The short answer
Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, is named a prophet in Surah Maryam 19:41. Surah Al-Nisa 4:125 says Allah chose him as a friend. The Quran's accounts of him include his address to his father, the fire, the sacrifice and the foundations of the House, and each has its own reference below.
إِبْرَٰهِيمَ
Who is Ibrahim in Islam?
Ibrahim, called Abraham in English translations, is named a prophet in Maryam 19:41. The translation has the verse say he "was a saint, a prophet":
وَٱذْكُرْ فِى ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ صِدِّيقًا نَّبِيًّا
Al-Nisa 4:125 asks who is better in religion than the one who surrenders to Allah while doing good and follows the tradition of Abraham. It also says that "Allah (Himself) chose Abraham for friend":
وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ دِينًا مِّمَّنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُۥ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ وَٱتَّبَعَ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ حَنِيفًا ۗ وَٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ خَلِيلًا
The accounts occur across different surahs, and the order below is not a timeline:
| Account | Where to begin |
|---|---|
| His address to his father | Maryam 19:41 to 48 |
| The idols and the fire | Al-Anbiya 21:51 to 70 |
| The sacrifice account | As-Saffat 37:99 to 111 |
| His prayers for his descendants | Surah Ibrahim 14:35 to 40 |
| Raising the House's foundations | Al-Baqarah 2:127 |
What does his account with his father describe?
Maryam 19:42 to 45 has Ibrahim ask his father why he worships what can neither hear, see nor help him. He tells his father that knowledge has come to him and offers to lead him on a right path. He warns him against serving the devil and fears a punishment from the Beneficent. His father answers with a threat to stone him if he does not stop (19:46).
إِذْ قَالَ لِأَبِيهِ يَـٰٓأَبَتِ لِمَ تَعْبُدُ مَا لَا يَسْمَعُ وَلَا يُبْصِرُ وَلَا يُغْنِى عَنكَ شَيْـًٔا يَـٰٓأَبَتِ إِنِّى قَدْ جَآءَنِى مِنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ مَا لَمْ يَأْتِكَ فَٱتَّبِعْنِىٓ أَهْدِكَ صِرَٰطًا سَوِيًّا يَـٰٓأَبَتِ لَا تَعْبُدِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ كَانَ لِلرَّحْمَـٰنِ عَصِيًّا يَـٰٓأَبَتِ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ أَن يَمَسَّكَ عَذَابٌ مِّنَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ فَتَكُونَ لِلشَّيْطَـٰنِ وَلِيًّا قَالَ أَرَاغِبٌ أَنتَ عَنْ ءَالِهَتِى يَـٰٓإِبْرَٰهِيمُ ۖ لَئِن لَّمْ تَنتَهِ لَأَرْجُمَنَّكَ ۖ وَٱهْجُرْنِى مَلِيًّا قَالَ سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْكَ ۖ سَأَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكَ رَبِّىٓ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ بِى حَفِيًّا وَأَعْتَزِلُكُمْ وَمَا تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَأَدْعُوا۟ رَبِّى عَسَىٰٓ أَلَّآ أَكُونَ بِدُعَآءِ رَبِّى شَقِيًّا
Ibrahim replies with peace, says he will ask forgiveness of his Lord for his father, and says he will withdraw from them and from what they call on besides Allah, and will call upon his Lord (19:47 to 48). The passage gives one exchange. It is not a full history of their relationship.
What happened in the account of the idols and the fire?
Al-Anbiya 21:51 to 70 begins with Ibrahim asking his people what the images are that they devote themselves to (21:52). He tells them that their Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth (21:56). He breaks the idols into fragments, all except the chief of them (21:58). They ask for him to be brought before the people so that they may testify (21:61). He tells them to ask the idols, if they can speak (21:63), and they admit that these speak not (21:65). They cry out to burn him (21:68).
