إِسْمَاعِيل
Ismail (Ishmael)
The son offered in a dream, and true to every promise he made
Ismail enters the Quran as an answer to Ibrahim's prayer for a righteous child, and is then defined by two things: the trial in which his father saw a vision of sacrificing him — the son this story follows as Ismail, per the widely held identification, though the passage itself names him only afterward — and his own steady record afterward — true to his word, calling his people to prayer, and standing beside his father to raise the foundations of the sacred House. The Quran gives him almost no biographical detail beyond this; what it preserves instead is character, tested once at the extreme and then simply lived out.
Father, do as you are commanded
Ibrahim had prayed for a righteous child, and was given tidings of a forbearing boy. When the boy was old enough to work alongside him, Ibrahim told him: my son, I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice you — so tell me what you think. Ismail answered without hesitation: father, do as you are commanded; you will find me, if God wills, of the steadfast.
رَبِّ هَبْ لِى مِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ
My Lord, grant me [a child] from among the righteous."
فَبَشَّرْنَٰهُ بِغُلَٰمٍ حَلِيمٍۢ
So We gave him good tidings of a forbearing boy.
فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ ٱلسَّعْىَ قَالَ يَٰبُنَىَّ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰ فِى ٱلْمَنَامِ أَنِّىٓ أَذْبَحُكَ فَٱنظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَىٰ ۚ قَالَ يَٰٓأَبَتِ ٱفْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ ۖ سَتَجِدُنِىٓ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ
And when he reached with him [the age of] exertion, he said, "O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I [must] sacrifice you, so see what you think." He said, "O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, of the steadfast."
You have fulfilled the vision
When father and son had both submitted, and Ibrahim had laid him down, God called out: Ibrahim, you have fulfilled the vision — this was the clear trial, and We thus reward the doers of good. Ismail was ransomed with a great sacrifice, and God left favorable mention of Ibrahim among later generations, closing the account with a verdict on Ismail's father: he was of Our believing servants.
فَلَمَّآ أَسْلَمَا وَتَلَّهُۥ لِلْجَبِينِ
And when they had both submitted and he put him down upon his forehead,
وَنَٰدَيْنَٰهُ أَن يَٰٓإِبْرَٰهِيمُ
We called to him, "O Abraham,
قَدْ صَدَّقْتَ ٱلرُّءْيَآ ۚ إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
You have fulfilled the vision." Indeed, We thus reward the doers of good.
إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَهُوَ ٱلْبَلَٰٓؤُا۟ ٱلْمُبِينُ
Indeed, this was the clear trial.
وَفَدَيْنَٰهُ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيمٍۢ
And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice,
وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرِينَ
And We left for him [favorable mention] among later generations:
سَلَٰمٌ عَلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ
"Peace upon Abraham."
كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
Indeed, We thus reward the doers of good.
إِنَّهُۥ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
Indeed, he was of Our believing servants.
He was true to his promise
The Quran gives Ismail its own separate, direct verdict: indeed, he was true to his promise, and he was a messenger and a prophet. He used to enjoin prayer and zakah on his people, and was pleasing to his Lord.
وَٱذْكُرْ فِى ٱلْكِتَٰبِ إِسْمَٰعِيلَ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ صَادِقَ ٱلْوَعْدِ وَكَانَ رَسُولًۭا نَّبِيًّۭا
And mention in the Book, Ishmael. Indeed, he was true to his promise, and he was a messenger and a prophet.
وَكَانَ يَأْمُرُ أَهْلَهُۥ بِٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَٱلزَّكَوٰةِ وَكَانَ عِندَ رَبِّهِۦ مَرْضِيًّۭا
And he used to enjoin on his people prayer and zakah and was to his Lord pleasing.
Our Lord, accept this from us
The Quran recalls Ibrahim raising the foundations of the House together with Ismail, both of them praying: our Lord, accept this from us — indeed, You are the Hearing, the Knowing. Father and son appear here as builders working side by side, closing their labor with the same posture of submission that marked the earlier trial.
وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَٰهِۦمُ ٱلْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ ٱلْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَٰعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّآ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ
And [mention] when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House and [with him] Ishmael, [saying], "Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed You are the Hearing, the Knowing.