When They Both Submitted

And then Allah (swt) says: fa-lammā aslamā wa tallahu li-l-jabīn — then, when they both submitted themselves, and he had laid him on his forehead. The position Ismāʿīl was in: he was lying on the ground, and his father was holding the knife over his neck. When they were in that position, Allah (swt) described it as follows: fa-lammā aslamā wa tallahu li-l-jabīn. When they both submitted.

And the word aslamā and Islam come from the same root. The root of the word aslamā and Islam is the same thing. Allah is saying that Ismāʿīl and Ibrāhīm submitted. When they were in that position, they were submitting to Allah — and that is Islam. Because Islam is submission to Allah (swt): you fulfil the commandments of Allah even if it's against your will, even if it's against your desires, even if it's against what you like.

Nobody would want to slaughter his son, and no son would want his life to be taken away. But they're doing it as a form of worship, ʿibādah, and that is Islam. Submission. This is the meaning of Islam.

Fa-lammā aslamā wa tallahu li-l-jabīn. When they were in that position, Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) had the knife on the neck of Ismāʿīl, and he started to pass the knife over his neck. And then Allah (swt) called Ibrāhīm.

Allah (swt) says: wa nādaynāhu an yā Ibrāhīm, qad ṣaddaqta al-ruʾyā. You have fulfilled the dream. You have fulfilled it. The dream is fulfilled. And Allah (swt) told him: inna hādhā la-huwa al-balāʾu al-mubīn — verily, that indeed was a manifest trial. It was a test for you, and you have passed the test.

Does Allah (swt) need the blood of Ismāʿīl? Does Allah need the flesh of Ismāʿīl? Does Allah need the life of Ismāʿīl? Allah doesn't need it. Allah (swt) says: wa fadaynāhu bi-dhibḥin ʿaẓīm — verily, that indeed was a manifest trial, and We ransomed him with a great sacrifice. It was a test from Allah. Allah does not need the blood; Allah does not need the flesh; Allah does not need to take away the life of Ismāʿīl (peace be upon him). This was a test, and they both passed the test. So Allah (swt) rewarded Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) with the sacrifice: a ram.

Look at the results of taqwā. It was an action of taqwā that Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) did, and Allah (swt) rewarded him for it. And now we sacrifice in ʿĪd al-Aḍḥā, and in the Hajj, every year, following the sunnah of Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him).