Isma'il: Difference between revisions

'''Ismā'īl''' (إسماعيل‎ Ishmael) was the son of [[Ibrahim|Ibrahim]] (Abraham) from the [[Egypt|Egyptian]] concubine Hagar. He is recognized in [[Islam]] as an important prophet and patriarch. According to the Islamic tradition, Ismail is the forefather of the "Arabized Arabs" and Muhammad, was the son that Ibrahim attempted to kill in sacrifice, and is credited with building the [[Kaaba]] along with his father.

Islamic [[Scripture|traditions]] consider Isma'il to be the ancestor of Arab people,<ref>Fredrick E. Greenspahn, Encyclopedia of Religion, "Ishmael", p.4551–4552</ref> excluding those who are descendants of Ya'rub. Arabs who are from "Isma'il-descendant" tribes are occasionally referred to as "Arabized-Arabs" to highlight their ancestry. The Prophet [[Muhammad]] was of these Arabs. However, there is no archaeological or historical evidence that Isma'il was the ancestor of the Arabs, and there are good reasons to believe this was, in fact, not the case. There does exists, however, a conjecture to this effect based upon writings some 2000 years after his death.

Islamic sources similarly teach that Muhammad was the descendant of Ismail that would establish the "great nation" promised by god in the old testament.<ref>Genesis 17:20</ref><ref>Zeep, Ira G. (2000). ''A Muslim primer: beginner's guide to Islam, Volume 2''. University of Arkansas Press. p. 5. ISBN <bdi>978-1-55728-595-9</bdi>.</ref>

The Bible describes him as a "wild donkey of a man" whose hand will be "against everyone" and "he will live in hostility toward all his brothers".<ref>"''He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.''" - [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+16%3A12&version=NIV Genesis 16:12 (New International Version)]</ref> The Islamic tradition generally rejects the open attribution of negative character traits to prophets.

In contrast with the Biblical account, the Qur'anic narrative places Ismail as the subject of Ibrahim's "binding" (the binding of Isaac thus becoming the binding of Ishmael), or attempted child sacrifice. While a few Islamic authorities (notably [[al-Tabari]]<ref>"Isaac", ''Encyclopedia of Islam'', volume 4</ref>) dissented on the matter, suggesting that the Qur'anic account should accord with the previously uncontested Biblical narrative.

[end of passage]}}

These verses describe Ismail as having built the Kaaba and praying for the coming of Muhammad alongside his father, Ibrahim:

{{Quote|{{quran|2|124}}<nowiki> - ((quran|2|129}}</nowiki>|124. And (remember) when his Lord tried Abraham with (His) commands, and he fulfilled them, He said: Lo! I have appointed thee a leader for mankind. (Abraham) said: And of my offspring (will there be leaders)? He said: My covenant includeth not wrong-doers.

128. Our Lord! And make us submissive unto Thee and of our seed a nation submissive unto Thee, and show us our ways of worship, and relent toward us. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Relenting, the Merciful.

*[http://www.islam101.com/history/people/prophets/Ismael.htm Prophet Isma'il (peace be on him)] ''- Muslim site''