May God forgive me and guide me regarding any sign that would have been misinterpreted in this study and elsewhere. May He always guide us to a better understanding of His profound scripture so we can purify ourselves and increase our knowledge. 

Abraham is the founder of the Islamic religion as we know it today. He is the one to whom the rites of Islam were revealed (16:123, 21:73, 22:27) and he is the one who called us “Muslims” (22:78). The ritual of sacrifice during the hajj (2:196) finds its origin in Abraham’s attempt to sacrifice his only son (37:103) after experiencing a prophetic dream. It symbolizes Abraham and his son’s submission to God, as well as His infinite mercy (37:104-105). In the same way, the purpose of every enlightened human being is to submit to God by believing in Him and doing righteous deeds hoping to deserve His mercy on the day of Judgment. The objective of this study will be, God willing, to explain Abraham’s sacrifice both from a Quranic and Biblical perspective.

Ismael or Isaac? We will investigate the disagreement between the people of the book (Jews and Christians) and Muslims regarding the identity of the “only son” (Genesis 22:2) whom Abraham intended to sacrifice before God sent an angel to stop him. Christians and Jews claim that it was Isaac, while an overwhelming majority of Muslims believe it was Ismael. This subject is so divisive that several renowned Sunni scholars (Ibn Qutaybah and Al Tabari) have said in the past that it was Isaac.

The first part of this study will be devoted to compare the sacrifice of Isaac in the book of Genesis with the Quran to establish the context of the Holy Scriptures.

Jews and Christians assert that Ismael was an illegitimate child to try to justify that Isaac was Abraham’s “only son” at the time of the sacrifice: We will prove based on the book of Genesis that it is completely unfounded. Genesis 16:12 foretells that Ismael was destined to be “a wild donkey” who would be violent towards his neighbor (Genesis 16:12). We will demonstrate both from a Biblical and Quranic perspective that it is an alteration of the Torah out of jealousy for Ismael. We will then analyze the Quran and will prove that Abraham attempted to sacrifice Ismael, his firstborn and only child at that time, and not Isaac. The idea that God would order a human sacrifice is shocking and utterly incompatible with the message of peace and goodness of Holy Scriptures. Contrary to the traditional interpretation, some reformist Muslims such as Rashad Khalifa have argued that God never ordered Abraham to sacrifice his son and that his vision was a satanic dream. We will explain why such an interpretation is partially incorrect, as well as the true meaning of Abraham’s sacrifice and its relationship with the hajj.

Table of Contents:

1. Abraham’s sacrifice: Parallel between Genesis and the Quran

2. Was Ismael an illegitimate child?

3. Who is the “only” son that Abraham intended to sacrifice?

4. Was Ismael destined to behave like “a wild donkey”?

5. Abraham’s sacrifice in the Quran

5.1 Commentary of verses 37:101-37:105

5.2 Mathematical confirmation that the seven words “rooyâ” refer to a “prophetic dream”, i.e. inspired by God

5.3 God could not possibly advocate a human sacrifice: Deeper meaning of Abraham’s sacrifice

5.4 Chronology of the sacrifice

Conclusion

Addendum: Why does the Quran (11:71) announce to Abraham both the births of Isaac and Jacob?

1. Abraham’s Sacrifice: Parallel between Genesis and the Quran

We are first going to familiarize ourselves with Abraham’s sacrifice in the Bible and the Quran, which will allow us to witness that they are identical at many levels, but that there are also profound differences. Above all, it will help us to gather key elements to resolve the issue regarding the identity of the child whom Abraham contemplated to sacrifice. We will consistently use the World English Bible translation in this study.

Genesis 16:

1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 2 Sarai said to Abram,” See now, Yahweh has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my handmaid. It may be that I will obtain children by her.” Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3 Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife. 4 He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. 5 Sarai said to Abram, “This wrong is your fault. I gave my handmaid into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. Yahweh judge between me and you.” 6 But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your hand. Do to her whatever is good in your eyes.” Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face. 7 The angel of Yahweh found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. 8 He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s handmaid, where did you come from? Where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai.” 9 The angel of Yahweh said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands.” 10 The angel of Yahweh said to her, “I will greatly multiply your seed, that they will not be numbered for multitude.” 11 The angel of Yahweh said to her, “Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because Yahweh has heard your affliction. 12 He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. He will live opposite all of his brothers.”13 She called the name of Yahweh who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees,” for she said, “Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?” 14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi. Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

Note: Kadesh is identified by Jewish historians (Velikovsky, Ibn Ezra) and Muslim scholars as corresponding to Mecca, which situates this event in the Hedjaz region. We will get back to this later.

15 Hagar bore a son for Abram. Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.

16 Abram was eighty-six years old, when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

Genesis 17

1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, Yahweh appeared to Abram, and said to him, “I am God Almighty. Walk before me, and be blameless. 2 I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” 3 Abram fell on his face. God talked with him, saying, 4 “As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 Neither will your name any more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for the father of a multitude of nations have I made you. 6 I will make you exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you. 7 I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your seed after you. 8 I will give to you, and to your seed after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God.” 9 God said to Abraham, “As for you, you will keep my covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your seed after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin. It will be a token of a covenant between me and you. 12 He who is eight days old will be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with money of any foreigner who is not of your seed. 13 He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your money, must be circumcised. My covenant will be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.” 15 God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but her name will be Sarah. 16 I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she will be a mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from her.” 17 Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? Will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?” 18 Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19 God said, “No, but Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. You shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21 But my covenant I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time in the next year.” 22 When he finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. 23 Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money; every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the same day, as God had said to him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 Ishmael, his son, was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26 In the same day both Abraham and Ishmael, his son, were circumcised. 27 All the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money of a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

Genesis 18

1 Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood opposite him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth, 3 and said, “My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don’t go away from your servant. 4 Now let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 I will get a morsel of bread so you can refresh your heart. After that you may go your way, now that you have come to your servant.” They said, “Very well, do as you have said.” 6 Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly make ready three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.” 7 Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to dress it.

Quran 11:69: Indeed, when our messengers came to Abraham with good news, They said “Peace”. He replied “Peace!”. And it was not long before he brought a roasted calf.

Common point: Abraham prepared a calf for his visitors.

8 He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and they ate. 9 They said to him, “Where is Sarah, your wife? He said, “See, in the tent.”

