Page 20 Notes

02 Surah Al-Baqarah (continued)

Page 20 Grammar 

Page 20 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

2:127

2:128

2:129

2:130

2:131

2:132

2:133

2:134

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 20 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 20 of the Quran covers verses 127 through 134 of Surah Al-Baqarah. This page documents the actual physical construction of the Kaaba by Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim) and his son Ishmael (Isma'il), along with their heartfelt prayers for a future messenger to be sent to their descendants (verses 127–129). It then establishes that only a foolish person would reject the legacy of Abraham, concluding with the powerful final counsels of Abraham and Jacob (Ya'qub) to their children on maintaining their identity as Muslims until death (verses 130–134).

The Hadiths and Sunnah related to these verses provide the definitive historical narrative behind the building of the Kaaba, confirm the lineage of the Prophet Muhammad, and emphasize the importance of passing down faith across generations.

1. Verses 127–129: The Building of the Kaaba and the Abrahamic Prayer

"And [recall] when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House and [with him] Ishmael, [saying], 'Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed You are the Hearing, the Knowing...'" (2:127)

The Detailed Historical Narrative

The primary historical account explaining the background of these verses is a long, highly detailed tradition narrated by the companion Ibn Abbas. It provides the intimate human story behind the physical labor described on page 20.

• The Hadith: Ibn Abbas narrated that Abraham came to Mecca and found Ishmael sharpening his arrows near a large tree close to the future site of the Kaaba. Abraham said, "O Ishmael, Allah has given me a command." Ishmael replied, "Do what your Lord has commanded you to do." Abraham asked, "Will you help me?" Ishmael said, "I will help you." Abraham then pointed to a hillock rising higher than the land around it and said, "Allah has commanded me to build a house here." * The Construction: The narration continues:
  "Then they raised the foundations of the House (the Kaaba). Ishmael brought the stones while Abraham built; and when the walls became high, Ishmael brought this stone (the Maqam Ibrahim) and placed it for Abraham, who stood on it and carried on building, while Ishmael handed him the stones. Both of them were saying: 'Our Lord, accept this from us; surely You are the Hearing, the Knowing.'" (Sahih al-Bukhari)

The Answer to Abraham's Prayer: The Prophet Muhammad

In verse 129, Abraham and Ishmael make a specific invocation: "Our Lord, and send among them a messenger from themselves who will recite to them Your verses and teach them the Book and wisdom and purify them..." The Prophet Muhammad explicitly identified himself as the direct answer to this ancient prayer.

• The Hadith: The Prophet Muhammad was asked by his companions, "O Messenger of Allah, tell us about yourself." He replied:
  "I am the answer to the prayer of my father Abraham, I am the glad tidings of Jesus, and I am the vision of my mother who saw a light emanating from her that illuminated the palaces of Levant when I was born." (Musnad Ahmad; Al-Mustadrak al-Hakim)

2. Verses 130–132: The Legacy of Abraham and Absolute Submission

"And who would turn away from the religion of Abraham except one who fools himself?... When his Lord said to him, 'Submit (Aslim),' he said, 'I have submitted (Aslamtu) to the Lord of the worlds.'" (2:130-131)

The Spirit of Complete Submission (Islam)

Verse 131 highlights Abraham's immediate, unquestioning response when called to submit to Allah. The Prophet Muhammad made this exact linguistic formula—"Aslamtu" (I have submitted)—the core of his nightly Sunnah routines, demonstrating that a Muslim must constantly renew this Abrahamic attitude of surrender.

• The Daily Sunnah Practice: The companion Al-Bara' ibn Azib reported that the Messenger of Allah advised him that right before sleeping, he should perform ablution (wudu), lie down on his right side, and make a specific supplication that echoes the spirit of verse 131:
  "O Allah, I have submitted my soul to You (Aslamtu nafsi ilayk), turned my face to You, and entrusted my affairs to You... I believe in Your Book which You have revealed, and in Your Prophet whom You have sent." The Prophet added, "If you should die that night, you would die upon the pure natural disposition (Fitrah)." (Sahih al-Bukhari & Sahih Muslim)

3. Verses 133–134: The Final Counsel of Prophet Jacob

"Or were you witnesses when death approached Jacob, when he said to his sons, 'What will you worship after me?' They said, 'We will worship your God and the God of your fathers, Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac—one God—and we are Muslims to Him.'" (2:133)

Nurturing Faith Within the Family

On the lower half of page 20, the Quran depicts Prophet Jacob on his deathbed, anxious not about his children's financial inheritance, but about their spiritual legacy. The Prophet Muhammad heavily emphasized this Sunnah of active spiritual parental responsibility.

• The Hadith Connection: The Prophet reinforced the reality that parents are fundamentally responsible for guarding and directing the spiritual environment of their households, mirroring Jacob's deathbed check-in. He stated:
  "Each of you is a shepherd, and each of you is responsible for his flock. A man is a shepherd over the people of his house and he is responsible for his flock..." (Sahih al-Bukhari & Sahih Muslim)

References

• Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Prophets, Chapter: The Statement of Allah regarding the building of the House (Hadith 3364); Book of Invocations, Hadith 6311; Book of Judgments, Hadith 7138.

• Sahih Muslim, Book of Faith, Chapter: Supplications before sleeping (Hadith 2710).

• Musnad Ahmad, Vol. 4, Hadith 17163 (The Prophet identifying as the answer to Abraham's prayer).

• Al-Mustadrak 'ala al-Sahihayn by Al-Hakim, Book of History (Hadith 4174).

• Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Classical commentary on Surah Al-Baqarah, Verses 127–134.