PROPHET ABRAHAM
and PROPHET LOT

Prophet Abraham's (pbuh) Pleasing Moral Values

everal verses describe the pleasing moral features of the prophets sent by our Lord to warn and impart glad tidings to their people. All prophets, due to their submission to God and sincerity, as well as their just, humble, and honorable behavior, had exceedingly superior moral values. Prophet Muhammad's (may God bless him and grant him peace) deep faith in God, not to mention his submission to, sincerity and respect for Him; Prophet Solomon's (pbuh) constant giving of thanks to our Lord and raising His name, as well as displaying his determination, strength, and power when spreading the religion; Prophet Job's (pbuh) and Prophet Noah's (pbuh) patience; Prophet Moses' (pbuh) sincerity; Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) spiritual depth and submission to God; how Prophet David (pbuh) turned to God and his attitude and behavior-all of these and a great number of other features have been given as examples for humanity.

Everyone must adopt the characteristics of these chosen people, whom God raised to prophethood, supported with knowledge and strength, and praised for their moral values, and implement them in their own lives. All believers must follow in the path of these worthy individuals, whom God made superior to the worlds, and implement their matchless moral values in their own lives.

Prophet Abraham (pbuh), "the Intimate Friend of God"

Who could have a better religion than someone who submits himself completely to God and is a good-doer, and follows the religion of Abraham, a man of pure natural belief? God took Abraham as an intimate friend. (Qur'an, 4:125)

Our Lord has revealed that He took Prophet Abraham (pbuh) as a friend. For that reason, he is known as Khalilullah (the friend of God), and remembered by that name. Indeed, Prophet Muhammad (may God bless him and grant him peace) said: "Oh my God, Prophet Abraham is Your friend [Khalil] and Your prophet."6

In the Bible, we find the following statement concerning Prophet Abraham (pbuh):

And the scripture was fulfilled that says: "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. (James 2:23)

The only aim of those who are friends of God and who love and fear (and respect) Him is to gain His good pleasure, mercy, and Paradise. God is always in their hearts and minds. Whenever they see things that give them pleasure, they say: How beautifully has God created them. He is worthy of praise. They call on God by His most beautiful names.

Such people know that all blessings come from God and constantly thank Him for whatever He sends to them. Whenever they encounter trouble or difficulty, they know that God is testing them and that whatever good it contains one day will be revealed. They demonstrate a pleasing patience, show submission, and engage in devout works in the hope of gaining their abode in the Hereafter. And, they take Prophet Muhammad's (may God bless him and grant him peace) words, "Praise be to God, Who created everything as is necessary, Who does not hasten anything He defers and determines. God is enough for me and sufficient"7 as a guide and thank Him for everything.

God encourages believers to reach this honorable state by seeking ways to draw closer to Him:

O you who believe. Fear [and respect] God, and seek the means of drawing near to Him... (Qur'an, 5:35)

In other verses, God says, "So flee to God" (Qur'an, 51:50) and:

... So perform prayer, give alms, and hold fast to God. He is your Protector-the Best Protector, the Best Helper. (Qur'an, 22:78)

God also commands people to turn only toward Him:

Remember the Name of your Lord, and devote yourself to Him completely. Lord of the East and West-there is no deity but Him-so take Him as your Guardian. (Qur'an, 73:8-9)

Prophet Abraham (pbuh) Possessed Strength, Insight, and the Ability to Choose Right

God has made an example for those who believe: the wife of Pharaoh when she said, "My Lord, build a house in the Garden for me in Your presence and rescue me from Pharaoh and his deeds and rescue me from this wrongdoing people." (Qur'an, 66:11)

The Qur'an states that Prophet Abraham (pbuh) possessed "true strength and inner sight" (Qur'an, 38:45). Insight means being able to look at events with wisdom and indicates deep understanding. Like all of the prophets, whom God made role models for humanity due to their deep faith, sincerity, and submission, Prophet Abraham (pbuh) made correct decisions, looked ahead, and possessed insight.

