I Introduction
Certain narratives inform us that Sarah and Hagar, the two
wives of Abraham (sws) did not enjoy cordial relations.
Matters reached the extent that Abraham (sws) decided to
separate Hagar and his infant son Ishmael from Sarah. Hagar
and the infant child she was suckling were taken and abandoned
by him in the desolate and barren land of Makkah. It is here
that Ishmael grew up and was wed into the Banu Jurham.
In this article a critical evaluation of these narratives will
be conducted.
II A Representative Text
حَدَّثَنَا
عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَامِرٍ عَبْدُ
الْمَلِكِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ
نَافِعٍ، عَنْ كَثِيرِ بْنِ كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ
جُبَيْرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضی الله عنهما ـ قَالَ لَمَّا
كَانَ بَيْنَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَبَيْنَ أَهْلِهِ مَا كَانَ، خَرَجَ
بِإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَأُمِّ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، وَمَعَهُمْ شَنَّةٌ فِيهَا
مَاءٌ، فَجَعَلَتْ أُمُّ إِسْمَاعِيلَ تَشْرَبُ مِنَ الشَّنَّةِ
فَيَدِرُّ لَبَنُهَا عَلَى صَبِيِّهَا حَتَّی قَدِمَ مَكَّةَ،
فَوَضَعَهَا تَحْتَ دَوْحَةٍ، ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ إِلَی
أَهْلِهِ، فَاتَّبَعَتْهُ أُمُّ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَتَّی لَمَّا
بَلَغُوا كَدَاءً نَادَتْهُ مِنْ وَرَائِهِ يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ
إِلَی مَنْ تَتْرُكُنَا قَالَ إِلَی اللَّهِ. قَالَتْ رَضِيتُ
بِاللَّهِ. قَالَ فَرَجَعَتْ فَجَعَلَتْ تَشْرَبُ مِنَ
الشَّنَّةِ وَيَدِرُّ لَبَنُهَا عَلَی صَبِيِّهَا، حَتَّی لَمَّا
فَنِيَ الْمَاءُ قَالَتْ لَوْ ذَهَبْتُ فَنَظَرْتُ لَعَلِّي
أُحِسُّ أَحَدًا. قَالَ فَذَهَبَتْ فَصَعِدَتِ الصَّفَا
فَنَظَرَتْ وَنَظَرَتْ هَلْ تُحِسُّ أَحَدًا فَلَمْ تُحِسَّ
أَحَدًا، فَلَمَّا بَلَغَتِ الْوَادِيَ سَعَتْ وَأَتَتِ
الْمَرْوَةَ فَفَعَلَتْ ذَلِكَ أَشْوَاطًا، ثُمَّ قَالَتْ لَوْ
ذَهَبْتُ فَنَظَرْتُ مَا فَعَلَ ـ تَعْنِي الصَّبِيَّ ـ
فَذَهَبَتْ فَنَظَرَتْ، فَإِذَا هُوَ عَلَی حَالِهِ كَأَنَّهُ
يَنْشَغُ لِلْمَوْتِ، فَلَمْ تُقِرَّهَا نَفْسُهَا، فَقَالَتْ
لَوْ ذَهَبْتُ فَنَظَرْتُ لَعَلِّي أُحِسُّ أَحَدًا، فَذَهَبَتْ
فَصَعِدَتِ الصَّفَا فَنَظَرَتْ وَنَظَرَتْ فَلَمْ تُحِسَّ
أَحَدًا، حَتَّی أَتَمَّتْ سَبْعًا، ثُمَّ قَالَتْ لَوْ ذَهَبْتُ
فَنَظَرْتُ مَا فَعَلَ، فَإِذَا هِيَ بِصَوْتٍ فَقَالَتْ أَغِثْ
إِنْ كَانَ عِنْدَكَ خَيْرٌ. فَإِذَا جِبْرِيلُ، قَالَ فَقَالَ
بِعَقِبِهِ هَكَذَا، وَغَمَزَ عَقِبَهُ عَلَی الأَرْضِ، قَالَ
فَانْبَثَقَ الْمَاءُ، فَدَهَشَتْ أُمُّ إِسْمَاعِيلَ فَجَعَلَتْ
تَحْفِزُ. قَالَ فَقَالَ أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ صلی الله عليه وسلم
" لَوْ تَرَكَتْهُ كَانَ الْمَاءُ ظَاهِرًا ". قَالَ
فَجَعَلَتْ تَشْرَبُ مِنَ الْمَاءِ، وَيَدِرُّ لَبَنُهَا عَلَی
صَبِيِّهَا ـ قَالَ ـ فَمَرَّ نَاسٌ مِنْ جُرْهُمَ بِبَطْنِ
الْوَادِي، فَإِذَا هُمْ بِطَيْرٍ، كَأَنَّهُمْ أَنْكَرُوا
ذَاكَ، وَقَالُوا مَا يَكُونُ الطَّيْرُ إِلاَّ عَلَی مَاءٍ.
