Respected Brother/Sister in Islam
As Salaamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaatuh
Haamidaw wa Musalliyaa
Your query below refers;
Ebrahim (alaihis salaam) did not ask for proof. He wanted to see how the process of the re-creation takes place.
Refer to the following from Maariful Quraan Vol.1 Pg.645-647:
The incident mentioned in the above verse raises certain questions:
1. To begin with, why did Ibrahim (Alayhis Salaam) raise this question at all while he was, in accepting faith in the perfect power of Allah Almighty, the foremost believer out of the whole world of his time?
This has already been answered earlier when it was said that the question raised by Sayyidina Ibrahim (Alayhis Salaam) was not, in reality, based on any doubt. The purpose of the question was to reaffirm that Allah Almighty will raise the dead on the Day of Resurrection. Given His perfect power, this was not distant or surprising in any manner at all; it was rather absolutely certain. But raising the dead to life is beyond man's power. He never saw a dead person rising to life. Then, the act of raising the dead to life could take different modes and forms.
Now it is man's nature that he keeps inquiring into modes and forms of that which he does not know by visual experience. In doing so, his thoughts wander in different directions as a result of which he bears by the pain of mental distraction. The state that helps remove this mental distraction and is replaced by a heart at rest is called sukun or peace. This is what Sayyidna Ibrahim (Alayhis Salaam) sought through his request.
Incidentally, the difference between Iman (faith) and Itminan (peace) also comes out from this discussion. Iman is the name of that voluntary belief or certainty, which man receives about something not seen or known, by trusting the Rasul (messenger of Allah) while Itmi'nan refers to peace of the heart. There are times when one does perfectly believe in something not seen, but there is no peace of heart because its modes and forms are not known. This peace can come only by visual experience. Sayyidina Ibrahim Khalilullah (Alayhis Salaam) was also a perfect believer in life after death --his question was simply concerned with the modality of man's being raised to life.
2. When Sayyidina Ibrahim Khalilullah (Alayhis Salaam), had simply asked as to how the dead will be raised and had no doubt in the actual raising of the dead, the question is: How can the Divine interrogation:'Is it that you do not believe?' be explained? It would seem that there was no occasion for it.
The answer is that Sayyidina Ibrahim(Alayhis Salaam)had meant to say that there is no doubt in the actual happening, but the question can be taken in two senses, the obvious one relates to this very position, that is, he wished to inquire how the dead will be raised. But the words of the question may also point out to a second sense which is prompted by doubt in or denial of the real power. For instance, you see a heavy package and you are sure that such and such a person cannot lift it and then, to test his capacity, you challengingly tell him -- let's see how you lift it.
Since anybody could have taken Sayyidina Ibrahim's (Alayhis Salaam) question in this wrong sense, therefore, Allah Almighty, in order to free Sayyidina Ibrahim (Alayhis Salaam) from this possibility, addressed him with 'Is it that you do not believe?' so that he could say ('yes, why not') in reply, and thus get past the ambush laid out by liars and accusers.
3. At least, Sayyidina Ibrahim's (Alayhis Salaam) question settles this much that he was not at peace concerning the problem of life after death, although it has been reported from Sayyidina Ali (Radiyallahu Anhu) that he said: 'If the curtain is raised from that which is unseen, it will add nothing to my certainty and peace since I enjoy perfect peace through my very faith in the unseen'. Now, when some of his followers enjoy such an elevated state of peace how can it be that the very friend of Allah' will remain without it?
In this connection, let us be clear that Itmi'nan or peace of heart has its own gradations. There is an Itmi'nan that the men of Allah (awliya Allah) and the True (siddiqin) have. Then there is an exalted grade of Itminan which is given to the general line of prophets (Alayhimus Salaam). And there is a grade even above it which is bestowed upon the special ones in the form of visual experience.
Surely, Sayyidina Ibrahim Khalilullah (Alayhis Salaam) had the degree of peace which Sayyidina Ali (Radiyallahu Anhu) had, even a higher degree of Itminan which is special to the station of prophethood. In this degree of itminan, Sayyidina Ibrahim (Alayhis Salaam) was superior to all his followers. Now what he is respectfully asking for is that highest degree of Itmi'nan which is bestowed upon the very special prophets -- as it was with our Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) who was granted special Itmi'nan by means of a visual experience of Paradise and Hell.
In short, using this question as an excuse to say that Sayyidina Ibrahim (Alayhis Salaam) did not have peace of heart is not correct.
Avoiding that, we can simply say that the absolutely perfect peace of heart which comes in the wake of visual experience was not there and that was why he had made this request.
And Allah Ta'ala Knows Best
Was Salaam
M Ballim (Maulana) M.D. Mangera (Mufti)
Fatwa Dept. Fatwa Dept.
