Hadrat Ibrahim alayhis-salam
Khalilullah Al-ladhi waffa
(Friend of Allah) (The one who
fulfilled his covenant)
Hadrat Ibrahim (alayhis-salam - peace be upon him) has two titles, Khalilullah,
and al-ladhi waffa.
Khalilullah means ‘friend of Allah’. Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala – glory
be to Him the Most High) describes Hadrat Ibrahim (alayhis-salam - peace be
upon him) as His friend in Surah An-Nisa 4:125. The ayah reads (ayah is sing.
for verse – the pl. is ayat):
“And who can be better in religion than one who submits his face
(himself) to Allah; and he is a Muhsin (a doer of good). And follows the
religion of Ibrahim the Hanif (Monotheist). And Allah did take Ibrahim as a
Khalil (an intimate friend)!” (Tafsir
Ibn Kathir, 2003, Vol.2 Pages 588-589.) [1]
Commenting on the statement “And Allah did take Ibrahim as a Khalil (an
intimate friend)!” Imam Abu Al-Fida Ismail Ibn Kathir (rahmatullah alayhi – may
the mercy of Allah be upon him) notes that it “. . . encourages following
Ibrahim Al-Khalil, because he was and still is an Imam whose conduct is
followed and imitated”.
Ibn Kathir continues: “Indeed, Ibrahim reached the ultimate closeness to
Allah that the servants seek, for he attained the grade of Khalil, which is the
highest grade of love. He acquired all this due to his obedience to his Lord,
just as Allah has described him (in Surah An-Najm 53:37) ‘And of Ibrahim, the
one who fulfilled’.”
Indeed there are several ayat in the Holy Qur’an in which Allah enjoins
those who believe to take Hadrat Ibrahim (alayhis-salam - peace be upon him) as
an example and follow him in his religion.
They include Surah Al-Baqarah 2:135 which reads:
“And they say, ‘Be Jews or Christians, then you will be guided.’ Say (to
them O Muhammad Sall Allahu alayhi wa-sallam – may the blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) Nay, (we follow) only the religion of Ibrahim, Hanif
(Islamic Monotheism), and he was not of Al-Mushrikin (those who worshipped
others along with Allah).” (Tafsir Ibn
Kathir, 2003, Vol.1 Page 409.) [2]
In his commentary on the verse Ibn Kathir notes “Muhammad bin Ishaq
reported that Ibn Abbas said that Abdullah bin Suriya Al-Awar said to the
Messenger of Allah, ‘The guidance is only what we (Jews) follow. Therefore,
follow us, O Muhammad, and you will be rightly guided.’ Also the Christians
said similarly, so Allah revealed . . .” Al-Baqarah 2:135.
A MOST RIGHTEOUS MAN
The English translation of Tafsir Ibn Kathir that I have cited above
makes no mention of it, but there are Ahadith (Ahadith is pl. for traditions -
the sing. is Hadith) recorded in connection with Al-Baqarah 2:135 in The Noble
Qur’an, another English translation of the Holy Qur’an published by Darussalam.
The Noble Qur’an is published both as a nine volume set and in a one
volume summarized edition. The reference for the Ahadith in the nine volume set
is Surah Al-Baqarah 2:135, The Noble Qur’an, no date, Vol.1 Pages 79-81. [3]
The Ahadith are about a most righteous man, Zaid bin ‘Amr bin Nufail,
(rahmatullah alayhi – may the mercy of Allah be upon him) who went searching
for the truth and embraced the religion of Allah’s beloved Hazrat Ibrahim
(alayhis-salam – peace be upon him). They read:
“Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar (radi allahu ta’ala anhu): The Prophet
(Sall Allahu alayhi wa-sallam – may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) met Zaid bin ‘Amr bin Nufail in the bottom of (the valley of) Baldah
before any Divine Revelation came to the Prophet (Sall Allahu alayhi wa-sallam
– may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
“A meal was presented to the Prophet (Sall Allahu alayhi wa-sallam – may
the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) but he refused to eat from it.
