The great sacrifice of Ishmael by Abraham: In search of the divine rational behind the offer
One of the greatest trial that Abraham, on whom be peace, faced in his life on earth was the divine instruction for him to offer his first born, Ishmael, in sacrifice to God. Let us search through scriptures to find the true rational behind that act.
Three of the greatest trials faced by Abraham are as follows: First, that in his youth he destroyed the greatest of the Mesopotamian gods that resulted in the King ordering him to be burnt alive in a huge furnace of fire. This great event is mentioned in the Holy Quran and the Jewish Talmud, but missing in the old and New Testament. The trial was that Abraham knew of the consequences of his action, yet he was bold and audacious enough to undertake the risk of possible death. The fire would not burn him. It was only after deliverance by God when he was ordered to leave his home country and migrate to the Promised Land (Canaan).
The second trial was when, as a result of the jealousy of Sarah, his first wife, he was compelled to remove his first born (Ishmael) and the mother (Hajar) from his household and deposit them in the barren land of Paran in Arabia. In the third instance God ordered him to offer his first born Ishmael in sacrifice. In all these great trials Abraham passed with distinction for which reason God rewarded him with the title of the father of nations.
Before focusing attention on the rational permit me to throw some light on the trial of depositing his wife and newly born son in an uninhabitable land in Arabia. Even though this was a trial, deep congnisance must be taken of the fact that it did not originate from God, but rather from the wife Sarah. And that was that after the birth of her own son Isaac, Sarah did not like the first born Ishmael to remain in the household of Abraham to inherit the father (Gen 21:10)
For this reason she prevailed upon Abraham to send them away, But Abraham was unwilling until God revealed to him to do so (Gen 21:11-12). This shows positively that the trial was humanly initiated, since we cannot imagine for a split second that the obedient and submissive Abraham would show the least unwillingness if it was God who ordered him to do so. In the same vein God gave him the assurance that even though he should take the two to the barren land of Paran (Gen. 21:21) yet He God would make the two survive, grow and blossom into a mighty nation, a prophecy that has been wonderfully fulfilled.
In other words the pain and harshness in the trial have been lessened by the promise.
Let us compare this situation to the great trial involved in the order by God to Abraham to offer his first born Ishmael in sacrifice, Ishmael at that stage had grown into a strong boy whose age fell beyond 13 years. Let us analyse the pain and disappointment in the trial itself. First Ishmael at that stage was the only son of Abraham as is clear from “Thy son thine only son” (Gen 22:2). Meaning that Abraham at that time had an only son. No point in time can you describe Isaac as “Thine only son” being 13years younger than his senior brother Ishmael.
In effect after 86 years of life without a child to inherit you God has finally granted you one, yet God at the same time is demanding that you sacrifice him. If Isaac had been born, then you can offer Ishmael leaving behind Isaac to console you. Readers can here appreciate the severity of the trial. Yet the worst was yet to come when Abraham threw the boy down forcefully on his face and was about to slaughter him. How many of us can look into the face of our dear sons and pass a sharp knife through his throat? None. Let readers compare the two scenarios and pass judgement as to which of the two acts constituted the real trial and sacrifice. First, to deposit your son in a barren and wild land where survival was low, but with the divine assurance that they would survive. Second, to slaughter your dear son with a knife in your hand? Of course the second alternative is the real trial for the fact that once you pass the knife through the throat and kill him you lose him forever. Besides that how many of us have the courage to do that? Nil.
Little wonder the Holy Quran in the following verse has endorsed the fact that it was the offer of the son in sacrifice that was the real trial and unprecedented sacrifice: “When the two submitted to the will of God and Abraham threw him down on his face we called out: “Oh Abraham, you have fulfilled the dream. Thus do we reward the good. That indeed was a manifest trial (Balaa’un Mubin). So we ransomed him with a great sacrifice” (Quran 31:103-107). In this verse the words manifest trial “Balaa’un Mubiin” show that it was an unprecedented trial which every Tom Dick and Harry can see and appreciate. Even though the word knife to be used in the slaughtering is absent from the Quranic verse, it is inferred from the preceding verse where Allah says: “I (Abraham) have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you”. Words slaughtering you (Azbahuka) leave no doubt in mind that he was carrying out that act using a sharpened knife. Hence there was no need by Allah, the Wise to repeat it in the verse following that. But most importantly all the historical account, clearly state that he was holding a sharpened knife ready to slaughter him when God ordered him to stop. In Gen 22:10 “And Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son”. Similarly the word “tempt” which becomes “trial” in the Quran occurs in Gen 22:1.“And it came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham”. In the authentic Gospel of Barnabas Christ, on when be peace, explains the divine rational behind the sacrifice to be that Abraham did exceed the limit expected of him in his love of the boy. His heart was completely purified when he showed his pure intention and readiness to remove that love by attempting to kill the boy before the Majestic God.
CONCLUSION
The unprecedented trial of Abraham was the sacrifice of his son. In place of that God submitted a sheep. God has promised that any Muslim who carries out that order by slaughtering is rewarded with the blessing which Abraham was rewarded by God:
The unprecedented trial of Abraham was the sacrifice of his son. In place of that God submitted a sheep
BY KHALID KOFI AHMAD
