Ibrahim (peace be upon him), called Abraham in English, is one of the greatest prophets. Jews, Christians and Muslims all honour him. The Qur'an tells his story in many places, a whole chapter carries his name, and Allah (﷾) calls him His friend.
This guide follows what the Qur'an says, with a few authentic sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). It is the story as Islam tells it.
At a glance
- He reasoned with his people, from a star, the moon and the sun to the One who made them.
- He broke his people's idols, and Allah (﷾) made the fire they threw him into cool and safe.
- By Allah's (﷾) command he left Hajar and baby Isma'il in the valley of Mecca, and Allah (﷾) gave them the well of Zamzam.
- When a dream showed him offering his son in sacrifice, father and son both submitted to Allah (﷾). Allah (﷾) ransomed the son with a great sacrifice.
- With Isma'il he built the Kaaba, the House of Allah (﷾) in Mecca.
- Allah (﷾) took him as His friend, and made prophets of his descendants, down to Muhammad (ﷺ).
- The signs
He shows his people that the star, the moon and the sun all set, and turns to the One who created them. Qur’an 6:76–79
- His father
He calls his father gently to leave the idols, and answers his threat with peace. Qur’an 19:42–47
- The idols
He breaks his people's idols, all but the biggest, and asks them to question it. Qur’an 21:57–63
- The fire
His people throw him into a fire. Allah (﷾) makes it cool and safe for him. Qur’an 21:68–70
- The valley
By Allah's (﷾) command he leaves Hajar and Isma'il at Mecca. Allah (﷾) gives them Zamzam. Qur’an 14:37Sahih al-Bukhari 3364
- The dream
Father and son submit to Allah's (﷾) command, and Allah (﷾) ransoms the son with a great sacrifice. Qur’an 37:102–107
- The House
With Isma'il he raises the foundations of the Kaaba, praying that Allah (﷾) accept it. Qur’an 2:127
- His legacy
Allah (﷾) takes him as a friend, and places prophethood among his descendants. Qur’an 4:125Qur’an 29:27
The Qur'an gives no dates for Ibrahim's life, so these are the stages of his story.
The star, the moon and the sun
Ibrahim grew up among people who worshipped idols. Even his father, whom the Qur'an calls Azar, took idols for gods. But Allah (﷾) showed Ibrahim the wonders of the heavens and the earth, so that he would be certain. Qur’an 6:74Qur’an 6:75
To show his people their error, he reasoned with them step by step. One night he saw a star and said, "This is my Lord." When it set, he said he did not love things that set. He said the same of the rising moon, and when it set, he said that without his Lord's guidance he would be lost. Then the sun rose, the greatest of all. When it set too, he said to his people: Qur’an 6:76Qur’an 6:77Qur’an 6:78Qur’an 6:83
For me, I have set my face, firmly and truly, towards Him Who created the heavens and the earth, and never shall I give partners to Allah.
The Qur'an calls this the reasoning Allah (﷾) gave Ibrahim to use with his people. Step by step, he showed them that what rises and sets cannot be God. God (﷾) is the One who made the star, the moon and the sun. Ibrahim himself, the Qur'an says, never joined gods with Allah (﷾). Qur’an 6:83Qur’an 16:120
A gentle word to his father
Ibrahim's first call was to his own father, and he made it gently. Again and again he began, "O my father!" Why worship something that cannot hear or see, and can do you no good? Knowledge has come to me, he said, so follow me, and I will guide you on a straight way. Qur’an 19:41–45
His father answered harshly. He threatened to stone him, and told him to go away. Ibrahim did not answer anger with anger: Qur’an 19:46
Peace be on thee: I will pray to my Lord for thy forgiveness: for He is to me Most Gracious.
