Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: “So when he reached with him the age of labor, he said: ‘O my son, I see in a dream that I am sacrificing you. So look what you think.’”

The pronoun in “reached” refers to the boy, and the pronoun in “with him” refers to Ibrahim. As for “sae” (labor/effort), it may mean earning a livelihood or it may mean walking. Both are correct, but the closest meaning to me is that it refers to walking, for “sae” is frequently used to mean walking, as in the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Jumu'ah: 9]. Likewise, Allah the Exalted said: So the meaning of “sae” is walking. However, the word “with” implies companionship, for he had become a follower of his father, walking with him. He was not a small child who stayed in one place, nor a grown man who had become independent. A small child in a cradle does not reach the stage of walking with his father, and a grown man who is independent does not walk with his father because he is on his own. But this boy had reached the stage of walking with his father and was constantly in his company. This is the age at which a father’s attachment to his son is strongest, for the soul does not become attached to a small child in a cradle, nor to a grown man who is independent. Rather, it becomes attached to one who is of this age. This is part of the wisdom of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in that He tested Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him) with this clear trial.