Ibrahim: The Prophet that Allah saved from a Blazing Fire/Flame
"We[Allah] said, "O fire! be coolness and safety upon Abraham."
--- Qur'an chapter 21 verse 69
Our fifth in the series of "Delving Deep inside the Islamic Historic Memory Lane" last week Friday dilated on the story of Noah's Ark and the great flood, as well as the discovery of the place that the Ark finally disembarked and got stuck.
This week's series dwells on prophet Ibrahim[Abraham] khalilu Lah[the friend of Allah].
History has it that, Ibrahim was the 10th great grandson of Prophet Noah. They were Azara [his father] who lived for[250], bun[son of] Bahoor[148], bun saroog[230], bun Falig[239], bun 'Abir[464],bun Shalih[433], bun Arfakhasahaz[438], bun Sam[438], bun Nooh[600].
One of his grandfathers was named Qasim, because he was the first to [qasama], that is divide the land on earth among the dwellers. Abraham's mother was Noona, or Abiyuna, or Noota, or Boona or Amilah, according varied narratives.
And the gap between the event of the great flood and the birth of Ibrahim was one thousand and ninety nine years. And that was 3330 years after Adam was created. But in another account according Abu Amamah, a man asked the prophet[PBUH]: What is the age gap between Noah and Ibrahim, and he answered: Twenty centuries.
There were differences of opinions as to his place of birth. Some historians said: He was born in Babylon and others said his father rather immigrated him in Babylon.
However most of the scholars were with the opinion that Abraham was born during the era of Namrooz[Nimrod], a powerful king that used to wield control and command of the then east and west. He was born at the cradle or one of the cradles of human civilization.
Historians narrated that, before Ibrahim was born, a Samaritan of king Nimrod informed him that: We obtained in our knowledge that, a child will be born in your village, by name Ibrahim who will disintegrate your faith and will break your idols in so, so and so months and so, so and so years. When that year was due, Nimrod sent for all pregnant women in his village and he detained them at his palace. But never knew of the conception of the mother of Ibrahim. He would slaughter or kill any new born baby in that year.
So when the mother of Ibrahim, Noona, felt some signs of labor, she left home and went inside a cave and delivered him there. She cleaned and breastfed him and blocked the entrance of the cave so nobody would ever notice a sign of a baby inside. She then returned home, but she would always be moving back and forth to ensure his safety and security. When whenever she goes to check on him, she would miraculously see him suckling his thumb-a sign which indicted to her that, Allah had inspired him to do that so he could get nourishment by his own self. And his father, Azara asked her what was the gender of her delivery[boy or girl] and she said boy but he died and he was mute[never asked further questions]. And by Allah's divine miracle, Ibrahim grew faster and would grow an equivalent of a year's growth every month.
When he began to talk, he told his mother: Take me out to look at the horizon. She took him outside and he looked and said: "Verily, the one who gives me provision and sustenance I have no Lord after him. He then saw a planet, and saw the sun and said, Allah had never informed us about them yet."
It was at this point that she took him to his father Azara and disclosed to him how she preserved and protected him against the seeming danger of infanticide[killing]by Nimrod and he became much excited about the safety and security of his son.
Astronomy was studied here in very ancient times, and worship of the sun, moon, and stars was the prevailing form of religion…They had idols representing heavenly bodies and celestial winged creatures.
His father Azara, used to make idols and would tell his son: Go and sell them, and would answer his father: [[Man yashtarii ma yaduruhoo walaa yanfahuhoo?], that :Who would buy what would neither help nor hurt him? And it then mockery of the idols became a common knowledge among people. So once when they left for one their annual[Eid] festivities, Ibrahim went inside one of the house of the idols, and found that they[the worshippers] left some food in front of them. And he said to the idols: Why wouldn't you eat? And none of them replied. And he further enquired: Why couldn’t you talk? None of them replied. So he picked up a hoe and struck all of them into pieces, leaving the bigger among them and hanged the hoe on its neck and left.
When the people came back and saw the mess, they said in wonderment: Who have done this to our gods? And because they knew Ibrahim use to castigate these gods, they concluded he was responsible for it.
