Balancing Family and Islamic Work
On Eid-ul-Adha, Muslims commemorate the Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his first-born son at the command of Allah, and how Allah spared his son and made him a Prophet. When Ibrahim told his son that he had had a vision that Allah wanted him as a sacrifice, Ismail agreed to it without hesitation, as the Qur'an narrates:
Then, when the son reached the age of serious work with him, He said: "O my son! I see in vision that I offer thee in sacrifice: Now see what is thy view!" The son said: "O my father! Do as thou art commanded: Thou will find me, if Allah so wills one practising Patience and Constancy!" So when they had both submitted their wills to Allah, and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead for sacrifice, We called out to him, "O Abraham! Thou hast already fulfilled the vision!" - thus indeed do We reward those who do right. For this was obviously a trial - And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice. (37:102-107)
