CHAPTER VIII

IBRAHIM: A FAMILY PORTRAIT

YUSUF TALAL DELORENZO

International Institute of Islamic Thought

            In this paper, I hope to communicate, through a study of Qur’anic texts, a number of perspectives on the Prophet Abraham, to whom we Muslims refer as Ibrahim, and after whose name we add the prayer, alayhi al salam or "peace be upon him." We add this supplication to the name of any and all of God’s prophets . . . in the long chain of prophets that began with Adam and ended with Muhammad, upon all of them be peace.

AN OPEN COMMUNITY

            Before going on to consider Islamic perspectives on the prophet Ibrahim, upon him be peace, in the light of our scripture, allow me to preface that study with a few observations on the religious community in North America. In 1955, a book was published in which a Jewish intellectual, Will Herberg, wrote that America had become a "triple melting pot," so that, "not to be . . . either a Protestant, Catholic, or a Jew," was "somehow not to be an American." A hundred years earlier, Herberg’s observation certainly would not have raised more than a few eyebrows. In fact, as late as 1892, the Supreme Court of this land had stated, the Consitution and the Bill of Rights notwithstanding, that "this is a Christian nation."1 Jonathan Sarna, author of an article entitled, "The American Jewish Experience and the Emergence of the Muslim Community in America," points out that even as Herberg wrote, back in 1955, "the triple melting pot by itself was scarcely an adequate depiction of American religion in the 1950s, and was even less adequate thereafter." In any case, from a Muslim point of view, the dominant religious tradition in this land is one with which we, as Muslims, are very familiar, as it is one that is referred to in the Qur’an over and over again. This tradition, to use the Qur’anic ter-minology for it, is one that refers to Jews and Christians as "People of the Book," and is one that is inclusive of Muslims, as recipients of the final revelation, or Book, as well. If the "Judeo-Christian tra-dition" has become inadequate as a way of describing the dominant faith grouping in contemporary North America, then perhaps we may begin to speak in terms of the People of the Book, and of the followers of the Abrahamic faiths. Certainly the spiritual, doctrinal, and scriptural affinities which link us far outweigh our differences on points of detail. This is not to suggest in any way that those differences account for nothing. On the contrary, those differences make us who we are. But it is important for us to understand that we share in, and are joined together by, not only our common hu-manity, but our faith in the One True God as the ultimate and tran-scendental reality. To take this a step or two further, in addition to our sharing a heritage of belief, we share systems of values, ab-solute values, which stem from outside of us, outside of our experience, and outside of our particular and limited spheres of interest.

            My motivation in mentioning these things is not a desire to find a place for the Muslim community in Herberg’s triple melting pot by making it a quadruple pot. Everyone knows that the Muslims are a believing community; and history ensures that we are taken seriously. But the reminder here comes as an invitation, indeed, a declaration that we are prepared to make common cause. For, ulti-mately, what our communities share in today’s society is a position at odds with the dominant, or secular, paradigm. This is not to say that Muslims are opposed to the foundational separation of church and state; that is not what modern secularism is about. Secularism is much more insidious than the mere separation of church and state. Even so, to the extent that secularism has become the undeclared "religion" of this society, the separation of "eccle-siastical" and governmental authority is our salvation. Otherwise, our churches, synagogues, and mosques would all have been put to more profitable use. In the secular paradigm, interpreted in terms of modern American economic doctrine, their "bottom line" value as real estate is their only value.

