In the

biblical The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) biblical languages ...

Book of Genesis The Book of Genesis (from Greek language, Greek ; ; ) is the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its Hebrew name is the same as its incipit, first word, (In the beginning (phrase), 'In the beginning'). Genesis purpor ...

, Ishmael (; ; ; ) is the first son of

Abraham Abraham (originally Abram) is the common Hebrews, Hebrew Patriarchs (Bible), patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father who began the Covenant (biblical), covenanta ...

. His mother was

Hagar According to the Book of Genesis, Hagar is an Egyptian slave, a handmaiden of Sarah (then known as ''Sarai''), whom Sarah gave to her own husband Abram (later renamed Abraham) as a wife to bear him a child. Abraham's firstborn son, through Haga ...

, the handmaiden of Abraham's wife

Sarah Sarah (born Sarai) 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 woma ...

. He died at the age of 137. Traditionally, he is seen as the ancestor of the

Arabs Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of yea ...

. Within

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

, Ishmael is regarded as a

prophet In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divinity, divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings ...

and the ancestor of the

Ishmaelites 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 Abraha ...

(

Hagarenes Hagarenes ( , or , ) is a term widely used by early Syriac, Greek, Coptic and Armenian sources to describe the early Arab conquerors of Mesopotamia, Syria and Egypt. The name was used in Christian literature and Byzantine chronicles for "Hani ...

Adnanites The Adnanites () were a tribal confederation of the Ishmaelite Arabs who originate from the Hejaz. They trace their lineage back to Ishmael, son of the Islamic prophet and patriarch Abraham and his wife Hagar, through Adnan. The Islamic prophe ...

) and patriarch of

Qaydār The Qedarites () were an ancient Arabs, Arab tribes of Arabia, tribal confederation centred in their capital Dumat al-Jandal in the present-day Saudi Arabian province of Al-Jawf Province, Al-Jawf. Attested from the 9th century BC, the Qedarite ...

Etymology

The name "Yishma'el" existed in various ancient

Semitic cultures Semitic people or Semites is a term for an ethnic, cultural or racial group including early

Babylonia Babylonia (; , ) was an Ancient history, ancient Akkadian language, Akkadian-speaking state and cultural area based in the city of Babylon in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq and parts of Kuwait, Syria and Iran). It emerged as a ...

n and

Minæan Ma'in (; ) was an ancient South Arabian kingdom in modern-day Yemen. It was located along the strip of desert called Ṣayhad by medieval Arab geographers, which is now known as Ramlat al-Sab'atayn. Wadd was the national god of Ma'in. The sp ...

. In the

Amorite language Amorite is an extinct early Semitic language, formerly spoken during the Bronze Age by the Amorite tribes prominent in ancient Near Eastern history. It is known from Ugaritic, which is classed by some as its westernmost dialect, and from non- Akk ...

, it is attested as ''yaśmaʿ-ʾel''. It is a

theophoric A theophoric name (from Greek: , ''theophoros'', literally "bearing or carrying a god") embeds the word equivalent of 'god' or a god's name in a person's name, reflecting something about the character of the person so named in relation to that de ...

name translated literally as "

God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...

(El) has hearkened", suggesting that "a child so named was regarded as the fulfillment of a divine promise".

Genesis narrative

The Genesis narrative sees the account of Ishmael's life through the .

Birth

The birth of Ishmael was planned by the Patriarch

's first wife, who at that time was known as

Sarai Sarai, Serai, or Saraj may refer to: Places * Sarai (city), a large medieval city, and the capital city of the Golden Horde * Saray-Jük, the ''Little Sarai'' of the Golden Horde Azerbaijan * Sarai Village, an old Turkic village in Absheron ...

. She and her husband Abram (Abraham) sought a way to have children in order to fulfill the

Abrahamic covenant According to the Hebrew Bible, the covenant of the pieces or covenant between the parts () is an important event in Jewish History. In this central narrative God revealed himself to Abraham and made a covenant with him (in the site known nowadays ...

that was established in . Sarai was 75 years old and had yet to bear a child. She had the idea to offer her Egyptian handmaiden

to her husband so that they could have a child by her. Abraham slept with Hagar and she begat a child. 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. 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 The (or an) Angel of the Lord ( '' mal’āḵ YHWH'' "messenger of Yahweh") is an entity appearing repeatedly in the Tanakh on behalf of the God of Israel. The guessed term ''malakh YHWH'', which occurs 65 times in the text of the Hebrew Bi ...