They brought him to king Nimrod and he asked him as Allah stated in Qur'an chapter 21[the Prophets] verse 62, when he was giving his beloved prophet Muhammad[PBUH] the narrative account of the incident, that: "Have you done this to our gods?" And he said: The biggest idol was hungry that it was being worshipped with the smaller gods, while he is bigger than them and he broke them all into pieces. And Nimrod asked him: But what lord do you worship? And Ibrahim said my Lord[Allah]! that gives live and causes death. Nimrod said: I give life and cause death! I will take two men that were destined to be killed. I will kill one of them and forgive the other-this means I caused death and granted life .
And at this juncture, Ibrahim challenged him as Allah says in Qur'an chapter 2 verse 258 that: "Verily! Allah brings forth the sun from the east and[you] bring it forth from the west!"
And he[Nimrod] was overwhelmed by astonishment and detained Ibrahim for seven years. And Salman, a history scholar narrated that: Nimrod commanded two of his lions to be sent in the cell of Abraham, and surprisingly, instead of feasting and feeding on him, they were seen[yalhsaani] licking him and[yasjudaani] prostrating to him.
Then Nimrod gathered his people to prepare to burn Ibrahim alive in a blazing. So started gathering more firewood from all places they could find. The people were so eager to see Ibrahim's destruction to an extent that, whenever a woman fell sick, she would make a vow to their gods that, should she gets cured, she would go gather and carry more firewood to burn Ibrahim with it. And they were finally commanded to dig a very deep and huge trench. They did and threw all the firewood they accumulated and then inflamed the fire. It began to burn and blaze and its flames got so exceptionally high and they placed him on [manjaneeq]a catapult which was crafted by a man called Hazan. And according to Shuib bunul Jabaae: He was the first man to make it and Allah sunk him deep down the earth and would continue to delve deep down inside the inner core of the earth till the Day of Judgement. Then Nimrod commanded: "harriqoohu!", "burn him!"[ in the blazing fire]. All those who said "harriqoohu" or "burn him!" were drowned deep down this earth by Allah and they would keep delving and 'diving.
So when they inflamed the fire and were about to throw him inside it, some creatures miraculously lamented to Allah: "…Ya rabbanaa! Ibrahim laisa fee ardika ahdun ya'abuduka gairuhoo, yuhraq bil nari feeka! Fa azin lana nusratihi." That:" O our Lord! apart from Abraham, there will be nobody on your earth to worship to you. Then grant us permission to save him." Then Allah answered them back saying:
"Fa in istagaatha be shaieen minkum fa agisoohu, wa in lam yada'u gairee, fa ana waliyuhu." That: "If he seek for help from any of you, then help him. But if he will not call anyone then I am his helper."
Abraham was then threw in the blazing flame at the age of 16[during his prime age-sweet sixteen, as the Americans would say]. And as they drag him to this scary and scorching fire he was reciting: "La ilaaha Ila Anta Subhanaka lakal hamdu walaka mulku la sharika lak" that: "There is no God but You! To You be the Glory! All thanks belong to You! All Kingdom belong to You! You have no partner!". So upon placing him on the catapult and threw him in the now blazing fire, he began to recite: "Hasbuna Lahu wani'amal Wakeel!", that: "Allah is enough for us to rely upon".
And in a hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah that the prophet[PBUH] revealed that: "When Ibrahim was thrown into the blazing fire, he said: Alahumah! Innaka fil samaae wahidun wa ana wahidun A'abuduk", That: "O Allah! You are the Only One in the Heaven and I am the only one on earth that worship You".
The fire was so hot that historian said: A bird flying over from a far distance in the sky above it would be burnt.
In a hadith narrated by Imam Ahmed: a woman once entered into the house of Aisha[wife of the prophet[PBUH] and saw a [rumuh] spear or pike. She asked about it and Aisha replied: We use it to kill [wazag] gecko. And she disclosed to her that: The prophet[PBUH] said in a hadith that: "When Ibrahim was thrown into the fire all beasts and animals were trying to put off the fire, except gecko, which was rather fanning the fire. And that was why the prophet was reported to have commanded the ummah according a hadith also narrated by Aisha that: "Kill the gecko because it was fanning the fire to burn Ibrahim."