            The common cause of which I speak has to do with our part-nership in maintaining and promoting the links between faith and morality, and between values and knowledge. To paraphrase an observation in Alan Bloom’s The Closing of the American Mind, our society has relegated religion to the realm of opinion.2 If our secular society suffers from a plague of crime and immorality, it is because it has lost touch with the transcendent, so that nothing is sacred, and nothing is absolute.3 Accordingly, ours is a society of "anything goes," of "do your own thing," where everything is relative, and nothing is assumed to be "wrong" until it is judged, by a jury of its peers, to be "not what’s happening," at least, "not for now." In the secular and materialist society we inhabit, a contemporary Descartes might reason, "I am a `have not.’ Therefore, I am not." The tragedy of this reasoning is that it takes place daily, and not only on the level of the individual. Rather, whole societies have fallen victim to it. During the 80’s people were afraid that Iran would succeed in "exporting" its revolution. But let us reflect here for a moment. What have we succeeded in exporting? Not only hi-tech gadgetry and the icons of its culture, jeans and Coca-Cola. No. Our greatest third world export is despair. The message beamed to them through the cyberspace of MTV is simple, "You are a have-not. Therefore, you are not."

            Of course, the message from God to humankind is one of hope; and the people of revelation, the People of the Book, the spiritual sons and daughters of Ibrahim, alayhi al salam, are people who have hope. In the Qur’anic narrative, Ibrahim, upon him be peace, says:

And who, other than those who have utterly lost their way, could ever abandon hope of the Lord’s mercy?(15:56)4

            By working together, there is much that we can contribute to our own communities, to like-minded faith communities, to our sick society, and to an increasingly despondent humanity at large.

A COMMUNITY OF FAITH

            Before looking to the Qur’anic verses in which Ibrahim, alayhi al salam, is mentioned, it may be helpful to note that while there is a chapter in the Qur’an called Ibrahim, it is not the way of the Qur’an to deal with subjects in chronological order, or even in a single narrative. Rather, readers will find that subjects are often dealt with thematically, with the result that different parts of a single narrative might be called up, or recalled, throughout the Qur’an. In terms of the stories of the prophets, there are a few exceptions to this rule; in particular the story of Yusuf, upon him be peace, which makes up an entire chapter bearing his name. Otherwise, the chapter entitled Ibrahim begins with a part of the story of Moses, alayhi al salam. And in the chapter that follows, a part of the story of Adam, alayhi al salam, is told. The reason for all of this is quite simply that the Qur’an is a book for the soul and heart of the faithful, and is concerned with historical events only as they impact on the human heart or, in other words, for the ‘ibrah, or the wisdom and spiritual verities they convey.

            A second point to note about the Qur’anic narrative is that it often resembles portraiture, in the sense that its verses will sometimes surprise the reader, in much the same way that a road sign will appear to a motorist, by throwing up elaborate pictures of moments that act, with artistic precision, to draw the reader in and to involve him, almost as a witness. In the study that follows, we will encounter more than one example of what might be termed the Qur’an’s "narrative depiction."

            Join me now, as I turn to the Qur’an’s first mention of Ibrahim, upon him be peace, in chapter two, or Surah al Baqarah:

(124) And [remember this:] when his Lord tried Ibrahim by [His} commandments and Ibrahim fulfilled them. Allah said: "Behold, I shall make you a leader of men."

Abraham asked: "And [will you make leaders] of my offspring as well?" Allah replied: "My covenant does not include the evildoers."

            The Qur’an gives no details concerning when, how, or why this exchange took place. But its intent seems clear, particularly when it is read in the context of the two verses which precede it.

(122) O Children of Israel! Remember those blessings of Mine with which I graced you, and how I favored you above all other people; (123) and remain conscious of [the coming of] a day when no human being shall in the least avail another, nor shall ransom be accepted from any one of them, nor shall intercession be of any use to them, and none shall be succoured.

            Thus, Ibrahim, upon him be peace, is tried and found worthy of the Lord’s favor. We have no idea, though the Qur’anic commentaries are rife with speculation, of the details of the trial which occasioned this revelation. The important thing is that Ibrahim, alayhi al salam, found favor with the Lord. Then, when the Lord informed him of that favor, he did something very human, something very much in keeping with his life and times; he asked if that favor extended to his family as well. God’s answer was clear. Favor with God, the good life or the life of peace, salam, through commitment to God, is something that must be earned. The principle repeated time and again in the Qur’an and in the scriptures which preceded it is simple and fundamental to an understanding of the nature of man’s relationship to God:

God does not burden any human being with more than he is well able to bear: in his favor shall be whatever good he does, and against him whatever evil he does (2:286).

