The Many Views of
Abraham & Family
Eric Armann, Sean Jellison, Jessica Paul, Gillian St. John &
Karen Waldmann
Scripture 19; Religions of the Book
Winter Quarter 2007
Section 2, Group 4
Who Is Abraham?
Abraham
 For Judaism, he is their Patriarch, the man
with whom God makes the first two
covenants
 For Christianity, he is a man of unyielding
faith, and ancestor of Jesus
 For Islam, he is a Prophet, he rebuilds the
Kab’ah, and ancestor of the Arab Muslims
Three Abrahamic Faiths
 All three faiths consider themselves to be
Abrahamic
 He was a man of immense faith, in a time
when his people still worshipped idols
 He spoke with the one true God, and made
several covenants
 When called upon to sacrifice his chosen
son, Abraham was willing
Abraham In Judaism
 Born Abram to his father Terah / Terach
– in Ur, Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq)
 Born approximately 4,000 years ago
– Taught to be the year 1948 from creation or ~ 1800 BCE
(in strict Orthodox Judaism)
 Abram tries unsuccessfully to convince his father,
an idol maker, that the practice is wrong
 God notices Abram and calls him from the land of
his fathers to Canaan, establishing the first
covenant (Gn 12:1-4)
Abraham in Judaism
 View Abraham as founding patriarch of religion
and ethnic ancestor
 Ethnically
– Descends from Adam and Noah
– Is father to Isaac and Ishmael, and grandfather
to Jacob
 Jacob (Israel) being father to the twelve tribes of
Judaism, from which modern Rabbinic Judaism
descends
Covenants
 Genesis chapters 15 and 17
– Abraham’s descendants will be numerous and will
become a great nation
– They will inherit the promised land (later known as
Israel)
– All other nations she be blessed in him or through his
offspring
– The “sign” of this covenant is the circumcision of all
male descendants
 Through these covenants, Jews believe that they
are God’s chosen people
Abraham in Christianity
 Man of unquestionable faith
– Used by Paul and others to demonstrate the
saving power of faith (Gal 3:1-8)
– Offers supreme obedience to God
– Cited as the first to believe in the resurrection
(Hebrews 11:8-19)
– Teach that the children of Abraham are not
genealogical, but those who share his faith
Abraham in Christianity
 Catholics - “Our Father in Faith” from the
Eucharistic Prayer
 Lutherans - A Prophet in the Calendar of
Saints, celebrated Oct. 9
 Most other denominations - mention in some
capacity as “the patriarchal Christian” or a
man of faith
Abraham in Islam
 Called Ibrahim in Arabic
 Considered to be a Prophet
– One of the first in the line of Adam & Noah
(Nooh)
– Father to the Prophets Ishmael (Ismail) and
Isaac (Ishaq), and grandfather to the prophet
Jacob (Yaqub)
– Ancestor to Muhammad through his son
Ishmael
Ibrahim in Islam
 Like Judaism, Muslim practices maintain that
Ibrahim was born in Ur, to his father Terah
(possibly Azar).
 Young Ibrahim looked at the people of Ur and was
upset by the idol worship of his ancestors and
when he asks if they worship their own handiwork
they try to burn him, but Allah protects him (Surah
37:95-99)
 He then makes a hijrah, from the land of his
fathers to the area of modern day Palestine.
Ibrahim, Ismail and the Ka’bah
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Taught that it was first built by Angels and Prophet Adam
The Qur’an (Surah 2:125-127)teaches that Ibrahim and Ismail rebuilt the
Ka’bah, the first mosque and site for worshiping Allah in Islamic tradition.
Referred to as the “Station of Ibrahim”
The size of the Ibrahimic Foundation:
– Eastern wall: 48.5 feet
– Hateem side wall: 33 feet
– Side from the black stone to the
Yemeni corner: 30 feet
– Western side: 46.5 feet
Ibrahim and the Five Pillars
 Salat
– At the completion of each of the daily prayers, Muslims pray
for blessings upon Muhammad, Ibrahim and their people and
followers.
– For Sunni Muslims this means that Ibrahim is prayed for
about 6,375,000 times a day (1,275,000 x 5)
– For Shi’a Muslims this means that Ibrahim is prayed for about
675,000 times a day (225,000 x 3)
– In total, the Muslim World gives praise to Ibrahim over seven
million times a day.
– Also while praying, Muslims face the Ka’bah in Makka.
Ibrahim and the Five Pillars
 Hajj
– The tradition of the pilgrimage to Makka has its roots
with Ibrahim and Ismail’s rebuilding of the Ka’bah
(Surah 22:26-27).
– During Eid al-Adha, an animal sacrifice is performed to
commemorate the Muslim belief that Ibrahim’s chosen
son was Ismail, and his father was willing to sacrifice
him at Allah’s command.
