Expired
13-12-08, 06:24 PM
Relax, do not be turned off by the title of the article. It is not about how young people fail to obey their parents and how the whole world is falling apart because of that.
No drama here. Just plain facts about how young people can study the life of a young man named Isma`il, who was guided and blessed by Almighty Allah and who represents a true model of an obedient young man. What lessons can we learn from his life that are applicable today, in the 21st century? Read on and you will be amazed as to just how timeless these lessons are.
A Prophetic Lineage
One of the lessons from the life of Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him) is that we need to appreciate and honor our lineage, since it is Almighty Allah who chooses us to be a part of a particular lineage.
Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him) was the oldest of two sons of the Prophet Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him). Indeed, his birth was a result of Almighty Allah granting the desire of Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him) to have children despite his old age. In Surat Ibrahim, we witness Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him) stating, (Praise be to Allah, Who hath granted unto me in old age Ismail and Ishaaq: for truly my Lord is He, the Hearer of Prayer!)(Sura Ibrahim 14: 39). Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him) had a truly amazing lineage since his father was a prophet and his brother was also a prophet.
A Model Personality
From authentic accounts of the life of Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him), we know that he had a model personality from a very young age, and that he developed an impeccable character at a very young age. His childhood experiences in the vicinity of the Ka`bah, along with his mother Hajar, (may Allah be pleased with her) , shaped his outlook on life. We recall with wonderment the beautiful story of how the Zam Zam water sprung to life as an immediate response from Almighty Allah to the struggles of Hajar, (may Allah be pleased with her), as she ran between the valley of Safa and Marwah in search of water to nourish baby Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him).
With his father, Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him), traveling in the path of Almighty Allah, Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him) grew up much on his own, being taught and guided by his mother. The challenging desert life only strengthened the young boy, and he learned how to be patient, persevering, and obedient.
Willing Obedience, No Matter What the Request
Two incidents in the life of Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him) have been recorded in the Qur’an and they provide tremendous encouragement for young Muslims in terms of the behavior they should be seeking to emulate. What perhaps is most obvious from both incidents is the sincere desire on the part of young Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him) to assist his father, to be of service to him, and to do so with total obedience.
The first incident is so powerful in terms of the lesson we learn from it, that for all time to come, every year Muslims celebrate `Eid Al-Adha and sacrifice a sheep, a goat or a cow, and we will continue to commemorate the spirit of sacrifice and submission between a father and a son, a parent and a child.
Allah the Almighty recounts for us how Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed for a righteous son, was granted Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him) and saw a dream in which he was commanded to offer Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him) in sacrifice, and how young Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him) responded, (O my father! Do as thou art commanded: thou will find me, if Allah so wills one practicing patience and constancy!), (As-Saffat 37: 100-110)
Not only was Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him) immediately obedient to his father, he was in effect assisting his father to carry out a command of Almighty Allah. He did not second guess his father, he did not doubt his father’s senility given that he was old; he willingly obeyed. What is your relationship with your parents like? Where do you rank yourself in terms of obedience?
In the second incident, Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him) set out to raise the foundations of the Ka`bah, referred to in the Qur’an as the ‘House’. This was a project that required as much physical strength to lift heavy rocks as it did the stamina to withstand the arid desert heat and to accept the possibility that this was a long-term project and not just a day cleaning up the backyard. We find again that Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him) accepts the challenge to assist his father, and does so willingly.
It is the consistency with which he is patient, persevering, obedient and ultimately an assistant to his father, which makes the lessons from his life so timeless for Muslim youth. Indeed, upon completion of their historic project, he joins his father in a prayer to Almighty Allah, and we read in the Qur’an, as follows: (And remember Ibrahim and Ismail raised the foundations of the House (With this prayer): ‘Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us: For Thou art the All-Hearing, the All-knowing.) ( Al-Baqarah2: 127)
Neither father nor son took for granted that their project, their efforts, their sacrifices were worthy of being automatically acceptable to Allah the Almighty. They teach us through their own du`aa’, that we must exert our effort, but then turn to Almighty Allah in prayer, appealing to Him to accept our efforts.
Final Thoughts
Often times, we take for granted the fact that the Ka`bah exists, rarely do we give thought to the fact that centuries ago, it was the willing obedience of a young man and his unselfish desire to assist his father, which resulted in the foundation of the Ka`bah being raised!
Now centuries later, millions of Muslims circumambulate the Ka`bahannually, and thus, we are all beneficiaries of the sacrifices of this young man named Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him).
How would you respond to your own parents’ request for assistance? Would you be able to put aside your personal desires and think about the overall picture? Would you be able to be patient with your parents in the process of working alongside them? How well do you persevere in trying circumstances?
Indeed, for all of us are lessons in the life of Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him) and Almighty Allah reminds us, (Also mention in the Book (the story of) Ismail: He was (strictly) true to what he promised, and he was an apostle (and) a prophet.) (Maryam 19: 54)
Let us aspire to emulate him!
