The Qur'an as the Criterion · History Made Coherent
Abraham's father, and the son who was to be sacrificed
Handle with care. Handle with care: the Qur'an does not name the son. Say that our scholars differed, and do not present Ismail as settled by the text.
In short
- 1.The Qur'an: O my son, I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice you — what do you think? (Q 37:102).
- 2.The son answers: you will find me, God willing, of the steadfast.
- 3.Genesis calls Isaac your only son (Gen 22:2) although Ishmael was already born (Gen 16:15).
The claim being examined
Genesis 22 names Isaac as the son to be sacrificed and stresses your only son, though Ishmael was born first.
The Islamic position
The Qur'an narrates the sacrifice without naming the son at all — and shows the son consenting, which the Bible does not.
Analysis
Two things sit in this card. First, the withheld name. Q 37:99-113 narrates the vision, the exchange between father and son, the substitution and the good news of Ishaq — and never states which son was to be sacrificed. Classical scholars differed: many early authorities held it was Ishaq, while the majority of later scholars, including Ibn Kathir, argued for Ismail, partly because the good news of Ishaq is announced after the episode concludes. The honest presentation is that the Qur'an does not name him and Muslim scholarship has held both views. Second, the moral shape of the story. In Genesis 22 Abraham does not tell Isaac; he says God will provide the lamb, binds him on the altar, and the son is not consulted. In the Qur'an the father tells him and asks: "O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice you, so see what you think." The son replies: "O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if God wills, of the steadfast." The trial belongs to both of them. On Genesis 22:2, "your only son", the tension with Genesis 16:15-16, where Ishmael is born to Abraham fourteen years before Isaac, is a fair observation — offer it as a question rather than a triumph.
Side by side
| The Bible | Genesis 22:2-10 | God names Isaac as your only son; Abraham does not tell him, binds him on the altar and raises the knife. |
|---|---|---|
| The Qur'an | 37:99-113 | Abraham tells his son the vision and asks him; the son answers that he will be found steadfast, God willing. The son is not named. |
From the Qur'an
قَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ إِنِّي أَرَىٰ فِي الْمَنَامِ أَنِّي أَذْبَحُكَ فَانظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَىٰ
He said: O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice you, so see what you think.
وَفَدَيْنَاهُ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيمٍ
And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice.
From the Bible
Hebrew
Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering.
Read it in their BibleHebrew
And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.
Read it in their BibleSources
Qur'an 37:99-113 · Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, on Q 37:101-107 · Genesis 22:2; 16:15-16 · Qur'an 37:102
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