Ishmael

Last updated
Ishmael
יִשְׁמָעֵאל اسماعيل
Oldtestamentthre0001unse 0096 (cropped).jpg
Ishmael, watercolour by James Tissot, as in Genesis 21:20: "And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer."
Personal
Religion Judaism
Christianity
Islam
Children See descendants
Parents

In the biblical Book of Genesis, Ishmael [a] was the first son of Abraham. His mother was Hagar, the handmaiden of Abraham's wife Sarah. [1] He died at the age of 137. [2] Traditionally, he is seen as the ancestor of the Arabs.

Contents

Within Islam, Ishmael is regarded as a prophet and the ancestor of the Ishmaelites (Hagarenes or Adnanites) and patriarch of Qaydār.

Etymology

The name "Yishma'el" existed in various ancient Semitic cultures, [3] including early Babylonian and Minæan. [4] It is a theophoric name translated literally as "God (El) has hearkened", suggesting that "a child so named was regarded as the fulfillment of a divine promise". [3]

Genesis narrative

The dismissal of Hagar, by Pieter Pietersz Lastman Pieter Pietersz. Lastman 001.jpg
The dismissal of Hagar, by Pieter Pietersz Lastman

The Genesis narrative sees the account of Ishmael's life through the chapters 16, 17, 21 and 25.

Birth

The birth of Ishmael was planned by the Patriarch Abraham's first wife, [5] who at that time was known as Sarai. She and her husband Abram (Abraham) sought a way to have children in order to fulfill the Abrahamic covenant that was established in Genesis 15. Sarai was 75 years old and had yet to bear a child. She had the idea to offer her Egyptian handmaiden Hagar to her husband so that they could have a child by her. Abraham slept with Hagar and she begat a child. [6]

A depiction of Hagar and her son Ishmael in the desert (1819) by Francois-Joseph Navez Francois-Joseph Navez - Agar et Ismael dans le desert (cropped).jpg
A depiction of Hagar and her son Ishmael in the desert (1819) by François-Joseph Navez

Hagar and Sarah began to show contempt for each other, they responded by treating each other harshly. Abraham then told Hagar to flee her home and go into the desert region between Abraham's settlement and Shur. Genesis 16:7–16 describes the naming of Ishmael and God's promise to Hagar concerning Ishmael and his descendants. This occurred at the well of Beer-lahai-roi, where Hagar encountered the Angel of the Lord, who said to her "Behold, you are with child / And shall bear a son; / You shall call him Ishmael, / For the Lord has paid heed to your suffering." [7] The Angel commanded Hagar, "Return to your mistress [Sarai] and submit to her." [8]

Abraham was blessed so that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. [9] God would make of Ishmael a great nation because he was of the seed of Abraham. However, God told Hagar that her son would be living in conflict with his relatives. When Ishmael was born, Abraham was 86 years old.

Inheritance, rights and the first circumcision

When he was 13 years old, Ishmael was circumcised at the same time as all other males in Abraham's household, becoming a part of the covenant in a mass circumcision. His father Abram, given the new name "Abraham", then 99, was circumcised along with the others. [10]

At the time of the covenant, God informed Abraham that his wife Sarah would give birth to a son, whom he was instructed to name Isaac. God told Abraham that He would establish his covenant through Isaac, and when Abraham inquired as to Ishmael's role, God answered that Ishmael has been blessed and that he "will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget and I will make him a great nation." [10] God also mentioned that "He will be a wild donkey of a man, His hand will be over (against) everyone, And everyone's hand will be against him; And he will live in the presence of his brethren." [11]

A year later, Ishmael's half-brother Isaac was born to Abraham by his first wife Sarah when she was 90 years old, [12] after she had ceased showing any signs of fertility. [13]

On the day of feasting during which Abraham celebrated the weaning of Isaac, Ishmael was "mocking" or "playing with" Isaac (the Hebrew word מְצַחֵֽק, "meṣaḥeq" is ambiguous) [14] and Sarah asked Abraham to expel Ishmael and his mother, saying: "Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac." [15] [16] Her demand was painful for Abraham, who loved Ishmael. Abraham agreed only after God told him that "in Isaac your seed shall be called" and that God would "make a nation of the son of the bondwoman" Ishmael, since he was a descendant of Abraham (Genesis 21:11–13), God having previously told Abraham "I will establish My covenant with [Isaac]", while also making promises concerning the Ishmaelite nation (Genesis 17:18–21).