[Source] (http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1227616299372&pagename=Zone-English-Youth%2FYTELayout)
No drama here. Just plain facts about how young people can study the life of a young man named Isma`il, who was guided and blessed by Almighty Allah and who represents a true model of an obedient young man. What lessons can we learn from his life that are applicable today, in the 21st century? Read on and you will be amazed as to just how timeless these lessons are.
A Prophetic Lineage
One of the lessons from the life of Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him) is that we need to appreciate and honor our lineage, since it is Almighty Allah who chooses us to be a part of a particular lineage.
Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him) was the oldest of two sons of the Prophet Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him). Indeed, his birth was a result of Almighty Allah granting the desire of Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him) to have children despite his old age. In Surat Ibrahim, we witness Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him) stating, (Praise be to Allah, Who hath granted unto me in old age Ismail and Ishaaq: for truly my Lord is He, the Hearer of Prayer!)(Sura Ibrahim 14: 39). Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him) had a truly amazing lineage since his father was a prophet and his brother was also a prophet.
A Model Personality
From authentic accounts of the life of Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him), we know that he had a model personality from a very young age, and that he developed an impeccable character at a very young age. His childhood experiences in the vicinity of the Ka`bah, along with his mother Hajar, (may Allah be pleased with her) , shaped his outlook on life. We recall with wonderment the beautiful story of how the Zam Zam water sprung to life as an immediate response from Almighty Allah to the struggles of Hajar, (may Allah be pleased with her), as she ran between the valley of Safa and Marwah in search of water to nourish baby Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him).
With his father, Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him), traveling in the path of Almighty Allah, Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him) grew up much on his own, being taught and guided by his mother. The challenging desert life only strengthened the young boy, and he learned how to be patient, persevering, and obedient.
Willing Obedience, No Matter What the Request
Two incidents in the life of Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him) have been recorded in the Qur’an and they provide tremendous encouragement for young Muslims in terms of the behavior they should be seeking to emulate. What perhaps is most obvious from both incidents is the sincere desire on the part of young Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him) to assist his father, to be of service to him, and to do so with total obedience.
The first incident is so powerful in terms of the lesson we learn from it, that for all time to come, every year Muslims celebrate `Eid Al-Adha and sacrifice a sheep, a goat or a cow, and we will continue to commemorate the spirit of sacrifice and submission between a father and a son, a parent and a child.
Allah the Almighty recounts for us how Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed for a righteous son, was granted Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him) and saw a dream in which he was commanded to offer Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him) in sacrifice, and how young Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him) responded, (O my father! Do as thou art commanded: thou will find me, if Allah so wills one practicing patience and constancy!), (As-Saffat 37: 100-110)
Not only was Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him) immediately obedient to his father, he was in effect assisting his father to carry out a command of Almighty Allah. He did not second guess his father, he did not doubt his father’s senility given that he was old; he willingly obeyed. What is your relationship with your parents like? Where do you rank yourself in terms of obedience?
In the second incident, Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him) set out to raise the foundations of the Ka`bah, referred to in the Qur’an as the ‘House’. This was a project that required as much physical strength to lift heavy rocks as it did the stamina to withstand the arid desert heat and to accept the possibility that this was a long-term project and not just a day cleaning up the backyard. We find again that Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him) accepts the challenge to assist his father, and does so willingly.
It is the consistency with which he is patient, persevering, obedient and ultimately an assistant to his father, which makes the lessons from his life so timeless for Muslim youth. Indeed, upon completion of their historic project, he joins his father in a prayer to Almighty Allah, and we read in the Qur’an, as follows: (And remember Ibrahim and Ismail raised the foundations of the House (With this prayer): ‘Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us: For Thou art the All-Hearing, the All-knowing.) ( Al-Baqarah2: 127)
Neither father nor son took for granted that their project, their efforts, their sacrifices were worthy of being automatically acceptable to Allah the Almighty. They teach us through their own du`aa’, that we must exert our effort, but then turn to Almighty Allah in prayer, appealing to Him to accept our efforts.
Final Thoughts
Often times, we take for granted the fact that the Ka`bah exists, rarely do we give thought to the fact that centuries ago, it was the willing obedience of a young man and his unselfish desire to assist his father, which resulted in the foundation of the Ka`bah being raised!
Now centuries later, millions of Muslims circumambulate the Ka`bahannually, and thus, we are all beneficiaries of the sacrifices of this young man named Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him).
How would you respond to your own parents’ request for assistance? Would you be able to put aside your personal desires and think about the overall picture? Would you be able to be patient with your parents in the process of working alongside them? How well do you persevere in trying circumstances?
Indeed, for all of us are lessons in the life of Isma`il (peace and blessings be upon him) and Almighty Allah reminds us, (Also mention in the Book (the story of) Ismail: He was (strictly) true to what he promised, and he was an apostle (and) a prophet.) (Maryam 19: 54)
Let us aspire to emulate him!
[Source] (http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1227616299372&pagename=Zone-English-Youth%2FYTELayout)