thus indeed do We re\\"ilrd those who do right. For this WlIS a clear trial"
And we ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice. And we Jeft for him
among generations [to come) in later times: peace and salutation to
Abraham!5The trial is a terrible one: for the sake of his love and faith in God,
Abraham must sacrifice his son , d es pite his fatherly love. The trial of faith
is he re expressed in this [cnsion between the two loves. Abraham confides
in Ishmael, and it is his own so n, the o b ject of sacrifice, whose comfort-
ing words to his father arc like a confirming sign: " 0 my father! D o as you
are commanded; you will find me, if God so wills, one of the steadfaSL"
As was [he case a few years earlier with Hagar, Abraham finds in others
signs that enable him to face the trial. Such signs, expressing the presence
of the divine at the heart of the trial, have an essential role in the experi-
ence of faith and shape th e mode of being with oneself and with God.
When God causes His messenger to undergo a terrible trial and at the
same time associates that trial with signs of His presence and support (the
confirming words of his wife or child, a visio n, a dream, an inspiration,
etc.), I-I e educates Abraham in faith: Abraham doubts himself and his
own strength and faith, but at the same time the signs prevent him from
do ubting God. This teaches Abraham humility and recognition of the
Cremor. \Then Abraham is tempted by deep doubt about himself, hi~
faith, and the truth of what he hears and understands, the inspirations and
confirmations of Hagar and Ishmael (whom he loves but sacrifices in the
name of divine love) enable him no t to doubt God, His presence, and I-lis
goodness. Doubt about self is thus allied to deep trust in God.
Indeed, triais of faith are never tragic in l~lamic tradition, and in mis
sense, me Quran'~ story of Abraham is basically different from me Bible's
when it comes to the experience of sacrifice. One can read in Genesis:
After these thinb"S God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Ab~ham!" And
he said, "Here am I." [God] said, " Take your son, your only son isaac,
whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a
burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." ...
And Ab~ham took th e wood of the burnt offering, and laid il on Isaac his
son; and he took in his hand the fire and me knife. So ther \I."l!nt both of
them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he