It is related that he kept drawing the blade across his throat, but it would not cut. He sharpened it two or three times on a stone, yet despite all this, it was unable to cut.

Al-Suddi said: Allah Most High placed a sheet of copper over his throat. (1) They said: At that point, the son said, “My dear father, lay me face down, upon my forehead. For if you look at my face, you will feel pity for me, and a tenderness will overcome you that will come between you and Allah Most High’s command. And so that I do not look at the blade and become distraught.” Abraham then did so, and placed the blade upon the back of his neck. But the knife turned over, and he was called: “O Abraham, you have indeed fulfilled the vision.”

Abu Hurayrah narrated from Ka'b al-Ahbar, and Ibn Ishaq narrated from his transmitters, who said: When Abraham saw that he was to slaughter his son, Satan said, “If I do not tempt the family of Abraham on this occasion, I shall never tempt any one of them.” Satan then appeared to the boy’s mother in the form of a man and said to her, “Do you know where Abraham has taken your son?” She replied, “He has taken him to gather firewood from this mountain pass.” He said, “No, by Allah, he has taken him only to slaughter him.” She said, “Certainly not! He is too compassionate toward him and loves him too dearly to do that.” He said, “He claims that Allah has commanded him to do so.” She replied, “If his Lord has commanded him to do so, then he has done well to obey his Lord.”

Satan left her and caught up with the son, who was walking behind his father. He said to him, “Young man, do you know where your father is taking you?” He replied, “We are gathering firewood for our family from this mountain pass.” Satan said, “By Allah, he intends only to slaughter you.” He asked, “And why?” Satan replied, “He claims that his Lord has commanded him to do so.” The son said, “Then let him do what his Lord has commanded him; I hear and obey.”

When the boy resisted him, Satan turned to Abraham, peace be upon him, and said, “Where do you intend to go, old man?” He replied, “I intend to go to this mountain pass for a need I have there.” Satan said, “By Allah, I see that Satan came to you in your sleep and commanded you to slaughter this son of yours.” Abraham, peace be upon him, recognized him and said, “Away from me, enemy of Allah! By Allah, I shall carry out my Lord’s command.” So Iblis returned in rage, having attained nothing of what he had sought from Abraham and his family; by Allah Most High’s help, they had resisted him. (2)

Abu al-Tufayl narrated from Ibn Abbas that, when Abraham was commanded to slaughter his son, Satan confronted him at this sacred site and raced him, but Abraham outstripped him. He then went to the Jamrat al-Aqabah, where Satan confronted him, so he pelted him with seven pebbles until he went away. Satan then confronted him at the middle pillar, and he pelted him with seven pebbles until he went away. Then he caught up with him at the greater pillar, and Abraham pelted him with seven pebbles until he went away. Abraham then proceeded to fulfill Allah’s command. (3)

Allah Most High said: “Then, when they had both submitted themselves, and he laid him down upon his forehead.”