And when what he called for of purity from the filth of polytheism was completed, and it became clear by his preceding that the most important of the important matters is to be free from it, he followed it with praise for what he was granted of blessings and what followed that was an indication of the obligation of gratitude. He said: ﴿All praise is due to Allah﴾, meaning the One who possesses the attributes of perfection, ﴿Who granted﴾, and the granting is a gift of ownership without a contract, from Him to us, while I am in a state of being [exalted] ﴿over old age﴾ and firmly established in it, having lost hope of having a child, “Ishmael,” whom He settled here, “and Isaac.” This indicates what I previously understood that this supplication was after the building of the House (p-430) and his reassurance with Isaac, peace be upon him. From Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with both of them, that his age at the birth of Ishmael, peace be upon him, was ninety-nine years, and at the birth of Isaac, peace be upon him, was one hundred and twelve years.

And when the coming of the child [to him] was at an age in which one does not give birth for someone like him, and all that he called for [was] of miracles, his existence is hardly believable. He indicated this by emphasizing his saying: ﴿Indeed, my Lord﴾, meaning the One who is gracious to me, ﴿is surely Hearing of the supplication﴾, meaning it is His nature to respond to the supplication in the most eloquent manner, hinting at the idols and indicating what his regret over barrenness contained. It has been previously mentioned in [Surah Al-Baqarah] from the Torah that when his nephew [Lot] was freed from captivity, Allah said to him: O Ibrahim! I will assist you and support you because your reward has been great. Ibrahim said: O Allah, my Lord! What will you grant me while I am leaving this world without offspring, and my servant the Damascene will inherit me? Allah said to him: This one will not inherit you, but your son (p-431) who comes from your loins will inherit you. And He said to him: Look to the sky and count the stars if you are able to count them. So likewise will be your descendants. Ibrahim believed in Allah.