Life History of Prophet Muhammad PBUH ( The Sacrifice of Abdullah, Father of Prophet Muhammadﷺ PBUH)

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

In the name of Allah the most beneficent, the most merciful.

Dear Brothers & Sisters, 

"السلام عليكم ورحمتہ اللہ وبرکاتہ"Assalamu Alaikum 

(May the blessings of Almighty and peace be upon you) 

The Beginning (Sacrifice of Abdullah father of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH)

یہ عبدُالمطّلب کے سب سے چھوٹے بیٹے تھے اور یَہی عَبدُاللہ حُضور رَحمَتِ عالَم صَلّی اللہ عَلَیہ وَسلّم کے والِد تھے۔ جَناب عَبدُاللہ اَپنے بھائیوں میں سب سے زِیادہ خُوبصُورَت، نیک اور سَمجھدَار تھے۔ سَارے قبیلے میں اُن کی خُوب صُورتی کے چَرچے تھے۔ ھر گھرانہ اُن کو اپنا دامَاد بَنانا چاہتَا تھا اور اور ہر لَڑکی اُن کو اَپنا شوہَر بَنانا چاہتی تھی۔ مَگر اَچانَک لوگوں کو مَعلوم ہُوا کہ عَبدُالمطّلب نے اَپنے دَس بیٹوں میں سے ایک کو قُربَان کرنے کی قَسَم کھائی تھی اور اَب اُس قربانی کےلئے عَبدُاللہ کا نَام آگیا ہے۔ جَناب عَبدُاللہ سے ھَر شَخص کو مّحبّت تھی اور کوئی نَہیں چاہتا تَھا کہ وہ اِس طرح ذُبَح کردئیے جائیں۔ اِس لیے لوگ آکر عَبدالمطّلب کو اِس سے روکنے لَگے مَگر عبدُالمّطُلب قَسَم پُوری کَرنے کا فیصلَہ کرچُکے تھے۔

آخِر عبدُالمّطّلب کے پاس ایک رئیس ’’مغیرہ‘‘ آیا اور اُس نے مَشورہ دِیا کہ تُم اَپنی قَسَم پُوری کرنے کا کوئی دُوسرا طَریقَہ کِسی کاہِن یا نُجُومی سے پُوچھو۔ اُس زَمانے میں یَثرب میں ایک بَہت مَشہُور کاہنہ عَورَت تِھی۔ مُغیرَہ نے عَبدُالمطّلب سے اُسی کے پَاس جانے کیلئے کہا۔

یہ بَات عَبدُالمطّلب کی سَمجھ میں آگئی اور وہ فَوراً اُس عورَت سے جاکر مِلے اُس نے سَاری بَات سُن کَر کہا۔

’’تُمھارے یَہاں کِتنے دیّت (یَعنی جان کی قِیمَت) کا رِواج ہے؟‘‘

عَبدُالمُطّلب نے کَہا۔ ’’ہَم جان کے بَدلے میں دَس اُونٹ دیتے ہیں۔‘‘

کاہنہ نے کہا۔۔۔ (مضمون جاری ہے)

’’تَب تُم دَس اُونٹوں کا اور بیٹے کے نام کا قرعہ ڈالو۔ اَگر قرعہ اونٹوں کے نام نِکل آئے تو اُونٹ ذُبح کرنا ورنہ بِیس اونٹوں کا قرعہ ڈالنا۔ اِس طَرح جَب تَک اُونٹوں کے نام کا قرعہ نہ نکلے تو تُم ہر مَرتبہ قرعہ میں دَس اُونٹ بَڑھاتے رَہنا۔ جَب قرعہ اونٹوں پَر نِکل آئے تو بیٹے کے بَدلے وہ سب اُونٹ ذُبح کَردینا۔‘‘