And whatever [wrong] any human commits rests upon himself alone; and no bearer of burdens shall be made to bear another’s burden (6:164).

            Thus, when Ibrahim, upon him be peace, asked if the favor he had found would extend to his offspring, he was reminded that each person is responsible for his or her own doings. And therefore, for those of his offspring who are faithful and good there will be favor. But, that favor will never include those who stray from the truth and do evil.

            Let us return to our text, or rather, to its context. For the mention of how Ibrahim, upon him be peace, found favor with His Lord was preceded not only by a reminder to the Children of Israel, many of whom had forgotten the important principle regarding God’s favor, but by mention of another point of spiritual importance:

(120) For, never will the Jews be pleased with you [O Muhammad!] nor yet the Christians, unless you follow their own creeds. Say: "Behold, God’s guidance is the only true guidance. . . ."

This verse is followed by another:

(121) Those unto whom We have vouchsafed the Book [and who] follow it as it ought to be followed - it is they who truly believe in it.

            In building up to the mention of Ibrahim, alayhi al salam, and the spiritual favor he found with the Lord, the Qur’an tells Muhammad, upon him be peace, to forget the creeds of this group or that; for God’s guidance is the only true guidance. Now, the significance of this message, coming as it does before the mention of Ibrahim, upon him be peace, is that the Qur’an, throughout, holds up Ibrahim, alayhi al salam, as the representative of the true faith. At the same time, it faults Christians and Jews for their having forgotten the essential message of that faith in terms of man’s relationship of direct responsibility and accountability to God. Moreover, the importance of the Qur’an’s pointing out this fault is to caution the faithful from falling into the same trap. Indeed, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace, said to his companions: "You will follow the ways of those who went before you (i.e. the People of the Book), foot by foot, and inch by inch . . . even to the point where if one of them crawls into the hole of a lizard, you will follow."5

A UNIVERSAL COMMUNITY

            The point in all of this is that God’s true religion is for all of humankind. It is not a matter of favor won by an individual and passed on to others, so that a favored family develops and then extends itself into a tribe, a community, a nation, a race, and so on. From the very outset, beginning with Ibrahim, upon him be peace, this notion was put to rest. But the mistake is a very seductive one, and that is why the Qur’an warned against it, and why the Prophet Muhammad, alayhi al salam, did too. In fact, his prophecy has come true. A great many Muslims have lulled themselves into the notion that because they confess the historical and geographical faith of their fathers, they will enjoy God’s favor. Or else they suppose that those who have not confessed the historical and geographical faith of their fathers to be in manifest error!

            But true guidance is God’s guidance, and it is to be found in all the scriptures He revealed to humankind for their moral and spiritual edification. Thus, those who follow the scriptures as they ought to be followed, it is they who truly believe. Forget the labels! Forget the pedigrees!

            In order to come to an understanding of these essential truths, the word Muslim, in the Qur’an, must be read in its generic sense.

Ibrahim was neither a "Jew" nor a "Christian", but was a hanif (or one who turned away from all that is false) and a "Muslim" (one who finds peace, salam, through commitment to God); and he was not of those who ascribe divinity to aught beside Him (3:67).

            Thus, Ibrahim was a "Muslim" in the sense that he, upon him be peace, surrendered or committed himself to Allah, that is, he established a true relationship with his Lord and Creator. This is a relationship of trust and faith and of seeking His divine pleasure, of seeking the "good" life through deeds that brought him closer to his Lord. In the same sense, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, and all the prophets, upon them be peace, were "Muslims." The Qur’an teaches:

In matters of faith, He (Allah) has ordained for you that which He had ordained upon Noah - and into which We gave you [O Muhammad] insight through revelation - as well as that which We had enjoined on Ibrahim, and Moses, and Jesus. Then, stead-fastly uphold the true faith, and do not break up your unity therein (42:13).