Quran 11:70: But when he saw that their hands did not reach for it (i.e. the roasted calf prepared for them), he became suspicious and feared them. They said, “Have no fear! In truth, we have been sent to the people of Lot.” (also see 56:26-28).

In the Quran, angels who took a human form (like in the Bible) did not and could not eat because it is physically impossible for them. The Biblical account is as a whole very close to the Quran but occasionally differs regarding specific details. 

10 He said, “I will certainly return to you when the season comes round. Behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. It had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

Quran 14:39: Praise be to God, the One who granted me in [my] old age Ismael and Isaac. Indeed, my Lord truly fulfills prayers.

This detail is common to the Bible and the Quran.

12 Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” 13 Yahweh said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Will I really bear a child, yet I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes round, and Sarah will have a son.” 15 Then Sarah denied, saying, “I didn’t laugh,” for she was afraid.” He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

Quran 11:71: And his wife was standing, then laughed when We announced her the good news of Isaac, and after Isaac, regarding Jacob. (11:72) She said, “Woe to me! Will I give birth while I am elderly, and, behold, my husband is an elderly man? Indeed, this is really something incredible!”.

The fact that Sarah laughed is common to the Bible and the Quran and presented as a negative reaction in both cases.

Unlike the Bible where God reveals the birth of Isaac to Abraham before the visit of the angels (Genesis 17:19) who, in turn, announce his birth the following year without mentioning his name (Genesis 18:10), the Quran differs because the angels deliver the good news regarding Isaac, and later Jacob to Sarah (11:71), while Abraham is informed shortly afterwards (11:74 below). It is very clear that neither of them had any prior knowledge about their birth.

Quran 11:73: They said, “Are you (O Sarah) surprised at God’s decree?! May God’s mercy and His blessings be upon you, O people of the sanctuary (أَهْلَ ٱلْبَيْتِ = ahla ‘lbayti = literally: “people of the house”, that is to say, who dwell near the Ka’bah). Verily, He is Most Praiseworthy and Glorious!”. (11:74) When Abraham’s fear had subsided and he learned about the announcement (that is to say regarding the births of Isaac and later Jacob), he argued with Us regarding the people of Lot.

16 The men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way.

Note: There may be a difference concerning the location where the angels’ visitation took place: In the Bible it seems that Abraham was close to Sodom (both cities were located on the shore of the Dead Sea) because it is written “The men rose up from there, and looked towards Sodom”, while in the Quran the angels are quoted saying “May God’s mercy and His blessings be upon you, O people of the sanctuary” (literally “people of the house”) which in the Quran unmistakably refers to “the sacred house”, that is to say the Holy Ka’bah. It is also possible that Abraham and his family, who were nomads with large herds, were on a journey and that the title of “O people of the sanctuary” relates to their main place of residence. Mecca represents approximately a 30 day caravan journey from Sodom.

17 Yahweh said, “Will I hide from Abraham what I do, 18 seeing that Abraham has surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him? 19 For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him.” 20 Yahweh said, “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, 21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come to me. If not, I will know.” 22 The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before Yahweh. 23 Abraham drew near, and said, “Will you consume the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are therein? 25 Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked. May that be far from you. Shouldn’t the Judge of all the earth do right?” 26 Yahweh said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake.” 27 Abraham answered, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes. 28 What if there will lack five of the fifty righteous? Will you destroy all the city for lack of five?” He said, “I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there.” 29 He spoke to him yet again, and said, “What if there are forty found there?” He said, “I will not do it for the forty’s sake.” 30 He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?” He said, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” 31 He said, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord. What if there are twenty found there?” He said, “I will not destroy it for the twenty’s sake.” 32 He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once. What if ten are found there?” He said, “I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake.” 33 Yahweh went his way, as soon as he had finished communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

Quran 11:74: When Abraham’s fear had subsided and he learned about the announcement, he quarreled with Us regarding the people of Lot. (11:75) Indeed, Abraham was assuredly magnanimous, tender hearted and inclined to repentance. (11:76) O Abraham! Refrain from this! Assuredly, your Lord’s command has been issued and an irrevocable retribution will befall upon them.

Note: Abraham argues in both cases as he seeks to defend the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, but he argues with the angels before they leave in the Quran, the latter informing him that God’s decision is irrevocable, whereas he argues directly with God in Genesis which would be a immense sin from a Quranic standpoint as you cannot argue with God without facing catastrophic consequences (15:32-33). It is evident that there is an erosion of some facts in Genesis, aside from the deliberate alteration of the text in some instances, which we will discuss later.

Genesis 19 relates the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, which we will avoid for the sake of brevity.

Genesis 20:

1 Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the South, and lived between Kadesh and Shur. He sojourned in Gerar.

As mentioned earlier, Kadesh refers to Kadesh Barnéa, namely Mecca. This is for instance the opinion of controversial Jewish historian Immanuel Velikovsky who famously declared “I identify it (Kadesh Barnea) with Mecca”.

2 Abraham said about Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man, because of the woman whom you have taken. For she is a man’s wife.” 4 Now Abimelech had not come near her. He said, “Lord, will you kill even a righteous nation? 5 Didn’t he tell me, ‘She is my sister?’ She, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands have I done this.” 6 God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also withheld you from sinning against me. Therefore, I didn’t allow you to touch her. 7 Now therefore, restore the man’s wife. For he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. If you don’t restore her, know for sure that you will die, you, and all who are yours. 8 Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ear. The men were very scared. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done!” 10 Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you have done this thing?” 11 Abraham said, “Because I thought, ‘Surely the fear of God is not in this place. They will kill me for my wife’s sake.’ 12 Moreover she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. 13 It happened, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is your kindness which you shall show to me. Everywhere that we go, say of me, “He is my brother.” 14 Abimelech took sheep and oxen, men-servants and women-servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored Sarah, his wife to him. 15 Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you. Dwell where it pleases you.” 16 To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. Behold, it is for you a covering of the eyes to all that are with you. In front of all you are vindicated.” 17 Abraham prayed to God. God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maid-servants, and they bore children. 18 For Yahweh had closed up tight all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

Genesis 21:

1 Yahweh visited Sarah as he had said, and Yahweh did to Sarah as he had spoken. 2 Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham called his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. 4 Abraham circumcised his son, Isaac, when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 Abraham was one hundred years old when his son, Isaac, was born to him. 6 Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. Everyone who hears will laugh with me.” 7 She said, “Who would have said to Abraham, that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.” 8 The child grew, and was weaned. Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.

