Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (5/353)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

For this reason, Allah tested Abraham by commanding him to sacrifice his son. According to the correct view, the son to be sacrificed was his eldest son, Ishmael, as indicated by Surah al-Sāffāt and other evidence. For he had (1) asked his Lord to grant him a righteous child, and He gave him glad tidings of a forbearing son, Ishmael. Then, when the boy was old enough to work alongside him, He commanded Abraham to sacrifice him, so that no love for any created being would remain in his heart to rival his love for the Creator, since he had asked for this son and he was his firstborn.

Likewise, the Torah says:

“Sacrifice your son, your only son.”

Another translation reads, “Your firstborn.” But those who altered it inserted the name Isaac, which is false (2). Isaac was the second of his children (3), by agreement of the Muslims and the People of the Book. Thus, he was neither his only son nor his firstborn; rather, Ishmael was his only son and his firstborn.

For this reason, after recounting in the Quran the story of the son to be sacrificed, Allah said:

“And We gave him glad tidings of Isaac—a prophet, one of the righteous.”

[Surah al-Sāffāt: 112].

And in the other verse He said:

“So We gave her glad tidings of Isaac and, after Isaac, Jacob.”

[Surah Hūd: 71].

How, then, could He give him glad tidings of a son and subsequently command him to sacrifice that very son?

The glad tidings of Isaac were given to Sarah. She had become jealous of Hagar when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael, and Allah commanded Abraham to take Ishmael and his mother to Mecca. Then, when the guests—the angels—came to Abraham, they gave her glad tidings (4) of Isaac. How, then, could He command him to sacrifice Isaac while Ishmael remained? She had not been able to bear it when Ishmael was his only son; rather, she was jealous that Abraham should have a son

(1) H and B read: qad kāna (“he had”); all other manuscripts read: kāna qad (also “he had”). (2) H, Y, R, and W read: “impossible.” (3) W reads: “of the children.” (4) B alone reads: “and they gave her glad tidings.”

وَلِهَذَا امْتَحَنَ اللَّهُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بِذَبْحِ ابْنِهِ. وَالذَّبِيحُ عَلَى الْقَوْلِ الصَّحِيحِ ابْنُهُ الْكَبِيرُ إِسْمَاعِيلُ، كَمَا دَلَّتْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ سُورَةُ " الصَّافَّاتِ " وَغَيْرُ ذَلِكَ، فَإِنَّهُ قَدْ كَانَ (١) سَأَلَ رَبَّهُ أَنْ يَهَبَ لَهُ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ، فَبَشَّرَهُ بِالْغُلَامِ الْحَلِيمِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ السَّعْيَ أَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَذْبَحَهُ، لِئَلَّا يَبْقَى فِي قَلْبِهِ مَحَبَّةُ مَخْلُوقٍ تُزَاحِمُ مَحَبَّةَ الْخَالِقِ، إِذْ كَانَ قَدْ طَلَبَهُ وَهُوَ بِكْرُهُ. وَكَذَلِكَ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ يَقُولُ: " اذْبَحِ ابْنَكَ وَحِيدَكَ " ، وَفِي تَرْجَمَةٍ أُخْرَى " بِكْرُكَ " ، وَلَكِنْ أَلْحَقَ الْمُبَدِّلُونَ لَفْظَ إِسْحَاقَ، وَهُوَ بَاطِلٌ (٢) . فَإِنَّ إِسْحَاقَ هُوَ الثَّانِي مِنْ أَوْلَادِهِ (٣) بِاتِّفَاقِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَأَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ، فَلَيْسَ هُوَ وَحِيدُهُ وَلَا بِكْرُهُ، وَإِنَّمَا وَحِيدُهُ وَبِكْرُهُ إِسْمَاعِيلُ. وَلِهَذَا لَمَّا ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ قِصَّةَ الذَّبِيحِ فِي الْقُرْآنِ قَالَ بَعْدَ هَذَا: {وَبَشَّرْنَاهُ بِإِسْحَاقَ نَبِيًّا مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ} [سُورَةُ الصَّافَّاتِ: ١١٢] . وَقَالَ فِي الْآيَةِ الْأُخْرَى {فَبَشَّرْنَاهُ بِإِسْحَاقَ وَمِنْ وَرَاءِ إِسْحَاقَ يَعْقُوبَ} [سُورَةُ هُودٍ: ٧١] . فَكَيْفَ يُبَشِّرُهُ بِوَلَدٍ ثُمَّ يَأْمُرُهُ بِذَبْحِهِ؟ . وَالْبِشَارَةُ بِإِسْحَاقَ وَقَعَتْ لِسَارَّةَ، وَكَانَتْ قَدْ غَارَتْ مِنْ هَاجَرَ لَمَّا وَلَدَتْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، وَأَمَرَ اللَّهُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ أَنْ يَذْهَبَ بِإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَأَمِّهِ إِلَى مَكَّةَ، ثُمَّ لَمَّا جَاءَ الضَّيْفُ - وَهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ - لِإِبْرَاهِيمَ، بَشَّرُوهَا (٤) بِإِسْحَاقَ، فَكَيْفَ يَأْمُرُهُ بِذَبْحِ إِسْحَاقَ مَعَ بَقَاءِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ؟ . وَهِيَ لَمْ تَصْبِرْ عَلَى وُجُودِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ وَحْدَهُ، بَلْ غَارَتْ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُ ابْنٌ

(١) قَدْ كَانَ: كَذَا فِي (ح) ، (ب) ، وَفِي سَائِرِ النُّسَخِ: كَانَ قَدْ. (٢) ح، ي، ر، و: مُمْتَنِعٌ. (٣) و: مِنَ الْأَوْلَادِ. (٤) ب فَقَطْ: وَبَشَّرُوهَا.