Sa`id bin Jubayr, `Amir Ash-Sha`bi, Yusuf bin Mihran, Mujahid, `Ata' and
others reported from Ibn `Abbas that it was Isma`il, peace be upon him. Ibn
Jarir narrated that Ibn `Abbas said, "The one who was ransomed was Isma`il,
peace be upon him. The Jews claimed that it was Ishaq, but the Jews lied.'' It
was reported that Ibn `Umar said, "The sacrifice was Isma`il.'' Ibn Abi Najih
said, narrating from Mujahid, "It was Isma`il, peace be upon him.'' This was
also the view of Yusuf bin Mihran. Ash-Sha`bi said, "It was Isma`il, peace be
upon him, and I saw the horns of the ram in the Ka`bah.'' Muhammad bin Ishaq
reported from Al-Hasan bin Dinar and `Amr bin `Ubayd from Al-Hasan Al-Basri that
he did not doubt that the one of the two sons Ibrahim was commanded to sacrifice
was Isma`il, peace be upon him. Ibn Ishaq said, "I heard Muhammad bin Ka`b
Al-Qurazi say, `The one whom Allah commanded Ibrahim to sacrifice of his two
sons was Isma`il.' We find this in the Book of Allah, because when Allah
finishes the story of the one of the two sons of Ibrahim who was to be
sacrificed, He then says:
[وَبَشَّرْنَـهُ
بِإِسْحَـقَ نَبِيّاً مِّنَ الصَّـلِحِينَ ]
(And We gave him the glad tidings of Ishaq -- a Prophet from the righteous),
and
[فَبَشَّرْنَـهَا
بِإِسْحَـقَ وَمِن وَرَآءِ إِسْحَـقَ يَعْقُوبَ]
(So, We gave her glad tidings of Ishaq and after Ishaq, of Ya`qub) (11:71).
He mentions the son and the son of the son, but He would not have commanded him
to sacrifice Ishaq when He had promised that this son would in turn have a son.
The one whom He commanded him to sacrifice can only have been Isma`il.'' Ibn
Ishaq said, "I heard him say that often.'' Ibn Ishaq reported from Buraydah bin
Sufyan bin Farwah Al-Aslami that Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi told them that he
mentioned that to `Umar bin `Abd Al-`Aziz, may Allah be pleased with him, when
he was Khalifah, while he was with him in Syria. `Umar said to him, "This is
something about which I have never given any thought, but I see that it is as
you say.'' Then he sent for a man who was with him in Syria, a Jew who had
become a Muslim and was committed to Islam, and he thought that he had been one
of their scholars. `Umar bin `Abd Al-`Aziz, may Allah be pleased with him, asked
him about that. Muhammad bin Ka`b said, "I was with `Umar bin `Abd Al-`Aziz.
`Umar said to him, `Which of the two sons of Ibrahim was he commanded to
sacrifice' He said, `Isma`il. By Allah, O Commander of the faithful, the Jews
know this, but they were jealous of you Arabs because it was your father about
whom Allah issued this command and the virtue that Allah mentioned was because
of his patience in obeying the command. So they denied that and claimed that it
was Ishaq, because he is their father.''' `Abdullah bin Al-Imam Ahmad bin
Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, said, "I asked my father about which son
was to be sacrificed -- was it Isma`il or Ishaq'' He said, "Isma`il.'' This was
mentioned in Kitab Az-Zuhd. Ibn Abi Hatim said, "I heard my father say, `The
correct view is that the one who was to be sacrificed was Isma`il, peace be upon
him.''' He said, "And it was narrated that `Ali, Ibn `Umar, Abu Hurayrah, Abu
At-Tufayl, Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Al-Hasan, Mujahid,
Ash-Sha`bi, Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi, Abu Ja`far Muhammad bin `Ali and Abu
Salih, may Allah be pleased with them all, said that the one who was to be
sacrificed was Isma`il.'' Al-Baghawi said in his Tafsir, "This was the view of
`Abdullah bin `Umar, Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib, As-Suddi, Al-Hasan Al-Basri,
Mujahid, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi and Al-Kalbi.'' This was
also reported from Ibn `Abbas and from Abu `Amr bin Al-`Ala'.
[وَبَشَّرْنَـهُ
بِإِسْحَـقَ نَبِيّاً مِّنَ الصَّـلِحِينَ ]
(And We gave him the glad tidings of Ishaq -- a Prophet from the righteous.)
having given the glad tidings of the one who was to be sacrificed, who was
Isma`il, Allah immediately follows that with mention of the glad tidings of his
brother Ishaq. This is also mentioned in Surah Hud (11:71) and in Surat Al-Hijr
(15:53-55).
[نَبِيّاً]
(a Prophet) means, from him there will come a righteous Prophet.
[وَبَـرَكْنَا
عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى إِسْحَـقَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِهِمَا مُحْسِنٌ وَظَـلِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهِ
مُبِينٌ ]
(We blessed him and Ishaq. And of their progeny are (some) that do right, and
some that plainly wrong themselves.) This is like the Ayah:
[قِيلَ ينُوحُ
اهْبِطْ بِسَلَـمٍ مِّنَّا وَبَركَـتٍ عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَى أُمَمٍ مِّمَّن مَّعَكَ
وَأُمَمٌ سَنُمَتِّعُهُمْ ثُمَّ يَمَسُّهُمْ مِّنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ]
(It was said: "O Nuh! Come down (from the ship) with peace from Us and
blessings on you and on the people who are with you, but people to whom We shall
grant their pleasures (for a time), but in the end a painful torment will reach
them from Us.'') (11:48)
[وَلَقَدْ مَنَنَّا
عَلَى مُوسَى وَهَـرُونَ - وَنَجَّيْنَـهُمَا وَقَوْمَهُمَا مِنَ الْكَرْبِ
الْعَظِيمِ - وَنَصَرْنَـهُمْ فَكَانُواْ هُمُ الْغَـلِبُونَ - وَءَاتَيْنَـهُمَا
الْكِتَـبَ الْمُسْتَبِينَ - وَهَدَيْنَـهُمَا الصِّرَطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ -
وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِمَا فِى الاٌّخِرِينَ - سَلَـمٌ عَلَى مُوسَى وَهَـرُونَ
إِنَّا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِى الْمُحْسِنِينَ إِنَّهُمَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
]
(114. And, indeed We gave Our grace to Musa and Harun.) (115. And We saved
them and their people from the great distress,) (116. And helped them, so that
they became the victors;) (117. And We gave them the clear Scripture;) (118. And
guided them to the right path.) (119. And We left for them among the later
generations.) (120. "Salam (peace!) be upon Musa and Harun!'') (121. Verily,
thus do We reward the doers of good.) (122. Verily, they were two of Our
believing servants.)
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