And some salafi scholars narrated that: When Ibrahim was thrown into the fire, angel Gabriel[Jibril] appeared to him in space and said: O Ibrahim, do you need help? He said: If it is from you "No"! And the companions of the prophet Ibn Abbass and Saeed bun Jubair said: The angel in charge of rain was saying in eagerness to help: When would I be commanded to send down the rain? And the command of Allah was expeditious.
Then suddenly, a command came from the above as Allah narrated the story to prophet Muhammad[PBUH] in Qur'an chapter[the Prophets] 21, verse 69: "Qulnaa yanari! koony bardan wasalaaman alaa Ibrahim!" that: "We[Allah said: "O fire! be coolness and safety upon Ibrahim!" And the paragon of wisdom Imamu Ali, the fourth caliph analyzed this to mean; you fire do not harm him.
Ibn Abbass and Abul 'Aliyah also stated that: If Allah had not said: "…wasalaaman alaa Ibrahim", that: "…and safety upon Ibrahim", the severe coldness that the fire had miraculously turned into would have killed him, and from then on, all other fires on earth would have been extinguished, thinking that Allah's command upon Ibrahim's fire to be cool and safe was as well referring to them. Sadyi, another historian revealed that: There was also the angel of shade/shadow with him, while he was in a special evergreen 'caged' garden. And his enemies who threw him in the fire were looking at him and could not reach out to me. Abu Hurairah also reported: the best statement the father of Ibrahim ever made when he saw the amazing miracle of Allah that happened to his son was: Ni'mal rabbu rabbaka ya Ibrahim!", that: "What a wonderful Lord is your Lord, O Ibrahim!"
Ibn 'Asakir narrated that: The tenderhearted mother of Ibrahim looked at her son and addressed him: O my son...I want to come and join you in the fire and pray to Allah to save me also from the fire beside you and he said: yes! She then came closer to him and the blazing fire never touched her. So when she reached him, she embraced him and turned back.
And Al-Minhal bun 'Amru said: I was informed that Ibrahim lived in the fire for about fifty days. And he said: I never had an enjoyable and pleasing days and nights until when I found myself inside the fire. And wished all my life and livelihood had been in it. So when the fire got extinguished by virtue of Allah's command, they saw Ibrahim inside it with another man wiping his sweat and they then remembered that that man was the angel of shade/shadow. And they took Ibrahim inside king Nimrod's palace.
Ibn Ishaaq, also a renown Muslim historian's version of this narrative has it that: Allah sent the angel of shade/shadow and dwelled inside the fire[that never was] keeping him company, while king Nimrod was optimistic that the fire had already finished Ibrahim, he climbed on a high ground to look over the fire and saw Ibrahim and a man closer to him. And Nimrod called him: O Ibrahim! Your Lord that his power has reached out to you, by creating a gap between you and what I see is really Great! Can you come out of it?
Then instantly, Ibrahim rose up, walking until he exited. And Nimrod asked him: O Ibrahim: Who was the man that I see with you? He answered: "malakul zill", the angel of shade/shadow. My Lord has sent him to keep me company. And Nimrod said: I will prepare a sacrifice for your Lord based upon what I saw of his power and might. And Ibrahim answered him: He[Allah] would not accept it so far as you are still on your religion[idolatry]. He said to Ibrahim: I cannot leave behind my kingdom, but I will sacrifice some animal for him. So he slaughtered a 1000 cows and he gave up on or leave off Ibrahim.
Having seen the amazing miracle of Allah in rescuing Ibrahim from the fire, some of the people under the kingdom of Nimrod accepted the message of monotheism from him by leaving idolatry and prophet Loot also believed in him as well. He was Loot bun Haran bun Tarakh, and Haran brother Ibrahim, who established the town of Harran. Saratu, his cousin also believed in him and he married her when they went to Syria.
So Ibrahim invited his father Azara to embrace his message of monotheism as well. He said: O my father! Why do you worship what neither hears nor sees and would not benefit you with anything? And the father still not paid him any attention, then Ibrahim left him alone. He later determined to fight them. According to Abul Hassan bunul Barra: Ibrahim had 300 soldiers fighting with sticks. And apart from him, among the prophets, it was only Musah and Dawud and Muhammad[PBUH] who waged wars against their enemies by the command of Allah.