Hagar and Ishmael in the Desert, by Grigory Ugryumov (c. 1785) Hagar and Ishmael in desert (Grigoriy Ugryumov).jpg
Hagar and Ishmael in the Desert, by Grigory Ugryumov (c. 1785)

At the age of 14, Ishmael was freed along with his mother. The Lord's covenant made clear Ishmael was not to inherit Abraham's house and that Isaac would be the seed of the covenant: "Take your son, your only son, whom you love and go to the region of Moriah." (Genesis 22:2–8) Abraham gave Ishmael and his mother a supply of bread and water and sent them away. Hagar entered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba where the two soon ran out of water and Hagar, not wanting to witness the death of her son, set the boy some distance away from herself, and wept. "And God heard the voice of the lad" and sent his angel to tell Hagar, "Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation." And God "opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water", from which she drew to save Ishmael's life and her own. "And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer." (Genesis 21:14–21)

Descendants

After roaming the wilderness for some time, Ishmael and his mother settled in the Desert of Paran, where he became an expert in archery. Eventually, his mother found him a wife from the land of Egypt. [17] They had twelve sons each of whom became a tribal chief in one of the regions from Havilah to Shur (from Assyria to the border of Egypt). [18] His sons: [19]

  1. Nebaioth (נְבָיוֹתNəḇāyōṯ)
  2. Kedar (קֵדָרQēḏār), father of the Qedarites, a northern Arab tribe that controlled the area between the Persian Gulf and the Sinai Peninsula. According to tradition, he is the ancestor of the Quraysh tribe, and thus, ancestor of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. [20]
  3. Adbeel (אַדְבְּאֵלʾAḏbəʾēl)
  4. Mibsam (מִבְשָֽׂםMīḇsām)
  5. Mishma (מִשְׁמָעMīšmāʿ)
  6. Dumah (דוּמָהḎūmā)
  7. Massa (מַשָּֽׂאMassāʾ)
  8. Hadad (חֲדַדḤăḏaḏ)
  9. Tema (תֵימָאṮēmāʾ)
  10. Jetur (יְטוּרYəṭūr)
  11. Naphish (נָפִישׁNāfīš)
  12. Kedemah (קֵדְמָהQēḏəmā)

Ishmael also had one known daughter, Mahalath or Basemath, the third wife of Esau. [21]

Abraham's corpse was not buried until Ishmael was sent news and after his arrival at the burial. [22] Ishmael died at the age of 137. [23]

Family tree

Family of Ishmael
Noah
Shem
Arpachshad
Salah
Eber
Peleg
Reu
Serug
Nahor
Terah
Sarah Abraham Hagar Nahor II Haran
Milcah Lot Iscah
Ishmael
7 sons Bethuel 1st daughter2nd daughter
Isaac Rebecca Laban Moabites Ammonites
Jacob
1. Nebaioth
2. Kedar
3. Adbeel
4. Mibsam
5. Mishma
6. Dumah
7. Massa
8. Hadar
9. Tema
10. Jetur
11. Naphish
12. Kedemah
Esau Adah
Aholibamah
Mahalath/Basemath
Reuel Jeush Jaalam Korah Eliphaz

World views

Historians and academics in the field of source criticism believe that the stories of Ishmael belong to the three strata of J, or Yahwist source, the P, or Priestly source, and the E, or Elohist source (See Documentary hypothesis). [4] For example, the narration in Genesis 16 is of J type and the narration in Genesis 21:8–21 is of E type. [24] Genesis 25 would have been added during the Persian Period by the Priestly source, who attributed the known Ishmaelite (Shumu'ilu) Tribes as the names of the sons of Ishmael, although the narrative and name of Ishmael himself preceded this. [25]

Jewish and Islamic traditions consider Ishmael to be the ancestor of Arabs. [26]

Judaism

In later Jewish texts, Ishmael is portrayed as someone who was inclined towards many things Abraham considered wicked. Rabbinic sources say that Ishmael prayed to idols when he believed to be alone [27] [ failed verification ], although there is no indication of this behavior from the biblical narrative. According to the Book of Genesis, in the Hebrew Bible, Isaac rather than Ishmael was the true heir of the Abrahamic tradition and covenant, while at the same time being blessed by God with a great nation. [28]

In Samaritan Torah version, Ishmael was described in Book of Genesis 16 as a 'fertile of man' instead of a 'wild ass of a man' as suggested in Masoretic Pentateuch which commonly used as standard version of Hebrew Bible in Jewish community. [29]

In some traditions Ishmael is said to have had two wives, one of them named Aisha. [30] [31] This name corresponds to the Muslim tradition for the name of Muhammad's wife. [3] This is understood as a metaphoric representation of the Muslim world (first Arabs and then Turks) with Ishmael. [32] [33]

Rabbinical commentators in the Midrash Genesis Rabbah also say that Ishmael's mother Hagar was the Pharaoh's daughter, making Ishmael the Pharaoh's grandson. This could be why Genesis 17:20 refers to Ishmael as the father of 12 mighty princes. According to Genesis 21:21, Hagar married Ishmael to an Egyptian woman, and if Rabbinical commentators are correct that Hagar was the Pharaoh's daughter, his marriage to a woman she selected could explain how and why his sons became princes.