(Then it was presented to Zaid) who said, ‘I do not eat anything which you
slaughter at your Ansab (in the name of your idols etc.). I eat only those
(animals) on which Allah’s Name has been mentioned at the time of (their)
slaughtering.’
“Zaid bin ‘Amr used to criticize the way Quraish used to slaughter their
animals, and used to say, ‘Allah has created the sheep and He has sent the
water for it from the sky, and He has grown the grass for it from the earth;
yet you slaughter it in others than the Name of Allah.’ He used to say so, for
he rejected that practice and considered it as something abominable.” (Sahih
Al-Bukhari, 1997, Vol.5 Page 101 Hadith 3826.) [4]
“Narrated Ibn Umar (radi allahu ta’ala anhu): Zaid bin ‘Amr bin Nufail
went to Sham (the region comprising Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan),
enquiring about a True Religion to follow. He met a Jewish religious scholar
and asked him about their religion. He said, ‘I intend to embrace your
religion, so tell me something about it.’
“The Jew said, ‘You will not embrace our religion unless you receive
your share of Allah’s anger.’ Zaid said, ‘I do not run except from Allah’s
anger, and I will never bear a bit of it if I have the power to avoid it. Can
you tell me of some other religion? He said, I do not know any other religion
except the Hanif (Islamic monotheism).’
THE RELIGION OF IBRAHIM
(ALAYHIS-SALAM)
“Zaid enquired, ‘What is Hanif?’ He said, ‘Hanif is the religion of (the
Prophet) Abraham (alayhis-salam - peace be upon him), who was neither a Jew nor
a Christian, and he used to worship none but Allah (alone) – Islamic
Monotheism.’
“Then Zaid went out and met a Christian religious scholar and told him
the same as before. The Christian said, ‘You will not embrace our religion
unless you get a share of Allah’s curse.’
“Zaid replied, ‘I do not run except from Allah’s curse, and I will never
bear any of Allah’s curse and His anger if I have the power to avoid them. Will
you tell me of some other religion?’ He replied, ‘I do not know any other
religion except Hanif (Islamic Monotheism).’
“Zaid enquired, ‘What is Hanif?’ He replied ‘Hanif is the religion of
(the Prophet) Ibrahim (Abraham) (alayhis-salam - peace be upon him) who was
neither a Jew nor a Christian and he used to worship none but Allah (alone) –
Islamic Monotheism.’
“When Zaid heard their statements about (the religion of) Ibrahim
(alayhis-salam - peace be upon him) he left that place, and when he came out,
he raised both his hands and said, ‘O Allah! I make You my Witness that I am on
the religion of Ibrahim.’ (Islamic Monotheism).” (Sahih
Al-Bukhari, 1997, Vol.5 Pages 101-102 Hadith 3827.) [5]
“Narrated Asma’ bint Abi Bakr (radi allahu ta’ala anha): I saw Zaid bin
‘Amr bin Nufail standing with his back against the Ka’bah and saying. ‘O people
of Quraish! By Allah none amongst you is on the religion of Ibrahim except me.’
(She added:) He (Zaid) used to preserve the lives of little girls: If somebody
wanted to kill his daughter he would say to him, ‘Do not kill her for I will
feed her on your behalf.’ So, he would take her, and when she grew up nicely,
he would say to her father, ‘Now if you will (wish), I will give her to you,
and if you will (wish), I will feed her on your behalf.’ ”
(Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1997, Vol.5 Pages 103-102 Hadith 3828.) [6]
For more details about Zaid bin ‘Amr bin Nufail (rahmatullah alayhi –
may the mercy of Allah be upon him) see my page headed 'Hanif - Islamic Monotheism'.