قَالَ بَل رَّبُّكُمْ رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ٱلَّذِى فَطَرَهُنَّ وَأَنَا۠ عَلَىٰ ذَٰلِكُم مِّنَ ٱلشَّـٰهِدِينَ وَتَٱللَّهِ لَأَكِيدَنَّ أَصْنَـٰمَكُم بَعْدَ أَن تُوَلُّوا۟ مُدْبِرِينَ فَجَعَلَهُمْ جُذَٰذًا إِلَّا كَبِيرًا لَّهُمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ إِلَيْهِ يَرْجِعُونَ قَالُوا۟ مَن فَعَلَ هَـٰذَا بِـَٔالِهَتِنَآ إِنَّهُۥ لَمِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ قَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا فَتًى يَذْكُرُهُمْ يُقَالُ لَهُۥٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمُ قَالُوا۟ فَأْتُوا۟ بِهِۦ عَلَىٰٓ أَعْيُنِ ٱلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْهَدُونَ قَالُوٓا۟ ءَأَنتَ فَعَلْتَ هَـٰذَا بِـَٔالِهَتِنَا يَـٰٓإِبْرَٰهِيمُ قَالَ بَلْ فَعَلَهُۥ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَـٰذَا فَسْـَٔلُوهُمْ إِن كَانُوا۟ يَنطِقُونَ فَرَجَعُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ فَقَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّكُمْ أَنتُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ ثُمَّ نُكِسُوا۟ عَلَىٰ رُءُوسِهِمْ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ يَنطِقُونَ قَالَ أَفَتَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُكُمْ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يَضُرُّكُمْ أُفٍّ لَّكُمْ وَلِمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ قَالُوا۟ حَرِّقُوهُ وَٱنصُرُوٓا۟ ءَالِهَتَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ فَـٰعِلِينَ قُلْنَا يَـٰنَارُ كُونِى بَرْدًا وَسَلَـٰمًا عَلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَأَرَادُوا۟ بِهِۦ كَيْدًا فَجَعَلْنَـٰهُمُ ٱلْأَخْسَرِينَ
Allah tells the fire to "be coolness and peace" for Ibrahim (21:69). The passage gives no size for the fire, no method and no present-day location. Those would need separate evidence.
Why is Hasbunallahu linked with Ibrahim?
Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, reports that Ibrahim said the words "Hasbunallahu wa nimal wakeel" when he was thrown into the fire. In the same narration, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is reported to have said them in another situation, when they said that the people had gathered against you, as Al-Imran 3:173 records. The narration is Sahih al-Bukhari 4563.
Sahih al-Bukhari 4563
قَالَهَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ حِينَ أُلْقِيَ فِي النَّارِ
qālahā Ibrāhīmu ʿalayhi as-salām, ḥīna ulqiya fī an-nār
Reported by Ibn Abbas: Ibrahim, peace be upon him, said it when he was thrown into the fire.
1AuthenticSahih al-Bukhari 4563
For the phrase's meaning, continue with Hasbunallahu wa nimal wakeel. The narration gives no repetition count and promises no particular outcome.
What does the sacrifice passage say?
As-Saffat 37:99 to 111 has Ibrahim ask his Lord for one of the righteous (37:100), and he is given "tidings of a gentle son" (37:100 to 101). When the son was old enough to walk with him, Ibrahim tells him of a dream of sacrificing him. The son answers: "Do that which you are commanded". He will be found, if Allah wills, among the steadfast (37:102). When both have submitted and Ibrahim has flung him down upon his face (37:103), Ibrahim is called and told that he has fulfilled the vision (37:104 to 105). The verse calls the test "a clear test" (37:106), and says "We ransomed him with a tremendous victim" (37:107).
