In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Beneficent
‘My Lord! Grant me sound judgment, and join me with the righteous; and grant me the advocacy of the truth in later generations; place me among those who will inherit the garden of bliss! Forgive my father; for he is among the ones who have gone astray. Let me not suffer disgrace on the Day when all shall be raised from the dead; the Day when neither wealth nor children will be of any benefit; but only the one who comes to God with a sound heart (will be happy).’ (The Poets: Al-Shu’ara: 26: 83-89)
Having given his people a comprehensive description of God, the Lord of all the worlds, Abraham addresses a long, humble prayer to Him. Nothing in Abraham’s prayer concerns any aspect of the comforts and pleasures of this world, not even physical health. It looks to higher aspects, motivated by pure feelings. It is a prayer made by a heart that has true knowledge of God and, as a result, gives little value to everything else. He has known God’s grace and prays for more of it, and he entertains hopes and fears in accordance with his experience.
“My Lord! Grant me sound judgment.” Grant me the wisdom by which I recognize the truth and distinguish true from false values so that I will continue to follow the right course. “And join me with the righteous.” Abraham, the noble prophet whose devotion is exemplary, says this. What self-effacing humility! What worry about falling short of what is expected, and fear of a change of heart! How keen he was just to be among the righteous! He feels that he can only achieve this if God guides him to do the righteous deeds that bring him into their ranks.
“And grant me the advocacy of the truth in later generations.” This is a supplication that hopes for extension in later generations, not through offspring, but through faith. What Abraham prays for is that he should have in later generations a true advocate who calls on people to follow the path of the truth and brings them back to the pure faith that he himself has advocated. This may be the same prayer quoted elsewhere in the Qur’an as it speaks of his building of the Kaabah with his son Ishmael. They both prayed: “Our Lord, accept this from us; You are the One that hears all and knows all. Our Lord, make us surrender ourselves to You, and make out of our offspring a community that will surrender itself to You. Show us our ways of worship and accept our repentance; You are the One who accepts repentance, the Merciful. Our Lord, send them a Messenger from among themselves who shall declare to them Your revelations, and instruct them in the Book and in wisdom, and purify them. You are Mighty and Wise.” (2: 127-129)
God answered his prayer and gave him that advocate of the truth, sending those people a messenger to teach them the true faith and to purify them. Such an answer to Abraham’s prayer came several thousand years later, which is a very long time in people’s reckoning, but it is the appropriate time in God’s wisdom.
“Place me among those who will inherit the garden of bliss!” Having already prayed that he should join the ranks of the righteous, through guidance to do what is good, now he prays to be one of those to be admitted to the garden of bliss that is inherited only by God’s righteous servants.
“Forgive my father; for he is among the ones who have gone astray.” He prays for his father’s forgiveness despite all the harsh treatment and serious threats he had received from him. He had promised his father to pray for his forgiveness and he certainly fulfilled his promise. Later, the Qur’an makes clear that it is not permissible for a believer to pray for the forgiveness of anyone who associates partners with God, even though that person might be a close relative. The Qur’an also clarifies that “Abraham prayed for the forgiveness of his father only because of a promise he had made to him. But when it became clear to him that he was God’s enemy, he disowned him.” (9: 114) Abraham then realized that the true relation that should be observed is not that of blood; rather it is the relation of faith. This is an important aspect of correct Islamic education.
The first bond that gives rise to any relation between two people is that of faith: If it is severed, then all relations are at an end.
“Let me not suffer disgrace on the Day when all shall be raised from the dead; the Day when neither wealth nor children will be of any benefit; but only the one who comes to God with a sound heart (will be happy).” We appreciate the extent of Abraham’s feeling of the hardship of the Day of Resurrection from his prayer not to be disgraced then. We also feel his humility before his Lord and his fear that he might have fallen short of what is expected of him, when he is a noble prophet. We also realize how profoundly he felt the nature of that great day in his description of it. He also realizes that the only value recognized on the day is that of sincerity which makes the heart purely devoted to God, allowing no consideration or personal desire of any nature to detract from such pure devotion. This is the type of sound heart that is worthy of proper value. “The Day when neither wealth nor children will be of any benefit.” Indeed, no other quality, property or consideration is of any benefit, because all are of temporary nature and will come to an end. People who try hard to possess such things in this life may covet them, but these will be of no value in the ultimate reckoning.
Such was Abraham’s prayer, a prophet who keenly felt what gives a human being credit in the final analysis. We will look at the rest of his story as related in this surah next week, God willing.
