Abraham(peace upon him)The father of prophets

Nearly four thousand years ago, in the Sumerian town of Ur
in the valley of the river Euphrates, lived a young man named
Abraham. The people of Ur had once worshipped Allah but as
time passed they forgot the true religion and started praying
to idols, statues made of wood or clay and sometimes even of
precious stones. Even as a small child Abraham could not
understand how his people, and especially his father, could
make these images with their own hands, call them gods, and
then worship them. He had always refused to join his people
when they paid respect to these statues. Instead he would
leave the town and sit alone, thinking about the heavens and
the world about him. He was sure his people were doing wrong
and so alone he searched for the right way. One clear night as
he sat staring at the sky he saw a beautiful shining star, so
beautiful that he cried out: ‘This must be Allah!' He looked at it
in awe for some time, until suddenly it began to fade and then
it disappeared. He turned away in disappointment saying: I
love not things that set. (Koran vi.77)

On another night Abraham was again looking at the sky and
he saw the rising moon, so big and bright that he felt he could
almost touch it. He thought to himself: This is my Lord. (Koran
vi.78) But it was not long before the moon set as well. Then he
said, Unless my Lord guide me, I surely shall become one of
the folk who are astray. (Koran vi.78) Abraham then saw the
beauty and splendor of the sunrise and decided that the sun
must be the biggest and most powerful thing in the universe.
But for the third time he was wrong, for the sun set at the end
of the day. It was then that he realized that Allah is the Most
Powerful, the Creator of the stars, the moon, the sun, the
earth and of all living things. Suddenly he felt himself totally at
peace, because he knew that he had found the Truth.
When he said unto his father and his folk: What do you
worship? They said: We worship idols, and are ever devoted to
them. He said: Do they hear you when you cry? Or do they
benefit or harm you? They said: Nay, but we found our fathers
acting in this manner.
He said: See now that which you worship, You and your
forefathers! Lo! they are (all) an enemy to me, except the
Lord of the Worlds. Who created me, and He guides me, And
Who feeds me and waters me. And when I sicken, then He
heals me. And Who causes me to die, then gives me lift
(again) And Who, I ardently hope, will forgive me my sin on
the Day of judgement. (Koran xxvi.70-82)
One day, while all the townspeople were out, Abraham
angrily smashed all the idols with his right hand except for one
which was very large. When the people returned they were
furious.
They remembered the things Abraham had said about the
idols. They had him brought forth before everyone and
demanded, 'Is it you who did this to our gods, 0 Abraham?'
Abraham replied, But this their chief did it. Ask them, if they
are able to speak.' The people exclaimed, 'You know they do
not speak.' 'Do you worship what you yourselves have carved
when Allah created you and what you make?' Abraham
continued, 'Do you worship instead of Allah that which cannot
profit you at all, nor harm you?' (Koran xxxvii.95-6)(Koran
xxi.66)
Finally, Abraham warned them, Serve Allah, and keep your
duty unto Him; that is better for you if you did but know. You
serve instead of Allah only idols, and you only invent a lie. Lo!
those whom you serve instead of Allah own no provision for
you. So seek your provision from Allah, and serve Him, and
give thanks unto Him, (for) unto Him you will be brought
back.(Koran xxix. 16-17)
The people of Ur decided to give Abraham the worst
punishment they could find: he was to be burnt to death. On
the chosen day all the people gathered in the centre of the city
and even the King of Ur was there. Abraham was then placed
inside a special building filled with wood. The wood was lit.
Soon the fire became so strong that the people were pushed
back by the flames. But Allah said: “O fire, be coolness and
peace for Abraham”. (Koran xxi.69)
The people waited until the fire had completely died down,
and it was then that they saw Abraham still sitting there as
though nothing had happened! At that moment they were
utterly confused. They were not, however, moved by the
miracle that had just happened before their very eyes.
Still Abraham tried to persuade his own dear father, who was
named Azar, not to worship powerless, un-seeing, un-hearing
statues. Abraham explained that special knowledge had come
to him and implored his father, 'So follow me and I will lead
