Ishmael

File:Ishmael-desert.jpg

Ishmael faces death in the wilderness.

Ishmael (Hebrew: יִשְׁמָעֵאל, Yišmaʿel, Arabic: إسماعيل, Ismā'īl; "God will hear") was Abraham's eldest son, born by his wife's handmaiden Hagar. According to the Genesis account, he died at the age of 137 (Gn. 25:17).

Judaism has generally viewed Ishmael as wicked though repentant. Islamic tradition however has a very positive view of Ishmael ascribing a larger role to Ishmael in comparison to the Bible and viewing him as a prophet, and the son of sacrifice(according to certain early theologians whose ideas prevailed later). The Bahá'í writings consider him a lesser prophet.

Both Jewish and Islamic traditions consider Ishamel as the ancestor of Arab people.

Etymology and meaning

The word Yishm'e'l existed in various ancient Semitic cultures. It literally meaning "God has hearkened", suggesting that "a child so named was regarded as the fulfillment of a divine promise."

Ishmael in the Bible

File:Sarah-Hagar.jpg

Sarah presents Hagar to Abraham.

Birth and childhood

In the Hebrew Bible Ishmael's life is described in the Book of Genesis beginning in chapter 16. Abraham's wife Sarah, being barren, gives Abraham her slave, Hagar, as a second wife and surrogate mother. However, when Hagar became pregnant, she despised Sarah, who retalitated by abusing her. Hagar fled from Sarah into the wilderness, where an angel appeared to her and commanded her to return and submit to Sarah. The angel also prohecied concerning the birth of Ishmael:

• "I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count."

The angel also said to her:

• You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery.
• 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. (Genesis 16)

So Hagar returned to Abraham's house, and in due course Ishmael was born.

Little is said of Ishmael's childhood, but when he was 13 years old, Abraham received God's news that Sarah—at the age of 90—would bear him a son of her own. Finding the idea preposterous, Abraham wished only that Ishmael be blessed:

Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?" And Abraham said to God, "If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!" (Gen. 17:17-18)

But God responded:

"Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year." (Genesis 17:19-21)

Abraham initiated the tradition of circumcision immediately afterward, with himself and Ishmael being the first to undergo the rite.

Ishmael in exile

Expulsion of Ishmael and Hagar, by Gustave Doré.

Sarah indeed became pregnant with Abraham's son, Isaac. Then at a festival in honor of Isaac's weaning, Ishmael behaved in a way that Sarah found threatening to Isaac. She demanded that Abraham expel both Ishmael and his mother. (Genesis 21:8-10) Abraham resisted Sarah's demand but God commanded him to listen to Sarah, promising that Ishmael would be protected:

The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. But God said to him, "Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring [b] will be reckoned. I will make the son of the maidservant into a nation also, because he is your offspring." (Genesis 21:11-13)

Ishmael, now a teenager, was thus forced to leave his home and go with Hagar into the wilderness near Beersheba. Soon, their supplies ran out, and Ishmael grew weak to the point of death. Unable to bear watching her son die of thirst, Hagar left him under a bush and walked "a bow shot away." The boy's pathetic cry's, however, were heard by God. Then a voice from heaven said to his mother: "What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation." Suddenly, a spring of fresh water appeared before Hagar's eyes, and thus both she and her son were saved. (Genesis 21:15-19)

Ishmael and Hagar settled in the area known as Paran. Ishmael became an expert in archery. Later, his mother found an Egyptian woman to be his wife.

Later life

The descendants of Ishmael are listed in Genesis 25. As predicted, he became the father of 12 sons, named Nebaioth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. Each of Ishmael's sons was a tribal chief and settled everywhere from Havilah to Shur, i.e. from the Persian Gulf to the border of Egypt. Later tradition held that the 12 sons of Ishmael are derived the twelve tribes of the Arabians. Jerome says that in his time they called the districts of Arabia by the names of the tribes. Ishmael also had a daughter whose name is given as both Mahalath or Bashemath. (Gen. 28:9, 36:3)

The banishment of Ishmael was apparently not absolute or permanent. He is reported to have returned to Canaan to attend the burial of Abraham at the Cave of Machpelah some 70 years or more after his exile.(Gen. 25:9) Later, Ishmael allowed Mahalath (Bashemath) to marry his nephew Esau, who, seeking to please his own father Isaac, had sought a bride from a member of the clan. (Gen 28:9)

Legacy

In biblical tradition, the Ishmaelites were a clan of traveling merchants. In the story of Jacob's son Joseph, a group of traveling Ishmaelites buy Joseph from his brothers as a slave and then sell him in Egypt. They are described as quite wealthy: "Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt."

The Ishmaelites make only two additional biblical appearance. In Judges 8:24 speaks of Ishmaelites living in Midian who were defeated by Gideon and whose golden earrings were melted down to make Gideon's golden ephod. Psalm 83:4-7 identifies the Ishmaelites as one of Israel's mortal enemies:

"Come," they say, "let us destroy them as a nation,

that the name of Israel be remembered no more."

