The story of Abraham is one which is repeated around 69 times in the Quran. He is the only person other than the Prophet Muhammad ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) who has been presented to us as an example to follow in the Quran. There are many lessons we can learn from this story. In this blog , we will highlight some of the main lessons that you can learn as a New Muslim :
- Obedience to God
The story of Abraham is a story of obedience and submission to God. Each time God issued a commandment to Abraham, he immediately and willingly submitted himself. God says about Abraham, “His Lord said to him, ‘Devote yourself to Me.’ Abraham replied, ‘I devote myself to the Lord of the Universe.’” 2:131 No matter how difficult the command seemed from abandoning his family in the desert to sacrificing his son with his own hand, Abraham trusted in God and his love for God over all else was enough faith. In return, God honoured Abraham for his devoutness.
As a New Muslim you must learn to devote yourself to God. This means to love God above all else including ourselves, and by extension to carry out God’s commands even if they clash with our own preferences and desires.
- Challenging the Status Quo
Abraham’s love, faith and dedication to God meant that he did not just accept things without thinking. He wasn’t willing to follow his forefathers in idol worship simply because they were his relatives or ancestors. He challenged his people to think about God and the attributes of God. When the answers his people gave him were unsatisfactory, Abraham was willing to search for the truth, even if that risked displeasing them.
Abraham teaches us the importance of learning and knowledge.You as a New Muslim found Islam by searching for the truth and God helped you. Now you must continue to learn more so that you can please God in your worship of Him.
- Following the Truth All Alone despite opposition from Family
Abraham was opposed by his whole people, including his father. He was alone, but his lack of support did not faze him as he had the help of God. When his people threatened to burn him alive, Abraham remained steadfast. Once again, he trusted in God. His people carried out their threat but God made the fire cool for him.
Sometimes you might feel alone, your family and friends may not agree with your devotion to God. Yet in reality you are not alone, you have God with you. Abraham would continuously turn to God for help.
