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period as long as Allah wished, and called on them again but did not find Isma`il. So he came to Isma`il's wife and
asked her about him. She said: `He has gone in search of our livelihood.' Ibrahim asked her about their sustenance
and living: `How are you getting on?' She replied: `We are prosperous and well off.' Then she praised Allah, the
Exalted. Ibrahim asked: `What kind of food do you eat?' She said: `Meat.' He said: `What do you drink?' She said:
`Water.' He said, `O Allah! Bless their meat and water!
''' The Prophet (PBUH) added, "
At that time they did not
have grain, and if they had grain, he would have also invoked Allah to bless it
.'' The Prophet (PBUH) further said,
"
If somebody has only these two things as his sustenance, his health and disposition will be badly affected because
these things do not suit him unless he lives in Makkah
.'' The Prophet (PBUH) added, "
Then Ibrahim said to Isma`il's
wife, `When your husband comes, give my regards to him and tell him that he should keep firm the threshold of his
door.' When Isma`il came back, he asked his wife: `Did anyone call on you?' She replied: `Yes, a good looking old
man came to me.' She praised him and added: `He asked about you, and I informed him, and he asked about our
livelihood and I told him that we were in good condition.' Isma`il asked her: `Did he give you a piece of advice?'
She said: `Yes, he told me to convey his regards to you and ordered that you should keep firm the threshold of your
door.' On that Isma`il said: `He was my father and you are the threshold of the door. He has ordered me to keep you
with me.' Then Ibrahim stayed away from them for a period as long as Allah wished and called on them afterwards.
He saw Isma`il under a tree near Zamzam, sharpening his arrows. When he saw Ibrahim, he rose up to welcome
him, and they greeted each other as a father does with his son or a son does with his father. Ibrahim said: `O Isma`il!
Allah has given me an order.' Isma`il said: `Do what your Rubb has commanded you to do.' Ibrahim asked: `Will
you help me?' Isma`il said: `I will help you.' Ibrahim said: `Allah has ordered me to build a house here, pointing to a
hillock higher than the land surrounding it
.''' The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) added, "
Then they raised the
foundations of the House (i.e., Ka`bah). Isma`il brought the stones and Ibrahim was building (the house). When the
walls became high, Isma`il brought stone and placed it for Ibrahim who stood over it and carried on building the
House, while Isma`il was handing over the stones to him, both of them prayed: `O our Rubb! Accept this service
from us! Verily, You are the All-Hearer and the All-Knower
.'''
[Al-Bukhari].
There are some more narrations about this incident, some adding details and some with minor variations in the
wordings.
Commentary:
1. In this narration, there is the historical background of walking briskly between the hills of As-Safa and Al-
Marwah. This ritual of Hajj and `Umrah has been fixed as a remembrance of the incident about what Hajirah (May
Allah be pleased with her) had to face and what she did in the difficult circumstances. In fact, she was so pious and
obedient that she agreed to live in such wilderness where there was no sign of any human being far and wide.
Secondly, there was no water to drink or food for subsistence.
For this act of piety, she was rewarded with two things; firstly, she was bestowed with an eternally flowing spring
which proved for her at that moment a source of life, and people still benefit from it today. Secondly, her brisk
movement and running between the two hills was made an important and compulsory ritual to be performed during
Hajj and `Umrah. This ritual is to continue for all times till the Day of Resurrection.
2. Ka`bah was built by Prophet Ibrahim and Prophet Isma`il.
3. Thanking Allah under all circumstances is an act of praise and piety while the reverse of this attitude is disliked
and considered reprehensible.
4. If a father asks his son to do something, then the child should respond to the father's request as long as he does not
order him to disobey Allah.
1868
ْﻦﻋو
لﺎَﻗ ُﻪْﻨﻋ ﻪﱠﻠﻟا ﻲِﺿر ٍﺪْﻳز ِﻦْﺑ ِﺪﻴِﻌﺳ
:
ُلﻮُﻘﻳ ﻢﱠﻠَﺳو ِﻪْﻴَﻠَﻋ ُﷲا ﻰّﻠَﺻ ِﻪﱠﻠﻟا لﻮﺳر ُﺖﻌِﻤﺳ
:
»
َﻦِﻣ ُةَﺄﻤَﻜْﻟا
ِﻦﻴَﻌْﻠﻟ ٌءﺎَﻔِﺷ ﺎَهُؤﺎﻣو ، ﱢﻦﻤﻟا
«
ﻪﻴﻠﻋ ٌﻖﻔﺘﻣ
.
1868.
Sa`id bin Zaid (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying,
"
Truffle (edible fungus) is a species of Al-Manna and their water cures eye diseases
.''
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Commentary:
Al-Manna is the famous kind of food which Allah bestowed upon Banu Israel. As-Salwa was a kind
of bird resembling the quail. It was slaughtered and then eaten. Al-Manna was a sweet substance which appeared on
the trees or stones. It was sweet like honey and after drying, it took the form of gum. According to others, it was
honey or sweet water (
Tafsir Ahsan-ul-Bayan
). The truffle is similar to Al-Manna. This means that as Banu Israel
were given food without toil, so we find truffle in nature without effort. The juice of truffle is useful in curing some
diseases of the eye. This prescription was suggested by the Prophet (PBUH). It is surely beneficial.
820
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