37:103 As-Saaffaat (Those drawn up in Ranks)

{ فَلَمَّا أَسْلَمَا } أي: إبراهيم وابنه إسماعيل، جازما بقتل ابنه وثمرة فؤاده، امتثالا لأمر ربه، وخوفا من عقابه، والابن قد وطَّن نفسه على الصبر، وهانت عليه في طاعة ربه، ورضا والده، { وَتَلَّهُ لِلْجَبِينِ } أي: تل إبراهيم إسماعيل على جبينه، ليضجعه فيذبحه، وقد انكب لوجهه، لئلا ينظر وقت الذبح إلى وجهه.

أي فلما تشهدا وذكرا الله تعالى إبراهيم على الذبح والولد شهادة الموت وقيل أسلما يعني استسلما وانقادا إبراهيم امتثل أمر الله تعالى لإسماعيل طاعة لله ولأبيه قال مجاهد وعكرمة وقتادة والسدي وابن إسحاق وغيرهم ومعنى تله للجبين أي صرعه على وجهه ليذبحه من قفاه ولا يشاهد وجهه عند ذبحه ليكون أهون عليه قال ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما ومجاهد وسعيد بن جبير والضحاك وقتادة "وتله للجبين" أكبه على وجهه وقال الإمام أحمد حدثنا شريح ويونس قالا حدثنا حماد بن سلمة عن أبي عاصم الغنوي عن أبي الطفيل عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما أنه قال لما أمر إبراهيم عليه الصلاة والسلام بالمناسك عرض له الشيطان عند السعي فسابقه فسبقه إبراهيم عليه الصلاة والسلام ثم ذهب به جبريل عليه الصلاة والسلام إلى جمرة العقبة فعرض له الشيطان فرماه بسبع حصيات حتى ذهب ثم عرض له عند الجمرة الوسطى فرماه بسبع حصيات وثم تله للجبين وعلى إسماعيل عليه الصلاة والسلام قميص أبيض فقال له يا أبت إنه ليس لي ثوب تكفنني فيه غيره فاخلعه حتى تكففني فيه فعالجه ليخلعه فنودي من خلفه "أن يا إبراهيم قد صدقت الرؤيا" فالتفت إبراهيم فإذا بكبش أبيض أقرن أعين قال ابن عباس لقد رأيتنا نتتبع ذلك الضرب من الكباش وذكر هشام الحديث في المناسك بطوله ثم رواه أحمد بطوله عن يونس عن حماد بن سلمة عن عطاء بن السائب عن سعيد بن جبير عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما فذكره إلا أنه قال إسحاق فعن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما في تسمية الذبيح روايتان والأظهر عنه إسماعيل لما سيأتي بيانه إن شاء الله تعالى وقال محمد بن إسحاق عن الحسن بن دينار عن قتادة عن جعفر بن إياس عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما فى قوله تبارك وتعالى "وفديناه بذبح عظيم" قال خرج عليه كبش من الجنة قد رعى قبل ذلك أربعين خريفا فأرسل إبراهيم عليه الصلاة والسلام ابنه واتبع الكبش فأخرجه إلى الجمرة الأولى فرماه بسبع حصيات ثم أفلته عندها فجاء إلى الجمرة الوسطى فأخرجه عندها فرماه بسبع حصيات ثم أفلته فأدركه عند الجمرة الكبرى فرماه بسبع حصيات فأخرجه عندها ثم أخذه فأتى به المنحر من منى فذبحه فوالذي نفس ابن عباس بيده لقد كان أول الإسلام وإن رأس الكبش لمعلق بقرنيه في ميزاب الكعبة حتى وحش يعني يبس. وقال عبدالرزاق أخبرنا معمر عن الزهري أخبرنا القاسم قال اجتمع أبو هريرة وكعب فجعل أبو هريرة رضي الله عنه يحدث عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وجعل كعب يحدث عن الكتب فقال أبو هريرة رضي الله عنه قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم "إن لكل نبي دعوة مستجابة وإني قد خبأت دعوتي شفاعة لأمتي يوم القيامة" فقال له كعب أنت سمعت هذا من رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم؟ قال نعم قال فداك أبي وأمي - أو فداه أبي وأمي - أفلا أخبرك عن إبراهيم عليه الصلاة والسلام؟ إنه لما أُرى ذبح ابنه إسحاق قال الشيطان إن لم أفتن هؤلاء عند هذه لم أفتنهم أبدا فخرج إبراهيم عليه الصلاة والسلام بابنه ليذبحه فذهب الشيطان فدخل على سارة فقال أين ذهب إبراهيم بابنك؟ قالت غدا به لبعض حاجته قال فإنه لم يغد به لحاجة إنما ذهب به ليذبحه قالت ولم يذبحه؟ قال زعم أن ربه أمره بذلك قالت فقد أحسن أن يطيع ربه فذهب الشيطان فى أثرهما فقال للغلام أين يذهب بك أبوك؟ قال لبعض حاجته قال فإنه لا يذهب بك لحاجة ولكنه يذهب بك ليذبحك قال ولم يذبحني؟ قال يزعم أن ربه أمره بذلك قال فوالله لئن كان الله تعالى أمره بذلك ليفعلن قال فيئس منه فتركه ولحق بإبراهيم عليه الصلاة والسلام فقال أين غدوت بابنك؟ قال لحاجة قال فإنك لم تغد به لحاجة وإنما غدوت لتذبحه قال ولم أذبحه؟ قال تزعم أن ربك أمرك بذلك قال فوالله لئن كان الله تعالى أمرني بذلك لأفعلن قال فتركه ويئس أن يطاع وقد رواه ابن جرير عن يونس عن ابن وهب عن يونس بن يزيد عن ابن شهاب قال إن عمرو بن أبي سفيان بن أسيد بن جارية الثقفي أخبره أن كعبا قال لأبي هريرة فذكره بطوله وقال في آخره وأوحى الله تعالى إلى إسحاق أني أعطيتك دعوة أستجيب لك فيها قال إسحاق اللهم إني أدعوك أن تستجيب لي أيما عبد لقيك من الأولين والآخرين لا يشرك بك شيئا فأدخله الجنة. وقال ابن أبي حاتم حدثنا أبي حدثنا محمد بن الوزير الدمشقي حدثنا الوليد بن مسلم حدثنا عبدالرحمن بن زيد بن أسلم عن أبيه عن عطاء بن يسار عن أبي هريرة قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم "إن الله تبارك وتعالى خيرني بين أن يغفر لنصف أمتي وبين أن يجيب شفاعتي فاخترت شفاعتي ورجوت أن تكفر الجم لأمتي ولولا الذي سبقني إليه العبد الصالح لتعجلت فيها دعوتي إن الله تعالى لما فرج عن إسحاق كرب الذبح قيل له يا إسحاق سل تعط فقال أما والذي نفسي بيده لأتعجلنها قبل نزغات الشيطان اللهم من مات لا يشرك بك شيئا فاغفر له وأدخله الجنة" هذا حديث غريب منكر وعبدالرحمن بن زيد بن أسلم ضعيف الحديث وأخشى أن يكون في الحديث زيادة مدرجة وهي قوله إن الله تعالى لما فرج عن إسحاق إلى آخره والله أعلم فهذا إن كان محفوظا فالأشبه أن السياق إنما هو عن إسماعيل وإنما حرفوه بإسحاق حسدا منهم كما تقدم وإلا فالمناسك والذبائح إنما محلها بمنى من أرض مكة حيث كان إسماعيل لا إسحاق فإنه إنما كان ببلاد كنعان من أرض الشام.

