my greetings to her.”

His father Abraham leaned over him and kissed him after binding him. Both he and Isaac were weeping, until tears pooled beneath Isaac’s cheek. Then he drew the knife across his throat, but it would not cut: Allah had encircled Isaac’s throat with a sheet of copper. When Abraham saw this, he feared that it might be from Satan, so he turned him face down and drew the knife across the back of his neck, but it would not cut. This is what Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, refers to in His words:

“When they had both submitted, and he laid him down upon his brow.” [al-Sāffāt: 103]

Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, called to him: “Abraham, you have fulfilled the vision. Turn around.” He turned and saw a white, horned ram with large eyes. He took the ram, untied his son, and began kissing him, saying: “Today you have been granted to me, my son.”

It is related that he released his son, then pursued the ram to catch it. He cornered it at the first stoning pillar and threw seven pebbles at it, but it escaped there. It reached the middle pillar, where he cornered it and threw seven pebbles at it, but it escaped. It then reached the great pillar, Jamrat al-ʿAqabah, where he threw seven pebbles at it, cornered it, and caught it. He brought it to the place of sacrifice and slaughtered it.

This was related from Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: “By Him in whose hand is the soul of Ibn ʿAbbās, in the early days of Islam the ram’s head was hanging by its horns beside the waterspout of the Kaaba.”

This was the reason for Allah’s institution of stoning the pillars at Minā and slaughtering sacrificial animals during the days of sacrifice. For Allah, glorified and exalted, commanded the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to follow the religion of Abraham. He, Most High, said:

“Then We revealed to you: ‘Follow the religion of Abraham, inclining to truth; he was not one of the polytheists.’” [al-Nahl: 123]

He, Most High, also said:

“The religion of your father Abraham.” [al-Hajj: 78]

That is, adhere to the religion of your father Abraham. He, Most High, said:

“Indeed, those with the best claim to Abraham are those who followed him, this Prophet, and those who believe. And Allah is the Protector of the believers.” [Āl ʿImrān: 68]

Those who hold that Ishmael was the son to be sacrificed have cited this report from Ibn ʿAbbās as evidence, as well as Allah’s words after concluding the account of the son of Abraham who was to be sacrificed:

“And We gave him good news of Isaac, a prophet from among the righteous.” [al-Sāffāt: 112]

That is, He gave him good news of Isaac and, after Isaac, Jacob—good news of a son and a grandson. Thus He would not have commanded him