He kept his promise and prayed for his father, until it became clear that his father had set himself against Allah (﷾). The Qur'an says Ibrahim was most tender-hearted and forbearing. Qur’an 9:114
The idols and the fire
Ibrahim asked his people what these images were that they served so devotedly. They said they had found their fathers worshipping them. He told them that they and their fathers were clearly wrong: their Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Qur’an 21:52–56
When the people had gone away, he broke the idols to pieces, all except the biggest one. The people came back and asked who had done this. They had heard a young man called Ibrahim speak of the idols, so they brought him before everyone. He pointed to the biggest idol and said: ask them, if they can speak. Qur’an 21:57–63
For a moment they saw the truth, and said to themselves that they were the ones in the wrong. Then they hung their heads and said to Ibrahim: you know these idols cannot speak. Ibrahim asked them: Qur’an 21:64–65
Do ye then worship, besides Allah, things that can neither be of any good to you nor do you harm?
The fire made cool
They had no answer, so they turned to force. Burn him, they said, and protect your gods. They threw Ibrahim into a great fire. But the fire obeys the One who made it: Qur’an 21:68Qur’an 37:97
O Fire! be thou cool, and (a means of) safety for Abraham!
The fire did him no harm. His enemies had planned against him, but Allah (﷾) made them the losers, and brought Ibrahim and his nephew Lut (Lot) to a blessed land. Qur’an 21:70Qur’an 29:24Qur’an 21:71
Hajar, Isma'il and the well of Zamzam
In his old age, Allah (﷾) gave Ibrahim a son, Isma'il (Ishmael), from his wife Hajar (Hagar). By Allah's (﷾) command, Ibrahim brought Hajar and her baby to an empty valley, where Mecca stands today. No one lived there, and there was no water. He left them some dates and a skin of water, and turned to go. Qur’an 14:39Sahih al-Bukhari 3364
Hajar followed him and asked why he was leaving them there. He did not look back. Then she asked whether Allah (﷾) had commanded this, and he said yes. Her answer was simple: then Allah (﷾) will not abandon us. And she went back to her child. Sahih al-Bukhari 3364
When he was out of sight, Ibrahim turned towards the place of the House, raised his hands and prayed: Sahih al-Bukhari 3364
O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in a valley without cultivation, by Thy Sacred House; in order, O our Lord, that they may establish regular Prayer
Soon the water ran out, and mother and baby grew thirsty. Hajar climbed the hill of Safa to look for help, then hurried across the valley to the hill of Marwah. She went between the two hills seven times. The Prophet (ﷺ) said this is the origin of the walk between Safa and Marwah that pilgrims make to this day. Sahih al-Bukhari 3364Qur’an 2:158Hajj
Then she heard a voice. An angel dug at the ground at the place of Zamzam, and water came up out of the earth. Hajar drank and nursed her baby. The angel told her not to fear: here the boy and his father would build the House of Allah (﷾), and Allah (﷾) never neglects His people. The well of Zamzam still flows in Mecca today. Sahih al-Bukhari 3364
The dream and the ram
Ibrahim had prayed for a righteous son, and Allah (﷾) gave him the good news of a forbearing boy. When the boy was old enough to work alongside him, Ibrahim saw in a dream that he was offering him in sacrifice. He told his son and asked what he thought. The son understood it as Allah's (﷾) command, and answered: Qur’an 37:100–102
O my father! Do as thou art commanded: thou will find me, if Allah so wills one practising Patience and Constancy!
Father and son both submitted to Allah (﷾), and Ibrahim was ready to obey. At that moment Allah (﷾) called out to him: he had already fulfilled the vision. Allah (﷾) ransomed the son with a great sacrifice, a ram. The Qur'an calls it a clear trial: a test of their hearts. The boy came to no harm, and it ended in Allah's (﷾) mercy. Qur’an 37:103–107Ibn Kathir, Tafsir
Every year, at Eid al-Adha, Muslims remember this. They offer an animal for Allah's (﷾) sake and share its meat, including with the poor. The Qur'an makes the meaning clear: Qur’an 22:36
It is not their meat nor their blood, that reaches Allah: it is your piety that reaches Him
The Qur'an does not name the son in this story. It gives Ibrahim the good news of Isaac only after the story ends, and most Muslim scholars hold that the son was Isma'il. This site looks at that question on its own page. Qur’an 37:112Which son did Abraham offer for sacrifice, Ishmael or Isaac?
