Abraham (4)
Abraham and Ishmael rebuild the Ka’ba.
Bible
There is obviously nothing about this episode in the Bible, but we find in Genesis 21:8-21 how, after the weaning of her son Isaac, Sarah insisted that Hagar and Ishmael be sent away. It is said that Ishmael made his home in the wilderness of Paran which is situated on the northern edge of the Sinai Peninsula.
NT
See Galations 4:22-31 for Paul’s reflection on the two sons of Abraham.
Qur’an
The Islamic tradition is that Hagar went with Ishmael into the Arabian desert and that Abraham visited them there.
We made the House a resort and a sanctuary for people… We commanded Abraham and Ishmael: “Purify My House for those who walk round it, those who stay there, and those who bow and prostrate themselves in worship… As Abraham and Ishmael built up the foundations of the House [they prayed], “Our Lord, accept [this] from us… Our Lord, make us devoted (muslimayni) to You; make our descendants into a community (umma) devoted (muslima) to You
(Q 2:125-128).
By the House is meant the Ka’ba, a pre-Islamic shrine and sanctuary to which the Arab tribes went in pilgrimage. It was cleansed by Muhammad of the idols it contained and became the direction of prayer for the Muslims.
The Arabic term islâm, as Abdel Halem explains, means devoting oneself to the one God alone; when it is written with a capital letter – Islam – it signifies the religion. So while a muslim is anyone devoted to the One God, a Muslim is a follower of Islam.
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