Ibrahim's Emigration, the Test of the Sacrifice of Isma`il, and how Allah blessed Him

Allah tells us that after He helped His close friend Ibrahim, peace be upon him, against his people, and after Ibrahim gave up hoping that they would ever believe despite all the mighty signs that they had witnessed, he emigrated away from them, and said:

وَقَالَ إِنِّى ذَاهِبٌ إِلَى رَبِّى سَيَهْدِينِ - رَبِّ هَبْ لِى مِنَ الصَّـلِحِينِ

(Verily, I am going to my Lord. He will guide me! My Lord! Grant me (offspring) from the righteous.) meaning, obedient children, in compensation for his people and relatives whom he had left. Allah said:

فَبَشَّرْنَـهُ بِغُلَـمٍ حَلِيمٍ

(So We gave him the glad tidings of a forbearing boy.) This child was Isma`il, peace be upon him, for he was the first child of whom glad tidings were given to Ibrahim, peace be upon him, and he was older than Ishaq. The Muslims and the People of the Book agree, and indeed it is stated in their Book, that Isma`il, peace be upon him, was born when Ibrahim, peace be upon him, was eighty-six years old, and Ishaq was born when Ibrahim was ninety-nine years old. According to their Book, Allah commanded Ibrahim to sacrifice his only son, and in another text it says his firstborn son. But here they falsely inserted the name of Ishaq. This is not right because it goes against what their own Scripture says. They inserted the name of Ishaq because he is their ancestor, while Isma`il is the ancestor of the Arabs. They were jealous of them, so they added this idea and changed the meaning of the phrase "only son" to mean `the only son who is with you,' because Isma`il had been taken with his mother to Makkah. But this is a case of falsification and distortion, because the words "only son" cannot be said except in the case of one who has no other son. Furthermore, the firstborn son has a special status that is not shared by subsequent children, so the command to sacrifice him is a more exquisite test.

فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ السَّعْىَ

(And, when he (his son) was old enough to walk with him,) means, when he grew up and started to go with his father and walk with him, for Ibrahim used to go every so often to check on his son and his mother in the land of Faran (i.e., Makkah), to see how they were doing. It was said that he used to ride on Al-Buraq, traveling there swiftly, and Allah knows best. It was reported from Ibn `Abbas, peace be upon him, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, `Ata' Al-Khurasani, Zayd bin Aslam and others that

فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ السَّعْىَ

(And, when he (his son) was old enough to walk with him,) means, when he became a young man and was able to work as his father did.

فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ السَّعْىَ قَالَ يبُنَىَّ إِنِّى أَرَى فِى الْمَنَامِ أَنِّى أَذْبَحُكَ فَانظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَى

(And, when he (his son) was old enough to walk with him, he said: "O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you. So look what you think!") `Ubayd bin `Umayr said, "The dreams of the Prophets are revelation," then he recited this Ayah:

قَالَ يبُنَىَّ إِنِّى أَرَى فِى الْمَنَامِ أَنِّى أَذْبَحُكَ فَانظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَى

(he said: "O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you. So look what you think!"). He told his son that in order to make it easier for him, and also to test his patience and resolve, at a young age, in obeying Allah and obeying his father.

قَالَ يأَبَتِ افْعَلْ مَا تُؤمَرُ

(He said: "O my father! Do that which you are commanded...") meaning, `obey the command of Allah and sacrifice me.'

سَتَجِدُنِى إِن شَآءَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الصَّـبِرِينَ

(if Allah wills, you shall find me of the patient.) meaning, `I will be patient and will seek the reward for that with Allah.' He, may peace and blessings be upon him, believed in what had been promised. Allah said:

وَاذْكُرْ فِى الْكِتَـبِ إِسْمَـعِيلَ إِنَّهُ كَانَ صَـدِقَ الْوَعْدِ وَكَانَ رَسُولاً نَّبِيّاً - وَكَانَ يَأْمُرُ أَهْلَهُ بِالصَّـلَوةِ وَالزَّكَـوةِ وَكَانَ عِندَ رَبِّهِ مَرْضِيّاً

(And mention in the Book Isma`il. Verily, he was true to what he promised, and he was a Messenger, (and) a Prophet. And he used to enjoin on his family the Salah and the Zakah, and his Lord was pleased with him.) (19:54-55).

فَلَمَّا أَسْلَمَا وَتَلَّهُ لِلْجَبِينِ

(Then, when they had both submitted themselves, and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead;) means, when both of them had pronounced the Shahadah and remembered Allah -- Ibrahim because he was about to offer a sacrifice and Isma`il because he was about to die. Or it was said that "submitted themselves" means that they submitted and followed the command of Allah; Ibrahim obeyed the command of Allah and Isma`il obeyed Allah and his father. This was the view of Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Qatadah, As-Suddi and Ibn Ishaq, and others. lThe meaning of the phrase "and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead" is: he placed him facedown so that he could slaughter him from behind, and not have to see his face at the time of slaughter, so that it would be easier for him. Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Ad-Dahhak and Qatadah said:

