Abraham

Abraham (\"Ibrahim\" in Arabic) is considered the patriarch (or father) of the Jews and the Arabs. He had two sons: Isaac and Ishmael. Jews trace their ancestry through Isaac. Arabs trace their ancestry through Ishmael.

The story of Abraham is well known to Jews and Christians as well as to Muslims. In Islam he is remembered as one of the great Prophets, and the father of the Prophet Ishmael who was the ancestor of Prophet Muhammad himself.

A child was born to the Prophet Abraham and his second wife, Hagar. The baby's name was Ishmael and, when he was born, he was Abraham's only son. In those days, it was not unusual for a man to have two wives. Abraham's first wife was named Sarah. She had no children, and this made her sad. But God told Abraham that one day, Sarah too would have a son. He would be named Isaac. Ishmael and Isaac were to be the ancestors of two great nations and three great religions. The nations were the Arabs and the Jews.

The prophet Abraham, revered by Jews and Christians, is a model of faith for all believers in God. He was born in Babylonia ( Iraq), during the rule of King Nimrod. He was persecuted for preaching against idol worship and astrology. He invited everyone toward the worship of the one true God.

God tested Abraham's faith by asking the great prophet to sacrifice his son Ishmael. This test was even more severe because Abraham did not have any children until he fathered Ishmael by his second wife, Hagar, at a very old age. Ishmael exhibited the qualities of prophethood from a young age, urging his father to obey God's command to sacrifice the young man.

Because Abraham and Ishmael were willing to carry out this difficult command, God was pleased; therefore, Allah provided a sheep for Abraham to sacrifice in place of his son.

After passing the great test, Abraham and Ishmael rebuilt the Holy Kaaba, a house dedicated to the worship of the one true God. The Holy Kaaba, which stands at the center of Mecca's Great Mosque, is the most sacred place for Muslims.

ABRAHAM, THE FORCE, AND PRAYER

The Force shows us the way of prayer. \"The Spirit helps us in our weakness,\" St.Paul says, \"for we do not know how to pray as we ought...\" (Rm 8, 26). This is as much true now as it was then. The Force is \"our inner Master of prayer\", our guide and our instructor.

And just like many other spiritual sources, whether written or in person,the patriarchs (Abraham...), the history of Israel, the psalms...they also instruct us in prayer.

Welcoming the presence of the Force Day by Day

God invited the Abraham to leave his own land and go to the place God would show him. His life was a journey day by day. At certain points Abraham would set up an altar, as a reminder that God accompanied him on his path to the unknown. Day by day he prayed and welcomed what the Force revealed to him.

One day, the scriptures say, Abraham welcomed three mysterious guests who came in the heat of the day to his tent. (Gn 18, 1-16) Welcoming them, he welcomed God, and so he received a blessing. Does not the Force reveal to us in the example of Abraham that we should prayerfully welcome It`s presence in life day by day, even though that presence is not always clear?

Daily faithful prayer to God is constantly promoted in the Jewish scriptures. Listen to the psalms:

\"On the day I called you answered me;
you increased the strength of my soul.\" (Ps 138)

Wrestling with God! Praying for Others! Praying for our World! Jacob wrestled in the dark with a mysterious stranger. And let there be no doubt prayer can sometimes be a time of conflict as we question and doubt. (Genesis 32, 22-32)