The Family of Ishaq AS

The Holy Quran mentions about Ishaq AS:

وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥٓ إِسْحَـٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ ۚ كُلًّا هَدَيْنَا ۚ وَنُوحًا هَدَيْنَا مِن قَبْلُ ۖ
We gave him Ishaq (Isaac) and Ya’qoob (Jacob) and guided them all as We guided Nuh (Noah) before them…. [Al An`am 6: 84]

The Quran does not give details of Ishaq AS’s life, but reliable Quranic commentators mentioned that when Ibrahim AS felt that his life was drawing to a close, he wished to see Ishaq AS married. He did not want Ishaq AS to marry one of the Canaanites, who were pagans, so he sent a trustworthy servant to Haran in Iraq to choose a bride for Ishaq AS. The servant’s choice fell upon Rafqah, she was the daughter of Batwil, who was the son of ibn Nahor, a brother of Ibrahim AS. Ishaq AS married her and she gave birth to a set of twins, Al Eis (he became the father of Rum) and Yaqub (belonging to the people of Israel).

Ill feelings developed between the two brothers when they grew into manhood. Al Eis disliked the fact that Yaqub AS was favoured by his father and by Allah with prophet-hood. This ill feeling became so serious that Al-Eis threatened to kill his brother. Fearing for his life, Yaqub AS fled the country.

Yaqub AS left his family, when night came he found a place to rest. He took a stone and put it under his head and slept. He dreamt of a ladder from heaven to earth. Angels were ascending and descending and Allah addressed him and said to him; “I will bless you and your offspring and make this land for you and for those who come after you.”

When he awoke he felt joyful from what he had seen in his dream and vowed, for Allah’s sake that if he returned to his family safely, he would build here a temple for Allah the Almighty. He also vowed to give one tenth of his property for the sake of Allah. He poured oil on the stone so as to recognize it and called the place Bethel, which means “House of Allah”. It was to be the location of Jerusalem later.

Lesson to Learn:
Sibling rivalry is nothing new and was prevalent in the lives of the previous Ambiya. In fact it was the cause of the conflict between the two sons of Adam AS Habil and Qabil and it was the reason of the first murder.

In sha Allah tomorrow we will take a look at Yaqub AS and his children