IBRAHIM AS [PART 3]

With the last of her remaining reserve, and fuelled by survival and maternal instincts, she went back to Safa, and then Marwa, and back to Safa. She was increasingly desperate and it was a race against the clock. Although physically weakened, her determination was intact. She went back and forth repeatedly, walking swiftly and urgently, until she had climbed both peaks seven times in total. This is the incident which gave rise to the ritual of sai’e, one of the mandatory steps that all men and women have to comply with in order to complete their hajj or umrah. Allah had bestowed Hagar with such honour that until the end of time, believing men and women have to walk in her footsteps by going back and forth between Safa and Marwah seven times as part of the hajj and umrah rites.

Meanwhile, the situation was beyond endurance. Hagar had run out of strength and could no longer continue, but she did not despair in Allah’s help. Her heart was still connected to Allah and she remained steadfast even though the state of affairs was terrifying. Struck by a sudden inspiration, she raised her hands towards the direction of where the Ka’abah would late be built, which was then just a pile of rubble. She raised her hands to the sky and supplicated to the Owner of the place where she was stranded, the One who brought them there and pleaded that just as He had led them there, for Him to save them. This was the supplication of a woman in its purest form, as she lay dying with no other recourse but towards Allah. Allah accepted her supplication, and in some reports the angel Jibril AS was already on standby, waiting for the command of Allah.

Then, by the toes of her baby, something miraculous happened. Pure water started gushing from the ground – beautiful sweet life giving water. Such was the power of Allah that the water did not appear some distance away from them, but instead appeared exactly at the spot where Ismail AS was sitting. This did not happen by chance, it was a clear sign that they had been rescued and were granted a new lease of life. Allah had sent down Jibril AS, who hit the ground with the tip of his wing, and what we now call the well of Zam Zam was born.

The quick thinking Hagar immediately built a barricade around the water to contain its flow, for had she not done so, the water would have trickled away, and eventually been swallowed by the desert sands. She drank the water to her fill, and once replenished, she was able to suckle her thirsty infant.

It is narrated by Ibn Abbas (RA) that the Prophet SAW said: “The angel said to her: ‘Do not be afraid of being lost. Here there is a House of Allah which this child and his father will build. Allah certainly does not neglect His people.’”

Hagar and Ismail AS remained there for some time, until a tribe passed by. When they had set up camp, they spotted birds flying close by, which indicated the presence of water. They sent a couple of people to investigate, and when they found Hagar and Ismail AS by the water, brought the rest of the encampment to the water source. It was a constitution on the olden days that ownership of a well in a desert lay with the person sitting beside it. They asked Hagar for permission to stay with her, and she consented to their use of the water, but did not let them stake a claim in the possession of the well.

Thus a new town was born, as the settlements increased around this well. The land that used to be barren could now be cultivated. The population grew and it is now the thriving centre of the Islamic universe – Makkah, the home of the Ka’abah.

Lessons for Us

What made the family of Ibrahim AS so special that Muslims give them blessings up to this day?

Both his wives were righteous and God fearing. The strength of Sara’s faith was evident during the long years she stood by Ibrahim’s AS side as he spread the Message of Allah. The certainty of her faith also surfaced during the confrontation with the king, and this gave her all the defence and protection she needed to survive the encounter. Later, when Ibrahim AS yearned for an heir to continue his legacy of spreading the message of Allah, Sara, who had been a loyal wife and companion to Ibrahim AS throughout the years, made the sacrifice of letting Ibrahim AS wed Hagar in order for his wish to come to fruition.

The dramatic incidents which followed, give us a recurring message: to have total and utter faith in Allah. Hagar displayed complete loyalty to her husband and Messenger of Allah, by accepting his decision to leave her and Ismail AS alone in the desert. She did not attempt to escape from the location, but rather stayed rooted at the spot where he had left her, for she knew that she had been placed there for a reason. This also shows the depth of the trust she had in him, and her unconditional obedience to Allah’s command. Even when the odds of survival were slim, she remained where she was, having full trust in Allah to take care of her and her son. Her faith was tested to the point where both of them came perilously close to death. Yet, all the means of survival which were taken away from her only strengthened her connection to Allah, for even though the situation was excruciating, her heart always remained in remembrance of Allah and hope for His mercy.

Today, when we are backed into a corner, we can either choose to acknowledge that it is Allah’s way of making us turn to Him, or we can get angry about the situation. When Allah puts a believer under a trial, it is usually a means of purification in order for him to be elevated to a higher plain in Allah’s eyes, provided that he passes the test placed before him. Those of strong faith stay steadfast and rely on Allah to guide them through the difficulty, while those of unsteady faith will rebel against the apparent injustice in the circumstances placed before him. In Hagar’s case, she chose to remain patient and steadfast, never once complaining despite being placed in a life threatening situation.

Her faith and obedience were absolute, and this crystallised into opening and support from Allah. Allah bestowed both of them with a great honour, as the catalysts instrumental to the birth of the holiest spot on earth and the focal point of all Islamic worship up to the end of time. Today, no person can complete his hajj or umrah rituals without following in the steps of this lady, who came from the humble beginnings of a slave girl. Look at how Allah has elevated Hagar’s status until the end of time, as a reward for her absolute obedience. For her unwavering faith and obedience, Hagar has indeed achieved victory in this life and in the hereafter.

In Islam, one is continuously tested, and of the characteristics of a Muslim is his ability to sacrifice for the sake of Allah. Ibrahim AS had been yearning for a son for decades, and within months of being granted one, was then commanded to abandon him in the desert. Would we be able to make a sacrifice of such magnitude, or even a fraction of it, if commanded by Allah? Many of us remain too devoted to our lives on earth; and to the things and people that we have grown to love and become attached to. Inability to sacrifice any of these is an indication of our inability to sacrifice for Allah. Fortunately, we are not commanded to make such heavy sacrifices as compared to Ibrahim AS, yet we are nonetheless still reluctant to give up the things that we have become fond of – money, career, excessive adoration of a loved one – and put Allah as our priority. We should realise that it is only when we obey and rely on Allah absolutely and utterly, that Allah will grant us victory in this life and the next.

Please click here for Part 4.