Another verse reveals that our Lord endowed Prophet Abraham (pbuh) with rushdahu (right guidance), in other words, maturity:

We gave Abraham his right guidance [rushdahu] early on, and We had complete knowledge of him. (Qur'an, 21:51)

The word rushdahu means proceeding, turning to, heading toward, with a divine truth, with a full and superior accuracy, and with sure steps. Strengthened by God with these pleasing qualities, perception, and understanding, Prophet Abraham (pbuh) waged a great struggle against the pagans. In this struggle, his ability to look ahead, distinguish between right and wrong, and make correct decisions were great assets. All of these characteristics show that he was a servant who trembled before God and who scrupulously implemented the verses of our Lord. Indeed, God revealed that this great blessing will be imparted to those who fear (and respect) Him:

O you who believe. If you fear [and respect] God, He will give you discrimination, erase your bad actions, and forgive you. God's favor is indeed immense. (Qur'an, 8:29)

The superior qualities with which our Lord endowed Prophet Abraham (pbuh) enabled him to wage a most effective and rational struggle against his pagan society. As a result, he and his followers prevailed.

Truth and choosing what is right are very important characteristics of believers. Our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) constantly reminded his followers of them, as the few examples given below show:

Worship God alone and do not associate anything with Him ... speak the truth.8

Let whoever is pleased that God and our Prophet love him always tell the truth.9

To whomsoever God wills good, He gives true understanding (of religion).10

Truth leads to piety, and piety leads to Paradise. A man persists in speaking the truth until God enrolls him as a truthful man. Falsehood leads to vice, and vice leads to the Fire (Hell). A person goes on telling a lie until God enrolls him as a liar.11

Prophet Abraham (pbuh) Was a Pure Servant Who Always Thought about the Hereafter

God describes Prophet Abraham (pbuh) and his line as being pure and always thinking of the Hereafter:

And remember Our servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, men of true strength and inner sight. We purified their sincerity through sincere remembrance of the abode [of the Hereafter]. (Qur'an, 38:45-46)

We do not send the Messengers except to bring good news and to give warning. As for those who believe and put things right, they will feel no fear and will know no sorrow. (Qur'an, 6:48)

One of the fundamental characteristics that distinguishes prophets and believers from other people is their total concentration on earning God's good pleasure and His Paradise, to the exclusion of all worldly concerns. One of the clearest proofs of this is that they continue to warn their tribes, with great patience and purity, right up until the end of their lives.

When performing their good deeds and religious observances, believers seek only His love, good pleasure, approval, and friendship. Prophet Muhammad (may God bless him and grant him peace) is the finest example in this regard, for he never stopped seeking God's good pleasure, mercy, and Paradise. God reveals that the prophets sent to people as a mercy and a blessing called their people to live by religion's moral values without expecting anything in return:

Say: "I do not ask you for any wage for it, nor am I a man of false pretensions." (Qur'an, 38:86)

Say: "I have not asked you for any wage-it is all for you. My wage is the responsibility of God alone. He is witness of everything." (Qur'an, 34:47)

In one hadith, our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) says: "God accepts those deeds that were performed purely for His sake and that were meant to seek His pleasure."12 He calls on all people to behave with pure sincerity. When we look at the prophets' prayers and warnings, we see that they called their tribes to believe in God and perform good works, not to be deceived by this world's transient blessings, and to work only to gain the abode in the Hereafter.

One important quality that believers need to possess is the ability to focus all of their thought about reaching this abode. Everything they do or say must have the gaining of God's good pleasure as its only goal. Believers must always feel a longing for the Hereafter (the true life) and must never be bound to the life of this world. Of course, they will use the blessings of God in this world to thank Him and think about the originals of these blessings in the Hereafter. Yet these blessings must never become an end in themselves. Rather, each one must be seen as a means of winning God's good pleasure, explaining religion's moral values, and recalling the life of the Hereafter.

Thinking about Paradise's infinite beauties, rejoicing at God's promise of Paradise, avoiding Hell's endless torments, and keeping this in mind are important ways for believers to increase their closeness to God and their enthusiasm for living by the Qur'an's moral values. Otherwise, Satan will seek to use their forgetfulness and encourage them to live without worrying about the Day of Judgment. Believers must never fall into this snare, and must always, like Prophet Abraham (pbuh), think deeply about the Hereafter and explain it to others. Indeed, God says of Prophet Abraham (pbuh):

Who would deliberately renounce the religion of Abraham, except someone who reveals himself to be a fool? We chose him in this world, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the righteous. (Qur'an, 2:130)

Prophet Abraham (pbuh) Was a Distinguished and Auspicious Servant of God

In Our eyes, they are among the best of chosen men. (Qur'an, 38:47)

...Abraham said, "My Lord, make this a place of safety and provide its inhabitants with fruits – all of them who believe in God and the Last Day"... (Qur'an, 2:126)

Prophet Abraham (pbuh) was one of God's servants to whom He vouchsafed the true path, honored with prophethood, and made distinguished in His own sight. The fact that he and his family were set apart from his tribe is revealed in the following verse:

God chose Adam and Noah, and the family of Abraham and the family of `Imran, over all other beings. (Qur'an, 3:33)

Prophet Abraham (pbuh) and his sons distinguished themselves from their fellow tribesmen by calling on their people to believe in God and telling them of His superior might and power. God reveals that, "We sent Noah and Abraham, and placed prophethood and the Book among their descendants..." (Qur'an, 57:26) and informs us that He has honored Prophet Abraham's (pbuh) family with prophethood.