Other references in the Holy Qur’an extolling the virtues of Hadrat
Ibrahim (alayhis-salam – peace be upon him) include Surah Al Imran 3:95. It
reads:
“Say: Allah has spoken the truth; follow the religion of Ibrahim the
Hanif (monotheist), and he was not of the Mushrikin [7](idolaters). (Tafsir
Ibn Kathir, 2003, Vol.2 Page 212.) [8]
Another example is Surah An-Nahl 16:123:
“Then, We have sent the revelation to you: ‘Follow the religion of
Ibrahim (he was a) Hanif, and he was not one of the idolaters’.” (Tafsir Ibn
Kathir, 2003, Vol.5 Page 541) [9]
FULFILLED HIS COVENANT
Writing in Ma’ariful Qur’an, Shaykh Mufti Muhammad Shafi (rahmatullah
alayhi – may the mercy of Allah be upon him), notes that Ibrahim’s
(alayhis-salam – peace be upon him) second title, al-ladhi waffa, means
‘the one who fulfilled’. The title is used to describe Hadrat Ibrahim
(alayhis-salam – peace be upon him) in Surah An-Najm 53: 37. The ayah reads:
“And of Ibrahim who fulfilled (his covenant)?” (Surah
An-Najm 53:37 Shafi, 2008, Vol.8 Page 224) [10]
In his commentary the Shaykh explains the special characteristics of
Hadrat Ibrahim (alayhis-salam – peace be upon him). He writes: “Holy Prophet
Ibrahim (alayhis-salam – peace be upon him) had a covenant with Allah that he
will obey Him and convey His Message to all the people. He fulfilled faithfully
the covenant: He obeyed Allah and delivered His Message to His creatures. As a
result, he was made to pass through severe trials and tribulations. This is the
interpretation placed upon the expression waffa (fulfilled) by Ibn
Jarir, Ibn Kathir and others.”
The Shaykh continues: “. . . Let us consider the narrative which Ibn Abi
Hatim has reported on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Umamah (radi allahu ta’ala
anhu) that the Holy Prophet (Sall Allahu alayhi wa-sallam – may the blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) recited verse 37 and asked: ‘Do you know what
is the meaning of waffa (fulfilled)?’ Sayyidna Abu Umamah (radi allahu
ta’ala anhu) replied: Allah and His Rasul know best. The Holy Prophet said:
‘He fulfilled the day’s work by starting it with the performance of four
rak’at (that is salat-ul-ishraq).’
“This is supported by the Tradition recorded in Tirmidhi on the
authority of Sayyidna Abu Dharr (radi allahu ta’ala anhu), according to whom
the Holy Prophet (Sall Allahu alayhi wa-sallam – may the blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said:
‘O Son of Adam! Perform four rak’at of prayer in the early part of the
day. I shall take of you in all your affairs till the end of the day.’ ”
Mufti Muhammad Shafi then goes on to quote another Hadith from Sayyidna
Mu’adh Ibn Anas (radi allahu ta’ala anhu) that the Holy Prophet (Sall Allahu
alayhi wa-sallam – may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do
you know why Allah gave Ibrahim (alayhis-salam – peace be upon him) the title
of al-ladhi waffa (the one who fulfilled)?”
DHIKR FROM SURAH AR-RUM
Then Rasulullah (Sall Allahu alayhi wa-sallam – may the blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said it was because Hadrat Ibrahim (alayhis-salam –
peace be upon him) used to recite a certain dhikr every morning and evening.
The dhikr in question is ayat 17 and 18 from Surah Ar-Rum.
In a Special Note about the ayat on Page 728 of Volume 6 of Ma’ariful
Qur’an, the eminent Shaykh explains that Hazrat Ibrahim (alayhis-salam – peace
be upon him) used to recite the dhikr morning and evening.
