The Tree of Light: Part 49

This is the forty ninth sample of  The Tree of Light: The Lives of the Prophets for Young Muslims available now on Amazon.  This is the first volume of a three volume series with maps, pictures and paintings of important sites and Maqams related to the stories of the Prophets.  This series would be an ideal source for the Tree of Prophets  project featured here on our website.  In this adaptation of Hajiah Amina Adil’s comprehensive history of the Prophets a sage grandfather tells the stories of the Prophets to his two adventurous grandsons who learn that the stories of the Prophets have come to life.

After some time, Ibrahim (a) had a dream that he must sacrifice the thing that he loved the most.  He began by sacrificing his animals but this was not the thing he loved most.  After he saw this dream 70 times he took his rope and his knife and returned to Mecca.  Ibrahim (a) told Hajar (r) to dress Ismail (a) and prepare him to go out. Shaitan approached Hajar (r) and Ismail (a) three times, trying to tell them that they should not obey Ibrahim (a) because he meant to harm Ismail (a).

 

“Why did Ibrahim need a rope and a knife?” asked Sulayman. 

 

“He took the rope and the knife to sacrifice Ismail (a).”

 

“But why didn’t Ismail run away.”

 

“Because Ismail (a) and Hajar (r) trusted their Lord and Ibrahim (a).  When Allah (s) told Ibrahim (a) to leave Hajar (r) and Ismail (a) in the desert they all obeyed and Allah (s) took care of them.  They did not listen to Shaitan then and they did not listen to Shaitan now.”

 

Sulayman and Yusuf walked on with Grandfather and they saw people picking up pebbles. 

 

“Why are they taking the rocks?”  Sulayman tugged on Grandfather’s hand.  

 

Yusuf stopped and started picking up stones. 

 

 

The Jamarat

 

When Shaitan approached Ismail (a) with the news his father would kill him Ismail (a) threw stones at Shaitan to drive him away.  This is why we collect and throw pebbles on the Hajj.

 

 

Pool of Paradise: The Nightingale

This is the first episode of our Pool of Paradise project.  The story for the Nightingale is below and the lesson plan that goes with it.

 

NIGHTINGALE

 

The Nightingale sings each night the songs of Daoud,

 

But the nightingale thought only of its rose and not its thorns or the plant or the leaves or the roots or the earth, air and water.

 

The nightingale sang,

 

“Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You.

I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your Name I will lift up my hands.

I think of you through the watches of the night.

Because You are my help, I sing in the shadow of Your Wings.

My soul clings to You; Your Right Hand upholds me.

 

“I will sing of Your Strength, in the morning I will sing of Your Love;

for You are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.

From the ends of the earth I call to You, I call as my heart grows faint;

lead me to the rock that is higher than I,

For You have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.”

 

Behind the face of his beloved rose was the face of the One Who Created All.  The nightingale said, “I am weak and cannot leave my illusions and seek the Creator of My Beloved.”

 

 

LESSON PLAN

 

After reading the passage about the Nightingale your child will place the Nightingale medallion on the pool at the top and the birds that will follow will go the left so that they are moving counter clockwise around the pool.

 

Discussion questions:  Why is the bird having difficulty to make the journey?  What do you think the Hoopoe bird will say to convince the Nightingale to go on the journey?

 

 

When we discussed the story my son asked why the Rose had thorns.  When I asked him how the Hoopoe could convince the Nightingale to come he said the Nightingale should bring 2 roses on the journey, one for itself and one for the Simourgh.
Please share your ideas for teaching children the rites of Ramadan.

Please see out new book for this project:  The Pool of Paradise: A 30 Day Curriculum.

https://read.amazon.com/kp/card?preview=inline&linkCode=kpd&ref_=k4w_oembed_5gF0J1IPjhdaM3&asin=B076DHW5Y2&tag=kpembed-20

Pool of Paradise: Invocation

This section is my adaptation of the invocation in the original poem: The Conference of the Birds by Farid ud-Din Attar.  I have included an overview of each bird for the project below the invocation because this was partly done in the original poem but I have listed each of the 30 birds in order and by number with a short synopsis of their motivation in the story.  Some of these birds were not mentioned in the original poem so I have added a bird to those stories and characters that were not clearly identified during the journey to Mount Qaf.  I have done this because we needed a bird for each of the 30 medallions and a story to go with each bird for each day of fasting in Ramadan.  