وَتَلَّهُ لِلْجَبِينِ

(and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead;) means, "He turned him upside down on his face." Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "When the rituals were enjoined upon Ibrahim, peace be upon him, the Shaytan appeared to him at the Mas`a and raced with him, but Ibrahim got there first. Then Jibril, upon him be peace, took him to Jamrat Al-`Aqabah and the Shaytan appeared to him, so he stoned him with seven pebbles until he disappeared. Then he appeared him at Al-Jamrah Al-Wusta and he stoned him with seven pebbles. Then he laid him prostrate on his face. Isma`il, peace be upon him, was wearing a white shirt, and he said, `O my father, I do not have any garment in which I can be shrouded apart from this; take it off me so that you can shroud me in it.' He started to take it off, then he was called from behind:

أَن يإِبْرَهِيمُقَدْ صَدَّقْتَ الرُّؤْيَآ

(O Ibrahim! You have fulfilled the dream!) Ibrahim turned, and saw a fine, horned, white ram." Ibn `Abbas said, "We used to look for similar types of rams." Hisham mentioned this Hadith at length in Al-Manasik.

وَنَـدَيْنَـهُ أَن يإِبْرَهِيمُ قَدْ صَدَّقْتَ الرُّؤْيَآ

(We called out to him: "O Ibrahim! You have fulfilled the dream!") means, `the purpose of your dream has been fulfilled by your laying down your son to sacrifice him.' As-Suddi and others said that he passed the knife over Isma`il's neck, but it did not cut him at all, because a sheet of copper was placed between them. Ibrahim was called at that point, and it was said:

قَدْ صَدَّقْتَ الرُّؤْيَآ

(You have fulfilled the dream!) Allah says;

إِنَّا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِى الْمُحْسِنِينَ

(Verily, thus do We reward the doers of good.) means, `this is how We deal with those who obey Us in things that are difficult for them; We make for them a way out.' As Allah says:

فَإِذَا بَلَغْنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ فَارِقُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍ وَأَشْهِدُواْ ذَوَى عَدْلٍ مِّنكُمْ وَأَقِيمُواْ الشَّهَـدَةَ لِلَّهِ ذَلِكُمْ يُوعَظُ بِهِ مَن كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاٌّخِرِ وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مَخْرَجاً - وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لاَ يَحْتَسِبُ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بَـلِغُ أَمْرِهِ قَدْ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدْراً

(And whosoever has Taqwa of Allah, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allah has set a measure for all things.) (65:2-3). On the basis of this Ayah and this story, some of the scholars of Usul have stated that it is valid for a ruling to be abrogated before anyone is able to act upon it -- unlike some of the Mu`tazilah. The evidence for this is obvious, because Allah commanded Ibrahim, peace be upon him, to sacrifice his son, then He abrogated that and pointed out the ransom. The purpose of His command had been primarily to reward His close Friend for his patience and resolve in sacrificing his son. Allah says:

إِنَّ هَـذَا لَهُوَ الْبَلاَءُ الْمُبِينُ

(Verily, that indeed was a manifest trial.) meaning, it was clearly a test when he was commanded to sacrifice his son, so, he hastened to do it, in submission to the command of Allah and in obedience to Him. Allah said:

وَإِبْرَهِيمَ الَّذِى وَفَّى

(And of Ibrahim who fulfilled all that.) (53:37), and

وَفَدَيْنَـهُ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيمٍ

(And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice). It was reported that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "A ram which had grazed in Paradise for forty years." Imam Ahmad recorded that Safiyyah bint Shaybah said, "A woman from Bani Sulaym, who was the midwife of most of the people in our household, told me that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent for `Uthman bin Talhah, may Allah be pleased with him." On one occasion she said, "I asked `Uthman, `Why did the Prophet call you' He said, `The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me,

«إِنِّي كُنْتُ رَأَيْتُ قَرْنَيِ الْكَبْشِ حِينَ دَخَلْتُ الْبَيْتَ فَنَسِيتُ أَنْ آمُرَكَ أَنْ تُخَمِّرَهُمَا فَخَمِّرْهُمَا، فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَكُونَ فِي الْبَيْتِ شَيْءٌ يَشْغَلُ الْمُصَلِّي»

(I saw the horns of the ram when I entered the House i.e., the Ka`bah, and I forgot to tell you to cover them up; cover them up, for there should not be anything in the House which could distract the worshipper.)"' Sufyan said, "The horns of the ram remained hanging in the House until it was burned, and they were burned too." This offers independent evidence that the one who was to be sacrificed was Isma`il, peace be upon him. The Quraysh had inherited the horns of the ram that Ibrahim sacrificed, and they had been passed down from generation to generation, until the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sent. And Allah knows best.