Note: In the Quran, the age of weaning is two lunar years (2:233, 46:15). Isaac would therefore have been about two years old at that time.

9 Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking. 10 Therefore she said to Abraham, “Cast out this handmaid and her son! For the son of this handmaid will not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.” 11 The thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight on account of his son. 12 God said to Abraham, “Don’t let it be grievous in your sight because of the boy, and because of your handmaid. In all that Sarah says to you, listen to her voice. For from Isaac will your seed be called. 13 Also of the son of the handmaid will I make a nation, because he is your seed.” 14 Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and gave her the child, and sent her away. She departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. 15 The water in the bottle was spent, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. 16 She went and sat down opposite him, a good way off, about a bow shot away. For she said, “Don’t let me see the death of the child.” She sat over against him, and lifted up her voice, and wept. 17 God heard the voice of the boy. The angel of God called to Hagar out of the sky, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Don’t be afraid. For God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. 18 Get up, lift up the boy, and hold him in your hand. For I will make him a great nation.” 19 God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went, filled the bottle with water, and gave the boy drink. 20 God was with the boy, and he grew. He lived in the wilderness, and became, as he grew up, an archer. 21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran. His mother took a wife for him out of the land of Egypt.

Note: The above recounts how Hagar was saved when an angel prophesied to her that Ismael would beget a great nation. The well of Beer Schéba is in my opinion the well of Zam-Zam in Mecca. It is this particular event which initiated the ritual of Sa’ee between the knolls of Al Safa and Al Marwah during the hajj or ‘Umrah (2:158). The well of Zam-Zam is located approximately 20 meters away from the Ka’bah (it is today located underground), which is at walking distance from the knolls. The Desert of Paran where Ismael lived is a large area of ​​the Arabian Peninsula which borders the Red Sea and includes Mecca. The Desert of Paran is the Hedjaz Desert according to Muslim historians and as mentioned earlier even according to Jewish scholars such as Immanuel Velikovsky and Abraham Ibn Ezra.

Most importantly, the desert of Paran is mentioned in Genesis 21:21, which concurs with 11:71 and the angels’ visit who called Sarah and her family “people of the sanctuary” (literally “people of the house” ), that is to say people who live near the Ka’bah, the sacred house.

22 It happened at that time, that Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his host spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do. 23 Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son. But according to the kindness that I have done to you, you shall do to me, and to the land in which you have sojourned.” 24 Abraham said, “I will swear.” 25 Abraham complained to Abimelech because of a water well, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away. 26 Abimelech said, I don’t know who has done this thing. Neither did you tell me, neither did I hear of it, until today.” 27 Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them to Abimelech. Those two made a covenant. 28 Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. 29 Abimelech said to Abraham, “What do these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves mean?” 30 He said, “You shall take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that it may be a witness to me, that I have dug this well.” 31 Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because they both swore there. 32 So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Abimelech rose up with Phicol, the captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and called there on the name of Yahweh, the Everlasting God. 34 Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines many days.

Genesis 22:

1 It happened after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” He said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Now take your son, your only son, whom you love, even Isaac, and go into the land of Moriah. Offer him there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of.”

Note: The most obvious contradiction which proves that the Torah was altered is that Ismael was born 14 years before Isaac. It is physically impossible that Isaac could be Abraham’s “only son”.

3 Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son. He split the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place far off. 5 Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go yonder. We will worship, and come back to you.

Note: Some rabbis interpret that Abraham said we “will return to you” as indicating that Abraham never intended to sacrifice his only son, which contradicts Genesis 21:1 and the Quran in 37:106 where it is stated that it was on the contrary a “manifest trial”.

6 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. He took in his hand the fire and the knife. They both went together. 7 Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said, “My father?” He said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they both went together.

The Quran reveals that Ismael had agreed to be sacrificed (37:102 cited further down). It thus would not make any sense for him to ask “where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” as he knew exactly what to expect. Once again, we see that there is undoubtedly an erosion of the facts in addition to some deliberate alteration of the text. In the Quran, Abraham’s sacrifice demonstrates both Abraham and Ismael’s total submission to God, unlike the biblical description where it is Abraham who is put to the test while Isaac is completely unaware of his father’s intention.

9 They came to the place which God had told him of. Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, on the wood. 10 Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to kill his son. 11 The angel of Yahweh called to him out of the sky, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” He said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Don’t lay your hand on the boy, neither do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and saw that behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 Abraham called the name of that place Yahweh-jireh. As it is said to this day, “In Yahweh’s mountain it will be provided. 15 The angel of Yahweh called to Abraham a second time out of the sky, 16 and said, “I have sworn by myself, says Yahweh, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 that in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the seashore. Your seed will possess the gate of his enemies.

Whose offspring is the most likely to be as numerous “as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the seashore”? Isaac’s (the Jewish people) or Ismael’s (the Arab people), Abraham’s only son at the time of the attempted sacrifice as revealed in the Torah itself?

18 In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba. Abraham lived at Beersheba.

Quran 37:101: We then gave him glad tidings of a magnanimous child. (37:102) Then, when he reached [the age] of working with him, he said: “O my son, verily I saw during [my] sleep that I am sacrificing you, so [please] consider how to envisage [this matter]. He said: “O my father! Do what you are commanded; you will find me, God willing, among the patient ones. (37:103) So, when they had both submitted, and he had placed him down on the forehead, (37:104) We called him, “O Abraham!

The fact that the angel called Abraham confirms the veracity of this detail in the Torah (Genesis 22:11). Every time the Quran uses the plural “We”, it indicates that God and his allies, most notably angelic forces, take part in a particular action.

(37:105) “Assuredly, you have fulfilled the prophetic dream”. Indeed, this is how we reward people who accomplish good deeds. (37:106) Verily, this was by all means a manifest trial. (37:107) And We ransomed him with a sublime sacrifice.

As previously noted, the Quran and the Bible concur that Abraham’s sacrifice is indeed a trial (Genesis 22:1: It happened after these things, that God tested Abraham). We read in Genesis 22:13: “Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and saw that behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering instead of his son”. This version is very plausible and in no way contradicts the Quranic account which simply states: “And We ransomed him with a sublime sacrifice”.