 

INVOCATION

In the name of Allah (s), creator of the heavens and the earth.

We search for the Lord in skies where we fly, the waters that we swim, the perches where we light.

The Prophets of Allah (s) have come to teach us and all the other beings that light on this earth.

Gather my flock together and hear of the journey we will make to find our creator, our leader, our home.

Leave behind your comfort and fear and understanding to find what is real and true.

ASSEMBLY OF BIRDS

1. Nightingale sing of Daoud (a) and soften your heart.
2. Hoopoe tie Iblis and come to Sulayman (a).
3. Parrot leave the fire of Ibrahim (a).
4. Peacock cast out the serpent and go with Adam (a) to paradise.
5. Duck do not forget the Sea of Wrath in the time in Prophet Nuh (a).
6. Partrich loose the camel and depart with Salih (a).
7. Humay come and find your true king and follow in the footsteps of the Prophet kings like Daoud (a) and Sulayman (a).
8. Hawk loose your talons and fly with Iskander (a).
9. Heron come with us to the Pool of Kawthar.
10. Owl soar with us and we will find real treasures if you follow us.
11. Sparrow fly out of the well of Yusef and ascend to his heights.
12. Eagle leave Nimrod and Pharaoh and find a truer king.
13. Ostrich come with us and slay the giant of cowardice.
14. Lovebird ascend with us and find the love for which you will forever burn.
15. Seagull become the thief that steals nothing of value and seeks the soul.
16. Flamingo leave your plume in a pile of dust like the Phoenix and join us on our quest to seek the real beauty that does not time diminish.
17. Woodpecker hoard your ajar leave your ithm in dunya.
18. Goldfinch scorch this dunya till all you desire is the Lord of Ayyub (a).
19. Turtledove leave this prison and follow Yunus (a) out of the whale.
20. Egret come and whirl with us beyond the stars to the Pool of Paradise.
21. Raven find the strength of Ayyub (a) and preserver with us.
22. Penguin stand firm and tall upon your faith and you shall not fail.
23. Wagtail hear the message of Musa (a).
24. Falcon leave this dunya and seek refuge with Muhammad (s).
25. Crow show the courage of Dhul-Qarnain (a) and show us the way through the 7 valleys.
26. Swan you must love your Lord and seek him more than you love yourself. Love as Zulaykha (r) loved Yusef (a) to your own undoing.
27. Cuckoo slay your dragons of pride and join us in humility.
28. Blue Jay come and ask the Simourgh for a worthy goal.
29. Goose join us on the Miraj and travel farther than you have ever gone before.
30. Pigeon you have the faith to follow Khidr (a) and that is indeed rare and you have the envy of the Prophets.

The next post will be for the Hoopoe bird’s address to the assembly of birds but the series for the medallions will not begin until we have the story for the Nightingale which I will post on June the 6th most probably.

Please share your ideas for teaching children  about the Prophets and the rites of Ramadan.

Please see out new book for this project:  The Pool of Paradise: A 30 Day Curriculum.

https://read.amazon.com/kp/card?preview=inline&linkCode=kpd&ref_=k4w_oembed_5gF0J1IPjhdaM3&asin=B076DHW5Y2&tag=kpembed-20

 

The Tree of Light: Part 48

This is the forty eighth sample of  The Tree of Light: The Lives of the Prophets for Young Muslims available now on Amazon.  This is the first volume of a three volume series with maps, pictures and paintings of important sites and Maqams related to the stories of the Prophets.  This series would be an ideal source for the Tree of Prophets  project featured here on our website.  In this adaptation of Hajiah Amina Adil’s comprehensive history of the Prophets a sage grandfather tells the stories of the Prophets to his two adventurous grandsons who learn that the stories of the Prophets have come to life.