, 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." The Angel commanded Hagar, "Return to your mistress

arai __NOTOC__ Arai may refer to: Places * Arain, Armenia * Arai, Niigata, Japan * Arai, Shizuoka, Japan People *Arai (surname) Companies * Arai Helmet (アライ), a Japanese motorcycle helmet manufacturer * ARAI (Automotive Research Association of ...

and submit to her." Abraham was blessed so that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. 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 Covenant may refer to: Religion * Covenant (religion), a formal alliance or agreement made by God with a religious community or with humanity in general ** Covenant (biblical), in the Hebrew Bible ** Covenant in Mormonism, a sacred agreement b ...

in a mass circumcision. His father Abram, given the new name "Abraham", then 99, was circumcised along with the others. 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." 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." A year later, Ishmael's half-brother

Isaac Isaac ( ; ; ; ; ; ) is one of the three patriarchs (Bible), patriarchs of the Israelites and an important figure in the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and the Baháʼí Faith. Isaac first appears in the Torah, in wh ...

was born to Abraham by his wife Sarah when she was 90 years old, after she had ceased showing any signs of fertility. On the day of feasting during which Abraham celebrated the weaning of Isaac, Ishmael was "mocking" or "playing with" Isaac (the Hebrew word , is ambiguous) 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.""Hagar"
''

Encyclopædia Britannica The is a general knowledge, general-knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It has been published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. since 1768, although the company has changed ownership seven times. The 2010 version of the 15th edition, ...

''. 2007. 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 A nation is a type of social organization where a collective Identity (social science), identity, a national identity, has emerged from a combination of shared features across a given population, such as language, history, ethnicity, culture, t ...

of the son of the bondwoman" Ishmael, since he was a descendant of Abraham (), God having previously told Abraham "I will establish My covenant with saac, while also making promises concerning the Ishmaelite nation (). 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 ) Abraham gave Ishmael and his mother a supply of bread and water and sent them away. Hagar entered in the wilderness of

Beer-sheba Beersheba ( / ; ), officially Be'er-Sheva, is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the centre of the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in Israel, the eighth-most po ...

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." ()

Descendants

After roaming the wilderness for some time, Ishmael and his mother settled in the

Desert of Paran The Desert of Paran or Wilderness of Paran (also sometimes spelled Pharan or Faran; , ''Midbar Pa'ran''), is a location mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. It is one of the places where the Israelites spent part of their 40 years of wandering after th ...

, where he became an expert in

archery Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a Bow and arrow, bow to shooting, shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting ...

. Eventually, his mother found him a wife from the land of

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

. They had twelve sons each of whom became a tribal chief in one of the regions from

Havilah Havilah () refers to both a land and people in several books of the Bible; one is mentioned in Genesis 2:10–11, while the other is mentioned in the Generations of Noah (Genesis 10:7). In Genesis 2:10–11, Havilah is associated with the Garden ...

to Shur (from Assyria to the border of Egypt)."Ishmael"
''Jewish Encyclopedia'' (1906). His sons: #Nebaioth ( ''Nəḇāyōṯ'') #Qedar (person), Kedar ( ''Qēḏār''), 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), Quraysh tribe, and thus, ancestor of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. #Adbeel ( ''ʾAḏbəʾēl'') #Mibsam ( ''Mīḇsām'') #Mishma ( ''Mīšmāʿ'') #Dumah (son of Ishmael), Dumah ( ''Ḏūmā'') #Massa (son of Ishmael), Massa ( ''Massāʾ'') #Hadad (Bible), Hadad ( ''Ḥăḏaḏ'') #Tema (son of Ishmael), Tema ( ''Ṯēmāʾ'') #Jetur ( ''Yəṭūr'') #Naphish ( ''Nāfīš'') #Kedemah ( ''Qēḏəmā'') Ishmael also had one known daughter, Mahalath or Basemath, the third wife of Esau. Abraham's corpse was not buried until Ishmael was sent news and after his arrival at the burial. Ishmael died at the age of 137.

