Hazrat Ibrahim عليه السلام – A Great Role Model for the Youths – Part 2
Part 1 continued…
Lessons to be learnt from Prophet Ibrahim ‘AlayhiSalaam
There is a very long story of what happened next. We Muslims (and even non-Muslims) have many great Lessons to learn from his life story, some of which are mentioned below.
Enjoining the Good and Forbidding Evil
The first and the foremost action he took was to instruct people to follow the right paths and avoid following the false ones. He was rightly very strict about it. Allah has mentioned in the Qur’an to enjoin good and forbid evil (“Al-Amr bil-Maroof wa nahi anil-Munkar”). It is a fundamental principle in Islam that emphasizes the promotion of goodness and righteousness and forbiddance of sins within the society.
The Lesson of ‘Tawheed’!
The most vital lesson he has taught us is the lesson of ‘Tawheed’
There are many religions throughout the world where people follow very untrue and erroneous beliefs and rituals.
Religion wise, when a child attains maturity and starts growing into adulthood, he just follows the ritual and the customs that his parents, and especially his father, follow.
He has very little knowledge about his Creator who has created amazing creatures like human beings, various types of animals, fishes, birds etc. He has also created the sun, the moon, and the planets. Each of these Celestial bodies move in specific trajectories, or paths, set by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala.
Knowledge and understanding is not necessarily something that comes with age. Just because a person is older does not mean that he or she is someone we have to emulate. Many of us notice our parents or other elders involved in wrong practices but we hesitate to correct them or give them sincere advice out of fear of offending them or upsetting them. Sometimes, when advised, parents would not even admit that what they are doing is wrong. Rather, they try to convince their young ones to follow what they are doing.
Also, if a person is extraordinarily intelligent and possesses a very high IQ level but he does not have the right recognition of his True Lord then all his intelligence level and brilliance will not help him in the world of the hereafter.
One of the most fallacious practices going on in the world is idol-worship or idolatry. This ancient yet modern sin fuels countless heartaches and frustrations. It not only distances people from their actual Creator, but also totally destroys their relationship with Him.
Yes, millions of people around the world have been, and are still, worshipping the idols made by their own hands or by the hands of the suppliers of these idols.
Then there are many who make pictures of the ones they are worshipping and they worship these images.
To give people the right advice with regards to keeping away from idol worshipping, a very true and a very great guidance has come to humanity from Prophet Ibrahim, (‘alayhis salaam).
Actually, what Prophet Ibrahim stated to his father, briefly revealed the real concept of Tawheed to the entire humanity!
Very few people in the world are following this concept of Tawheed. They are not even aware what Tawheed is!
TAWHEED (also spelled as ‘Tawhid’) is used to describe THE ONENESS OF ALLAH, which is the fundamental belief of Islam. It means believing in Allah, believing that he is the One and the Only Lord. It helps us to think of Allah as the center point of life.
Allah is the Only One true Lord, all worship and praise is directed towards Him.
Allah is the Only One who is the Creator, the Designer and the Sustainer of the world!
Allah is the Only One who does not need to appear in this world as a father, as a son, as a holy spirit, as various male or female deities or as the sun, the moon, the stars or as various idols and statues made of cement, wood, stones, etc.
Allah is the Only One Supreme Being. He hears and sees everything going on in this world as, well as outside this world.
Allah is the Only One who is able to fulfill all our deepest desires and needs.
Allah is the only One who is able to grant us the joy and peace that we seek in this world.
And, most importantly:
Allah is the Only One who is able to grant us a place in Heaven (Paradise), in the eternal abode.
The Divine Help of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala
Prophet Ibrahim taught us that even an angel will not suffice us but Allah will. Do not rely on your own ability or on the means but rely on Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala alone. Even the means will not suffice you against your problems or needs but Allah will.
That being said we could still use the means while having the full trust that they are from Allah alone and they will only suffice us through the wish and permission of Allah.
Respecting Your Parents
Notice how Prophet Ibrahim says: “يَا أَبَتِ” (Ya Abati). In Arabic this is a very endearing term! This is an expression of love for a father. Even though his father is a Mushrik.
(A Mushrik is a person who gives companions to the Lord, or attributes a partner to the Lord).
He was also involved in an act that is abhorrent to Allah. Prophet Ibrahim’s actions teach us that we should hate the sin and not the sinner himself. He uses the best of loving and kind terms to call his father to Islam, teaching us that being gentle, loving and polite is an important factor while addressing the elders.
Unfortunately, today’s youths shove their parents to old people’s homes when they attain old age. This practice has become very common in the western countries. Even the youths of other countries are now also following this evil trend!
The way Prophet Ibrahim interacted with his father is a very good example of a person respecting his parents yet rejecting their ways and lifestyles and calling them towards the right path.
Our Achievements through the sacrifices of Ibrahim
Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala has bestowed upon us great favours as results of Prophet Ibrahim’s (and his closed ones’) sacrifices. Given below are two of the greatest favours:
Eid Al-Adha: Muslims all over the world celebrate Eid al-Adha as one of the two blessed Eids in the year. On Eid al-Adha we remember the readiness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismael and his son’s readiness to be sacrificed, after Allah command Prophet Ibrahim ‘AlayhisSalaam to sacrifice his son to test his dedication, he got ready to sacrifice his son, but Allah intervened and provided a ram to sacrifice instead. In remembrance of his sacrifice and to help the poor and needy, we slaughter various animals for the pleasure of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala.
The water of ZamZam: Prophet Ibrahim was ordered to go to Mecca. When he reached Mecca, he was commanded by Allah to abandon his second wife, Hajar, and his first-born son Ismael in this barren, rocky, uninhabited valley.
Hajar’s meager provisions of dates and water were exhausted and both the mother and the child became extremely thirsty. Seeing the suffering of her son, Hajar became desperate to find water. She ran to the hill of Safa but found nothing. She then ran to the hill of Marwah. But again she was disappointed. Seven times she ran between the two hills. On the seventh trip, all of a sudden, by the command of Allah, water sprang from earth. The water kept on flowing and Hajar said: “Zome! Zome!”, meaning “Stop! Stop! (flowing)” and thus the water was named as ‘ZamZam’!
Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) said: “The best water on the face of the earth is the water of Zamzam; it is a kind of food and a healing from sickness.”
We are the Lucky Ones
We are very, very lucky Allah has let us be born in Muslim homes and we are Muslims.
Even luckier are the ones who have been born in non-Muslim homes but have reverted to Islam, SubhanAllah!
However, being Muslims only is not enough!
It is of vital importance that we try our best to bring the true Imaan in our lives. Once the treasure of Sahih (genuine, authentic) Islam has been bestowed upon us then only we can claim we are TRUE MUSLIMS!
Our Greatest Role Model
At this juncture, we should not forget that the most Unique and the greatest Role Model for every one of us is our Prophet Muhammad Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Salaam, the best of Allah’s Creations. He is the Rasul for the entire humanity till the end of time, and the laws given in the Holy Qur’an and in his exemplary lifestyle are laws applicable for the whole of humanity till the end of time.