He adds that Abu Dawud, Tabarani and Ibn-us-Sunni have reported on the
authority of Sayyidna Ibn Abbas (radi allahu ta’ala anhu) that the Holy Prophet
(Sall Allahu alayhi wa-sallam – may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said that whoever recites verses 17, 18 and 19 of Surah Ar-Rum “in the
morning, all shortcomings in his acts during the day will be repaired; and
whoever will recite these verses in the evening all shortcomings in his actions
during the night will be repaired. (Ruh).”
The full Hadith, as it is quoted in Sunan Abu Dawud reads:
“It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (Sall
Allahu alayhi wa-sallam – may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: ‘Whoever says, when morning comes So glorify Allah, when you come up to
the evening, and when you enter the morning. And His are all the praises and
thanks in the heavens and the earth; and (glorify Him) in the afternoon and
when you come up to the time, when the day begins to decline . . . up to . . .
And thus shall you be brought out (resurrected) he will get what he missed that
day, and whoever says (these Verses) when evening comes, he will get what he
missed that night.’ (Da’if)” (Sunan Abu
Dawud, 2008, Vol.5 Page 396 Hadith 5076.) [11]
This Hadith is also quoted in Masnoon Duaas (Masnoon Duaas, 2004, Page
39.) [12]
You will note that the Hadith is graded as Da’if, which means weak. Just
because an Hadith is graded as ‘weak’ does not mean it is not true and must be
shunned.
Common men like me, who are not scholars, are not qualified to make
judgements about such matters as the authenticity or otherwise of Ahadith. One
must be guided by the Shaykhs – those qualified in the teachings of Islam – as
to whether or not an Hadith can be accepted. See my page Ahadith for further
details.
In Tafseer–E-Usmani, Shaykh Shabbir Ahmad Usmani (rahmatullah alayhi –
may the mercy of Allah be upon him) comments in a note about ayat 17 and 18 of
Surah Ar-Rum:
“If you want Paradise you remember God, the Glorious, which is done by
the heart, by the tongue and by the limbs and organs all. In the Salat all the
three kind of remembrances are assembled and the times of the Obligatory Prayer
are those mentioned in the verses i.e. Morning, Evening (which includes Maghrib
and Esha) and the Last Hours of the day (that includes the Asr and the Noontide
(which denotes Zohar prayer). . .”
Shaykh Shabbir Ahmad Usmani continues: “In these times, the Unitarians
are ordered to worship God, the Great, and saying Allah-u-Akbar at the
beginning of the Salat they should follow that great Unitarian and Friend of
God – Hazrat Ibrahim – who had declared: . .” (Tafseer-E-Usmani, 2002,
Vol. III Page 1771.) [13]
The Shaykh then cites Surah Al-An’am 6:79 which quotes Hazrat Ibrahim
(alayhis-salam – peace be upon him) as saying to his people:
“Verily, I have turned my face towards Him Who has created the heavens
and the earth Hanifa (Islamic Monotheism, i.e. worshipping none but Allah
Alone) and I am not of Al-Mushrikun.” (Surah
Al-An’am 6:79, The Noble Qur’an, no date, Vol.2 Page 64.) [14]
In the Hanafi Mazhab (School), this ayat can be recited as a Dua at the
beginning of a prayer after saying the Takbeer-e-Tahreema, which is ‘Allahu
Akbar’. It can be said in addition to the Thana, which is ‘Subhana kallahumma
wa bihamdika wa tabarakasmuka wa ta’ala jadduka wa la ilaha gayruk’.
The Thana means ‘All Glory be to You O Allah and praise be to You;
Blessed is Your name and exalted is Your Majesty and there is none worthy of
worship besides You’.
Islamqa.com has one reference to Surah Al-An’am 6:79 being recited as a
Dua at the beginning of the prayer. It is islamqa.com .
The Hanafi Mazhab (School) is one of four schools in Sunni Islam. For an
explanation about the schools see my page headed ‘The four Mazhab (Schools) in
Islam’.
If you are new to Islam and want to learn about the basic tenets of the
religion, including how to pray, I would recommend a book called Taleemul Haq.
