Surah Maryam 19:54

Mentioning Isma`il

Here Allah has commended Isma`il, the son of Ibrahim, the Friend of Allah. He (Isma`il) is the father of all of the Arabs of the Hijaz because he was true to what he promised. Ibn Jurayj said, "He did not make any promise to his Lord, except that he fulfilled it." He never obligated himself to do any act of worship with a vow, except that he fulfilled it and carried it out, giving it its full due. Some said,

صَـدِقَ الْوَعْدِ

((he was) true to what he promised.) "This was said about him because he said to his father,

سَتَجِدُنِى إِن شَآءَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الصَّـبِرِينَ

(If Allah wills you will find me of the patient.) 37:102 So he was truthful in that." Being true to one's promise is one of the praiseworthy characteristics, just as breaking one's promise is of the detested characteristics. Allah, the Exalted, says,

يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لاَ تَفْعَلُونَ - كَبُرَ مَقْتاً عِندَ اللَّهِ أَن تَقُولُواْ مَا لاَ تَفْعَلُونَ

(O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do Most hateful it is with Allah that you say that which you do not do.) 61:2-3 The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«آيَةُ الْمُنَافِقِ ثَلَاثٌ: إِذَا حَدَّثَ كَذَبَ، وَإِذَا وَعَدَ أَخْلَفَ، وَإِذَا ائْتُمِنَ خَان»

(The sign of the hypocrite is three things. When he speaks, he lies; when he promises, he breaks his promise; and when he is entrusted with something, he is disloyal to his trust.) Thus, if these are the characteristics of the hypocrites, then behaving contrary to these is a characteristic of the true believer. For this reason, Allah commended His servant and Messenger Isma`il, for he was true to his promise. Likewise, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was true to his promise. He did not promise anyone anything, except that he fulfilled his promise to that person. He also commended Abu Al-`As bin Ar-Rabi`, the husband of his daughter Zaynab, by saying,

«حَدَّثَنِي فَصَدَقَنِي، وَوَعَدَنِي فَوَفَى لِي»

(He spoke to me and he told me the truth, and he promised me and he fulfilled his promise to me.) When the Prophet died, the Khalifah (his successor), Abu Bakr As-Siddiq said, "Whoever received any promise from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ or was owed any debt by him, then let him come to me and I will fulfill it on his behalf." So Jabir bin `Abdullah came and related that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«لَوْ قَدْ جَاءَ مَالُ الْبَحْرَينِ أَعْطَيْتُكَ هَكَذَا وَهَكَذَا وَهَكَذَا»

(If the wealth of Bahrain comes (to me), then I would give you such and such and such.) This meant that he would fill his hands with wealth. Therefore, when the wealth of Bahrain came (to them), Abu Bakr commanded Jabir to come and fill his hands from that wealth. Then, he commanded him to do so again, until he collected five hundred Dirhams. Then, Abu Bakr gave him its double along with it.(i.e. one thousand extra Dirhams). Concerning Allah's statement,

وَكَانَ رَسُولاً نَّبِيّاً

(and he was a Messenger, (and) a Prophet.) In this is a proof of Isma`il's favored status over his brother, Ishaq. Ishaq was only described as being a Prophet, but Isma`il was described with both prophethood and messengership. It is confirmed in Sahih Muslim that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«إِنَّ اللهَ اصْطَفَى مِنْ وَلَدِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِسْمَاعِيل»

(Verily, Allah chose Isma`il from the sons of Ibrahim...) Then, Imam Muslim mentions the rest of the Hadith in its entirety. However, this statement proves the correctness of what we have said. Allah said,

وَكَانَ يَأْمُرُ أَهْلَهُ بِالصَّـلَوةِ وَالزَّكَـوةِ وَكَانَ عِندَ رَبِّهِ مَرْضِيّاً

(And he would enjoin on his family and his people the Salah and the Zakah, and his Lord was pleased with him.) This is also a beautiful form of praise, a commendable quality, and and upright characteristic. He was commanded in this way because of his persistence in obedience of his Lord, and enjoining his family to do so. This is as Allah said to His Messenger ,

وَأْمُرْ أَهْلَكَ بِالصَّلوةِ وَاصْطَبِرْ عَلَيْهَا

(And enjoin the Salah on your family, and be patient with them.) 20:132 Also, Allah, the Exalted, said,

يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ قُواْ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَاراً وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلَـئِكَةٌ غِلاَظٌ شِدَادٌ لاَّ يَعْصُونَ اللَّهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ

(O you who believe! Protect yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who disobey not, (from executing) the commands they receive from Allah, but do that which they are commanded.) 66:6 This means to command them to do good, forbid them from evil and do not neglect them. If you do so, and they obey your command, the Fire (of Hell) will not devour them on the Day of Resurrection. It has been reported in a Hadith from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«رَحِمَ اللهُ رَجُلًا قَامَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَصَلَّى وَأَيْقَظَ امْرَأَتَهُ، فَإِنْ أَبَتْ نَضَحَ فِي وَجْهِهَا الْمَاءَ. رَحِمَ اللهُ امْرَأَةً قَامَتْ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَصَلَّتْ وَأَيْقَظَتْ زَوْجَهَا، فَإِنْ أَبَى نَضَحَتْ فِي وَجْهِهِ الْمَاء»

(May Allah have mercy upon a man who gets up at night to pray and he wakes his wife. If she refuses to get up, he sprinkles water in her face. May Allah have mercy upon a woman who gets up at night to pray and she wakes her husband. If he refuses to get up, she sprinkles water in his face.) This Hadith was recorded by Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah.

Pada ayat ini Allah memerintahkan kepada Nabi Muhammad saw supaya menceritakan tentang Ismail nenek moyang bangsa Arab yang diangkat Allah menjadi nabi dan rasul agar dapat menjadi contoh teladan bagi mereka pada sifat-sifatnya, kesetiaan dan kejujurannya ketabahan dan kesabarannya dalam menjalankan perintah Tuhannya dan ketaatan serta kepatuhannya. Salah satu di antara sifat yang sangat menonjol ialah menepati janji. Menepati janji adalah sifat yang dipunyai oleh setiap rasul dan nabi, tetapi sifat ini pada diri Ismail sangat menonjol sehingga Allah menjadikan sifat ini sebagai keistimewaan Ismail.

Di antara janji-janji yang ditepatinya walaupun janji itu membahayakan jiwanya ialah kesediaannya disembelih sebagai kurban untuk melaksanakan perintah Allah kepada ayahnya Ibrahim yang diterimanya dengan perantaraan ar-ruyah ash-shadiqah (mimpi yang benar) yang senilai dengan wahyu. Tatkala Ibrahim membicarakan dengan Ismail tentang perintah Allah untuk menyembelihnya, Ismail dengan tegas menyatakan bahwa dia bersedia disembelih demi untuk mentaati perintah Allah dan dia akan tabah dan sabar menghadapi maut bagaimana pun pedih dan sakitnya. Hal ini tersebut dalam ayat:

Maka ketika anak itu sampai (pada umur) sanggup berusaha bersamanya, (Ibrahim) berkata, "Wahai anakku! Sesungguhnya aku bermimpi bahwa aku menyembelihmu. Maka pikirkanlah bagaimana pendapatmu!" Dia (Ismail) menjawab, "Wahai ayahku! Lakukanlah apa yang diperintahkan (Allah) kepadamu; insya Allah engkau akan mendapatiku termasuk orang yang sabar." (ash-shaffat/37: 102)

Itulah janji Ismail kepada bapaknya Ibrahim. Janji itu benar-benar ditepati oleh Ismail dan dia menyerahkan dirinya kepada bapaknya yang telah siap dengan pisau yang tajam untuk menyembelihnya. Ibrahim pun walau dengan perasaan sangat iba dan kasihan merebahkan Ismail untuk memudahkan penyembelihan dan pisau pun telah ditujukan ke lehernya. Ketika itu Allah memanggil Ibrahim dan mengganti Ismail dengan seekor biri-biri yang besar dan gemuk. Hal ini diceritakan Allah dalam firman-Nya:

Maka ketika keduanya telah berserah diri dan dia (Ibrahim) membaringkan anaknya atas pipi(nya), (untuk melaksanakan perintah Allah). Lalu Kami panggil dia, "Wahai Ibrahim! Sungguh, engkau telah membenarkan mimpi itu." Sungguh, demikianlah Kami memberi balasan kepada orang-orang yang berbuat baik. Sesungguhnya ini benar-benar suatu ujian yang nyata. Dan Kami tebus anak itu dengan seekor sembelihan yang besar. (ash-shaffat/37: 103-107)

Di samping sifat yang menonjol itu Ismail diangkat Allah menjadi nabi dan rasul kepada kabilah Jurhum yang menetap di Mekah bersama ibunya. Sebagai rasul, Ismail ditugaskan Allah menyampaikan risalah yaitu risalah yang pernah disampaikan oleh ayahnya Nabi Ibrahim kepada kabilah Jurhum itu. Memang sebelum Nabi Muhammad diutus sebagai rasul terdapat di kalangan bangsa Arab orang-orang yang menganut paham tauhid dan besar kemungkinan paham tauhid yang dianut mereka adalah paham yang dibawa dan disampaikan oleh Ismail kepada kaumnya.