With one mind they plot together;

they form an alliance against you—

the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,

of Moab and the Hagrites,

Gebal, Ammon and Amalek,

Philistia, with the people of Tyre.

Other traditions hold that the Ishmaelites were the ancestors of the Arabs.

Jewish and Christian tradition

Judaism has generally viewed Ishmael as wicked though repentant in later life. His behavior against the toddler Isaac is specified as more than mere mocking, but directly threatening Isaac's life. In one tradition, Ishmael lured Isaac to the fields where he cast arrows at him, in order to get rid of him. (Gen. R. 53) It was for this reason Sarah insisted on Ishmael and his mother being sent away. Another rabbinical legend tells the story of how Ishmael claimed to be better than Isaac on account of having willingly allowed himself to be circumcised.(Sanh. 89b; Gen. R. 56:8) Ishmael is also mentioned in the Book of Jasher, which states (chapter 25) that the sons of Ishmael were "twelve princes according to their nations."

In the New Testament, Saint Paul Ishmael as an analogy to servitude to the Law of Moses, while Isaac represents freedom under the grace of Christ (Gal 4:21-23):

Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise.

Ishmael in Islam

In Islam, Ishmael is known as the first-born son of Abraham (Ibrahim in Arabic, and is also an appointed prophet of God. Islamic tradition holds that Ishmael, not Isaac, was the son whom Abraham offered to God on Mount Moriah.

The actual name of Abraham's son who was supposed to be sacrificed is not mentioned in the Qur'an, ane was a matter of controversy in early Islam. However the belief that it was Ishmael is now well established. In Islamic belief, Abraham had prayed to God for a son. God delivered this child to Abraham, and later tested Abraham's faith by asking him to sacrifice his only son at the time. However, just as Abraham was to kill his only son, God halted him, praised him for his loyalty, and commanded him to sacrifice a ram instead. This leads to the Muslim practice of sacrificing domesticated animals such as sheep, goats or cows, on the celebration to mark this event known as Eid ul-Adha.

According to The Oxford Companion To The Bible, "Because Ishmael was circumcised (Gen. 17:25), so are most Muslims. And, analogous to Paul's reversal of the figures of Isaac and Ishmael (Gal. 4:24-26), Muslim tradition makes Ishmael rather than Isaac the son Abraham was commanded to sacrifice."

Ishmael in the Qur'an

Ishmael is a highly regarded person in the Qur'an. The Qur'an mentions Ishmael with other prophets such as Elisha, Jonah and Lot, who are considered righteous, good or chosen (6:86 and 38:48) Ishmael enjoined upon his people worship and almsgiving, and was acceptable in the sight of his Lord (19:55).

Meccans, and many Arabs at the time of Muhammad, believed that Isma'il settled in Mecca, was their ancestor. Abraham and Ishmael are said to have built the foundations of the Ka'aba. (2:127)

The story of Isma'il and Hagar (Hajar in Arabic) plays an important role in Islamic tradition. Each year during the Hajj (the ritual pilgrimage) in Mecca, pilgrims reenact Hajar’s desperate search for water for her infant son, running seven times between two hills and drawing water from the well of Zam Zam, said to have sprung miraculously from the dry earth at the baby Ishmael’s feet.

Another reference where the name of Ishmael appears is where the Qur'an states that he was inspired in the same manner as prophets like Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Job and Jonah and Aaron and Solomon. Jesus God also inspired David to write the Psalms (4:163).

Ishmael in Islamic tradition

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Islamic tradition holds that Ishmael and Hagar were sent to the deserts of Arabia on the orders of God. The Bible claims that Sarah, after the birth of Isaac, sent Hagar and Ishmael away. He and his mother settled in Mecca and were without water. The desperate running of his mother in pursuit of water for her infant son led to a miraculous spring appearing from the ground (from God) known as the Zamzam Well. Ishmael then helped his father, Abraham, build the House of God, or the Kaaba, in Mecca.

When his son had grown enough to walk alongside him, Abraham dreamt that God ordered him to sacrifice his only son with his own hand.

Abraham knew that the dream was, in fact, a revelation from God and not a satanic whisper; so, he prepared himself, with a heart overflowing with faith, to carry out the command of God. He went to see his son and told him, "I saw in a dream that I sacrificed you for the sake of God. Think about it and tell me your opinion on the matter."

His son replied without hesitation or anxiety, "O father, fulfill what God has commanded. By His will, you will find me among the patient."

Abraham's sacrifice is thought to have taken place in the desert of Mina, and for this reason, pilgrims offer their sacrifices there today. Abraham took a knife in his hand and, the son said, "Dear father, tie my hands and feet tightly with a piece of rope so that I don't move them as I am dying, because I am afraid that I would lessen my reward. Keep your clothes away from me so that my blood doesn't splatter on you; if my mother sees that, she may not be able to tolerate it. Sharpen the knife well and sever my head at once so that I can tolerate it better, because dying is difficult."