Being guided is an important sign of believers. Unbelievers bring evil to the world and those around them, instead of good, because those who deny God believe that their own interests are more important than anything else. Thus, they do not hesitate to harm others when their personal interests are at stake. On the other hand, believers bring only guidance, plenty, and abundance in both spiritual and physical terms. In fact, they are required to do so, for these are indications of their fear (and respect) for and profound faith in God. Given this, they carry out justice even when it goes against their own interests or those of the people close to them, do good deeds, oppose those who are cruel and unjust.

In the hadith, "The best of you are those who have the most excellent morals"13, our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) states that believers with exemplary morals are auspicious individuals for their communities. God reveals the difference between those believers who behave according to God's prescriptions and always carry the beauty of religion's moral values with them, and those who lack this quality:

God makes another metaphor: two men, one of them deaf and mute, unable to do anything, a burden to his master. No matter where he directs him, he brings no good. Is he the same as someone who commands justice and is on a straight path? (Qur'an, 16:76)

Mesengers bringing good news and giving warning, so that people will have no argument against God after the coming of the Messengers... (Qur'an, 4:165) We only sent you for the whole of humanity, bringing good news and giving warning. But most of humanity do not know it. (Qur'an, 34:28)

Prophet Abraham (pbuh) Had a Pure Heart

When he came to his Lord with an unblemished heart. (Qur'an, 37:84)

God set Prophet Abraham (pbuh), whom He had made His friend, apart from his pagan people and made him the leader to the true path for all believers.

Each person faces a particular direction so race each other to the good. Wherever you are, God will bring you all together. Truly God has power over all things. (Qur'an, 2:148)

Believers who take His prophets, with their superior moral characteristics, as role models for themselves must turn toward God to remove all of their superstitious and misguided beliefs from their hearts. Only by doing so can they become the people whom He loves and gain His good pleasure. In other words, they must turn to God with a pure heart. This purification also means turning away from the wickedness of earthly desires and Satan's unwelcome incitements.

God reveals that He will "sift the rotten from the good" (Qur'an, 3:179). The cleanliness referred to here is a moral and spiritual one. Many people who live far removed from religion's moral values may well say: My heart is clean. Yet in reality, they are merely trying to ease their own consciences, for anyone who wants a pure heart must have a genuine belief in God, scrupulously abide by His commands, and be humble and submissive to Him. God describes the goodness and moral values that please Him in the following terms:

It is not [true] devotion to turn your faces to the East or to the West. Rather, those with true devotion are those who believe in God and the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, and the prophets; and who, despite their love for it, give away their wealth to their relatives, orphans, the very poor, and to travelers and beggars; and who set slaves free, perform prayer, and give alms; those who honor their contracts when they make them; and who are steadfast in poverty and illness and battle. Those are the people who are true. They are the people who guard against evil. (Qur'an, 2:177)

In another verse, God reveals that "[He] loves those who purify themselves" (Qur'an, 9:108). People may have spent a long time indulging in prohibited actions, and thus have wicked thoughts and low moral values. Yet the important thing is to repent to God, abandon those low moral values, and to turn to God with a purified heart.

Our Lord imparts the following glad tidings to those who believe:

But if anyone repents after his wrongdoing and puts things right, God will turn toward him. God is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Qur'an, 5:39)

Prophet Abraham (pbuh) Was "a Community in Himself"

Abraham was a community in himself, exemplary, obedient to God, a man of pure natural belief. He was not one of the idolaters. (Qur'an, 16:120)

Prophet Abraham (pbuh) held God above all things, was genuinely devoted to Him, feared (and respected) only Him, and placed his trust only in Him. Although many people opposed him and even sought to kill or burn him, he never wavered from his struggle of making God's religion prevail, thanks to his profound faith-based courage and submission.

