Page:Judaism and Islam, a prize essay - Geiger - 1898.pdf/125

 ISHMAEL AND ISAAC. 107

This view is certainly not Jewish, but at the same time it is not contrary to Judaism, for the Kabbis tell us l that by the utterance : " Thou shalt be buried in a good old age (Genesis, xv. 15.) Grod showed Abraham that Ishmael would repent." And in the Talmud it is said 2 that Ishmael repented during his father's life-time. From his habit of reckoning Ishmael among the patriarchs, Muhammad fell into the error of counting him as an ancestor of Jacob. Thus in one passage 3 he says : " The God of thy fathers, Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac," which Baidhawi attempts to explain in the following manner ; 4 "He counts Ishmael among his ancestors, connecting him with the father the grand-father also is the same as the father and as Muhammad says, The uncle is a part of the father. Then pointing to 'Abbas, his uncle, he- said, This is the survivor of my forefathers."

As he hereby transfers to Ishmael the action, which as the most worthy, is attributed by the Jews to Isaac, viz., readiness to be sacrificed, the latter remains simply a pious man, about whom there is little to relate and who is quite destitute of all legendary adornment. In consequence of this, Isaac appears only in the lists of the patriarchs, and almost always in those passages where Abraham's deliver- ance from the fire is mentioned and also his reward for his piety. In these passages Muhammad following more the popular tradition mentions Isaac and Jacob but not Ishmael.

Mid. Eab. on Genesis, para. 88.

2 Baba Bathra 16. VS$ ^tf5 rq^fl 5TO

3 Sura II. 127.