Have you ever noticed something particular about Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him)?

 Have you ever noticed something particular about Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him)?

Allah the Exalted has told us quite a bit in the Holy Quran about his personality. For example, in two places He has mentioned that he was the owner of a very gentle heart—a loving personality, a compassionate human being.  

(At-Tawbah 9:114, Hud 11:75)

But if you, like me, are studying the Quran deeply, you will see that another aspect of his personality also emerges clearly:  

a deeply curious personality.

For instance, at one point he looks at the stars and wonders if this might be my Lord, but when he sees it set, he turns away from it.  

(Al-An'am 6:76)

Then he sees the moon shining brightly, turns toward it, and says perhaps this is my Lord—but when it too sets, he moves on.  

(Al-An'am 6:77)

It doesn't stop there. When he sees the sun rising, he expresses curiosity about it too, saying this is the greatest—perhaps this is my Lord—but ultimately, when he sees it set, he turns away from it as well.  

(Al-An'am 6:78)

Are you noticing something? He is pondering. He is curious.

The interesting thing is that even after receiving prophethood, his curiosity does not end. Rather, he prays to Allah the Exalted: “O Allah, show me how You give life to the dead.”  

(Al-Baqarah 2:260)  

Allah asks him, “O Ibrahim, do you not have faith?”  

He replies, “Of course I have faith, but O Allah, so that my heart may find complete satisfaction.”  

(Al-Baqarah 2:260)

Then comes the famous incident where he is told to slaughter four birds, place their pieces on different mountains, and call them—and they come running back to him alive.  

(Al-Baqarah 2:260)

But the most beautiful thing I find in this pattern is how Allah the Exalted fulfilled his curiosity.

“We showed Ibrahim the kingdoms of the heavens and the earth so that he might become fully convinced.”  

(Al-An'am 6:75)

Just imagine for a moment what kind of creations he must have been shown.

If you're having trouble imagining it, let me give you a hint.

Abdul Rahman ibn Awf (a Tabi'i) was told this by a Companion: One morning we went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and saw an amazing joy and radiance on his blessed face.  

When we asked, he told us about a dream he had seen that night: “Tonight I saw my Lord in the most beautiful form. I said, ‘Here I am, O Allah, here I am!’ Then He placed His Hand between my shoulders in such a way that I felt its coolness in my chest—and at that moment, everything in the heavens and the earth became known to me.”  

(Musnad Ahmad 8979)

After relating this, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited the very same verse from Surah Al-An'am (the one I just mentioned): that We showed Ibrahim the kingdoms of the heavens and the earth so that he might attain certainty.

Now imagine what creations Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) must have been shown.

Imagine what he saw that gave him such profound certainty that he was even ready to sacrifice his own son.

But the amazing thing is that the pattern does not break here.

On the night of the Mi'raj, a special verse came in Surah An-Najm regarding that journey—one that refers to the realm beyond the sixth and seventh heavens:  

(Near Sidrat al-Muntaha and Jannah al-Ma'wa) “He certainly saw some of the greatest signs of his Lord.”  

(An-Najm 53:18)

At that place above the seventh heaven, where the greatest signs are, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw another person—a prophet who had always been deeply curious about those signs: Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him).

But the fascinating part is that the pattern still doesn't break.

Notice the posture in which Prophet Ibrahim was sitting. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) described that he was leaning comfortably against the wall of Bayt al-Ma'mur, sitting in complete peace and contentment.  

(Mishkat al-Masabih 5863)

Like a person who, after all his curiosities have been fully satisfied, leans back and sits in perfect tranquility. Remember, it was he who had prayed: “O Allah, show me a great sign so that my heart may find peace.”

And now, at the very place of the greatest signs, he is sitting so calmly, leaning back.

But my pattern doesn't break even here.

I began this thread with a particular aspect of Ibrahim's personality that Allah praised twice: that he was a man of exceptionally gentle and sincere heart.

Therefore, above the seventh heaven, he was given a responsibility that truly only a gentle-hearted person could fulfill.

Imam Bayhaqi, in his book Dala'il an-Nubuwwah, narrates the incident of the Mi'raj in great detail, and it is in this narration that I found my pattern completed.

When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him), there were many small children playing around him—the souls of young children who had passed away in infancy. These souls go to play with that extremely gentle-hearted prophet in the seventh heaven.

That gentle-hearted prophet who, after all his curiosities were fully satisfied, is now sitting peacefully, leaning against the wall of Bayt al-Ma'mur—beneath a tree whose leaves shine like lamps.