Perception is limited, specifically when it comes to understanding faith. Faith is a common word. It is uttered every now and then. However, it is important to understand what faith truly means before discussing the Father of Faith. Faith is an immense belief in something that does not require any proof to be believed in. If a person believes in anything in the absence of evidence, it is faith. If a person believes that X will occur, even though they can’t prove it, they have faith in X.
In that case, all faith would be blind faith. Believing anything without proof is blind. However, for faith to be considered blind, there has to be proof against it. If a person believes that X will occur, even though there is proof that Y will occur, they have blind faith in X. That is not to say that blind faith, or even faith, is inherently bad; the differentiation exists.
The concept behind faith is actually contradictory to human rationale. The human mind requires either evidence or logic to believe in something. Evidence is proof that can be perceived; in other words, it is a posteriori. Logic is an a priori conclusion that can be derived solely from the premises at hand. Simply put, the human mind needs either logical proof or material proof to believe in something.
However, this is not a requirement per se. Faith is a concept that essentially transcends the need for logical or empirical proof. Faith does not ask for proof; it just believes. Faith is a superhuman ability in the sense that it goes beyond what the mind needs. It deals with the unthinkable and the unknowable. Faith is believing in the unseen and the unknown.
Prophet Ibrahim, or Abraham (AS), is an important figure in Abrahamic religions. These religions are called Abrahamic specifically because Abraham (AS) is the Father of Faith. Abraham (AS) was sent by God to spread the word of God in the world. He was promised that his progeny would also spend their time in the service of God. But there was a slight problem: Abraham (AS) had no offspring for a long time. If God’s promise were true, he would expect progeny. He had faith in the promise, and soon enough, he had a son. After a long wait, Abraham (AS)’s faith did bear fruit. Abraham (AS) was blessed with offspring, and God indeed kept the promise.
That would’ve been the end of it if it were not for the sacrifice of the son. The identity of the son is a contested topic among many scholars of Christianity and Islam. Christians believe that the son was Isaac, and Muslims believe that the son was Ishmael. In any case, the important thing is that the son had to be sacrificed by Abraham (AS) himself.
This is a paradox. God promised Abraham (AS) that the Abrahamic progeny would continue for generations, spreading the word of God. But for a long time, Abraham (AS) had no offspring. Now that Abraham (AS) has an offspring, God wants the son to be sacrificed, apparently not keeping the promise. What would Abraham (AS) do?
Prophet Abraham (AS) is the Father of Faith for a reason. Even in the face of this divine difficulty, Abraham (AS) intends to do what has to be done: sacrifice his son. In the Biblical depiction of the event, Abraham (AS) keeps his son in the dark and doesn’t tell him that he is going to be sacrificed. In the Quranic description, however, Abraham (AS) informs his son, and the son agrees to be sacrificed. It clearly highlights the ambiguity that the Bible creates regarding the son. The Bible doesn’t mention whether the son wanted to be sacrificed or not. Was he willing to obey God? We can’t say for sure. In the Quran, it is clear that the son was willing to obey God. That actually adds to the argument, faith is shown by both father and son. In the Bible, only Abraham (AS) is faithful.
At the end of the entire ordeal, just as Abraham (AS) is about to sacrifice his son, an angel intervenes and stops the act. Abraham (AS) is told not to sacrifice his son, but rather a male sheep. In the Quran, there is no explicit mention of the animal, but it is agreed upon that an animal was sacrificed, and it was a male sheep.
The whole event is a showcase of faith. Abraham (AS)’s faith in God’s plan. From the perspective of Abraham (AS), there would be numerous questions as to why and how the sacrifice needs to be done. The fact that Abraham (AS) waited for all his life for a child who was now being told to be sacrificed, one can imagine many doubts that could arise. But even then, Abraham (AS) almost sacrificed his son. It was faith that kept him going. Faith in God’s plan and faith that everything will be fine. Faith in the unseen God and the unknown wisdom. The unknown commandments from God and the unknown male sheep that showed up. The miraculous way in which the son was conceived and the miraculous way in which his life was saved.
This faith can’t be truly understood from a third-person perspective. A 21st-century teenager cannot fathom the suffering Abraham (AS) would’ve gone through. How his hands would’ve trembled as he picked up the knife. How his words would stutter when he told his son about the sacrifice. The fear of the unknown, but a commandment from God. No one can actually understand. It is the one who is tested that feels it. Faith can’t be truly perceived from a third-person perspective. It has to be felt and experienced first-hand. It has to be intimate, to be grasped.
Every year, on Eid al-Adha, we celebrate the faith of Abraham (AS). It is not just about sacrificing an animal and distributing meat. It is about believing that for each sacrifice, we will be blessed. Promises will be kept.
Eid al-Adha is faith, in a collective form. Every animal sacrificed is a powerful symbol of Prophet Abraham (AS)’s absolute submission to the will of God. It is a reaffirmation that he was neither deluded nor mistaken. Rather, he was divinely guided, demonstrating the highest level of faith, trust and obedience. Each sacrifice today echoes this truth across generations: that faith means trust beyond logic, love beyond self, and surrender beyond comprehension. It reflects our own commitment to faith, faith in God’s wisdom, in His creation, and in the eternal message of surrender to His command.
(The author is a student of Humanities at DPS Srinagar)
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