(37:108) And we perpetuated him in posterity. (37:109) Peace be upon Abraham! (37:110) This is how We reward people who accomplish good deeds. (37:111) Verily he was among Our submissive servants. (37:112) And We announced him the glad tidings about Isaac, a prophet among the truthful. (37:113) And we blessed him (Ismael), as well as Isaac, and among their respective (dual plural) descendants the righteous is clearly distinguished from the unjust as regards to [the fate of] his soul.

We read in the above verses that the birth of Isaac is announced by the angels visiting Abraham. It indicates that the angels’ visit took place shortly after the episode of the attempted sacrifice. We will discuss this in more detail later. The Quran thus rectifies the chronology of events and exposes the falsifiers who distorted it to serve a nefarious agenda. The sacrifice was thus originally located between the circumcision of all the males of the house of Abraham (Genesis 17) and the angels’ visit (Genesis 18) and not after the weaning of Isaac.

2. Was Ismael an illegitimate child?

Jews and Christians have claimed for millennia that Isaac was Abraham’s firstborn, alleging that Ismael was an illegitimate child. Let us read the translation of Genesis 16:3-4:

(Genesis 16:3-4) 3 Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife. 4 He went in to Hagar, and she conceived…

Verse 3 affirms that Abraham legally married Hagar. In relation to Abraham, Hagar was not a slave or even a servant after this legal marriage before God, but his wife.

How can you marry a woman, even a slave, and beget an illegitimate child? Furthermore, no child on earth is illegitimate: The Quran proclaims loud and clear that we are never responsible for the sins of others (35:18). It is those who use the expression “illegitimate child” whose words are illegitimate.

Moses and Aaron’s father and mother were slaves. Does it make them illegitimate, inferior or less legitimate than Ismael whose father was not under the yoke of slavery?

3. Who is the “only” son Abraham wanted to sacrifice?

Abraham, Ismael and Isaac are mentioned consecutively four times in the Quran in a same verse (2:136, 2:140, 3:84, 4:163) reflecting their order of birth and that only Ismael could be Abraham’s “only child” before Isaac’s birth. Both the book of Genesis and the Quran concur that Ismael was born long before Isaac.

Let us now read again the falsified passage which attempts to deny that only Ismael could ever have been Abraham’s “only son”:

Genesis 17:18 Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19 God said, “No, but Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. You shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21 But my covenant I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time in the next year.”

In other words, the falsifiers attribute to God the grotesque lie that Hagar did not really give Abraham a son: Ismael does not count. He is the child of a slave and was therefore illegitimate. And forget about the fact that Genesis 16:3 makes it clear that Abraham married Hagar.

Allah condemns in the Holy Quran the authors of such falsifications which have severely affected future generations in the following terms:

(3:78) And verily, there is a group among them who twist their tongues regarding the book, that you may think that it is part of the book, but it is not part of the book; and they say, “This is from God!”. But it is not from God, and they attribute lies to God knowingly.

The lie is caught in the act: Genesis 17:19: God said, “No, but Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. You shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.

Immediately afterwards, the falsified text contradicts itself once again because it is written that Ismael is also “blessed” by God and that his descendants will be “multiplied exceedingly” and that he will be the father of “a great nation”.

The sacrifice of the only son:

1 After these events, God put Abraham to the test. He called him: Abraham! And he answered, Here I am. 2 – Take Isaac, your only son, whom you love, God said to him, and go to the land of Moriya. There, you will offer it to me as a sacrifice on one of the hills, the one I will show you …

Isaac is mentioned five times in Genesis 22, and the child destined for the sacrifice is mentioned three times as Abraham’s only son (Genesis 22: 2, 22:12, 22:16). Calling Isaac the “only son” is literally absurd and exposes those who tampered with the Torah in Genesis 22. We quoted verse 3:78 as to the fact that some people among the Children of Israel intentionally altered parts of the Holy Scriptures and we could just as easily have quoted 2:75, 2:79, 5:13 or 6:78.

According to Genesis 21:5, “Abraham was one hundred years old when Isaac was born”, while Genesis 16:16 indicates that he “was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave birth to Ismael” (see also Genesis 17:23). Ismael was therefore under 14 years of age at the time of the sacrifice because the Torah states that Abraham’s son was an “only child”.

Isaac’s birth is announced in Genesis 17:25. Ismael was Abraham’s firstborn and his first circumcised son about a year before his brother was born (Genesis 17:26). Ismael died at the old age of 137 (Genesis 25:17). Calling Isaac Abraham’s only son is an imposture under every angle.

4. Was Ismael a wild donkey?

Not only did evil people among the children of Israel replace Ismael’s name with Isaac regarding the sacrifice, they have also defamed Ismael’s reputation for millennia and until this very day:

Genesis 16: 9-12:

9 The angel of Yahweh said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands.” 10 The angel of Yahweh said to her, “I will greatly multiply your seed, that they will not be numbered for multitude.” 11 The angel of Yahweh said to her, “Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because Yahweh has heard your affliction. 12 He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. He will live opposite all of his brothers.”

Let’s read again 3:78:

(3:78) And verily, there is a group among them who twist their tongues regarding the book, that you may think that it is part of the book, but it is not part of the book; and they say, “This is from God!”. But it is not from God, and they attribute lies to God knowingly.

The Quran restores the truth about Ismael:

(19:54) And mentions in the book Ismael. Verily, he was true to his promise; he was a messenger and a prophet. (19:55) And he enjoined to his relatives the ritual prayer and the zakât; he was pleasing to his Lord.

وَإِسْمَٰعِيلَ وَإِدْرِيسَ وَذَا ٱلْكِفْلِ كُلٌّ مِّنَ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ

(21:85) And Ismael, Idris and Dhoul Kifl, they were all patient. (21:86) We have admitted them in Our Mercy; indeed, they were among the virtuous.

وَٱذْكُرْ إِسْمَٰعِيلَ وَٱلْيَسَعَ وَذَا ٱلْكِفْلِ وَكُلٌّ مِّنَ ٱلْأَخْيَارِ

(38:48) And mention Ismael, Elaysha, and Dhul Kifl. They were all among the best.

فَبَشَّرْنَٰهُ بِغُلَٰمٍ حَلِيمٍ

(37:101) We then gave him glad tidings of a magnanimous child.