فَبَعَثُوا رَسُولَهُمْ، فَنَظَرَ فَإِذَا هُمْ بِالْمَاءِ،
فَأَتَاهُمْ فَأَخْبَرَهُمْ فَأَتَوْا إِلَيْهَا، فَقَالُوا يَا
أُمَّ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، أَتَأْذَنِينَ لَنَا أَنْ نَكُونَ مَعَكِ
أَوْ نَسْكُنَ مَعَكِ فَبَلَغَ ابْنُهَا فَنَكَحَ فِيهِمُ
امْرَأَةً، قَالَ ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ بَدَا لإِبْرَاهِيمَ فَقَالَ
لأَهْلِهِ إِنِّي مُطَّلِعٌ تَرِكَتِي قَالَ فَجَاءَ فَسَلَّمَ
فَقَالَ أَيْنَ إِسْمَاعِيلُ فَقَالَتِ امْرَأَتُهُ ذَهَبَ
يَصِيدُ. قَالَ قُولِي لَهُ إِذَا جَاءَ غَيِّرْ عَتَبَةَ
بَابِكَ. فَلَمَّا جَاءَ أَخْبَرَتْهُ قَالَ أَنْتِ ذَاكِ
فَاذْهَبِي إِلَی أَهْلِكِ. قَالَ ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ بَدَا
لإِبْرَاهِيمَ فَقَالَ لأَهْلِهِ إِنِّي مُطَّلِعٌ تَرِكَتِي.
قَالَ فَجَاءَ فَقَالَ أَيْنَ إِسْمَاعِيلُ فَقَالَتِ
امْرَأَتُهُ ذَهَبَ يَصِيدُ، فَقَالَتْ أَلاَ تَنْزِلُ
فَتَطْعَمَ وَتَشْرَبَ فَقَالَ وَمَا طَعَامُكُمْ وَمَا
شَرَابُكُمْ قَالَتْ طَعَامُنَا اللَّحْمُ، وَشَرَابُنَا
الْمَاءُ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَهُمْ فِي طَعَامِهِمْ
وَشَرَابِهِمْ. قَالَ فَقَالَ أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ صلی الله عليه
وسلم " بَرَكَةٌ بِدَعْوَةِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ". قَالَ ثُمَّ
إِنَّهُ بَدَا لإِبْرَاهِيمَ فَقَالَ لأَهْلِهِ إِنِّي مُطَّلِعٌ
تَرِكَتِي. فَجَاءَ فَوَافَقَ إِسْمَاعِيلَ مِنْ وَرَاءِ
زَمْزَمَ، يُصْلِحُ نَبْلاً لَهُ، فَقَالَ يَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ،
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ أَمَرَنِي أَنْ أَبْنِيَ لَهُ بَيْتًا قَالَ
أَطِعْ رَبَّكَ. قَالَ إِنَّهُ قَدْ أَمَرَنِي أَنْ تُعِينَنِي
عَلَيْهِ. قَالَ إِذًا أَفْعَلَ. أَوْ كَمَا قَالَ. قَالَ
فَقَامَا فَجَعَلَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ يَبْنِي، وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ
يُنَاوِلُهُ الْحِجَارَةَ، وَيَقُولاَنِ{ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ
مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ{
قال حتی ارْتَفَعَ الْبِنَاءُ وَضَعُفَ الشَّيْخُ عن نَقْلِ
الْحِجَارَةِ فَقَامَ علی حَجَرِ الْمَقَامِ فَجَعَلَ
يُنَاوِلُهُ الْحِجَارَةَ وَيَقُولَانِ{ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ
مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أنت السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ {
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas narrated: “Because of the situation that
existed between the wives of Abraham, he went away with
Ishmael and his mother. They had a water-skin with water in
it. Ishmael’s mother kept on drinking from it and offering her
bosom to her child [to drink milk] until Abraham reached
Makkah. He made her sit below a tree. Abraham then returned to
his first wife. Ishmael’s mother followed him until when they
reached Kada, she called him from behind: ‘With whom are you
leaving us with O Abraham!’ He replied: ‘With God.’ She said:
‘I am happy with God.’ She then returned and began drinking
from the water skin and offering her bosom to her child until
when the water finished she said [to herself]: ‘Would that I
should go and look around; maybe I can find someone.’ So, she
set off and climbed the Ṣafa’ hill and looked at length if she
