Prophet Ibrāhīm: Part 1 — Coolness and Safety, Hājar and Ismāʿīl
Section 22 of 25 · Lives of the Prophets
My Lord, Grant Me a Righteous Offspring
رَبِّ هَبْ لِى مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ فَبَشَّرْنَـٰهُ بِغُلَـٰمٍ حَلِيمٍ
“O my Lord, bless me with a righteous son.” So, We gave him the good news of a forbearing boy.” (37:100–101)
Allah (swt) says: rabbi hab lī min al-ṣāliḥīn. This is a duʿāʾ that Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm made: rabbi hab lī min al-ṣāliḥīn — O Allah (swt), give me a righteous offspring. Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) reached over eighty years old, and he didn't have any offspring. He didn't have any children. And he didn't ask Allah (swt) to provide him with children per se; but he said min al-ṣāliḥīn: he has to be righteous. O Allah (swt), give me a righteous offspring.
Allah (swt) says: We gave him the glad tidings of a child who is ḥalīm. And ḥalīm is gentle, and mild, and forbearing. These are the akhlāq of Sayyidunā Ismāʿīl (peace be upon him). And Ismāʿīl grew up away from his father, in Makkah, as we mentioned.
فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ ٱلسَّعْىَ قَالَ يَـٰبُنَىَّ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰ فِى ٱلْمَنَامِ أَنِّىٓ أَذْبَحُكَ فَٱنظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَىٰ ۚ قَالَ يَـٰٓأَبَتِ ٱفْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ ۖ سَتَجِدُنِىٓ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ
“Thereafter, when he (the boy) reached an age in which he could work with him, he (Ibrāhīm) said, “O my little son, I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you, so consider, what is your opinion?” He said, “O my dear father, do what you have been ordered to do. You will find me, inshā’allah , (if Allah wills) one of those who endure patiently.”” (37:102)
And then, when Ismāʿīl reached the age in which he can go out with his father — the age in which he became an adult, and is able to take responsibilities for himself; this age which Allah (swt) mentions in the Qur'an: fa-lammā balagha maʿahu al-saʿya. Allah (swt) says: and when his son was old enough to walk with him. Old enough to walk with him. It means that Ismāʿīl (peace be upon him) has grown up, and now is able to take care of himself, and he is able to take responsibilities.
And that is when the father starts seeing himself in his son. When your son is a child, you raise him up; but when your son is an adult, then you see the continuation of your life in him. And that is the age which Ismāʿīl (peace be upon him) reached.
When Ismāʿīl started to go out with his father, Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) saw a dream. Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm saw a dream — and we know that the dreams of the anbiyāʾ are waḥy. In that dream, Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm was slaughtering his own son. O my son, I see in my dream that I am sacrificing you. Fa-nẓur mādhā tarā: what do you think? What is your response?
Ibrāhīm, he will fulfil the order of Allah (swt), no doubt. But he didn't go, while Ismāʿīl is in his sleep, and suddenly sacrifice his son? No. He told Ismāʿīl; he said: this is the dream that I saw; tell me, what do you think?