What does Islam teach about Ishmael?

Question

The OT tells us that God promised Abraham his descendants would be numerous as the stars and would be a great nation, and he would have a son through Sarah, his wife.
Sarah, who was barren, and long past reproductive years, gave Hagar to Abraham and they conceived. Hagar ran away and angel of the Lord told her to go back and submit, the angel also told her that the son she carried would be a wild donkey, he will be against everyone and everyone against him. He will live in hostility toward all his brothers (Gen 16:11-12)
God again told Abraham that their covenant would be passed down through a son of Abraham and Sarah.
Finally, Isaac was born. Hagar and Ishmael were sent away at Isaacs weaning. God told Abraham that Ishmael would have a great nation, but again that the covenant would be through Isaac.
God also reminded Hagar of His promise.

What are you taught?

Please help me undestand, if the covenant is through Ishmael, What does Islam teach on why God would open Sarah's old womb and bring Isaac into the world?

I am not asking to be converted, not to convert. This is solely for the reason of understanding.

baraa - you used the term Hagar and Abrahams first son. Does Islam teach that Hagar and Abraham had more children together?

Kimo - if Abraham took Ishmael to Mecca prior to being weaned, how old was he when he was placed on the sacrificial stone?

Answer 1

Do you really think God will tell Abraham and Hagar that their first son would be a "wild donkey." We are taught that God is the most merciful most compassionate, never would He ever insult the beloved prophet Abraham with such a vicious statement.

And hence, we are told that the Israelites changed the scripture so that they benefit most from it. That is why God sent Jesus to reform Judaism, and then Muhammad to complete His religion.

My proof to that? How could Ishmael's descendants form a "great nation" yet he be "wild donkey." Such blashemous contradictions. Indeed, Islam is a great nation of people.

Response to your Question:
So you have nothing to add but to ask me if Prophet Abraham and Hagar had more sons. That tells me you were nitpicking, trying very hard to find something wrong with what I wrote, but could only question me if Hagar had more children with Abraham. To answer your question, I meant to say Abraham "first son", and not Abraham and Hagar's first son. Thank you for pointing out that to me.

Answer 2

Alright... here ya go:

According to the Hebrew Torah, God made a covenant with a man named Abraham. God promised Abraham a child through whom He would fulfill this covenant ("the child of promise," Genesis 15). Abraham was at that time childless. His wife, Sarah, was barren. This of course made the promise very special to Abraham. But it would require nothing less than a miracle. Sarah, conscious of her condition, decided to help God out. She offered her maidservant Hagar to Abraham with the hope that Hagar might conceive and bare the child of promise. Abraham agreed to take Hagar as his concubine. She conceived and bore Ishmael (Genesis 16). God allowed Ishmael to be born but Ishmael was not the child of promise God had in mind (Genesis 17). God promised a child through Sarah, not Hagar (Genesis 17-18), and in due time God fulfilled His promise. "And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him-whom Sarah bore to him-isaac." (Genesis 21:1-3) Isaac was the child of promise. Isaac later begot Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes of Israel, and the Messiah, Jesus Christ, eventually came into the world through the nation of Israel, fulfilling the covenant which God had made with Abraham. God also promised to give the land of Canaan (Palestine) to Isaac's descendants, the land which Israel possesses today (Genesis 12:4-7; 13:12-18; 15:1-21; 17:1-22; 21:1-14; 25:19-26; 26:1-6; 35:9-12).

The problem is that the Qur'an teaches that Ishmael was the child of promise (Sura 19:54; compare Sura 37:83-109 with Genesis 22:1-19) and so Muslims believe that God's covenant promises were meant for Ishmael's descendants, not Isaac's. Muhammad descended from Ishmael and so Muslims seek to lay claim to these covenant promises, namely the land of Palestine. Since Israel's U.N.-sanctioned return to Palestine in 1948 there has been unceasing hostility between Israel and her Arab neighbors, with major armed conflicts in 1948-49, 1956, 1967, 1973-74, and 1982. That Israel remains today is a miracle in-and-of itself

Answer 3

The first answerer is ignorant about islam. The covenant was with Isaac. The great nation promised from Ishmael is the Prophet Muhammad and his Companions. The jews broke their covenant by constantly killing the Prophets. In the Bible Jesus warns them that he is a final chance for them, I guess they blew it.

Answer 4

1- both Isaac and Ismael were prophets.
2- Ismael was the one who was offered for sacrifice.
3- both Abraham and Ismael built Ka'ba in Mecca.
4- Ismael lived in mecca as a prophet.
5- God ordered Abraham to take Ismael and Hagar to Mecca before Ismael was weaned.
6- the forgery in Ismael story in bible can be easily exposed
http://sg.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AtF8woPtooXbRr.EN63f5qH44gt.?qid=20061011212343AAtYHDL

Answer 5

There are no prove what so ever that Abraham put one foot step in Mecca I even heard saying same thing in history Chanel.if you want you can research

Answer 6

Ishmael was the hind sucker to Issac!