Hajj follows the footsteps of a family who we will honour till the Last Day and whom Allah will honour for all of eternity.

Yet, they are a family known for incredible and intense sacrifice.

Hajar عَلَيْهَا ٱلسَّلامُ was left by silently grieving Ibrahim عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ in the barren desert with her baby son.

She was ‘abandoned’ in every sense of the word.  Yet she did not scream, cry, or overreact.

She knew that her husband was a Prophet who received Revelation from God. He was not acting out of whim or delusion.

As he walked away from her, she asked him,

“Has Allah asked you to do so?”

He said, “Yes.”

Then this incredible woman عَلَيْهَا ٱلسَّلامُ said, “Then He will not neglect us.”

And, this time, she walked away from him. Without resentment, with only love and trust for the sake of Allah.

SubhanAllah.

Then flashing forward to the future- the son had grown up into a strong, noble, beautiful young man.

Ibrahim عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ was commanded to sacrifice his dearest gift, the answer to years of du’a,  and Hajar عَلَيْهَا ٱلسَّلامُ had to give up her beloved son.

Yet, the boy, Ismail عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ, had the honourable qualities of both his parents.

He said,

“O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, of the steadfast.”

(As-Saffat: 102)

And Allah didn’t just save him to become a prophet who built the Ka’bah alongside his father, he honoured his lineage with none other than Muhammad ﷺ.

The family of Ibrahim were visionaries because they saw past their tests to the Greatness of the One testing them.

They surfaced from the pain of their situation with the conviction that Allah would never ask them to do something or put them in a circumstance that was not good for them.

The times when it is hardest to sacrifice are the times when we lack trust.

‘How can I strive in the way of Allah when I am so shaken with troubles and hardships?’

‘How can I think of fasting, giving charity, waking up to pray, reflecting on the Qur’an, and adopting a Prophetic character when my days are filled with worries and anxieties?’

SubhanAllah, if we delve deep into this attitude, it’s as if we are resentful towards Allah’s decree.

In other words, we are saying Allah has put us in this hardship already, so we can’t be expected to sacrifice anymore.

Wal Eyadu Billah.

How can we let a few bitter drops blind us to the vast ocean of blessings that we can’t even begin to count?

We need to look beyond what our vision does not encompass but what our believing hearts should perceive- Allah has a bigger, better, more glorious plan for us than we can dream of.

He wants greater work from us than living in a comfortable cocoon and serving ourselves alone.

For instance, Hajar عَلَيْهَا ٱلسَّلامُ had no way of knowing that she was being left in the greatest place on Earth for Allah’s believers.  

All she could see was endlessly empty desert, all she could hear was her baby’s cries of hunger.

She had no idea that her running between the two mountains will be an act of devotion that will bring her reward till the end of time and beyond.

Her trust led to a well that never dries (Zamzam) and a ritual that unites millions of believers worldwide who are harmonious in their diverse colours, languages, and cultures under the banner of ‘la ilaha illa Allah.’

She didn’t know that her great-grandson (after many generations) would be the Beloved of Allah, Muhammad ﷺ, the Last Prophet and Mercy to Mankind, who would honour her name.

She didn’t know what would come, but she took a leap of faith.

And it paid off, SubhanAllah.

The very thing we are struggling with is what we need right at that moment, just as much as we need the beautiful blessings that lighten our hearts.

Allah sees the bigger picture and we don’t.

Allah created our hearts and He knows them better than anyone else- including ourselves.

He knows exactly what we are capable of.

So, do we trust?

And do we let that trust give us wings to fly towards His Light despite the greedy shackles of this dunya that try to imprison us and the stormy winds of our external and internal struggles that try to blow us off course?

We can never be tested as much as Ibrahim عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ and his family.

Yet, they did not regret a single moment of it, even though they didn’t live long enough to witness their majestic deeds come to fruition.

They sacrificed with love because they recognized Who they were sacrificing for, that their efforts and intentions were safe with Him, and that the harder it was for them to do, the more unimaginable reward they would find with Him.

My brothers and sisters, these first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are a blessed opportunity to show Allah that we trust in Him by seeking His Light and being a light in dark places.

Ibn Abbas reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said,

 “No good deeds are better than what is done in these first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.”

Some companions of the Prophet said, “Not even jihad in the way of Allah?”

The Prophet said, “Not even jihad in the way of Allah, except for a man who goes out with his life and wealth at risk and he returns with nothing.”

[Al Bukhari 969]

Your striving matters on your good days and bad days.

Even on your worst days, Allah turns to You more than you turn to Him.

First, to inspire you to remember Him and repent for your shortfalls. Second, to envelop you in His Mercy and Forgiveness.

There is no one more Merciful, Patient, and Generous to us than our Lord.

Who wants us to excel and reach wondrous heights when it does not add or take away from His Glory whatsoever.

There is no One more worth sacrificing for. 

References

Stories of the Prophets by Ibn Kathir-  https://www.kalamullah.com/Books/Stories%20Of%20The%20Prophets%20By%20Ibn%20Kathir.pdf