Almost from birth, Abraham endured some of the most harrowing trials a human being can face. He was confined to a cave from infancy until he was old enough to escape. He was cast into a blazing fire, banished from his home and family, and deprived of the joy of parenthood until old age. And when he was finally blessed with a son, he was commanded to sacrifice him. Yet through every test, Abraham remained unwavering in his devotion to God.
In Mina, when Abraham saw in a dream that he was to sacrifice his son, he obeyed without hesitation. He bound Ishmael’s limbs, and the boy—understanding his father’s divine role—consented. Abraham sharpened his blade, laid Ishmael’s temple gently upon the ground, facing the ruins of the Ka‘bah, and with tears in his eyes and resolve in his heart, he drew the blade swiftly across his son’s throat. He braced himself to witness death, but God, in His mercy, spared him the trauma and replaced the boy with a ram.
There are striking parallels in Abraham’s earlier trial: he was ordered to leave Hagar and infant Ishmael in a barren, hostile land—the valley of Bakkah. With tears in his eyes, Abraham prayed and reassured Hagar:
“The One who ordered me will provide.”
As the sun rose and the desert heat intensified, the baby’s thirst grew unbearable, but miraculously God had mercifully provided water at the baby’s feet to the relief of an exhausted Hagar.
Centuries later, in the scorching plains of Karbala, another innocent child cried from thirst—Imam Hussain’s six-month-old son, Ali Asghar. His mother, Rubab, weakened from her own dehydration, was unable to comfort him. Her milk had dried, and she could not offer him a drop of nourishment. His gaze, full of pain and longing, silently pleaded with her—his cries stabbing her heart.
Desperate, Imam Hussain carried his infant son before the enemy and pleaded:
“O people! If you believe Hussain is guilty of any crime, what has this innocent babe done? He cannot speak. He has harmed no one. He has not uttered a word against you or your commander in Damascus. He has had neither milk nor water for three days. If you believe I seek water for myself under his name, then I will place him on the ground and step away. Quench his thirst, if only with a few drops.”
The sight was so deeply moving, so tragic, that even hardened soldiers in the enemy ranks wept. Many cursed Yazid and his commander, ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad, who had orchestrated this siege. Fearing that sympathy might turn into rebellion, ‘Umar ibn Sa‘d quickly ordered a brutal archer, Hurmula, to act.
Hurmula fired a three-pronged arrow that pierced the Imam’s arm and lodged in the baby’s delicate neck. Blood gushed forth, drenching the father’s face. Ali Asghar died smiling in his father’s arms.
Imam Hussain returned to the camp with his lifeless son in his hands. As he neared the tent, he paused—once, then again—seven times, as if gathering the strength to face the grieving mother. When Rubab saw him, she cried out,
“What have they done to my son? Did they at least give him a drop of water before they killed him?”
Imam Hussain replied,
“I pleaded with them, but instead of water, they drenched him in blood.”
Rubab said softly,
“Please bury our son with your own hands.”
And so, in the scorching sands of Karbala, the father dug a tiny grave with his sword and laid his infant to rest. Lifting his gaze to the heavens, he said:
“O Almighty God, bear witness that I have fulfilled my duty to the very end.”
Does not even this one sacrifice suffice to pierce the heart of every human being? Can we not say that this sacrifice alone surpasses even that of Prophet Abraham?
Only God knows the depth of fortitude and patience He granted Imam Hussain (peace be upon him), to endure calamity after unimaginable calamity—and to do so with unwavering faith and love. Let us all pray to our magnificent lord who works in mysterious ways that we would have the faith and conviction of these great believers.Let us remember all those in Palestine and all the other lands where others are also experiencing the tragic loss of their innocents in cold blood.
Sources:
Karbala, IslamicOccasions.com