Ibrahim alayhi -l-'salam

Bismillah il-'rahman il-'raheem

On Ibrahim alayhi -l-'salam (y2 s1 c3)

In our times, people are facing many difficulties all around the world. God wants to remind us to look at the life of Ibrahim. He had more problems than you could imagine. He was brought up in a household where not only did they worship idols, but his father made idols. He never met a believing person in his whole society; he was the only one. He lived under a tyrant who threw him in a fire in order to kill him. His own father threatened to stone him if he didn’t leave. He had to leave his homeland. He had problems in the home, community, society, and state. He had no guidance, no scripture; he never met anyone who believed. He had to use only his own mind and nature, using what God had given him. If people follow their nature and think, even without scripture they could be guided.

The leadership of Ibrahim means that in any condition in life, when you are alone, forced to leave your homeland, when people oppose you, God commands you to sacrifice, and Ibrahim is your example. God will not ask of you anything that he did not ask of Ibrahim. This is what an imam is, always ahead of his people. His example is always greater than you, and your example. This makes life easier for you. Ibrahim did not complain about anything. He knew that even in moving from one place to another, all were ruled by his Lord, they were all part of God’s kingdom. We people look at the universe without keeping the Lord of the universe in mind – everything else is important but Him. When Ibrahim is told to submit, he replies ‘I have submitted to the Lord of the worlds.' إِذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ أَسْلِمْ ۖ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ - (2:131) His mind goes to the Lord of the worlds first – there was nothing else to attract him, nothing distracts him. He has complete trust in God and depends on Him fully. When he wants food, or falls ill, he asks God only. He removes all the curtains coming between him and God – his sight is so sharp. The reason that we complain is that our eyes are on the creation. If we focus on the Creator, we would know that difficulties and good all come from Him. Think like Ibrahim thought, believe as he did, say what he said, and act as he did. Everything he did: his iman, islam, life and actions have been approved by God.

Ibrahim was chosen by God and made pure; he was chosen in both worlds. وَلَقَدِ اصْطَفَيْنَاهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَإِنَّهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ لَمِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ (2:130). The reason he was chosen was because he submitted, he had islam. In every single test, God wants to hear you say: أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ, and not just to say this with words, but to embody it and act it.

Being tested

People think that being tested means suffering and pain, and therefore perceive it as something bad and negative. But it is not negative in the Qur’an – الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفُورُ (67:2). Testing in the Qur’an is different. It is understood that people have hidden qualities which make them better human beings: being patient in difficulty, being grateful and not arrogant, sacrificing your own interest for that of other people etc. in humans, many of these qualities are hidden. Ibtilaa’ means God creates those conditions wherein those qualities can be activated and become clear. The condition is such that there are two choices in it: be patient or not patient, be thankful or not, prefer your own need or that of others. Then the quality within you becomes clear. The purpose of the test is not to make you suffer. God wants you to behave in a particular way to make you better. Problems in life will come. God doesn’t enjoy your suffering, but He wants to make clear your good qualities. Ibrahim made the best choices every time (فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ ); he never had any ambiguity in which choice to select. He never complained. His family was also like this, e.g. Ya’qub (قَالَ إِنَّمَا أَشْكُو بَثِّي وَحُزْنِي إِلَى اللَّهِ (12:86)). You will never have a life without tests (وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ 2:155 وَالْأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ  

وَإِذِ ابْتَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ  (2:124)   

Who tested Ibrahim? His Rabb. The Rabb who cares for him, loves him, nurtures him – the word Rabb comprises all these meanings at a level more than your parents! When your Rabb does this and tests you, He wants to help you, not to laugh at you. When your parents test you, you understand that their intention is something greater, not to make you suffer.

Ibrahim’s leadership

قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا  

God shows that there was one man, who, every time I tested him, passed completely. He always went for the right choice, and in the right way (not, for example, like Banu Isra’il (فَذَبَحُوهَا وَمَا كَادُوا يَفْعَلُونَ 2:71)). Now this man is to become an example for all mankind. Ibrahim completed all that he was asked to do (وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ الَّذِي وَفَّىٰ (53:37)). He is a leader for all people, and the House that he built belongs to everyone who follows him. Then if Ibrahim is the example, everything connected to him must remain alive. Jerusalem was destroyed many times; if he were connected to that only, then his memory would be destroyed. But his connection to the ka’bah God has preserved and kept alive. Ibrahim cannot be an imam for all people if they do not know who he is. Making Ibrahim imam means that all the sites and rites connected to him will remain and be preserved. The ka’bah is the centre for all people as Ibrahim was the imam for all. Ibrahim’s memory is so deep and inherent within Makkah that it could never be removed, the well of zamzam, the mountains etc. cannot be removed or altered.

Ibrahim obeyed and submitted, then he was made Khaleel. It was not easy for him. His circumstances were bad too. People have no excuse not to follow him. He was a man like you, but used his abilities. He used his mind and fitrah. Iman is from thinking, and tawakkul is the highest level – that all things are ultimately aafileen, but the Lord of all things is not (6:76-79). People must make an effort to do this, and when you fall, stand up and remind yourself of him. Whatever difficulty you have, Ibrahim had it worse. He is an example for all people.

Be strong. Don’t let the condition rule over you. You rule over the condition. Choose properly between the choices you have. Use your mind. People are lazy and don’t want to think for themselves. People know what to do in most situations, but they have an ego and don’t want to do the right thing; they want to follow their desires. أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُ عَيْنَيْنِ - وَلِسَانًا وَشَفَتَيْنِ - وَهَدَيْنَاهُ النَّجْدَيْنِ (90:8-10)

In every single test, you have two choices: surrendering to you Lord, or to something else (including your own self, your ego). At all times, say أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ. Surrender to your Lord and you will succeed.

Tawakkul cannot be attained without thinking; the mind is required for iman. That is why God tests you in different ways. You need to think consciously each time. When a problem comes, if you don’t think, you can’t approach it properly with tawakkul. Nothing is black and white. In every situation in life you need to use judgement. You cannot reach Ibrahim’s level without thinking, just through lip service. ‘Ubudiyyah to God requires the human mind. It is not slavery without thinking.