Family tree

In various traditions

Historians and academics in the field of source criticism believe that the stories of Ishmael belong to the three strata of J, or Jahwist, Yahwist source, the P, or Priestly source, and the E, or Elohist source (See Documentary hypothesis). For example, the narration in is of J type and the narration in is of E type. 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. Jewish and Islamic traditions consider Ishmael to be the ancestor of

Judaism

In later Judaism, 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, although there is no indication of this behavior from the biblical narrative. According to the Book of Genesis, in the Hebrew Bible,

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. In some traditions Ishmael is said to have had two wives, one of them named Aisha. This name corresponds to the Muslim tradition for the name of Muhammad's wife. This is understood as a metaphoric representation of the Muslim world (first Arabs and then Turks) with Ishmael. 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". This interpretation is discussed in the Midrash and is supported by Rashi, Judah Loew ben Bezalel, 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". 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'." 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'".Jeffrey, David L., ''A Dictionary of Biblical Tradition in English Literature'', Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1992, p. 326 In Rabbinic literature, the name of Ishmael is an allusion to God's promise to hea

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 expressio

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).

Samaritanism

In Samaritan Pentateuch, 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.

Christianity

In the Epistle to the Galatians (4:21–31), Paul of Tarsus, Paul uses the incident to symbolize the two covenants the old but fulfilled and new covenant which is universal by promise through Jesus Christ. In Galatians 4:28–31, Hagar is associated with the Mosaic Covenant, Sinai covenant, while Sarah is associated with the Covenant theology, covenant of grace into which her son Isaac enters.Encyclopedia of Christianity(Ed. John Bowden), Isaac

Pre-Islamic Arabia

Some Pre-Islamic Arabia, Pre-Islamic poetry mentions Ishmael, his father

, and a sacrifice story, such as the Pre-Islamic poet "Umayyah Ibn Abi As-Salt", who said in one of his poems: ([The sacrifice] of his first-born of whose separation he [Abraham] could not bear neither could he see him surrounded in foes). 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.

Islam

Ishmael (Arabic: إسماعيل ''Ismāʿīl'') is recognized as an important Prophets of Islam, prophet of

. Like Christians and Jews, Muslims believe that Ishmael was the firstborn of Abraham, born to him from his wife's maidservant Hagar in Islam, Hagar. Ishmael is recognized by Muslims as the ancestor of several northern prominent Arab Tribes of Arabia, tribes and the forefather of Adnan, the ancestor of Muhammad.''A–Z of Prophets in Islam and Judaism'', Wheeler, ''Ishmael'' Muslims also believe that Muhammad was the descendant of Ishmael who would establish a great nation.

In the Quran

Ishmael is mentioned over ten times in the Quran, 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." It is also said of Islamic view of Lot, Lut, Elisha, Jonah and Ishmael, that God gave each one " favouring each over other people ˹of their time˺". 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 Medinan sura, Medina period, Ishmael is mentioned closely with his father

: Ishmael stands alongside Abraham in their attempt to raised the foundation of the Kaaba in Mecca as a place of monotheistic pilgrimage and Abraham thanks God for granting him Ishmael and Isaac in his old age. Ishmael is further mentioned alongside other prophets who had been given revelations and Jacob's sons promised to follow the faith of their forefathers, "Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac", when testifying their faith. In the Quranic narrative of the near-sacrifice of Abraham's son, the son is not named and, although the general interpretation is that it was Ishmael, Al-Tabari, Tabari 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.

Ishmael in Muslim literature

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 Al Hijr (Kaaba), Hijr near the Kaaba, inside the Sacred Mosque. In Islamic theology, 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. 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. 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 Al-Safa and Al-Marwah, 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) 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 Al-Safa and Al-Marwah, Safa and Marwah hills retracing Hagar's steps during the rites of Hajj. Abraham returned and visited Ishmael at various times throughout his life. 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. Islamic traditions hold that the Kaaba was first built by Adam (Bible), Adam and that Abraham and Ishmael rebuilt the Kaaba on the old foundations. As Ishmael grew up in Arabia, he is said to have become fluent in Arabic. In the genealogical trees that the early scholars drew, Ishmael was considered the ancestor of the Northern Arabs and Muhammad was linked to him through the lineage of Adnan.

Bahá'í Faith

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

References

Sources

;Books and journals * * * * ;Encyclopedias * * * * * * *

External links

Genealogy from Adam to the Twelve Tribes

Ishmael
– ''The Jewish Encyclopedia''
Biographical Study on Ishmael
(archived 4 January 2007) *
Ishmael in Baha'i Faith
{{Authority control Children of Abraham Ancestors of the Ishmaelites, * Angelic apparitions in the Bible Lech-Lecha Legendary progenitors Adnanites Hagar Mythological archers Family of Abraham