Where the story is told

This story comes from the Sunnah, not from the Quran. It was narrated by Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet ﷺ. It is reported in Sahih al-Bukhari 2217 and 3358, and in Sahih Muslim 2371. Sahih al-Bukhari 3357 gives the opening words about the three statements.

Ibrahim is mentioned in many places in the Quran. His calling of his people to Allah and the breaking of their idols are told in Surah al-Anbiya, but the journey with Sarah is known only from the Sunnah.

The journey and the tyrant

The Prophet ﷺ said that Ibrahim migrated with Sarah and entered a town ruled by a king, described in the narration as one of the tyrants. People told the king that a man had arrived with a woman who was among the most beautiful of people.

The king sent for Ibrahim and asked who the woman was. Ibrahim said that she was his sister. He then went back to Sarah and told her that there was no believer on earth besides the two of them, and asked her not to contradict what he had said. In Sahih Muslim 2371 he explains that she was his sister in faith, and that he feared the tyrant would take her from him if he knew she was his wife.

The king then sent for her.

Sarah prays and Allah protects her

Sarah stood and made wudu and prayed. In Sahih al-Bukhari 2217 she asked Allah: if she believed in Him and in His messenger, and had guarded her chastity except from her husband, then He should not give this disbeliever power over her.

The tyrant was seized. In Sahih al-Bukhari 3358 he reached to take hold of her with his hand and was seized, and in Sahih Muslim 2371 his hand was clenched tightly. He asked her to pray to Allah for him and promised not to harm her. She prayed and he was released. The narrations say this happened more than once, and each time the seizure was stronger.

Then the king called one of his attendants and said that they had not brought him a human being but a devil. He returned Sarah to Ibrahim and gave her Hajar as a servant.

When Sarah came back, Ibrahim was standing in prayer. He signalled to ask what had happened. She told him that Allah had turned back the plot of the disbeliever, and that the king had given a servant. Abu Hurayrah then said, "That is your mother, O children of the water of the sky," a phrase that scholars explain as addressing the Arabs.

The three statements of Ibrahim

The same hadith begins with the statement of the Prophet ﷺ that Ibrahim did not lie except three times, two of them for the sake of Allah and one concerning Sarah (Sahih al-Bukhari 3357, 3358; Sahih Muslim 2371).

  • "I am sick" (the meaning of Quran 37:89), said to his people.
  • "Rather, the largest of them did it" (the meaning of Quran 21:63), said when his people asked who broke the idols.
  • "She is my sister," said about Sarah.

Scholars explain that these were not lies in the ordinary sense. They were indirect speech (tawriyah), with a true meaning behind the outward words. For example, Ibrahim and Sarah really were brothers and sisters in faith. His words about the idols were a way of making his people think about whether their statues could speak. Scholars also say that prophets do not lie in what they convey from Allah, and that the hadith uses the word for what only looks like a lie on the surface.

What the narrations do not tell us

The hadith does not name the king or the land he ruled. It does not say how long Ibrahim stayed there, and it does not explain what illness Ibrahim meant, so we should not add details.

Lessons from this story

  • Allah protects the believer who turns to Him. Sarah prayed in the moment of danger, and Allah turned the tyrant away.
  • Modesty and guarding one's chastity are valued. Sarah based her prayer on her faith and her chastity.
  • Trust in Allah while taking sensible steps. Ibrahim tried to avoid the danger, and then relied on Allah.
  • Truthfulness is a high value, and careful speech is a sign of caution. Scholars explained Ibrahim's words as indirect speech, not as permission to lie.

General information for learning, not a fatwa. For your own situation, ask a qualified scholar.

Sources