Why does the Quran, whereas the Bible does, not make a mention of the institution of circumcision as well as the story of Hagar and the miraculous well of Zamzam?
Praise be to Allaah.
You
might as well ask, why does the Qur’aan not explain the number of prayers
during the day and night, and the number [of rak’ahs in] each prayer,
and what should be recited in the prayer, and how the prayer should
be done… And why does it not speak in detail about zakaah, and Hajj,
and fasting, and so on?
Allaah
has made the Sunnah of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) the detailed explanation
of that which is mentioned in general terms in the Qur’aan. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“And
We have also sent down unto you (O Muhammad) the Dhikr [reminder and
the advice (i.e. the Qur’aan)], that you may explain clearly to men
what is sent down to them”
[al-Nahl
16:44]
The
matters which you mention are explained in the Sunnah, and both of them
– the Sunnah and the Qur’aan – are wahy
(revelation) from Allaah.
Shaykh
Sa’d al-Humayd
There
follows the story of Haajar and Zamzam from the Sunnah, so that you
will have no need of the Bible, of which we cannot be sure that the
content is correct.
Ibn
‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated the story of Haajar,
the wife of Ibraaheem and the mother of his son Ismaa’eel. He said:
Ibraaheem brought her and her son Ismaa’eel while
she was suckling him, to a place near the Ka'bah under a tree on the
spot of Zamzam, at the highest place in the mosque. During those days
there was nobody in Makkah, nor was there any water. So he made them
sit over there and placed near them a leather bag containing some dates,
and a small water-skin containing some water, and set out homeward.
Ismaa’eel's mother followed him saying, "O Ibraaheem! Where are
you going, leaving us in this valley where there is no person whose
company we may enjoy, nor is there anything (to enjoy)?" She repeated
that to him many times, but he did not look back at her. Then she asked
him, "Has Allah ordered you to do this?" He said, "Yes."
She said, "Then He will not neglect us," and returned while
Ibraaheem went on his way. When he reached al-Thaniyyah, where they
could not see him, he faced the Ka'bah, and raising both hands, prayed
to Allaah in the following words:
“O
our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in an uncultivable
valley by Your Sacred House (the Ka‘bah at Makkah) in order, O our Lord,
that they may perform As‑Salaah (Iqaamat‑as‑Salaah).
So fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and (O Allaah)
provide them with fruits so that they may give thanks”[Ibraaheem 14:37
– interpretation of the meaning]
Ismaa’eel's mother went on suckling Ismaa’eel and
drinking from the water (she had). When the water in the water-skin
had all been used up, she became thirsty and her child also became thirsty.
She started looking at him (i.e. Ismaa’eel) tossing in agony (or he
said: kicking with his heels). She left him, for she could not endure
looking at him, and found that the mountain of al-Safa was the nearest
mountain to her on that land. She stood on it and started looking at
the valley keenly so that she might see somebody, but she could not
see anybody. Then she descended from al-Safa and when she reached the
valley, she tucked up her robe and ran in the valley like a person in
distress and trouble, till she crossed the valley and reached al-Marwa
where she stood and started looking, expecting to see somebody, but
she could not see anybody. She repeated that (running between al-Safa
and al-Marwa) seven times.
Ibn ‘Abbaas said: the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "This is the
source of the tradition of the walking between them (i.e. al-Safa and
al-Marwa). When she reached al-Marwa (for the last time) she heard a
voice and she asked herself to be quiet and listened attentively. She
heard the voice again and said, “O (whoever you may be)! You have made
me hear your voice; have you got something to help me?" And she
saw an angel at the place of Zamzam, digging the earth with his heel
(or his wing), till water flowed from that place. She started to make
something like a basin around it, using her hand in this way, and started
filling her water-skin with water with her hands, and the water started
flowing out after she had scooped some of it."
Ibn
‘Abbaas said: The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) added, "May Allah bestow Mercy on Ismaa’eel's
mother! Had she left the Zamzam alone (flowing without trying to control
it) (or had she not scooped from that water) (to fill her water-skin),
Zamzam would have been a stream flowing on the surface of the earth."
The Prophet further added, "Then she drank (water) and suckled
her child. The angel said to her, 'Don't be afraid of being neglected,
for this is the House of Allah which will be built by this boy and his
father, and Allah never neglects His people.' The House (i.e. Ka’bah)
at that time was on a high place resembling a hillock, and when torrents
came, they flowed to its right and left. She lived in that way till
some people from the tribe of Jurhum or a family from Jurhum passed
by her and her child, as they (i.e. the Jurhum people) were coming through
the way of Kada'. They landed in the lower part of Makkah where they
saw a bird that had the habit of flying around water and not leaving
it. They said, ‘This bird must be flying around water, though we know
that there is no water in this valley.’ They sent one or two messengers
who discovered the source of water, and returned to inform them of the
water. So, they all came (towards the water)."
The
Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) added,
"Ismaa’eel's mother was sitting near the water. They asked her,
'Do you allow us to stay with you?' She replied, 'Yes, but you will
have no right to possess the water.' They agreed to that." Ibn
‘Abbaas said: the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) further said, "Ismaa’eel's mother was pleased with
the whole situation as she used to love to enjoy the company of the
people. So, they settled there, and later on they sent for their families
who came and settled with them so that some families became permanent
residents there. The child (i.e. Ismaa’eel) grew up and learnt Arabic
from them and (his virtues) caused them to love and admire him as he
grew up, and when he reached the age of puberty they made him marry
a woman from amongst them.
After Ismaa’eel's mother had died, Ibraaheem
came after Ismaa’eel's marriage in order to see his family that he had
left before…
Then
Ibraaheem came back later on. He saw Ismaa’eel under a tree near Zam-zam,
sharpening his arrows. When he saw Ibraaheem, he stood up to welcome
him, and they greeted each other as a father does with his son and a
son does with his father. Ibraaheem said, 'O Ismaa’eel! Allah has given
me an order.' Ismaa’eel said, 'Do what your Lord has ordered you to
do.' Ibraaheem asked, 'Will you help me?' Ismaa’eel said, 'I will help
you.' Ibraaheem said, ‘Allah has ordered me to build a house here,'
pointing to a hillock higher than the land surrounding it." The
Prophet added, "Then they raised the foundations of the House (i.e.
the Ka'bah). Ismaa’eel brought the stones and Ibraaheem was building,
and when the walls became high, Ismaa’eel brought this stone and put
it for Ibraaheem who stood on it and carried on building, while Ismaa’eel
was handing him the stones, and both of them were saying, ‘Our
Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily, You are the All-Hearer,
the All-Knower' [al-Baqarah 2:127 – interpretation of the meaning].
The Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) added, "Then both of them went on building
and going round the Ka'ba saying: ‘Our
Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily, You are the All-Hearer,
the All-Knower’ [al-Baqarah 2:127 – interpretation of the meaning]
. Saheeh al-Bukhaari, 3113
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