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Al-Baqarah - 2:131
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Allah said next,
إِذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ أَسْلِمْ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
When his Lord said to him, "Submit (i.e. be a Muslim)!" He said, "I have submitted myself (as a Muslim) to the Lord of the Alamin (mankind, Jinn and all that exists)."
This Ayah indicates that Allah commanded Ibrahim to be sincere with Him and to abide and submit to Him;
Ibrahim perfectly adhered to Allah's command.
Al-Baqarah - 2:132
Allah's statement,
وَوَصَّى بِهَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بَنِيهِ وَيَعْقُوبُ
And this (submission to Allah, Islam) was enjoined by Ibrahim upon his sons and by Yaqub,
means, Ibrahim commanded his offspring to follow this religion, that is, Islam, for Allah.
Or, the Ayah might be referring to Ibrahim's words,
أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
(I have submitted myself (as a Muslim) to the Lord of the Alamin (mankind, Jinn and all that exists).
This means that these Prophets loved these words so much that they preserved them until the time of death and advised their children to adhere to them after them.
Similarly, Allah said,
وَجَعَلَهَا كَلِمَةً بَـقِيَةً فِى عَقِبِهِ
And he (Ibrahim) made it (i.e. La ilaha illallah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone)) a Word lasting among his offspring, (true Monotheism).
(43:28)
It might be that Ibrahim advised his children, including Jacob, Isaac's son, who were present. It appears, and Allah knows best, that Isaac was endowed with Jacob, during the lifetime of Ibrahim and Sarah, for the good news includes both of them in Allah's statement,
فَبَشَّرْنَـهَا بِإِسْحَـقَ وَمِن وَرَاءِ إِسْحَـقَ يَعْقُوبَ
But We gave her (Sarah) glad tidings of Ishaq (Isaac), and after Ishaq, of Yaqub (Jacob).
(11:71).
Also, if Jacob was not alive then, there would be no use here in mentioning him specifically among Isaac's children.
Also, Allah said in Surah Al-Ankabut,
وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَـقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَجَعَلْنَا فِى ذُرِّيَّتِهِ النُّبُوَّةَ وَالْكِتَـبَ
And We bestowed on him (Ibrahim), Ishaq and Yaqub, and We ordained among his offspring Prophethood and the Book.
(29:27)
and,
وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَـقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ نَافِلَةً
And We bestowed upon him Ishaq, and (a grandson) Yaqub,
(21:72),
thus, indicating that this occurred during Ibrahim's lifetime.
Also, Jacob built Bayt Al-Maqdis, as earlier books testified.
The Two Sahihs recorded that Abu Dharr said, "I said, 'O Messenger of Allah! Which Masjid was built first?'
He said, Al-Masjid Al-Haram (Al-Ka'bah).
I said, 'Then?'
He said, Bayt Al- Maqdis.
I said, 'How many years later?'
He said, Forty years."
Further, the advice that Jacob gave to his children, which we will soon mention, testifies that Jacob was among those who received the advice mentioned in Ayat above (2:130-132).
Adhering to Tawhid until Death
Allah said,
يَا بَنِيَّ إِنَّ اللّهَ اصْطَفَى لَكُمُ الدِّينَ فَلَ تَمُوتُنَّ إَلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ
(Saying), "O my sons! Allah has chosen for you the (true) religion, then die not except as Muslims."
meaning, perform righteous deeds during your lifetime and remain on this path, so that Allah will endow you with the favor of dying upon it.
Usually, one dies upon the path that he lived on and is resurrected according to what he died on. Allah, the Most Generous, helps those who seek to do good deeds to remain on the righteous path.
This by no means contradicts the authentic Hadith that says,
إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ حَتّـى مَا يَكُونُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهَا إِلاَّ بَاعٌ أَوْ ذِرَاعٌ فَيَسْبِقُ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابُ فَيَعمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ النَّار فَيَدْخُلُهَا
وَإِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَعْمَلُ بعَمَلِ أَهلِ النَّارِ حَتَّى مَا يَكُونُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهَا إِلاَّ بَاعٌ أَو ذِرَاعٌ فَيَسْبِقُ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابُ فَيَعْمَلُ بعَمَلِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فَيَدْخُلُهَا
Man might perform the works of the people of Paradise until only a span of outstretched arms or a cubit separates him from it, then the Book (destiny) takes precedence, and he performs the works of the people of the Fire and thus enters it.
Also, man might perform the works of the people of the Fire until only a span of outstretched arms or a cubit separates him from the Fire, but the Book takes precedence and he performs the works of the people of Paradise and thus enters it.
Allah said,
فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى
وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَى
فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَى
وَأَمَّا مَن بَخِلَ وَاسْتَغْنَى
وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَى
فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَى
As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah and fears Him.
