Q: Why did God allow the other child to start a religion which is giving the world no peace?  —Tetteh

A: By the other child, I take it that you are referring to Ishmael, the firstborn of Hagar (Genesis 16:15). Although Ishmael was not the promised son that would be Abraham’s heir (Genesis 15:4), God did bless Ishmael bountifully (Genesis 17:20-21). No, not all Arabs today are descendants of Ishmael. There are Arabs who have descended from many other ancient peoples, like the Assyrians, Persians, Phoenicians, Canaanites, Aramaeans and even Jews. And Ishmael did not start any religion. Neither is it correct to say that all Muslims are descended from him. You might want to note that Abraham too had other children with Keturah, whom Abraham married after Sarah’s death (Genesis 25:1-2).

If there is a religion that is connected with Ishmael, it is Judaism. This is when the Apostle Paul alluded to Ishmael when he urged the Galatians to put their faith in God rather than in the law. In Galatians 4:21-31, Ishmael and Isaac are used in an allegory to explain the conflict between Judaism and Christianity!  —KT Sim

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