8 ISMAIL (a)

Grandfather handed Yusuf a little cup of water while Sulayman filled his little flask.  They sat for awhile resting after their long journey to Mecca.  Yusuf looked into his empty cup and said “Zam Zam bye bye.” 

 

Sulayman’s flask was overflowing and he splashed water all over his ihram.  “Uh oh!” He said.  The man who greeted them at the well closed Sulayman’s flask and mopped him up, laughing. 

 

“Never mind,” said Grandfather.  “You will be dry in a few minutes.” 

 

“When Hajar (r) and Ismail (a) came to this place with Ibrahim (a) there were no trees.  There was no water.  There was no food.  No houses. No people.  Nothing.” Grandfather waved his tasbih beads to show them that the whole area around them had been barren. 

 

“What were they doing here?” asked Sulayman.

 

“Here is hot,” said Yusuf.

 

“Ibrahim (a) brought Hajar (r) here with their baby on the order of his Lord.  Their story is a very important one.  The things that they were starting here are the things that we will do again to remember how their Lord has honored them and us.”

Ismail (a) was the son of Prophet Ibrahim (a) and Hajar (r).  By his Lord’s order Ibrahim left Hajar (r) in the desert with the baby Ismail (a).  Soon after Ibrahim (a) departed their water and food ran out and baby Ismail (a) started to wail.  Hajar (r) began to look for water for her baby.

She ran as fast as she could between Safa and Marwa searching for water 7 times and Ismail (a) began to turn blue in the face from screaming.  His little foot hit the sand and water began to come forth from that place.  Hajar (r) scooped out the sand around this place to contain the water and the well of Zam Zam was formed.  The Awliah say that if she had not formed a pool but had let it run it would have become a river.

Grandfather was walking between Safa and Marwa while holding Yusuf’s hand.  The other pilgrims were running and Sulayman was far ahead of them.  Sulayman reached the end and came running back down and nearly knocked over the Hajis in his path.  Yusuf clung to Grandfather as Sulayman sped past them.  Sulayman had listened maybe a little too closely to Grandfather’s story of Hajar’s run between Safa and Marwa. 

Hajar (r) and Ismail (a) stayed in that place and when caravans came by she gave them water. They found the water to be healing and soon people began to settle there.

The Tree of Light: Part 47

This is the forty seventh sample of  The Tree of Light: The Lives of the Prophets for Young Muslims available now on Amazon.  This is the first volume of a three volume series with maps, pictures and paintings of important sites and Maqams related to the stories of the Prophets.  This series would be an ideal source for the Tree of Prophets  project featured here on our website.  In this adaptation of Hajiah Amina Adil’s comprehensive history of the Prophets a sage grandfather tells the stories of the Prophets to his two adventurous grandsons who learn that the stories of the Prophets have come to life.

The old man turned into the Angel Azrail (a) and took the soul of Ibrahim (a) gently. He was buried near his wife Sarah (r) in Khalil (Hebron) in the Holy Land.

Grandfather looked down.  Yusuf was sleeping and Sulayman was snoring under the blanket where he had hidden from the mosquito.  Grandfather uncovered Sulayman a little and the mosquito slowly descended. When Grandfather whispered something to the mosquito it hovered for a moment before it turned to fly away.  He went to take wudu (ablution) and the Nightingale trilled in the garden as the adhan for Isha prayer echoed through the courtyard.

 

Map of the Holy Land

The Tree of Light: Part 46

This is the forty sixth sample of  The Tree of Light: The Lives of the Prophets for Young Muslims available now on Amazon.  This is the first volume of a three volume series with maps, pictures and paintings of important sites and Maqams related to the stories of the Prophets.  This series would be an ideal source for the Tree of Prophets  project featured here on our website.  In this adaptation of Hajiah Amina Adil’s comprehensive history of the Prophets a sage grandfather tells the stories of the Prophets to his two adventurous grandsons who learn that the stories of the Prophets have come to life.

