"And he (Abraham) said: 'I am going to my Lord, He will guide me. My Lord grant me of the righteous.' So We gave him glad tidings of a boy, most forbearing. And when Ishmael reached the age of work with him, he said: ‘O my son! I see in a dream that I offer you in sacrifice, so tell me what is your view?’He said: 'O my father! Do as you are commanded, you will find me, if Allah so willed, one of the patient.' So when they had both submitted to the Will of Allah, and he laid him down upon his brow,We called out to him: 'O Abraham! You have indeed fulfilled the vision,' thus We reward those who do right." (37:99-105)

"This was indeed a manifest trial,and We redeemed him with a momentous sacrifice. And we left for him among generations in later times. Peace be upon Abraham. Thus do We reward those who do right. For he is indeed one of Our believing slaves. And We gave him glad tidings of Isaac, a Prophet, and of the righteous. And We blessed him and Isaac, and from their descendants are the righteous and some obvious wrongdoers.'(37:106-113)<o:p></o:p>

Here in the above Verses, Allah has mentioned that when Abraham migrated from his place and people, he asked Allah to grant him a pious son. And Allah gave him glad tidings of a pious son, called Ishmael. Ishmael was his firstborn son, and he was born after Abraham had reached the age of eighty-six years. There has been no doubt whatsoever among the historian of all religions about this fact.<o:p> </o:p>

“When Ishmael reached the age of work with him.” (37:102). It means that when he became a youth, and started to deal with things of his interest on his own, just like his father or any other adult. Mujahid says: He became a youth, and traveled, and was able to look after the matters of his father.<o:p> </o:p>

When he became a youth, Abraham had a dream that he was being commanded to offer his son in sacrifice. And Ibn ‘Abbas (RadiAllahu anhu: May Allah be pleased with him) has narrated:<o:p> </o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>                “Dreams of the Prophets are Revelations.”  <o:p></o:p>

It was a tremendous trial from Allah for Abraham, that he would offer for sacrifice, his only son, who was born after he had reached the old age, after he had been earlier commanded to settle his son and his mother is this desert. He has obeyed Allah in His earlier Command by settling them in this barren land. However, Allah took care of them, and made a way out of their hardship.

Then when he was again commanded to offer his only son in sacrifice, he never hesitated for a moment, and wanted to fulfill His Command as soon as possible.

He talked to his son about this dream, so he also could be ready psychologically and be ready to fulfill this Command."He said: ‘O my son! I see in a dream that I offer you in sacrifice, so tell me what is your view?’” (37:102)

This forbearing son made his father immensely happy by saying: “O my father! Do as you are commanded, you will find me, if Allah so willed, one of the patient.” (37:102) This is an answer of a person who is devotedly obedient to his father and to his Lord, Allah.

“So when they had both submitted to the Will of Allah, and he laid him  down upon his brow,” (37:103). ‘Submitted to the Will of Allah’ means that they got ready to fulfill  the Command of Allah, and determined to carry it out. He laid him down upon his brow means ‘on his face down’. As Ibn ‘Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah said that Abraham wanted to sacrifice him from his back of head, so that he could not see it happening. In another opinion it is said: Abraham laid him down in the same way as any sacrifice animal is laid down for this purpose. However, some of his forehead touched the land.  “Both submitted” means that Abraham took the Name of Allah, and glorified Him, and Ishmael made his intention of being killed in the way of Allah . Suddi said: Abraham tried to pass the knife through his neck, but it did not cut anything.<o:p> </o:p>

There, then, came a call from Allah Almighty: “O Abraham! You have indeed fulfilled the vision.” (37:104,105) meaning that the purpose from this trial had already been achieved, which was your obedience and trial in the way of Allah, and to see how do you respond to the Command of your Lord such as this one, to offer your only son in sacrifice for Allah: "This was indeed a manifest trial.”(37:106)<o:p> </o:p>

 “And We redeemed him with a momentous sacrifice.” (37:107). Majority of the scholars are of the opinion that the sacrifice was a white sheep with big eyes and horns.

From "Stories of The Prophets" by  Imam Imaduddin Abul-Fida Isma'il Ibn Kathir Ad-Damishqi 700-774H; Rendered into English by Rashad Ahmad Azami ; Published by Darussalam.