According to other Jewish commentators, Ishmael's mother Hagar is identified with Keturah, the woman Abraham sought out and married after Sarah's death. It is suggested that Keturah was Hagar's personal name, and that "Hagar" was a descriptive label meaning "stranger". [34] [35] [36] This interpretation is discussed in the Midrash [37] and is supported by Rashi, Gur Aryeh, Keli Yakar, and Obadiah of Bertinoro. Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Itzhaki) argues that "Keturah" was a name given to Hagar because her deeds were as beautiful as incense (Hebrew, ketoret), and that she remained chaste (literally "tied her opening", with the verb tied in Aramaic being k-t-r) from the time she was separated from Abraham.

It is also said that Sarah was motivated by Ishmael's sexually frivolous ways because of the reference to his "making merry" (Gen. 21:9), a translation of the Hebrew word "Mitzachek".[ citation needed ] This was developed into a reference to idolatry, sexual immorality or even murder; some rabbinic sources claim that Sarah worried that Ishmael would negatively influence Isaac, or that he would demand Isaac's inheritance on the grounds of being the firstborn. Regarding the word "Mitzachek" (again in Gen. 21:9) The Jewish Study Bible by Oxford University Press says this word in this particular context is associated with "Playing is another pun on Isaac's name (cf. 17.17; 18.12; 19.14; 26.8). Ishmael was 'Isaacing', or 'taking Isaac's place'." [38] Others take a more positive view, emphasizing Hagar's piety, noting that she was "the one who had sat by the well and besought him who is the life of the worlds, saying 'look upon my misery'". [39]

In Rabbinic literature, the name of Ishmael is an allusion to God's promise to hear the complaints of Israel whenever it suffered at the hands of Ishmael (Gen. R. xlv. 11). Abraham endeavored to bring up Ishmael in righteousness; to train him in the laws of hospitality Abraham gave him the calf to prepare (Gen. R. xlviii. 14; comp. Gen. xviii. 7). But according to divine prediction Ishmael remained a savage. The ambiguous expression in Gen. xxi. 9 (see Hagar) is interpreted by some rabbis as meaning that Ishmael had been idolatrous; by others, that he had turned his bow against Isaac. According to the interpretation of Simeon b. Yoḥai, Ishmael mocked those who maintained that Isaac would be Abraham's chief heir, and said that as he (Ishmael) was the first-born son he would receive two-thirds of the inheritance (Tosef., Sotah, v. 12, vi. 6; Pirḳe R. El. xxx.; Gen. R. liii. 15). Upon seeing the danger to Isaac, Sarah, who had till then been attached to Ishmael (Josephus, "Ant." i. 12, § 3), insisted that Abraham cast out Ishmael. Abraham was obliged to put him on Hagar's shoulders, because he fell sick under the spell of the evil eye cast upon him by Sarah (Gen. R. liii. 17).

Ishmael, left under a shrub by his despairing mother, prayed to God to take his soul and not permit him to suffer the torments of a slow death (comp. Targ. pseudo-Jonathan to Gen. xxi. 15). God then commanded the angel to show Hagar the well which was created on Friday in the week of Creation, in the twilight (comp. Ab. v. 6), and which afterward accompanied the Israelites in the wilderness (Pirḳe R. El. xxx.). But this was protested against by the angels, who said: "Why should Ishmael have water, since his descendants will destroy the Israelites by thirst?" (comp. Yer. Ta'an. iv. 8; Lam. R. ii. 2). God replied: "But now he is innocent, and I judge him according to what he is now" (Pirḳe R. El. l.c.; Gen. R. l.c.; et al.). Ishmael married a Moabitess named 'Adishah or 'Aishah (variants "'Ashiyah" and "'Aifah," Arabic names; Targ. pseudo-Jonathan to Gen. xxi. 21; Pirḳe R. El. l.c.); or, according to "Sefer ha-Yashar" (Wayera), an Egyptian named Meribah or Merisah. He had four sons and one daughter. Ishmael meanwhile grew so skilful in archery that he became the master of all the bowmen (Targ. pseudo-Jonathan to Gen. xxi. 20; Gen.R. liii. 20). Afterward Abraham went to see Ishmael, and, according to his promise to Sarah, stopped at his son's tent without alighting from his camel. Ishmael was not within; his wife refused Abraham food, and beat her children and cursed her husband within Abraham's hearing. Abraham thereupon asked her to tell Ishmael when he returned that an old man had asked that he change the peg of the tent. Ishmael understood that it was his father, took the hint, and drove away his wife. He then married another woman, named Faṭimah (Peḳimah; Targ. pseudo-Jonathan l.c.), who, when three years later Abraham came again to see his son, received him kindly; therefore Abraham asked her to tell Ishmael that the peg was good.