could find anyone around but she could not. When she reached
the valley, she ran and came to the Marwah hill. She ran many
times between the two hills. She then said to herself: ‘Would
that I should now go and see what the child has done.’ So, she
went and found him in the same condition as if he was close to
dying. She became very anxious and said to herself: ‘Would
that I should go and look around; maybe I can find someone.’
So, she set off and climbed the Marwah hill and looked at
length if she could find anyone around but she could not until
she completed seven rounds. She then said to herself: ‘Would
that I should now go and see what the child has done.’
Suddenly she heard a voice. At this, she said: ‘Help [me] if
you have any good.’ Lo! It was Gabriel who scraped the earth
with his heel
[and Ibn ‘Abbas demonstrated this by scraping his heel.] Water
then gushed out. Ishmael’s mother was wonderstruck and began
digging it. Abu al-Qasim said: ‘If she had left the water, it
would have flown on the surface of the earth.’ Ishmael’s
mother started drinking from this water and her milk increased
for her child. Then some people of the Jurhum tribe passed by
the bottom of the valley and suddenly saw birds over it. It
was as if they were overcome with disbelief and said: ‘Birds
can only be found where water is.’ So, they sent their
messenger to search and he suddenly spotted water. He then
came back and informed them. Thereafter, off they went towards
it and said: ‘Mother of Ishmael! Do you permit us to be with
you or live with you?’ [The permission was granted and they
began living there.] Thus, [after years] her son reached
maturity and contracted marriage with a woman who belonged to
them. Then it happened that Abraham had a thought. So, he said
to his wife [Sarah]: ‘I want to go and find out what happened
to my dependents [I had left in Makkah].’ At this, he came [to
the place where Ishmael lived] and paid salutations to his
wife and asked her: ‘Where is Ishmael?’ She replied: ‘He has
gone for hunting.’ Abraham said: ‘When he comes, tell him to
change the threshold of his door.’ So, when Ishmael came, she
informed him of this. Ishmael said: ‘You are this threshold.
Thus go back to your family [because I divorce you].’ [Abraham
returned and after sometime] it happened that Abraham [again]
had a thought. So, he said to his wife [Sarah]: ‘I want to go
and find out what happened to my dependents [I had left in
Makkah].’ Thus, he came [to the place where Ishmael lived] and
paid salutations to his wife and asked her: ‘Where is
Ishmael?’ She replied: ‘He has gone for hunting. Will you not
disembark and have food and drink with us?’ Abraham replied:
‘What is your food and drink?’ She said: ‘Our food is meat and
drink is water.’ Abraham prayed to God: ‘Lord! Bless their
food and drink.’ Abu al-Qasim (sws) said: ‘Blessings [of
Makkah] are because of Abraham’s invocation.’ Then again a
thought came to Abraham and he said to his wife [Sarah]: ‘I
want to go and find out what happened to my dependents [I had
left in Makkah].’ So, he came there and found Ishmael
straightening his arrow behind Zamzam. Then he said to him: ‘O
Ishmael! Your Lord has ordered me to make a house for him.