وَقَالَ إِنِّى ذَاهِبٌ إِلَىٰ رَبِّى سَيَهْدِينِ رَبِّ هَبْ لِى مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ فَبَشَّرْنَـٰهُ بِغُلَـٰمٍ حَلِيمٍ فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ ٱلسَّعْىَ قَالَ يَـٰبُنَىَّ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰ فِى ٱلْمَنَامِ أَنِّىٓ أَذْبَحُكَ فَٱنظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَىٰ ۚ قَالَ يَـٰٓأَبَتِ ٱفْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ ۖ سَتَجِدُنِىٓ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ فَلَمَّآ أَسْلَمَا وَتَلَّهُۥ لِلْجَبِينِ وَنَـٰدَيْنَـٰهُ أَن يَـٰٓإِبْرَٰهِيمُ قَدْ صَدَّقْتَ ٱلرُّءْيَآ ۚ إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَهُوَ ٱلْبَلَـٰٓؤُا۟ ٱلْمُبِينُ وَفَدَيْنَـٰهُ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيمٍ وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرِينَ سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ إِنَّهُۥ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
The passage describes a ransom and does not narrate a completed killing. The son is not named in these verses. The next verse, 37:112, gives tidings of Ishaq (Isaac), peace be upon him, as a prophet from among the righteous. Two commentaries (works explaining the Quran verse by verse) identify the son differently, and Ilmwell does not decide between them.
Which son is meant in the sacrifice account?
Two commentaries, each cited with its volume and page, identify him differently. The verses themselves do not name him, and Ilmwell reports both views and chooses neither.
| Work, on the passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Ibn Kathir (died 774 AH, in the Islamic calendar), Tafsir al-Qur'an al-'Azim, vol. 7 p. 23, on 37:101 2 | He says the son is Isma'il (Ishmael), peace be upon him, and that the Quran points to Isma'il. He reports that a group of scholars held that the son was Ishaq, and says that view is not in the Book or the Sunnah, the Prophet's recorded teaching and practice. |
| Al-Tabari (died 310 AH), Jami' al-Bayan, vol. 19 pp. 588 to 598, on the ransom, 37:107 3 | He records reports that name Ishaq (pp. 588 to 592) and reports that name Isma'il (pp. 592 to 598). He then states, at p. 598, that the more correct of the two views, on the apparent sense of the revelation, is that the ransomed son was Ishaq. |
What family connections can be traced to the sources?
Surah Ibrahim 14:39 has him thank Allah for granting him, in his old age, the two sons named in the verse. Hud 11:71 gives his wife the tidings of Ishaq and, after Ishaq, of Yaqub (Jacob), peace be upon him. The verse does not give his wife a personal name.
ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى وَهَبَ لِى عَلَى ٱلْكِبَرِ إِسْمَـٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَـٰقَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى لَسَمِيعُ ٱلدُّعَآءِ
وَٱمْرَأَتُهُۥ قَآئِمَةٌ فَضَحِكَتْ فَبَشَّرْنَـٰهَا بِإِسْحَـٰقَ وَمِن وَرَآءِ إِسْحَـٰقَ يَعْقُوبَ
Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Qur'an al-'Azim, vol. 4 p. 288, on Hud 11:71, explicitly says that Yaqub is the son of Ishaq. 4
| Connection | Source and limit |
|---|---|
| Ibrahim and his son Isma'il | Surah Ibrahim 14:39 names him among the children given in old age. |
| Ibrahim and his son Ishaq | The same verse names Ishaq. |
| Ibrahim's wife in the announcement | Hud 11:71 describes her without giving a personal name. |
| Ishaq and his son Yaqub | The relation is explained in the commentary on Hud 11:71, cited above. |
The table gives only the connections the references support.
How is Ibrahim connected with the House?
Al-Baqarah 2:127 describes Ibrahim and Isma'il raising the foundations of the House, with a prayer for acceptance. The verse says "the House", and the construction and their prayer appear together.
وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمُ ٱلْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ ٱلْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّآ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ
The verse gives no calendar year and no account of any earlier builder. Who built the Kaaba? History and its place in worship looks at those questions separately.
Which themes do these passages raise?
Each theme rests on the passage beside it.
| Theme to notice | What supports it |
|---|---|
| Directing worship to Allah | Ibrahim's questions about the idols and his words about the Lord of the heavens and the earth (21:52 to 56). |
| Submission during a trial | The son's answer, and both father and son submitting, in the sacrifice passage (37:102 to 103). |
| Asking Allah to accept an act | The prayer recorded with the raising of the foundations (2:127). |
| Concern for later generations | Ibrahim's prayer about his own prayer and that of some of his descendants (14:40). |
Surah Ibrahim 14:40 gives a prayer concerning his own prayer and that of some of his descendants. Read it with the surrounding passage to keep its family context.