Building the House of Allah (﷾)
Years later, Allah (﷾) commanded Ibrahim to build a House for His worship in that valley, and Isma'il helped him. The Prophet (ﷺ) described it: Isma'il brought the stones and Ibrahim built. As they worked, they both prayed: Sahih al-Bukhari 3364Qur’an 22:26
Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us: For Thou art the All-Hearing, the All-knowing.
They asked Allah (﷾) to make them and their children Muslims, people who submit to Him. They also asked Him to send their descendants a messenger from among them, to teach them His Book and wisdom. Muslims see the answer in the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), a descendant of Isma'il, born in Mecca beside the House his forefathers built. Qur’an 2:128Qur’an 2:129Sahih Muslim 2276
The Kaaba still stands there. Allah (﷾) told Ibrahim to call all people to the pilgrimage, and they still come from every land. Muslims face the Kaaba in prayer, but they do not worship it: like Ibrahim, they worship Allah (﷾) alone. Qur’an 22:27Do Muslims worship the Kaaba and the Black Stone?
The friend of Allah (﷾), and the religion of Ibrahim
Allah (﷾) honoured Ibrahim with a special title:
Who can be better in religion than one who submits his whole self to Allah, does good, and follows the way of Abraham the true in Faith? For Allah did take Abraham for a friend.
In Arabic he is Khalil: the close friend of Allah (﷾). The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said that Allah (﷾) had made him His close friend as well, just as He had made Ibrahim. He also said that on the Day of Resurrection, people will go to the great prophets for help. Nuh will send them to Ibrahim, the friend of the Most Merciful. Sahih Muslim 532Sahih al-Bukhari 4476
True in faith
The Qur'an calls Ibrahim hanif: true in faith, turning from every false god to the One God (﷾). People of many faiths honour him, and the Qur'an points out that the Torah and the Injil came only after him. Then it says: Qur’an 16:120Qur’an 3:65
Abraham was not a Jew nor yet a Christian; but he was true in Faith, and bowed his will to Allah's (Which is Islam), and he joined not gods with Allah.
Islam means submitting to Allah (﷾). When his Lord told him to submit, Ibrahim said he submitted to the Lord of the worlds. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) was told to follow the way of Ibrahim, true in faith. Qur’an 2:131Qur’an 16:123Qur’an 6:161
The father of the prophets
Angels came to Ibrahim as guests. They gave him and his wife, in their old age, the good news of a son, Isaac, and a grandson, Jacob. Allah (﷾) made them both prophets, and placed prophethood and the Book among Ibrahim's descendants. Many prophets of the Children of Israel came from Isaac's line; from Isma'il's line came the last prophet, Muhammad (ﷺ). Qur’an 11:69–72Qur’an 19:49Qur’an 29:27Is Ishmael part of God's covenant and blessing to Abraham?
Scholars count Ibrahim among the five messengers of firm resolve whom the Qur'an praises: Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, Isa and Muhammad (ﷺ). The Qur'an names these five together. Qur’an 46:35Qur’an 33:7Qur’an 42:13Ibn Kathir, TafsirWhich prophets are named in the Qur'an?
Muslims remember him in their prayers. They ask Allah (﷾) to bless Muhammad (ﷺ) and his family as He blessed Ibrahim and his family, as the Prophet (ﷺ) taught them. And on the Night Journey, the Prophet (ﷺ) met Ibrahim in the seventh heaven. Ibrahim welcomed him as a son and a prophet. Sahih al-Bukhari 3370Sahih al-Bukhari 3207
How the Bible tells it differently
The Bible tells the story of Abraham in the book of Genesis, chapters 11 to 25. Much of it is the same. It tells of his faith in the one God (﷾) and the birth of Isaac in his old age. It also tells of a ram offered in place of his son. Muslims believe that Allah (﷾) revealed the Torah to Musa, and the Injil to Isa: the Gospel Jesus himself preached in his lifetime. The Injil is not the New Testament. The four New Testament Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, were written by others, decades after Jesus was raised up. None of them names its author: the names were attached later. And the Torah we have today is not exactly as it was revealed. So where the Bible tells a story just as the Qur'an does, we believe it. Where it differs from the Qur'an or contradicts it, we do not. Where the Qur'an says nothing, we neither believe it nor deny it, as the Prophet (ﷺ) taught. Here are some of the differences. Genesis 21:2 (KJV)Genesis 22:13 (KJV)Qur’an 5:48Qur’an 5:46Which of the four Gospels did Jesus preach from?Who wrote the Gospels?Sahih al-Bukhari 4485How should a Muslim read the Bible?
