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Hi, Friend, let us Talk About Ishmael and Where We’re Coming From.

Hi, it is great to see you and hope you are well! I want you to know, I have been thinking about something lately, and I would love to bounce it off you. We have got this shared history, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, and it is wild how our paths split from there, right!

I am a Christian a Born-Again Believer, Bible in one hand, heart on the sleeve, and I know you’re holding the Quran close. So, let us sit down, grab a coffee, and talk about Ishmael, Genesis, and why we see things the way we do. There is no pressure, just two friends digging into the big stuff.

So, Ishmael, what a story. In my Bible, Genesis 16 kicks it off. Abraham was 86 years old, and Sarah, not having children. She said, “Take Hagar, my servant; maybe God has a plan here.” Then Hagar became pregnant, and Ishmael is born. Then the family drama starts. Sarah is unhappy, Hagar is on edge, and Abraham was caught in the middle. Then Genesis 17 hits; God shows up and says, “Abraham, I am making a covenant with you. ”

Sarah’s going to have a son, Isaac, and through him, I’ll keep my promise, land, people, blessing.” Ishmael? God doesn’t leave him out. He says, “I’ll bless him too, 12 princes, a big nation, but the covenants through Isaac” (Genesis 17:20-21). Fast forward to Genesis 21, Isaac’s born, tensions boil over, and Hagar and Ishmael get sent away. God saves them in the desert, with water, protection, and Ishmael grows up and has 12 sons, and that is his legacy (Genesis 25:12-18). This is the story and believable, isn’t it?

Now, I hear you on the Islamic side, Ishmael’s huge for you. He’s not just some sidekick; he’s a prophet. You’ve got Abraham and Ishmael building the Kaaba in Mecca, that holy spot you turn to in prayer (Surah 2:125). And Muhammad, peace be upon him, as you would say, it traces back to Ishmael through the Quraysh tribe. That is a big deal, tying your whole faith to Abraham through that line. I respect that, it’s a deep root for you, a sense of God’s hand over centuries.

But here’s where I’m scratching my head, and I’d love your take. In Genesis, Ishmael was blessed, no question about that, God’s got a plan for him, that makes him a nation. But the covenant, the promise, it was pinned to Isaac. Genesis 21:12 says it plain: “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” It’s not unbelievable, God’s chose this way. But for me, as a Christian, that my belief runs straight to Jesus. Galatians 3:16 says the “seed” of Abraham is Christ, the whole Bible’s pointing there, from Genesis to Revelation. So, when I hear Ishmael’s the key for you, and Muhammad’s the final prophet, I’m like, “Whoa, how’d we get here?” What’s your read on that split?

I know you’ve got a piece that fits this puzzle, the Bible’s corrupt, right? You call it tahrif, this idea that the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospel got twisted by people over time. The Quran comes in 610 AD and says, “Nope, here’s the straight story, Ishmael’s a prophet, Abraham’s sacrifice was him, not Isaac, and Muhammad’s the capstone.” I get why that makes sense to you, if the Bible’s off, the Quran fixes it, and Ishmael’s role shines through. But can I push back a little, friend to friend?

See, I have been taught, at Bible college, to teach verse by verse, that the Bible’s truly God Word. Genesis isn’t some late rewrite; it’s old, like 1400 BC with Moses old. We’ve got manuscripts, the Dead Sea Scrolls, from 200 BC, showing it’s stayed steady. Sure, there’s copyist quirks, a misspelled word here or there, but the core? Untouched. No sign of a conspiracy to bury Ishmael’s real story. And Jesus, he quotes the Old Testament all over, calls it God’s Word (Matthew 5:17-18). If it was corrupt back then, why didn’t he say, “Hold up, wait for a fix in 600 years”? Instead, he says, “I’m it” (John 14:6). Hebrews 1:1-2 seals it: God spoke through prophets, then through His Son, done deal. So, I’m wondering, where’s the proof it’s broken?

Let’s zero in on Ishmael. Genesis 25 lists his 12 sons—Nebaioth, Kedar, the gang—and says they settled east of Egypt, toward Assyria. No Mecca, no Kaaba, no hint he’s a prophet. Your tradition says he ended up in Arabia, Hagar found the Zamzam well, and he’s Muhammad’s ancestor. That’s a leap from what’s written, 2,000 years from Ishmael to Muhammad, no paper trail, just oral history locked down later. I’m not knocking it as your faith; I’m just saying, from my side, Genesis doesn’t leave that door open. It’s like we’re reading the same page, but you’ve got extra chapters I don’t see.

Here’s where my heart lands, and I hope this doesn’t come off wrong. For me, the Bible is a love story, God chasing us who promised a Saviour, delivering through Jesus. Isaac’s the line because it leads to that cross. Ishmael’s awesome, God blessed him, but he’s not the promise. When I hear the Quran lifts him up, ties him to Muhammad, I think, “Man, that’s a different road.” You’d say it’s the true one, that my Bible is not true. I say mine has held steady, pointing to Christ. We are both looking at Abraham, the way we see it, it changes everything.

So, what do you think? Why’s Ishmael the anchor for you? Is it the Quran’s word, the history you feel in Mecca? I’m not here to fight, just to hear you out. For me, it’s Jesus, plain and simple. God loves us, died for us, rose for us.

Genesis backs up the Isaac’s line, I hope you understand?  I want you to get this! Why is Ishmael’s story hit home for you? I have no judgment; I am just curious. I know we might not be on the same wavelength, but I really want to listen. What do you think?

Oh, and one more thing, let keep this with no confrontation. No anger, no bitterness. Let’s be friends, not enemies. I’ve got your back, and I’m praying we both find what’s real.

Please reply to this blog and we can take it from there.

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