On the one hand we have the corrupted passage in Genesis 16:12 which desecrates Ismael’s memory by describing him as “a wild donkey” claiming that “His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him” and on the other hand the Holy Quran which restores the truth by describing him as an authentic “messenger and prophet” (19:54), “pleasing to his Lord” (19:54), “magnanimous” (37:101), “patient, virtuous” (21:85) and one of “the best” (38:48) individuals the human race has witnessed (38:48). Moreover, would God bother to send an angel to Hagar to announce her that Ismael was going to be a like wild donkey?!

We also read in Genesis 17:20:

20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.

How could God have “blessed” Ismael, multiply his seed to the extreme and make him “the ancestor of a great nation” and at the same time make him “a wild donkey” whose “hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him”?

The angel’s visit to the desert evidently heralds immense blessings and certainly not the birth of an ill-fated son who would behave like “a wild donkey” and be hostile towards his neighbor.

This defamatory crime had a considerable repercussion throughout history and is largely responsible for perpetuating to this day the ignorance, racism and hostility of millions of Jews and Christians towards Arabs and Muslims in general. All you need to do is look at how Palestinians are treated in Israel.

5. Abraham’s sacrifice in the Quran

5.1 Commentary of verses 37:101-37:105

Ismael is never mentioned by name in the Quran regarding the sacrifice. It is the context and chain of events which demonstrate that it was him and not Isaac.

We pointed out that Abraham, Ismael and Isaac are mentioned four times consecutively in the same verse (2:136, 2:140, 3:84, 4:163) reflecting their order of birth.

We also read:

(14:39) Praise be to God, the One who granted me in old age Ismael and Isaac. Verily, my Lord hears prayers.

Word order is always deeply meaningful in the Holy Quran. We also explained previously that according to Genesis, Ismael, the son of Abraham and his wife Hagar, was born fourteen years before Isaac.

Let us now study in detail the account of the sacrifice in the Quran:

فَبَشَّرْنَٰهُ بِغُلَٰمٍ حَلِيمٍ

(37:101) We then gave him glad tidings of a magnanimous child.

The word “halîm” (حَلِيم = magnanimous) refers to the child Abraham intended to sacrifice. This term is used 11 times in the Quran as a divine attribute (2:225, 2:235, 2:263, 3:155, 4:12, 5:101, 17:44, 22:59, 33:51, 35:41, 64:17) and four times in connection with Abraham (11:75, 9:114), Ismael (37:101) and Chouaïb (11:87). Concerning Chouaïb, those who rejected him sarcastically call him “al halîm” (“the magnanimous”) in 11:87 with the article “al”, knowing full well that it is a divine attribute that belongs exclusively to God. We will elaborate later why God qualifies only Abraham and Ismael as “halîm” (magnanimous) in the Quran, but never Isaac, Chouaïb nor anyone else.

(37:102) Then, when he reached [the age] of working with him, he said: “O my son, verily I saw during [my] sleep that I am sacrificing you, so [please] consider how to envisage [this matter]. He said: “O my father! Do what you are commanded; you will find me, God willing, among the patient ones.

“The age of working with him” is in all likelihood the age of puberty. We read in Genesis 17:20 that Ismael was 13 years old the year before Isaac was born, which is the average age of fertility for a man. Genesis and the Quran therefore concur on this detail.

فَلَمَّآ أَسْلَمَا وَتَلَّهُۥ لِلْجَبِينِ

(37:103) So, when they had both submitted, and he placed him down on the forehead,

In monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), Abraham’s sacrifice is the symbol of Abraham’s absolute submission to God. The above verse enlightens us that Abraham’s attempt to sacrifice his only son is a symbol of Ismael’s submission as well. Ismael agreed to be sacrificed when his father informed him of his prophetic dream (37:10) and his submission is as extraordinary as his father’s. The Holy Quran preaches absolute submission (Islam) to God and Abraham and Ismael’s exemplary submission explains why Muhammad, the seal of the prophets (33:40), is a descendant of Ismael.

We also see that Abraham places his son down on the forehead with the intent of sacrificing him. This corresponds to the origin of the ritual of sacrifice during the Hajj, where each pilgrim who can afford it has to sacrifice an animal by laying it on the flank and slit its throat (22:36).

وَنَٰدَيْنَٰهُ أَن يَٰٓإِبْرَٰهِيمُ

(37:104) We called him, “O Abraham!”.

قَدْ صَدَّقْتَ ٱلرُّويَآ إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

(37:105) “Assuredly, you have fulfilled the prophetic dream”. Indeed, this is how we reward people who accomplish good deeds.

Abraham fulfilled the “prophetic dream” (الرُّويَآ = al rooyâ). In the Quran, the word “rooyâ” occurs seven times and refers systematically to a “prophetic dream”, that is to say a dream revealed by God. In 12:5 and 12:100 the word refers to Joseph’s prophetic dream, in 12:43 it is about the king’s dream about seven plentiful years followed by seven years of famine. 17:60 and 48:27 relate Muhammad’s prophetic vision which he received during the celestial ascension and heralded the conquest of Mecca. We can therefore rather safely infer that whenever the word “rooyâ” is used in the Quran, it consistently refers to a “prophetic vision”, that is to say one that originates from God. Rashad Khalifa’s interpretation that Abraham’s vision was a satanic dream does not make any sense statistically. Furthermore, if he were right, when Abraham and Ismael both “submitted” to the prophetic dream (37:103), they would have spiritually submitted to satan instead of God, and would have committed an act of idol worship, which is the most grievous sin in Islam. Furthermore, it grossly contradicts 37:105 which states that Abraham on the contrary “fulfilled the prophetic dream” and his submission was “rewarded” (37:105, 37:110) and was called a “Muhsin” (مُحْسِن = “a person who accomplishes good deeds”). Rashad’s interpretation is therefore not only false but even blasphemous because Abraham’s dream did originate from the Lord of the Universe.

On the other hand, and this is essential, God never asked Abraham to actually sacrifice his son and it was his own interpretation. We will get back to this in a few paragraphs.

5.2 Mathematical confirmation that the seven words “rouyâ” refer to a “prophetic dream”, i.e. inspired by God:

We have just explained that the word “rooyâ” (رُويَا) signifies “prophetic dream”. It is most likely incorrectly written in the Sunni Quran in all of its seven spellings in 12:5 (1), 12:43 (2), 12:100 (1), 17:60 (1), 37:105 (1) and 48:27 (1) where it is written ru’yâ (رُءْيَا) instead of “rooyâ” (رُويَا) with a long “oo”.

