Requesting the Station of Submission

The Qur’an recounts numerous prayers from Abraham and Ishmael. While engaged in rebuilding the Kaaba and afterwards, one of the requests of these noble figures from God Almighty was: “Our Lord! Make us submissive to You” [rabbanā wajʿalnā muslimīna laka].

The station of submission is the station of absolute surrender and is higher than the station of contentment, aligning with the perfection of monotheism. Such a lofty position was desirable and requested by unpretentious wayfarers like Abraham, the Friend of God, and Ishmael, the Sacrificed One.

In other words:

Islam is a “duty” for everyone except for the “honor” of the most unique wayfarers, and what Abraham requested was an honor, not a duty (although every duty is an honor). What is mentioned in the noble verse “When his Lord said to him, ‘Submit,’ he said, ‘I have submitted to the Lord of the worlds’”(58) is that same desired honor, not an obligatory command.

The spiritual qualities that some acquire through the middle jihad (jihād-i awsaṭ) and others gain as spoils of the greater jihad (jihād-i akbar) are difficult, if not impossible, to attain. The wayfarer’s need for supplication in acquiring, maintaining, or increasing these qualities is evident.

This same lofty, honorific meaning was requested by those holy beings for their offspring as well, because with the attainment of such a great blessing, acceptance of all divine matters becomes easy.

For the acceptance of such a request, arising from an elevated spirit and a lofty heart, a special place was chosen_—the divine sanctuary—_and the time of the best worship, namely raising the foundations of the Qibla and the circumambulation point for worshippers, visitors, delegates, and guests of the Most Merciful. The prayer was also generalized so that it would not be limited to themselves.