Long ago, in the land of Palestine, lived Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham, peace be upon him) and his wife Sarah. They loved Allah deeply, but they had no children, and Ibrahim prayed earnestly:
“My Lord, grant me a righteous son!” (Qur’an 37:100)
Sarah was kind and thoughtful. She knew her husband longed for a child, yet she was growing old and feared she could no longer bear one. Out of love, she suggested that Ibrahim marry her servant, Hajar (Hagar). Perhaps Allah would bless them with a child through her.
Ibrahim agreed, and soon Allah answered his heartfelt prayers. Hajar gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. They named him Ismail (Ishmael, peace be upon him).
The arrival of Ismail filled their home with joy. Ibrahim, now an old man—about eighty-six years of age—was overjoyed to finally hold his first son in his arms. Hajar and Sarah too shared in this blessing, and together they thanked Allah for His mercy.
This child, Ismail, would not only grow into a prophet but would also become the forefather of the final Messenger, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). His life would be tied to the sacred city of Makkah and the rebuilding of the Kaaba, the House of Allah.
One day, Prophet Ibrahim (AS) told his wife Hajar (AS) to prepare herself and their little son, Ismail (AS), for a long journey. Ismail was still a small baby, not yet weaned. They traveled together across fields, deserts, and mountains until they reached a lonely, barren valley in the Arabian Peninsula.
This valley was empty; no trees, no water, no crops, no people. Just dry land all around. There, Ibrahim (AS) helped his wife and child settle down & he turned to leave.
Hajar followed him and asked, “O Ibrahim! To whom are you leaving us in this empty place?” He replied, “To Allah.” At once, her heart was at peace. She said, “Then Allah will not abandon us.”
Days passed, the little water they had soon ran out. Hajar’s milk dried up, and baby Ismail (AS) began to cry from thirst. Desperate, she ran to the hill of Safa looking for help. She saw no one. She ran down into the valley and hurried up to the hill of Marwa, searching again. She kept running back and forth seven times between Safa and Marwa, her heart full of hope and fear.
When she returned to her baby, she suddenly heard a voice. It was the Angel Jibreel (Gabriel, AS). He struck the earth with his heel, and from it gushed forth a spring of water — the blessed well of Zamzam. Hajar was astonished. She quickly made a basin around it and filled her container. She drank, and her milk returned to feed her child.
This water became a mercy from Allah, and it still flows to this day.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) later said:
“May Allah have mercy on Hajar! If she had left Zamzam to flow freely, it would have become a river on the surface of the earth.”
With Zamzam, Hajar and her baby had life again.
After a long time, a caravan from the tribe of Jurhum passed by. They noticed birds circling in the sky, which usually meant water was nearby. They sent scouts and discovered Zamzam.
When they came to Hajar, they asked permission to settle near the water. She agreed, but reminded them that the water belonged to her and her son.They respected her condition and stayed.
In time, Makkah began to grow as families settled there.
Ismail (AS) grew up among them, learned their language, and became loved for his noble character. When he reached maturity, he married a woman from the Jurhum tribe.
Thus, the once empty valley became full of life — all because of Hajar’s faith, patience, and Allah’s miracle of Zamzam.
As Ismail grew old enough to walk with his father, Ibrahim saw a dream – the same dream repeated again and again. In it, he was sacrificing his beloved son for the sake of Allah. Ibrahim understood that this was a command from Allah.
With a heavy but obedient heart, he went to his son and said:
“My dear son, I have seen in a dream that I am sacrificing you for Allah. What do you think?”
The young Ismail, full of faith, replied calmly:
“O my father, do as you are commanded. Insha’Allah, you will find me patient.”
Together, father and son submitted to Allah’s will. Ibrahim laid his son down, ready to fulfill the command. But just then, Allah called out:
“O Ibrahim! You have fulfilled the vision.”
It was a test of faith. Allah replaced Ismail with a ram, which was sacrificed instead. This became a lasting memory for future generations, a reminder of pure obedience and submission to Allah.
Years passed, and Ismail (AS) grew up among the Jurhum tribe. After Hajar passed away, Ibrahim (AS) came to visit his son. Not finding Ismail (AS) at home, he asked his wife about their life. She complained, saying they lived in hardship and misery. Ibrahim (AS) advised her, “When your husband returns, give him my greetings and tell him to change the threshold of his gate.”
When Ismail (AS) came back, he understood the meaning. “That was my father. He meant for me to part with you.” So, he divorced her and later married another woman from Jurhum.
Some time later, Ibrahim (AS) visited again. He asked the new wife about their life, and she replied with gratitude, thanking Allah for their blessings. Pleased, Ibrahim (AS) prayed for their food and drink to be blessed, and before leaving, he told her, “Tell your husband to keep firm the threshold of his gate.”
When Ismail (AS) heard this, he smiled. “That was my father. You are the threshold, and he told me to keep you.”
Many years later, Ibrahim (AS) returned once more. This time he found Ismail (AS) near Zamzam, sharpening his arrows. Father and son greeted each other warmly. Then Ibrahim (AS) said,
“O Ismail, “Allah has ordered me to build His House here,” pointing to a small rise near Zamzam.
Together, they began building the Kaaba. Ismail (AS) brought stones, and Ibrahim (AS) placed them to raise the walls. As the building grew taller, Ismail (AS) brought a stone for his father to stand on — this is the Maqam Ibrahim, still near the Kaaba today.
As they worked, father and son prayed with sincerity:
“Our Lord, accept this service from us. Surely, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.” (Qur’an 2:127)
Thus, with faith, sacrifice, and love, Ibrahim (AS) and Ismail (AS) built the Kaaba — the first house of worship dedicated to Allah — and Makkah became the sacred city it is today.
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