The Sacrifice of the Only Son, Abraham's Vision

Abraham, Hagar, and Ismael had been reunited for an undetermined length of time, when Abraham's joy, celebration, and revelry were interrupted by a most disturbing and heartbreaking vision from Allah. Within the confines of his vision, Abraham saw that he was to sacrifice Ismael to Allah. [Qur'an, Surah As-Saffaat, 37: 102] Abraham had waited so long for the birth of his only son, Ismael. He had, reportedly by the command of Allah,[1] been separated from Ismael for 11 to 12 years.[2] Now, just when Abraham was reunited with Ismael, and just when Ismael had reached the age of 13 years,[3] when Ismael was finally old enough to help his father in the serious work of spreading the message of Allah, Abraham had received a vision from Allah, in which Abraham was commanded to sacrifice Ismael's life for Allah! [Qur'an, Surah As-Saffaat, 37: 102]

Abraham consults Ismael

Having received this strange and terrifying vision, Abraham went to Ismael, told his son what he had seen, and asked for Ismael's input and reaction.

Ismael, to his enormous credit, never doubted his father's vision, and he never wavered in his own faith in Allah. Ismael was "ready to suffer and forbear", and was willing to practice "patience and constancy" in the face of the frightening future that now confronted him. Ismael's verbal response was a statement reflecting total submission to Allah. Ismael instructed his father that he should, of course, carry out any instruction that he had received from Allah.

“So We gave him the good news of a boy ready to suffer and forbear. Then, when (the son) reached (the age of serious) work with him, he said: "O my son! I see in a vision that I offer thee in sacrifice: now see what is thy view!" (The son) said: "O my father! do as thou art commanded: thou wilt find me, if Allah so wills, one practicing patience and constancy!"” [Qur'an, Surah As-Saffaat, 37: 101-102]

Submission to Allah

Despite the frightening future that now confronted both of them, Abraham and Ismael were both totally committed in their submission to Allah.

Yet, what a tangled web of emotions Abraham must have been feeling! Despair, mourning, and grief over the impending death of Ismael must have spread a canopy of gloom over Abraham's psyche.

However, the father's pride and joy in a son, who so totally submits to Allah, must have incessantly burst through that canopy of gloom. To have such pride and joy in an only son, only to know you are about to lose him!

With Abraham and Ismael voicing their intention to submit to Him, Allah directed Abraham to lead Ismael, Abraham's two servants, and a donkey to a mountain, which was in the vicinity of Makkah. Along the way, they stopped to cut what would they could, and loaded it on the back of the donkey, in order that there would be a suitable fire for the burning of Ismael's sacrificed body.[4] "After they reached the foot of the mountain, Abraham and Ismael unloaded the wood from the donkey's back, and Abraham directed his two servants to remain at the foot of the mountain with the donkey.

Abraham and Ismael then picked up the wood themselves, and Abraham loaded it on Ismael's back. While Ismael packed the wood on his back, and while Abraham carried the knife for the slaughtering and a burning brand for igniting the sacrificial fire, the two of them picked their way up the mountainside. Upon reaching the spot designated by Allah, the two of them laid down their burdens, and Abraham began to build an altar, upon which to sacrifice Ismael.[5]

When the altar had been erected, and after Abraham had distributed the wood around it for the eventual burning of Ismael’s body,[6] Abraham gently laid Ismael on top of the altar. [Qur'an, Surah As-Saffaat, 37: 103] Lying there, Ismael prostrated himself before Allah, his face and forehead pressed downwards into the altar. [Qur'an, Surah As-Saffaat, 37: 103] All that remained was the one sure stroke of the sharpened knife. All that remained was the incineration of the dead body with sacrificial fire. Knife poised for the final thrust, neither father nor son wavered in their faith. Their submission to Allah was complete and true.

The Ransom of Ismael

As the knife was about to descend for the deadly cut, a sudden voice stopped Abraham's hand in mid-air.

So when they had both submitted their wills (to Allah), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice), We called out to him, "O Abraham! thou hast already fulfilled the vision!" thus indeed do We reward those who do right.

For this was obviously a trial and We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice: and we left (this blessing) for him among generations (to come) in later times: "Peace and salutation to Abraham!" Thus indeed do We reward those who do right for he was one of Our believing servants. [Qur'an, Surah As-Saffaat, 37: 103-111]

At the last moment, Ismael's life had been spared, and Abraham's hand had been stilled. Looking up, tears of joy probably streaming from his eyes, Abraham saw a ram caught by its horns in some nearby brush. Abraham went over to the ram, freed it from the brush, and placed it on the altar, upon which Ismael had previously submitted himself. Then, Abraham sacrificed the ram in place of his only son. Given Allah's ransoming of Ismael, Abraham reportedly named the mountain Jeruel, meaning "Allah will provide", because Allah had provided a way out of the sacrifice of Ismael, and because Allah had provided the ram for the sacrifice.[7]

A Commentary on the Site of the Sacrifice

Of note, II Chronicles states that Jeruel was a wilderness area, located near the end of a valley.[8] It may be noted further that the specific area around Makkah, which is associated in Islam with the sacrifice of Ismael, is known as Mina. Mina is located about four miles (six to seven kilometers) east of Makkah, and fits the description of being a wilderness area near the end of a valley. Furthermore, the Arabic word "Mina", which is normally translated as "a wish", has a connotation of a non-obligatory gift, i.e., something provided freely. Assuming that Minat Allah was the original name of this area, one has linguistically direct identification of Jeruel as being Mina.

The Covenant

Following Abraham and Ismael having passed their trial of faith and submission, Allah reportedly entered into a covenant with Abraham, presumably before Abraham and Ismael had left the mountain where Ismael was to have been sacrificed. The story of this covenant finds its fullest expression in a highly politicized narrative from Genesis.[9] Avoiding the politically charged rhetoric of this narrative, one finds the following circumstances concerning the reported covenant between Allah and Abraham.

Allah reportedly approached Abraham, asking Abraham to walk before Him and to continue being righteous, and informed him that He would enter into a covenant with Abraham. Thereupon, Abraham fell down, prostrated himself before Allah, and worshipped Allah. Presumably after Abraham had completed this act of prostration and worship, Allah reportedly then informed Abraham of the conditions, terms, clauses, and nature of this covenant.[10]

The Right of Circumcision

Upon receiving the covenant from Allah, Abraham wasted no time in acting upon it. That very day, Abraham took Ismael and the two servants, who had accompanied Abraham to Makkah and Abraham performed the rite of circumcision on all four of them.[11]

Presumably, the circumcision was carried out immediately, with the four of them still being at the site of the intended sacrifice of Ismael. As Abraham had probably brought a hatchet with him, in order to cut the wood that was to have been used to bum the sacrifice,[12] and as Abraham's knife had already been contaminated with the blood of the ram, which was substituted for Ismael, it is likely that the aforementioned hatchet was the first tool, which was available to perform the rite of circumcision. As such, it is recorded in Sahih Ahadith that Abraham performed his circumcision with a hatchet (adze).[13]

Once Abraham was back in Hebron, one assumes that he circumcised all of his male servants and slaves, in order to comply with the covenant.[14]