Lady Hajar: A Symbol of Faith, Patience and Sacrifice (UK British Muslim Family Guide 2026)
By admin on 12/22/2025
Lady Hajar (Arabic: هاجر, often anglicised as Hagar) — the second wife of the prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and the mother of the prophet Isma'il (peace be upon him) — is one of the most extraordinary figures in Islamic tradition. Her story of being left in a barren desert with her infant son, her search for water (the running between Safa and Marwah), and her receipt of the miracle of Zamzam are commemorated by every Muslim performing Hajj or Umrah today. For British Muslim families, her example of faith, patience, and sacrifice is foundational. This UK guide tells her story and what British Muslim families can take from her life.
Her background
Hajar was an Egyptian woman, daughter of an Egyptian noble or possibly a princess. She came into Ibrahim (peace be upon him)'s household through the gift of an Egyptian ruler to Ibrahim's first wife Sarah (peace be upon her). When Sarah remained childless after years of marriage to Ibrahim (peace be upon him), she suggested to Ibrahim that he take Hajar as a second wife so that he might have descendants.
Hajar married Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and gave birth to Isma'il (peace be upon him) — the elder son of Ibrahim and the ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
The journey to the barren valley
By Allah's command, Ibrahim (peace be upon him) took Hajar and the infant Isma'il from Palestine on a long journey south. They eventually reached the barren valley of Bakkah (modern Makkah), where there was no water, no people, no shelter. Ibrahim left them there with a small bag of dates and a waterskin, and turned to leave.
Hajar called after him: "Ibrahim, where are you going? Are you leaving us in this valley where there is nothing?" He did not respond. She asked again. He did not respond. Then she asked: "Has Allah commanded you to do this?" He said: "Yes."
Her response is one of the most powerful statements of faith in scripture: "Then He will not abandon us."
Ibrahim continued back toward Palestine, leaving Hajar and Isma'il in the desert. As he walked away, he turned and made the famous du'a recorded in Surah Ibrahim 14:37: "Our Lord, I have settled some of my descendants in an uncultivated valley near Your sacred House, our Lord, that they may establish prayer. So make hearts among the people incline toward them and provide for them from the fruits that they might be grateful."
The running between Safa and Marwah
The food and water ran out. Isma'il (peace be upon him) cried with thirst. Hajar climbed the small hill of Safa to look for any sign of help — a traveller, a caravan, anything. Seeing nothing, she ran across the valley to the hill of Marwah. From Marwah she ran back to Safa. Then back to Marwah. Then back to Safa. Seven times in total, running between the two hills, searching for help for her son.
This running — the Sa'i — is now one of the obligatory rituals of Hajj and Umrah. Every pilgrim performing Sa'i is replicating Hajar's running. Hundreds of millions of Muslims have walked her path; the rituals of the holiest pilgrimage in Islam carry her footsteps.
The miracle of Zamzam
As Hajar ran the seventh circuit, the angel Jibreel (peace be upon him) appeared and struck the ground with his heel (or, in some narrations, with his wing). Water gushed from the earth where Isma'il (peace be upon him) was lying. Hajar gathered the water with her hands, saying "Zamzam, Zamzam" (gather, gather) — trying to contain it. The well that emerged is the well of Zamzam, still flowing 4,000+ years later, providing water to millions of Hajj pilgrims annually.
The Prophet ﷺ commented: "May Allah have mercy on the mother of Isma'il! Had she left the water alone, Zamzam would have been a flowing stream." (Sahih al-Bukhari 3364)
The settlement of Bakkah/Makkah
The water of Zamzam attracted travellers. The first to arrive were a group from the Jurhum tribe passing through. They asked Hajar's permission to settle near the water. She agreed on the condition that the water remained her son's right. The Jurhum became the early community of Makkah; Isma'il (peace be upon him) grew up among them, married a Jurhum woman, and his descendants — eventually including the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ — populated the city.
Ibrahim's later visits
Ibrahim (peace be upon him) returned periodically to visit his family in Makkah. He and Isma'il (peace be upon him) eventually built (or rebuilt) the Ka'bah on its foundations — the structure that remains the centre of Muslim worship.
What British Muslim families can take from Hajar's life
- Tawakkul (trust in Allah) is the deepest faith. "Then He will not abandon us" is one of the most powerful statements in Islamic scripture — spoken by a woman in unimaginable circumstances.
- Action accompanies trust. Hajar didn't sit and wait. She ran seven times searching for help. Trust in Allah does not mean passivity; it means using means while trusting outcomes.
- Mothers are central to Islamic history. Without Hajar's faith, there would be no Makkah, no Zamzam, no Ka'bah, no Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in the Hijaz. Her single life shapes Muslim history more than most.
- Hardship can be the door to greatest reward. Hajar's suffering in the desert produced the well of Zamzam, the city of Makkah, the Sa'i ritual, and Allah's preservation of her name.
- Hajj reconnects every generation to her. UK Muslim families performing Hajj or Umrah are physically walking Hajar's path. Tell your children whose footsteps they're following.
