Prophet Ibrāhīm: Part 2 — A Nation by Himself, the House and Lūṭ
Section 6 of 21 · Lives of the Prophets
He Was a Nation by Himself
إِنَّ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَانِتًا لِّلَّهِ حَنِيفًا وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ
“Surely, Ibrāhīm was an Ummah (a whole community in himself), devoted to Allah, a man of pure faith; and he was not among the Mushriks (i.e. those who associate partners with Allah)” (16:120)
So Allah (swt) gave Ibrāhīm a name that wasn't given to anybody else, and that is: kāna ummah. He was a nation by himself. Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) was a nation; he was an ummah. He didn't have anybody with him, he was alone, but Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) counts as a nation, as a whole ummah. Kāna ummatan: Allah (swt) said, Ibrāhīm was an ummah.
And then Allah (swt) said: qānitan. He had a lot of khushūʿ. He had khushūʿ of Allah (swt) in the night and day. 24 hours, he was in the state of khushūʿ: qānitan li-llāh.
مَا كَانَ إِبْرَٰهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلَا نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَـٰكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ
“Ibrāhīm was neither a Jew nor a Christian. But he was upright, a Muslim, and was not one of those who associate partners with Allah.” (3:67)
And also Allah (swt) says: ḥanīfan musliman wa mā kāna min al-mushrikīn. Ḥanīf: he stayed away from all shirk. Everyone was trying to pull him to shirk; he stayed away from it, and that is ḥanīf. It is ikhlāṣ ʿalā baṣīrah: he had sincerity and understanding.
۞ وَإِذِ ٱبْتَلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ رَبُّهُۥ بِكَلِمَـٰتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّى جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا ۖ قَالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِى ۖ قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِى ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
“When his Lord put Ibrāhīm to a test with certain Words, and he fulfilled them, He said, “I am going to make you an Imām for the people.”He said, “And from among my progeny?” He replied, “My promise does not extend to the unjust.”” (2:124)
And Allah (swt) says: wa idh ibtalā Ibrāhīma rabbuhu bi-kalimātin fa-atammahunn. Allah (swt) has tested Ibrāhīm with some commands. Allah (swt) says fa-atammahunn: he completed them all. He completed them all.
وَإِبْرَٰهِيمَ ٱلَّذِى وَفَّىٰٓ
“and of Ibrāhīm who fulfilled (his duties)?” (53:37)
And that's why Allah (swt) says about Ibrāhīm: wa Ibrāhīma alladhī waffā. Ibrāhīm has fulfilled. He fulfilled. He fulfilled what Allah (swt) wanted from him. He fulfilled it all. Wa Ibrāhīma alladhī waffā.
And Allah (swt) says about Ibrāhīm: qāla innī jāʿiluka li-l-nāsi imāmā. I will make you an imam, a leader for mankind: someone who will be a role model for everyone to follow.
وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥٓ إِسْحَـٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَجَعَلْنَا فِى ذُرِّيَّتِهِ ٱلنُّبُوَّةَ وَٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ أَجْرَهُۥ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَإِنَّهُۥ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ لَمِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
“And We granted him IsHāq (Isaac) and Ya‘qūb (Jacob), and assigned prophet-hood and Book to his progeny, and gave him his reward in the world; and of course, in the Hereafter, he will be one of the righteous.” (29:27)
And Allah (swt) says about him: wa jaʿalnā fī dhurriyyatihi al-nubuwwah. We made all of the prophets after him from his descendants. All of the anbiyāʾ of Allah (swt), and the rusul, that came after Ibrāhīm were from the descendants of Ibrāhīm. This is the story of Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him).