Hajj: A Spiritual Rebirth: Ibrahim’s Sacrifice – Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

This is the fourth of seven articles based on the Hajj: A Spiritual Rebirth seminar, delving into the spirit, context, virtues and etiquettes of the Hajj.

Prophet Ibrahim’s (peace be upon him) trials earned him the esteemed title of Khalilullah (the intimate friend of Allah). The tests he faced were unimaginably difficult. 

It’s said that he was about 80 years old when Ismail (peace be upon him) was born. After Ibrahim left his people, traveling to spread the message of God, he said, “I am leaving for the sake of my Lord; He will guide me.” He then made a heartfelt prayer, “My Lord, grant me righteous offspring,” and Allah responded:

“So We gave him glad tidings of a forbearing boy.”

The word haleem (forbearing) refers to someone who has mastered the ability to remain calm and restrain anger, even in situations that would typically provoke others. It’s a quality closely tied to sabr (patience), the strength to endure hardship without losing composure.

This patience and forbearance are among the indications that the child mentioned was Ismail, not Ishaq (peace be upon them both). Although a minority of Islamic scholars and the Jewish tradition say it was Ishaq, the Quran repeatedly points toward it being Ismail.

Allah blessed Ibrahim with this good news, and once Ismail reached an age where he could assist his father with work, Ibrahim approached him and said:

“My dear son, I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice you. What do you think?”

Prophets’ dreams are a form of divine revelation, so Ibrahim knew this was a command from Allah. Notice how lovingly he addressed his son , something seen consistently throughout the Quran , the prophets expressed deep affection towards their children through tender words.

In response, Ismail said:

“My dear father, do as you have been commanded. God willing, you will find me steadfast and patient.”

Here you have an elderly father who had long awaited a son, and now, when his son had become strong enough to help him with life’s tasks, he was asked to sacrifice him. The emotional weight Ibrahim must have felt, the pain, sadness, pride, is beyond words.

The son, too, was prepared to surrender to God’s will without hesitation. Ismail, son of a prophet and destined to be a prophet himself, fully accepted the divine command with steadfastness.

There’s a lesson here about the loving bonds between parent and child, bonds rooted in affection, trust, and faith. Just like Ibrahim spoke with gentleness, so too did Yaqub and Luqman lovingly advise their sons.

And regarding Hajj itself , the word Hajj implies setting out toward something of immense greatness. The pilgrimage involves retracing these momentous events, re-enacting their incredible devotion and submission to Allah.

At that crucial moment, Ibrahim (peace be upon him) must have been filled with overwhelming emotions , the crushing sadness, yet immense pride in his son’s unwavering faith. 

Sometimes people today object and question how God could command such things, but such objections show a misunderstanding of both God’s nature and our own place in the universe.

Someone once asked an Imam, “Where is Allah?” The Imam responded, Allah is not confined to a place. There’s a poem attributed to him where he gives a long answer. He said: You don’t even know how you digest food , you eat, but you have no understanding of the full process. Do you know about the hydrochloric acid, the enzymes, and everything else involved in digestion? If you can’t even comprehend that simple process, how then can you demand to know where God is?

People who ask these types of questions don’t truly recognize who Allah is. Ibrahim (peace be upon him) realized and knew who God was, but those who ask such questions treat God like a human being, thinking that if He exists, He must be just another person like us. They measure Allah by human standards, which is completely unfair. Allah is far above anything we can imagine.

Take one example: Ibrahim (peace be upon him) took Hajar and Ismail (peace be upon them) to the desert and later built the Ka‘ba. Look at how many blessings and benefits have come to people, both in this world and the next, because of that one act. People are forgiven there; the Haram became a place of safety in a chaotic pre-Islamic Arabia where otherwise travelers would have been attacked. It became a sanctuary, a tremendous gift from Allah.

When Allah commanded Ibrahim (peace be upon him), it’s important to understand the unfolding of events. Ismail (peace be upon him) was never actually meant to be sacrificed. Allah knew that Ibrahim would obey, but He wanted to show us, to show humanity, what true devotion to God looks like. 

Of course, we cannot reach the level of the Prophets, but with the small tests we face in life, the question is: Will we put Allah first or not? That’s the real situation. It’s similar to what happened with Bani Israel: Allah told them not to fish on the Sabbath. Some tried to get around it, throwing nets on Friday, pulling them slightly on Saturday, and then hauling the catch in on Sunday, pretending they didn’t fish on the Sabbath. Allah, in fact, sent even more fish on Saturdays as a test: Will you obey or not?

The point was never to harm Ismail. Rather, it was to demonstrate whether both father and son would fully submit to Allah , would they accept true servitude before Him? And they did. 

This wasn’t about Allah wanting to harm anyone. It was a unique case. In Islamic law (Shariah), no one is tested with harming another person. There’s no command to go and hurt your grandfather or anyone else. On the contrary, preserving the sanctity of life is fundamental.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once looked at the Ka‘ba and made a beautiful dua, expressing how sacred and honored the Ka‘ba is in Allah’s sight. Yet he said that the sanctity of a believer is even greater than that of the Ka‘ba. That shows how seriously human life is regarded in Islam.