How Eaalim teaches Hajar's story
Surah Ibrahim 14:37 (the foundational ayah on Hajar and Isma'il in Makkah) and the Quranic Hajj passages are part of standard Eaalim curriculum. Lessons integrate her story into Quranic study. 30 minutes (15-20 for under-7s), GMT/BST, in pounds, free real trial. Start here.
Frequently asked questions
ابدأ رحلتك مع إي عاليم اليوم!
ابدأ تجربتك المجانية
ShareFrequently Asked Questions
Hajar (هاجر, anglicised as Hagar) was the second wife of the prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and the mother of the prophet Isma'il (peace be upon him). She was an Egyptian woman who came into Ibrahim's household through Sarah (his first wife). When Allah commanded Ibrahim to leave Hajar and the infant Isma'il in the barren valley of Bakkah (modern Makkah), her response — 'Then He will not abandon us' — is one of the most powerful statements of faith in Islamic tradition.
After being left with her infant son Isma'il in the barren valley of Makkah, Hajar's water and food ran out. She ran seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah searching for help. Allah caused the angel Jibreel to strike the ground; water gushed forth — the spring of Zamzam. She gathered the water saying 'Zamzam, Zamzam' (gather, gather). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'May Allah have mercy on the mother of Isma'il! Had she left the water alone, Zamzam would have been a flowing stream' (Sahih al-Bukhari 3364). Zamzam still flows 4,000+ years later.
Sa'i is the obligatory Hajj/Umrah ritual of running seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah, located within the Masjid al-Haram in Makkah. Every Sa'i performed today by hundreds of millions of pilgrims is a direct re-enactment of Hajar's running for water for her son. UK Muslim pilgrims performing Sa'i are physically walking the path of Hajar — one of the most powerful rituals in Hajj/Umrah for connecting to the foundational Islamic narrative.
He didn't immediately respond when Hajar called after him. When she asked: 'Has Allah commanded you to do this?' he replied: 'Yes.' Her famous response: 'Then He will not abandon us.' As Ibrahim walked away, he turned toward the empty valley and made the du'a recorded in Surah Ibrahim 14:37: 'Our Lord, I have settled some of my descendants in an uncultivated valley near Your sacred House, our Lord, that they may establish prayer. So make hearts among the people incline toward them and provide for them.'
Through her son Isma'il (peace be upon him). Isma'il grew up in Makkah and married a Jurhum tribeswoman. His descendants populated Makkah and the Hijaz region. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is descended from Isma'il through approximately 40 generations. So Hajar is the direct ancestress of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) — and therefore the spiritual mother of every Muslim. Her single life shaped the entire trajectory of Islamic history.
Two small hills (now incorporated into a covered marble corridor) within the Masjid al-Haram in Makkah, very close to the Ka'bah. The distance between them is approximately 450 metres. Pilgrims walking seven times between the two hills cover roughly 3.15 km in total. The original hills are visible at each end of the corridor; the route between is now a wide air-conditioned passage to accommodate the millions of pilgrims annually. Hajar's original running was on bare rocky ground.
Bakkah (بكة) is an old name for the valley/region around the Ka'bah. The Quran uses both names — 'Makkah' in Surah Al-Fath 48:24 and 'Bakkah' in Surah Aal-Imran 3:96 ('Indeed, the first House [of worship] established for mankind was that at Bakkah'). Classical scholars treat them as essentially the same place, with 'Bakkah' the older term. Hajar and Isma'il were left in the valley of Bakkah; what we now call Makkah is the city that grew up around the well of Zamzam they discovered.
Tell it as an adventure: a brave mother left in a desert with her baby; her trust in Allah ('Then He will not abandon us'); her running seven times between two hills searching for help; the miracle of water from the ground; the city that grew around the well; her descendants becoming the family of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The story has natural drama and is age-appropriate from age 5 onwards. Connect it to the Sa'i ritual of Hajj/Umrah so children understand pilgrimage as walking in Hajar's footsteps.
Three lessons. (1) Tawakkul (trust in Allah) combined with action: she didn't sit waiting; she ran seven times. (2) Mothers are central to Islamic history, not peripheral — without Hajar there would be no Makkah, no Ka'bah, no Prophet (peace be upon him) in Arabia. (3) Hardship can be the door to greatest reward — her desperate suffering produced Zamzam, Makkah, the Sa'i, and Allah's preservation of her name forever. UK Muslim mothers in difficult circumstances can draw deep strength from her example.
Surah Ibrahim 14:37 is the foundational Quranic ayah. Read Surah Aal-Imran 3:96-97 and Surah Al-Hajj 22:27-37 for context on the broader Hajj tradition. The Sealed Nectar (Mubarakpuri) covers Hajar's story in the early biographical chapters. For children's books, several British Muslim publishers have produced age-appropriate retellings. Eaalim teachers integrate her story into Quran lessons when teaching the relevant surahs. Free 30-minute trial: https://eaalim.com/free-trial