Abraham said, "Dear son, you are a good assistant in fulfilling the command of God." He put the knife to his son's throat and, with all his strength, tried to cut; but by God's will, the knife didn't cut and didn't harm his son. Abraham received a revelation from God: "O Abraham, truly you have done your duty, fulfilled the meaning of your dream and shown your submissiveness and devotion."

A sacrifice was then sent to God as the son's ransom. God sent the angel Gabriel with a sheep. Abraham sacrificed that sheep instead of his son. Abraham and his son returned from the altar; his son went to his mother and Abraham returned to his wife, Sarah. From that day, sacrifice in the land of Mena became a tradition. Later, when Islam was revealed, God prescribed, as a rite, that pilgrims offer a sacrifice of animals in that desert each year in commemoration of the nearly sacrifice.

Ishmael, who had become friendly with the Jorham tribe, married a chaste woman who was worthy in all aspects, and God gave them children from that pure woman.

Ishmael's mother, Hagar, died in that same land after a few years. He was deeply affected by the death of his devoted mother and became very distressed and sad. Abraham continued to go there to visit him; and this consoled Ishmael somewhat.

Descent from Ishmael

Muhammad is considered to be one of the many descendants of Ishmael. The oldest extant biography of Muhammad, compiled by Mohammed Ibn Ishak, and edited by Abu Mohammed Abd el Malik Ibn Hisham, opens:

This book contains the life of the Apostle of God: Muhammad was the son of Abd Allah, son of Abd-ul-Muttalib, son of Hashim, son of Abdu Manaf, son of Qusay, son of Kilab, son of Hakeem, son of Kaab, son of Luayy, son of Ghalib, son of Fihr, son of Malik, son of Qays, son of Kinanah, son of Khuzaymah, son of Mudrikah, son of Ilyas, son of Mudhar, son of Nizar, son of Maad, son of Adnan, son of Udd, son of Muqawwam, son of Nakhour, son of Tahir, son of Yarub, son of Yashyub, son of Nabit, son of Ismail (ishmael), son of Ibrahim, the Friend of God, son of Tarikh, son of Nakhour, son of Sarukh, son of Rau, son of Falih, son of Hud, son of Salih, son of Arphakhshad, son of Sham, son of Nuh, son of Lamekh, son of Matushalakh, son of Akhanukh, - who, as is believed, was the prophet Idris, the first prophet, and the first who wrote with the reed, - son of Aded, son of Mahlaleel, son of Kaynan, son of Anoush, son of Shays, son of Adam, to whom may God be gracious!

The Qur'an, however, does not have any geneologies. It was well-known among the Arabs that Quraysh were the descendants of Ishmael. Believing in one supreme God, circumcision, and other traditions such as pilgrimage common among Arabs as far as Yemen all point to the same conclusion. The story of the sacrifice is also more valuable when the Quranic version, in opposion to the biblical, affirms that Abraham was willing to offer his only son at a very old age and that this son was old enough at that time to speak and understand. The birth of Is-Haq was looked at as an extra blessing subsequent and a reward to the obedience of Abraham.

Notes

The Tribe of G.T.S claims The Tribe of Ishmael their Descendants

See also

• Isaac
• Abraham
• List of names referring to El

External links

• Genealogy from Adam to the Twelve Tribes
• Hadhrat Ismail (Alayhis salaam)
• The Story of Isma'el (Ishmael). The same page is also available at Prophet Isma'il (Ishmael)
• Islamic QA: Ishmael, with additional information on Islam.
• Ishmael in Islam
• The Jewish Encyclopedia: Ishmael, with additional legendary Jewish and Islamic material.
• 'The 12 Tribes of Ishmael'
• Biographical Study on Ishmael

Template:Sons of Ishmael Template:Sons of Ishmael2

Prophets of Islam in the Qur'an
Adam	Idris	Nuh	Hud	Saleh	Ibrahim	Lut	Ismail	Is'haq	Yaqub	Yusuf	Ayub
آدم	ادريس	نوح	هود	صالح	إبراهيم	لوط	اسماعيل	اسحاق	يعقوب	يوسف	أيوب
Adam	Enoch	Noah	Eber	Shelah	Abraham	Lot	Ishmael	Isaac	Jacob	Joseph	Job
Shoaib	Musa	Harun	Dhul-Kifl	Daud	Sulayman	Ilyas	Al-Yasa	Yunus	Zakariya	Yahya	Isa	Muhammad
شعيب	موسى	هارون	ذو الكفل	داود	سليمان	إلياس	اليسع	يونس	زكريا	يحيى	عيسى	محمد
Jethro	Moses	Aaron	Ezekiel	David	Solomon	Elijah	Elisha	Jonah	Zechariah	John	Jesus	Paraclete

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