Follow your Lord’s directive. He has ordered me to seek your
help in this.’ Ishmael replied: ‘Then I will do it,’ or
whatever he said. So, both got up and Abraham began building
the house and Ishmael would hand over stones to him and both
would pray: رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا
إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ (Lord! Accept
this from us; indeed, you hear and know all). Another narrator
said: This happened when the walls of the building had been
erected and Abraham, as an old man, could no longer pick the
stones for himself. So, he stood on a stone and [now] Ishmael
would hand him the stones and both would pray:
رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيعُ
الْعَلِيمُ (Lord! Accept this from us; indeed,
you hear and know all).”
III Critical Evaluation
In the following pages, a critical evaluation of both the
chain of narration and the text of the narratives will be
presented.
A. Criticism on the Chain of Narration
Before critically evaluating the chains of narration of the
variants of this narrative, here is their brief summary.
The variants of this narrative have been reported in truncated
or complete form by five companions from the Prophet (sws).
They are stated here in descending order of proliferation:
i. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (rta)
(d. 68 AH)
ii. Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (rta)
(d. 18 AH)
iii. Anas ibn Malik (rta)
(93 AH)
iv. ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (rta)
(40 AH)
v. ‘Umar ibn Khattab (rta)
(23 AH)
Out of these, the ones reported by Anas ibn Malik (rta), ‘Ali
ibn Abi Talib (rta) and ‘Umar ibn Khattab are extremely weak
and unreliable.
Scholars have generally accepted the ones reported by
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas
(rta) and Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (rta) with some observation. It may
be noted that in some variants ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (rta)
reports directly from the Prophet (sws) and in others he
reports these narratives through Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (rta). It may
further be noted that the latter type of variants are
generally truncated in content while the former type have both
the truncated and the complete versions.
Some mursal narratives are also recorded. They are reported
by:
i. Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyab
(d. 94 AH)
ii. Sa‘id ibn Jubayr
(d. 95 AH)
iii. Mujahid ibn Jabr
(d. 105 AH)
iv. Wahb ibn Munabbih
(d. 114 AH)
v. Muhammad ibn Ishaq
(d. 141 AH)
The basic critique on the chain of narration of this narrative
is that it cannot be reasonably established if Sa‘id ibn
Jubayr actually heard this narrative from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas
(rta). Shabbir Ahmad Azhar Mayrathi,
a celebrated Hadith scholar from the sub-continent observes
that in the corpus of hadith literature there are many
narratives which Sa‘id ibn Jubayr
has directly heard from Ibn ‘Abbas (rta) and others which he
has not directly heard from him but has in fact heard them
from people who heard them from Ibn ‘Abbas. Whenever Sa‘id
narrates directly from Ibn ‘Abbas (rta), he always specifies
this by saying:حدثني ابن عباس (Ibn
‘Abbas narrated to me) or سمعت ابن عباس
(I heard from Ibn ‘Abbas) or أخبرني
ابن عباس (Ibn ‘Abbas informed me). When he narrates
indirectly from Ibn ‘Abbas (rta), he either names the person
in between eg. حدثني مجاهد عن ابن عباس
(Mujahid narrated to me from Ibn ‘Abbas) and
حدثني عكرمة عن ابن عباس (‘Ikramah
narrated to me from Ibn ‘Abbas) or does not name anyone at
all and just says عن ابن عباس (from
Ibn ‘Abbas). Now as far as the narrative under discussion is
concerned, if all its variants are analyzed it will be found
that in all of them the words without any exception are
عباس عن ابن (from Ibn ‘Abbas) which
means that Sa‘id never heard this narrative directly from Ibn
‘Abbas (rta).
In all probability, Sa‘id heard it from someone who had
attributed it to Ibn ‘Abbas (rta) and trusting this person,
Sa‘id ascribed it to Ibn ‘Abbas (rta).
What can be presented as another point of critique is also the
fact that among the six canonical collections of Hadith, only
al-Bukhari has reported this narrative.
B. Criticism on the Text
The basic criticism on this narrative is that it is against
the Qur’an on three grounds.
