Sometimes in our life we hope and we wish for something so badly.
And Allah Subhana Wa Ta'la has a different plan for us.
One very special and unique thing about what Allah teaches His believers in the Quran
is absolute trust in Him.
And that if things don't come the way that we expected or hoped for,
then to put our trust in Allah and know there is a bigger plan.
Some people when they get married,
they can't have children,
they try, they stay years,
some people they wish for a certain gender,
maybe a boy or many boys,
others that want many girls,
some people say: "I wish to have a boy first, then a girl or the other way around."
Some people they have many daughters let's say,
and wish that they could have a son,
they keep trying and Allah Subhana Wa Ta'la just keeps giving them girls.
For Allah Subhana Wa Ta'la said:
"Your parents, your children,
you cannot know which one of them is more beneficial to you."
The majority of people,
past and present,
they wish for a son more because they think that a son will be more beneficial materialistically
and in every other way more than the girl.
But Allah Subhana Wa Ta'la gives us the story of Ibrahim (Alaihi Assalam)
and his wife Sarah.
He reaches the age of almost 80 years old,
according to what the commentators of scholars said.
And he was yearning for a child.
He was asking Allah Subhana Wa Ta'la a child among the righteous.
Allah says:
Ibrahim (Alaihi Assalam) he left his people,
he said: "I am going to my Lord in His path,
He will guide me."
And then he asked Allah, he said: "My Lord,
grant me a gift of a righteous child."
Allah says: "We gave him good news of an obedient and righteous child."
If you paid attention, the verse did not say whether Ibrahim (Alaihi Assalam)
asked for a son or a daughter.
He said a righteous child
and that's what really matters.
Ibrahim (Alaihi Assalam) and Sarah had grown old in age,
Sarah (Aleiha Assalam) had passed the age of menopause and became unable to bear children,
in fact she was never able to bear children, she was always barren even in her younger days.
So Allah Subhana Wa Ta'la did not will for them to have any children all this time.
Secretly Ibrahim (Alaihi Assalam) as we said was yearning for a child,
a child is part of the beauty of this world and Allah Subhana Wa Ta'la does say that in the Quran.
Sarah (Aleiha Assalam) felt sorry for prophet Ibrahim (Alaihi Assalam),
so she gifted him her servant woman Hajar (Aleiha Assalam).
Sarah (Aleiha Assalam) did not look at this as a sacrifice in the meaning of a loss,
but she looked at these sacrifices in the meaning of a growth.
Ibrahim (Alaihi Assalam) was very sensitive to the feelings of his wife Sarah (Aleiha Assalam),
and not one day even crossed his mind to mention to her
– how about you free Hajar and gift her to me as a wife.
We don't find these words coming out of his mouth in the entire verses of the Quran or in any hadith.
So from here we understand that there was extreme love,
connection and feelings for each other's sensitivities.
When prophet Ibrahim (Alaihi Assalam) married Hajar, Allah Subhana Wa Ta'la granted him a son and he named him Ismail.
Let us now turn our attention back into the household of Ibrahim (Alaihi Assalam) and his wife Sarah.
Sarah (Aleiha Assalam) was extremely loyal to Ibrahim (Alaihi Assalam) as we said,
Ibrahim (Alaihi Assalam) was extremely loving to her.
One day an unknown group of about three men knocked on his door.
He opened the door and did not recognize any of them.
They said – Salyam, which means peace.
He said: سلام قوم منكرون
Peace to a people who I don't know who they are.
Allah then said: "He did not wait a single moment,
"..."
he went straight to his wife,
and within a few moments he came back with a fully cooked small calf
ready for all his guests to eat."
He did not question where they came from, he did not even ask too many questions
except he knew that they had come to seek some shelter or support or some food.
And it is the right of every Muslim that when a guest comes to you
and of course you feel safe that your guest is coming as a guest,
to give them service for three days and three nights.
After that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said – it becomes a Sadaqa.
At the same time Allah does say in the Quran – if guests go to someone's house
and the people of the house say now is not the time
or they want to visit, then Allah says – then don't go.
And be wise and have self-respect.
However there is a goodness in serving the guests and the Prophet ﷺ did say:
"Whoever truly believes in Allah and hereafter,
be generous and good to their guests,
there is so much goodness that comes out of it
and blessings which you find as a result of it."
Ibrahim (Alaihi Assalam) insisted on his guests eating, he wanted to make sure that they eat
and they are treated well.
So he brought the food closer to them and asked them a peculiar question:
"Do you not eat?"
But when he saw that their hands weren't reaching their mouth,
he became afraid.
When they noticed Ibrahim (Alaihi Assalam's) fear on his face,
they immediately told him
His wife was standing there Sarah, and she smiled and laughed.
Why did she laugh?
She laughed and smiled being happy that the people of Lut because
they had spread so much corruption and immorality
for years and years and they weren't changing.
She was happy of the fact that Allah Subhana Wa Ta'la was now going to take care of the situation.
However Ibrahim (Alaihi Assalam) was still fearful of this situation for his nephew Lut was there (Alaihi Assalam).
When Sarah (Aleiha Assalam) gave that expression,
it turned the attention of these men to Sarah.
These men were angels of Allah.
It is said that they were the angels Jibril,
Mikail and Israfil.
They immediately said to Sarah: "You will have a righteous son, named Ishaq
and after Ishaq you will have a grandson named Yakub and you will live to see them both."
She slapped her face and screamed or shrieked,
"..."
and she said:
"..."
"I am an old barren woman, how can I have a child while I am in this age?"
And they said to her:
"..."
"Are you amazed about what Allah Subhana Wa Ta'la can do?
Oh no, Allah has brought blessings upon you,
oh family of righteous people
and Allah Subhana Wa Ta'la will make you enlightened and blessed with this new gift."
So my brothers and sisters, no matter what,
everything happens at a time when Allah Subhana Wa Ta'la knows is best for us,
we may make dua for something but Allah gives us something else.
Always assume of Allah well, for you never know where the good is and where the bad is.
But we are servants of Allah relying upon him.
May Allah Subhana Wa Ta'la grant us understanding and wisdom.