Far away in the desert, she was left with her toddler, surrounded by a desolate desert where there are no signs of plant, water; practically there are no signs of life.
Only her and her suckling baby, left there alone!!
The original story of this legend started when Sarah the wife of Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim) had a servant called Hajar who was given to her as a gift. Sarah then gave her to Abram as a wife for she was barren and she wanted him to have children of his own.
When Hajar gave birth to Ishmael, Abram took both of them to an arid desert to be left alone with no water, food, or sources of life to sustain with. The story was best described in the Prophetic saying:
Abram brought his wife and her son Isma’il (PBUH), while she was suckling him, to a place near the Ka’bah under a tree on the spot of Zamzam, at the highest place in the Mosque. In those days, there was no human being in Makkah, nor was there any water. So he made them sit over there and placed near them a leather bag containing some dates, and a small water-skin containing some water, and set out homeward. Ishmael’s mother followed him saying:
– “O Abram! Where are you going leaving us in this valley where there is no person whose company we may enjoy, nor is there anything (to enjoy)?” She repeated that to him many times, but he did not look back at her. Then she asked him: “Has Allah commanded you to do so?”
= He said: “Yes.”
– She said: “Then He will not forfeit us.” She returned while Ibrahim proceeded onwards. Having reached the Thaniya (a place), where they could not see him, he faced Ka’bah, raised his both hands and supplicated:
= “O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in an uncultivable valley by Your Sacred House (the Ka’bah at Makkah) in order, O our Lord, that they may perform As-Salah (Prayer). So fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and (O Allah) provide them with fruits so that they may give thanks.” (14:37)
Ishmael’s mother went on suckling Ishmael and drinking from the water which she had. When the water in the water-skin had all been used up, she became thirsty and her child also became thirsty. She started looking at Ishmael, tossing in agony. She left him, for she could not endure looking at him, and found that the mountain of As-Safa was the nearest mountain to her on that land. She stood on it and started looking at the valley keenly so that she might see somebody, but she could not see anybody. Then she descended from As-Safa, and when she reached the valley, she tucked up her robe and ran in the valley like a person in distress and trouble till she crossed the valley and reached Al-Marwah mountain where she stood and started looking, expecting to see somebody, but she could not see anybody. She repeated that (running between As-Safa and Al-Marwah) seven times”. [Al-Bukhari]
After that Allah Has sent Gabriel the angle to strike the earth under Ishmael’s legs to explode with an abundant amount of water, birds started to fly over that place, then a group of voyagers were travelling, when they saw birds they knew there was water there, so they went there and asked her to dwell at that place and settle and the invocation of Abram was answered thereat.
This story has many signs and stances that need a profound meditation,
First of all, a woman left with her toddler saw her beloved husband abandoning her and her child and leaving them in a barren desert to face every possible danger out there, though she did not lose trust in him, she kept asking him having no answer, then asked him Did God command you to do so? As then she knew the answer.
Second, when she knew that God has commanded her beloved husband to leave them there with no provisions, except for a leather bag containing little water and few dates.
Despite that, she did not lose faith in God, she kept running here and there between the two mountains seven times seeking for water, food, or anything that can help her feed her son.
She crossed a distance of around 405 meters jogging seven time between the peaks of the two mountains which is a distance that equals almost 2761.5 meters to save her child, she did not lose hope, she did not stop going up and down between the two mounts, for she knew that her Lord will never forfeit her.
She submitted to the commands of her Lord, believed, and obeyed, therefore she was rewarded that God has honored her with Zamzam well, a well that its water flows until today.
Allah honored her that he made her pursuit a fundamental ritual of the rituals of Hajj (pilgrimage) and `Umrah (lesser pilgrimage) till the end of this world.
Hajar was and will still be a hero, a real example of submissiveness and belief.
Hajar was and will still be A Legend.
