The Great Sacrifice

THE GREAT SACRIFICE great sacrifice” (37:107). This signifies that Ishmael was saved through a great sacrifice. In this verse, the word ‘great sacrifice’ refers to Ishmael, not to the ram. Prophet Abraham offered the ram as a ransom, while Ishmael was selected for a more momentous sacrifice. What did this greater sacrifice entail? It involved Ishmael being settled along with his mother Hajar in the desolate wilderness of Makkah, with the purpose of establishing a new generation through them. During that period, the area was nothing but a desert, devoid of any means of sustenance. Hence, it was called a great sacrifice in the Quran. This great sacrifice was a divine plan devised by God, which was carried out through Ishmael, the son of Abraham in the Arabian desert. The Quran briefly mentions this incident as a reference, whereas the Hadith provides a detailed account of it. Chapter 37 of the Quran mentions this dream. According to the narration, after seeing the dream, Prophet Abraham intended to sacrifice his son. At that moment, the angel informed him that he should sacrifice an animal, a ram (dumba), as a ransom for his son. Subsequently, Prophet Abraham carried out the sacrifice as instructed (The Quran, 37:107). As known from the narration in Sahih Bukhari, following this incident, Prophet Abraham settled his wife Hajar