Abraham the Patriarch, the father of all Semitic people, was a Chaldean by birth, emanating from the city of Ur in Chaldea (an ancient Asian country on the western shores of the Persian Gulf) – according to the Biblical record – in the year 1917 BC. He was a descendant of Eber, the great-grandson of Shem, who was the eldest son of Noah. His father was Terah, who was also Chaldean [Gen. 11:28]. It stands to reason, therefore, that Abraham was not a Jew – as is generally supposed – and furthermore, Jewish people did not exist during his time...
His sons Ishmael and Isaac were not Jews, neither were his grandsons Esau and Jacob, and neither were the sons of Jacob – Abraham’s great-grandsons – Reuben, Shimeon and Levi. The fourth son of Jacob, born in the year 1753 BC. was named Judah, and his descendants were called “Jews,” an abbreviated and corrupt form of the Hebrew “Yahudim.”
When Abraham [the name translates “father of a multitude”] and his followers left the city of Ur in Chaldea and crossed the Euphrates River on their way to Canaan (Gen. 12:5), he and his people were called "Eberus," in order to distinguish them from the people who stayed behind. The word “Eber” translates “the region beyond” in the Hebrew language, and the names “Eberu” and “Eberus” were used by Abraham and the descendants of Eber, Noah’s great, great-grandson.
Through incorrect transliteration by some of the Biblical translators, Abraham The Eberu became Abraham the “Hebrew” (Gen. 14:13), a name by which some Jews are called even today. But Hebrew is the language of the Jewish people. There is no such thing as a Hebrew race or Hebrew people...
Abraham begot Ishmael, his first-born son, by Hagar, an African woman who was also the daughter of an Egyptian-Ethiopian Pharaoh. He begot Isaac, his second son, by Sarah, his Chaldean wife who was also his half-sister (Gen. 20:11-12). Ishmael is regarded as the father of all Arabs, whereas Isaac is regarded as the father of all Jews...
Ishmael’s first-born son was named Kedar,which translates “black-skinned.” The Bible and the Qur’an are at variance as to which of Abraham’s sons was offered for sacrifice. According to the Bible it was Isaac (Gen. 22:2). The Qur’an, on the other hand, declares clearly and unequivocally that it was Ishmael (Sura 37:103).
The Bible contradicts itself in this respect. According to it, Abraham was commanded to offer his “only son” for sacrifice, but Isaac was at no time his only son. Ishmael was senior to Isaac by 13 years, and was for these many years Abraham’s only son, and, being also his firstborn, was extremely dear to him. It stands to reason, therefore, that Abraham must have been required by God to offer for sacrifice his nearest and dearest possession, which, at that time, was his first-born son, Ishmael...
Some Christian evangelists have vainly tried to show that “Ishmael, being of the handmaiden, was born after the flesh, while Isaac, being born of the free woman, was by promise” (Gal. 4:22-23). Apart from the fact that Hagar, Ishmael’s mother, belonged to the royal family of Egypt and was no handmaid, Ishmael has repeatedly been mentioned in the Bible as Abraham’s son (Gen. 16:16, 17:23 & 25), exactly as Isaac. Moreover, analogous promises were made to Abraham in regard to the future greatness of Ishmael as were made to him about Isaac (Gen. 16:10 and 17:20).
Apart from the substitution in the Bible of Isaac for Ishmael – which seems to be deliberate – and of “Moriah” for “Marwah,” a hillock that lies in the vicinity of Mecca (near where Abraham left Ishmael with his mother Hagar while yet a child), there is nothing in the Bible to lend the slightest support to the view that Abraham offered Isaac for sacrifice, and not Ishmael.
But whereas no trace is to be found in the religious ceremonies of Christians and Jews of the supposed sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham, Muslims, who are the spiritual descendants of Ishmael, commemorate with great fervor his intended sacrifice by slaughtering rams and goats every year on the 10th day of Dhu’l-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic year. This universal sacrifice of rams and goats by Muslims establishes – beyond dispute or doubt – the fact that it was Ishmael whom Abraham offered for sacrifice, and not Isaac...
In reality though, Abraham was not required to fulfill his vision in actual fact. It was only a practical demonstration of his intention and preparedness to sacrifice his son, which was desired of him. The vision had been fulfilled symbolically in Hagar and Ishmael having been left by Abraham in the valley of Mecca, which at that time was an arid and barren wasteland. That brave act had, in fact, symbolized the sacrifice of Ishmael...
The command to Abraham first to sacrifice his son and then to abstain from carrying it into actual fact showed also that it was intended to abolish human sacrifice, a most inhumane practice which was prevalent at that time in most countries...
