FROM PROPHET ABRAHAM TO PROPHET MUHAMMAD — Raising A New Generation

contemporary of Prophet Abraham. Nimrod had established his kingship claiming to be an incarnation of the Sun God. Prophet Abraham called on Nimrod to the worship of the One God. Nimrod rejected this call and instead resorted to violence against Abraham. Despite his best eff orts, Prophet Abraham was forced to leave his homeland. At this time, there were only two people with him. One was his wife Sarah and the other was his nephew, Prophet Lot. Prophet Abraham then married Hajira (Hagar). He settled his nephew Lot in the land of Sodom, where he started his mission of conveying to humankind the message of God. He settled his fi rst wife, Sarah, in Palestine, and, along with Hajira, went through diff erent lands fi nally reaching Makkah. These journeys were undertaken by Abraham with the guidance of God through the Angel Gabriel (Sahih Bukhari). For the mission of conveying God’s message, such individuals were required who would be uncorrupted of any cultural conditioning. Prophet Abraham left his wife Hajira and his infant son Ismael in this desert land with a bag of dates and a pouch full of water. His wife Hajira went behind him, seeking an explanation on why he was leaving them alone in this place. When he did not answer she herself asked if it was the commandment of God. He replied in the affi rmative. Then, Hajira said, “If it is God’s will, then surely He will not let this go fruitless.” Prophet Abraham had to do this as the people of those times were so conditioned in their culture that they were unable to accept the message of truth which now appeared alien to them. They refuted all attempts to change their beliefs and system of life so much so that it became obvious that their false beliefs and cultures would remain for centuries. Prophet Abraham had settled his family in the barren desert of Arabia because this uninhabited place, being far from urban settlements, was ideally suited for the development of a new and pure generation that would be uncorrupted by the infl uences of city life and culture. Prophet Abraham then dreamt that he was sacrifi cing his son. This was an injunction from God that he should dedicate his son to a divine mission; one such mission which would begin from the parched deserts of Arabia. For the new mission of conveying God’s message,