Isma'il, known in English as Ishmael (peace be upon him), was a son of Ibrahim (Abraham) and Hajar (Hagar). He was a messenger and prophet of Allah (﷾). The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) is among his descendants.
The Qur'an tells little about him; this is what it says. This guide follows the Qur'an, with authentic sayings of the Prophet (ﷺ), and does not fill the gaps with stories. It is the story as Islam tells it.
At a glance
- He was a son of Ibrahim and Hajar, given in Ibrahim's old age.
- The Qur'an calls him true to what he promised, a messenger and a prophet.
- He told his people to pray and give charity, and was most acceptable in his Lord's sight.
- With his father he raised the foundations of the Kaaba in Mecca.
- Allah (﷾) made a covenant with Ibrahim and Isma'il to keep His House pure for those who worship there.
- The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) is among his descendants.
- His birth
Allah (﷾) gives Ibrahim a son in his old age, and Ibrahim thanks Him. Qur’an 14:39
- The valley
By Allah's (﷾) command, Ibrahim settles his family by the Sacred House, in a valley with no crops. Qur’an 14:37Sahih al-Bukhari 3364Ibrahim
- The House
He and his father raise the foundations of the Kaaba, and pray that Allah (﷾) accept it. Qur’an 2:125Qur’an 2:127
- His message
He is a messenger and a prophet. He tells his people to pray and give charity. Qur’an 19:54–55
The Qur'an gives no dates for Isma'il's life, so these are the stages of his story that it tells.
True to what he promised
Isma'il is named in many places in the Qur'an, usually among other prophets. One passage is about him alone. Allah (﷾) tells the Prophet (ﷺ) to mention him in the Book: Qur’an 19:54–55
He was (strictly) true to what he promised, and he was a messenger (and) a prophet.
He used to enjoin on his people Prayer and Charity, and he was most acceptable in the sight of his Lord.
He kept his word, and he was a messenger as well as a prophet. His message was the one all the messengers brought: prayer, which is worship of Allah (﷾), and charity, which is care for people.
The Qur'an names him with other prophets as a man of constancy and patience. It says Allah (﷾) admitted them to His mercy, for they were of the righteous. Qur’an 21:85Which prophets are named in the Qur'an?
We admitted them to Our mercy: for they were of the righteous ones.
Allah (﷾) gave him favour above the nations and counted him among the good. He sent him revelation, as He did to the prophets before and after him. Muslims believe in what was revealed to Isma'il, and make no distinction between the prophets. Qur’an 6:86Qur’an 38:48Qur’an 4:163Qur’an 2:136
Ibrahim's son, and the House of Allah (﷾)
Isma'il was a gift to Ibrahim in his old age. Ibrahim thanked Allah (﷾): Qur’an 14:39
Praise be to Allah, Who hath granted unto me in old age Isma'il and Isaac: for truly my Lord is He, the Hearer of Prayer!
Ibrahim's guide tells how he brought Isma'il and his mother Hajar to the empty valley of Mecca. It also tells how Allah (﷾) gave them the well of Zamzam. The Qur'an tells of a dream in which Ibrahim was shown that he must offer his son in sacrifice. The son was a patient boy who submitted. The Qur'an does not name him, and most Muslim scholars hold that it was Isma'il. This site looks at that question on its own page. IbrahimQur’an 37:101–107Which son did Abraham offer for sacrifice, Ishmael or Isaac?
When Isma'il was grown, he and his father raised the House of Allah (﷾) in Mecca, the Kaaba. The Qur'an says that Allah (﷾) made a covenant with them both: Qur’an 2:127
We covenanted with Abraham and Isma'il, that they should sanctify My House for those who compass it round, or use it as a retreat, or bow, or prostrate themselves (therein in prayer).
As they built, they prayed that Allah (﷾) would accept their work. They prayed that He would make them and their children Muslims, people who submit to Him. Then they prayed for a gift to their descendants: Qur’an 2:127–128
Our Lord! send amongst them a Messenger of their own, who shall rehearse Thy Signs to them and instruct them in scripture and wisdom, and sanctify them
His descendants
The Prophet (ﷺ) once passed some men of the tribe of Aslam who were practising archery. He called them the sons of Isma'il, and told them to keep throwing, because their father was an archer. So he reminded them of the forefather they shared with him. Sahih al-Bukhari 2899
The Prophet (ﷺ) said that Allah (﷾) chose Kinana from among the descendants of Isma'il. From Kinana He chose the Quraysh, the leading tribe of Mecca. From the Quraysh He chose the Banu Hashim, a clan within the tribe. Then He chose him from the Banu Hashim. Muslims see in this the answer to the prayer of Ibrahim and Isma'il: a messenger from among their own children. Sahih Muslim 2276Qur’an 2:129
How the Bible tells it differently
The Bible tells of Ishmael mainly in Genesis, chapters 16, 17, 21 and 25. Both books say he was Abraham's son, and that God (﷾) favoured him. But some details are different. Muslims believe that Allah (﷾) revealed the Torah to Musa, and the Injil to Isa: the Gospel Jesus himself preached in his lifetime. The Injil is not the New Testament. The four New Testament Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, were written by others, decades after Jesus was raised up. None of them names its author: the names were attached later. And the Torah we have today is not exactly as it was revealed. So where the Bible tells a story just as the Qur'an does, we believe it. Where it differs from the Qur'an or contradicts it, we do not. Where the Qur'an says nothing, we neither believe it nor deny it, as the Prophet (ﷺ) taught. Here are the main differences, with the verses. Genesis 17:20 (KJV)Qur’an 14:39Qur’an 6:86Qur’an 5:48Qur’an 5:46Which of the four Gospels did Jesus preach from?Who wrote the Gospels?Sahih al-Bukhari 4485How should a Muslim read the Bible?
The covenant. Genesis says God (﷾) would establish His covenant with Isaac. Of Ishmael it says: "I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation." The Qur'an says Allah (﷾) made a covenant with Ibrahim and Isma'il about His House. This site looks at the question in full. Genesis 17:19–21 (KJV)Qur’an 2:125Is Ishmael part of God's covenant and blessing to Abraham?
Where he grew up. Genesis says that God (﷾) was with the boy and that he grew up in the wilderness. It says he became an archer and lived in the wilderness of Paran. The Bible names Kedar, his second son, with Arabia. The Qur'an says Ibrahim settled some of his children in a valley with no crops, by Allah's (﷾) Sacred House. The Prophet (ﷺ) called Isma'il an archer. Genesis 21:20–21 (KJV)Genesis 25:13 (KJV)Ezekiel 27:21 (KJV)Qur’an 14:37Sahih al-Bukhari 2899Is Mecca in the Bible?
A prophet. The Bible tells of God's (﷾) blessing on Ishmael, but never calls him a prophet. The Qur'an calls him a messenger and a prophet, who told his people to pray and give charity. Genesis 17:20 (KJV)Qur’an 19:54–55
What we can learn
Isma'il's story is short, but it shows what a faithful life looks like.
- Keep your word. The first thing the Qur'an says in his praise is that he was true to what he promised.
- Pray, and give to others. His message to his people was prayer and charity: worship of Allah (﷾), and care for people.
- Be patient. The Qur'an counts him among those of constancy and patience, whom Allah (﷾) admitted to His mercy.
- Build something that outlasts you. Isma'il and his father raised the Kaaba, and prayed for the generations to come. It still stands, and it still points people to Allah (﷾) alone.
Isma'il and Ibrahim asked Allah (﷾) for a messenger who would teach their children His Book and wisdom. Muslims believe that Allah (﷾) answered, and the call is open to everyone. Qur’an 2:129