It sets out the fundamental teachings of the religion in accordance with the
Hanafi Mazhab (School), of thought.
It was compiled by Mufti Shabbir Ahmed Desai who runs the fatwa website,
Ask Imam, and is the senior lecturer of Ahadith at Darul Uloom Nu’maniyyah in
Durban, South Africa. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
Taleemul Haq is both authentic and authoritative. Mufti Shabbir Ahmed
Desai was trained in a Hanafi Deobandi environment which simply means he
follows the Hanafi Mazhab and has studied under leading scholars from the Darul
Uloom Islamic Seminary in Deoband, India.
I believe the Deobandi scholars are rightly guided Shaykhs and follow
them myself in all matters pertaining to the teachings of Islam. The website
islamqa.com is operated by Hanafi Deobandi scholars.
[1] Imam Abu
Al-Fida Ismail Ibn Kathir, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, (2nd ed. July 2003) (Vol.2).
Abridged and translated by a group of scholars. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:
Darussalam.
[2] Imam Abu
Al-Fida Ismail Ibn Kathir, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, (2nd ed. July 2003) (Vol.1).
Abridged and translated by a group of scholars. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:
Darussalam.
[3] The Noble
Qur’an,(no date) (Vol. 1.)Translated byAl-Hilali, M. T. & Khan, M. M., Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Darussalam.
[4] Muhammed
ibn Ismaiel Al-Bukhari, Sahih Al-Bukhari, (July 1997) (Vol. 5) Translated by
Khan, M. M., Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Darussalam.
[5] Muhammed
ibn Ismaiel Al-Bukhari, Sahih Al-Bukhari, (July 1997) (Vol. 5) Translated by
Khan, M. M., Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Darussalam.
[6] Muhammed
ibn Ismaiel Al-Bukhari, Sahih Al-Bukhari, (July 1997) (Vol. 5) Translated by
Khan, M. M., Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Darussalam.
[7] “Mushrik:
(pl. Mushrikin or Mushrikun) A polytheist, pagan or idolater. A person who
ascribes partners to Allah. Someone who offers his adoration to anything
besides the one God. Hence, polytheists and idolaters are associators. However,
on a more subtle level, anyone who adores God with an impure love is an
associator too. ” Jami’ At-Tirmidhi (1st ed. November 2007). (Vol. 6 –
Glossary of Islamic Terms, Page 610). Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Darussalam.
[8] Imam Abu
Al-Fida Ismail Ibn Kathir, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, (2nd ed. July 2003) (Vol.2).
Abridged and translated by a group of scholars. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:
Darussalam.
[9] Imam Abu
Al-Fida Ismail Ibn Kathir, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, (2nd ed. July 2003) (Vol.5).
Abridged and translated by a group of scholars. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:
Darussalam
[10] Shafi,
Maulana Mufti M., Ma’ariful Qur’an. (2008) (Vol.8). Karachi, Pakistan:
Maktaba Darul-Uloom Karachi.
[11] Imam Hafiz
Abu Dawud, Sunan Abu Dawud, (1st ed. July 2008), (Vol.5). Translated
by Nasiruddin Al-Khattab. Hadith 5076).
[12] Mufti
Muhammad Aashiq Ilaa’hi Buland-Shahri, Masnoon Duaas. (1st ed. March 2004)
Translated by Mufti Afzal Hossen Elias. Karachi, Pakistan: Zam Zam
Publishers.
[13] Allama
Shabbir Ahmad Usmani, Tafseer-e-Usmani, (2002) (Vol. III). Translated by
Maulana Mohammad Ashfaq Ahmad. New Delhi, India: Idara Isha’at-e-Diniyat
[14]The Noble Qur’an,(no date) (Vol. 2.)Translated
byAl-Hilali, M. T. & Khan, M. M., Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:
Darussalam.
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Ian C. Calderwood, Newcastle,
NSW, 04 July 21
