a stone, placed it beneath his head, and went to sleep. In his dream he saw a ladder fixed between heaven and earth, with the angels ascending and descending upon it, while the Lord—glorified and exalted is He—addressed him, saying: “I shall bless you, multiply your descendants, and grant this land to you and to your progeny after you.”

When he awoke, overjoyed by what he had seen, he vowed to Allah that, should he return safely to his family, he would build a house of worship for Allah at that very spot and dedicate one-tenth of whatever provision Allah granted him to His cause. He then took that stone, poured oil upon it as a marker, and named the place Bethel, meaning “House of God.” It is the site of today’s Bayt al-Maqdis, which Jacob later constructed, as will be mentioned.

They relate that when Jacob reached his maternal uncle in the land of Harran, the uncle had two daughters: the elder named Leah and the younger Rachel. Jacob sought Rachel’s hand—she was the more comely and beautiful of the two—and his uncle agreed on the condition that Jacob tend his sheep for seven years. When the term elapsed, Laban prepared a feast, gathered the people, and that night led his elder daughter Leah—who was weak-eyed and unattractive—into Jacob’s quarters.

At daybreak Jacob discovered that it was Leah. He said to his uncle, “Why have you deceived me? I asked for Rachel!” Laban replied, “It is not our custom to marry off the younger before the elder. If you still desire her sister, serve another seven years and I will give her to you.” Jacob therefore served a further seven years, after which Laban gave him Rachel in addition to her sister. This was permissible in their law and was later abrogated in the Torah.

This alone suffices to prove that abrogation does occur, for the action of Jacob—peace be upon him—shows its lawfulness, and he is infallible.

Laban presented a maidservant to each of his daughters: he gave Leah a girl named Zilpah, and Rachel a girl named Bilhah. Allah, exalted be He, compensated Leah by granting her children. She bore Jacob Reuben, then Simeon, then Levi, and then Judah. Rachel, who remained barren, grew jealous and gave her maidservant Bilhah to Jacob; he took her, and she conceived and bore a son she named Dan, and again conceived and bore another son she named Naphtali.

Leah then gave her maidservant Zilpah to Jacob, and she bore him two sons, Gad and Asher. Leah herself conceived once more and bore a fifth son, Issachar, then a sixth, Zebulun, and afterward a daughter, Dinah—seven children in all. Rachel then called upon Allah, the Most High, beseeching Him to grant her a son by Jacob. Allah heard her plea and answered her prayer; she conceived by the Prophet of Allah Jacob and gave birth to a noble, distinguished, handsome, and beautiful boy whom he named Joseph. All this took place while they were still residing in the land of Harran.