The spelling “rooyâ” (رُويَا) is documented in 12:43 (underlined above in red in the word “رُويَاىَ” = rooyâya = “my prophetic dream”) and “lilrooyâ” (لِلرُّويَا = second word underlined in red) in one of the oldest Quranic manuscripts in the world, namely the Sanaa manuscript DAM 01-29.2 (carbon dated with a 95.6% accuracy as having been written between 648 and 691).

In the Saray Medina 1A manuscript (Topkapi Sarayi Muzesi: M1, verse 12:43), the first word “Ru’yâya” (“my prophetic dream”, underlined in red above) is possibly incorrectly written with an alif (letter “A” in رُأيَٰىَ), while the second word is written differently “لِلرُّويَا” (lilrooyâ) with a long “oo” where the letter “wa” (و) is partially erased but clearly present (circled in red in the photo above). In addition, the letter “alif” (letter “A”) is also missing in the word “رُويَاىَ” (rooyâya = “my prophetic dream”, GV 227) in 12:43 in the Sunni Quran where it is written “رُءْيَٰىَ” (GV 220) but nevertheless acknowledges the pronunciation of a long “A” in “ru’yâya” (رُءْيَٰىَ) by placing a small alif (alif khanjariyyah) above the letter “ya”. The word “rooyâ” (prophetic dream) is also written “رُويَا” (rooyâ) in the Lane dictionary and the word “رُويَاىَ” (rooyâya = “my prophetic dream”) in 12:43 is also written correctly on the page of the “Quran dictionary” which lists the word” rooyâ on the corpus.quran.com website:

http://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=rAy#(12:43:20)

If we add all sura and verse numbers (without repeat of sura numbers) of the seven verses where all words “rooyâ” occur without discrimination (simple forms as well as with possessive pronouns), we get:

12 + 5 + 43 + 100 + 17 + 60 + 37 + 105 + 48 + 27 = 114 (addition of sura numbers) + 340 (addition of verse numbers) = 454 = 2 × 227.

227 is the gematrical value of the word “رُويَاىَ” (rooyâya = “my prophetic dream”, GV 227) as written in the Sanaa manuscript in 12:43, which is the 2^nd of the 7 words “rooyâ “in the Quran (454 = 2 × 227).

227 is the 49^th prime number = 7 × 7 (There are seven words “rooyâ” in total in all its forms). In other words, the addition of sura and verse numbers seems to point at the correct spelling and position of the second word “rooyâya” (“my prophetic dream”) in 12:43, which contains the most orthographic errors (two) among the seven words.

Since the king’s dream was revealed by God to warn him about the upcoming catastrophic seven year draught, we can in my view conclude from the above mathematical property [454 = 2 × 227 (GV of “my prophetic dream”)] that all seven words also refer to prophetic dreams, that is to say dreams which originate from God.

5.3 God could not possibly advocate a human sacrifice: Deeper meaning of Abraham’s sacrifice

إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَهُوَ ٱلْبَلَٰٓؤُا۟ ٱلْمُبِينُ

(37:106) Verily, this was by all means a manifest trial.

It is self evident that God would never advocate a human sacrifice. 7:28 states that “God never commands immorality”. Sacrificing a human being is, needless to say, an immorality beyond comprehension. In other words, God did reveal to Abraham a prophetic vision where he saw himself about to slaughter his son, but, most importantly, never asked him to do so. It was thus a trial intended to test both his submission as well as Ismael’s, but also their judgment. They both passed the “manifest trial” when it comes to their absolute submission to God, but did not, and especially Abraham, exercise the good judgment that they should have regarding the fact that “God never command immorality”. Absolute submission to God cannot be separated from sound judgment, and it was thus “a manifest trial” which Abraham mistakenly interpreted as a divine command to sacrifice his son.

وَفَدَيْنَٰهُ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيمٍ

(37:107) And We ransomed him with a sublime sacrifice.

This verse reflects Genesis 22:13 where God caused a ram to get its horns entangled in a bush. There is no contradiction between the two books, which we saw have a lot of details in common. We can therefore assume that it is likely exactly what happened. This was meant to reward Abraham and Ismael’s absolute submission with a great blessing, but at the same time about manifesting God’s infinite mercy regarding Abraham’s lack of judgment as he should never have believed that God could possibly ask him to sacrifice a human being. This dramatic episode is at the origin of the ritual of sacrifice during the hajj, which is meant to reward pilgrims for their submission, but also allow them to symbolically atone for their sins by feeding poor people (22:28, 22:36).

وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرِينَ

(37:108) And we perpetuated him in posterity.

سَلَٰمٌ عَلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ

(37:109) May peace be upon Abraham!

كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

(37:110) This is how We reward people who accomplish good deeds.

إِنَّهُۥ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(37:111) He was indeed among of Our faithful servants.

Note: Abraham was among God’s “faithful servant”: Once again, and going back to Rashad’s theory, it would be absolutely absurd to claim that he ever submitted to a satanic dream.

5.4 Chronology of the sacrifice:

وَبَشَّرْنَٰهُ بِإِسْحَٰقَ نَبِيًّا مِّنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ

(37:112) And We announced him the glad tidings about Isaac, a prophet among the truthful.

It is only after the episode of the sacrifice that the birth of Isaac was announced. By default, the only son Abraham could sacrifice, and his only son at that time, could only be Ismael. From a Quranic as well as a Biblical point of view (one must tell the truth as it is), there is no doubt whatsoever that the child whom Abraham intended to sacrifice was Ismael.

(37:113) And we blessed him (Ismael), as well as Isaac, and among their respective (dual plural) descendants the righteous is clearly distinguished from the unjust as regards to [the fate of] his soul.

Some Sunni scholars point at verses 11:71-74, which announce the future birth of Isaac followed later by his grandson Jacob, as indicating that Isaac couldn’t be the child in question because Abraham would have known in advance that Isaac could not possibly die in a sacrifice and there would thus have been no “manifest trial”. This interpretation is correct, but there is an even better argument because the Quran indicates here that the attempted sacrifice of Ismael took place shortly before the angels’ visit to Abraham:

(37:112) And We announced him the glad tidings about Isaac, a prophet among the truthful.

We know that this verse refers specifically to the angels’ visit to Abraham because the same verb “Bouchchira” (َبُشِّر = to announce, form II) is used in 11:71, which signals that we are dealing with the same event:

(11:71) And his wife was standing, then laughed when We announced her the glad tidings of Isaac, and after Isaac, regarding Jacob.

