The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume I — Page 96
Seal of the Prophets - Volume I 96 Abraham as that the eldest son was dedicated in the way of God. 1 In the spiritual connotation, dedication for the sake of God is equivalent to slaughtering. Therefore, observance of this custom in the offspring of Abraham as proves that the sacrificial offering was Ishmael as , because he was the eldest son of Abraham as and Isaac as was his younger son. 5. All of the customs pertaining to sacrificial slaughtering on a national level were found among the Arabs and still exist among them today. None of these customs are found among the Banū Isrā’īl. This is solid evidence that the one to be slaughtered was Ishmael as and not Isaac as. If the one to be sacrificed had in fact been Isaac as , then these customs and traditions should have been found among the Banū Isrā‘il instead of the Banū Ismā‘īl. However, the current situation is completely opposite. For example, it is apparent from the Bible that those whose lives were devoted in the way of God (which is in fact the true meaning of slaughtering), would refrain from shaving their heads. 2 Although the Bible claims that Isaac as was to be slaughtered, yet no such custom is to be found among the Banū Isrā’īl as can be commemorative of that sacrifice. However, quite the contrary, among the Arabs (who claim to be the descendants of Ishmael as ), this tradition was existent not only prior to the advent of Islām but also continued afterwards as well. Therefore, at the occasion of Ḥajj , prior to the slaughtering of their animal sacrifice, it was a custom among the Arabs to refrain from shaving their head or trimming their hair, which remained a part of Islāmic tradition as well. In the same manner, it was a custom among Arabs to offer animal sacrifices on the occasion of Ḥajj , which was in reminiscence of the ram that was sacrificed instead of Ishmael as , and this custom also remained a part of Islām. However, this tradition cannot be found in the Banū Isrā’īl at all. In light of these examples, it is apparent that the inheritance of sacrifice was endowed to the children of Ishmael as and not to the progeny of Isaac as. Of course, the ancestor of the nation which inherited the heritage of sacrifice should himself be considered the sacrificial 1 * Numbers (8:17) * Deuteronomy (21:15-17) 2 Judges (13:4-5)