Reports which state that the One Who was to be sacrificed was Isma`il, and that this is Correct with

Sa`id bin Jubayr, `Amir Ash-Sha`bi, Yusuf bin Mihran, Mujahid, `Ata' and others reported from Ibn `Abbas that it was Isma`il, peace be upon him. Ibn Jarir narrated that Ibn `Abbas said, "The one who was ransomed was Isma`il, peace be upon him. The Jews claimed that it was Ishaq, but the Jews lied." It was reported that Ibn `Umar said, "The sacrifice was Isma`il." Ibn Abi Najih said, narrating from Mujahid, "It was Isma`il, peace be upon him." This was also the view of Yusuf bin Mihran. Ash-Sha`bi said, "It was Isma`il, peace be upon him, and I saw the horns of the ram in the Ka`bah." Muhammad bin Ishaq reported from Al-Hasan bin Dinar and `Amr bin `Ubayd from Al-Hasan Al-Basri that he did not doubt that the one of the two sons Ibrahim was commanded to sacrifice was Isma`il, peace be upon him. Ibn Ishaq said, "I heard Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi say, `The one whom Allah commanded Ibrahim to sacrifice of his two sons was Isma`il.' We find this in the Book of Allah, because when Allah finishes the story of the one of the two sons of Ibrahim who was to be sacrificed, He then says:

وَبَشَّرْنَـهُ بِإِسْحَـقَ نَبِيّاً مِّنَ الصَّـلِحِينَ

(And We gave him the glad tidings of Ishaq -- a Prophet from the righteous), and

فَبَشَّرْنَـهَا بِإِسْحَـقَ وَمِن وَرَآءِ إِسْحَـقَ يَعْقُوبَ

(So, We gave her glad tidings of Ishaq and after Ishaq, of Ya`qub) (11:71). He mentions the son and the son of the son, but He would not have commanded him to sacrifice Ishaq when He had promised that this son would in turn have a son. The one whom He commanded him to sacrifice can only have been Isma`il." Ibn Ishaq said, "I heard him say that often." Ibn Ishaq reported from Buraydah bin Sufyan bin Farwah Al-Aslami that Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi told them that he mentioned that to `Umar bin `Abd Al-`Aziz, may Allah be pleased with him, when he was Khalifah, while he was with him in Syria. `Umar said to him, "This is something about which I have never given any thought, but I see that it is as you say." Then he sent for a man who was with him in Syria, a Jew who had become a Muslim and was committed to Islam, and he thought that he had been one of their scholars. `Umar bin `Abd Al-`Aziz, may Allah be pleased with him, asked him about that. Muhammad bin Ka`b said, "I was with `Umar bin `Abd Al-`Aziz. `Umar said to him, `Which of the two sons of Ibrahim was he commanded to sacrifice' He said, `Isma`il. By Allah, O Commander of the faithful, the Jews know this, but they were jealous of you Arabs because it was your father about whom Allah issued this command and the virtue that Allah mentioned was because of his patience in obeying the command. So they denied that and claimed that it was Ishaq, because he is their father."' `Abdullah bin Al-Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, said, "I asked my father about which son was to be sacrificed -- was it Isma`il or Ishaq" He said, "Isma`il." This was mentioned in Kitab Az-Zuhd. Ibn Abi Hatim said, "I heard my father say, `The correct view is that the one who was to be sacrificed was Isma`il, peace be upon him."' He said, "And it was narrated that `Ali, Ibn `Umar, Abu Hurayrah, Abu At-Tufayl, Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Al-Hasan, Mujahid, Ash-Sha`bi, Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi, Abu Ja`far Muhammad bin `Ali and Abu Salih, may Allah be pleased with them all, said that the one who was to be sacrificed was Isma`il." Al-Baghawi said in his Tafsir, "This was the view of `Abdullah bin `Umar, Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib, As-Suddi, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Mujahid, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi and Al-Kalbi." This was also reported from Ibn `Abbas and from Abu `Amr bin Al-`Ala'.

وَبَشَّرْنَـهُ بِإِسْحَـقَ نَبِيّاً مِّنَ الصَّـلِحِينَ

(And We gave him the glad tidings of Ishaq -- a Prophet from the righteous.) having given the glad tidings of the one who was to be sacrificed, who was Isma`il, Allah immediately follows that with mention of the glad tidings of his brother Ishaq. This is also mentioned in Surah Hud (11:71) and in Surat Al-Hijr (15:53-55).

