Ibrahim and the greatest sacrifice
Complete submission to Allah
Allah Almighty says:
فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ السَّعْيَ قَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ إِنِّي أَرَىٰ فِي الْمَنَامِ أَنِّي أَذْبَحُكَ فَانظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَىٰ ۚ قَالَ يَا أَبَتِ افْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ ۖ سَتَجِدُنِي إِن شَاءَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الصَّابِرِينَ
“When he was old enough to work with him, he said, ‘My dear son, I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice you, so see what you think.’ He said, ‘My dear father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, among the patient.’”
(Surat al-Saffat 37:102)
When Ismail (peace be upon him) reached the age where he could walk, work and accompany his father, Ibrahim (peace be upon him) said to him, “My dear son, I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you.”
This was not an ordinary dream. The dreams of prophets are revelation from Allah. For us, dreams are of different types. Some may be true dreams from Allah. Some may be from Shaytan. Some may be confused dreams, or simply the result of what a person ate before sleeping or what occupied their thoughts during the day. But for the prophets, their visions are revelation.
There is a discussion among the scholars about which son was meant in this passage. Some said it was Ishaq (peace be upon him), and this view was also found among the People of the Book. However, the stronger Muslim position is that it was Ismail (peace be upon him).
Some scholars of tafsir also referred to narrations found in the Torah, where Allah commanded Ibrahim (peace be upon him) to sacrifice his only son. The wording here is deeply significant: your only son. At that point in Ibrahim’s life, there was only one son who could possibly fit that description — Ismail (peace be upon him). Ishaq (peace be upon him) had not yet been born. Historical reports mention that Ishaq was born around thirteen years after Ismail (peace be upon him).
This is important because there is broad agreement, including among Jewish scholars, that the first child born to Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was Ismail (peace be upon him), not Ishaq (peace be upon him). Ismail was the son for whom Ibrahim had waited so long. He was the child born after years of longing, dua and patience. He was the son raised in the barren valley of Makkah with Hajar (peace be upon her), under the care and protection of Allah Almighty.
The order of the Qur’anic verses also strengthens this understanding. Ibrahim (peace be upon him) had left his people and sacrificed everything for the sake of Allah. He migrated from place to place, carrying the burden of prophethood while still without a child. In that state, he turned to Allah with a heartfelt dua, longing for righteous offspring.
Allah then says:
فَبَشَّرْنَاهُ بِغُلَامٍ حَلِيمٍ
“So We gave him glad tidings of a forbearing son.”
(Surat al-Saffat 37:101)
The natural understanding is that this refers to the first son granted in response to that dua — Ismail (peace be upon him). The passage then continues directly into the story of the sacrifice. Only after Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and Ismail (peace be upon him) had completely submitted to Allah, and after Allah ransomed him with a great sacrifice, does the Qur’an later mention the glad tidings of Ishaq (peace be upon him):
وَبَشَّرْنَاهُ بِإِسْحَاقَ نَبِيًّا مِّنَ الصَّالِحِينَ
“And We gave him glad tidings of Ishaq, a prophet from among the righteous.”
(Surat al-Saffat 37:112)
This sequence is powerful. It shows that the son involved in the sacrifice was the beloved first son: the son Ibrahim had yearned for, the son he had watched grow, the son who had reached the age where he could walk beside him and work with him.
Imagine the weight of this command. Ibrahim (peace be upon him) had waited so long for a child. Then Allah gave him Ismail, a forbearing son. Allah describes him as حليم — forbearing, patient and gentle. Then, when this beloved son reached the age where he could accompany his father, Allah tested Ibrahim with the command to sacrifice him.
This was not a small matter. It was enormous. It was emotionally crushing. Ibrahim was a father. He loved his son with the love only a father knows. Yet he knew that this command was from Allah.
And look at Ismail (peace be upon him). He did not say, “How could you do this to me? You are my father. How can you want to kill me?” Instead, he said:
يَا أَبَتِ افْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ
“My dear father, do as you are commanded.”
This shows the tarbiyah of Ismail. He was not like this by accident. He was the product of his mother’s upbringing. Hajar (peace be upon her) had nurtured him, protected him and raised him upon trust in Allah.
When Ibrahim left Hajar and Ismail in Makkah, she asked him, “Has Allah commanded you to do this?” When he indicated yes, she said, “Then Allah will not abandon us.”
So Ismail mirrored his mother’s trust. She had said, “Allah will not abandon us,” and he said:
سَتَجِدُنِي إِن شَاءَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الصَّابِرِينَ
“You will find me, if Allah wills, among the patient.”
This is true submission: سمعنا وأطعنا — “We hear and we obey.”
