Allah the Most High.

To be like Prophet Ibrahim is to embrace Rasulullah’s (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) morals, ideals, and teachings in the past and future, inwardly and outwardly. It is to be a faithful servant of Allah. It is to emulate Muhammad Mustafa (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) in every aspect of life and every step of the way. It is to sacrifice everything one owns, including one’s self, to Allah. 

We pray that our adha and eid, which we will realize in the coming days, will lead us to gain closeness to Allah the Almighty and Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).

Hüseyin Hilmi Arslan