All believers must seek to acquire these superior moral values. Even if they are alone, they must submit to God, be courageous and determined, sincere and strong willed. First of all, they must submit from the heart to our one and only Lord, fear (and respect) only Him, and take Him as a friend. That is because all believers, in whatever unbelieving society they find themselves and even if they are alone, must do their best to earn God's good pleasure, behave in the correct manner, fulfill their religious obligations, live by religion's moral values, and spread those values to others as a requirement of the Qur'an's moral values. They must always act in the knowledge that God constantly protects and supports them. Whoever exhibits the same moral values as Prophet Abraham (pbuh), whoever devotes himself or herself to God with that same faithfulness and submission, may also hope to be given the strength of a one-man community of the faithful.

Who whoul deliberately renounce the religion of Abraham except someone who reveals himself to be a fool? We chose him in this world and in the Hereafter he will be one of the righteous. (Qur'an, 2:130)

Prophet Abraham (pbuh) Was Grateful to God

The Originator of the heavens and Earth. When He decides on something, He just says to it, "Be!" and it is. (Qur'an, 2:117)

God has given people countless blessings. All of the beautiful things that surround humanity, from their own flawless bodies to the incomparable living things in the universe, are each a means of rendering genuine thanks to God. In fact, God reveals that:

For this We sent a messenger to you from among you to recite Our Signs to you, purify you, teach you the Book and Wisdom, and teach you things you did not know before. Remember Me-I will remember you. Give thanks to Me, and do not be ungrateful. O you who believe. Seek help in steadfastness and prayer. God is with the steadfast. (Qur'an, 2:151-153)

As a servant who constantly gave thanks to God for the blessings imparted to him, Prophet Abraham (pbuh) was a sincere believer whom God made a model for all Muslims. As the Qur'an states:

He was thankful for His blessings. God chose him and guided him to a straight path. (Qur'an, 16:121)

When we look at the prophets' moral values, as recounted in the Qur'an, we see that they were believers who turned to God at all times, gave thanks to God for His blessings, called on His name, and exalted His glory. In one of his prayers, Prophet Muhammad (may God bless him and grant him peace) said: "Praise be to God"14, thus drawing attention to the importance of gratitude.

God reveals that all believers must adopt such grateful behavior as a model for themselves and constantly give thanks to Him. All believers must immediately give thanks to God in moments of difficulty, when faced by any trouble or sickness, or when confronted with any form of cruelty or injustice. They must see that such events are created by our Lord, out of His wisdom, for God uses such tests to reveal their true moral values. He promises that those who exhibit the proper moral values will be given a great reward in this life and the next. Our Lord reveals that:

We will test you with a certain amount of fear and hunger, as well as loss of wealth, life, and fruits. But give good news to the steadfast. (Qur'an, 2:155)

Every person will taste death. We test you with both good and evil as a trial. And you will be returned to Us. (Qur'an, 21:35)

Prophet Abraham (pbuh) Was Submitted to God

When his Lord said to him, "Become a Muslim," He [Abraham] said: "I am a Muslim who has submitted to the Lord of all the worlds." (Qur'an, 2:131)

...Those you worship besides God have no power to provide for you. So seek your provision from Go and worship Him and give thanks to Him... (Qur'an, 29:17)

The word Islam comes from the verb salama, which means to submit. Therefore, being a Muslim means one who has submitted. Throughout his struggle with his tribe, Prophet Abraham (pbuh) demonstrated deep devotion and total submission to God. No matter how difficult his tribe was or how much they tried to wear him down, Prophet Abraham (pbuh) continued to spread God's religion with the great enthusiasm stemming from his joyous faith. This was true to such an extent, in fact, that he eventually left his tribe and all of his possessions behind and went to another land.

These prophets, who were sent to bring their people out of the darkness of idolatry and into the light of truth, knew full well that God created all people and the universe with a destiny, and that our Lord has set down every event that we will ever experience in both worlds. For that reason, they were esteemed individuals who were fully submitted to God, turned to Him constantly, and willingly obeyed His commands. Believers must consider the truth of the destiny revealed by God and live in willing submission to it.

