Under the Tree Whose Leaves Were Like Lamps

Have you ever noticed one particular thing about Prophet Ibrahim (A.S.)?

Allah ﷻ has mentioned many aspects of his personality in the Qur’an. For example, in two places it is said that he was a man of tender heart, a very loving person, a merciful human being.

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

But if you, like me, study the Qur’an closely, you’ll notice another side of his personality.

A curious personality.

For instance, sometimes he looked at the stars and thought: “Perhaps this is my Lord.” But when it set, he turned away from it.

(Surah Al-An’am 6:76)

Then, when he saw the moon shining, he leaned towards it and said: “Perhaps this is my Lord.” But that too disappeared, and he turned away.

(Surah Al-An’am 6:77)

And not only that — when he saw the sun rise, he expressed curiosity again: “This one is greater — perhaps this is my Lord.” But eventually, when it set, he stepped back from it as well.

(Surah Al-An’am 6:78)

Do you notice the pattern? He is pondering, he is curious.

And the fascinating part is that even after receiving Prophethood, his curiosity didn’t end. He prayed to Allah ﷻ: “My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead.”

(Surah Al-Baqarah 2:260)

Allah ﷻ asked him: “Do you not believe?” And he replied: “I do believe — but so that my heart may be at peace.”

Then came the famous event of the four birds: he sacrificed them, placed their parts on the mountains, and saw them return alive, flying back towards him.

(Surah Al-Baqarah 2:260)

But what I find most beautiful in this pattern is how Allah ﷻ fulfilled his curiosity.

“We showed Ibrahim the realms of the heavens and the earth so that he might be of those who are certain.”

(Surah Al-An’am 6:75)

Just imagine for a moment: what creations must he have been shown?

If you can’t picture it, let me give you a hint.

Abdur Rahman bin A’ish, a Tabi’i, narrated from a Companion:

One morning, we went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and saw a strange joy and radiance on his blessed face.

When we asked, he told us about a dream from the night before:

“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, and I felt its coolness in my chest. And at that moment, everything in the heavens and the earth was laid open before me.”

(Musnad Ahmad 8979)

After narrating this, the Prophet ﷺ recited that same verse from Surah Al-An’am:

“We showed Ibrahim the realms of the heavens and the earth so that he might be of those who are certain.”

Now imagine — what wonders must have been revealed to Ibrahim (A.S.) at that time?

I personally believe that beyond humans, animals, jinn, and angels, there are many more creations. 

Who are these beings? Where are they? What do they look like? Have we encountered them in the past? Will we meet them in the future?

Yet despite all this effort, my knowledge remains limited. Just imagine what Prophet Ibrahim (A.S.) must have witnessed — so much that it gave him such certainty, he was even ready to sacrifice his own son.

But notice: the pattern doesn’t break.

On the night of Mi’raj, a special verse was revealed in Surah An-Najm about the realm of the sixth and seventh heavens:

“Near the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, near it is the Garden of Refuge — when there covered the Lote Tree that which covered it. The sight of the Prophet did not waver, nor did it transgress. Indeed, he saw some of the greatest signs of his Lord.”

(Surah An-Najm 53:16–18)

And among those great signs, the Prophet ﷺ saw another Prophet — the very one who was always deeply curious about the signs of Allah ﷻ: Prophet Ibrahim (A.S.).

Even here, the pattern holds.

Consider his posture: the Prophet ﷺ described Ibrahim (A.S.) as leaning calmly against the wall of Al-Bayt al-Ma‘mur in the seventh heaven.

(Mishkat al-Masabih 5863)

Like a man content, at peace, resting after all his questions had finally been answered. Remember, it was he who once prayed: “My Lord, show me a sign so that my heart may be at peace.”

And there he was — amidst the greatest signs — peacefully reclining.

But the pattern still doesn’t end.

I began this reflection by mentioning that Allah ﷻ praised Ibrahim (A.S.) twice in the Qur’an as a man of tender heart, compassionate and gentle.

And so, in the seventh heaven, he was entrusted with a task that only a truly gentle soul could bear.

Imam Al-Bayhaqi, in Dala’il al-Nubuwwah, narrates in detail the events of Mi’raj:

When the Prophet ﷺ saw Ibrahim (A.S.), many small children were playing around him. These were the souls of children who had died young. Their spirits were entrusted to the care of the tender-hearted Prophet Ibrahim (A.S.), in the seventh heaven.

The same soft-hearted Prophet, who after all his questions were answered, leaned peacefully against the wall of Al-Bayt al-Ma‘mur… under a tree whose leaves shone like lamps.