Sayyidah Hajar (علیہا السلام) — Left in a Valley With No Water, Held by Trust in Allah
Sayyidah Hajar (علیہا السلام) — Left in a Valley With No Water, Held by Trust in Allah
Sayyidah Hajar (علیہا السلام) — Left in a Valley With No Water, Held by Trust in Allah
The valley was empty. Nothing grew there, no water could be seen, and not a single home stood in sight — only open, barren ground ringed by hills. Into this valley, by the command of Allah, Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) brought his wife, Sayyidah Hajar (علیہا السلام), and their little son Isma'il (علیہ السلام), still an infant.
The journey had begun far away, in Syria. Allah intended that His Sacred House — destroyed in the Deluge in the time of Nuh (علیہ السلام) — be raised again, and He had chosen His friend Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) for the task. So the family travelled to that barren place by the House of Allah.
Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) left them there with what he had prepared: some food in a provision-bag and water in a water-bag. That was all. Then came the hard command: return to Syria — and leave them behind.
He obeyed at once. The tafsir tells us he did not delay even for the few moments it would have taken to explain things to Hajar (علیہا السلام) or speak words of comfort. He simply turned and walked away.
Behind him, Hajar (علیہا السلام) called out again and again. Why would he leave them like this, in a place with no one around and nothing to survive on? But the friend of Allah did not look back.
Then she understood: a friend of Allah could not betray his own family — this could only be Allah's command. She called once more and asked: "Has Allah commanded you to leave this place?" Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) turned his face and said: "Yes."
Her answer is remembered to this day: "Now it does not matter. Our Master, who has commanded you to leave this place, will certainly not let us be wasted away." A mother stood alone in a waterless valley with her baby — and her heart was at peace.
Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) walked on until a hill hid them from his sight. There he turned towards the Baytullah and poured out a beautiful prayer for them:
رَّبَّنَآ إِنِّىٓ أَسْكَنتُ مِن ذُرِّيَّتِى بِوَادٍ غَيْرِ ذِى زَرْعٍ عِندَ بَيْتِكَ ٱلْمُحَرَّمِ رَبَّنَا لِيُقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ فَٱجْعَلْ أَفْـِٔدَةً مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ تَهْوِىٓ إِلَيْهِمْ وَٱرْزُقْهُم مِّنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْكُرُونَ
> "Our Lord, I have settled some of my children in a valley of no vegetation, close to Your sanctified House, so that, Our Lord, they may establish Salāh. So, make hearts of people yearn towards them, and provide them with fruits, so that they may be grateful."
Quran 14:37
He praised Allah, who had blessed him with Isma'il and Ishaq in his old age:
ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى وَهَبَ لِى عَلَى ٱلْكِبَرِ إِسْمَـٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَـٰقَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى لَسَمِيعُ ٱلدُّعَآءِ
> "Praise be to Allah who, despite my old age, blessed me with Ismā‘īl (Ishmael) and IsHāq (Isaac). Surely, my Lord is the One who listens to the prayer."
Quran 14:39
Then he begged for what he wanted most for them — that they be people of prayer — and ended by asking forgiveness for himself, his parents and every believer:
رَبِّ ٱجْعَلْنِى مُقِيمَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِى ۚ رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَآءِ
> "My Lord, make me steadfast in Salāh, and my offspring as well. And, Our Lord, grant my prayer."
Quran 14:40
رَبَّنَا ٱغْفِرْ لِى وَلِوَٰلِدَىَّ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ ٱلْحِسَابُ
> "Our Lord, forgive me and my parents and all believers on the day when reckoning shall take place.”"
Quran 14:41
And Allah answered that prayer. The helpless infant and his mother found shelter; a whole city flowered with people around them, and for their sake the doors of blessing are open for Makkah's people to this day. And the valley that grows nothing is fed with fruits from all over the world — just as Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) had asked.
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🌿 Stop and Think About This Scene
Pause at that one question. Hajar (علیہا السلام) did not plead, bargain or panic; she asked only, "Has Allah commanded you?" — and one "Yes" ended her fear. Her trust was not in the small bag of water beside her, but in the Master who had commanded the leaving. How many fears would end if we settled that question first?
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❤️ The Greatest Lesson
The servant whom Allah commands is never abandoned by Allah. Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) obeyed at once, though it tore his heart; Hajar (علیہا السلام) submitted completely, though she stood alone. Neither was wasted — He who commanded the test carried them through it and answered beyond all they could see.
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📚 Important Lessons From This Story
1. Obedience comes first. When the command of Allah came, Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) did not postpone it even to explain or to comfort — what Allah asks is done first, and explanations follow.
2. One question can settle the heart. Hajar (علیہا السلام) asked only whether this was Allah's command, and she rested in the promise: He "will certainly not let us be wasted away."
3. The first dua for our children is Salah. Before Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) asked for hearts or fruits for his family, he asked first, "so that they may establish Salāh" — prayer before provision.
4. Dua made after obedience is answered. He prayed only after he had carried out the command — and that prayer raised a city and feeds it to this day.
5. Pray wider than your own doorstep. He had left behind only two souls, yet he prayed for generations unborn, and ended asking forgiveness for all believers.
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🏠 How Can We Apply This in Our Daily Lives?
When obedience hurts — leaving a comfort or people we love for Allah's sake — do it first, like Ibrahim (علیہ السلام), then pour out your dua. In a crisis, ask Hajar's (علیہا السلام) question: is this from Allah? Then trust that He does not waste His servants. Prepare honestly what is in your hands, as Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) packed the food and water with care — then leave the rest to Allah. And pray for your children's Salah before their success.
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🌹 The Most Beautiful Message
A mother, a baby, an empty valley — and one sentence of trust that built a city. Whoever Allah leaves "alone" is never alone, for He who commands the leaving has promised — in her own words — that He "will certainly not let us be wasted away."
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📖 What the Tafsir Says
Ma'ariful Quran describes how Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) settled his family in that valley:
> It appears in the Sahih of Al-Bukhari that Sayyidna Ismail (علیہ السلام) was an infant at that time. Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) ، as ordered, had him “ Ismail (علیہ السلام) “ and his mother, Sayyidah Hajira stay near the present Baytullah and the well of Zamzam. At that time, this place was an open and barren ground surrounded by hills. There was no water and no habitation in sight. Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) had thoughtfully put some food in a provi-sion-bag and water in a water-bag.
Quran 14:37
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) shows how completely Allah accepted that prayer:
> This only indicates Allah's compassion, kindness, mercy and blessing, in that there are no fruit producing trees in the Sacred City, Makkah, yet all kinds of fruits are being brought to it from all around; this is how Allah accepted the supplication of the Khalil - Allah's intimate friend, Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him.
Quran 14:37
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📖 Authentic Reference
Book: The Holy Quran
Verses: Quran 14:37, Quran 14:38, Quran 14:39, Quran 14:40, Quran 14:41
Tafsir: Ma'ariful Quran (Mufti Muhammad Shafi) and Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged), as shown on this site's page for this verse: Quran 14:37