“Remember that his Lord tested Abraham with commands...” (Al-Baqarah 2:124)
وَإِذِ ابْتَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا
Remember that his Lord tested Abraham with commands and ordeals, and he fulfilled them thoroughly. He said: Indeed, I will make you an imām for all people. (Al-Baqarah 2:124)
Based on certain narrations concerning the interpretation of this verse, some scholars state that Prophet Abraham, peace be upon him, was the first human being who was circumcised, who regularly trimmed his nails and moustaches, hosted guests, and so on. However, our beloved Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, says that these things are related to human natural disposition. Therefore, it is more appropriate to consider Abraham’s precedence in these things in a relative sense. He must not have been the first one to do them since humanity’s appearance on the earth as they were performed before Prophet Abraham as well. Similarly, Prophet Moses, upon him be peace, says: “I am the first of the believers” (Al-A‘rāf 7:143). Certainly, he was not the first believer on the earth. His statement was concerned with a specific situation. Thus, what can be said regarding this verse is that Prophet Abraham fulfilled in the most perfect and complete way all the commands in regard to the tests he was exposed to. Additionally, he refused all the things related to shirk—association of partners with God—in such a way that even the most common people thus became aware of what shirk means and why it is utterly false.
The Arabic word “ibtilā” originating from the word “balā” means “expe-rience,” “experiment,” and “testing.” To explain it in a broader way, it means testing somebody/something in order to uncover and display their inner aspect or contents, or their inner world. It also means revealing something in terms of its good and bad attributes, beautiful and ugly qualities, and agreeable or disagreeable aspects. Since humanity has both physical/earthly and spiritual/heavenly dimensions, human beings always experience an inner contest between these two sides of their existence and often suffer a dilemma. They find themselves always in the face of making a preference between two opposing things; while God calls them to moral and spiritual perfection, their carnal souls invite them to earthly appetites. This is the core of the testing to which all human beings are put in the world. While some succeed, others fail this test.
- Created on .