Prophet Abraham (pbuh) Was Tender-Hearted

Being compassionate, tender-hearted, affectionate, and full of love and forgiveness is yet another of the believers' characteristics praised by God. Our Lord reveals that Prophet Abraham (pbuh) possessed such a tender-hearted nature:

... Abraham was tender-hearted and forbearing. (Qur'an, 9:114)

Abraham was forbearing, compassionate, penitent. (Qur'an, 11:75)

...Then to be one of those who believe and urge each other to steadfastness and urge each other to compassion. Those are the Companions of the Right. (Qur'an, 90:17-18)

As a manifestation of their joyous love for our Lord, believers make great efforts to be servants who please God and have the moral values revealed in the Qur'an. Being tender-hearted, compassionate, and affectionate are moral values frequently emphasized in the hadiths. Some of these read as follows:

When tenderness enters something, it always makes it more beautiful. When it is removed from something, it makes it flawed.15

Do you wish your heart to grow tender? Be compassionate to the orphan, caress his head, and give him to eat of what you eat. Your heart will grow tender.16

Be compassionate, that compassion may be shown to you. Forgive, that you may be forgiven.17

God is compassionate and loving, and loves the compassionate. The recompense He gives to the compassionate, He gives with nothing else.18

God reveals that the other prophets also possessed these superior qualities. For instance, He said of Prophet Shu`ayb (pbuh), sent as a messenger to the tribe of Madyan: "... You are clearly the forbearing, the rightly-guided!" (Qur'an, 11:87)

Prophet Abraham (pbuh) Was a Guide to the True Path

God manifests His name of al-Hadi (He Who leads to the true path) in the most excellent manner through the prophets' lives. Prophet Abraham (pbuh) was sent to guide his own tribe to the true path by inviting them to belief in God. In the same way, the other prophets from Prophet Abraham's (pbuh) line also directed their own tribes to the true path:

And in addition to that, We gave him Isaac and Jacob and made both of them righteous. We made them leaders, guiding by Our command, and revealed to them how to do good actions, perform prayer, and give alms. And they worshipped Us. (Qur'an, 21:72-73)

God also reveals the prayers of believers to be a good example for those who guard against evil:

[Believers are] those who say: "Our Lord, give us joy in our wives and children, and make us a good example for those who guard against evil." (Qur'an, 25:74)

Prophet Abraham (pbuh) also called his tribe to the most honorable and delightful path, the path of God, and worked for his tribe's salvation in this world and the Hereafter. The Qur'an reveals our Prophet's (may God bless him and grant him peace) message in the following terms:

Say: "Are we to call on something besides God that can neither help nor harm us, and to turn on our heels after God has guided us, like someone Satan has lured away in the land, leaving him confused and stupefied, despite the fact that he has companions calling him to guidance, saying: 'Come with us!?'" Say: "God's guidance, that is true guidance. We are commanded to submit as Muslims to the Lord of all the worlds." (Qur'an, 6:71)

One hadith mentions that the best way is that of God and the Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace), thus: "The finest word is the Book of God. The best way is the way of Muhammad (may God bless him and grant him peace)."19

Prophet Abraham's (pbuh) Prayers

Many verses speak of the prophets' prayers, each of which is a very wise example for those Muslims who are striving to draw closer to God. Learning these pure and sincere prayers, attempting to understand the moral values and spiritual depths of the individuals who uttered them, and praying to God with all sincerity are important ways of increasing one's closeness to God.

" I hold fast to the creed of my forebears Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. We don't associate anything with God. And that is how God has favored us and all humanity, bu most do not give thanks." (Qur'an, 12:38)

Prophet Abraham's (pbuh) prayers contain great wisdom for all Muslims. He lauded God with the following words: "My Lord is the Hearer of Prayer" (Qur'an, 14:39), and drew attention to the importance of prayer:

I will separate myself from you and all you call upon besides God, and I will call upon my Lord. It may well be that, in calling on my Lord, I will not be disappointed. (Qur'an, 19:48)

He prayed to God for rule and wisdom, and that he might join the godly:

My Lord, give me right judgment and unite me with the righteous. (Qur'an, 26:83)

He also sought from God being highly esteemed:

[My Lord,] make me highly esteemed among the later peoples. (Qur'an, 26:84)

This is how he prayed for the life of the Hereafter:

And make me one of the inheritors of the Garden of Delight. Forgive my father-he was one of the misguided, and do not disgrace me on the Day they are raised up. The Day when neither wealth nor sons will be of any use-except to those who come to God with sound and flawless hearts. (Qur'an, 26:85-89)

Prophet Abraham (pbuh) also sought our Lord's forgiveness:

Our Lord, do not make us a target for those who do not believe, and forgive us. Our Lord, You are the Almighty, the All-Wise. (Qur'an, 60:5)

Our Lord. Forgive me and my parents and the believers when the Reckoning takes place. (Qur'an, 14:41)

He also asked for a godly heir to keep the religion alive after him:

My Lord, bestow on me a right-acting child. (Qur'an, 37:100)

and prayed for his line:

My Lord. Make me and my descendents people who perform prayer. My Lord. Accept my prayer. (Qur'an, 14:40)

