Brandon

I think it is really interesting how 3 of the world's largest relegions trace all the way back to one man. I also think it is interesting how each relegion views that time period differently. In reading Genesis of the Old Testament (which both Christians and Jews believe to be true) Abraham had a two sons: Ishmael and Isaac. All of Israel is decendant from Isaac while all of Islam is decedant from Ishmael. However, one very interesting place where the Bible is different from the Koran is that in Genesis, God commands Abraham to sacrifice Isaac (eventhough God eventually spares Isaac's life). In the Koran, it is Ishmael that God commands Abraham to sacrifice.

I don't really have much of a point here. Obviously each side will claim that the other side got the story wrong or changed it somewhere in history to better suit themselves, I just find this piece of history intriguing. Whichever version of the story is true, Israel and Islam were once brothers.

lpstong

Well they still are. Family is family. Isreal and Islam just took on two different belief systems for their families.

You tell me what families do not have feuds that go on for months, years or generations.

Islam started many centuries after Judaism did. It was Ishmael's descendents who converted to Islam eventually.

As far as it goes for me - on a non religious view. The birth right should go to who the parents deem fit to have and hold. It should not be taken into lightly either or to be given away freely. Especially if you are the first born.

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decent-lord

i can give u some of words of Sacrifice of Ismail from Quran.. which are

Abraham was allowed to be tested by Satan, of course by God's leave, whereby Abraham mistook a dream from Satan to be from God.

(sub-title) Satanic Dream*

[37:102-103] When he grew enough to work with him, he said, "My son, I see in a dream that I am sacrificing you. What do you think?" He said, "O my father, do what you are commanded to do. You will find me, GOD willing, patient." They both submitted, and he put his forehead down (to sacrifice him).

*37:102 The Most Merciful never advocates evil (7:28). As with Job, Satan claimed that Abraham loved his son too much, and was permitted to put Abraham to that severe test.

We understand from the aforesaid verses that Abraham believed the dream commanding him to sacrifice his son to be from God, when in fact it was from Satan as God does not advocate evil. We also know that Abraham has been cited in the Quran as an exemplary vanguard in submission to God alone.

[16:120] Abraham was indeed an exemplary vanguard in his submission to GOD, a monotheist who never worshiped idols.

He is also known as God's chosen friend in 4:125. Since Abraham was a submitter to God alone, God intervened and protected Abraham and Ismail from such a heinous act.

[37:104] We called him: "O Abraham.
[37:105] "You have believed the dream." We thus reward the righteous.
[37:106] That was an exacting test indeed.
[37:107] We ransomed (Ismail) by substituting an animal sacrifice.
[37:108] And we preserved his history for subsequent generations.

As we see above, God willed to preserve this history of Abraham and Ismail. It demonstrates their absolute submission to God alone. And this preservation is done through the ritual of animal sacrifice during Hajj.

decent-lord

Sacrifice of permitted Animals in days of Hajj 2nd big Eid (muslim ceremoney) is in linked in islam to Sacrifice of Ismail (ASW).

Bodhitharta

The Quaran never says that it was Ishmael.

AcidGawd969

What I find interesting is the Jews consider Ishmael the bastard son of a slave.

Does not this seem to show the Jews sense of superiority over the Arabs?

Of course replacing Isaac with Ishmael on the sacrificial alter would seem to show that God favored the Arabs and not the Jews; either way God comes out looking like a bigot.

Bodhitharta

How do you figure that?

AcidGawd969

For God to have favorites he/she/it would havta be a bigot.

mezzen

I don't know what is meant by "Israel" here. Israel was a person and is a country today. Likewise Islam is a religion, not a people therefore cannot be descended. Perhaps it is meant that the Jews descend from Isaac and the Arabs descend from Ishmael.

In the existing Bible in Genesis 22:2 (KJV) we read, "And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac..." which is somewhat contradictory in that it claims that God speaks of Abraham's only son being Isaac, when it is also accepts Ishmael as first-born. So either God didn't consider the elder Ishmael as Abraham's son or the modern Bible has an error. Christians believe in the former explanation whereas Muslims believe the Bible has an intentional error, the replacement of the name Ishmael with Isaac in the sacrifice story.

The Qur'an does not explicitly state that Ishmael was sacrificed, however the appropriate verses 83-109 in chapter 37 do imply it was Ishmael and Muslims interpret the son to be Ishmael.

Remember that the Christians consider Ishmael a result of Abraham and Sarah finding a solution to their problem whereas Isaac is considered a result of God's will. The Christians definitely regard the Jews as a "chosen people".

The Muslims don't believe in the concept of "chosen people" as a result of this, but that the sacrifice was a test of faith. Isaac and Ishmael are seen with equal favour in Islam. Also, remember that if the first-born Ishmael was on the altar he could have truly been the only son, so how could favouritism come into play when there is no-one else to be favoured.

Bodhitharta

God has all those who are obedient as HIS(HU) favorites. Also you do not have to be a bigot to have character preferences.