Firstly, it is against the statements of the Qur’an regarding
a major event mentioned in it. It can be inferred quite
convincingly from the Qur’an that when Abraham (sws) settled
Ishmael (sws) in Makkah, he was a grown up boy and not an
infant who was being suckled by his mother. Briefly stated,
this inference can be made from the following established
historical facts stated by the Qur’an.
i. When Abraham (sws) settled Ishmael in Makkah, his younger
brother Isaac (sws) had already been born.
ii. Isaac (sws) was born only after Abraham (sws) had offered
his son Ishmael (sws) for sacrifice at the behest of the
Almighty. The news of his birth was actually given to Abraham
(sws) as a reward for his heroic feat.
iii. At the time of sacrifice, Ishmael (sws) was young boy who
could run around.
Keeping the above facts in mind, it can be deduced:
a. It follows from ii, iii and iv that the difference in age
of the two brothers Ishmael (sws) and Isaac (sws) must have
been a good ten or twelve years.
b. It follows from i and a that Ishmael (sws) must have been a
young lad when he came to Makkah with his father to settle
there.
Here are the Qur’an verses which provide the information from
i to iii:
وَإِذْ
قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيْمُ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَـذَا الْبَلَدَ آمِنًا
وَّاجْنُبْنِیْ وَبَنِیَّ أَن نَّعْبُدَ الْأَصْنَامَ. رَبِّ
إِنَّهُنَّ أَضْلَلْنَ كَثِيْرًا مِّنَ النَّاسِ فَمَن
تَبِعَنِیْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنِّی وَمَنْ عَصَانِیْ فَإِنَّكَ
غَفُوْرٌ رَّحِيْمٌ. رَّبَّنَا إِنِّیْ أَسْكَنْتُ مِنْ
ذُرِّيَّتِیْ بِوَادٍ غَيْرِ ذِیْ زَرْعٍ عِنْدَ بَيْتِكَ
الْمُحَرَّمِ رَبَّنَا لِيُقِيمُوْا الصَّلَاةَ فَاجْعَلْ
أَفْئِدَةً مِّنَ النَّاسِ تَهْوِیْ إِلَيْهِمْ وَارْزُقْهُم
مِّنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْكُرُوْنَ. رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ
تَعْلَمُ مَا نُخْفِیْ وَمَا نُعْلِنُ وَمَا يَخْفَى عَلَى
اللّهِ مِن شَیْءٍ فَی الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِی السَّمَآءِ.
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ الَّذِیْ وَهَبَ لِیْ عَلَى الْكِبَرِ
إِسْمَاعِيْلَ وَإِسْحَقَ إِنَّ رَبِّی لَسَمِيعُ
الدُّعَاء.رَبِّ اجْعَلْنِیْ مُقِيْمَ الصَّلَاةِ وَمِنْ
ذُرِّيَّتِیْ رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَآءِ.
Narrate to them the incident when Abraham prayed: “Lord! Make
this city a city of peace and distance me and my progeny from
worshipping idols. Lord! These idols have led many astray.
[They can also lead astray my progeny;] so, he [among them]
who follows me is mine and he who disobeyed me, [his matter is
consigned to you.] Then You are Forgiving and Ever-Merciful.
Lord! I have settled some of my progeny near your sacred House
in a barren valley. Lord! that they show diligence in the
prayer [in this House]. So, incline the hearts of people
towards them and grant them sustenance of fruits so that they
may be grateful [to You]. Lord! You know what we conceal and
what we reveal. In reality, nothing is hidden from God,
neither in the earth nor in the heavens. Gratitude be to God
Who has blessed me with Ishmael and Isaac in this old age.
(14:35-39)
This is the prayer uttered by Abraham (sws) when he was
settling Ishmael (sws) in Makkah. The words of the prayer
“gratitude be to God Who has blessed me with Ishmael and Isaac
in this old age,” clearly say that both Ishmael (sws) and
Isaac (sws) had been born by that time.
Now consider the following verses:
فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ السَّعْيَ قَالَ يَا
بُنَيَّ إِنِّي أَرَى فِي الْمَنَامِ أَنِّي أَذْبَحُكَ فَانظُرْ
مَاذَا تَرَى قَالَ يَا أَبَتِ افْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ سَتَجِدُنِي
إِن شَاء اللَّهُ مِنَ الصَّابِرِينَ. فَلَمَّا أَسْلَمَا
وَتَلَّهُ لِلْجَبِينِ. وَنَادَيْنَاهُ أَنْ يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ.