Abraham lived to see the gradual accomplishment of the promise that his descendants would become a mighty nation in the birth of his grandsons Esau and Jacob, and witnessed their growth to manhood (Gen. 25:26). At the goodly age of 175 he was “gathered to his people,” and was laid beside Sarah in the "Cave of Machpelah" in Al-Khalil (the Biblical Hebron), Palestine, by his sons Ishmael and Isaac (Gen. 25:7-10).
His sons Ishmael and Isaac were not Jews, neither were his grandsons Esau and Jacob, and neither were the sons of Jacob – Abraham’s great-grandsons – Reuben, Shimeon and Levi. The fourth son of Jacob, born in the year 1753 BC. was named Judah, and his descendants were called “Jews,” an abbreviated and corrupt form of the Hebrew “Yahudim.”
When Abraham [the name translates “father of a multitude”] and his followers left the city of Ur in Chaldea and crossed the Euphrates River on their way to Canaan (Gen. 12:5), he and his people were called "Eberus," in order to distinguish them from the people who stayed behind. The word “Eber” translates “the region beyond” in the Hebrew language, and the names “Eberu” and “Eberus” were used by Abraham and the descendants of Eber, Noah’s great, great-grandson.
Through incorrect transliteration by some of the Biblical translators, Abraham The Eberu became Abraham the “Hebrew” (Gen. 14:13), a name by which some Jews are called even today. But Hebrew is the language of the Jewish people. There is no such thing as a Hebrew race or Hebrew people...
Abraham begot Ishmael, his first-born son, by Hagar, an African woman who was also the daughter of an Egyptian-Ethiopian Pharaoh. He begot Isaac, his second son, by Sarah, his Chaldean wife who was also his half-sister (Gen. 20:11-12). Ishmael is regarded as the father of all Arabs, whereas Isaac is regarded as the father of all Jews...
Ishmael’s first-born son was named Kedar,which translates “black-skinned.” The Bible and the Qur’an are at variance as to which of Abraham’s sons was offered for sacrifice. According to the Bible it was Isaac (Gen. 22:2). The Qur’an, on the other hand, declares clearly and unequivocally that it was Ishmael (Sura 37:103).
The Bible contradicts itself in this respect. According to it, Abraham was commanded to offer his “only son” for sacrifice, but Isaac was at no time his only son. Ishmael was senior to Isaac by 13 years, and was for these many years Abraham’s only son, and, being also his firstborn, was extremely dear to him. It stands to reason, therefore, that Abraham must have been required by God to offer for sacrifice his nearest and dearest possession, which, at that time, was his first-born son, Ishmael...
Some Christian evangelists have vainly tried to show that “Ishmael, being of the handmaiden, was born after the flesh, while Isaac, being born of the free woman, was by promise” (Gal. 4:22-23). Apart from the fact that Hagar, Ishmael’s mother, belonged to the royal family of Egypt and was no handmaid, Ishmael has repeatedly been mentioned in the Bible as Abraham’s son (Gen. 16:16, 17:23 & 25), exactly as Isaac. Moreover, analogous promises were made to Abraham in regard to the future greatness of Ishmael as were made to him about Isaac (Gen. 16:10 and 17:20).
Apart from the substitution in the Bible of Isaac for Ishmael – which seems to be deliberate – and of “Moriah” for “Marwah,” a hillock that lies in the vicinity of Mecca (near where Abraham left Ishmael with his mother Hagar while yet a child), there is nothing in the Bible to lend the slightest support to the view that Abraham offered Isaac for sacrifice, and not Ishmael.
But whereas no trace is to be found in the religious ceremonies of Christians and Jews of the supposed sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham, Muslims, who are the spiritual descendants of Ishmael, commemorate with great fervor his intended sacrifice by slaughtering rams and goats every year on the 10th day of Dhu’l-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic year. This universal sacrifice of rams and goats by Muslims establishes – beyond dispute or doubt – the fact that it was Ishmael whom Abraham offered for sacrifice, and not Isaac...
In reality though, Abraham was not required to fulfill his vision in actual fact. It was only a practical demonstration of his intention and preparedness to sacrifice his son, which was desired of him. The vision had been fulfilled symbolically in Hagar and Ishmael having been left by Abraham in the valley of Mecca, which at that time was an arid and barren wasteland. That brave act had, in fact, symbolized the sacrifice of Ishmael...
The command to Abraham first to sacrifice his son and then to abstain from carrying it into actual fact showed also that it was intended to abolish human sacrifice, a most inhumane practice which was prevalent at that time in most countries...
Abraham lived to see the gradual accomplishment of the promise that his descendants would become a mighty nation in the birth of his grandsons Esau and Jacob, and witnessed their growth to manhood (Gen. 25:26). At the goodly age of 175 he was “gathered to his people,” and was laid beside Sarah in the "Cave of Machpelah" in Al-Khalil (the Biblical Hebron), Palestine, by his sons Ishmael and Isaac (Gen. 25:7-10).
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