The idols and the fire. Genesis does not tell of Abraham breaking idols or being thrown into a fire. In the Bible, Joshua says that Abraham's father, Terah, served other gods, and Genesis says that God (﷾) told Abraham to leave his father's house. Joshua 24:2 (KJV)Genesis 12:1 (KJV)Qur’an 21:57–70Did Muhammad (ﷺ) copy the Qur'an from the Bible?
Hajar and Isma'il. In Genesis, Sarah asks Abraham to cast out Hagar and her son. God (﷾) tells him to listen to her. He sends them away, and they wander in the wilderness of Beersheba. Ishmael grows up in the wilderness of Paran. The New Testament repeats Sarah's words. Genesis does not tell of a House built by Abraham and Ishmael. In the Qur'an, Ibrahim settles them by Allah's (﷾) Sacred House, and later builds the Kaaba with Isma'il. Genesis 21:10–14 (KJV)Genesis 21:21 (KJV)Galatians 4:30 (KJV)Qur’an 14:37Qur’an 2:127Is Mecca in the Bible?
The sacrifice. In Genesis, God (﷾) tells Abraham to offer "thine only son Isaac", and the New Testament also names Isaac. Yet Isaac was never Abraham's only son. By Genesis's own count, Ishmael was born fourteen years before him, and the two sons buried their father together. For those fourteen years, Abraham's only son was Ishmael. Christians reply that Isaac was the only son of the promise. But the verse says "only son", and Genesis says God (﷾) would make a nation of Ishmael too, "because he is thy seed". The Qur'an does not name the son. Genesis does not say that Abraham told his son of the command: when Isaac asks where the lamb is, Abraham answers that God (﷾) will provide. In the Qur'an, Ibrahim tells his son and asks his view, and the son willingly agrees. Genesis 22:2 (KJV)Hebrews 11:17 (KJV)Genesis 16:16 (KJV)Genesis 21:5 (KJV)Genesis 21:13 (KJV)Genesis 25:9 (KJV)Genesis 22:7–8 (KJV)Qur’an 37:102Which son did Abraham offer for sacrifice, Ishmael or Isaac?
Who belongs to Abraham. The New Testament says that those who belong to Christ are Abraham's seed. The Qur'an says that Ibrahim was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but true in faith and submitting to Allah (﷾). It says that the people nearest to him are those who follow him, this Prophet (ﷺ) and the believers. Galatians 3:29 (KJV)Qur’an 3:67Qur’an 3:68
What we can learn
Ibrahim thought for himself, stood for the truth with courage and kindness, and put Allah (﷾) first, and Allah (﷾) made him His friend.
- Think, and follow the signs. Ibrahim showed his people that the star, the moon and the sun all set, and pointed them to the One who made them. Allah (﷾) guides those who strive for His sake. Qur’an 29:69
- Stand up for the truth, with courage and with kindness. He stood alone against his whole people, yet he spoke to his father gently and answered a threat with peace.
- Trust Allah (﷾). Left in an empty valley by Allah's (﷾) command, Hajar said that Allah (﷾) would not abandon them. He did not: He gave her Zamzam, and Ibrahim came back to build the House beside them.
- Put Allah (﷾) first, and He answers with mercy. Father and son submitted to Allah's (﷾) command, and Allah (﷾) spared the son and honoured them both.
- Allah (﷾) honours those who are true to Him. He made Ibrahim His friend, a model for all people, and the father of the prophets.
Ibrahim's call was simple: worship the One who created the heavens and the earth, and give Him no partners. It is the same call Islam makes today.