قَدْ صَدَّقْتَ الرُّؤْيَا إِنَّا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي
الْمُحْسِنِينَ. إِنَّ هَذَا لَهُوَ الْبَلَاء الْمُبِينُ.
وَفَدَيْنَاهُ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيمٍ. وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِي
الْآخِرِينَ. سَلَامٌ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ. كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي
الْمُحْسِنِينَ. إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ.
وَبَشَّرْنَاهُ بِإِسْحَقَ نَبِيًّا مِّنَ الصَّالِحِينَ.
And, when his
son was old enough to walk with him, he said: “O my son! I
have been seeing in a dream that I am offering you in
sacrifice [to Allah]. So look what you think!?” He said: “O my
father! Do that which you are commanded, God willing, you
shall find me of the patient.” Then, when they had both
submitted themselves and he had laid him prostrate on his
forehead, We called out to him: “O Abraham! You have made the
dream a reality.” Indeed, thus do We reward the good-doers.
Verily, that indeed was a manifest trial. And We ransomed him
with a great sacrifice and We left for him [a goodly
remembrance] among the later generations. Peace be upon
Abraham! Thus indeed do We reward the good-doers. Verily, he
was one of Our believing slaves. And We gave him the glad
tidings of Isaac – a Prophet from the righteous. (37:99-112)
It can be seen
from the underlined part of these verses (And We gave him the
glad tidings of Isaac) that it was after the incident of
sacrifice of Ishmael (sws) that Abraham (sws) was given glad
tidings of the birth of Isaac (sws). In other words, Isaac (sws)
was not even born at the time Ishmael (sws) was offered for
sacrifice. Now the opening words of these set of verses show
that Ishmael (sws) must have been a budding youngster at the
time of the incident of his sacrifice (when his son was old
enough to walk with him).
In other words, this would mean that Ishmael (sws) was a young
lad who was a fair bit older than Isaac (sws) and can easily
be construed that the difference between the two brothers must
have been more than 10-12 years. Since both these sons were
already born to Abraham (sws) when he settled Ishmael (sws) in
Makkah, it would mean that Ishmael (sws) must have been a
youth of budding age at that time and not an infant as this
narrative alleges.
It may also be noted that this established fact regarding the
difference of age between the two brothers as stated by the
Qur’an is also endorsed by the Bible: it is evident from the
Bible, that Ishmael was fourteen years older to Isaac (sws).
Moreover, it becomes evident from an instance from within the
Biblical account also that Ishmael could not have been an
infant when he was sent off by Abraham (sws) with his mother.
It is stated in the Bible (Genesis, 20: 8-14) that this
happened after Isaac (sws) had been weaned. It has already
been shown earlier that both the Qur’an and the Bible depict
Ishmael (sws) to be a budding youngster at the birth of Isaac
(sws). So it can well be imagined that Ishmael had advanced a
few more years in age when Isaac (sws) was weaned.
It may thus be concluded by all counts that it is historically
incorrect that Ishmael (sws) was an infant when he came to
Makkah with his mother.
Secondly, the narrative depicts Abraham’s (sws) personality in
direct contradiction of how the Qur’an mentions him. The
narrative portrays Abraham (sws) as a cruel father and husband
who left his son and wife all by themselves in the desolate
wilderness of Makkah.
In the first instance, he never bothered to carry the burden
and the provisions in the journey. It was only Hagar who was
left to carry them.
In the second instance, he did not provide them with enough
provisions and supplies to survive there.
In the third instance, it is mentioned in some variants
that Hagar called to him several times to find out the reason
for leaving her and Ishmael (sws) but he never replied. It was
only when she herself came up with a probable reason that she
was perhaps being left under God’s orders did he answer in the
affirmative.
In the fourth instance, it was only after a considerable
period of time that he thought of visiting them again. This is
evident from the fact that the narrative states that Ishmael (sws)
had already got married by that time. It is strange that he
never thought of visiting them in this whole period from the
time he had left Ishmael as a helpless infant to the time he
grew up to marriageable age.
How thoroughly unbecoming of a celebrated patriarch praised
profusely by the Qur’an. Here are some gleanings:
وَاتَّخَذَ
اللّهُ إِبْرَاهِيْمَ خَلِيْلًا .
