Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim, peace be
upon him) is estimated to have lived in early 2nd Millennia B.C
(around 1800 BC) at Ur Mesopotamia ) Iraq
Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) was
successful in the trial, he was childless, he was granted sons at old age,
Ishmael, from his second wife Hager, and later Isaac (Ishaq) from his first
wife Sara. According to an Islamic tradition he left Ishmael at Makka while he
was older enough. The other tradition narrates that he had to leave the infant
Isma’il and his mother at a far off place in desert (Makka). They miraculously
survived due to water of spring (Zamzam). Abraham's faith was so great that
later he went to obey God's command to sacrifice his only son (Ishmael),
however at the last minute; God permitted him to substitute a ram. Muslim
tradition identifies the son to be sacrificed as Ishmael (Biblical traditions
claim, Isaac). Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) again came to Makka to
rebuilt the first house of Allah, Ka’ba with Isma’il as a sign of God's
covenant with them and established the rituals of pilgrimage (Hajj). Allah
says: “And when Abraham and Ishmael were raising the foundations of the House,
(Abraham prayed): Our Lord! Accept from us (this duty). Lo! Thou, only Thou,
art the Hearer, the Knower.”(Qur’an;2:127).
A
controversy has raged between the followers of the Bible and the adherents of
Islam as to which of the sons of Abraham, Ishmael or Isaac was offered as a
sacrifice.
It is important to note that, a peculiar sanctity was attached to the
first-born both of man and of cattle among people right since the time of Adam,
it was especially of great importance among the Israelites. God claimed that
the first-born males of man and of animals should be consecrated to him, the
one as a priest (Exodus;19:22 ,24),
representing the family to which he belonged, and the other to be offered up in
sacrifice (Geneis;4:4).
The laws concerning this redemption of the first-born of man are recorded in
Exodus;13:12-15; 22:29; 34:20; Numbers;3:45; 8:17; 18:16 and Leviticus;12:2,4.
Even the first-fruits of the ground were offered unto God just as the first-born
of man and animals. Ishmael, without any doubt was first born son of Prophet
Abraham (peace be upon him). The Bible
is quite clear in designating the offering: “He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and
go to the land of
Mori'ah
Covenant
and Iniquitous Decedents: Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) is the original
monotheist in the known history, purifier
of God's house, builder of the Ka’ba, and a Muslim (having surrendered
to the will of God), who preached against idolatry and sin. The scripture of
revelations to Abraham is mentioned in Qur’an;53:36-37 & 87:18-19, which is
now extinct, though ‘Testament of Abraham’ had been popular among Christians.
He destroyed the idols and survived attempt by the king to burn him alive.
After successful trials he was rewarded by God for his faith and given a
position of spiritual leadership
of the mankind, to be passed down to his descendants, excluding the wrong doers
(Qur’an;2:124). Allah says: “Do they, perchance, envy other people for what God
has granted them out of His bounty? But then, We did grant revelation and
wisdom unto the House of Abraham (aal Ibraahem- Descendants), and We did
bestow on them a mighty dominion:”(Qur’an;4:54 ).
The descendants obviously include the progeny of Ishmael and Isaac (peace be upon them). The claim of the
children of Israel Palestine Hebron Jerusalem
Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) was
the true faithful, Allah says: “And who, unless he be weak of mind, would want
to abandon Abraham's creed, seeing that We have indeed raised him high in this
world, and that, verily, in the life to come he shall be among the righteous?
When his Sustainer said to him, "Surrender thyself unto Me!"-he
answered, "I have surrendered myself unto [Thee,] the Sustainer of all the
worlds." And this very thing did Abraham bequeath unto his children, and
[so did] Jacob: when he said: "O my sons! Allah has chosen for you this
way of life (Deen), therefore, die
not unless you have surrendered yourself un to Him. “Nay, but you [yourselves,
O children of Israel
The Biblical Account:
The narrative of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) is
given in the book of Genesis, chapter 12 to 36. The childless septuagenarian
receives promises. He gets a son, Ishmael, by Hagar, given to him as his wife
by his wife Sara: “And Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her
handmaid, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan 21:18 ). (According to a Muslim
traditions, infant Ishmael along with his mother Hagar was left in the
wilderness at Makka, an uninhabited place at that time, who subsequently become
the ancestor of Arabs. Muhammad, peace be upon him, the last Prophet, belongs
to the progeny of Ishmael.)
Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) is awarded with a
covenant from God that his "seed" will inherit the land and become a
numerous nation: “And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your
descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant,
to be God to you and to your descendants after you. And I will give to you, and to your
descendants after you, the land of your sojourning, all the land of Canaan , for an everlasting possession; and I will be
their God." And God said to Abraham, "As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your
descendants after you throughout their generations. This is my covenant, which
you shall keep, between me and you and your
descendants after you: Every male among you shall be
circumcised.”(Genesis;17:7-10); “And
God said, Nay, but Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son; and thou shalt call
his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting
covenant for his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: behold,
I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him
exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto thee at
this set time in the next year. And he left off talking with him, and God went
up from Abraham. (Genesis;17:19-22).
At the age of 100 years, Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him)
gets a son Isaac, by Sarah, who is to be the heir of the promise. Yet Abraham
is ready to obey God's command to sacrifice Isaac, a test of his faith, which
he is not required to consummate in the end because God substitutes a ram.
