Surah As-Saaffaat (37) — Ayah 103

(Ayah 103) ➊ {فَلَمَّاۤ اَسْلَمَا وَ تَلَّهٗ لِلْجَبِيْنِ :} Generally, commentators have translated {’’اَلْجَبِيْنُ‘‘} as forehead or brow and have said that Ibrahim (peace be upon him) laid his son face down so that, while slaughtering, seeing his son's face might not cause tenderness in his heart or trembling in his hand. Some have also narrated certain reports that Ismail (peace be upon him) himself advised Ibrahim (peace be upon him) to do so. Some have written that Ibrahim (peace be upon him), at his son's request, tied both his hands to his neck and laid him upside down, intending to pass the knife under his neck. But all these are Isra'iliyyat, and none of these things are proven. At this place, taking "jabīn" to mean forehead is very far-fetched, because "jabīn" means one side of the {’’جَبْهَةٌ‘‘} (forehead). Every person has two jabīns. Despite narrating such reports, Tabari himself, while interpreting {’’ وَ تَلَّهٗ لِلْجَبِيْنِ ‘‘}, has written: {’’وَ صَرَعَهُ لِلْجَبِيْنِ وَالْجَبِيْنَانِ مَا عَنْ يَمِيْنِ الْجَبْهَةِ وَ عَنْ شِمَالِهَا وَلِلْوَجْهِ جَبِيْنَانِ وَالْجَبْهَةُ بَيْنَهُمَا‘‘} "That is, Ibrahim (peace be upon him) laid him down on his jabīn, and the two jabīns are those which are on the right and left sides of the {’’جَبْهَةٌ‘‘} (forehead), and the face has two jabīns, and the {’’جَبْهَةٌ‘‘} (forehead) is between them." In Qāmūs it is stated: {’’اَلْجَبِيْنَانِ حَرْفَانِ مَكْتَنِفَا الْجَبْهَةِ مِنْ جَانِبَيْهَا‘‘} "That is, the two sides of the forehead are called the two jabīns." Therefore, I have translated it as "he laid him down on one side of his forehead." Any animal is laid down in this way at the time of slaughter, so that the knife can be passed over the throat.

➋ { ’’ فَلَمَّاۤ اَسْلَمَا وَ تَلَّهٗ لِلْجَبِيْنِ ‘‘} (So when both submitted and he laid him down on one side of his forehead), then what happened? The author of Kashf said: "The answer is ({كَانَ مَا كَانَ}), that is, then what happened, happened." The answer to this question is not mentioned here, because it is difficult to express what passed over the father's heart at that time, what was the state of amazement among the angels, and how pleased and merciful Allah was, at whose command he was sacrificing his beloved son.

➌ At this point, commentators have narrated various reports from some Companions and Followers, most of which are not even Sahih in their chain of narration. Even if they are Sahih, it is clear that those individuals were not present at the time of the incident, nor did they narrate those things from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), nor did they mention any other reliable source for their information. Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him), while mentioning the story of Ismail (peace be upon him) in {’’البداية والنهاية‘‘}, has written: {’’غَالِبُ مَا هٰهُنَا مِنَ الْآثَارِ مَأْخُوْذٌ مِنَ الْإِسْرَائِيْلِيَاتِ وَفِي الْقُرْآنِ كِفَايَةٌ عَمَّا جَرٰي مِنَ الْأَمْرِ الْعَظِيْمِ وَالْاِخْتِبَارِ الْبَاهِرِ وَأَنَّهُ فُدِيَ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيْمٍ وَ قَدْ وَرَدَ فِي الْحَدِيْثِ أَنَّهُ كَانَ كَبَشًا ‘‘} "That is, most of the reports mentioned here are taken from Isra'iliyyat, and what is mentioned in the Noble Qur'an is sufficient for the description of this magnificent matter and the lofty test, and that his ransom was given with a great sacrifice, and it is mentioned in the hadith that it was a ram."

13. 1. Every human has two temples (right and left) on the face , and in between is the forehead. Therefore, the correct translation of لِلْجَبِیْنِ is "on the side," meaning he was laid down on his side in such a way as animals are laid on their side facing the Qiblah at the time of slaughter. It is well-known that Hazrat Ismail (علیہ السلام) made a will that he should be laid down in such a way that his face would not be in front, so that the feeling of love and affection would not overpower the command of Allah.

103. Then, when both had submitted themselves (to Allah's will), and Abraham had laid him down on his forehead [60],

[60]
The Scene of Sacrifice:

Sayyiduna Ibrahim laid his son down on his forehead so that paternal affection would not interfere with fulfilling the command of Allah, and so that his hand would not falter while using the knife. By laying him face down, neither would he see his son's face nor would paternal emotions be stirred. It is said that Sayyiduna Isma'ilؑ himself advised his respected father to do so, keeping this wisdom in mind.