Surah As-Saaffaat (37) — Ayah 107

(Ayah 107) {وَ فَدَيْنٰهُ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيْمٍ : ’’ذِبْحٌ‘‘} (with a kasrah on the dhal) means {’’مَذْبُوْحٌ‘‘}, that is, We gave a great sacrifice as a ransom and substitute for Ismail (peace be upon him). This was a ram which Ibrahim (peace be upon him) sacrificed by Allah’s command. It was called great because it was a ransom for a great person like Ismail (peace be upon him), and also because its sacrifice was a great act of worship, which was made a Sunnah for Muslims until the Day of Judgment. In exegetical narrations, it is mentioned that this ram came from Paradise, and also that it was the same ram which the son of Adam (peace be upon him) had offered as a sacrifice. It was raised in Paradise and was sent down for Ibrahim (peace be upon him) on this occasion. Some have said that it was a mountain goat that was brought down from the mountain. But all these narrations are Isra’ili, and not a single one is proven from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Yes! It is proven that it was a ram with horns, as in Musnad Ahmad, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) called (the key-bearer of the Ka‘bah) Uthman bin Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: [ إِنِّيْ كُنْتُ رَأَيْتُ قَرْنَيِ الْكَبْشِ حِيْنَ دَخَلْتُ الْبَيْتَ، فَنَسِيْتُ أَنْ آمُرَكَ أَنْ تُخَمِّرَهُمَا، فَخَمِّرْهُمَا فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَنْبَغِيْ أَنْ يَكُوْنَ فِي الْبَيْتِ شَيْءٌ يَشْغَلُ الْمُصَلِّيَ، قَالَ سُفْيَانُ لَمْ تَزَلْ قَرْنَا الْكَبْشِ فِي الْبَيْتِ حَتَّي احْتَرَقَ الْبَيْتُ فَاحْتَرَقَا ] [ مسند أحمد : 68/4، ح : ۱۶۶۳۷۔ مسند احمد کے محققین نے اس کی سند کو صحیح کہا ہے ] “When I entered the House of Allah, I saw the horns of that ram, and I forgot to order you to cover them. So cover them, because it is not appropriate that there should be anything in the House of Allah that distracts the worshipper.” Sufyan said: “Those horns remained in the House of Allah until the House of Allah caught fire, and then they were burned.”