رَبِّ ٱجْعَلْنِى مُقِيمَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِى ۚ رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَآءِ
The story of Ibrahim is told in several parts of the Quran, and the passages do not all say the same thing about the details. Reading them side by side showed which points the text states and which it leaves open.
Try it: three questions
Pick an answer; each one explains itself.
1Which passage has Ibrahim and Isma'il raising the foundations of the House?
Answer: Al-Baqarah 2:127. Al-Baqarah 2:127 says that Abraham and Ishmael were raising the foundations of the House, with a prayer for acceptance.
2Does As-Saffat 37:99 to 111 name the son in the sacrifice account?
Answer: No, the verses leave him unnamed. The verses do not name him. The two commentaries identify him differently, and neither is the verses' own wording.
3Is the family table a complete genealogy?
Answer: No, it lists only the connections its references support. The table records only the connections its references support. Hud 11:71 gives tidings of Yaqub after Ishaq, and a commentary on that verse states that Yaqub is the son of Ishaq.
Questions people ask
Is Ibrahim the same name as Abraham?
The Quran names him Ibrahim. English translations give the name as Abraham, as in Maryam 19:41.
Where was Prophet Ibrahim born?
No birth date and no birthplace appear in the passages cited here. Naming a modern birthplace would need separate historical evidence, which the Quranic passages cited here cannot provide.
Which of Ibrahim's sons helped with the House's foundations?
Al-Baqarah 2:127 names Isma'il alongside Ibrahim as they raise the foundations of the House. The sacrifice account in As-Saffat 37:99 to 111 is a separate passage, and there the son is not named.
Which son is meant in the sacrifice account?
Verses 37:99 to 111 do not name him. Two classical commentaries identify him differently, and Ilmwell does not choose between them.
Sources
Every claim on this page comes from one of these. Gradings are reported with the scholar's name; we do not grade hadith ourselves.
- 1
Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, reports that hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakil was said by Ibrahim, peace be upon him, when he was thrown into the fire, and by Muhammad (the Prophet, peace be upon him) when they said the people had gathered against them.
Sahih al-Bukhari 4563 Book 65, Hadith 85
Authentic: in Sahih al-Bukhari
- 2
Ibn Kathir, on As-Saffat 37:101, says the boy given good tidings there is Isma'il, reports that a group of scholars held the sacrifice was Ishaq and says that view is not in the Book or the Sunnah, and argues from the later tidings of Ishaq (37:112) and the mention of Yaqub (11:71).
Ibn Kathir (d. 774 AH), Tafsir al-Qur'an al-'Azim, vol. 7 p. 23, on 37:101 Page read on shamela.ws, 27 October 2026 (Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyya edition). Record: scholarly-ibnkathir-37-101-son.
- 3
Al-Tabari, on As-Saffat 37:107, records reports that name Ishaq and reports that name Isma'il, and states that the more correct of the two views, on the apparent sense of the revelation, is that the ransomed son was Ishaq.
Al-Tabari (d. 310 AH), Jami' al-Bayan, vol. 19 p. 598, on 37:107 Read on 26 October 2026 (shamela.ws, the Turki edition). Record: scholarly-tabari-37-107-ransomed-son.
- 4
Ibn Kathir, on Hud 11:71, explicitly says that Yaqub is the son of Ishaq.
Ibn Kathir (d. 774 AH), Tafsir al-Qur'an al-'Azim, vol. 4 p. 288, on 11:71 Page read on shamela.ws, 27 October 2026 (Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyya edition). Record: scholarly-ibnkathir-11-71-yaqub.
- Q
Quran Arabic and English for Maryam 19:41 to 48; Al-Nisa 4:125; Al-Anbiya 21:51 to 70 (the quoted parts from 21:56 to 70); As-Saffat 37:99 to 111; Ibrahim 14:39 and 14:40; Hud 11:71; and Al-Baqarah 2:127. Al-Imran 3:173 is cited by reference only. The Arabic name in the figure is taken from Maryam 19:41.
Tanzil Project Uthmani text, CC BY 3.0. English: adapted from Marmaduke Pickthall's translation (1930), modernised and checked against modern translations.
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