Ishmael then went to Canaan and settled with his father (Pirḳe R. El. l.c.; "Sefer ha-Yashar," l.c.). This statement agrees with that of Baba Batra (16a)—that Ishmael became a penitent during the lifetime of Abraham. He who sees Ishmael in a dream will have his prayer answered by God (Ber. 56a). [40]

Christianity

Hagar with Ishmael. Christian Kohler (1809-1861) Kohler-Hagar.jpg
Hagar with Ishmael. Christian Köhler (1809-1861)

In the Epistle to the Galatians (4:21–31), Paul uses the incident to symbolize the two covenants the old but fulfilled and new covenant which is universal by promise through Jesus Christ. [3] In Galatians 4:28–31, [41] Hagar is associated with the Sinai covenant, while Sarah is associated with the covenant of grace into which her son Isaac enters. [42]

Pre-Islamic Arabia

Some Pre-Islamic poetry mentions Ishmael, his father Abraham, and a sacrifice story, such as the Pre-Islamic poet "Umayyah Ibn Abi As-Salt", who said in one of his poems: بكره لم يكن ليصبر عنه أو يراه في معشر أقتال ([The sacrifice] of his first-born of whose separation he [Abraham] could not bear neither could he see him surrounded in foes). [43] [44] [45] [ better source needed ]

Also, some of the tribes of Central West Arabia called themselves the "people of Abraham and the offspring of Ishmael", as evidenced by a common opening of speeches and harangues of reconciliation between rival tribes in that area. [46] [47] [ better source needed ]

Islam

Ishmael (Arabic: إسماعيل Ismāʿīl) is recognized as an important prophet of Islam. Like Christians and Jews, Muslims believe that Ishmael was the firstborn of Abraham, born to him from his wife's maidservant Hagar. [48] Ishmael is recognized by Muslims as the ancestor of several northern prominent Arab tribes and the forefather of Adnan, the ancestor of Muhammad. [49] Muslims also believe that Muhammad was the descendant of Ishmael who would establish a great nation.

Ishmael in the Quran

Ishmael is mentioned over ten times in the Quran, [50] often alongside other prophets of ancient times. He is mentioned together with Elisha and Dhul-Kifl as one of "the patiently enduring and righteous, whom God caused to enter into his mercy." [51] It is also said of Lut, Elisha, Jonah and Ishmael, that God gave each one " favouring each over other people ˹of their time˺". [52] These references to Ishmael are, in each case, part of a larger context in which other holy prophets are mentioned. In other chapters of the Quran, however, which date from the Medina period, Ishmael is mentioned closely with his father Abraham: Ishmael stands alongside Abraham in their attempt to raised the foundation of the Kaaba in Mecca as a place of monotheistic pilgrimage [53] and Abraham thanks God for granting him Ishmael and Isaac in his old age. [54] Ishmael is further mentioned alongside other prophets who had been given revelations [55] and Jacob's sons promised to follow the faith of their forefathers, "Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac", when testifying their faith. [56] In the Quranic narrative of the near-sacrifice of Abraham's son, [57] the son is not named and, although the general interpretation is that it was Ishmael, Tabari [58] maintained that it was Isaac, consistent with the Hebrew scriptures. Most modern commentators, however, regard the son's identification as least important in a narrative given for its moral lesson. [59]

Ishmael in Muslim literature

Abraham sacrificing his son, Ishmael; and Abraham cast into fire by Nimrod. A miniature in the 16th-century Ottoman Turkish manuscript Zubdat al-Tawarikh. Abraham ready to sacrifice his son, Ishmael (top); Abraham cast into fire by Nimrod (bottom).jpg
Abraham sacrificing his son, Ishmael; and Abraham cast into fire by Nimrod. A miniature in the 16th-century Ottoman Turkish manuscript Zubdat al-Tawarikh .

The commentaries on the Quran and the numerous collections of Stories of the Prophets flesh out the Islamic perspective of Ishmael and detail what they describe as his integral part in setting up the Kaaba. According to Muslim tradition, Ishmael was buried at the Hijr near the Kaaba, inside the Sacred Mosque. [60]

In Islamic belief, Abraham prayed to God for a son and God heard his prayer. Muslim exegesis states that Sarah asked Abraham to marry her Egyptian handmaiden Hagar because she herself was barren. [49] Hagar soon bore Ishmael, who was the first son of Abraham. God then instructed Abraham to take Hagar and Ishmael to the desert and leave them there. He did so, taking them to the location of the Kaaba's foundations (which now was in ruins) and as he turned away from Hagar and started to walk away she called out to him and asked "Why are you leaving us here?", to which Abraham didn't reply the first two times she asked. She then changed her question and asked "Did God command you to do this?" to which Abraham stopped, turned around, looked back and replied "Yes." She responded, "Then God will provide for us." Abraham then continued on his journey back to Sarah. In the desert, the baby Ishmael cried with thirst. [49] His mother placed him in the shade under a bush and went on a frantic search for water, which resulted in her running seven times between the Safa and Marwah hills trying to find a source of water or a passing caravan she could trade with for water. Hagar, not finding any sources of water and fearing the death of her baby, sat down and cried asking for God's help. God sent angel Gabriel to her informing her to lift up her baby and when she did, she noticed that his feet had scratched the ground allowing a spring of water to bubble up to the surface. Hagar quickly shifted the ground to form a well around the spring to contain the water, forming the Zamzam well. Hagar refilled the bottle with water and gave her baby a drink. This spring became known to caravans that traveled through Arabia and Hagar negotiated deals with them for supplies in exchange for the water. From her actions, the city of Mecca (originally Becca or Baca in Hebrew)[ citation needed ] grew, and attracted settlers who stayed and provided protection for her and Ishmael as well as being sources of various goods brought in and exchanged with visiting caravans. To commemorate the blessing of the Zamzam well God gave to Hagar and Ishmael, Muslims run between the Safa and Marwah hills retracing Hagar's steps during the rites of Hajj. [49]