نَبِيّاً

(a Prophet) means, from him there will come a righteous Prophet.

وَبَـرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى إِسْحَـقَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِهِمَا مُحْسِنٌ وَظَـلِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهِ مُبِينٌ

(We blessed him and Ishaq. And of their progeny are (some) that do right, and some that plainly wrong themselves.) This is like the Ayah:

قِيلَ ينُوحُ اهْبِطْ بِسَلَـمٍ مِّنَّا وَبَركَـتٍ عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَى أُمَمٍ مِّمَّن مَّعَكَ وَأُمَمٌ سَنُمَتِّعُهُمْ ثُمَّ يَمَسُّهُمْ مِّنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

(It was said: "O Nuh! Come down (from the ship) with peace from Us and blessings on you and on the people who are with you, but people to whom We shall grant their pleasures (for a time), but in the end a painful torment will reach them from Us.") (11:48)

And when they had both submitted when they had submitted to and were prepared to comply with God’s command exalted be He and he had laid him down on his forehead when he had pushed him down to the ground thereon — every human being has two brows jabīn between which is the forehead jabha; this was at Minā. Abraham passed the knife across his son’s throat but it did not do anything by some impediment of the Divine Power

The word: اَسلَمَ (aslama: both of them submitted) in verse 103: فَلَمَّا أَسْلَمَا means to submit, bow down, become obedient, rendered ready to carry out the command. Hence, it releases the sense of having bowed down before the Divine command, that is, in plain words, the father resolved to slaughter the son and the son, to be slaughtered by him. At this place, the word used is: لَمَّا (lamma: when), but its apodosis or the complement of the condition has not been mentioned - in other words, it has not been said later on as to what happened when this thing came to pass. This releases a hint towards the uniqueness of this bold initiative of self-submission undertaken by the father and son - so unique that words just fail to convey a fuller description.

Some historical and exegetical reports tell us that the Shaitan tried to seduce Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) away from it three times and every time Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) pelted seven pebbles on him, and drove him away. Right through up to this day, on the three pillars of Mina, pebbles are thrown to commemorate this very endearing act. Finally, when both father and son reached the place of slaughter to offer this unique act of worship, Sayyidna Ismail (علیہ السلام) said to his father, "My dear father, tie me down well enough so that my body may not toss and turn too much; and also keep your dress protected, lest the drops of my blood spoil it which might reduce my reward with Allah, and moreover, if my mother were to see this blood, she will be virtually smitten with sorrow. And sharpen your knife, and run it fast over my throat, so that my last breath comes easy on me, for death is hard; and when you return to my mother, pay my respects to her and should you wish to take my shirt to her, you are welcome to do so, may be it would give her the comfort she needs." Hearing these words coming from the lips of the only son a father has, who can imagine what would have been going on in his heart. But, here was Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) Like a mountain of fortitude, he says to his son, "Son, what a good helper you are for me in this task assigned by Allah." Saying this, he kissed his son and, with wet eyes, he tied him. (Mazhari)

And then came the stage about which the text says: وَتَلَّهُ لِلْجَبِينِ (and he laid him on his forehead - 103). According to an explanation of this statement as reported from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas, 'he laid him down on his side in a manner that one edge of the forehead was touching the ground' (Mazhari). Lexically, this explanation is weightier for the reason that the word: جَبِينِ (jabin) is applied to the two curvatures of the forehead while the middle part of the forehead is called: جَبھَۃُ (jabhah). Therefore, Moulana Thanavi (رح) has translated it carrying the sense of 'laying down on the side.' But, other respected commentators have explained it as 'laid him down on the ground face down.' Whatever be the case, the reason given in historical accounts for this manner of laying him down is that, initially, Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) had laid him down face up. But, once he started moving the knife on his throat, it would not cut despite repeated efforts, because a copper plate had come as a barrier in between by the will of Allah. At that time, the son himself requested his father that he be laid down on the side face down for the reason that once he looked at him, his filial compassion unnerved his hand, and the throat is not cut as required. In addition to that, he said, when he looked at the knife, he too started feeling nervous. So Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) started using his knife in the manner he was told (Tafsir Mazhari). Allah knows best.