Our master Abraham, peace be upon him, told us
Summary of the Story of Abraham, the Friend of God (peace be upon him)
He is the Prophet of God, the Exalted, Abraham, son of Terah, son of Nahor, son of Serug, son of Reu, son of Peleg, son of Eber, son of Shelah, son of Kenan, son of Arphaxad, son of Shem, son of Noah (peace be upon them all). He was born during the reign of Nimrod, son of Canaan. Astrologers had informed him that a boy would be born in such and such a year who would oppose his religion and destroy the gods he worshipped. So he ordered the killing of every male child born from that date onward. However, Abraham's mother did not reveal her pregnancy. She took him to a cave and gave birth there, concealing his birth until he grew a little. When he emerged, he reflected on creation and the beliefs of his people. He said that this world must have a Creator. When he saw the stars set, the rising moon set, and the sun, with its brilliance and great size, set, he said, "I do not love those that set." He knew that guidance comes from God, the Exalted, and he disavowed the religion of his people. The people of Abraham were Sabians who worshipped the planets. They sought to reach them through idol worship and believed that these planets governed the world.
Abraham's father, Azar, was an idol maker who would give idols to Abraham to sell. Abraham would mock them, bringing them close to the sea and saying, "Drink!" This became widely known. Abraham had sincerely advised his father against worshipping idols, explaining that they could neither benefit nor harm him. He debated with his people about it and presented them with the proof that it neither benefits nor harms. When they persisted and were obstinate, he said, “I will surely plot against your idols.” It happened that they had a festival day on which they would go out from their homes and temples, so Abraham stayed behind, making an excuse of illness. He broke all their idols except for the largest idol among them, as he placed the axe with his hands tied. When they returned and saw what had happened to their gods, and they asked who had done this to them, those who had heard Abraham’s words, peace be upon him, said, “I will surely plot against your idols after you have turned away and gone. We heard a young man mention them who is called Abraham.” When they brought him and asked him about his action, he said, “Rather, this one of their chiefs did it,” to further establish the proof against him, so that perhaps they would see the error they were in and to increase the proof against them. He said, “Ask them if they can speak.” When they knew the truth and that it neither benefits nor harms, and the proof was established, they turned their heads and rode on it and were obstinate and boasted by seeking the help of the gods who were unable to speak and defend themselves.
They conspired to burn him alive, gathering firewood and preparing for their deed. They plotted against him, but God, in His infinite wisdom, made them the losers. When Abraham was brought forth and thrown into the fire, they said that all creatures sought to defend him except for the gecko, which fanned the flames. God had told them, "If Abraham has a need of you, then answer him." Gabriel, peace be upon him, was sent to him, as it is said, and asked, "Do you have any need?" Abraham replied, "If it is from you, then no." Then he said, "Sufficient for me is God, and He is the best Disposer of affairs." At this point, the Almighty Lord commanded, "O fire, be cool and safe for Abraham." Abraham remained in the fire, unharmed, with his sustenance provided for him for several days until the fire died down. He emerged unscathed, and all praise is due to God, Lord of the Worlds.
God protected Nimrod from him, and a number of his people believed with him, including his nephew Lot, peace be upon him. It is said that Nimrod debated with him in the debate mentioned in the Quran when he emerged from the fire. It was the first time he met Abraham, and he asked him about the Lord of the Worlds. Abraham replied, "My Lord is the One who gives life and causes death." The tyrant claimed that he (Abraham) gives life and causes death, but Abraham did not argue with him about this false answer. Rather, he said, "God brings the sun from the east, so bring it from the west." At that, Nimrod was dumbfounded. He resolved to search for Abraham's God, so he built a tower to look down upon with his warped mind to see the Lord of the Worlds. It is also said that he flew into the sky in a coffin carried by eagles and rose until he saw the earth and fell into the darkness of the heavens.
And this is what Abraham left his people and went out migrating to God Almighty in His vast land, he and his wife and his nephew Lot and some of the believers with him. He went to Harran and then to Jerusalem. There was famine and drought in it, so he went out to Egypt. There, its tyrant wanted to take Sarah, the wife of Abraham, peace be upon him. When Abraham, peace be upon him, was asked about her, he said, “She is my sister.” So when they took her to this tyrant and he wanted to do evil to her, she called upon God Almighty, so he seized her and then asked for forgiveness, so He sent her back. Then when he wanted to return, he seized her until he left her and said, “You have only brought me a she-devil and Hagar to serve her.” So she returned to Abraham, peace be upon him, safe and sound, with no harm on her, by the grace and favor of God.
Then Abraham, peace be upon him, left Egypt and returned to Jerusalem. There, after ten years, Sarah gave him Hagar, who conceived Ishmael, peace be upon him. After Ishmael, peace be upon him, he was given the glad tidings of the Prophet Isaac, peace be upon him, from Sarah. However, Sarah became jealous of Hagar after she became pregnant with Ishmael, so she asked her husband to take Hagar away from her. So, by the command of God Almighty, he took her to Paran, which is now Mecca, to a barren valley. Their story is related in the Quran. God Almighty caused the well of Zamzam to spring forth for them after a great hardship, testing Hagar's patience and trust in God. Ishmael grew up, and with her permission, the tribe of Jurhum settled near her. Ishmael, peace be upon him, later married one of them.
When Ishmael reached the age of working alongside his father, peace be upon them both, he received a revelation in a dream commanding him to sacrifice his son Ishmael. Some scholars differed on whether the sacrifice was to be Ishmael or Abraham, but most believe it was Ishmael, whom God redeemed with a great sacrifice. Abraham, peace be upon him, was given the glad tidings of Isaac and his descendants. Isaac and Jacob were prophets, both righteous. Then God Almighty commanded Abraham and his son Ishmael to raise the foundations of the Sacred House of God (the Kaaba), whose features had been obscured by the Flood. They carried out this task perfectly, as described by the angels of the Most Merciful. Gabriel descended and taught him the rites of Hajj, commanding him to call the people to come to it on every lean camel and from every distant mountain pass.
God Almighty caused Abraham to die. It is said that he was two hundred years old and had been circumcised at the age of eighty, or one hundred and twenty, by an adze. Some say the adze was an instrument, while others say it was the name of a village.
He did not die until God had chosen him as His intimate friend and shown him how He brings the dead back to life in the story of the birds. He is one of the five resolute prophets and the father of all prophets and messengers after him.