Abraham returned and visited Ishmael at various times throughout his life.[ citation needed ] At one time, according to a tradition of Muhammad, Abraham had arrived when his son was out and Abraham visited with Ishmael's wife. Abraham decided to leave before seeing his son, but based upon the complaints Ishmael's wife made in response to his questions, he gave her a message to give to her husband when he returned home, which was "change his threshold." When Ishmael arrived that night, he asked if they had had any visitors, and was informed by his wife of the man who had visited and what he said. Ishmael understood his father and explained to his wife that the visitor was his father and he had been instructed to divorce his wife and find a better one, which Ishmael did. Some time after this, Abraham returned to visit Ishmael and again Ishmael was out. Abraham talked with Ishmael's new wife and found her answers indicated faith in God and contentment with her husband. Abraham again had to leave before he saw his son, but left him the message to "keep his threshold." When Ishmael returned that night, he again asked if there had been any visitors and was informed of Abraham's visit. Ishmael told his wife who it was that had come to visit and that he approved of her and their marriage.

On one of his visits to Mecca, Abraham is said to have asked his son to help him raised the foundation of the Kaaba. [61] Islamic traditions hold that the Kaaba was first built by Adam and that Abraham and Ishmael rebuilt the Kaaba on the old foundations. [62] As Ishmael grew up in Arabia, he is said to have become fluent in Arabic. In the genealogical trees that the early scholars drew, [63] Ishmael was considered the ancestor of the Northern Arabs and Muhammad was linked to him through the lineage of Adnan.

Bahá'í Faith

The scriptures of the Baháʼí Faith state that it was Ishmael, and not Isaac, who was the son Abraham almost sacrificed. [64] But they also state that the name is unimportant as either could be used: the importance is that both were symbols of sacrifice. [65] According to Shoghi Effendi, there has also been another Ishmael, a prophet of Israel, commonly known as Samuel. [66]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Hebrew: יִשְׁמָעֵאל اسماعيل, Modern: Yīšmaʿéʾl, Tiberian: Yīšmāʿēʾl, "God hears"; Ancient Greek: Ἰσμαήλ, romanized: Ismaḗl; Classical/Qur'anic Arabic: إِسْمٰعِيل, Modern Standard Arabic: إِسْمَاعِيل, romanized: ʾIsmāʿīl; Latin: Ismael.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abraham</span> Hebrew patriarch according to the Hebrew Bible

Abraham is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Jews and God; in Christianity, he is the spiritual progenitor of all believers, whether Jewish or non-Jewish; and in Islam, he is a link in the chain of Islamic prophets that begins with Adam and culminates in Muhammad. As the namesake of the Abrahamic religions, Abraham is also revered in other Abrahamic religions, such as Druze Faith and Baháʼí Faith.

The Book of Genesis is the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its Hebrew name is the same as its first word, Bereshit. Genesis purports to be an account of the creation of the world, the early history of humanity, and the origins of the Jewish people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isaac</span> Biblical patriarch, son of Abraham and Sarah

Isaac is one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites and an important figure in the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Isaac first appears in the Torah, in which he is the son of Abraham and Sarah, the father of Jacob and Esau, and the grandfather of the twelve tribes of Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abraham in Islam</span> Islamic view of Abraham

Abraham was a prophet and messenger of God according to Islam, and an ancestor to the Ishmaelite Arabs and Israelites. Abraham plays a prominent role as an example of faith in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. According to the Islamic perspective, Abraham fulfilled all the commandments and trials wherein God nurtured him throughout his lifetime. As a result of his unwavering faith in God, Abraham was promised by God to be a leader to all the nations of the world. The Qur'an extols Abraham as a model and exemplar: obedient and not an idolater. In this sense, Abraham has been described as representing "primordial man in universal surrender to the Divine Reality before its fragmentation into religions separated from each other by differences in form". Muslims believe that the Ka'aba in Mecca was built by Abraham and his son Isma'il as the first house of worship on Earth. The Islamic holy day, Eid al-Adha, is celebrated partly in commemoration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son on God's command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah</span> Biblical character

Sarah is a biblical matriarch, prophet, and major figure in Abrahamic religions. While different Abrahamic faiths portray her differently, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all depict her character similarly, as that of a pious woman, renowned for her hospitality and beauty, the wife and half-sister of Abraham, and the mother of Isaac. Sarah has her feast day on 1 September in the Catholic Church, 19 August in the Coptic Orthodox Church, 20 January in the LCMS, and 12 and 20 December in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

