فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ ٱلسَّعْىَ قَالَ يَـٰبُنَىَّ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰ فِى ٱلْمَنَامِ أَنِّىٓ أَذْبَحُكَ فَٱنظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَىٰ ۚ قَالَ يَـٰٓأَبَتِ ٱفْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ ۖ سَتَجِدُنِىٓ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ 102
Translations
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 Allāh wills, of the steadfast."
Transliteration
Falammā balagha maʿahu as-saʿy qāla yā bunayya innī arā fī al-manām annī adhbaḥuka fānẓur mādhā tarā. Qāla yā abati ʿfal mā tuʾmar. Satajidunī in shāʾa Allāh mina aṣ-ṣābirīn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
In this pivotal moment, Prophet Ibrahim informs his son (Ismail) of the divine command to sacrifice him, which he had seen in a dream. According to classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, dreams of the prophets are a form of revelation, making this command binding. The ayah emphasizes the remarkable obedience of both father and son to Allah's will, demonstrating complete submission (islām) despite the difficulty of the test, and marks the climax of Ibrahim's trials before the substitution of a ram.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the narrative of Ibrahim's trial (balāʾ) in Surah As-Saffat (Meccan, revealed in Makkah). The context describes the fulfillment of Allah's promise to give Ibrahim a righteous son, followed immediately by the command to sacrifice him—testing both his faith and his son's obedience. This narrative echoes the historical and spiritual significance of the Abrahamic covenant.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) reported that when Ibrahim decided to slaughter Ismail, Allah said: 'O Ibrahim, you have already fulfilled the vision' (Sahih Bukhari 2217). Additionally, Surah As-Saffat 37:107 references the 'great sacrifice' (adhbah ʿazīm) that replaced Ismail, commemorated in the annual practice of Qurbani during Hajj.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true faith requires unconditional obedience to Allah even in the most difficult circumstances, and that patience combined with trust in divine wisdom transforms suffering into spiritual elevation. For believers today, it exemplifies that sacrificing our dearest possessions or desires for the sake of Allah is the ultimate expression of devotion and submission to His will.