Beginning of enlightenment and intellectual outburst in ancient Semitic civilization.

Beginning of enlightenment and intellectual outburst in ancient Semitic civilization.

The history of all three major religions ignite as de facto, Nearly four thousand years ago, in the Sumerian town of Ur in the valley of the river Euphrates, where young man named Abraham lived. Sumerians where the first empire builders in history of mankind and where comparably very efficient and masters in their time. They had developed cities and purported to establish civilization. The people of Ur had once worshipped Allah, an invisible God but as time passed they too forgot their religion and started praying to idols, statues made of wood or clay and sometimes even of precious stones. Even as a small child Abraham could not understand how his people, and his father, where worshiping the images and statues which where made by their own hands. He had been a wise and generous so he always refused to join idol worshiping and argued his people when they worship these statues. He neglected and refused to join cult and instead he preferred to leave the town and wonder alone, he did one of most admirable act, which is “thinking” about the heavens and the world. He was sure his people were doing wrong and have chosen a false God, so alone he was in search for the right. One clear night as he sat staring at the sky he saw a beautiful shining star, so beautiful that he cried out: This must be Allah!' He looked at it in awe for some time, until suddenly it began to fade and then it disappeared. He turned away in disappointment saying: I love not things that set. (Qur'an 6.77)On another night Abraham was again looking at the sky and he saw

the rising moon, so big and bright that he felt he could almost touch it. He

thought to himself: This is my Lord. (Qur'an 6.78) But it was not long

before the moon set as well. Then he said, Unless my Lord guide me, I

surely shall become one of the folk who are astray.  This was the perception and clean mind which provide essence of wisdom about Ibrahim. (Qur'an 6.78)Abraham then saw the beauty and splendor of the sunrise and decided that the sun must be, the biggest and most powerful thing in the universe.

But for the third time he was again proved wrong, for the sun set at the end of the day.

It was then that he realized that Allah is the Most Powerful, the Creator of

the stars, the moon, the sun, the earth and of all living things. Suddenly he

felt himself totally at peace, because he knew that he had found the Truth.

When he said unto his father and his folk: What do you worship? They

said: We worship idols, and are ever devoted to them. He said: Do they

hear you when you cry? Or do they benefit or harm you? They said: Nay,

but we found our fathers acting in this manner.

He said: See now that which you worship, You and your forefathers!

Lo! they are (all) an enemy to me, except the Lord of the Worlds. Who

created me, and He guides me, And Who feeds me and waters me. And

when I sicken, then He heals me. And Who causes me to die, then gives

me lift (again) And Who, I ardently hope, will forgive me my sin on the

Day of Judgment. (Qur'an 26.70-82)

One day, while all the townspeople were out, Abraham angrily

Smashed all the idols with his right hand except for one which was very

Large. When the people returned they were furious. They remembered the things Abraham had said about the idols. They had him brought forth before everyone and demanded, 'Is it you who did this to our gods, 0 Abraham?' Abraham replied, But this their chief did it.

Ask them, if they are able to speak.' The people exclaimed, 'You know

they do not speak.' 'Do you worship what you yourselves have carved

when Allah created you and what you make?' Abraham continued, 'Do

you worship instead of Allah that which cannot profit you at all, nor harm

you?' (Qur'an 37.95-6)(Qur'an 21.66)

Finally, Abraham warned them, Serve Allah, and keep your duty unto

Him; that is better for you if you did but know. You serve instead of

Allah only idols, and you only invent a lie. Lo! those whom you serve

instead of Allah own no provision for you. So seek your provision from

Allah, and serve Him, and give thanks unto Him, (for) unto Him you will

be brought back.

(Qur'an 29. 16-17)The people of Ur decided to give Abraham the worst punishment they could find: he was to be burnt to death. On the chosen day all the people gathered in the centre of the city and even the King of Ur was there.

Abraham was then placed inside a special building filled with wood. The

wood was lit. Soon the fire became so strong that the people were pushed

back by the flames.

This is the movement when truth lift the veil from men of understandings of Ur, they where yet transgressors.

But Allah said: “O fire, be coolness and peace for Abraham”.

(Qur'an 21.69)

The people waited until the fire had completely died down, and it was

then that they saw Abraham still sitting there as though nothing had

happened! At that moment they were utterly confused. They were not,

however, moved by the miracle that had just happened before their very

eyes. Still Abraham tried to persuade his own dear father, who was named

Azar, not to worship powerless, un-seeing, un-hearing statues.

