Muslim Christian Dialogue-Part 4

Introduction

In today's blog, we will shed light on the divine missions of Ishmael and Isaac to confirm their stance as honorable Prophets in Islam.

Both Ishmael and Isaac were Blessed

After Isaac was weaned, his mother Sarah saw Ishmael mocking him and didn't want Ishmael to be heir with her son Isaac. "And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac." (Genesis 21:8-10; The Bible)

Isaac was about two years old when he was weaned. Ishmael was then sixteen years because Abraham was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael and was a hundred years old when Isaac was born, according to Genesis 16:16: "And Abraham was fourscore and six years old when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram," and Genesis 21: 5; "And Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born unto him."

Genesis 21:8-10 is then in contradiction with Genesis 21:14-21 where Ishmael was portrayed as a baby, put on the shoulder of his mother, called lad and child, when both left Sarah: "And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand."

This was the profile of a baby and not of a teenager. So, Ishmael and his mother Hagar left Sarah long before Isaac was born. According to the Islamic version, Abraham took Ishmael and Hagar and made a new settlement in Mecca, called Paran in the Bible (Genesis 21:21), because of a divine instruction given to Abraham as part of God's plan. Hagar ran seven times between two hills, Safa and Marwah, looking for water; this ultimately became an Islamic ritual for the annual pilgrimage to Mecca by millions of Muslims from all over the world. The well of water mentioned in Genesis 21:9 is still present, now called Zamzam.

Both Abraham and Ishmael later built the only stone Ka'bah in Mecca. The spot where Abraham used to perform prayers near the Ka'bah is still present, now called Maqam Ibrahim, ie, the station of Abraham. During the days of pilgrimage, pilgrims in Mecca and Muslims all over the world commemorate the offering of Abraham and Ishmael by slaughtering cattle.

Christians will assert that the Bible mentions Isaac to be sacrificed. However, the Islamic version states that the covenant between God, Abraham, and his only son Ishmael was made and sealed when Ishmael was supposed to be sacrificed. And on the same day Abraham, Ishmael, and all men of the household were circumcised while Isaac was not even born yet.

"And Abraham was ninety years old and nine when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. On the same day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son. And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him." (Genesis 17:24-27; The Bible)

A year later, Isaac was born and circumcised when he was eight days old. "And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. And Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born unto him." (Genesis 21:4-5; The Bible)

So when the covenant was made and sealed (circumcision and sacrifice) Abraham was ninety-nine and Ishmael thirteen years old. Isaac was born a year later when Abraham was a hundred years old. The descendants of Ishmael, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and all other Muslims, remain faithful until today to this covenant of circumcision. In their prayer, at least five times a day, Muslims include the praise of Abraham (PBUH) and his descendants with the praise of Muhammad (PBUH) and his descendants.

Christians attempt to repudiate the above school of thought by asserting Isaac to be sacrificed in Genesis 22. However, one can note the subtle contradiction mentioned there as well. It is mentioned there 'thine only son Isaac'. Should it not have been written 'thine only son Ishmael' when Ishmael was thirteen years old and Isaac had not been born yet? When Issac was born Abraham had two sons. On account of chauvinism, the name Ishmael was changed to Isaac in all of Genesis 22, but God Almighty had preserved the word 'only' to show us what it should have been.

The words 'I will multiply thy seed' in Genesis 22;17 was applied earlier to Ishmael in Genesis 16:10. Was the whole of Genesis 22 not applicable to Ishmael then? "I will make him a great nation" had been repeated twice for Ishmael in Genesis 17:20 and Genesis 21:18, and never applied to Isaac at all.

Was Isaac superior to Ishmael?

The Jews and Christians maintain that Isaac was superior to Ishmael. However, that is not what the Bible states. "And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him (Abraham), saying, This (Eliezer of Damascus) shall not be thine heir, but that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir." (Genesis 15:4; The Bible) Hence, Ishmael was also an heir. Further evidence in regards to this viewpoint is documented in the following Biblical verses:

1. "And the angel of the Lord said unto her (Hagar), I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude." (Genesis 16:10; the Bible)

2. "And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will make him a great nation." (Genesis 17:20; The Bible)

3. "And also the son of the bondwoman will make a great woman because he is thy seed." (Genesis 21:13; The Bible)

4. "Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation." (Genesis 21:18; The Bible)

5. "If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated: Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn: But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his." (Deuteronomy 21:15-17; The Bible)

Was Ishmael an illegitimate son?

Once again, that is what the People of the Book claim but not what the Bible states. How could a great and revered Prophet like Abraham (PBUH) have an illegal wife and a son out of wedlock?

"And Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife." (Genesis 16:3; The Bible) If the marriage was legal, how could their offspring be legal then? Is a marriage between two foreigners, a Chaldean and an Egyptian, not more legal than a marriage between a man with a daughter of his father? Whether it was a lie of Abraham or not, it is stated: "And yet indeed she (Sarah) is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife." (Genesis 20:12; The Bible)

The Covenant with God Almighty

Christians will opine that God's covenant was made with Isaac: "But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this time in the next year." (Genesis 17: 21; The Bible) However, this does not exclude Ishmael. Nowhere is it said in the Bible that Allah SWT (God Almighty) would not make any covenant with Ishmael.

The name Ishmael was also chosen by Allah Himself. "And the Angel of the Lord said unto her (Hagar), Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael, because the Lord hath heard thy affliction." (Genesis 16:11; The Bible).

We Muslims never deny that Isaac was also blessed. Ishmael means 'God hears'. Long before Ishmael and Isaac were born, Allah made a covenant with Abraham: "Saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the Euphrates."(Genesis 15:18; The Bible)

Was not the greater part of Arabia lying between the Nile and the Euphrates, where later all the descendants of Ishmael were settling? "And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed (Isaac) after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." (Genesis 17:8; The Bible)

We can see that Abraham (PBUH) was mentioned as a 'stranger' in Canaan but not in the land between the Nile and the Euphrates. Hence, as a Chaldean, he was more an Arab than a Jew.

Conclusion

Muslims do not trace their lineage through Ishmael or Isaac, but rather through Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), who is a descendant of Ishmael. Muslims also do not see any conflict or rivalry between Ishmael and Isaac, but rather view them as brothers who loved each other and cooperated in God’s cause. They revere both Ishmael and Isaac equally as God’s prophets who continued their father's spiritual legacy by preaching the message of God Almighty after the death of Abraham (PBUH).

Thank you for reading this blog. Please stay tuned for the next one. May God bless you always! Assalamalaikum!