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The story of Prophet Abraham and the fire
As many are attacking Islam and the messenger, let us remember that we rely on Allah alone as Prophet Abraham did.
Date: 3/17/2009 6:44:48 AM ( 15 y ) ... viewed 7053 times Abraham's Honored Guests
51:24: "Hath the story of Abraham's honored guests reached thee (O Muhammad)?"
Abraham's nickname was: "Father of guests" because he was so hospitable. Because of his great hospitality, God always sent him an angel to keep company with him, so that Abraham would not have to sit and eat alone. One time God sent Abraham three angels to bring him news of a son, although he and his wife were quite old. It is said that the three angels who visited Abraham are called "honored" because Abraham, the Intimate Friend of God, served them himself. It is also said that they are called this because the guest of an honorable person is himself honorable.
God blessed the lands of the entire Middle East with great angelic presence and light. He caused all the prophets and saints who are mentioned in His revealed Scriptures and traditions to be born there. God made them visit and bless the various locations that He caused to ba the in perpetual angelic light, such as Mecca, Madina, Jerusalem, Damascus, Sinai, Yemen, and the mountains of the Lebanon. God brought Abraham to Syria and called it: "The land which we have blessed for the benefit of the worlds" (21:72).
One day Gabriel asked God: "O God! show me one of Your beloved servants." God sent him down to see Abraham. Gabriel searched the earth and found him sitting with his son on a hill overlooking a valley entirely filled with flocks of sheep and cattle. In the blink of an eye Gabriel appeared before him as a man and addressed him: "O stranger! what is your name?"
- "My name is Abraham."
- "And who is this with you?"
- "My son."
- "What are you doing on this hill?"
- "Tending those flocks you see below."
- "Whose flocks are these?"
- "They are mine."
Abraham was wondering why this man was asking all these questions but he kept quiet. Gabriel went on questioning him and checking his faith. He said:
- "O Abraham! these flocks are too many for you."
- "They are not too many but if you would like to have a share I can give you some."
- "Yes, but I cannot pay the cost."
- "The price will not be too much for you but it will be dear to me."
- "I do not understand."
- "Ask me."
- "What is the price, O Abraham?"
- "The price of half this flock is under your tongue and between your lips."
- "What is that?"
- "It will take only a few seconds to move your tongue and your lips with some words then half the flock will be yours."
- "What are these words?"
- "Are you accepting my terms?"
- "Yes, I accept."
- "Then say: 'subbuhun quddusun rabbul mala'ikati war ruh,' 'Most Glorious and Holiest, Lord of the angels and the Spirit!'"
Gabriel said:
- "Subbuhun quddusun rabbul mala'ikati war ruh."
- "O my son! go down rightaway and put half of these flocks on the side for our guest."
Gabriel continued Abraham's examination:
- "O Abraham! what remains is still too many for you and your son alone, while we, my tribe and I, are greater in number than you."
- "O my brother! do not worry. I shall give you another half of the remaining half if you say a second time: 'Most Glorious and Holiest, Lord of the angels and the Spirit!'"
God ordered all the angels in heaven to pay attention at the dialogue between Gabriel and Abraham and to marvel at the latter's faith and loyalty. Gabriel again said:
- "Subbuhun quddusun rabbul mala'ikati war ruh."
Abraham immediately ordered:
- "O my son! take half of the remainder and add it to the first half."
Then he looked at the man and said:
- "I feel that you want to ask for more. I will not wait for you to ask again. I shall ask you myself if you want more."
At that time all the angels in heaven wept and praised the generosity of the perfect man, Abraham. God said to his angels: "I am creating from every drop of your tears an angel that will inhabit the earth until the end of this world. They will be my messengers in charge of protecting and guiding human beings until Judgment Day." And God said: "Be," and the angels were created, and descended in throngs upon the earth for guiding and protecting human beings.
That was for one person, Abraham. What about all the other pious ones, prophets and saints who, like Abraham, are causing God's mercy to descend on the earth for our benefit?
Then Abraham said to Gabriel:
- "Say: 'Most Glorious, Holiest, our Lord and the Lord of angels and the Spirit!'"
