THE HOUSE OF ABRAHAM
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful O Followers of earlier Revelation! Why do you argue about Abraham? The Torah and the Gospel were revealed long after him! You argue about that in which you have some knowledge, but why do you argue about that which is unknown to you? You say be Jews or Christians and you shall be on the right path! Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but was one who Surrendered to Allah — he turned from all that was false, and he joined not gods with Allah! When your Lord tried Abraham by His Commandments and he fulfilled them, He said: “Behold I shall make you a leader of men!” Abraham asked: “Will this include my descendants as well?” Allah answered: “If your Children keep My Covenant that I have made with you, then I also will perform to your children that which I have spoken unto you, and I will not forsake them. My Covenant will not include evil-doers!” ….. When Abraham and Ishmael raised the foundation of the House they prayed: “O Our Lord, accept this from Us, and make of Our offspring a community that will Surrender unto You — raise an Apostle from among them who shall convey unto them Your Messages, and impart unto them Revelation as well as Wisdom, and cause them to grow in Purity!” ….. Allah has chosen the Faith for you! See that you die not — except in Surrender to Him! This is what Abraham enjoined upon his sons, and also did Jacob! He placed before them statutes and judgments, and gave them divine instructions. When death was approaching Jacob, he said unto his sons: “Whom will you worship after I am gone?” They answered: “We will worship your god and the god of your fathers, Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac, to Him we surrender.” ….. But they said amongst themselves: “We will not walk in it, we will follow our own plans!” Satan stirred them up to iniquity, puffing them up with pride — tempting them to seek power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the world! They did not sin ignorantly! For they knew the will of Allah concerning them — for it had been taught unto them. Therefore they did willfully rebel against Allah! It is they who exchange guidance for error, and forgiveness for punishment! And they will have a painful punishment! They say: “Be Jews and you shall be on the right path!” ….. No! Ours is the Religion of Abraham the True, and he joined not gods with Allah! And who, unless he be weak of mind, would want to abandon Abraham’s Religion? Those people have passed away. They shall reap the fruit of what they did, and you of what you do! Say: “We believe in Allah, and in that which was bestowed upon Abraham and Ishmael, and Isaac and Jacob, and to Moses, Jesus and Muhammad! We make no distinction between any of them!” ….. ********** It is to Allah that We Surrender Ourselves! Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but was one who turned away from all that is false. He Surrendered himself to Allah, and was not an idolator! The Lord gave Abraham an understanding heart, and he knew that all the works of that generation was vain, and that all their gods were vain and were useless! Allah Himself says: “When your father and your mother, and every other thing is a stumbling-block to you in the worship of Me, abandon them!” ….. Why does Allah say this? Because the father of Abraham was an image-maker, who made and worshiped false gods! Whence there was enmity between them insomuch that the father wished to burn his son! Abraham was seven years old when he began to seek Allah! One day he said to his father: “Father, what made man?” His father answered: “Man! For I made you, and my father made me.” Abraham replied: “Father, it is not so, for I heard an old man weeping and saying: ‘O my God, why have you not given me children?” His father then said: “It is true, my son, that God helps man to make man. It is only necessary that man come to pray to his god, and to give him lambs and sheep, and his god will help him!” Abraham asked: “How many gods are there father?” He replied: “They are infinite in number my son.” Then said Abraham: “O father, what shall I do if I serve one god and another shall wish me evil because I serve not him? Would there be discord between them and war arise among the gods? And what if the god who wills me evil shall slay my god? What shall I do? It is certain he will slay me too!” The old man laughing said: “Assuredly all men do not serve one god, but one man one, and another, another. No god makes war upon another god! In the great temple there are a thousand gods, with the great god Baal, and I have never seen that one god has slain another god!” Abraham then asked: “So then, do they have peace among themselves?” Said the father: “They have!” Then said Abraham: “O father, what are the gods like?” His father answered: “Fool! Everyday I make a god, which I sell to others to buy bread, and you know not, what the gods are like?” And at that moment he was making an idol. “This,” said he, “does it not seem as though