The biblical patriarch Isaac, Isak is recognized as a prophet of God by Muslims. As in Judaism and Christianity, Islam maintains that Isaac was the son of the patriarch and prophet Abraham from his wife Sarah. Muslims hold Isaac in deep veneration because they believe that both Isaac and his older half-brother Ishmael continued their father's spiritual legacy through their subsequent preaching of the message of Allah after the death of Abraham. Isaac is mentioned in fifteen passages of the Quran. Along with being mentioned several times in the Quran, Isaac is held up as one of Islam's prophets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hagar</span> Biblical character

According to the Book of Genesis, Hagar was an Egyptian slave, a handmaiden of Sarah, whom Sarah gave to her own husband Abram as a wife to bear him a child. Abraham's firstborn son, through Hagar, Ishmael, became the progenitor of the Ishmaelites, generally taken to be the Arabs. Various commentators have connected her to the Hagrites, perhaps claiming her as their eponymous ancestor. Hagar is alluded to, although not named, in the Quran, and Islam considers her Abraham's second wife.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bakkah</span> Place mentioned in the Quran and possibly in the Tanakh

Bakkah, is a place mentioned in surah 3, ayah 96 of the Qur'an, a verse sometimes translated as: "Indeed, the first House [of worship] established for mankind was that at Bakkah [i.e., Makkah] - blessed and a guidance for the worlds."

Yaqub ibn Ishaq ibn Ibrahim ibn Azar, later given the name Israil, is recognized by Muslims as an Islamic prophet. He is held to have preached the same monotheism as his forefathers: Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac.

Nebaioth or Nebajoth is mentioned at least five times in the Hebrew Bible, according to which he was the firstborn son of Ishmael, and the name appears as the name of one of the wilderness tribes mentioned in the Book of Genesis 25:13, and in the Book of Isaiah 60:7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ishmaelites</span> Abrahamic tradition of tribal identity

The Ishmaelites were a collection of various Arab tribes, tribal confederations and small kingdoms described in Abrahamic tradition as being descended from and named after Ishmael, a prophet according to the Quran, the first son of Abraham and the Egyptian Hagar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lech-Lecha</span> Third portion in the annual Jewish cycle of weekly Torah reading

Lech-Lecha, Lekh-Lekha, or Lech-L'cha is the third weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. It constitutes Genesis 12:1–17:27. The parashah tells the stories of God's calling of Abram, Abram's passing off his wife Sarai as his sister, Abram's dividing the land with his nephew Lot, the war between the four kings and the five, the covenant between the pieces, Sarai's tensions with her maid Hagar and Hagar's son Ishmael, and the covenant of circumcision.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vayeira</span> 4th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading

Vayeira, Vayera, or Va-yera is the fourth weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. It constitutes Genesis 18:1–22:24. The parashah tells the stories of Abraham's three visitors, Abraham's bargaining with God over Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot's two visitors, Lot's bargaining with the Sodomites, Lot's flight, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, how Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father, how Abraham once again passed off his wife Sarah as his sister, the birth of Isaac, the expulsion of Hagar, disputes over wells, and the binding of Isaac.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chayei Sarah</span> 5th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading

Chayei Sarah, Chaye Sarah, Ḥayye Sarah, or Ḥayyei Sara, is the fifth weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. It constitutes Genesis 23:1–25:18. The parashah tells the stories of Abraham's negotiations to purchase a burial place for his wife Sarah and his servant's mission to find a wife for Abraham's son Isaac.

Hājar, known as Hagar in the Hebrew Bible, was the wife of the patriarch and Islamic prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and the mother of Ismā'īl (Ishmael). She is a revered woman in the Islamic faith. According to Muslim belief, she was a maid of the king of Egypt who gifted her to Ibrahim's wife Sarah. Although not mentioned by name in the Qur'an, she is referenced and alluded to via the story of her husband. She eventually settled in the Desert of Paran, seen as the Hejaz in the Islamic view, with her son Ishmael. Hajar is honoured as an especially important matriarch of monotheism, as Ishmael was the ancestor of Muhammad.

The Quran contains references to more than fifty people and events also found in the Bible. While the stories told in each book are generally comparable, there are also some notable differences.

Abraham is known as the patriarch of the Israelite people through Isaac, the son born to him and Sarah in their old age and the patriarch of Arabs through his son Ishmael, born to Abraham and Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian servant.

There are many Biblical figures which the Qur'an names. Some, however, go unnamed in the Qur'an, but are referenced or referred to in the hadiths, tafsirs, literature or seerah. Other figures are mentioned elsewhere in tradition and in the sunnah and sayings of Muhammad. Such figures which are not mentioned by name in the Qur'an, are included below.