The verb “bouchchira” (َبُشِّر =, form II) generally means “to announce” good news (but not always, see for example 84:24 which “announces” a painful retribution). If Isaac were the child intended for the sacrifice, it would have been utterly absurd to “announce the glad tidings regarding Isaac” after the facts.

Therefore, 37:112 and 11:71 refer to the same episode, meaning that it is the angels (referred to in both verses as “We”) who first announce the future birth of Isaac to his wife (11:71), then shortly after to Abraham (37:112). The separate announcement to Abraham in 37:112 actually refers directly to verse 11:74. which uses the word “al buchrâ” (الْبُشْرَىٰ = the announcement):

(11:74) When Abraham’s fear had subsided and he learned about the announcement (= الْبُشْرَىٰ, that is to say regarding the birth of Isaac), he argued with Us regarding the people of Lot.

37:112 thus informs us that the attempted sacrifice of Ismael, Abraham’s only son at that time, took place shortly before the angels’ visit to Abraham and his wife. The Quran thus restores the correct chronology altered in the book of Genesis.

Conclusion:

When we Establish a parallel between the Torah and the Quran regarding mutual stories such as Abraham’s sacrifice, we learn that they occasionally differ on some details. It demonstrates that there has been occasional erosion of the exact facts in the Bible and even sometimes intentional manipulation of its content. At the same time, both Scriptures widely agree, even on extremely precise events. It is no coincidence that God commanded to Muslims to believe in previous Sacred Scriptures (2:4, 4:136, 29:46 …). Such a belief is mandatory for all Muslims and is no less than an integral part of the Muslim creed (4:136).

Jews and Christians have historically claimed that Ismael was an illegitimate child by purposely overlooking Genesis 16:3, and alleging that Abraham’s relationship with Hagar was unlawful. On the contrary, Genesis 16:3 states clearly that Abraham married Hagar:

Genesis 16:3 Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife.

Having a child with a servant whom you marry before God is perfectly legal in the Bible, and Jewish people seem to be oblivious that Moses and Aaron were born from parents who were slaves,  which does not make them less worthy than Ismael whose father was a free man and a prophet.

The purpose of such deceit regarding Ismael was to claim that Isaac was entitled to the title of Abraham’s “only son” whom he attempted to sacrifice (Genesis 22:2). Evidently, the very fact that the Torah states that Abraham tried to sacrifice his “only son” (Genesis 22:2, 22:12, 22:16) is no more than irrefutable proof that the Biblical text was tampered with and that Isaac was not born at the time of sacrifice.

The Quran proclaims:

(3:78) And verily, there is a group among them who twist their tongues regarding the book, that you may think that it is part of the book, but it is not part of the book; and they say, “This is from God!”. But it is not from God, and they attribute lies to God knowingly.

In addition, the book of Genesis was also altered in order to tarnish Ismael’s reputation by calling him a “wild donkey” who was going to be violent towards people (Genesis 16:12):

Genesis 16:11 The angel of Yahweh said to her, “Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because Yahweh has heard your affliction. 12 He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. He will live opposite all of his brothers.”

We have incontrovertible evidence that this is a corruption of God’s revelation because the Torah proclaims the exact contrary regarding Ismael:

Genesis 17:20: As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.

How can someone be like a “wild donkey”, violent towards his neighbor – which would most obviously be a curse – and at the same time be “blessed” by Almighty God and be the father of a great nation? The deception is blatant, and illustrates the immense jealousy and ethnic prejudice of the criminals among the children of Israel who authored those lies. They just could not stand that Ismael was so immensely blessed in the Torah and ruined their souls by deciding to falsify the book of Allah. This crime is so vile that the prejudice against the Arab people (as well as Muslims in general) which resulted from this character assassination has lived on to this day.

The Quran concurs with Genesis 17:20 and supplants the slanderous lie in Genesis 16:12 by describing Ismael as a genuine “messenger and prophet”, “pleasing to his Lord” (19:54), magnanimous (37:101), “patient”, “virtuous” (21:85) and among “the best” individuals the human race has ever known (38:48).

Ismael’s sacrifice in the Quran:

The Quran never mentions Ismael by name in the account of the sacrifice (37:101-111) but the storyline indisputably proves that he was the chosen one:

– Ismael was “of working age” (37:102) at the time of the events, which corroborates the book of Genesis which indicates that Ismael was 13 years old a year before the birth of Isaac and corresponds to the average age of puberty.

– A comparison between verses 37:112 and 11:71 reveals that Abraham’s sacrifice took place shortly before the angels’ visit, when Isaac’s birth had not even been announced:

وَبَشَّرْنَٰهُ بِإِسْحَٰقَ نَبِيًّا مِّنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ

(37:112) And We announced him (Abraham) the glad tidings about Isaac, a prophet among the truthful.

The same verb “Bouchchira” (َبُشِّر = to announce, form II) is also used in 11:71:

(11:71) And his wife was standing, then laughed when We announced her the glad tidings of Isaac, and after Isaac, regarding Jacob.

37:112 and 11:71 describe the angels, on their way to annihilate Sodom and Gomorrah, who separately “announced” during the same visit to Sarah (11:71), then Abraham (37:112) the birth of Isaac. The Quran thus reestablishes the correct chronology which was altered in the Torah.

Ismael is therefore the “magnanimous” child mentioned in 37:101, which term is never used for Isaac nor any other messenger or prophet except Abraham (11:75, 9:114) throughout the entire Quran.

The deeper meaning of Abraham’s sacrifice:

Abraham’s “prophetic dream” (37:102) represents one of the most profound trials God has ever subjected a human being to.

فَلَمَّآ أَسْلَمَا وَتَلَّهُۥ لِلْجَبِينِ

(37:103) So, when they had both submitted, and he placed him down on the forehead,

In monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), Abraham’s sacrifice is the symbol of Abraham’s absolute submission to God. The above verse enlightens us that Abraham’s attempt to sacrifice his only son is a symbol of Ismael’s exemplary submission to God as well. Ismael literally agreed to be sacrificed when his father informed him of his prophetic dream (37:102) and his submission is as extraordinary as his father’s. The Holy Quran preaches absolute submission (Islam) to God and this partly explains why Muhammad, the seal of the prophets (33:40), descends from Ismael.

