Who was Abraham?
Abraham (or “Ibrahim” as pronounced in Arabic) is considered the patriarch (or father) of the Jews and the Arabs. He had two sons: Isaac and Ishmael. Jews trace their ancestry through Isaac. Arabs trace their ancestry through Ishmael. The story of Abraham is well known to Jews and Christians as well as to Muslims. In Islam he is remembered as one of the great Prophets, and the father of the Prophet Ishmael who was the ancestor of Prophet Muhammad himself. Long, long ago, a child was born to the Prophet Abraham and his second wife, Hagar. The baby’s name was Ishmael and, when he was born, he was Abraham’s only son. In those days, it was not unusual for a man to have two wives. Abraham’s first wife was named Sarah. She had no children, and this made her sad. But God told Abraham that one day, Sarah too would have a son. He would be named Isaac. Ishmael and Isaac were to be the ancestors of two great nations and three great religions. The nations were the Arabs and the Jews. The prophet A