it were alive? It lacks but breath!” Abraham replied: “So father, if the gods are without breath? Then how do they give breath? And being without life, how can they give life? It is certain that these are not God! O father, was the world for sometime without men? I would like to know who made the first God?” The father was beside himself, hearing his son speak so, and said: “Leave me to make this god quickly, and speak no more words to me, for when you are hungry you want bread and not words.” ….. and chased him from the house! …. ********** Abraham removed himself some distance from the house and sat under a palm tree, where thus abiding by himself he said: “Woe unto my father and this wicked generation, whose hearts are all inclined to vanity, who serve these idols of wood and stone — which can neither eat, smell, hear nor speak! They have mouths without speech, eyes without sight, ears without hearing, hands without feeling, and legs which cannot move. It must be a God Who has Life and Power more than man since He makes man, and man without God cannot make man!” ….. Abraham saw the sun shining upon the earth, and said unto himself: “Surely now this sun which shines upon the earth is God, and him will I serve!” ….. Abraham served the sun in that day and prayed to it, and when the evening came and the sun set, he said within himself, ‘Surely this cannot be God!’ And when night darkened over him, he saw the moon and stars before him and he said: “Surely this is the God which created the whole earth as well as man, and these his servants are gods around him!” ….. And Abraham served the moon and prayed to it all that night! But in the morning when the sun rose again, he said unto himself, ‘Surely these are not gods, I love not things that set, and disappear, these are but Servants of God!’ He then said: “Indeed, if my Lord guide me not, I will certainly become one of the people who go astray, far be it for me to ascribe divinity to any besides God!” Thus We gave Abraham his first insight into Allah’s Mighty Dominion over the heavens and earth, and this — to the end that he might become one of those who are inwardly sure! ********** Abraham having come to the age of twelve years, his father said to him: “Tomorrow is the festival of all the gods! Therefore we shall go to the great temple and bear a present for my god, the great Baal. And you shall choose for yourself a god, for you are of age to have a god.” Abraham responded: “Do you not know, or have you not heard, this is evil which you do, to take idols as gods? I see you and your people in manifest error! How can you continue to do this, and serve gods of wood and stone? O my father, why do you worship something that neither hears or sees, and can be of no help whatever to you? Our ancestors sinned therein in days of old, and Allah brought the flood upon them and destroyed them all. Refrain from this and bring not evil upon your soul and you become a companion of Satan! To me has come knowledge which has not reached you. Follow me and I will guide you to the Straight Path! How can you serve these idols in whom there is no power to do anything? I fear that the Beneficent Allah will punish you! Can these idols in which you trust deliver you? Can they hear your prayers when you call upon them?” He answered: “Abraham! Are you telling me to reject my gods? Leave my house before I punish you!” Abraham replied: “Peace be upon you! Willingly will I leave you, and those you invoke other than Allah. I will ask my Lord to forgive you. Perhaps my prayer will not be ignored!” ….. When Abraham departed he went before everyone else to the temple, with an axe hidden beneath his clothing, and hid himself behind an idol in a dark part of the temple. When everyone departed from the temple and went away, then he broke the idols to pieces, except the largest one among them. That they might turn to it, he placed the axe in it’s hand. When the people saw what happened they said: “Who has done this to our gods?” Some said: “We heard a youth speak of these gods with scorn, he is called Abraham. Bring him forth that he may testify!” When he came forth they asked: “Have you done this to our gods, O Abraham?” Abraham answered: “No! Shall a man slay God? The large one saw their works that they did, and in his anger took the axe and broke them all. The axe is still in his hand as you see. Ask him!” They said: “You know full well that idols do not speak!” Said Abraham: “Have you, then, ever considered what it is that you have been worshiping? Do you then worship instead of Allah, something that cannot benefit you in any way? Will you not then use your reason?” Then arrived the father of Abraham, who, mindful of the many discourses of Abraham against their gods, and recognizing the axe wherewith Abraham broke the idols in pieces, cried out: “It is this traitor of a son of mine, who has slain our gods!” And he recounted all that had passed between him and his son. The people exclaimed: “Burn him if you are going to do anything!” But Allah through His