Prophet Ibrahim: A legacy of sacrifice

Photo: MECCA, SAUDI ARABIA - AUGUST 08, 2017: Muslim pilgrims from all around the World performing the Hajj this year on August 08, 2017 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. / Tuah Roslan / Shutterstock.com

Thousands of years ago, a man left his wife and newly born son, in a valley that had neither water nor fruit. They survived. Years later, that same man came back ready to sacrifice his son.

The story of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) is a fascinating story of faith and sacrifice that has been re-told across generations. Can you imagine a loving husband, who just had a baby, being asked to travel with his family across the desert and leave his wife and child in a barren valley called Bakkah (modern day Makkah)? And can you imagine a father, who after years of not seeing his son, comes back wanting to spend quality time with him, only to be told in a dream to sacrifice him?

What is it that pushes a man to act against his natural instincts as a husband or father? Some might call it heresy, or blind faith, others might say that he's a Prophet and therefore is expected to act with such faith in God's commands.

I feel there's a deeper meaning in these acts of sacrifices; a meaning we can all adopt in our lives.

The link between Sacrifice and Legacy

When you have a cause or mission that you truly believe in and it's for the greater good, the key factor that determines whether you'll be successful in achieving your mission and leaving a legacy, is how much are you willing to sacrifice for that cause.

Great men and women of history achieved their greatness by sacrificing their lives, their families, their properties, all in the name of a mission that changed the face of humanity.  Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) - the father of all Prophets - had a powerful mission and that mission was to show people the Path to God away from idolatry. And he was willing and ready to sacrifice himself and his own family for that cause.

How many of us are willing to sacrifice our comforts for a greater cause? We grow up seeking the good life; get a degree, get a job, have a family, settle down and have children. Yet deep down inside us, every so often we get troubled by what troubled Ibrahim (PBUH) when he looked up in the Sky and said: "Unless my Lord guides me, I will surely be among the people gone astray."

We search for a higher meaning and purpose for our lives; whether it's a visionary company we want to build that produces products and services that people admire or a social cause we want to fight for that delivers equality and justice for all or ensuring that our children become responsible and productive citizens of the world. But finding that meaning or purpose is easier than acting upon it. Because acting upon it, means sacrifice.

Sacrifice can take many forms; sometimes we might need to sacrifice our time, or our comfortable careers, or the place we grew up in. The sacrifice might impact us physically, or emotionally, or financially, and sometimes it impacts those closest to us.

The sacrifice might not make sense to those around us; our families and friends will think we're crazy, but little do they know that this sacrifice is an important test of how truthful we are to our vision and mission of life.

Here's the good news: Sacrifice is never futile - and it always brings change and rewards beyond someone's expectations; when Ibrahim (PBUH) left his wife and newly born child in the barren land, little did he know that his wife and child will discover the Zamzam water that would be the cause for Makkah to become a hustling bustling trade center of Arabia. And when he was willing to sacrifice his son, little did he know that his son would be the one to help him build the Kaaba that became the center for pilgrimage for all of Arabia. And more importantly, after he passed away, thousands of years later, a child was born in Makkah called Muhammad (PBUH) who became a follower of Ibrahim's legacy - and who changed the face of human history and introduced the Hajj as we know it today.

Mohammed Faris is an international coach, author, and speaker who helps executives, professionals, and entrepreneurs rebalance their lives spiritually, physically and socially to achieve peak performance and live meaningful lives. He’s the founder of ProductiveMuslim.com and author of The Productive Muslim: Where Faith Meets Productivity.

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