a learning from the story of Abraham (Ibrahim عليه السلام)
Hud (11:69)
وَلَقَدْ جَآءَتْ رُسُلُنَآ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ بِٱلْبُشْرَىٰ قَالُوا۟ سَلَـٰمًۭا ۖ قَالَ سَلَـٰمٌۭ ۖ فَمَا لَبِثَ أَن جَآءَ بِعِجْلٍ حَنِيذٍۢ ٦٩
And surely Our messenger-angels came to Abraham with good news ˹of a son˺. They greeted ˹him with˺, “Peace!” And he replied, “Peace ˹be upon you˺!” Then it was not long before he brought ˹them˺ a ˹fat,˺ roasted calf.
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
And certainly did Our messengers [i.e., angels] come to Abraham with good tidings; they said, "Peace." He said, "Peace," and did not delay in bringing [them] a roasted calf.
— Saheeh International
And Our messengers cam unto Abraham with good news. They said: Peace! He answered: Peace! and delayed not to bring a roasted calf.
— M. Pickthall
The Winnowing Winds (51:26)
فَرَاغَ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهِۦ فَجَآءَ بِعِجْلٍۢ سَمِينٍۢ ٢٦
Then he slipped off to his family and brought a fat ˹roasted˺ calf,
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
Then he went to his family and came with a fat [roasted] calf.
— Saheeh International
Then he went apart unto his housefolk so that they brought a fatted calf;
— M. Pickthall
The Quran narrates the visit of some people to Abraham (Ibrahim عليه السلام). Generous and grateful as he was for Allah عزوجل 's blessings, he quickly went to his family and brought a roasted calf to offer to his guests.
Points to note:
- the guests came without any appointment
- they were strangers
- Abraham (Ibrahim عليه السلام) did not recognise them
- Abraham (Ibrahim عليه السلام) quickly went to his family to get food
- Abraham (Ibrahim عليه السلام) quickly came back without delay
- Abraham (Ibrahim عليه السلام) brought a roasted calf
- a roasted calf takes a long time to prepare
- so, the roasted calf was already prepared when the unannounced guests arrived
- so, the family was the intended consumer of this food
- most homes do not have roasted calf on a regular basis
- most people cannot even afford a roasted calf
The fact that the calf was already prepared means that there was plenty in the home of Abraham (Ibrahim عليه السلام).
The story of Abraham (Ibrahim عليه السلام) is basically a story of monotheism, complete submission to the Will of Allah عزوجل , and gratitude, which was made evident by his acts of gratitude. There are many stories across the Abrahamic traditions highlighting various aspects of his gratitude. He was always willing and eager to feed the travellers. So, when these unknown guests arrived, he welcomed them and immediately fetched and offered the roasted calf to them. To him, it didn't matter who they were. They were visitors, and so he was feeding them from the bounty that Allah عزوجل had blessed him with.
Being wealthy or poor doesn't exclude anyone from aspiring to attain a good hereafter. The key in the stories about Abraham (Ibrahim عليه السلام) is his willingness to give from the blessings Allah عزوجل blessed him with. The Quran repeatedly exhorts the believers to spend from what they have been given. It is okay to have a lifestyle that one can afford, but it is not okay to not share the blessings with others. We have to take care of our self, our close ones, our relatives, our neighbours, our friends, and our society. We have to display the willingness to undertake responsibility for the wellbeing of people and the planet.
The Quran sums it up in the following ayaat:
The Bee (16:120-122)
16:120
إِنَّ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةًۭ قَانِتًۭا لِّلَّهِ حَنِيفًۭا وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ ١٢٠
Indeed, Abraham was a model of excellence: devoted to Allah, ˹perfectly˺ upright—not a polytheist—
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
Indeed, Abraham was a [comprehensive] leader, devoutly obedient to Allāh, inclining toward truth, and he was not of those who associate others with Allāh.
— Saheeh International
Lo! Abraham was a nation obedient to Allah, by nature upright, and he was not of the idolaters;
— M. Pickthall
16:121
شَاكِرًۭا لِّأَنْعُمِهِ ۚ ٱجْتَبَىٰهُ وَهَدَىٰهُ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍۢ مُّسْتَقِيمٍۢ ١٢١
˹utterly˺ grateful for Allah’s favours. ˹So˺ He chose him and guided him to the Straight Path.
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
[He was] grateful for His favors. He [i.e., Allāh] chose him and guided him to a straight path.
— Saheeh International
Thankful for His bounties; He chose him and He guided him unto a straight path.
— M. Pickthall
16:122
وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةًۭ ۖ وَإِنَّهُۥ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ لَمِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ ١٢٢
We blessed him with all goodness in this world, and in the Hereafter he will certainly be among the righteous.
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
And We gave him good in this world, and indeed, in the Hereafter he will be among the righteous.
— Saheeh International
And We gave him good in the world, and in the Hereafter he is among the righteous.
— M. Pickthall
[https://quran.com/16/120-122]
The Bible also informs that Abraham (Ibrahim عليه السلام) was not only greatly blessed spiritually, but he was extremely wealthy, in the worldly sense:
Now Abram had become quite wealthy in livestock, silver, and gold.
International Standard Version
Note:
According to The Bible, Abraham (Ibrahim عليه السلام)'s original name was Abram, and at age ninety-nine, he was renamed Abraham.
In The Quran, we find two spellings of Ibrahim. In Surah alBaqarah, his name is spelled as (اِبۡرٰهٖمَ) all the fifteen times he is mentioned; while in the rest of The Quran, fifty-four times his name is spelled as (اِبۡرٰهِيۡمَۙ). In total, he is mentioned sixty-nine times in The Quran.
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Last updated on: August 13, 2025
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