Hagar, Mother of Ishmael
One of the most prominent women in Islamic tradition was Hagar (Hajar), the wife of the Prophet Abraham. She gave birth to a son named Ishmael. As part of a divine plan, Abraham took Hagar and her infant son to Makkah in Arabia and settled them there. At that time, Makkah was completely uninhabited. It was from this point that the history of Makkah as the centre of Islam began. The Quran briefly refers to this event:
“[Remember] when Abraham said, “My Lord, make this a city of peace and help me and my children to keep away from worshipping idols. My Lord, they have led so many men astray! Anyone who follows me is with me, but if anyone turns against me, You are surely forgiving and merciful. O Lord! I have settled some of my offspring in an uncultivable valley near Your Sacred House, Lord, so that they might establish their prayers. So, make people’s hearts incline towards them and provide them with fruits so that they may be grateful.’” (Quran, 14:35-37)
The Quran makes only a brief reference to Hagar.. However, Sahih al-Bukhari, the well-known collection of Hadith, contains a detailed account of her story. The narration is given below.
Abdullah ibn Abbas relates that Hagar was the first woman to wear a waist belt, which she used to conceal her tracks from Sarah. Abraham then brought Hagar and her infant son Ishmael to Makkah. At that time, Hagar was still nursing Ishmael.
Abraham left them beneath a large tree near the site of Zamzam, in the upper part of the area where the Sacred Mosque now stands. At that time, there was not a single person in Makkah, nor was there any water. Abraham left a bag of dates and a waterskin with them and then began his journey back.
Hagar followed him and said, “O Abraham, where are you going, leaving us in this valley where there is neither a human being nor anything else?” She repeated the question several times, but Abraham did not turn towards her.
Finally, she asked, “Has God commanded you to do this?”
He replied, “Yes.”
Hagar then said, “In that case, God will not abandon us,” and she returned to her child.
Abraham continued on his way until he reached al-Thaniyyah, which lay in the upper part of Makkah in the Prophet’s time. When he was no longer visible to them, he turned towards the place where the Kaaba now stands, raised his hands, and prayed:
“O Lord! I have settled some of my offspring in an uncultivable valley…” He continued reciting the verse until the words, “so that they may be grateful.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 3364)
Hagar continued to nurse Ishmael and drink water from the waterskin. Eventually, the water ran out, and both she and her child became thirsty. She looked at her son and saw him in agony from thirst. Unable to bear the sight, she moved away from him.
Safa was the nearest hill, so she climbed to the top and looked across the valley, hoping to see someone. But there was no one in sight. She descended from Safa and, when she reached the valley, lifted the hem of her garment and ran across it like a person in great distress. She then climbed the hill of Marwah and looked around, but again she saw no one. In this way, she went back and forth between Safa and Marwah seven times.
Abdullah ibn Abbas relates that the Prophet Muhammad said, “This is why people perform the sa‘i between these two hills.”
When Hagar reached Marwah, she heard a voice. She said to herself, “Be quiet,” and listened carefully. She heard the voice again and called out, “You have made your voice heard. Can you offer us any help?”
She then saw an angel at the site of Zamzam. The angel struck the ground with his heel—or with his wing—and water began to flow. Hagar quickly began collecting the water into a small basin, building up the earth around it with her hands. She scooped up the water and filled her waterskin. The more water she collected, the more the spring continued to flow.
Ibn Abbas relates that the Prophet said, “May Allah have mercy on Hagar. Had she allowed Zamzam to flow freely—or, as he said, had she not scooped up its water with her hands—it would have become a continuous spring.” Hagar drank from it and gave some to her son. The angel said to her, “Do not fear that you will be abandoned. This is the site of the House of God. This child and his father will build the House, and God does not abandon the people of His House.”
At that time, the site of the Kaaba stood above the surrounding ground like a mound. Whenever floodwater came, it passed around it on either side.
Hagar continued to live there in this way for some time. Then a group from the tribe of Jurhum—or a family belonging to that tribe—came by way of Kada, which was located in the upper part of Makkah in the Prophet’s time. They stopped in the lower part of Makkah and noticed a bird circling overhead. They said, “This bird must be circling over water. We have passed through this valley before, and there was no water here.”
They sent one or two men to investigate. The men found water and returned to inform the others. The whole group then came to the place. The Prophet Muhammad said that Hagar was sitting beside the water.
They asked her, “Will you allow us to settle here?”
She replied, “Yes, but you will have no right over the water.”
They agreed.
Ibn Abbas relates that the Prophet Muhammad said that Hagar was pleased by their arrival, for she wished to have people living nearby. The people of Jurhum settled there and sent for their families, who also came and made their homes there.
In time, several households were established in Makkah. Ishmael grew into a young man and learned Arabic from the people of Jurhum. They became very fond of him and, when he reached adulthood, married him to one of their women. Hagar later passed away. After Ishmael had married, Abraham came to visit his family. He did not find Ishmael at home, so he asked his wife where he was. She replied, “He has gone out in search of provisions for us.”
Abraham then asked about their living conditions. She said, “We are living in hardship and great difficulty,” and complained about their circumstances.