            Here, then, is mention of the essential unity of faith; the continuity of its message, and the oneness of its community. This is the natural order ordained by God for all of humankind; that through our relationship to Him, we become united. Through our mutual quest for the good life, for what is higher and beyond our immediate experience, through our quest to cultivate a relationship with the Creator and draw close to Him in ways that defy definition, we draw closer to one another, even if we are as different as black and white, as tall and short, as male and female, as Baptist and Episcopalian, as you and I.

            I see a road sign coming up. We are in the desert, in the unrelenting heat of the place that, centuries, even millenia, later would come to be known as Makkah. And in the midst of the arid valley and the barren rock thrust up from its lonely expanses, two men are laboring.

(2:127) And when Ibrahim and Isma‘il were raising the foundations of the "House" (for God’s worship), [they prayed] "O our Lord! Accept this from us; for verily, You alone are all-hearing, all-knowing. (128) O our Lord! Make us commit ourselves to You, and make out of our offspring a community that will commit itself to You, and show us the ways of our worship, and accept our repentance: for, verily, You alone are the Acceptor of Repentance, the Dispenser of Grace!

            See the hope there. See the faith. In a place where nothing and no one lives, Ibrahim and his son, upon them be peace, endure the elements to erect a place of worship. In your mind’s eye you can almost see them lifting the bricks into place. And now hear their prayer. Ibrahim, alayhi al salam, had had his answer about his offspring. Here he is praying, asking God to make of his offspring a Muslim community, again in the generic sense, one that will commit itself to God, and live the "good" life through seeking God’s plea-sure and maintaining the community of faith. The Qur’anic narrative says,

And this very thing did Ibrahim bequeath unto his children, and so did Ya’qub (Jacob) (2:132).

            And here comes the family portrait. Jacob is on his death bed, a lifetime of service to God and humanity approaches its natural end, in the company of all those near and dear. The Qur’an paints the following family portrait:

Nay, but (each of) you bear witness (in the religious traditions to which you adhere) that when death was approaching Ya‘qub he said unto his sons: "Whom will you worship after I am gone?" They answered "We will worship your God, the God of your forefathers, Ibrahim and Isma‘il and Ishaq, the One God: and unto Him will we commit ourselves." Now, those people have passed away; unto them shall be accounted what they have earned, and unto you, what you have earned; and you will not be judged on the strength of what they did (2:133-134).

            Think of this portrait. Think of why this moment should have been preserved in such a way. Think of the legacy of Ibrahim, upon him be peace, the one he left to his family and to all those with the wisdom to recognize its sublime and abiding truth.

            No two brothers are alike, not even twin brothers, and no two sisters. All of us are different. As history unfolded itself and hu-mankind passed from generation to generation, our differences manifested themselves in many different ways, not all of which were positive, or things of which we can be proud today. But those of us who share the faith of Ibrahim, upon him be peace, would do well to ponder our family portrait from time to time, and to remember the message of hope and faith which he brought to us from the wilderness all those centuries ago.

            And peace be upon all of you!

NOTES

            1. Jonathan D. Sarna, "The American Jewish Experience and the Emergence of the Muslim Community in America," The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, vol. 9, no. 3 (Fall, 1992), 370-374.

            2. Alan David Bloom, The Closing of the American Mind (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1987), p. 12.

            3. Abel Wahhab Elmesseri, "Towards a More Comprehensive and Explanatory Paradigm of Secularism," Working paper, April 1995.

            4. All translations of the Qur’an are my own. The numbering of chapters and verses is based on the work of Fu’ad ‘Abd al Baqi, Al Mu‘jam al Mufahris li Alfaz al Qur’an al Karim (Beirut: Dar al Marifah, 1991).