Ishmael is regarded by Muslims as an Islamic prophet. Born to Abraham and Hagar, he is the namesake of the Ishmaelites, who were descended from him. In Islam, he is associated with Mecca and the construction of the Kaaba within today's Masjid al-Haram, which is the holiest Islamic site. Muslims also consider him to be a direct ancestor to Muhammad. His paternal half-brother was Isaac, the forefather of the Israelites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebecca</span> Biblical character

Rebecca appears in the Hebrew Bible as the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. According to biblical tradition, Rebecca's father was Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram, also called Aram-Naharaim. Rebecca's brother was Laban the Aramean, and she was the granddaughter of Milcah and Nahor, the brother of Abraham. Rebecca and Isaac were one of the four couples that some believe are buried in the Cave of the Patriarchs, the other three being Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, and Jacob and Leah. Most scholars have considered Rebecca's historicity uncertain.

References

  1. ↑ "Genesis 16:3". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  2. ↑ "Genesis 25:17". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Fredrick E. Greenspahn (2005) [1987]. "Ishmael". In Lindsay Jones (ed.). Encyclopedia of Religion. Vol. 7. Macmillan Reference USA. pp. 4551–52. ISBN   9780028657400. ISHMAEL, or, in Hebrew, Yishmaʿeʾl; eldest son of Abraham. Ishmael's mother was Hagar, an Egyptian slave girl whom Sarah gave to Abraham because of her own infertility; in accordance with Mesopotamian law, the offspring of such a union would be credited to Sarah (Gn. 16:2). The name Yishmaʿeʾl is known from various ancient Semitic cultures and means 'God has hearkened,' suggesting that a child so named was regarded as the fulfillment of a divine promise. Ishmael was circumcised at the age of thirteen by Abraham and expelled with his mother at the instigation of Sarah, who wanted to ensure that Isaac would be Abraham's heir (Gn. 21). In the New Testament, Paul uses this incident to symbolize the relationship between Judaism, the older but now rejected tradition, and Christianity (Gal. 4:21–31). In the Genesis account, God blessed Ishmael, promising that he would be the founder of a great nation and a 'wild ass of a man' always at odds with others (Gn. 16:12). He is credited with twelve sons, described as 'princes according to their tribes' (Gn. 25:16), representing perhaps an ancient confederacy. The Ishmaelites, vagrant traders closely related to the Midianites, were apparently regarded as his descendants. The fact that Ishmael's wife and mother are both said to have been Egyptian suggests close ties between the Ishmaelites and Egypt. According to Genesis 25:17, Ishmael lived to the age of 137. Islamic tradition tends to ascribe a larger role to Ishmael than does the Bible. He is considered a prophet and, according to certain theologians, the offspring whom Abraham was commanded to sacrifice (although surah 37:99-111 of the Qur'an never names that son). Like his father Abraham, Ishmael too played an important role in making Mecca a religious center (2:127-129). Judaism has generally regarded him as wicked, although repentance is also ascribed to him. According to some rabbinic traditions, his two wives were Aisha and Fatima, whose names are the same as those of Muhammad's wife and daughter. Both Judaism and Islam see him as the ancestor of Arabian peoples.
  4. 1 2 Gigot, Francis (1910). "Ismael"  . Catholic Encyclopedia . Vol. 8.
  5. ↑ "Genesis 16". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  6. ↑ "Genesis 16:3-4". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  7. ↑ "Genesis 16:11". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  8. ↑ "Genesis 16:9". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  9. ↑ "Genesis 26:4". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  10. 1 2 "Genesis 17". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  11. ↑ "Genesis 16". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  12. ↑ "Genesis 17:17". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  13. ↑ "Genesis 18:11". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  14. ↑ J. William Whedbee (28 May 1998). The Bible and the Comic Vision. Cambridge University Press. p. 81. ISBN   978-0-521-49507-3.
  15. ↑ "Hagar". Encyclopædia Britannica . 2007.
  16. ↑ Genesis 25:2–6
  17. ↑ Genesis 21:17–21
  18. ↑ "Ishmael", Jewish Encyclopedia (1906).
  19. ↑ Genesis 25:12–18
  20. ↑ Schaff, Philip, ed. (1880). A Dictionary of the Bible: Including Biography, Natural History, Geography, Topography, Archæology, and Literature. Philadelphia: American Sunday-School Union. p. 494 [p. 502 on–line]. Archived from the original on January 22, 2010. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  21. ↑ "Mahalath", Jewish Encyclopedia (1906).