Abraham said, “When your husband returns, convey my greetings to him and tell him to change the threshold of his door.”
When Ishmael returned, he sensed that someone had visited. He asked his wife, “Did anyone come here?”
She replied, “Yes, an old man of such and such an appearance came. He asked me about you, and I told him where you were. He also asked about our living conditions, and I told him that we were living in great hardship and difficulty.”
Ishmael asked, “Did he leave any message for me?”
She replied, “Yes. He conveyed his greetings to you and told you to change the threshold of your door.”
Ishmael said, “That was my father. He has instructed me to part with you. Return to your family.”
Ishmael divorced her and later married another woman from the tribe of Jurhum.
Abraham remained in his homeland for as long as God willed. He then came to visit Ishmael again, but once more he did not find him at home. He asked Ishmael’s wife where he was.
She replied, “He has gone out in search of provisions for us.”
Abraham asked, “How are you living?”
She replied, “We are well and living in comfort,” and praised God.
Abraham asked, “What do you eat?”
She replied, “Meat.”
He asked, “What do you drink?”
She replied, “Water.”
Abraham prayed, “O God, bless their meat and water.”
The Prophet of Islam said that there was no grain in Makkah at that time. Had grain been available there, Abraham would have prayed for blessings in it as well. He further said that if people anywhere other than Makkah were to live on meat and water alone, such a diet would not agree with them.
Abraham then said to her, “When your husband returns, convey my greetings to him and tell him to keep the threshold of his door.”
When Ishmael returned, he asked, “Did anyone visit you?”
She replied, “Yes, a dignified and pleasant-looking elderly man came to us.” She spoke highly of him and added, “He asked me about you, and I told him where you were. He also asked about our living conditions, and I told him that we were well.”
Ishmael asked, “Did he leave any message for me?”
She replied, “Yes. He conveyed his greetings to you and told you to keep the threshold of your door.”
Ishmael said, “That was my father, and you are the threshold. He has instructed me to keep you as my wife.”
Abraham then remained in his homeland for as long as God willed. When he returned again, he found Ishmael sitting beneath a tree near Zamzam, sharpening his arrows. When Ishmael saw his father, he rose to greet him, and they welcomed each other with the affection of a father and son.
Abraham said, “O Ishmael, God has given me a command.”
Ishmael replied, “Then do what your Lord has commanded you.”
Abraham asked, “Will you help me?”
Ishmael replied, “I will.”
Abraham said, “God has commanded me to build a House here,” and pointed towards a mound that stood above the surrounding ground.
They then began raising the foundations of the House. Ishmael brought the stones, while Abraham carried out the construction. When the walls became too high, Ishmael brought a stone and placed it beside him. Abraham stood on the stone—the Maqam Ibrahim—and continued building, while Ishmael handed the stones up to him.
As they worked, they prayed:
“Our Lord, accept this from us. You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.”
They continued building the House, moving around it as the work progressed, and repeatedly prayed: “Our Lord, accept this from us. You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 3364)
Hajar’s husband, the Prophet Abraham, son of Azar, was born in Iraq approximately four and a half thousand years ago. He lived to the age of 175. He called the people of his time to the worship of the one God. However, polytheism and idol worship had gained such a strong hold over their minds that they were unable to accept the message of monotheism.
Abraham continued to convey the message of monotheism there for more than a generation. By that time, however, polytheism had developed into a complete civilization and had become so deeply embedded in people’s lives that they could not think beyond it. From birth, every individual was taught the beliefs and practices of polytheism. Under the influence of this environment, the human mind became completely conditioned by it.
At that point, under God’s direction, Abraham adopted a new plan. The plan was to raise a new generation in an uninhabited desert, far from the centres of established civilization. It was for this purpose that Abraham brought his wife Hagar and their infant son Ishmael to the place where Makkah now stands and settled them there.
The place was entirely free from the influence of polytheistic civilization. It was a world of pure nature, where nothing existed except the signs of God’s creation. In this simple natural environment, a new people gradually emerged through successive generations. This process continued for more than two thousand years. Then the time came when the Final Prophet appeared among them.
These people came to be known in history as the Children of Ishmael. They may be described as potentially Muslims.
Thus, for the first time in the long history of the prophets, the Final Prophet found, within a remarkably short period, a strong and dedicated group of companions. Through their courageous efforts and sacrifices, this group—known as the Companions of the Prophet—raised monotheism from the level of an ideological movement to that of a practical revolution.
Such a revolution required a vibrant and committed team to bring it into being, and this team was undoubtedly prepared through the sacrifice of Hagar.
As the above-mentioned account in Sahih al-Bukhari makes clear, Hagar played a fundamental role in this monotheistic revolution. It was through her unparalleled sacrifice that the great historical development known as Islamic history was able to unfold. It would be no exaggeration to say that, among all women, the following well-known English saying applies most fittingly to Hagar:
“There is a woman at the beginning of all great things.”
Every year, pilgrims who travel to Makkah to perform Hajj walk seven times between Safa and Marwah. This ritual, known as sa‘i, is a reenactment of Hagar’s search for water. God so greatly approved of her effort that He ordained that Muslims from all over the world who come to Makkah for Hajj should follow in her footsteps.