God had chosen Abraham to be His friend. (4:125)
إِنَّ
إِبْرَاهِيْمَ لَحَلِيْمٌ أَوَّاهٌ مُّنِيْبٌ.
In reality, Abraham was very gracious and very affectionate
and one who was very focused towards his Lord. (11:75)
إِنَّ
إِبْرَاهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَانِتًا لِلّهِ حَنِيفًا وَلَمْ
يَكُ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ. شَاكِرًا لِّأَنْعُمِهِ اجْتَبَاهُ
وَهَدَاهُ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ. وَآتَيْنَاهُ فِي
الْدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَإِنَّهُ فِي الآخِرَةِ لَمِنَ
الصَّالِحِينَ.
In reality, Abraham was an ummah [in his own self,] obedient
to God and devoted and he was not from among the polytheists.
He was grateful for His favours. God chose him and had guided
him towards a straight path. We granted him goodness in this
world also and in the Hereafter as well also he will be from
among the righteous. (16: 120-122)
إِذْ جَاء
رَبَّهُ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيْمٍ .
And [Abraham] came to his Lord with a pure heart. (37:84)
وَإِبْرَاهِيْمَ الَّذِي وَفَّى.
And of Abraham, who was befittingly loyal. (53:37)
Can it be expected of a person of his stature to show the
unbecoming conduct depicted in the narrative?
Thirdly, a variant
says that the reason Abraham (sws) went away with Hagar and
Ishmael was some dispute that happened between him and Sarah (لَمَّا
كان بين إبراهيم وَبَيْنَ أَهْلِهِ ما كان خَرَجَ بِإِسْمَاعِيلَ
وَأُمِّ إِسْمَاعِيلَ). The Qur’an clearly says that
this journey took place because of God’s directive so that
Makkah could be chosen for the birth of a new ummah.
Some other points of questionable provenance that come to mind
regarding this narrative are as follows:
i. An anomaly in the narrative is that when Abraham (sws)
walked back after leaving Hagar and Ishmael (sws), Hagar
followed him. Neither did Abraham (sws) inform her that he was
leaving her nor did she ask what was going on until they
reached a place called Kida.
ii. While trying to find water in the barren terrain of
Arabia, Hagar actually had placed the infant son on the ground
when she set off in search of water. At one instance, the
narrative says that when Hagar had gone to peep on Ishmael’s
state, she saw him close to death; even then she proceeded
alone to once again find water. Can anyone believe that a
loving mother would leave her son to the mercy of the sizzling
weather when she goes to look for water? Why would not she
have carried him along with her in this search even if she had
to bear hardship, as sense and reason entail?
iii. It is strange that Abraham (sws) travelled to his son on
two occasions to visit and did not even wait to meet him when
he came to know that he had gone for hunting. Instead, left a
message for him in a rather cryptic fashion regarding his
wife(s). Although it is claimed that he did visit them every
month, but no sound proof of this visit is cited.
A Possible Source of the Narrative
If one reads the Biblical and Talmudic narrations of this
incident, one can clearly see a nexus between these accounts
and the one found in the narrative under discussion. In fact,
the narrative seems to be an amalgam of the Biblical and
Talmudic accounts, in particular the latter.
This is how this narrative appears in the Bible in the Book of
Genesis.
Chapter 16 reads:
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she
had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The
Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my
slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed
to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan
ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and
gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar,
and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began
to despise her mistress. Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are
responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in
your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she
despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.” “Your
slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you
think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from
her. The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the
desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And
he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and
where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,”
she answered. Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to
your mistress and submit to her.” The angel added, “I will
increase your descendants so much that they will be too
numerous to count.” The angel of the Lord also said to her:
“You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You
shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery.
He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against
everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in
hostility toward all his brothers.” She gave this name to the
Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she
said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” That is why the
well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between
Kadesh and Bered. So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave
the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. Abram was
eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Chapter 21 reads:
Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the
Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant
and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God
had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah
bore him. When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham
circumcised him, as God commanded him. Abraham was a hundred
years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Sarah said, “God
has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this
will laugh with me.” And she added, “Who would have said to
Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him
a son in his old age.” The child grew and was weaned, and on
the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. But Sarah
saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham
was mocking, and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave
woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in
the inheritance with my son Isaac.” The matter distressed
Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. But God said to
him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave
woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is
through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. I will
make the son of the slave into a nation also, because he is
your offspring.” Early the next morning Abraham took some food
and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her
shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her
way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba. When the water in
the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes.
Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she
thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there,
she began to sob. God heard the boy crying, and the angel of
God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the
matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying
as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand,
for I will make him into a great nation.” Then God opened her
eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the
skin with water and gave the boy a drink. God was with the boy
as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer.
While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a
wife for him from Egypt..
Here is how this
narrative appears in the Talmud:
“AND the Lord
visited Sarah and she bore a son unto Abraham in his old age.”
When Isaac
was born Abraham prepared a great feast in his honour, and
invited thereto all the chiefs and men of birth and position
who were his neighbours, such as Abimelech and the captains of
his armies. Therach, Abraham’s father, and Nahor, his brother,
journeyed also from Charan to join in the festivities, and
Shem with Eber, his son, were likewise of the party. They were
all hearty in their congratulations, and Abraham’s heart was
full with gladness.
Ishmael, the
son of Hagar and Abraham, was very fond of hunting and field
sports. He carried his bow with him at all times, and upon one
occasion, when Isaac was about five years of age, Ishmael
aimed his arrow at the child, crying, “Now I am going to shoot
thee.” Sarah witnessed this action, and fearing for the life
of her son, and disliking the child of her handmaid, she made
many complaints to Abraham of the boy’s doings, and urged him
to dismiss both Hagar and Ishmael from his tent, and send them
to live at some other place.
For some time
Ishmael lived with his mother in the wilderness of Paran,
always indulging in his great passion for hunting; then they
journeyed to Egypt, where Ishmael married, and where four sons
and a daughter were born to him. But soon he returned to his
favourite home in the wilderness, building there tents for
himself, his people and his family, for God had blessed him,
and he was the master of large flocks and herds.
And it came
to pass after many years that Abraham, yielding to a longing
which had always possessed him, determined to visit his son,
and informing Sarah of his intention he started off alone upon
a camel.
He reached
Ishmael’s dwelling-place about noontime, and found that his
son was away from home, hunting. He was rudely treated by
Ishmael’s wife, who did not know him, and who refused him the
bread and water which he asked for. Therefore he said to her,
“When thy husband returns say thus to him, describing my
appearance, An old man from the land of the Philistines came
to our door during thy absence, and he said to me, when thy
husband returns, tell him to remove the nail which he has
driven in his tent and to replace it with one more worthy,”
with which words Abraham rode away.
When Ishmael
returned home his wife related to him the occurrence,
describing the man and repeating his words, and Ishmael knew
that his father had visited him and been treated with
disrespect. For which cause Ishmael divorced his wife, and
married a maiden from the land of Canaan.
Some three
years after this Abraham again visited his son’s tent, and
again his son was away from home; but his wife was pleasant
and hospitable, and begged the stranger, whom she did not
know, to alight from his camel, and she set before him bread
and meat. Therefore he said to her, “When thy husband returns,
describe to him my appearance, and say, ‘This old man came to
thee from the land of the Philistines, and this message he
left for thee: the nail which thou hast driven in thy tent is
good and worthy, see that it is properly esteemed;” and
blessing Ishmael and his family, Abraham returned to his home.
When Ishmael
returned he was much pleased to hear his father’s message, and
he thanked God for a good and worthy wife, and after a time he
and his family visited Abraham, and remained with him in the
land of the Philistines for many days.
Although there
are some minor discrepancies in these accounts with that of
the narrative under discussion, a discerning mind can clearly
see how these accounts could have become the source of the
content of this narrative.
IV Conclusion
It is evident
from the forgoing analysis that the narrative under discussion
is not only against the Qur’an and some precepts of common
sense but also has a questionable ascription to ‘Abdullah ibn
‘Abbas (rta) who allegedly reports it from the Prophet (sws).
Moreover, it is
likely that this narrative has originated from the Biblical
and Talmudic accounts and thus, as suspected by Ibn Kathir,
is from among the genre of isra’iliyat.
___________
Abraham was
a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
(Genesis, 21:5)
|