The Sacrifice of the Son

God directly tests Abraham, commanding him to offer Isaac in the land of Moriah as a burnt offering.

“After these things, God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" He said, "Here I am." He said, "Now take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go into the land of Moriah. Offer him there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of."”

Prince Mastema challenges God in heaven regarding Abraham's devotion; God then commands Abraham to offer Isaac on the mountain.

“And the prince Mastêmâ came and said before God, 'Behold, Abraham loves Isaac his son, and he delights in him above all things else; bid him offer him as a burnt-offering on the altar, and Thou wilt see if he will do this command, and Thou wilt know if he is faithful in everything wherein Thou dost try him. And God said to him, 'Abraham, Abraham'; and he said, Behold, (here) am I.' And he said, Take thy beloved son whom thou lovest, (even) Isaac, and go unto the high country, and offer him on one of the mountains which I will point out unto thee.'”

Abraham tells his son he has seen in a dream that he must sacrifice him, and asks for the son's counsel.

“And when he was old enough to work with him, he said: O my dear son, I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice thee. So look, what thinkest thou? He said: O my father! Do that which thou art commanded. Thou wilt find me, if Allah will, of the steadfast.”

Isaac carries the wood and asks where the lamb is; Abraham answers that God will provide the lamb.

“Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. He took in his hand the fire and the knife. They both went together. Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said, "My father?" He said, "Here I am, my son." He said, "Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they both went together.”

Abraham lays the wood on Isaac; Isaac asks where the sheep for the offering is, and Abraham answers that God will provide.

“And he took the wood of the burnt-offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife, and they went both of them together to that place. And Isaac said to his father, 'Father;' and he said, 'Here am I, my son.' And he said unto him, 'Behold the fire, and the knife, and the wood; but where is the sheep for the burnt-offering, father?' And he said, 'God will provide for himself a sheep for a burnt-offering, my son.' And he drew near to the place of the mount of God.”

The son explicitly consents: 'O my father! Do that which thou art commanded. Thou wilt find me, if Allah will, of the steadfast.' Both submit.

“And when he was old enough to work with him, he said: O my dear son, I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice thee. So look, what thinkest thou? He said: O my father! Do that which thou art commanded. Thou wilt find me, if Allah will, of the steadfast. Then, when they had both surrendered (to Allah), and he had flung him down upon his face,”

Abraham builds the altar, binds Isaac, and takes the knife; Yahweh's angel calls from heaven to stop him.

“They came to the place which God had told him of. Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, on the wood. Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to kill his son. Yahweh's angel called to him out of the sky, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" He said, "Here I am." He said, "Don't lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me."”

Abraham binds Isaac and takes the knife; the angel of the presence stands before Mastema and calls from heaven to stop; Mastema is shamed.

“And he built an altar, and he placed the wood on the altar, and bound Isaac his son, and placed him on the wood which was upon the altar, and stretched forth his hand to take the knife to slay Isaac his son. And I stood before him, and before the prince Mastêmâ, and the Lord said, 'Bid him not to lay his hand on the lad, nor to do anything to him, for I have shown that he fears the Lord.' And I called to him from heaven, and said unto him: 'Abraham, Abraham;' and he was terrified and said: 'Behold, (here) am I.' And I said unto him: 'Lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything to him; for now I have shown that thou fearest the Lord, and hast not withheld thy son, thy first-born son, from me.' And the prince Mastêmâ was put to shame; and Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold a ram caught . . . by his horns, and Abraham went and took the ram and offered it for a burnt-offering in the stead of his son.”

Abraham lays his son face down; God calls out that the vision has been fulfilled, declaring it a clear trial.

“Then, when they had both surrendered (to Allah), and he had flung him down upon his face, We called unto him: O Abraham! Thou hast already fulfilled the vision. Lo! thus do We reward the good. Lo! that verily was a clear test.”

A ram caught in a thicket by its horns is offered as a burnt offering in place of Isaac.

“Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and saw that behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering instead of his son. Abraham called the name of that place "Yahweh Will Provide". As it is said to this day, "On Yahweh's mountain, it will be provided."”

A ram is offered in Isaac's stead; the place is identified explicitly with Mount Sion.

“And the prince Mastêmâ was put to shame; and Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold a ram caught . . . by his horns, and Abraham went and took the ram and offered it for a burnt-offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called that place 'The Lord hath seen', so that it is said in the mount the Lord hath seen: that is Mount Sion.”

The son is ransomed with a 'tremendous victim' (dhibḥ ʿaẓīm).

“Then We ransomed him with a tremendous victim.”

God swears by Himself to multiply Abraham's seed as the stars and sand; all nations on earth will be blessed.

“and said, "'I have sworn by myself,' says Yahweh, 'because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, that I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your offspring greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the gate of his enemies. In your offspring will all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.'"”

God reiterates the multiplication blessing; institutes a seven-day annual festival of the Lord written on heavenly tablets.

“And he said: 'By Myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, Because thou hast done this thing, And hast not withheld thy son, thy beloved son, from Me, That in blessing I will bless thee, And in multiplying I will multiply thy seed As the stars of heaven, And as the sand which is on the seashore. And thy seed shall inherit the cities of its enemies, And in thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed; Because thou hast obeyed My voice, And I have shown to all that thou art faithful unto Me in all that I have said unto thee: Go in peace.' And he celebrated this festival every year, seven days with joy, and he called it the festival of the Lord according to the seven days during which he went and returned in peace. And accordingly has it been ordained and written on the heavenly tablets regarding Israel and its seed that they should observe this festival seven days with the joy of festival.”

Peace is bestowed upon Abraham; afterward, good tidings of the birth of Isaac as a righteous prophet are announced.

“And We left for him among the later folk (the salutation): Peace be unto Abraham! Thus do We reward the good. Lo! he is one of Our believing slaves. And We gave him tidings of the birth of Isaac, a prophet of the righteous. And We blessed him and Isaac. And of their seed are some who do good, and some who plainly wrong themselves.”