Tafsir of As-Saffat 37:99

"And he said, 'Indeed, I am going to my Lord...'"

By his "going to his Lord," he meant his emigration to the land of the Levant, where he was commanded to migrate, as he said: "Indeed, I am a migrant to my Lord."

"...He will guide me." He will direct me to that which is beneficial for my religion, protect me, and grant me success. This is like what Moses (peace be upon him) said: "No! Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me" (Ash-Shu'ara: 62). It is as if Allah had promised him and said, "I will guide you," so he spoke in accordance with the promise of his Lord, or based on Allah’s established habit of guiding and directing him, or by this, he demonstrated his reliance and the entrusting of his affairs to Allah. Had he intended hope and aspiration, he would have said, as Moses (peace be upon him) said: "Perhaps my Lord will guide me to the sound way" (Al-Qasas: 22).

"My Lord, grant me [a child] from among the righteous." Grant me some of the righteous. He means a child, for the word "grant" (hibah) is predominantly used for children, even though it has been used for a brother, as in the Almighty’s saying: "And We gave him out of Our mercy his brother Aaron as a prophet" (Maryam: 53). The Almighty also said: "And We gave him Isaac and Jacob" (Al-An'am: 84), and "And We gave him John" (Al-Anbiya: 90). Ali ibn Abi Talib said to Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) when he congratulated him on his son, the father of kings: "May you thank the Giver, and may the Gift be blessed for you." For this reason, names like Hibatullah (Gift of Allah), Mawhub (Gifted), Wahb, and Muhayb have come into use.

The glad tidings contained three things: that the child would be a male boy, that he would reach the age of maturity, and that he would be forbearing (halim). And what forbearance is greater than his when his father presented the slaughter to him, and he said: "You will find me, if Allah wills, of the steadfast," and then submitted to it? It is said that this is what Allah described Abraham with in His saying: "Indeed, Abraham was compassionate and forbearing" (At-Tawbah: 114), and "Indeed, Abraham was compassionate and penitent" (Hud: 75), for the incident bore witness to both of these qualities in them.

"And when he reached with him [the age of] exertion, he said, 'O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I [must] slaughter you, so see what you think.' He said, 'O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, of the steadfast.'"