Change Your Doorstep, Keep Your Doorstep

So the people of Jurhum stayed there, and they raised up Ismāʿīl, and they taught him the Arabic language. Because Ibrāhīm was not an Arab, and neither was Ismāʿīl; they were from Mesopotamia, Iraq, the Chaldeans. Jurhum taught Ismāʿīl the Arabic language: because he grew up with them, he learned the Arabic language. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said they adored him; they loved him so much. They married him to one of their daughters, and he lived with them.

The mother passed away, Hājar. And then Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) would make some visits. Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) is travelling, always. So he visited Makkah, and he came to the house of Ismāʿīl (peace be upon him), and he knocked on the door. So his wife opened the door. Ibrāhīm said: where is your husband? She said: he's not here. So Ibrāhīm asked her: how is your living? She said: miserable. We're having a miserable life. And she complained: our food is not good; our water is murky, and thick, and dirty, salty.

So Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) said: aqriʾī minnī al-salām, wa qūlī lahu yughayyir ʿatabata al-bāb. Deliver my salām to him. He didn't even tell her who he is. He said: deliver my salām to him, and tell him to change his doorstep.

Ismāʿīl came home, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) says: as if he felt something. Subḥān Allāh, he felt that his father was there. He didn't see him, and his wife hadn't even said. And he asked his wife: did anybody visit us? She said: yes, an old man came, and he asked about you, and he told me to deliver salām to you, and to tell you to change your doorstep. Ismāʿīl said: that was my father, and he's ordering me to separate from you. You're the doorstep. So go back home. And he divorced her.

The people of Jurhum loved Ismāʿīl so much, they married him to another wife. Ibrāhīm made another trip a while later. He knocked on the door; Ismāʿīl wasn't there. So he asked the same questions to the wife. He said: tell me about your living. She said: alḥamdulillāh, the best living. And she praised the lifestyle that they're leading — the simple lifestyle that they were leading, she praised it. She was happy and content: imraʾah ṣāliḥah, a righteous woman.

So Ibrāhīm wanted to get more details. He said: what food do you eat? She said: we eat meat. What do you drink? Water. That's all that they used to have: meat and water. No desserts, no appetisers, no side dishes. Meat and water only. So he made duʿāʾ for them, and said: O Allah, give them blessing in their food.

And the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) says they did not have grains at that time. They did not know wheat and barley. If they had had it, he would have made duʿāʾ for them, to bless it for them; but they didn't have it at that time. But he made duʿāʾ to Allah to bless their food for them.

And then he said: when your husband comes back, deliver my salām to him, and tell him to keep the doorstep. So Ismāʿīl came back. He said: did anybody visit us? She said: yes, an old man came, and he's delivering salām to you, and he's saying: keep your doorstep. He said: that's my father. You are the doorstep, and my father is telling me to keep you.