Al- Tabari was a Muslim scholar who discussed the sacrifice made by Abraham. He argued that the reason behind the sacrifice was because Abraham was commanded to do so by God. This was among the many burnt sacrifices that were carried out by the ancient Israelites. Burnt offerings were very significant and were carried out on the altar made on bronze long with other offerings. He highlights that Abraham was God’s friend who was an example of unconditional and pure faith and righteousness. This explains the reason why Abraham almost sacrificed his only son. He also explains that Abraham displayed a lot of love towards God and that is why he did not hesitate to offer the sacrifice. God was only testing the faith of Abraham and that is why he commanded him to offer his only son. Abraham agreed to this by saying that he is willing to go to go to the place that the Lord will guide him. He said that it was the Lord who granted him the child from among the righteous so He deserves to be offered a good sacrifice (Noort,p.3).
The significance of this sacrifice for the construction the Islamic identity is that Ishmael is regarded as the sacrificed son who was later their prophet and an ancestor to Muhammad. He was also linked to Mecca and structuring of kaaba and he is also associated with Arab. He is admired for being good, patient and righteous in the Quran. He is described as one who keeps true promises and an apostle of God. He is portrayed as one who prayed for his people and did acts of charity towards them. Muhammad being a descendant of Ishmael is justified as the prophet of Muslims to continue the line of prophets. According to Muslims, Ishmael was the son of promise and they are therefore the blessed children of God. They argue that it was Ishmael and not Isaac whose descendants would become heirs to the Promised Land (Ṭabarī, 2).
It is clear that both Christians and Islam agree and believe that Abraham was the friend of God who practiced pure righteousness and faith that was unconditional. They all believe that Abraham loved so much that he displayed it towards God through his willingness to offer his only beloved son as a sacrifice. However, both religions do not agree with the identity of the child that was to be sacrificed. The argument by Christians is that the child was Isaac while the Muslims argue that the child was Ishmael. The Bible mentions the name Isaac as the only son of Abraham why the Quran do not mention it. They argue that Ishmael was the only son of Abraham for more than thirteen years. This then make Muslims argue that the original reading was corrupted. The bible on the other hand explains the reason why Isaac was named the only son. It explains that he was the only promised son of Abraham and the Muslims also agree with it. They also agree that Ishmael was not a promised child as he was not conceived miraculously to a barren woman and an old father. This means that even if the Quran does not mention the name Isaac then the promised child was him. This is so because they agree on everything else apart from the name (Ṭūfī, 4).
Work Cited
Noort, Edward. The Sacrifice of Isaac: The Aqedah (genesis 22) and Its Interpretations. Leiden: Brill, 2002. Print.
Ṭabarī, , and William M. Brinner. The Children of Israel. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1991. Print.
Ṭūfī, Sulaymān A.-Q, and Lejla Demiri. Muslim Exegesis of the Bible in Medieval Cairo: Najm Al-Din Al-Tufi's (d. 716/1316) Commentary on the Christian Scriptures. Leiden: Brill, 2013. Print.