After this Ibrahim (a) met a series of ascetics.  One could make water appear where he struck his foot.  Another would fast for months at a time waiting for a guest. Another lived in a cave making dhikr who would break his fast only once every 2 months.  Then he sought another man in a cave that was a beautifully decorated mosque.  This ascetic said he would break his fast once every 3 months, and their iftarappeared on a floating tray.  Ibrahim (a) was tested by a scary tiger that would have eaten him if he were not sincere.

Then the ascetic took him to an island where he lived and confessed that he had prayed for many years that he could meet Ibrahim (a) and now that he did he passed away and was buried by Ibrahim (a).  Then the angel came to take Ibrahim (a) to the Gate of Repentance which he said would be open until the sun rose in the West.  When Ibrahim (a) was trying to guide Nimrod, he asked him if he could make the sun rise from the West and Nimrod could not, but Allah (s) can and will.

On the day, the angel Azrail (a) visited Ibrahim (a) and announced that Ibrahim (a) had been named the friend of God.  Ibrahim (a) wanted to know how living things were brought back to life. Azrail (a) demonstrated with some birds where the four winds collected the pieces of a dead bird and brought them back and the bird came alive once more.

Sometime after a very old man visited Ibrahim (a).  He was weak and unable to feed himself.  Ibrahim was near in age to this old man and so he asked his Lord to take him before he became an invalid.

The Tree of Light: Part 45

This is the forty fifth sample of  The Tree of Light: The Lives of the Prophets for Young Muslims available now on Amazon.  This is the first volume of a three volume series with maps, pictures and paintings of important sites and Maqams related to the stories of the Prophets.  This series would be an ideal source for the Tree of Prophets  project featured here on our website.  In this adaptation of Hajiah Amina Adil’s comprehensive history of the Prophets a sage grandfather tells the stories of the Prophets to his two adventurous grandsons who learn that the stories of the Prophets have come to life.

Ibrahim (a) and Ismail (a) rebuilt the Kaaba in the place where the angel Jibrail (a) touched his wing to the ground.  A cloud came to wash the ground and the black stone was returned to the Kaaba from Mount Abu Qubays.  Ibrahim (a) taught the people the rights of Hajj where we go around the Kaaba, running between Safa and Marwa where Hajar (r) had run, standing on Mount Arafat where Adam (a) and Eve (r) were reunited, and throwing stones at the pillars in Mina against Shaitan.

Ibrahim (a) and the Kaaba

The next year Ibrahim (a) returned with Sarah (r) and Ishaq (a) to perform Hajj and they prayed for the Nation of Muhammad (s) together.

“I don’t want to wait to go on Hajj,” Sulayman wailed. 

 

“Most people are waiting their whole lives,” said Grandfather.  “People used to walk for months and years to reach Mecca for Hajj.”

 

“I can walk!” said Sulayman.

 

“Too far!” Yusuf wailed. “Yusuf no walk.”

The angels asked their Lord if they could test Ibrahim (a) to see whether he had Allah (s) in his heart or dunya.  Ibrahim (a) received 4 guests who would not eat, and one of them recited the prayer “Praise to the all Holy, our Lord of the angels and the spirit.”  Ibrahim (a) found this prayer so beautiful that he gave all he owned to hear it again.  Because the angels could not take the wealth of Ibrahim (a) with them Allah (s) said that these gifts were under His Own care.

One day a fire worshiper came as a guest to Ibrahim (a).  They disputed and Ibrahim (a) gave his guest food but did not like to eat with him.  After the fire worshipper left Allah (s) reprimanded Ibrahim (a) for not receiving his guest with sincere hospitality.  Ibrahim (a) went in search of the man for 10 days and then carried him back on his shoulders.  The fire worshipper was so impressed with the efforts of Ibrahim (a) that he became a believer.

“How did Ibrahim (a) carry the fire worshipper?” asked Sulayman.

 

“Allah (s) gave him great strength,” Grandfather answered.

 

“Too heavy,” Yusuf shook his head.