And believes in Al-Husna.
We will make smooth for him the path of ease (goodness).
But he who is a greedy miser and thinks himself self-sufficient.
And belies Al-Husna (none has the right to be worshipped except Allah).
We will make smooth for him the path for evil.
(92:5-10)
Al-Baqarah - 2:133
Yaqub's Will and Testament to His Children upon His Death
Allah tells;
أَمْ كُنتُمْ شُهَدَاء إِذْ حَضَرَ يَعْقُوبَ الْمَوْتُ إِذْ قَالَ لِبَنِيهِ
Or were you witnesses when death approached Yaqub (Jacob) When he said unto his sons, "What will you worship after me?"
This Ayah contains Allah's criticism of the Arab pagans among the offspring of Ismail as well as the disbelievers among the Children of Israel Jacob the son of Isaac, the son of Ibrahim.
When death came to Jacob, he advised his children to worship Allah alone without partners.
He said to them,
مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن بَعْدِي قَالُواْ نَعْبُدُ إِلَـهَكَ وَإِلَـهَ ابَايِكَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَقَ
"What will you worship after me"
They said, "We shall worship your Ilah (God ـ Allah) the Ilah of your fathers, Ibrahim, Ismail, Ishaq,"
Mentioning Ismail here is a figure of speech, because Ismail is Jacob's uncle.
An-Nahas said that the Arabs call the uncle a father, as Al-Qurtubi mentioned.
This Ayah is used as evidence that; the grandfather is called a father and inherits, rather than the brothers (i.e. when his son dies), as Abu Bakr asserted, according to Al-Bukhari who narrated Abu Bakr's statement from Ibn Abbas and Ibn Az-Zubayr.
Al-Bukhari then commented that there are no opposing opinions regarding this subject.
This is also the opinion of Aishah the Mother of the believers, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Tawus and Ata, Malik, Ash-Shafii and Ahmad said that the inheritance is divided between the grandfather and the brothers.
It was reported that this was also the opinion of Umar, Uthman, Ali, bin Mas'ud, Zayd bin Thabit and several scholars among the Salaf and later generations.
The statement,
إِلَـهًا وَاحِدًا
One Ilah (God),
means, "We single Him out in divinity and do not associate anything or anyone with Him."
وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ
And to Him we submit,
in obedience meaning, obedient and submissiveness.
Similarly, Allah said,
وَلَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ
While to Him submitted all creatures in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly. And to Him shall they all be returned.
(3:83)
Indeed, Islam is the religion of all the Prophets, even if their respective laws differed.
Allah said,
وَمَأ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلاَّ نُوحِى إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ أَنَاْ فَاعْبُدُونِ
And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad) ﴿but We revealed to him (saying):La ilaha illa Ana (none has the right to be worshipped but I (Allah)), so worship Me (alone and none else).
(21:25)
There are many other Ayat - and Hadiths - on this subject. For instance, the Prophet said,
نَحْنُ مَعْشَرَ الاَْنْبِيَاءِ أَوْلَادُ عَلَّتٍ دِينُنا وَاحِد
We, the Prophets, are brothers with different mothers, but the same religion.
Al-Baqarah - 2:134
Allah said,
تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ
That was a nation who has passed away,
meaning, existed before your time.
لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُم مَّا كَسَبْتُمْ
They shall receive the reward of what they earned and you of what you earn.
This Ayah proclaims, Your relationship to the Prophets or righteous people among your ancestors will not benefit you, unless you perform good deeds that bring about you religious benefit. They have their deeds and you have yours.
وَلَا تُسْأَلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
And you will not be asked of what they used to do.
This is why a Hadith proclaims,
مَنْ بَطَّأَ بِهِ عَمَلُهُ لَمْ يُسْرِعْ بِهِ نَسَبُه
Whoever was slowed on account of his deeds will not get any faster on account of his family lineage.
Al-Baqarah - 2:135
Allah says;
وَقَالُواْ كُونُواْ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَى تَهْتَدُواْ
قُلْ بَلْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
And they say, "Be Jews or Christians, then you will be guided." Say (to them O Muhammad), "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.
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,
وَقَالُواْ كُونُواْ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَى تَهْتَدُواْ
(And they say, "Be Jews or Christians, then you will be guided").
Allah's statement,
قُلْ بَلْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا
Say (to them O Muhammad), "Nay, (we follow) only the religion of Ibrahim, Hanif.
Means, "We do not need the Judaism or Christianity that you call us to, rather,
مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا
(we follow) only the religion of Ibrahim, Hanif) meaning, on the straight path, as Muhammad bin Ka'b Al-Qurazi and Isa bin Jariyah stated.
Also, Abu Qilabah said, "The Hanif is what the Messengers, from beginning to end, believed in.
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