Angel, Gabriel, commanded the fire that it should not burn Abraham, His Servant! ….. Wherefore, when your father, your mother, or any other thing is a stumbling-block to you in the worship of Allah, abandon them! ********** Abraham’s prayer that his father be forgiven was but due to a promise which he had given him! But when it became clear to him that his father was an enemy to Allah — he dissociated himself from him. Although Abraham was very tender-hearted and forbearing! Allah too, made a Promise to Abraham, saying: “I will indeed bless you and will surely multiply your descendants. And in your descendants all of the nations of the earth shall be blessed!” ….. This is in truth Allah’s Promise! Think on Jesus’ words: “My soul is magnified today, for my eyes have seen wonderful things! I see with my eyes two peoples to come forth. They will rise up, that He Who sent me may be glorified! And men will follow them who do not regard the person of the sinful rich, and who do not fear the men who lead them astray! By them shall things be revealed, and hidden things will come to light, and things that are not known shall be made known by them! Woe to those who shall hate and despise them, for theirs is destruction! Now hear their names, Muhammad the Sacred Messenger of Allah, and John, son of John, the Messiah! There shall come a number of false prophets, save these two! But I told you this so when it happens, you will remember I told you about it! Be not lifted up against these two tribes! Their branches shall stretch afar off, saving every race of men. Beware therefore of all jealousy and envy and walk in singleness of heart, for from them shall arise unto you the salvation of Allah!” ….. ********** O Abraham! Are these your sons? ….. “As you have truly seen, these are my sons! And they shall speak the Word of the Lord in Righteousness, and the blessing of the Lord shall be given in their mouths. And by these two, will the Lord judge the whole Human Race! O John, I know that you have come on my account! Allah never fails to fulfill His Promise! May you prosper and fulfill the vow that you have vowed — to Whom you have vowed the vow. Think on Muhammad’s words: “O John, in you shall the seed of Abraham become illustrious, and you shall prove to be a blessing on the earth! Be you Housekeeper instead of me, and go forth and fight for Our Nation!” ….. “Blessed be Allah, Who delighted in you, to set you upon his throne, to do Judgment and Justice! Because the Lord anointed you to be Head over this inheritance — cause it to rise in the West! Turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve Allah with all your heart. My sons are with you, and they will show you. For evil is determined against Our Master, and all His Household!” O Mankind! Think on Isaiah’s words: “Now therefore do not scoff! He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an axe, and the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him — the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Might, the Spirit of Knowledge and Fear of the Lord! And there will be a highway for the remnant of His People, for the Lord has spoken, and He does not call back His Words!” ….. “Allah set forth the parable of a good word — it is like a tree, firmly rooted. And the parable of a corrupt word, is that of a corrupt tree! John shall do well, for this axe is mine!” ….. ********** O John! This House have I built for Myself that I might put My Name upon it in the earth! And it shall be named the House of Abraham. And whoso builds upon this — the gates of Hell shall not prevail against them! Take the place of Abraham and purify My House, and whosoever will deny the Truth, I will let enjoy himself for a short time — but in the end I will drive them to torment and Fire! Fear not and be not dismayed, O son of Abraham! It is given to you and your seed forever, and your name will stand throughout all generations of the earth! Establish it therefore, and declare the words which I have spoken. Blessed are you, and blessed are they who shall believe in your words, for they shall be comforted! You have the Commandments before you out of the Books which have been written, and shall be written! This people will be judged according to the Judgment which I will give unto you, which shall be Just. These Scriptures which you had not with you, expound all things which should come upon the face of the earth — even unto the great and last day! And if it shall so be that they shall believe these things, then shall the greater things be made manifest to them! Verily I say unto you, there are none of them that have seen so great things as you have seen; neither have they heard so great things as you have heard! I will try the faith of My People, therefore, do write the things which have been commanded and give it to them, for there are disputations among the people concerning this matter! Whatsoever you shall do, you shall do it in My Name — that I might draw all men unto Me!
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