Allah repeated Prophet Ibrahim's fire miracle later on another man
This amazing miracle of Allah also repeated itself during the caliphate of Abubakar. According to the renown contemporary Saudi Islamic scholar, Dr 'Aidul Qarni who narrated this story in page 276 of his book selling book in Arabic entitled: "Ihfazi Laha Ya'fazik", that: "Be mindful of Allah, He will protect you", that: "Once a tyrant leader from Yemen, Aswadul Anasi claimed prophethood after the demise of our beloved prophet[PBUH] and a great tabi'ee [follower of caliph Abubakar], Abu Muslimul Khawlaani rejected his claim, he became so aggravated at him, gathered firewood and threw[Alkhawlaani] in a huge fire pit with the firewood to burn him alive.
However, when the entire city came out the next morning to see how Alkhawlani had been burnt, they were shocked to see him sitting cross-legged, repeating what prophet Ibrahim was saying when he was thrown in the fire by king Nimrod: "Hasbuna Lahu wani'mal Wakeel", that: "God is sufficient for us to rely upon". After that incident, Alkhaelaani moved to Madinah, where he was given a hero's welcome. After hugging and kissing him, Umar, the then yet to be second caliph after Abubakar said: "Welcome! for you are the only Muslim who experienced what prophet Ibrahim experienced."
The Prophet's prophesy of a fire in Madinah came true but never burnt people
In a hadith recorded by Al-Tabarani, which was documented on chapter 8 page 13 of "Fathul Bari" of Ibnil Ajaril Asqalani, on the authority of Hudhaifah Ibn Usaid, may Allah be pleased with him, who said that he heard the Messenger of Allah[PBUH] predicted that: "The Hour will not be established[end] until a fire comes from Ruman or Rakubah[a mountain trail between Makkah and Madinah] that will illuminates the necks of camels at Busra". Same hadith was narrated in Sahihil Bukhari as well.
Miraculously, in 1256 C.E[the beginning of Jumadal Akhir or the end of Jumadal Ula{Arabic calendar} in 654[A.H.], after Hijrah, a great volcanic eruption ensued and in another account by Al-Qurtubi: "The fire of Hijaz appeared in Madinah. It caused a strong earthquake in the night of Wednesday, jumadal Akhir, year 654A.H. it continued until Friday."
Abu Shamah also reported on the authority of Ah-Sharif Sina, the judge of Madinah, and others that on the night, earthquake that followed by lava flow once shook the minarets of the prophet's mosque also. Al-Qashani added: "….There was a huge earthquake that shook the minarets of the prophet's mosque and laud squeak was heard from the mosque's roof." Another narrator, Al-Qastalani disclosed that: "On the noon of Friday, the fire appeared and smoke came out from the source of that fire. The smoke covered the horizon with its darkness. When the darkness became overwhelming and night fell, rays of fire broke out and what looked like a great city appeared from the East.
Qadi Sinan said, he went to the then Governor of Madinah, 'Izz Ad-Din Munif Ibn Shiha, and informed him of the incident. "We have been besieged by punishment, Repent to Allah!" So he[the governor] set all his slaves free, rectified all injustices done to people and abolished taxes. He went to the prophet's mosque and spent the Friday and Saturday nights there along with all the inhabitants of Madinah. They stayed there beseeching Allah and crying. They sat round the prophet's room with uncovered heads[inwardly] confessing their sins and supplicating to their Lord and beseeching Him…So eventually after getting closer to Allah through supplication and invocation, as well as rectifying injustices done others, Allah miraculously diverted that huge volcanic lava[fire] away from them toward the north[uphill to the same mountain from which the lava flowed-defying the law of gravity] and they were then saved from the horror. The fire then moved like a huge sea toward the valley of Uhayliyyin while the people of Madinah were looking on. This continued for three months according to historians. Al-Qastalani further narrated that: "A number of people who visited the prophet 's city taking the walkers' path informed me that they saw the illumination of the fire from a distance of three days' journey. Others said that, they saw it from a far as the Syrian mountain.
Abu Shamah further revealed that, the fire was seen from Makkah and from all parts of the desert and it was also seen by people of Yanbu'. He further said some people he trusted informed him that he heard that books were written in Tayma with the light from that fire. All those who mentioned this fire always said at the end of their narration that: "The wonders of this fire and its sheer magnitude were beyond what could be explained or written." Its appearance manifested a miracle of the prophet[PBUH], because it occurred just as he had prophesied. This is because no fire like this ever appeared during or after his time.
