Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: Whenever Abraham visited Hagar and Ishmael, he would be carried upon al-Buraq: he would set out from Syria in the morning, rest at midday in Makkah, then depart from Makkah in the afternoon and spend the night with his family in Syria. When Ishmael had reached the age at which he could strive alongside him, had become self-reliant, and Abraham placed in him the hope he had cherished—that he would worship his Lord and venerate His sacred ordinances—he was commanded in a dream to sacrifice him.

This was because, on the Night of Tarwiyah, he saw as though someone were saying to him, “Allah commands you to sacrifice this son of yours.” When morning came, he reflected within himself—that is, from morning until the afternoon—whether this dream was from Allah or from Satan. This is why it was called the Day of Tarwiyah. Then, when evening came, he saw it again in a dream; and when morning came, he knew that it was from Allah, glorified and exalted is He. This is why it was called the Day of Arafah.

Muqatil said: Abraham saw this for three consecutive nights. Once he became certain of it, he informed his son, saying, “My dear son, I have seen in a dream that I am sacrificing you; so consider: what do you think?”

Hamzah and al-Kisa'i recited it as “What are you shown?” with the ta pronounced with dammah and the ra with kasrah—that is, “What do you advise?” He asked him only in order to know his patience in the face of Allah’s command, and his firm resolve to obey Him.

The majority recited it with both the ta and ra pronounced with fathah, except Abu Amr, who pronounced the ra with imalah.

His son said to him: “My dear father, do as you are commanded.” Ibn Ishaq and others said: When Abraham was commanded to do this, he said to his son, “My dear son, take the rope and the knife, and let us go to this mountain pass to gather firewood.” When Abraham was alone with his son in the mountain pass of Thabir, he informed him of what he had been commanded. He said, “My dear father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, among those who are patient.”