Ibrahim (a) and Ismail (a) rebuilt the Kaaba in the place where the angel Jibrail (a) touched his wing to the ground.  A cloud came to wash the ground and the black stone was returned to the Kaaba from Mount Abu Qubays.  Ibrahim (a) taught the people the rights of Hajj where we go around the Kaaba, running between Safa and Marwa where Hajar (r) had run, standing on Mount Arafat where Adam (a) and Eve (r) were reunited, and throwing stones at the pillars in Mina against Shaitan.

Ibrahim (a) and the Kaaba

The next year Ibrahim (a) returned with Sarah (r) and Ishaq (a) to perform Hajj and they prayed for the Nation of Muhammad (s) together.

“I don’t want to wait to go on Hajj,” Sulayman wailed. 

 

“Most people are waiting their whole lives,” said Grandfather.  “People used to walk for months and years to reach Mecca for Hajj.”

 

“I can walk!” said Sulayman.

 

“Too far!” Yusuf wailed. “Yusuf no walk.”

The angels asked their Lord if they could test Ibrahim (a) to see whether he had Allah (s) in his heart or dunya.  Ibrahim (a) received 4 guests who would not eat, and one of them recited the prayer “Praise to the all Holy, our Lord of the angels and the spirit.”  Ibrahim (a) found this prayer so beautiful that he gave all he owned to hear it again.  Because the angels could not take the wealth of Ibrahim (a) with them Allah (s) said that these gifts were under His Own care.

One day a fire worshiper came as a guest to Ibrahim (a).  They disputed and Ibrahim (a) gave his guest food but did not like to eat with him.  After the fire worshipper left Allah (s) reprimanded Ibrahim (a) for not receiving his guest with sincere hospitality.  Ibrahim (a) went in search of the man for 10 days and then carried him back on his shoulders.  The fire worshipper was so impressed with the efforts of Ibrahim (a) that he became a believer.

“How did Ibrahim (a) carry the fire worshipper?” asked Sulayman.

 

“Allah (s) gave him great strength,” Grandfather answered.

 

“Too heavy,” Yusuf shook his head.

The Tree of Light: Part 43

This is the forty third sample of  The Tree of Light: The Lives of the Prophets for Young Muslims available now on Amazon.  This is the first volume of a three volume series with maps, pictures and paintings of important sites and Maqams related to the stories of the Prophets.  This series would be an ideal source for the Tree of Prophets  project featured here on our website.  In this adaptation of Hajiah Amina Adil’s comprehensive history of the Prophets a sage grandfather tells the stories of the Prophets to his two adventurous grandsons who learn that the stories of the Prophets have come to life.

Ibrahim (a) and Sarah (r) continued to Egypt with a caravan but before they reached the gates Ibrahim (a) hid Sarah (r) in a box.  He was afraid that if they saw how beautiful Sarah (r) was that they would give her to the Pharaoh.

“Could she breathe in the box?” asked Sulayman.

 

“Yes.”

 

“How big was the box?” Sulayman held his arms wide.

 

“It was big enough to fit a lady inside, bigger than you, smaller than me.”

When they discovered her, they asked Ibrahim (a) who this beautiful woman was and he told them she was his sister so that they would not kill him and it is true that they were brother and sister in their faith.  Sarah (r) was very brave.  When they brought her to the Pharaoh she resisted him saying she was the wife of a Prophet and he should not touch her.  When the Pharaoh tried to touch her his hand shriveled and he asked her to pray for him to be healed.  He tried to touch her 7 times before he gave up and apologized to her for his bad manners.  The Pharaoh then gave her a slave named Hajar (r) who was the grandchild of the prophet Salih (a).

After a time, they returned to Nineveh to appeal to Nimrod once more to accept the One God.  Nimrod asked where the army of the One God was and Ibrahim (a) said that the army was comprised of mosquitos.  These mosquitos came out of the poplar trees that had grown from the blood of the fish that Nimrod had shot with the arrow.  Nimrod prepared his army, but he himself hid in a room secured with a keyhole that spiraled 7 times because in truth he was afraid to face the army of Allah (s).  The mosquitos that emerged from the poplar trees were not ordinary mosquitos and they ate through the armor of the soldiers and drank their blood and devoured them all, even their bones.

