Introduction V
In this chapter, we shall discover Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac and Muhammad, peace be unto them, and their greatness over other nations. It is an undeniable fact that Abraham is depicted as the great patronage of the faith of Islam. Abraham was not a Jew nor a Christian, but a believer in One God, ALLAH, a Muslim, a hater of idolatry, a man of perfect faith of Islam – (See: Charles J. Mendelsohn et al. The Jewish Encyclopedia, JewishEncyclopedia.com, vol.1, 1906, pp.88-89).
We shall observe in our study of this section how wonderfully the Genesis called him for an account for the promise of a great nation from his lineage of Ishmael and of Isaac. Subsequently, from Isaac as we know, the nation of Israel was erected with many Divine Prophets to regulate human conduct; and of Ishmael to culminate that chain of Prophecy, the greatest of them, the Prophet Muhammad, on whom be peace, came with an eternal, irrefutable Divine Quran, to be the guide of all humankind until the Day of Resurrection.
In the picturesque of this section, we shall first begin with Abraham and his sacrifice of Ishmael and the construction of the Holy Kaaba’ by them.
Ishmael, we shall also see, is the epitome of Islamic faith. In his reign, not only did he rule out idolatry from the deserts of Arabia and established early Monotheism but also raised Makkah to such level that it became the city of light and guidance apart from Jerusalem. Indeed, it is his Noble Son Prophet Muhammad, peace be unto them, who came to culminate the long chain of Divine Prophets and re-established that Divine religion of Islam, shedding his light all around and founded the world living system.
It is unquestionably true that the Bible accords him as the Universal Prophetic-Messenger from the pure lineage of Ishmael through Abraham, peace be unto them, and it is because of him that all the nations of the world were blessed (Gen. 22:18).
As such, Prophet Muhammad, on whom be peace, fulfilled all the given signposts when he did finally appear on the stage of history.
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