[Muslim traditions and internal evidence from Bible about age of child and timings
support that it was Ishmael not Isaac]. At Sarah's death, he purchases the cave of Machpelah Hebron cave
of Machpelah Hebron Holy Place Salem Salem
Prophet
Ishmael (peace be upon him):
According to Islamic traditions, Prophet Ishmael (peace be upon him), the first
born son of Prophet Abraham (peace be
upon him) was left in wilderness (now known as Makka), as an infant
along with his mother Hagar. Abraham invoked Almighty Allah: “0 our Lord! I
have made some of my offspring to dwell in a valley with no cultivation, by
Your Sacred House (the Ka’ba at Mecca); in order, 0 our Lord, that they may
offer prayers perfectly , so fill some hearts among men with love towards them,
and (0 Allah) provide them with fruits so that they may give thanks. 0’ our
Lord! Certainly, You know what we conceal and what we reveal. Nothing on the
earth or in the heaven is hidden from Allah.”(Qur’an;14:37-38). The biblical
narrative is some what different, but it mentions: “And Hagar bare Abram a son:
and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. And Abram was
eighty-six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.”(Genesis;16:15 -16), “And the angel of the
LORD said unto her (Hager), I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall
not be numbered for multitude. And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold,
thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;
because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.”(Genesis;16:10-11). “And also of
the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy
seed.”(Genesis;13:18 ),
“And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will
make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he
beget, and I will make him a great nation.” (Genesis;17:20 ), “And he will be a wild man; his hand
will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell
in the presence of all his brethren.”(Genesis;16:12 ).
The whole land
of Arabia 19:54 ). He willingly offered himself to be
sacrificed in obedience to the command of Allah to his father Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him), who was asked to
offer the sacrifice of his ‘only son’ as mentioned at Genesis;22:2. Isaac was
13 years younger to Ishmael, hence he can not be called as only
son of Abraham. Allah accepted the gesture of Abraham and substituted
ram instead (Qur’an;37:102-107). Ishmael helped his father Abraham in building
the Ka’ba (Qur’an;2:127). He called the people around (Arabia )
to prayer and charity. Isma’il became the ancestor of Arabs. Allah says: “We
blessed him (Abraham) and Isaac: but of their progeny are (some) that do right,
and (some) that obviously do wrong, to their own souls.”(Qur’an;37:1130). Once
the progeny of Abraham through his second son Isaac deviated from the faith of
Abraham, after two and half millennium, God shifted the honor of “Leadership of
Mankind” to the decedents of Ishmael by appointing Muhammad (peace be upon him)
as His last messenger (610 C.E).
Prophet Isaac (peace be upon him):
Prophet
Isaac (Ishaq, peace be upon
him) the second son of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) was born from his
first wife Sarah at the old age, as special blessings from God. He was father
of Esau and Prophet Jacob (Yaqub, peace
be upon him), who is also known as Israel Hebron Palestine Israel
Prophet Jacob (peace be upon him):
Jacob
(called Ya'aqov in Hebrew and Ya'qub in Arabic, also called Israel Israel Edom Palestine Israel Israel
The story continues in Bible, Jacob then met his brother
Esau, reconciled and settled in Canaan . Jacob
had 13 children, 10 of whom were founders of tribes of Israel Egypt Egypt Israel Egypt Canaan
at Hebron Edom Israel Edom Israel Edom Israel
Prophet Joseph (peace be upon him):
Prophet Joseph (Yusuf), peace be upon him, was the favorite
son of Prophet Jacob (peace be upon him). In the early age Joseph was cast into
slavery due to jealousy of his brothers. The Hebrews version of narrative of
Joseph is given at in Bible (Genesis;Chapters:37-50). Qur’an mentions about his
story at Chapter 12, named as ‘Yousaf’ (Joseph). According to Qur’an: “There is
a lesson in these stories of former people for the men of understanding. This
story of Joseph revealed in the Qur’an is not an invented tale, but a
confirmation of previous scriptures - a detailed exposition of all things, and
is a guidance and blessing for the people who believe.”(Qura’n;12:111).The
Qur’anic story is similar to but not identical with the Biblical story however
the atmosphere is widely different. The Biblical story is like a folk tale in
which morality has no place. Its tendency is to exalt the clever and
financially minded Hebrew against the Egyptians, and to explain certain ethnic
and tribal peculiarities in later Israeli history. Joseph is shown as buying up
all the cattle and the land of the poor Egyptians for the state under the
stress of famine conditions, and making the Israelites “rulers” over Pharaoh’s
cattle [Historically it is proved that they were Hyksos
Kings, of Semites origin and not Egyptian Pharaohs: Qur’an
rightly mentions them as king, and in case of Moses Pharaohs.] The Qur’anic
story on the other hand is less a narrative than a highly spiritual sermon of
allegory explaining the seeming contradictions in life, the enduring nature of
virtues in a world full of flux and change, and the marvelous working of God’s
eternal purposes in His Plan unfolded on the wide canvas of history.
Allah says: “Verily in Joseph and his brethren are Signs (or
Symbols) for Seekers (after Truth).”(Qura’n;12:7), “When Joseph attained his
full manhood, We gave him power and knowledge: thus do We reward those who do
right.”(Qura’n;12:22 ).
Joseph was a handsome man, the wife of
his master, (Egyptian high official-Aziz)
tried to seduce him but being a chosen servant of God, he remained steadfast,
and did not give in to evil temptations. Despite his innocence he had to spend
years in jail, till taken out honorably. Through God gifted ability of
interpretation of dreams, prophesies, prophetic wisdom, honesty, chastity and
good management abilities he became trusted adviser of Hyksos King of Egypt 12:56 ). He saved the people from starvation during the famine with good
management. Joseph adhered to the faith of his ancestors and preached to his
people as a prophet. He forgave his brothers and used his acquired position in
Egypt Egypt Palestine Syria Egypt Egypt Egypt
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