– When Muslims make the Hajj, part of the ritual includes
running the distance between Safa and Marwa (two hills
close to the Ka’bah) seven times.
Family Tree
Sarai
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Abraham’s wife
Terah’s daughter-in-law
Also Abraham’s half-sister
Originally childless
Gives birth to Isaac
Name changed to Sarah
Is buried in Hebron
Hagar
 Sarah’s Egyptian slave-girl
 Abraham’s concubine
 Gives birth to Ishmael
Hagar and Sarah in
Christianity & Judaism
 Sarah banishes Hagar
–
–
–
–
Hagar runs away pregnant
Angel of the Lord appears to Hagar
God speaks promises to Hagar
Hagar returns to Abraham
 Conflict arises again between Sarah and Hagar
during weaning of Isaac
– Hagar again is banished
 God saves Ishmael
– Ishmael’s tribes are believed to be the modern day
Arabs
Hagar and Sarah in Islam
 Some believe that Hagar was banished to
Makka
– Hagar and Ishmael remain in Makka
– The descendants of Ishmael flourish there
– These descendents led to the prophet
Muhammad
Keturah
 Second wife of Abraham, after the death of
Sarah (Gen. 25:1-6).
– Midrash says Keturah = Hagar
– Biblically she has six sons
 Ishbak, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Shuah, Zimran
 Midian’s descendants, the Midianites, are the most
famous people of this lineage (Exodus 2:11-22) and
(Numbers 22).
Ishmael
 Literally means “God has hearkened”
 Suggesting that a child so named was
regarded as the fulfillment of a divine
prophecy
Ishmael in Jewish Tradition
 Generally viewed as wrong, but changes
himself through repentance.
 Ishmael is said to have been with his twelve
sons roaming about their land looking for
placing to dwell.
 As they roamed, and more children where
born to them fruitfully and abundantly
Ishmael in the New Testament
 Ishmael and Hagar are expelled to ensure
Isaac is Abraham’s heir
 In Galatians, Paul uses these incidents “to
symbolize the relationship between
Judaism, the older now rejected tradition,
and Christianity
 Gal 4:21-31
Isaac
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Means “may God smile”
Only son of Abraham and Sarah
It was a miracle Isaac was born
Sarah was 90 and Abraham 100 years old
Isaac in Jewish Tradition
 Jews believe Isaac was the son that
Abraham was going to sacrifice
 He is such an icon because his willingness
to follow God at the cost of his life is a
model for many Jews who prefer martyrdom
rather that violation of Jewish law
 As well, according to Jewish tradition Isaac
was thought to institute afternoon prayer
(Gn 24:63)
Isaac in the New Testament
 Again, in Galatians, Paul contrasts Isaac as
symbolizing Christianity and Ishmael as
symbolizing Judaism
 Jews view the release of Isaac for sacrifice
as analogues to the resurrection of Jesus
 (Hebrews 2:19)
Isaac in the Qur’an
 He is a prophet in Islam
 Mentioned 15 times in the Qur’an
 States that Abraham was to sacrifice a son,
but never states specifically which one
(Surah 37:99-113)
 It was later believe that Isaac was not the
chosen son, and Muslims greatly endorse
that.
Hajira and Ismail
 Briefly stated before, both were cast out at Sarah’s command.
 Muslim belief teaches that the two were left in the valley of Makka, at
Allah’s command to become the ancestors of modern day Arabs.
– Tradition teaches (Hadith of Bukhari) that when they were left in the valley
there was no water and Hajira ran between the two hills of Safa and Marwa
seven times looking for water for Ismail. The Angel Jibreel came to her
and revealed what is known today as the well of Zamzam, so that she and
Ismail could drink and thrive for their unwavering faith in Allah.
Ismail
 Ismail is regarded to be the ancestor
of today’s Muslim (Arab) people.
– Though he holds this title, he is mentioned
very few times in the Qur’an itself, most of the
Islamic history regarding Ismail is found in the
Hadiths.
– Even Muslim belief that Ismail is the chosen
son of Abraham is not mentioned directly in
the Qur’an, (Surah 37:100-107) which was
cause for many arguments in early Islam.
– Jewish tradition teaches that there were
twelve sons/tribes of Ishmael, but in Islam
references to these sons are vague at best.
Muslim and Jew Conflict
 Interaction started in the 7th century CE with the origin and spread of
Islam in the Arabian Peninsula
 Both are considered Abrahamic religions
– Both claim Abraham as a prophet and patriarch
– Despite this, there are many differences between them, as mentioned
earlier
 As Islam spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula, large number of
Jews came under Muslim rule
 In many circumstances, Muslims and Jews have lived in peace under
Islam rule
– Islam allowed for Jews to be ruled by Jewish laws and to keep their
synagogues and worship practices
 However, there have also been many cases where Jews and Muslims
have not lived in peace, and that has continued on throughout the ages