PROPHET ABRAHAM
and PROPHET LOT

The Immigration (Hijra) of Prophet Lot (pbuh) and Prophet Abraham (pbuh)

Prophet Abraham (pbuh) and Prophet Lot (pbuh), along with the believers, migrated at God's command and settled in a delightful new land. In the Qur'an, our Lord reveals their blessed fate:

We delivered both him [Abraham] and Lot to the land that We had blessed for all beings. And in addition to that, We gave him Isaac and Jacob and made both of them righteous. We made them leaders, guiding [them] by Our command, and revealed to them how to do good actions, perform prayer, and give alms. And they worshipped Us. We gave right judgment and knowledge to Lot, and rescued him from the city that committed disgusting acts. They were evil people who were deviators. We admitted him into Our mercy. He was one of the righteous. (Qur'an, 21:71-75)

Hijra is a religious observation that only devout believers can perform. People who live far removed from religion can never agree to suddenly leave behind everything they own and emigrate to an unknown destination. Their homes, goods, and property are most important to them. Yet wherever believers may go, since they know that God will meet all of their needs, they have no hesitation about leaving everything behind and emigrating for God's good pleasure. Prophet Abraham (pbuh) and Prophet Lot (pbuh) demonstrated their submission to God in the finest possible manner. They renounced their material possessions and homelands to gain His good pleasure. In return, our Lord settled them in a good land and endowed them with the infinite blessings of Paradise in the Hereafter.

Believers, who trust in God and know that He will meet all of their needs at every moment, must follow the prophets' model of complete submission to God. That is because people who are attached to the world and are concerned about the future are far removed from religion's moral values. Our Lord gives believers the glad tidings that as a reward for not indulging in material interests, believers will receive matchless blessings in both worlds.

In addition, the Qur'an refers to the prophets' vast property as a blessing from God. Prophet David (pbuh) had a great deal of property, and Prophet Solomon (pbuh) possessed so much power and wealth that nobody could match them. God reveals that He gave Prophet Abraham (pbuh) and his line a lot of property:

Or do they, in fact, envy other people for the bounty God has granted them? We gave the family of Abraham the Book and wisdom, and We gave them an immense kingdom. (Qur'an, 4:54)

If only the people of the cities had believed and quarded against evil, We would have opened up to them blessings from heaven and Earth. But they denied the truth so We seized them for what they earned. (Qur'an, 7:96) Anyone who acts rightly, male or female, being a believer, We will give them a good life and We will recompense them according to the best of what they did. (Qur'an, 16:97)

Goods, property, and power are always causes of arrogance and self-love among those who do not believe and are heedless. On the other hand, the prophets and the believers who follow them use their God-given goods and property to spread His religion, earn His good pleasure, and achieve their abode in the Hereafter. Furthermore, believers also know that all of their property belongs to God. When sincere Muslims are given blessings in this world, they thank our Lord. More importantly, when such blessings diminish they still thank God with all of their hearts and display the proper patience, for they know that this life is a test and that God will reward them in Paradise:

Those who believe and emigrate and strive in the way of God with their wealth and their selves have a higher rank with God. They are the ones who are victorious. Their Lord gives them the good news of His mercy and good pleasure, and Gardens where they will enjoy everlasting delight, remaining in them timelessly, forever and ever. Truly, there is an immense reward with God. (Qur'an, 9:20-22)

Conclusion

In this book, we have described the joyous faith in God manifested by Prophet Abraham (pbuh) and Prophet Lot (pbuh), how they turned to our Lord in all of their actions, their superior moral values, and their difficult struggles against their pagan and sinful peoples. Prophet Abraham (pbuh) relayed the divine message to his tribe with great determination and, thanks to his submission to God, was patient and steady in all circumstances. Prophet Lot (pbuh) struggled patiently with his tribe, calling on them to believe in God and abandon their immorality. These prophets, made superior to the worlds by God, won His good pleasure due to the deep faith and superior moral values they exhibited throughout their lives. In the end, they achieved their true abode in Paradise, with its infinite blessings.

The greatest aim of each believer's life is to follow in the footsteps of the prophets, each of whom was a guide to the true way, and thus become servants with whom God is pleased. God gives the glad tidings of the reward awaiting such believers:

Whoever obeys God and the messenger will be with those whom God has blessed: the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs, and the righteous. What excellent company such people are! (Qur'an, 4:69)

In order to become God's friend and be with the prophets in the Hereafter, believers must live in accord with God's good pleasure, always trust in Him, and hold Him and His religion above everything else. Whoever demonstrates these virtues and thus lives according to Prophet Abraham's (pbuh) words that "I have submitted to the Lord of the worlds," can expect the greatest happiness from God and to reach salvation.

The fact that many people remain heedless of His existence must not deceive anyone. Prophet Abraham (pbuh) called on his pagan tribe to believe, even though he was alone, and our Lord praised this moral virtue: "Abraham was a community in himself." (Qur'an, 16:120). Prophet Lot (pbuh), together with a very few believers, displayed his very superior submission to God and called on his largely homosexual tribe to abandon their immoral lifestyles and to believe (Qur'an, 51:36). Those very few believing people, however, were much stronger than all of their people, for they had God's help and support.

The important thing is to understand that God controls everything that exists, all of which has submitted to Him, and to live accordingly. Prophet Abraham (pbuh) and Prophet Lot (pbuh) understood this truth and became His friends. Like them, all believers must seek to achieve the same level of deep faith and spirituality and make a serious effort to become His friend.

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