Gabriel said: - "Subbuhun quddusun rabbuna wa rabbul mala'ikati war- ruh."
Abraham then said to his son:
- "O my son! leave eveything for our visitor and let us go. I have received the price I asked. These three utterances of blessing on my Lord are more precious to me than all these flocks."
- "Abraham, wait! said the visitor. I am Gabriel the angel, I only came to check your love and your sincerity. I don't need all these flocks!"
- "O Gabriel! Abraham said, did you think I did not know it was you? Were you not aware that I recognized you from the first moment you came here? You came veiling yourself from me but I pointed you out when I asked you to praise your Lord with the words: 'Lord of the angels and the Spirit.' It is I who covered myself from you. I differentiated myself from you when I made you say the third time: 'Our Lord (Lord of human beings) and the Lord of angels and the Spirit.'"
Gabriel was baffled by Abraham's answer. He did not know what to do with the cattle and sheep! God called him and said: "O Gabriel! leave Abraham, for he will never take them back. This is because when the generous one gives he never takes back and never reminds someone of a favor he did him. I have adorned Abraham with that attribute of Mine, al-Karim: 'the Generous One,' for his love and sincerity. Direct these flocks of sheep, cows, goats, horses, donkeys, buffaloes, and camels to the jungles of this earth. Appoint over them guardian angels to look after them. My will is that these species of animals will never be extinguished from the earth because of Abraham's generosity." Gabriel assigned angels to those flocks. Wherever you go on this earth you will find generations of these animals in every part of the globe because of the blessing of Abraham's generosity.
When Nimrod desired to hurt Abraham he had a great fire built, such as had never been seen on the surface of the earth. The fire was so great that they could not approach it in order to throw in Abraham. A man told Nimrod that he had invented a special machine which he could use if he wished. That was the manjaniq or catapult. Abraham was seized, placed in it, and thrown into the fire. All that time he was saying: "My reliance is on God!" When he landed in the fire, he said: "O God, You are One in heaven and I am one on earth worshipping You." Gabriel immediately asked God for permission to go and help Abraham. God said: "If you wish you may go and ask him if he desires help." Gabriel went down and appeared before Abraham. God told all the angels to watch what would happen and listen to Abraham's answer.
Gabriel said:
- "O Abraham! I came to help. Do you want me to take you out of the fire?"
Abraham answered:
- "Does God not see His servant, O Gabriel?"
- "Yes, of course, He sees everything!"
- "Then let Him do as He wishes with me, O Gabriel!"
The angel of rain asked God: "Our Lord, will you let me order the rain to put out that fire?" All the animals of creation gathered and tried to put out the fire, each using the means at its disposal. Only the gecko lizard was found fanning it. But God's order to the fire itself was faster, for God had already made the fire cool and safe for Abraham. The angels praised Abraham for his absolute trust in God. The only discomfort that he suffered at that time was that he sweated a little and Gabriel wiped his sweat for him.
Then God ordered the angel of the shade to descend and make Abraham's stay a comfortable one. The angel of the shade came down and caused a huge garden to sprout instantly in the midst of the fire. A green meadow appeared in the midst of which there was a pleasant pond filled with fish and swans from Paradise. Their scales and feathers shone like silk and reflected all the colors of creation. Servants were attending Abraham, who was found under the cool shade of a willow-tree surrounded with delicious fruits and dainty dishes, and the angels engaged him in a divine conversation, during which they revealed to him the secrets of their stations and the powers God had endowed them with, giving him everything. At that time those who were outside looking in, began to wish that they, too, would be thrown into that fire with Abraham. Even his father, who previously disbelieved in him, said: "O Abraham, what a wonderful Lord your Lord is!" And his mother actually went into the fire escorted by the angels, hugged Abraham and came back out without being harmed. No-one else could approach it without feeling an intense scorching heat.
The fire burnt uncontrollably for forty days. But Abraham's garden only increased in verdure and kept expanding with the constant visitations and blessings of the angels. At that time, Abraham's fire was the most blessed spot on the entire surface of the earth, as God looked upon it with the highest favor. He ordered all the angels of creation to pay at least one visit to His Friend Abraham.
http://www.naqshbandi.org/library/angels/angels_17.html
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