Allah Almighty then says:
فَلَمَّا أَسْلَمَا وَتَلَّهُ لِلْجَبِينِ
“Then, when they had both submitted, and he laid him down on his forehead.”
(Surat al-Saffat 37:103)
Both of them submitted. Ibrahim submitted to the command of Allah, and Ismail submitted with patience.
The word الجبين refers to the side of the forehead or face. Some narrations mention that Ismail (peace be upon him) asked his father to turn his face away so that Ibrahim would not look at him and become overwhelmed by compassion, making it harder to carry out the command.
There are other stories that mention Ibrahim placing the knife on Ismail’s throat and it not cutting, or a piece of metal being placed on his neck. These details are not authentic. What matters is the Qur’anic moment itself: both father and son had fully submitted.
Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was in agony inside. He was not detached or emotionless. He was a father standing before his beloved son. But his love for Allah came before everything else.
Then Allah called out to him:
وَنَادَيْنَاهُ أَن يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ
قَدْ صَدَّقْتَ الرُّؤْيَا ۚ إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ
إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَهُوَ الْبَلَاءُ الْمُبِينُ
“And We called out to him, ‘O Ibrahim, you have fulfilled the vision.’ Indeed, this is how We reward those who do good. This was truly the clear test.”
(Surat al-Saffat 37:104–106)
Allah did not want Ibrahim to kill his son. Allah wanted to test his submission. He wanted to show the depth of Ibrahim’s loyalty, surrender and love for his Lord.
The test was about the state of Ibrahim’s heart. Was his heart fully attached to Allah, or had part of it become attached to his beloved son in a way that needed to be tested?
There is a beautiful comparison with Maryam (peace be upon her). When Zakariyya (peace be upon him) entered upon her in the mihrab, he found provision with her. He asked:
أَنَّىٰ لَكِ هَٰذَا
“Where has this come from?”
(Surat Aal Imran 3:37)
She replied:
هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ
“It is from Allah.”
(Surat Aal Imran 3:37)
Allah provided for her directly, without effort on her part. But later, when she was giving birth to Isa (peace be upon him), Allah told her:
وَهُزِّي إِلَيْكِ بِجِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ
“Shake the trunk of the palm tree towards you.”
(Surat Maryam 19:25)
Why was she now told to make an effort? Because her heart was completely attached to Allah, but now she had a child, and a part of her heart was naturally attached to him. So Allah told her to make an effort, and then He would provide. Then, when Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was given his son, his heart became attached to Ismail (peace be upon him) too. And this was his only son at that time. After this event, he would receive the good news of Ishaq (peace be upon him), not before.
Similarly once Ibrahim (peace be upon him) had a son: Ismail (peace be upon him), naturally, his heart was connected to him. Some of his attention and affection was now directed towards his son.
Some scholars, particularly in a spiritual or Sufi reading say that Allah wanted Ibrahim’s heart to remain fully connected to Him. So Allah tested his commitment. Ibrahim (peace be upon him) succeeded in that test.
Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was being tested through the son he loved most. Allah was not asking for Ismail’s life; He was testing Ibrahim’s attachment, submission and love. Was Allah still first in his heart? Ibrahim passed that test with complete surrender.
Allah then says:
وَفَدَيْنَاهُ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيمٍ
“And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice.”
(Surat al-Saffat 37:107)
Allah replaced Ismail with a great sacrifice. From this comes the udhiyah, the sacrifice connected to Eid al-Adha.
The scholars differed on the ruling of the udhiyah. According to the Hanafi school, it is wajib for those who are able. Other scholars considered it a confirmed Sunnah. But all agree that it is a great act of worship and a continuation of the legacy of Ibrahim (peace be upon him).
Through this story, Allah shows us that when a person is willing to submit to Him, He opens a way. Allah did not command Ibrahim because He wanted Ismail to die. He commanded him in order to test his commitment and elevate him.
We are tested too. Sometimes Allah tests us through the things we love most. Not because He wants to destroy us, but because He wants to purify us, raise us and show us what truly comes first in our hearts.
Then Allah says:
وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِي الْآخِرِينَ
سَلَامٌ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ
كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ
“And We left for him honourable mention among later generations: peace be upon Ibrahim. This is how We reward those who do good.”
(Surat al-Saffat 37:108–110)
Allah preserved the name of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) until the end of time. Every year, millions remember him. Every Eid al-Adha, the ummah remembers his submission. Every salah, we send salutations upon him.
سَلَامٌ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ
“Peace be upon Ibrahim.”
This is how Allah rewards the muhsinin — those who worship Him with excellence, sincerity and complete submission.