One mosquito who was lame traveled through the spiral lock into the room where Nimrod hid himself.  The mosquito battled Nimrod for 3 days before flying in through his nose and into his head.  It began to eat his brain and this was very painful so Nimrod would order a servant to hit his head to stop the mosquito for a moment.  One day a slave hit his head with a large rock and split his head in two.  The mosquito flew away having grown to the size of a small bird.

A mosquito flew by Sulayman’s ear and he screamed and waved his arms around.  The mosquito landed on the wall near the ceiling and looked down at them. Sulayman threw things at it and it just flew around until he stopped and then landed again.  Finally, Sulayman hid under his blanket so the mosquito couldn’t find him.  

Ibrahim (a) left Nineveh once more and bought some land to start a farm, but the people were afraid of him now and would not sell him the things he needed to farm the land. Returning from the market one day he filled his bags with sand so that the people would not know he had returned with nothing.  But Allah (s) had filled his bags with wheat and grain.  He was surprised to smell the baking bread.  Sarah (r) brought him some and said she found the flour in his bags.

Ibrahim (a) and Sarah (r) had no children and Sarah (r) suggested that Ibrahim (a) should marry Hajar (r) so that their family might have children.  Ibrahim (a) and Hajar (r) were married and had a son named Ismail (a).  Sarah (r) was not able to bear having Hajar (r) live near her anymore, so Ibrahim (a) took them into the desert and the angel Jibrail (a) told him to leave them where the camel sat down.  The place the camel sat was very hot and dry with no plants or water.  After Hajar (r) ran out of food and water she went to search for some provision.  She ran between the hills of Safa and Marwa 7 times in search of water.  Then she saw the foot of Ismail (a) strike the ground. From the spot where his foot struck water gushed out of the ground forming the well we call Zam-Zam.  A voice from the well told her that the water was sufficient for food, drink and illness and she thanked the Lord for this special water.

“Why didn’t Ibrahim come back and bring her more food.”

 

“Ibrahim (a) knew that Allah Almighty would provide for Hajar (r) and Ismail (a).”

Sometime later a lost caravan found this place with Hajar (r), her son Ismail (a) and the well of Zam-Zam.  The people of the caravan had an illness that was instantly cured by the water and so they asked Hajar (r) if they could return with their families and build a city in this place.  In that way, the city of Mecca was founded.

Ibrahim (a) then had a dream where the Lord ordered him to sacrifice his son Ismail (a). He had this dream 70 times and the dreams of Prophets are true.  Hajar (r) prepared Ismail to go out with his father but after they left Shaitan came to her to say that Ibrahim (a) was going to kill her son.  She recognized Shaitan and drove him away saying that if the Lord took her son that she would accept this.  Shaitan then approached Ibrahim (a) and Ismail (a) trying to deceive them, but he failed.  Ismail (a) threw three stones at Shaitan injuring him in the valley of Mina.

“I want to throw stones at Shaitan.”

 

“Hmm,” said Grandfather.  “When you go on Hajj[1]you will.” 

 

“But I want to throw stones at Shaitan now.  I don’t want to wait till I’m old!”

 

“Well I am going soon.  If you have memorized your second juz2I will take you.”

 

“But a juz is so long!” wailed Sulayman. 

 

Yusuf started crying.  Grandfather rubbed his head. 

 

“Juz too long.” Yusuf squeaked. 

 

“You have many months.  And If Yusuf has one juz and Sulayman has two then I will take you.”

 

“Too long!” Yusuf buried his face in his blanket. 

 

“You will be ready before your brother Yusuf because you have 1/2 a juz already and Sulayman only has one and he has to learn a whole other juz.” 

