Ebrahim AS and his wives RA

For our theme discussion, we have been taking a look at the families of the various Prophets AS, who are mentioned in the Holy Quran.

Yesterday we discussed the father of Ibrahim AS, Azar, who was a non-believer and who made and sold idols and Ibrahim AS`s respectful attitude to his father and how he had tried to explain to his father why idol worship was wrong and that he should believe in One Allah.

Today we will take a look at the wives of Ibrahim AS.

From books of history we come to know that Sayyidina Ibrahim AS had two wives. His first wife was Sarah RA and his second wife was Haajira RA.

With regards to Sarah RA, Imam Bukhari R has mentioned a hadeeth narrated by Sayyidina Abu Hurairah RA.
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ لَمْ يَكْذِبْ إِبْرَاهِيمُ ـ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ ـ إِلاَّ ثَلاَثَ كَذَبَاتٍ ثِنْتَيْنِ مِنْهُنَّ فِي ذَاتِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، قَوْلُهُ ‏{‏إِنِّي سَقِيمٌ ‏}‏ وَقَوْلُهُ ‏{‏بَلْ فَعَلَهُ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَذَا‏}‏، وَقَالَ بَيْنَا هُوَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ وَسَارَةُ إِذْ أَتَى عَلَى جَبَّارٍ مِنَ الْجَبَابِرَةِ فَقِيلَ لَهُ إِنَّ هَا هُنَا رَجُلاً مَعَهُ امْرَأَةٌ مِنْ أَحْسَنِ النَّاسِ، فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِ، فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْهَا‏.‏ فَقَالَ مَنْ هَذِهِ قَالَ أُخْتِي، فَأَتَى سَارَةَ قَالَ يَا سَارَةُ، لَيْسَ عَلَى وَجْهِ الأَرْضِ مُؤْمِنٌ غَيْرِي وَغَيْرُكِ، وَإِنَّ هَذَا سَأَلَنِي، فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ أَنَّكِ أُخْتِي فَلاَ تُكَذِّبِينِي‏.‏ فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهَا، فَلَمَّا دَخَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ ذَهَبَ يَتَنَاوَلُهَا بِيَدِهِ، فَأُخِذَ فَقَالَ ادْعِي اللَّهَ لِي وَلاَ أَضُرُّكِ‏.‏ فَدَعَتِ اللَّهَ فَأُطْلِقَ، ثُمَّ تَنَاوَلَهَا الثَّانِيَةَ، فَأُخِذَ مِثْلَهَا أَوْ أَشَدَّ فَقَالَ ادْعِي اللَّهَ لِي وَلاَ أَضُرُّكِ‏.‏ فَدَعَتْ فَأُطْلِقَ‏.‏ فَدَعَا بَعْضَ حَجَبَتِهِ فَقَالَ إِنَّكُمْ لَمْ تَأْتُونِي بِإِنْسَانٍ، إِنَّمَا أَتَيْتُمُونِي بِشَيْطَانٍ‏.‏ فَأَخْدَمَهَا هَاجَرَ فَأَتَتْهُ، وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ يُصَلِّي، فَأَوْمَأَ بِيَدِهِ مَهْيَا قَالَتْ رَدَّ اللَّهُ كَيْدَ الْكَافِرِ ـ أَوِ الْفَاجِرِ ـ فِي نَحْرِهِ، وَأَخْدَمَ هَاجَرَ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ تِلْكَ أُمُّكُمْ يَا بَنِي مَاءِ السَّمَاءِ‏.

Abu Hurairah RA narrated that Ibrahim AS did not tell a lie except on three occasions, twice for the sake of Allah (Exalted and Almighty) when he said: “I am sick,” (when his people were holding a festival in honour of their gods, Ibrahim excused himself by saying he was sick; see Quran Ayah 37:89), and when he said: “(I have not done this but) the big idol has done it.” The (third was) that while Ibrahim AS and Sarah (his wife) were going (on a journey), they passed by (the territory of) a tyrant. Someone said to the tyrant: ‘This man (i.e., Ibrahim AS) is accompanied by a very charming lady.” So, he sent for Ibrahim AS and asked him about Sarah saying: “Who is this lady?” Ibrahim AS said: “She is my sister.”

Ibrahim AS went to Sarah RA and said: “0 Sarah! There are no believers on the surface of the earth except you and me. This man asked me about you and I have told him that you are my sister, do not contradict my statement.” The tyrant then called Sarah RA, and when she went to him, he tried to take hold of her with his hand, but (his hand got stiff and) he was confounded. He asked Sarah: “Pray to Allah for me, and I shall not harm you.” So Sarah RA asked Allah to cure him and he got cured. He tried to take hold of her for the second time, but (his hand got as stiff as or stiffer than before and) he was more confounded. He again requested Sarah: “Pray to Allah for me, and I will not harm you.” Sarah RA asked Allah again, and he became all right. He then called one of his guards (who had brought her) and said: ‘You have not brought me a human being but have brought me a devil.”

The tyrant then gave Hajar as a maid servant to Sarah RA. Sarah RA came back (to Ibrahim AS) while he was praying. Ibrahim AS, gesturing with his hand, asked: “What has happened?” She replied: “Allah has spoiled the evil plot of the infidel (or immoral person) and gave me Hajar for service.” Abu Hurairah RA then addressed his listeners saying: ‘That (Hajar) was your mother, 0 Bani Ma-is-Sama (i.e., the Arab, the descendants of Ishmael AS, Hajar’s son).”

Ebrahim AS’s wife, Sarah RA, was sterile. She had been given an Egyptian woman, Hajar, as a servant. Ebrahim AS had aged, and his hair was grey after many years spent in calling people to Allah. Sarah RA thought that she and Ebrahim AS were lonely because she could not have a child. Therefore, she offered her husband her servant Hajar in marriage. Hajar gave birth to her first son Ismael when Ebrahim AS was an old man.

Lesson to Learn:
Look at the extent to which Ebrahim AS went to protect the chastity and honour of his wife Sarah RA. This is what families are all about, going the extra mile for each other.