The emigrant: Saarah

06/12/2010| IslamWeb

Saarah, may Allah exalt her mention, emigrated in the cause of Allah The Almighty with her husband and her husband’s nephew Loote (Loot), may Allah exalt their mention, to Palestine.

 

When there was a terrible drought in Palestine, she traveled with her husband once again to Egypt. Information about them was quickly conveyed to the Pharaoh of Egypt who ordered his guards to tell him about every beautiful woman entering Egypt. One day his soldiers told him that a beautiful woman had arrived in Egypt (i.e. Saarah), so when ‘Ibraaheem (Abraham), may Allah exalt his mention, came to know about that, he said to his wife, “If he (i.e. Pharaoh) learns that you are my wife, he will take you from me by force. Therefore, if he asks you who you are, tell him that you are my sister. You are my sister in Islam, since I do not know of anyone in this land who is Muslim except you and me.”

 

Pharaoh asked his soldiers to bring the woman to him, and when Saarah, may Allah exalt her mention, arrived at his palace, she invoked Allah The Almighty not to let her down, and to protect her from Pharaoh’s evil. She made ablution and prayed, saying, “O Allah. You know that I have believed in You and Your messenger, and made my body unlawful for everyone except my husband, so do not let this polytheist harm me.” Allah The Almighty answered the supplication of His believing worshipper and, consequently, paralyzed the hand of Pharaoh when he wanted to extend it to her with an evil intention.

 

Pharaoh asked her to supplicate her Lord to enable him to recover  from paralysis and he would not harm her in return. Therefore, Saarah, may Allah exalt her mention, supplicated Allah The Almighty, who answered her supplication, and thus, Pharaoh’s hand turned as healthy as it was before. Again, he wanted to extend his hand with evil to her, but it was paralyzed, so he asked Saarah, may Allah exalt her mention, to invoke Allah The Almighty to cure his hand and he would not harm her in return. She supplicated Allah The Almighty, and He answered her supplication. However, Pharaoh broke his promise yet again, and his hand was paralyzed for a third time. Hence, he asked her to invoke her Lord to remove the paralysis from his hand and he vowed not to breach his promise and that he would not harm her. She supplicated Allah The Almighty and Pharaoh’s hand returned to the normal state. Pharaoh said to the one who brought her, “Take her away, since [the one] you brought [is] no human.” He ordered for a maidservant, Haajar, may Allah exalt her mention, to be given to her, and allowed her to emigrate from his land in peace.

 

’Ibraaheem, may Allah exalt his mention, and his wife returned to Palestine once again, and Loote, may Allah exalt his mention, pursued his journey to Sadoom and ‘Amoorah (present-day Jordan) to invite their people to worship Allah The Almighty and to warn them not to act in defiance and disobedience to the laws of Allah The Almighty.

 

Days and years passed and Saarah, may Allah exalt her mention, remained without a child, who would be a source of joy for ‘Ibraaheem, may Allah exalt his mention,  and a support in their old age to them. It saddened her that she was barren and could not bear children. Once her maidservant Haajar, may Allah exalt her mention, came to offer her some water, and after looking closely at her, Saarah, may Allah exalt her mention, found that she was suitable to grant her to ‘Ibraaheem, may Allah exalt his mention. She hesitated to do so out of fear that her husband would become aloof from her and pay greater attention to his new wife. However, after a while the whispers of Satan subsided because she realized that ‘Ibraaheem, may Allah exalt his mention, was a true believer who would continue to live equitably with her in good companionship and thus, would not change towards her.

 

‘Ibraaheem, may Allah exalt his mention, married Haajar, may Allah exalt her mention. Observing the signs of pregnancy on Haajar, Saarah, may Allah exalt her mention, felt some jealousy, and after Haajar, may Allah exalt her mention, gave birth to Ismaa‘eel (Ishmael), may Allah exalt his mention, Saarah, may Allah exalt her mention, asked ‘Ibraaheem, may Allah exalt his mention, to take Haajar, may Allah exalt her mention, and her son away.

 

In order for the decree that Allah The Almighty had willed to come to pass, ‘Ibraaheem, may Allah exalt his mention, took Haajar, may Allah exalt her mentionand their child to an uncultivated valley in Makkah  next to the Sacred House of Allah. He left them in such a place as a trust with Allah The Almighty and supplicated Him to protect and bless them, saying (what means): {Our Lord, I have settled some of my descendants in an uncultivated valley near Your sacred House, our Lord, that they may establish prayer. So make hearts among the people incline toward them and provide for them from the fruits that they might be grateful.} [Quran 14:37]

 

As the divine signs are endless, Allah The Almighty willed that another sign should take place. One day a group of visitors called on ‘Ibraaheem, may Allah exalt his mention, who hospitably ordered a fat calf to be slaughtered, and he served it to them. He was astonished when they did not eat. The visitors were actually a group of angels who came to ‘Ibraaheem, may Allah exalt his mention, in merchants’ apparel. They greeted him with peace and he answered their greeting. Allah The Almighty Says (what means):

 

·        {And certainly did Our messengers come to 'Ibraaheem with good tidings; they said, “Peace.” He said, “Peace,” and did not delay in bringing [them] a roasted calf. But when he saw their hands not reaching for it, he distrusted them and felt from them apprehension. They said, “Fear not. We have been sent to the people of Lot.”} [Quran 11:69-70]

 

·        {And when the fright had left ‘Ibraheem (Abraham, may Allah exalt his mention) and the good tidings had reached him, he began to argue with Us concerning the people of Lot. Indeed, 'Ibraaheem was forbearing, grieving and [frequently] returning [to Allah].} [Quran 11:74-75]

 

The angels told ‘Ibraaheem, may Allah exalt his mention, that they would go to the people of Loote, may Allah exalt his mention, for they disobeyed Loote, may Allah exalt his mention, and did not follow him.

 

Before leaving ‘Ibraaheem, may Allah exalt his mention, the angels gave glad tidings to him that his wife, Saarah, may Allah exalt her mention, would give birth to Is-haaq (Isaac), may Allah exalt his mention, and that the child would grow up, get married, and would be blessed with Ya‘qoob (Jacob), may Allah exalt his mention.

 

When Saarah, may Allah exalt her mention, heard that, she was amazed and overjoyed. She expressed her joy and astonishment like most women do and exclaimed, marveling at what she heard. She said (what means): {“Woe to me! Shall I give birth while I am an old woman and this, my husband, is an old man? Indeed, this is an amazing thing!” They said, “Are you amazed at the decree of Allah? May the mercy of Allah and His blessings be upon you, people of the house. Indeed, He Is praiseworthy and honorable.”} [Quran 11:72-73]

 

Saarah, may Allah exalt her mention, became pregnant with Is-haaq, may Allah exalt his mention, and gave birth to him, and Allah blessed him for both her and her husband. From Is-haaq, may Allah exalt his mention, came the descendants of the Children of Israel.

 

This is Saarah, may Allah exalt her mention, the wife of Prophet ‘Ibraaheem, may Allah exalt his mention, who was the first woman to believe in the Father of the Prophets, ‘Ibraaheem, may Allah exalt his mention, when Allah The Almighty sent him to his people to guide them to the right path. His nephew Loote, may Allah exalt his mention, believed in him. At one point in time, the three of them were the only believers on earth. It is said that Saarah, may Allah exalt her mention, died when she was one hundred and twenty-seven years of age.