could the boy who Abraham almost sacrificed be Ishmael, not Isaac, as Muslims claim?
No, for at least four reasons: 1. Genesis 22:2 says it was Isaac. 2. In Genesis 21:8-10, the day Isaac was weaned, Ishmael was sent away. 3. Genesis 22:16 calls Isaac Abrahams “only son”, since Ishmael already was sent away to a different place. 4. Since Ishmael was 14 when Isaac was born, Ishmael had already grown up and married an Egyptian in Genesis 21:20, Abraham was tested “a long time” after this in Genesis 21:34, and a “boy” was on the altar in Genesis 22:12. Also, while the Muslim Quran discusses this in Sura 37:99-111, no where in the entire Quran does it say whether it was Ishmael or Isaac. See When Critics Ask p.52 for more info. Q: In Gen 22:2, how was Isaac Abrams “only son”? A: While Ishmael was born first, he was sent away by this time, and Isaac was the only son Abram still had with him. Isaac was the only heir, and only son can also mean beloved son. Genesis 21:12 says, “though Isaac your offspring shall be reckoned”. Abraham had other sons too, but they were born afte