Imam Hafiz Ibn Kathir clearly mentioned that this fire illuminated the necks of camels in Busra. He reported from Sheikh Safiyuddin that more than one person from among the Bedouins[Arabs from country side or village] informed him that they saw the necks of their camels illuminated from the fire-a clear vindication of part of hadith the prophet said above:"The Hour will not be established[end] until a fire comes from Ruman or Rakubah[a mountain trail between Makkah and Madinah] that will illuminates the necks of camels at Busra". The wisdom behind making this fire so widely known in faraway places was to make people take heed, get warned and shun sins. And Allah knows best. As Allah stated in Quran 39 verse 16 that: "With this[kind of incident] Allah does frighten His slaves: O My slaves, therefore fear Me!"
A renown American great sufi scholar, Dr. Sheikh Hamzah Yusuf recently narrated this story in his lectures, where he disclosed that "...there was six volcanic eruptions, massive eruptions in Madinah. The lava of it went on for about 200 kilometers." He happened to be at a lecture in Madinah by a Walsh Geologist, Dr. John Robool, who was conducting a geological survey of the Arabian peninsula for 30 years said: "This was unique, there was nothing like it on the whole planet…It was something like a pre-Cambrian event or pre-historic geology...There are volcanic eruptions, but what occurred here is really unusual…" He asked him a question: "…how did that happened?" and he said: "I have to be honest with you, there is no any scientific explanation for this, because it is a miracle…" He said: "I was told that the people were praying and their prayer got answered." In fact, in order to inject life into this story, I pasted the URL link of this lecture by Dr. Sheikh Hamzah Yusuf, click on it below and watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0E5-lt4Zoc&app=desktop
Discovery of "white heat" confirms the coolness of Ibrahim's fire
Scientists have discovered a fire called "white heat", which does not radiate its heat. Instead, by attracting the surrounding heat, it causes the surrounding area to become
cold enough to freeze liquids and in effect burns them through its cold.
Even the air condition that we use was a brain child of an innovative and creative mind, who after sober reflection and pondering over the awesome and amazing incident of Ibrahim feeling cool and safe amid a burning and blazing fire, Allah gave him the inspiration to be able to generate air/cool breeze from electricity-there by inventing Air Condition for our use.
Husseini Yushau BabalWaiz, is the Research & Outreach Coordinator at the Center for Media & Peace Initiatives Inc. New York, Author of three books, including "Islam Promotes Tolerance & Prohibits Terrorism-Reviving the Islamic Advocacy of Mercy and Magnanimity to Mankind" & Tutor in Arabic & Islamic Studies in New York, babalwaiz71@gmail.com
NB: Folks, this is the sixth in the new series entitled: "Delving Deep Inside the Islamic Historic Memory Lane", which will be running for months, even years. Aimed at showcasing the amazing historical phenomena that happened in the pre and post Islamic world. Next week Monday our discourse will dwell on prophet Ibrahim's re-construction of the "Ka'abah", the Black Cube-at the Holy House of Allah in Makkah, and how he nearly sacrificed his son, Ismael, after Allah tried and tested him and substituted him[Ismael] with a ram. And the subsequent version[next Friday] will dwell on Hajj on the eve of Arafah day, which climaxes the end of this special journey of a life time. Follow me on facebook [husseini baba al-waiz] and twitter[@babalwaiz], weekly.
References:
Al-Bidayah Wal-Nihayah, [The Beginning & The End] by Abil Fadah, Imam Hafiz Ibn Kathir. vol. [1] of [18] vols.
Al-Muntazam-Fii Tareekhil Umam Wal-Mulook, [Periodicals on the History of [medieval] Societies & Kingdoms] by, Abil Faraj, Abdul Rahman Bun Aliyi Bun Muhammad Ibnil Jawzi. vol. [1] of [10] vols.
The Holy Qur'an-English Translation of Meaning & Commentary, by Abdallah Yusuf Ali
Qisasil Anbiyah,[Tales of the Prophets] by Abil Fadah, Imam Hafiz Ibn Kathir
The Unchallengeable Miracles of the Qur'an, by Yusuf Al-Hajj Ahmad
The Miraculous Qur'an & Some of its Mysteries, by Said Hursi
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