The story of Ibrahim was a unique, divinely commanded event , not like what other religions did when they invented rituals and started sacrificing people to idols. Allah did not command that. Those were human inventions. In contrast, here, Allah commanded Ibrahim to prepare to sacrifice, but He never intended for it to actually happen.

Then Allah says in the next verse: When they both submitted to God’s will, and Ibrahim laid him down on the side of his forehead.  

This moment captures why our religion is called Islam , it’s about submission and surrender, not simply “peace.” 

When someone points a gun at you and says, “Put your hands up,” your hands go up immediately. You don’t start fiddling with your shoelaces. You surrender instantly. Likewise, before Allah’s supreme authority, you surrender , willingly and completely. 

That’s one level: outward surrender, like praying five times a day, fasting, and doing the basic obligations. Then there’s a deeper level: complete inward surrender, where no matter what happens , ease, hardship, success, loss, you accept Allah’s decree. You ask for ease, yes, just like the Prophet did, but whatever Allah decrees, you accept it: O Allah, You are the Master and we are Your slaves. Whatever You want, that is what will happen.

This was the level that Ibrahim and Ismail reached, full, beautiful submission. They both laid face down, prepared for whatever Allah decreed.

I’ve slaughtered animals before, sheep, and even small, innocent-looking rabbits. In Islamic slaughtering, you cut the esophagus (the food pipe), and right behind it is the trachea (the windpipe), along with the two carotid arteries that carry blood to the brain. Severing these ensures the quickest and most humane death.

When you’re slaughtering an animal at a school (or in general), once you have your slot, the goal is to cut three out of the four key parts: the two carotid arteries and the two jugular veins. Ideally, you cut all four, but at least three must be severed.  

When starting the sacrifice, if you’re slaughtering a sheep, you should gently lay it down, either on its side or back, and give it a little water to calm it. You must not show the animal the knife. Then, gently press on its throat, not forcefully, just enough to prepare the area.  

If your knife is sharp and you move swiftly, you can sever the necessary vessels in one clean motion. This quickly stops blood flow to the brain, causing the animal to lose consciousness without feeling pain. Any body movements afterward are simply the nervous system reacting, the animal does not suffer.

Positioning is crucial: the animal must not be upside down or face down, it should be on its side or ideally on its back for a clean, quick cut.  

Now, reflecting on Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him), when he was commanded to sacrifice his son Ismail (peace be upon him), he placed Ismail face down. Why? Because Ibrahim, being a father, could not bear to look his son in the eyes during such a momentous act. Seeing Ismail’s face might have overwhelmed him with emotion and prevented him from carrying out God’s command.  

Some narrations mention that Ibrahim tried to cut with the knife, but it wouldn’t cut, by God’s will. Other interpretations suggest he was stopped just before the act. Regardless, Ibrahim fully intended to fulfill God’s command, and Allah praises him in the Quran for this:  

“In the scriptures of Musa and Ibrahim, who fulfilled (his promise).”

Ibrahim’s pledge was complete devotion and obedience to Allah, no matter what was asked of him.  

As Ibrahim prepared to carry out the sacrifice, Allah sent Jibreel with a ram from Paradise. Jibreel called out to Ibrahim, stopping him. Upon seeing the ram, Ibrahim understood: the test was complete, and instead of sacrificing Ismail, he was to sacrifice the ram.  

In his joy and gratitude, Ibrahim exclaimed, “Allahu Akbar” (God is the Greatest) and praised Allah. This act of glorification is reflected in the takbirat we recite especially during the days of Eid and when approaching the mosque, something Allah loves dearly.

The Quran beautifully affirms this moment, saying:  

“You have fulfilled the vision!”

and describes it as a tremendous trial, “Indeed, this was a clear trial.”

The Arabic word for trial here, Bala, comes from the root connected to being worn out ,like fabric worn thin by constant rubbing. A Bala is an intense trial that tests and exhausts a person’s resilience.  

In the end, Allah says that He ransomed Ismail with a great sacrifice, referring to the ram, highlighting the gravity of Ibrahim’s test and his success.

During Hajj, when pilgrims move between Arafat and Mina, it’s a tradition that recalls Ibrahim’s journey. Narrations mention that along the way, Iblis (Satan) appeared to try and dissuade Ibrahim. Each time, Ibrahim picked up stones and hurled them at Iblis, rejecting his whispers.  

This act symbolizes rejecting distractions and temptations that try to pull us away from devotion to Allah. Thus, during Hajj, stoning the pillars (jamarat) commemorates this rejection of evil.

When reflecting on Ibrahim’s immense trial, it’s important to ask ourselves:  

What does Allah ask of me? How am I responding to the tests and commands Allah has given me?

It reminds us to strive for excellence in worship, character, and treatment of others , and when we fall short, to sincerely seek forgiveness.