The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked, "Who is the noblest of people?"He replied, "The most God-fearing of them."They said, "That is not what we are asking you about."He said, "Then the noblest of people is Yusuf, prophet of Allah, son of a prophet of Allah, son of a prophet of Allah, son of the friend of Allah."They said, "That is not what we are asking you about."He said, "Then are you asking me about the lineages of the Arabs? People are like ores. The best of them in the days of ignorance are the best of them in Islam, provided they gain understanding of the religion."
سئل رسول الله ﷺ من أكرم الناس؟ قال: أتقاهم الله قالوا: ليس عن هذا نسألك قال: فأكرم الناس يوسف نبي الله ابن نبي الله ابن نبي الله ابن خليل الله. قالوا: ليس عن هذا نسألك قال: فعن معادن العرب تسألوني؟ الناس معادن، خيارهم في الجاهلية، خيارهم في الإسلام إذا فقهوا.
Bukhari related it in the Hadiths of the Prophets (3383), and Muslim in the Virtues (2379), both from the hadith of Ubaydullah, who said, "Saeed bin Abu Saeed informed me, from Abu Hurairah," and he mentioned it.It was narrated from Ibn Abbas that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Jibreel took Ibrahim to Jamra Uqba, and Satan appeared before him, so he threw seven pebbles at him, and he sank into the ground. Then he came to the middle jamra, and Satan appeared before him, so he threw seven pebbles at him, and he sank into the ground. Then he came to the farthest jamra, and Satan appeared before him, so he threw seven pebbles at him, and he sank into the ground. When Ibrahim wanted to slaughter his son Ishaq, he said to his father, 'O my father, bind me tightly so that I do not thrash about and my blood splashes onto you when you slaughter me.' So he bound him tightly. When he took the knife and wanted to slaughter him, a voice called out from behind him, "O Ibrahim, you have already fulfilled the vision" [Saffat 37:104–105]."Imam Ahmad related it (2794) from Yunus, who said, "Hammad informed us, from Ata bin Saaib, from Saeed bin Jubayr, from Ibn Abbas," and he mentioned it. Ata bin Saaib's memory became confused in his later life, and Hammad is Ibn Salama, who is among those who narrated from him before the confusion set in, though it is also said he narrated from him afterward as well.His statement, "Ishaq," is evidence of this confusion, because what is sahih and firmly established among the majority of scholars of knowledge is that the one intended for sacrifice was Ismail .Ishaq
was born fourteen years after his brother, and his mother Sarah was ninety years old when she was given the good news of him. The People of the Book mention that when Ishaq married Rifqa, daughter of Thabuil, during his father's lifetime, he was forty years old, and that she was barren. So he prayed to Allah for her, and she conceived and gave birth to twin boys. The first they named Aysaw, and this is the one also called Ays, and he is the father of the Romans. The second came out holding onto his brother's heel, so they named him Yaqub, and he is Israil, to whom Banu Israil trace their lineage.It is stated in the Book of Genesis (35:28-29), "The days of Ishaq were one hundred and eighty years. Then Ishaq gave up his spirit and died, and was gathered to his people, an old man and full of days. His sons Aysaw and Yaqub buried him."Tabari mentioned in his history, and Ibn Kathir in Bidaya wa Nihaya, many details taken from the People of the Book, most of which are found in the Torah that exists today. We have no need for these details.