Al-Muqaddimāt al-Mumahhidāt - Ibn Rush al-Jadd - (1/433)

Al-Muqaddimāt al-MumahhidātIbn Rush al-Jadd

to slaughter him when he had this promise from Allah.

Abū Jaʿfar al-Tabarī said: The view held by most scholars of Quranic interpretation is that the son to be sacrificed was Isaac, and this is the more evident view. For if the son to be sacrificed was the forbearing boy whose birth Allah announced in response to Abraham’s request that He grant him a righteous son, as the Book explicitly states, then he was Isaac. Allah knows best. Abraham’s children were all righteous, so it is unlikely that he would ask Allah to grant him what He had already granted him. Allah has made clear in His Book that the son whose birth was announced was Isaac; he was therefore the son to be sacrificed. Allah knows best.

It has also been related that Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son Isaac in Syria and intended to sacrifice him there. It is not impossible that the ram’s head was carried from Syria to Mecca. Those who hold that the son to be sacrificed was Ishmael have no proof in His words, “And We gave him good news of Isaac, a prophet” [al-Sāffāt: 112], which follow the conclusion of the account of the intended sacrifice. This was good news of his prophethood, given as a reward for his patience, his acceptance of his Lord’s command, and his submission to Him. Nor is there proof in Allah’s promise to Abraham that he would have a descendant through Isaac, for he was commanded to sacrifice him only after he had reached the age when he could work alongside him. At that age, it is quite conceivable that he could have had several children, let alone one. Allah knows best.

Al-Mufaddal said: The correct view, indicated by the Quran, is that it was Ishmael. Allah recounts the story of the intended sacrifice and says at its conclusion:

“And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice.” [al-Sāffāt: 107]

Then He says:

“Peace be upon Abraham.” [al-Sāffāt: 109]

“Thus do We reward the doers of good.” [al-Sāffāt: 110]

“Indeed, he was one of Our believing servants.” [al-Sāffāt: 111]

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

“And We blessed him” [al-Sāffāt: 113]—meaning Ishmael—“and Isaac.” [al-Sāffāt: 113] He referred to Ishmael by a pronoun because he had already been mentioned. Then He said, “And among their descendants” [al-Sāffāt: 113], indicating that the descendants in question are those of Ishmael and Isaac. The transmitters agree that Ishmael was thirteen years older than Isaac, peace be upon them both.

It has also been related concerning the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that a Bedouin addressed him as, “O son of the two intended sacrifices!” He meant Ishmael, peace be upon him, and the Prophet’s father, Abd Allāh. For Abd al-Muttalib had vowed that, if he had ten sons, he would sacrifice one of them. When their number reached ten, he brought them to the Kaaba and cast lots among them with arrows, intending to sacrifice the one whose arrow was drawn. He had written each son’s name on an arrow, and Abd Allāh’s arrow was drawn. He offered ten camels as his ransom, then cast lots between him and the camels, but Abd Allāh’s arrow was drawn again. He added another ten camels to the ransom, continuing until the total reached one hundred. Then the arrow for the camels was drawn, so he slaughtered them and established blood money at one hundred camels.

Ibn Ishāq said: Those who held that it was Isaac said that there were two announcements of good news concerning Isaac. The first was His saying:

بذبحه وله من الله هذا الوعد. وقال أبو جعفر الطبري: والذي ذهب إليه أكثر أهل العلم بالتأويل أن الذبيح هو إسحاق، وهو الأظهر؛ لأن الذبيح إذا كان هو الغلام الحليم الذي بشره الله به لمسألته إياه أن يهب له من الصالحين بنص الكتاب فهو إسحاق، والله أعلم؛ لأنه لم يكن له ولد إلا من الصالحين، فيبعد أن يسأل الله أن يهبه ما قد وهبه إياه. وقد بين في كتابه أن الذي بشر به إسحاق فهو الذبيح والله أعلم. وقد روي أن إبراهيم إنما أمر بذبح ابنه إسحاق بالشام وبها أراد ذبحه. وغير مستحيل أن يكون حمل رأس الكبش من الشام إلى مكة. ولا حجة لمن ذهب إلى أن الذبيح إسماعيل في قوله: ﴿وَبَشَّرْنَاهُ بِإِسْحَاقَ نَبِيًّا﴾ [الصافات: ١١٢] عقب الفراغ من قصة الذبيح؛ لأنه إنما بشر بنبوته جزاء على صبره ورضاه بأمر ربه واستسلامه له. وكذلك لا حجة في وعد الله له أن يكون له ولد من إسحاق؛ لأنه إنما أمر بذبحه بعد أن بلغ معه السعي وتلك حال لا ينكر أن يكون له فيها أولاد فكيف بولد والله أعلم. وقال المفضل: الصحيح الذي يدل عليه القرآن أنه إسماعيل، وذلك أنه قص قصة الذبيح وقال في آخر القصة: ﴿وَفَدَيْنَاهُ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيمٍ﴾ [الصافات: ١٠٧] ثم قال: ﴿سَلامٌ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ﴾ [الصافات: ١٠٩] ﴿كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ﴾ [الصافات: ١١٠] ﴿إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾ [الصافات: ١١١] ﴿وَبَشَّرْنَاهُ بِإِسْحَاقَ نَبِيًّا مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ﴾ [الصافات: ١١٢] ﴿وَبَارَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ﴾ [الصافات: ١١٣] أي: على إسماعيل ﴿وَعَلَى إِسْحَاقَ﴾ [الصافات: ١١٣] كنى عنه؛ لأنه قد تقدم ذكره. ثم قال: ﴿وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِهِمَا﴾ [الصافات: ١١٣] فدل على أنهما ذرية إسماعيل وإسحاق. وليس يختلف الرواة في أن إسماعيل كان أكبر من إسحاق ﵉ بثلاث عشرة سنة. وأيضا قد روي عن النبي ﷺ أن أعرابيا قال له يا ابن الذبيحين يعني إسماعيل ﵇ وأباه عبد الله؛ لأن عبد المطلب كان نذر إن بلغ ولده عشرة أن ينحر منهم واحدا، فلما كملوا عشرة أتى بهم البيت وضرب عليهم بالقداح على أن يذبح من خرج قدحه، وقد كتب اسم كل واحد في قدح، وخرج قدح عبد الله، ففداه بعشرة من الإبل، ثم ضرب عليه وعلى الإبل فخرج قدحه، ففداه بعشرة إلى أن تمت مائة فخرج القدح على الجزر فنحرها، وسن الدية مائة. قال ابن إسحاق وأما من قال: إنه إسحاق فقال كانت في إسحاق بشارتان: الأولى قوله: