Hajj was one of the ordinances that were revealed to our great father Ibraaheem (Abraham), may Allah exalt his mention. Some of the Hajj rituals were legislated following the steps of our great mother Haajar, may Allah be pleased with her. Every year, when the Hajj season comes, it brings to our minds memories of the place that had once been deserted and unknown, then, later was populated with the progeny of Haajar, may Allah be pleased with her. The mention of our father Ibraaheem, may Allah exalt his mention, continues forever. At the end of every Salah (prayer), when Muslims sit, they recite, “Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘alaaaliMuhammad kama sallayta ‘ala Ibraaheem wa ‘alaaaliIbraaheem innaka Hameedun Majeed, wa baarik ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad kama baarakta ‘ala Ibraaheem wa ‘ala aali Ibraaheem innaka Hameedun Majeed; [O Allah, exalt the mention of Muhammad and the household of Muhammad as You exalted the mention of Ibraaheem (Abraham) and the household of Ibraaheem. You are the Praiseworthy, the Honorable. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the household of Muhammad as you blessed Ibraaheem and the household of Ibraaheem. You are the Praiseworthy, The Honorable.]”
Our Great Mother
She was a member of the household of Ibraaheem, may Allah exalt his mention. She was great because she was the mother of Prophet Ismaa‘eel (Ishmael), may Allah exalt his mention. Ismaa‘eel, may Allah exalt his mention, is the forefather of the Muslim Ummah (nation), which is the final and finest nation. In this article, we will not adopt a narrative approach, but will instead follow a methodology of psychological analysis and analysis of situations, because analysis helps to reveal the underlying meanings, the details, the premises, and the results. This should lead to more benefit and to illuminated emulation. The main features of the character of our great mother Haajar can be summarized as follows:
Certain faith in Allah The Almighty
Undefeatable courage that overcomes all fear
Practical comprehension and successful disposal of affairs
Firm resolution to guard what she had been entrusted with and to raise her child.
Firstly: Certain Faith in Allah The Almighty
The intimate friend of Allah, Ibraaheem, may Allah exalt his mention, left his wife, Haajar, and her son Ismaa‘eel in an uncultivated valley in a place where there was no life, fruit-bearing trees, nor plants for food, and he had to return. Our mother Haajar walked with him for some steps. Let us attempt to imagine how confused these steps were. Haajar was from Egypt, the land of water and agriculture. Then she lived in Ash-Shaam (greater Syria), the land of butter and honey, but where was she then? She was in an uncultivated and uninhabited valley. She walked with her returning husband for some steps, even though he did not tell her that she would not return with him. With each step, she tried to foresee the near and far future. She wanted to know how she was going to live. She was her husband’s fertile, affectionate wife, with whom Ibraaheem, may Allah exalt his mention, became a father, so she could ask him, “Has Allah ordered you to do this?”He replied, “Yes.” Then, she said, “Then, He will not fail us.”
Her husband bade her farewell and she returned to her baby, who was under the only tree in that valley. She was not only faithful, she was certain and that made her survive among the mountains of Faraan (Paran) that are surrounded by the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula. It was a rare certainty that overcame the concerns about the urgent need for food and water, and about how life would be in the future; meaning, the house, the furniture, how they would earn their living, would they be able to save, and whether they would have the devices and tools that are considered indispensable by many. We should remember that Haajar had come from a prosperous house in Ash-Shaam. Before Ash-Shaam, she dwelt in Egypt, in civilized houses. What sort of a new life, that was so far from all human communities, this was! There was no city, village, hamlet, or farm. Could any human be content with such a change? Was she content? She was certain.
At the house of Prophet Ibraheem, may Allah be pleased with him, she was taught to have certain faith in Allah The Almighty. She translated her certainty into a few words, “Then, He will not fail us.” Many people believe in Allah The Almighty, but when a believer detaches himself from pinning his hopes on the causes, will his faith be promoted to the degree of certainty?
We rely on causes and material objects because they make us feel secure. Our mother Haajar was a rare examples. Very few people could be like her. The early callers to Islam of our time were as certain when they were locked up in prisons. Some of them were away from their families and society for twenty years, but they persevered with certain faith. They were righteous people who followed the example of their great mother, Haajar. She was the epitome of certainty and a perfect example to be followed by those who want to learn to be certain.
Secondly, Undefeatable Courage
Her courage overcame and dispelled all the causes of fear. So many causes of fear surrounded our great mother, Haajar: fear of what was known to her and fear of what was unknown to her. All of us can be afraid of things that are known to us, such as lions, insects, hunger and thirst. We may also be afraid of things that are unknown to us, and this kind of fear is more dangerous because obsessions make things seem exaggerated, and the unknown usually casts fear into the soul, no matter how petty our fears might be. We are afraid of the unknown sounds and unexplained movements around us. Therefore, many myths and fables horrify us even when we are among our families and people.
Just as people in our age have obsessions about the unknown, the age of our mother Haajar had its own obsessions. Our mother defeated all these fears thanks to her certainty. Her undefeatable courage was established. Her courage helped her to become familiar with the desolate, wild components of nature around her. People in our time have many fears, because their faith is weak, let alone their certainty. Fear dominates the feelings of today’s Muslims. The reason behind this is that most Muslims are ready to be afraid. Their enemy knows that and takes advantage of it. Muslims fear hunger, and accordingly, their enemy threatens them with stopping economic aid. They fear death, and therefore, their enemy threatens them with war. The grandsons of Haajar lead a life of fear of hunger and death because they do not understand her character and are not inspired by her life story.
Features of the character of Haajar (Hagar), the Mother of the Muslims- Part II