In The Footsteps Of The Father Of The Prophets – Ibrahim (‘A)
The Prophet Ibrahim (‘a) continued his long journey across Babylonia, Syria and Arabia. He folded up long periods of time, while crossing plains, hills, valleys, rivers and deserts to arrive eventually in the promised land of Makkah Al-Mukarramah. To this place, he brought with the pioneers of faith and life: his wife Hajar and his eldest son Ishmael (‘a).
The land of peace was the last station of the journey of Ibrahim. Ibrahim examines the deserts and mountains of Mecca as if looking for a new great event that will come into being on this particular land. Ibrahim's great heart resorts to silence to cover his secret and fate. Ibrahim raises his head, and stretches his hands towards the heavens. He humbly says:
رَبَّنَا إِنِّي أَسْكَنْتُ مِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِي بِوَادٍ غَيْرِ ذِي زَرْعٍ عِنْدَ بَيْتِكَ الْمُحَرَّمِ رَبَّنَا لِيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ فَاجْعَلْ أَفْئِدَةً مِنَ النَّاسِ تَهْوِي إِلَيْهِمْ وَارْزُقْهُمْ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْكُرُونَ
“O our Lord! Surely I have settled a part of my offspring in a valley unproductive of fruit near Your Sacred House, our Lord! That they may keep up prayer'; therefore, make the hearts of some people yearn towards them and provide them with fruits: happily they may be grateful”. (Holy Qur'an, 14:37).
With these word Ibrahim (‘a) which adieu to his wife and child and returns to Palestine to his first wife Sarah. Hajar finds refuge in silence. Ishmael turns about. She clambers up and down the two hillocks of Safa and Marwah. He gets desperately thirsty. Hajar (Hagger) runs up the nearby hill in search of water.
She seeks water but in vain and in her desperation climbs up another hill. He kicks the desert’s sands with his small feet. On his withered lips, there is thirst and dryness. Deep in his heart there is love and fait h. In his eyes is the great hope of the future which gives the good news of the rising of an Ummah that will grow in the barren valley the tree of faith and life.
For some precious drop of water, the baby beat the ground with his feet and caresses the sands with his fingers with the serenity of the prophets and the love of the saints as if stroking the breast of the earth - the dear mother - so it may pour on his lips drops of water. The helpless mother watches in deep anguish.
Behold, the earth’s heart relents affectionately to her great son. It responds to his wish as he responds to the call of Allah. The ground splits a little, and suddenly a spring flows to extinguish the thirst of the earth. This is a sign foretelling the greatness of this great baby.
Hajar is seized by astonishment. Is it true or a mirage? She slowly approaches the water and dips her hand into it and gives a handful to Ishmael.
Mother and son Ishmael stay near the spring of Zamzam.
Ishmael joyfully plays around it in the land of the divine messages soon to rebuild in this very land with his father, the Ka'ba, to which the hearts of the monotheists have always longed for. A place visited by its lovers.
Year pass and Ibrahim (‘a) returns to meet Ishmael, to write a new chapter of the history of faith on the sacred land. He, with the aid of his son, embarks on the building of a house for worship. He continues the construction.
He raises the foundations of the house. Little by little the house symbolic of monotheism in the heart of barren Arabia is built. The Ka'ba is raised, where the souls circumambulate around it:
وَإِذْ بَوَّأْنَا لِإِبْرَاهِيمَ مَكَانَ الْبَيْتِ أَنْ لَا تُشْرِكْ بِي شَيْئًا وَطَهِّرْ بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْقَائِمِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ
“And when We assigned to Ibrahim the place of the House, saying: Do not associate with Me aught, and purify My House for those who make the circuit and stand to pray and bow and prostrate themselves.” (Holy Qur’an, 22:26).
وَأَذِّنْ فِي النَّاسِ بِالْحَجِّ يَأْتُوكَ رِجَالًا وَعَلَىٰ كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ يَأْتِينَ مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ
“And proclaim among men the Pilgrimage: they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, coming from every remote path.” (Holy Qur’an, 22:27).
Ibrahim (‘a) an d his son complete the construction of the house:
وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
And when Ibrahim and Ismail raised the foundations of the House: Our Lord! Accept from us; surely Thou art the Hearing, the Knowing (Holy Qur’an, 2:127).
رَبَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِنَا أُمَّةً مُسْلِمَةً لَكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ
“Our Lord! And make us both submissive to Thee and (raise) from our offspring a nation submitting to Thee, and show us our ways of devotion and turn to us (mercifully), surely Thou art the Oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful.” (Holy Qur’an, 2:128).
The House of Allah became a symbol of faith, a place of worship and glorification of Allah, a place to which people journey, a place of sanctity and security to the guests of Allah.
Ibrahim (‘a) was looking after the House. In it he was humbly worshipping and glorifying Allah, and holding it in high esteem. He deeply felt the glory of this sublime symbol and waited for its great role in humanity's life.