Some reformist Muslims like Rashad Khalifa have claimed that Abraham’s dream was a satanic dream. This is absolutely false because 37:103 indicates that Abraham and Ismael “submitted” and if the dream were inspired by satan, they would have allegorically submitted to other than God which is the gravest sin in Islam and the exact opposite of Islam (submission to God). The word “rooyâ” (prophetic dream) occurs seven times in the Quran [12:5 (1), 12:43 (2), 12:100 (1), 17:60 (1), 37:105 (1) and 48:27 (1)] and consistently refers to God-inspired dreams. 37:105 is no exception to the rule. The addition of these sura and verse numbers equals 454 = 2 × 227. 227 is the gematrical value of the word “رُويَاىَ” (rooyâya = “my prophetic dream” in 12:43), 2^nd word out of seven, as written for example in the Sanaa manuscript DAM 01-29.2 (the word is in my view misspelled in the Sunni Quran). If this interpretation is correct God willing, and given that 12:43 refers to the dream of the king of Egypt which was visibly inspired by God, this implies that all seven words refer to prophetic dreams, including Abraham’s prophetic vision.

It is self-evident that God would never advocate a human sacrifice. 7:28 proclaims that “God never commands immorality”. Sacrificing a human being is beyond despicable. God therefore did reveal to Abraham a vision where he saw himself about to slaughter his son in order to test him, but, most importantly, never asked him to do so. It was a trial intended to challenge both his submission as well as Ismael’s, but was also meant to evaluate their ability to resort to good judgment. They both passed the “manifest trial” demonstrating their absolute submission to God, which is an extraordinary achievement, but failed, and especially Abraham given his experience, to exercise good judgment as to the fact that God never advocates immorality. The great lesson is that you cannot separate absolute submission to God and sound judgment. It was thus a “manifest trial” which Abraham mistakenly interpreted as a divine command to sacrifice his son, upon which God expressed His infinite mercy as He forgave him and his only son for their lack of judgment.

Abraham’s sacrifice is immortalized during the hajj through the ritual of sacrifice during which pilgrims who can afford it slaughter an animal after laying it down on its flank (22:36). Just like for Abraham and Ismael, this ritual symbolizes our submission to God, as well as His immense mercy towards us, which gives us possibly the greatest opportunity of our lifetime to atone for our sins. The sacrificial animal is primarily intended to feed poor people (22:28, 22:36), which is a favored way to obtain forgiveness from God in the Quran (2:184, 5:89, 22:28, 22:36, 76:8).

Addendum: Why are both Isaac and Jacob’s births (11:71) announced to Sarah and Abraham?

This section is somewhat off topic. This question was asked to me and it is legitimate to wonder why Isaac and Jacob were mentioned together during the angels’ visit to Abraham while it is not the case in the Torah.

(11:71) And his wife was standing, then laughed when We announced her the glad tidings of Isaac, and after Isaac, regarding Jacob.

If we read this verse outside of a larger Quranic context, we can legitimately wonder if the Quran diverges from the book of Genesis by stating that Abraham and Sarah had not just one son (Isaac), but in fact two, namely that Jacob would also be the son of Abraham and not the son of Isaac and Rebecca as stated in Genesis 25:20-26.

If we study the Quran carefully, we find that there is no contradiction between the Bible and the Quran on this matter:

(2:132) And Abraham enjoined his sons (plural = three or +) as well as Jacob: O my sons! Verily God has chosen for you the [upright] religion, so do not die unless you are in a state of submission.

(2:133) Or were you witnesses when death became manifest to Jacob [and] when he said to his sons, “What are you going to worship after me? They said, “We are going to worship your god, and the god of your ancestors (literally: “your fathers”) Abraham, Ismael and Isaac. One god, and we are subject to Him.

The Quran thus confirms that Abraham knew Jacob during his lifetime which is in line with Genesis 25:20-26. Abraham died when Jacob was 15 years old (Genesis 25:7) and he had more than three sons in total as evidenced by the plural “his sons” in 2:132 (plural = three or more entities). Abraham had eight sons in total according to Genesis 25:1-2, which confirms the Bible. Abraham differentiates his sons from Jacob (2:132) because Jacob was not his son but his grandson. In addition, at the time of Jacob’s death, his sons mention Abraham, Ismael, and Isaac in order of birth as “the ancestors/fathers” of Jacob (2:133: “your ancestors/fathers Abraham, Ismael and Isaac “). Clearly, Jacob is not Isaac’s brother as one may be tempted to believe if one separates 11:71 from its Quranic and Biblical context, but his son.

(12:6) And so will your Lord choose you and teach you (O Joseph) the interpretation of stories and will complete His favor upon you and the family of Jacob as He completed it upon your two previous ancestors (literally: “your two previous fathers”) Abraham and Isaac. Verily, your Lord is Knowledgeable and Wise.

12:6 constitutes additional proof that Joseph’s “two previous ancestors” [أَبَوَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ = “your two previous fathers (dual plural)”, that is to say prior to Jacob] were Abraham and Isaac. The dual plural “abwayn” (اَبْوَيْن) means either “two parents” (a father and a mother, see 4:11, 7:27, 12:99, 12: 100, 18:80) or “two fathers” meaning paternal ancestors.

The lineage of prophets from Abraham to Joseph is therefore described in the Quran as being Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. Abraham and Isaac are “the two ancestors” or “father” prior to (مِن قَبْلُ) Jacob, his father.

Finally, 12:38 supports the same lineage when Joseph indicates “that he followed the religion of his fathers/ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”.

Without a doubt, Isaac is Jacob’s father and in no way his brother as one may think reading 11:71 in isolation (see also 19:49, 21:72 and 29:27), and the verse only indicates that God gave “Isaac (his son) and Jacob (his grandson)” to Abraham because he was blessed with their presence during his lifetime, which the Torah substantiates:

Abraham had his second son Isaac at the age of 100, and died at the age of 175 (Genesis 25:7), while Isaac had Esau and Jacob (who were twins) at the age of 60 (Genesis 25:26). Abraham therefore knew Jacob 15 years before his death.

The fact that Esau, Jacob’s twin brother (Genesis 25:26), is not mentioned in 11:71 is explained by the fact that the Quran is a summary of the history of the revelation to mankind and focuses above all on the lineage of prophets and messengers.

Published on 10/03/2020.