Sacred Texts
Islam
Index
Previous
Next
The
Birth of Abraham (PUH)
It is mentioned that
Nimrod had an astrologer, and once he said to him (to Nimrod): I see by
calculating the positions of the stars that a man will be in your land
and work on changing the religion to some other religion than yours, so
then Nimrod said to him: in what land shall that be? So he answered: in
this land, and he is not born yet, so then Nimrod said: we must
separate men and women, and so he did and the mother of Abraham was
pregnant but her pregnancy was not of clear appearance, and when the
time had come for her to give birth she said to her husband Terah: I
want to be alone and hide, and every woman at that time used to hide
whenever she gets pregnant because of the cruel rule. Nimrod appointed
a woman for every pregnant wife, so whenever she gives birth to a male
he gets killed, and whenever she gives birth to a female then she is
safe, so mother of Abraham escaped away when it was the time for her to
give birth and entered a cave far away from people's sights and she
gave birth, and she used to check him up whenever she gets the chance
to, and she used to block the cave's enterance with rocks, and God took
care of him and protected him against their evils. It was mentioned
that he used to grow up in one day as would someone else grow up in a
month, so he stayed there in the cave for thirteen years, so when he
got old that much he got out of the cave and couldn't bear it anymore,
and when his mother came he caught her clothes and said to her: I must
go out and see people, and so on until he got out with her and she said
to him: if the king knew about you and you are born at this time he is
going to kill you, but he didn't care and got out and then she brought
him to his uncle Azar. It might be that Terah after the birth of
Abraham and while he was there in the cave, died and fate judged for
his mother to be in the house of Azar and a wife for him and she gave
birth to children for him and he got also children from others, and
only God knows.
Abraham left the cave after the sunset and darkness was all over the
place, and he knew that people are worshipping idols and Azar and all
the people in his house except for his mother are idolators as well, so
he hated that and refused it and denied worshipping the idols. Then he
saw an apparent star in the sky and it was Venus, so he said: this is
my God, but when it disappeared he said: if it was my God indeed it
won't disappear, and then said: I don't love things that set. Then he
looked to the east and saw the moon so he said: this is my God, this is
bigger, but when it moved and disappeared he said: Unless my Lord guide me, I surely shall become one of
the folk who are astray. Then when it was the morning time and the sun
rose and he saw its glance and light all over earth, he then said: this
is my God, it is bigger and greater, but when it moved and disappeared,
God then made him to see the throne and the kingdoms of heavens and
earth and inspired him and guided him and filled his hearth with galo
and he knew that this universe has a Creator, so then he said: O my people! Lo! I am free from all that ye associate
(with Him), Lo! I have turned my face toward Him
Who created the
heavens and the earth, as one by nature upright, and I am not of the
idolaters(Al-An`âm:78-79).
And when his mother brought him to her home and made a place for him
between her children and his uncle Azar knew about him he said: who is
that that still alive while the king kills all the males? So his mother
said: this is my son and I gave birth to him at the time of so and so.
Then Azar said to her: If the king knew about it he will be so mad and
we'll be not in such a high place, and Azar was in fact a man of a high
place under the rule of Nimrod and was his minister, and he used to
give the idols for his children to sell it. So then Abraham's mother
said: do not worry, if the king did not know about it he will stay with
us and if he knew about it I will not make you to defend him, and Azar
used to love Abraham so much whenever he looks at him and used to give
him the idols to sell them as his children do.
It is mentioned also that Abraham (PUH) used to tie a rope in the necks
of the idols and drags them over the ground and say: who would buy what
harms him and give no benefits, and used to drop them in water and ask
them to talk as to mock at them and as an insult for them and for
whoever worships them, so his brothers mentioned that to their father
Azar and that was so great for him so he warned him and threatened him
to stop that, but he did not stop so he kept him at home and didn't let
him go out. Then the people of Abraham and his relatives had a debate
with him so then he said: Dispute ye with me
concerning Allah when He hath guided me ?(Al-An`âm:80). They
mentioned (PUT) [meaning: the Household PUT] that he was born in the
first day in the month of Ðul-Hijjah [the 12th month in the lunar
calendar for Muslims and the month of pilgrimage], and they say that he
lived for one hundred and fifty seven years and buried in his current
site in Al-Khaleel (Hebron) in Palestine.
Next: Breaking The Idols and Throwing Abraham in The Fire