This stony House was Allah's. It was a simple humble House floating on a sea of sand amidst waves of mountain and scattered hills, surrounded by barreness on every side. Could anyone think that house set up in the middle of the desert, out of touch with the spring and people, could ever be so inhabited and highly glorified? Yes....
وَرَبُّكَ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ وَيَخْتَارُ مَا كَانَ لَهُمُ ٱلْخِيَرَةُ سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ وَتَعَـٰلَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
“Your Lord creates and chooses whatever He wills—the choice is not theirs. Glorified and Exalted is Allah above what they associate with Him!” (Holy Qur’an, 28:68).
It was not long before glory shaded the land of stones and sand. The bare valleys of Mecca became a valley of fertility and abundance.
And why not? Was it not the land chosen by Allah to be the centre of Ibrahim's message the caller of the faith, and the roving messenger who was fascinated by the message of monotheism, and escaped the injustice of the tyrants to the justice of Allah, and from the nonsense of idol-worship to the religious wisdom of righteousness?"
Was it not the land that deeply believed in Ibrahim’s goals when the fertile valleys of Babylonia and Syria turned him down?
Was it not the land that would enrich the soul with faith, and make the whole earth prosperous with civilization?
Allah had chosen it for Ibrahim (‘a) to put the Ka'ba in its heart and prepare a place for worship.
Was it not the land Allah willed to be a secure sanctuary and a house of peace?
Yes, indeed it was Allah willed that. Within a short time the stark valley was clothed in a verdant vest. It was rapidly in habited by the heart of lover and became crowded with worshipper. The valley echoed with the resounding call and Allah wanted this to be, so He ordered Ibrahim (‘a) :
وَأَذِّن فِى ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلْحَجِّ يَأْتُوكَ رِجَالًۭا وَعَلَىٰ كُلِّ ضَامِرٍۢ يَأْتِينَ مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍۢ
“Call ˹all˺ people to the pilgrimage. They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel from every distant path,” (Holy Qur’an, 22:27).
Ibrahim (‘a) called mankind and the faithful hearts responded. The caravans of the (pilgrims) compete generation after generation - to perform Hajj (pilgrimage). The voice of Ibrahim (‘a) is still powerfully echoing in the ease of men, wafted on the waves of air: A perpetual call, a lovely voice, to which the souls anxiously and eagerly listen, and the hearts zealously hover towards.
That is the call of our father Ibrahim (‘a) still ringing in the hearts of the uniteranians, when they are still responding to it humbly:
Labbaika Allahumma labbaik
Labbaika la sharika laka labbaik
Innal hamda wan ni'mata laka wal mulk
La sharika laka.
(Here I am, my Lord, here I am.)
(Here I am, You have no partner, here I am.)
(Praise, grace and the kingdom is for you.)
(You have no partner.)
Therefore, Hajj became a religious duty since the Father of the Prophets Ibrahim (‘a) voiced the monotheists’ call over two milleniums later. When mankind had almost for-gotton Ibrahim's toil, and had plunged in idol worship.
Prophet Muhammad (S) the direct descendant of Ibrahim and Ismael renewed the call of Islam, of which Hajj is a main pillar. The Ka'ba is its direction. The Glorious Qur'an calls on all Muslims:
فِيهِ ءَايَـٰتٌۢ بَيِّنَـٰتٌۭ مَّقَامُ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَمَن دَخَلَهُۥ كَانَ ءَامِنًۭا وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ حِجُّ ٱلْبَيْتِ مَنِ ٱسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًۭا وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِىٌّ عَنِ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
“In it are clear signs, the standing place of Ibrahim, and whoever enters it shall be secure, and pilgrimage to the House is incumbent upon men for the sake of Allah, (upon) everyone who is able to undertake the journey to it; and whoever disbelieves, then surely Allah is Self-sufficient, above any need of the worlds.” (Holy Qur’an, 3:97).
A narrative from the household of the Prophet (S) says:
“In the period between the prophet hoods of Jesus and Muhammad, the Ka'ba complained to Allah the Exalted saying: O my Lord! Why my visitors have dwindled? Why my worshippers have decreased? Allah the Most High replied that: I shall send down a new light for the people who will eagerly long to you as the cattle yearn for their young ones.”1
This is a clear reference to Ibrahim and Ishmael's illustrious descendants Prophet Muhammad and his Ummah who received the great socio-political-religious gathering at the Ka'ba, called Hajj,”
Imam Ali (‘a) says:
“(Allah) has made Hajj to His Sacred House incumbent upon you, by making it (Ka'ba) the Qibla for mankind. People gather around it (to satisfy their longing for faith and religion) , as animals gather around (a watering place to satisfy their thirst) and as pigeons flock towards a place of refuge.
Allah the Exalted has made Hajj a sign of their humbleness to His greatness, and their submission to His mightiness. Allah chose from His servants obedient ones who respond to His call, believe in His word. They follow in the footsteps of His messengers, and imitate His angels who circumambulate around His throne”2