  22. ↑ Genesis 25:9
  23. ↑ Genesis 25:17
  24. ↑ S. Nikaido (2001), p. 1
  25. ↑ Noble, John Travis. 2013. "Let Ishmael Live Before You!" Finding a Place for Hagar's Son in the Priestly Tradition. Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University.
  26. ↑
  27. ↑ "Isaac & Ishmael". www.chabad.org. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
  28. ↑ Encyclopaedia Judaica. Vol. 10. p. 34.
  29. ↑ Tsedaka, Benyamim, and Sharon Sullivan, eds. The Israelite Samaritan Version of the Torah: First English Translation Compared with the Masoretic Version. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2013. ISBN   978-0802865199
  30. ↑ "ISHMAEL" . Retrieved 2 October 2015. Ishmael married a Moabitess named 'Adishah or 'Aishah (variants "'Ashiyah" and "'Aifah," Arabic names; Targ. pseudo-Jonathan to Gen. xxi. 21; Pirḳe R. El. l.c.); or, according to "Sefer ha-Yashar" (Wayera), an Egyptian named Meribah or Merisah.
  31. ↑ Singer, Isidore; Adler, Cyrus (1906). The Jewish Encyclopedia. p. 647. Retrieved 2 October 2015. Ishmael married a Moabitess named 'Adishah or 'Aishah (variants "'Ashiyah" and "'Aifah," Arabic names; Targ. pseudo-Jonathan to Gen. xxi. 21; Pirḳe R. El. l.c.); or, according to "Sefer ha-Yashar" (Wayera), an Egyptian named Meribah or Merisah.
  32. ↑ Berlin, Adele (2011). The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 384. ISBN   9780199730049 . Retrieved 2 October 2015. ...In medieval Hebrew usage, Ishmael represents the muslim world (i.e., the arabs and later the turks)
  33. ↑ Blenkinsopp, Joseph (2015). "7". Abraham. Wm. B. Eerdmans. ISBN   9781467443777 . Retrieved 2 October 2015. We already know from the basic narrative that Hagar the Egyptian provided an Egyptian wife for her son and an Egyptian daughter-in-law for herself (Gen. 21:21). The wife remained nameless, but we know this would not be for long. One suggestion in Pirqe de Rabbi Eliezer (The Chapters of Rabbi Eliezer), from the eighth century, written probably under Islamic rule, is that Ishmael had two wives named Aisha and Fatima, which happen to be the names of Muhammad's wife and daughter, respectively (Pirqe R. El. 30). Rather than coincidence, this could have been a way of emphasizing the close affinity of Islamic peoples with the great prophet and founder. At all events, Ishmael (Isma'il) became the symbol, representative, and patriarch of the Arab peoples in general and, in virtue of his noble descent and Arabian origins, of Islamic peoples...
  34. ↑ "The Return of Hagar", commentary on Parshah Chayei Sarah, Chabad Lubavitch.
  35. ↑ "Who Was Ketura?", Bar-Ilan University's Parashat Hashavua Study Center, 2003.
  36. ↑ "Parshat Chayei Sarah" Archived 2008-11-13 at the Wayback Machine , Torah Insights, Orthodox Union, 2002.
  37. ↑ Bereshit Rabbah 61:4.
  38. ↑ Adele Berlin; Marc Zvi Brettler (2004). The Jewish Study Bible. Oxford University Press. p.  44. ISBN   9780195297515.
  39. ↑ Jeffrey, David L., A Dictionary of Biblical Tradition in English Literature, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1992, p. 326 ISBN   0-8028-3634-8
  40. ↑ Ishmael Jewish Encyclopedia
  41. ↑ Galatians 4:28–31
  42. ↑ Encyclopedia of Christianity(Ed. John Bowden), Isaac
  43. ↑ The Treasury of literature, Sect. 437
  44. ↑ The Beginning of History, Volume 3, Sect.10
  45. ↑ Al-Kashf Wa Al-Bayan, Vol. 11, p. 324
  46. ↑ The Signs of Prophethood, Section 18, page 215
  47. ↑ The Collection of the Speeches of Arabs, volume 1, section 75
  48. ↑ "Islamic Pedia - Ibrahim (the Prophet) إبراهِيم - عليه السلام". www.islamicencyclopedia.org.
  49. 1 2 3 4 A–Z of Prophets in Islam and Judaism, Wheeler, Ishmael
  50. ↑ "Search ishmael- Quran.com". Quran.com. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  51. ↑ Quran 38:48
  52. ↑ Quran 6:86
  53. ↑ Quran 2:127-129
  54. ↑ Quran 14:35-41
  55. ↑ Quran 2:136
  56. ↑ Quran 2:133
  57. ↑ Quran 37:100-107
  58. ↑ "Isaac", Encyclopedia of Islam, volume 4
  59. ↑ Glasse, C., "Ishmael", Concise Encyclopedia of Islam
  60. ↑ Encyclopedia of Islam Volume 4, Ismail
  61. ↑ Quran 2:127
  62. ↑ Azraqi, Akhbar Makkah, vol. 1, pp. 58–66
  63. ↑ Chronicles, Tabari, Vol I: From Creation to Flood
  64. ↑ Bahá'u'lláh (1976). Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Baháʼí Publishing Trust. pp.  75–76. ISBN   978-0-87743-187-9.
  65. ↑ Cole, Juan R.I. (1995). "Interpretation in the Baháʼí Faith". Baháʼí Studies Review . 5 (1).
  66. ↑ "Concerning the appearance of two Davids; there is a Tablet from 'Abdu'l-Bahá in which He says that just as there have been two Ishmaels, one the son of Abraham, and the other one of the Prophets of Israel, there have appeared two Davids, one the author of the Psalms and father of Solomon, and the other before Moses." (Shoghi Effendi, Dawn of a New Day, pp. 86–87)

Sources

Books and journals
Encyclopedias
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.