عبدُالمطّلب نے مکّے آکر قرعہ ڈالا۔ پَہلی دَفعہ اونٹوں پَر قرعہ نَہیں آیا تو اُنہوں نے دَس اونٹ بڑھا دیئے اور پِھر بِیس پَر قرعہ ڈَالا۔ پھر بھی اونٹوں پر قرعہ نہیں آیا۔ اِس طَرح عَبدُالمطّلب اونٹوں کی تِعداد بَڑھاتے رَہے اور قرعہ ڈالتے رَہے۔ آخر جَب سَو اُونٹ ہوگئے تو قرعہ اُونٹوں پَر ہی نِکل آیَا۔ یہ دیکھ کر سب نے عبدُالمطّلب کو مُبارَکباد دی۔ اِس کے بَعد عبدالمطّلب نے بیٹے کے بَدلے سو (۱۰۰) اونٹ ذبح کَرکے اَپنی قَسَم پُوری کی۔

(ابن ہشام وتاریخ طبری)

The Beginning ((The Sacrifice of Abdullah, father of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH)

Abd ul Muttalib as per his promise to sacrifice one of his sons, went to the Oracle in the Makkah for consultation and the Oracle suggested him to write down the names of all his sons in a stick and spill them and the name that will appear in the tip over will be the chosen one for sacrifice. Accordingly, Abd ul Muttalib spilled the stick and was praying from deep inside his heart that the name of Abdullah should not appear in the spilling of the sticks, as he was very fond of Abdullah. Abdullah, the father of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH was very handsome and well mannered amongst his brothers. However, the name of Abdullah appeared in tip over, to this Abd ul Muttalib spilled it again, Abdullah’s name appeared once again, Abd ul Muttalib spilled it once again and to his surprise Abdullah’s name appeared once again. Once the name of Abdullah appeared three times, Abd ul Muttalib decided that he will sacrifice Abdullah and took him to his god of worship an idol named Asaaf placed near Safa and Marwah. When the tribe of Quraish saw Abd ul Muttalib taking Abdullah for sacrifice, they asked Abd ul Muttalib, as to what he is doing and why he would sacrifice such a handsome young man, what kind of promise is that, to this Abd ul Muttalib was reluctant and said he will surely fulfil his promise of sacrificing as the name of Abduallah has appeared three times and he will fulfil it. The people of Quraish tribe somehow managed Abd ul Muttalib and asked him why don’t he consult the oracle if there is any other thing which can be sacrificed other than Abdullah himself. On hearing this, Abd ul Muttalib felt it was a wise decision and they all went to the Oracle in Makkah and consulted him.

A DEPICTION OF ORACLE IN ANCIENT TIMES

The oracle asked Abd ul Muttalib, if a person dies then what is the compensation you pay for the person, Abd ul Muttalib said ten camels, he said keep one side ten camels and Abdullah another side and if ten camels appear in the spilling then sacrifice ten camels and your sacrifice will be accepted. When Abd ul Muttalib came to know of this, he was very happy and was more than willing to sacrifice camels on behalf of Abdullah. When Abd ul Muttalib spilled the sticks the name Abdullah came and he wen to the Oracle and consulted again, the Oracle instructed to add more ten camels and do the spilling, again the name of Abdullah came, the Oracle asked to add more ten camels again the name of Abdullah came, when the count of camels came to 100 then, the name of the camels came and Abd ul Muttalib was very much relieved that his son Abdullah was saved from being sacrificed and he scarified 100 camels on his behalf.

What we learnt/ Guidance:

 Prophet Muhammad ﷺ  PBUH said that he is the son of two Zabiullah (meaning son of the father’s who were offered for sacrifice in the name of Allah and were eventually saved from being sacrificed). In order to understand this, his biological father Abdullah , who was offered to be sacrificed by Abd ul Muttalib and father from Prophethood Hazrat Ismail (A.S) who was offered by Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) for sacrifice makes the statement very wise and clear. 

In order to understand Hazrat Ismail (A.S) as a father, if we take into account the lineage of Hazrat Ismail (A.S), no other person was bestowed with Prophethood other than Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH. Hence in this account, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH, refers Hazrat Ismail (A.S) as his father from Prophethood side. It can be understood in other context also like  Hazrat Aadam (A.S) is the father of all mankind as he was the first of the human beings does not mean that he is the biological father of every human being, but in relation to the human being and he being the first amongst the humans created by Allah (swt) we refer Hazrat Aadam (A.S) to be as the father of all human beings.