you on the right path. 0 my father! Don't serve the Devil.' But
Azar would not listen. He threatened his son with stoning if he
continued to reject the gods of Ur. He ordered Abraham to
leave the city with these words: 'Depart from me a long while.'
Abraham said, 'Peace be upon you! I shall ask my Lord's
forgiveness for you. Surely He was ever gracious to me.’
(Koran xix.43-7)
Imagine how terrible it must have been for him to leave his
home, his family and all that he knew, and set out across the
wilderness into the unknown. But at the same time, how could
he have remained among people who did not believe in Allah
and who worshipped statues? Abraham always had a sense
that Allah cared for him and he felt Allah near him as he
traveled. At last, after a long hard journey, he arrived at a
place by the Mediterranean Sea, not far from Egypt. There he
married a noble woman by the name of Sarah and settled in
the land of Palestine. Many years passed but Abraham and his
wife were not blessed with any children. In the hope that there
would be a child, and in keeping with tradition, Sarah
suggested that Abraham should marry Hagar, her Egyptian
handmaid. Soon after this took place, Hagar had a little boy
named Ishmael. Some time later Allah promised Abraham
another son, but this time the mother of the child would be his
first wife, Sarah. This second son would be called Isaac. Allah
also told Abraham that from his two sons-Ishmael and Isaac-
two nations and three religions would be founded and because
of this he must take Hagar and Ishmael away from Palestine to
a new land. These events were an important part of Allah's
plan, for the descendants of Ishmael would form a nation from
which would come a great Prophet, who would guide the
people in the way of Allah. This was to be Muhammad (pbuh),
the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). From the descendants of
Sarah's child, Isaac, would come Moses and Jesus.
So it was that Abraham, Hagar, and Ishmael left Palestine.
They traveled for many days until finally they reached the arid
valley of Bacca later to be called Mecca), which was on one of
the great caravan routes. There was no water in the valley and
although Hagar and Ishmael only had a small supply of water
left, Abraham left them there knowing Allah would take care of
them. Soon all the water was gone. The child began to grow
weak from thirst. There were two hills nearby, one called Safa
and the other Marwah. Hagar went up one hill and looked into
the distance to see if she could find any water, but found
none. So she went to the other hill and did the same. She did
this seven times. Then sadly she returned to her son, and to
her great surprise and joy she found a spring of water
bubbling out of the earth near him. This spring, near which the
mother and child settled, was later called Zamzam. The area
around it became a place of rest for the caravans travelling
across the desert and in time grew into the famous trading city
of Mecca.
From time to time Abraham traveled from Palestine to visit
his family and he saw Ishmael grow into a strong young man.
It was during one of these visits that Allah commanded them
to rebuild the Ka'bah-the very first place where people had
worshipped Allah. They were told exactly where and how to
build it. It was to be erected by the well of Zamzam and built
in the shape of a cube. In its eastern corner was to be placed a
black stone that had fallen to earth from heaven. An angel
brought the stone to them from the nearby hill of Abu Qubays.
Abraham and Ishmael worked hard to rebuild the Ka'bah and
as they did so they prayed to Allah to send a Prophet from
among their descendants. And when Abraham and Ishmael
were raising the foundations of the House, (Abraham prayed):
'Our Lord! Receive this from us; Thou, only Thou, art the All-
hearing, the All-knowing; Our Lord! And make us submissive
unto Thee and of our seed a nation submissive unto Thee, and
show us our ways of worship, and turn toward us. Lo! Thou,
only Thou, art the Relenting, the Merciful. Our Lord! And raise
up in their midst a messenger from among them who shall
recite unto them Thy revelations, and shall instruct them in
the Scripture and in wisdom and shall make them grow. Lo!
Thou, only Thou, art the Mighty, Wise. (Koran ii.127-9) When
the Ka'bah was completed, Allah commanded Abraham to call
mankind to pilgrimage to His Holy House. Abraham wondered
how anyone could hear his call. Allah said, 'You call and I will
bring them.' This was how the pilgrimage to the Ka'bah in
Mecca was established and when Muslims make the pilgrimage

today they continue to answer the age-old call of Abraham.