Abraham explained that special knowledge had come to him and implored his

father, 'So follow me and I will lead you on the right path. 0 my father!

Don't serve the Devil.' But Azar would not listen. He threatened his son

with stoning if he continued to reject the gods of Ur. He ordered Abraham

to leave the city with these words: 'Depart from me a long while.'

Abraham said, 'Peace be upon you! I shall ask my Lord's forgiveness for

you. Surely He was ever gracious to me.

‟ (Qur'an 19.43-7)Imagine how terrible it must have been for him to leave his home, his family and all that he knew, and set out across the wilderness into the

unknown. But at the same time, how could he have remained among

people who did not believe in Allah and who worshipped statues?

Abraham always had a sense that Allah cared for him and he felt Allah

near him as he traveled. At last, after a long hard journey, he arrived at a

place by the Mediterranean Sea, not far from Egypt. There he married a

noble woman by the name of Sarah and settled in the land of Palestine.

Many years passed but Abraham and his wife were not blessed with any

children. In the hope that there would be a child, and in keeping with

tradition, Sarah suggested that Abraham should marry Hagar, her

Egyptian handmaid. Soon after this took place, Hagar had a little boy

named Ishmael. Some time later Allah promised Abraham another son,

but this time the mother of the child would be his first wife, Sarah. This

second son would be called Isaac. Allah also told Abraham that from his

two sons-Ishmael and Isaac-two nations and three religions would be

founded and because of this he must take Hagar and Ishmael away from

Palestine to a new land. These events were an important part of Allah's

plan, for the descendants of Ishmael would form a nation from which

would come a great Prophet, who would guide the people in the way of

Allah. This was to be Muhammad (pbuh), the Messenger of Allah (pbuh).

From the descendants of Sarah's child, Isaac, would come Moses and

Jesus.     (verify the story here)

So it was that Abraham, Hagar, and Ishmael left Palestine. They

Traveled for many days until finally they reached the arid valley of Bacca

later to be called Mecca), which was on one of the great caravan routes.

There was no water in the valley and although Hagar and Ishmael only

had a small supply of water left, Abraham left them there knowing Allah

would take care of them. Soon all the water was gone. The child began to

grow weak from thirst. There were two hills nearby, one called Safa and

the other Marwah. Hagar went up one hill and looked into the distance to

see if she could find any water, but found none. So she went to the other

hill and did the same. She did this seven times. Then sadly she returned to

her son, and to her great surprise and joy she found a spring of water

bubbling out of the earth near him. This spring, near which the mother

and child settled, she cried zamzam, which means stop. Later it was called Zamzam. The area around it became a

place of rest for the caravans travelling across the desert and in time grew

into the famous trading city of Mecca.

From time to time Abraham traveled from Palestine to visit his family

and he saw Ishmael grow into a strong young man. It was during one of

these visits that Allah commanded them to rebuild the Ka'bah-the very

first place where people had worshipped Allah. They were told exactly

where and how to build it. It was to be erected by the well of Zamzam

and built in the shape of a cube. In its eastern corner was to be placed a

black stone that had fallen to earth from heaven. An angel brought the

stone to them from the nearby hill of Abu Qubays. Abraham and Ishmael

worked hard to rebuild the Ka'bah and as they did so they prayed to Allah

to send a Prophet from among their descendants. And when Abraham and

Ishmael were raising the foundations of the House, (Abraham prayed):

'Our Lord! Receive this from us; Thou, only Thou, art the All-hearing, the

All-knowing; Our Lord! And make us submissive unto Thee and of our

seed a nation submissive unto Thee, and show us our ways of worship,

and turn toward us. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Relenting, the Merciful.

Our Lord! And raise up in their midst a messenger from among them who

shall recite unto them Thy revelations, and shall instruct them in the

Scripture and in wisdom and shall make them grow. Lo! Thou, only

Thou, art the Mighty, Wise. (Qur'an 2.127-9) When the Ka'bah was

completed, Allah commanded Abraham to call mankind to pilgrimage to

His Holy House. Abraham wondered how anyone could hear his call.

Allah said, 'You call and I will bring them.' This was how the pilgrimage

to the Ka'bah in Mecca was established and when Muslims make the

pilgrimage today they continue to answer the age-old call of Abraham.