Answering Objections to Islam · Predictions in the Bible
Ishmael in the Bible: the blessed son written out
Handle with care. Do not argue that Ishmael (PBUH) replaces Isaac (PBUH). Genesis does not say that, and claiming it hands them an easy win.
In short
- 1.Genesis 17:20 — God blesses Ishmael (PBUH) by name and promises twelve princes and a great nation
- 2.Genesis 21:20 — God was with the boy as he grew up in the wilderness
- 3.Genesis 17:23-26 — Ishmael (PBUH) is circumcised with Abraham (PBUH), in the covenant sign, at thirteen
- 4.Genesis 21:21 places him in the wilderness of Paran — the same Paran as Deuteronomy 33:2
- 5.Genesis 25:9 — Ishmael (PBUH) and Isaac (PBUH) bury Abraham (PBUH) together, so the estrangement was not permanent
The claim being examined
Christian responses to Arabian prophecy usually rest on the assumption that the covenant line runs through Isaac (PBUH) alone and Ishmael (PBUH) is peripheral.
The Islamic position
Genesis itself has God bless Ishmael (PBUH) by name, promise to make him a great nation, and keep him circumcised in the covenant household.
Analysis
The purpose of this card is defensive: it removes the assumption that Arabia could not be a location of prophecy. It does not by itself prove that any prophecy points to Muhammad (SAW). Genesis clearly places the covenant of Isaac (PBUH) at the centre of the narrative while also recording a distinct, named divine blessing on Ishmael (PBUH) — and it is that second element which is usually forgotten. Genesis 25:9, where both sons bury their father together, is the detail that quietly undoes the picture of a discarded son.
Side by side
| Isaac | Genesis 17:19 | I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants |
|---|---|---|
| Ishmael | Genesis 17:20 | I will surely bless him; twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation |
| Both | Genesis 25:9 | Isaac (PBUH) and Ishmael (PBUH) buried Abraham (PBUH) together |
From the Qur'an
وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمُ ٱلْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ ٱلْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّآ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ
wa-idh yarfaʿu ib'rāhīmu l-qawāʿida mina l-bayti wa-is'māʿīlu rabbanā taqabbal minnā innaka anta l-samīʿu l-ʿalīmu
And when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House, with Ishmael.
From the Bible
Hebrew
And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation.
Read it in their BibleHebrew
God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert of Paran, and became an archer.
Read it in their BibleSources
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