The Virtues of the prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him)
Allah praised the Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) with the most magnificent and profound praise in the Quran. He is the intimate friend of Allah (Khalil Allah). He is the Prophet, the Messenger, and the Truthful (Siddiq). He is the Chosen, the Selected, and the Guided One; the Father of the Prophets, the Grateful, the Compassionate (Awwah), and the Penitent. He is characterized by forbearance, total obedience to Allah, and unwavering certainty. He is the Hanif (the upright in monotheism) and the possessor of a sound heart (Qalb Salim). He was a nation (Ummah) unto himself, a leader (Imam), an exemplary role model, and a righteous man. Ibrahim is the recipient of the Divine Scriptures (Suhuf), and the first to build a House for Allah on Earth so that Allah, the Sublime, may be worshipped therein. He is the first to be clothed on the Day of Resurrection, and he is the one to whom Allah, the Sublime, showed the kingdom of the heavens and the earth.
Allah said in Surah An-Nahl; ”Indeed, Abraham was a model of excellence: devoted to Allah, perfectly upright—not a polytheist. Utterly grateful for Allah’s favours (120). So He chose him and guided him to the Straight Path (121). We blessed him with all goodness in this world, and in the Hereafter he will certainly be among the righteous (122).” (إِنَّ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةًۭ قَانِتًۭا لِّلَّهِ حَنِيفًۭا وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ. شَاكِرًۭا لِّأَنْعُمِهِ ۚ ٱجْتَبَىٰهُ وَهَدَىٰهُ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍۢ مُّسْتَقِيمٍۢ. وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةًۭ ۖ وَإِنَّهُۥ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ لَمِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ). These aforementioned attributes qualified him (peace and blessings be upon him) for this sublime description. The term ‘Ummah‘ (Nation) here signifies the Leader who is taken as an exemplar for guidance. Abdullah ibn Mas’ud remarked: ”The Ummah is the teacher of goodness.” Furthermore, he is known as the ”Father of the Prophets.” This title was bestowed upon him because he was the father and forefather of a vast number of Prophets who came after him, all of whom descend from his honorable lineage. The Prophets Ismail and Ishaq (peace be upon them) were the direct sons of Ibrahim. From the progeny of Ishaq came the Prophets Yaqub and Yusuf (peace be upon them). Similarly, the lineage of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) traces back to Prophet Ismail and ultimately to the Prophet of Allah, Ibrahim (peace be upon them both.
The Arch-Prophets of Firm Resolve (Ulul ‘Azm)
Allah commanded His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to take the Arch-Prophets of Firm Resolve as an exemplary model in their patience and perseverance. He said in Surah Al-Ahqaf; ”So endure patiently, as did the Messengers of Firm Resolve. And do not hasten the torment for the deniers.” (فَٱصْبِرْ كَمَا صَبَرَ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْعَزْمِ مِنَ ٱلرُّسُلِ وَلَا تَسْتَعْجِل لَّهُمْ). (Quran, 46:35). The Arch-Prophets of Firm Resolve are: Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, Isa, and Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon them all). They are the ones whom Allah specifically distinguished by mention in Surah Al-Ahzab, where He said: ”And [remember] when We took from the prophets their covenant, and from you, and from Nuh and Ibrahim and Musa and ‘Isa, the son of Maryam; and We took from them a solemn covenant.” ( وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ مِيثَاقَهُمْ وَمِنكَ وَمِن نُّوحٍ وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَى وَعِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ وَأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُم مِّيثَاقًا غَلِيظًا) (Quran, 33:7). He was distinguished by the highest degrees of patience and steadfastness in confronting his people. His resolute determination in delivering the message of Monotheism was unparalleled. He faced severe trials—such as being cast into the fire and the command to sacrifice his son—with absolute submission to the command of Allah.
His Mention in the Final Tashahhud
Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) is the most virtuous of the Prophets and Messengers after our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). For this reason, Allah the Almighty informed us that He took Ibrahim as an intimate friend, saying: ”And Allah took Ibrahim as an intimate friend (Khalil).’ (وَاتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ خَلِيلًا) (Quran, 4:125). Moreover, Ibrahim (peace be upon him) is the Patriarch of the Arabs. He is also the father (forefather) of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) through his noble lineage. Ibn Al-Qayyim explores why Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was specifically distinguished in this mention. He explains that it refers to the immense goodness Allah bestowed upon the family of Ibrahim. ‘‘And bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You blessed the family of Ibrahim,” entails granting Prophet Muhammad the same goodness given to the family of Ibrahim—ensuring its permanence, its establishment, its multiplication, and its continuous increase. This, in essence, is the true reality of Barakah (Blessing).
Ultimately, Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) stands as the eternal leader of monotheists and the beloved friend of Allah. We ask Allah the Almighty to grant us a portion of his unwavering certainty and his sound heart, and to gather us with him and our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) in the highest gardens of Paradise. Ameen.