[1]Pilgrimage to Mecca

2Section of Quran

The Tree of Light: Part 42

This is the forty second sample of The Tree of Light: The Lives of the Prophets for Young Muslims available now on Amazon.  This is the first volume of a three volume series with maps, pictures and paintings of important sites and Maqams related to the stories of the Prophets.  This series would be an ideal source for the Tree of Prophets  project featured here on our website.  In this adaptation of Hajiah Amina Adil’s comprehensive history of the Prophets a sage grandfather tells the stories of the Prophets to his two adventurous grandsons who learn that the stories of the Prophets have come to life.

Nimrod had a very high tower built and said he would kill Ibrahim’s (a) One God from the top of it.  He tried to kill the One God with a bow and arrow he shot towards the sky, and an angel brought a fish to be pierced by the arrow so that Nimrod would believe he had succeeded.  When Nimrod showed the arrow to his people they believed he had killed the one God, except Lot (a) the nephew of Ibrahim (a), who did not believe it.

The fish asked why it was killed and the Lord ordered that the fish should not be slaughtered by the knife, but by suffocation.  The blood of the fish fell to the ground and white poplar trees grew from the drops.

Prophet Ibrahim (a) married the daughter of his uncle.  Her name was Sarah (r) and she was a believer.  Ibrahim (a) then brought Sarah (r) and his nephew Lot (a) with him and migrated out of Nineveh.  When they reached Palestine Lot (a) remained there to teach the prophecy received by Ibrahim (a).

The Tree of Light: Part 41

This is the forty first sample of  The Tree of Light: The Lives of the Prophets for Young Muslims available now on Amazon.  This is the first volume of a three volume series with maps, pictures and paintings of important sites and Maqams related to the stories of the Prophets.  This series would be an ideal source for the Tree of Prophets  project featured here on our website.  In this adaptation of Hajiah Amina Adil’s comprehensive history of the Prophets a sage grandfather tells the stories of the Prophets to his two adventurous grandsons who learn that the stories of the Prophets have come to life.

The horses and donkeys would not carry the wood but the mules did, and so they were cursed and cannot have babies to this day for helping Nimrod.  For a year they collected wood, and once the fire was lit Shaitan inspired them to use a catapult to throw Ibrahim (a) into the fire. The angels tried to save and protect Ibrahim (a) from the fire but he declined.

 

“Why did Ibrahim want to go into the fire?” asked Sulayman.

 

“He did not want to go but he was submitting and putting himself in Allah’s (s) hand,” answered Grandfather. 

 

“Why did Allah (s) want Ibrahim (a) to go into the fire?”

 

“Hmm.  Allah’s (s) Prophets have very hard tests and their example teaches us how to have trust in Allah (s).  Without this example, we cannot understand how to be servants to our Lord.  By allowing Ibrahim (a) to go into the fire Allah (s) is trying to show us something.” 

When Ibrahim was launched into the fire the logs became green trees again, a spring of water came and Ibrahim sat in a beautiful garden in the middle of the fire. The bee brought water to put out the fire and this is why the bee now gives honey which is healing for mankind. The nightingale threw itself into the fire for the love of Ibrahim (a) and the Lord showed the nightingale that Ibrahim (a) sat unharmed in the fire and put the nightingale on a rosebush. The nightingale then asked to know the names of Allah (s) and these names became the beautiful song of the nightingale.  Many other animals brought water to put out the fire except the lizard who fanned the flames and this is why the lizard is cursed.

 

Just then they heard a nightingale trilling in the courtyard.

 

“Bird!” Yusuf said.

 

Sulayman hid under his blanket.  He mumbled that the nightingale should be cursed for pecking him in the head. 

 

The daughter of Nimrod saw that Ibrahim (a) was safe in the fire and told her father. Nimrod was flown by eagles to see this himself.  When he found Ibrahim (a) unharmed he asked how he was saved from the fire and Ibrahim (a) said that the one true God had saved him and Nimrod asked if he could be accepted by the one true God as well.  Ibrahim (a) told him yes but some say that Nimrod had killed his daughter for accepting the one true God and his people then feared him even more. Ibrahim (a) was released because they could not kill him.