When Abraham said: "My Lord. Make this land a place of safety, and keep me and my sons from worshipping idols." (Qur'an, 14:35)

Not so! All submit themselves completely to God and are good-doers will find their reward with their Lord... (Qur'an, 2:112)

He prayed to God to make the city in which he lived a safe place and to provide the believers with fruits:

And when Abraham said: "My Lord, make this a place of safety and provide its inhabitants with fruits-all of them who believe in God and the Last Day." He [God] said: "I will let anyone who becomes an unbeliever to enjoy himself a little, but then I will drive him to the punishment of the Fire. What an evil destination!" (Qur'an, 2:126)

When performing a task, he asked God to accept it:

And when Abraham built the foundations of the House with Ishmael [he said]: "Our Lord, accept this from us. You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing." (Qur'an, 2:127)

He also prayed to God to make him and his line submissive to His will, reveal the methods of religious observance, and accept their repentance:

Our Lord, make us both Muslims submitted to You, and our descendents a Muslim community submitted to You. Show us our rites of worship and turn toward us. You are the Ever-Returning, the Most Merciful. (Qur'an, 2:128)

Our Lord, raise up among them a messenger from them to recite Your Signs to them, teach them the Book and Wisdom, and purify them. You are the Almighty, the All-Wise. (Qur'an, 2:129)

Prophet Abraham's (pbuh) sincere devotion to God and absolute certainty in the Day of Judgment are why all believers can feel the complete godliness, sincerity, and submission in his prayers. When praying, all believers must use Prophet Abraham (pbuh) as a role model and turn to our Lord as their only friend and helper.

Prophet Abraham's (pbuh) Legacy

The Qur'an describes Prophet Abraham (pbuh) as a pure natural believer who does not associate anything with God:

When Abraham said to his father and his tribe: "I am free of everything you worship, except for Him Who brought me into being, Who will certainly guide me. He made it an on-going word among his descendants so that, perhaps, they might turn back." (Qur'an, 43:26-28)

Those who shun the worship of false deities and turn towards God will have good news. So give good news to My servants. (Qur'an, 39:17) Those who listen well to what is said and fallow the best of it, they are the ones whom God has quided... (Qur'an, 39:18)

Prophet Abraham's (pbuh) legacy to all believers is monotheism. This legacy shows that he lived solely to gain God's good pleasure, took Him as his only friend, and feared (and respected) only Him. Throughout his life, Prophet Abraham (pbuh) relayed the divine message of God's oneness and that no partners could be ascribed to Him. As the Qur'an states:

When his Lord said to him: "Become a Muslim," he replied: "I am a Muslim who has submitted to the Lord of all the worlds." Abraham directed his sons to this, as did Jacob: "My sons. God has chosen this religion for you, so do not die except as Muslims." (Qur'an, 2:131-32)

Prophet Abraham's (pbuh) leadership continued with his line: his sons Prophet Ishmael (pbuh) and Prophet Isaac (pbuh), his grandson Prophet Jacob (pbuh) and his son Prophet Joseph (pbuh), and the other holy prophets from that same line who later continued to call on their people to live by religion's moral values. The Qur'an mentions Prophet Jacob's (pbuh) legacy in the following terms:

Or were you present when death came to Jacob and he asked his sons: "What will you worship when I have gone?" They said: "We will worship your God, the God of your forefathers, Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac-one God. We are Muslims submitted to Him." (Qur'an, 2:133)

All prophets who came after Prophet Abraham (pbuh) left the same legacy to their descendents: Submit to God wholeheartedly and die as Muslims. Whoever abides by Prophet Abraham's (pbuh) legacy, serves only God, and spends his or her life for God's good pleasure may hope for His forgiveness and Paradise, the abode of eternal happiness.

-----------------------------------------

6- Al- Hafiz ibn al-Dayba` al-Shaybani, Taysir al-'usul ila Jami` al-'usul, 6883.
7- Sunan Ibn Majah.
8- Narrated by Abu Sufyan; Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
9- Ahmad Diya' al-Din al-Kamushkhanawi al-Naqshbandi, Ramuz al-Ahadith, vol. 2, 397.
10- Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
11- Narrated by Abdullah bin Mas`ud; Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
12- Sunan Abu Dawud.
13- Sahih Bukhari.
14- Sahih Muslim.
15- Sahih Muslim.
16- Hadith al-Tabarani.
17- Sahih Bukhari.
18- Sahih Muslim.
19- Sahih Bukhari.

PREVIOUS  |  NEXT