AL-INSĀNU ʾL-KĀMIL (الانسان الكامل). “The perfect man.” A term used by the Ṣūfī mystics for one in whom are combined all the attributes of divinity and of humanity. (Kitābu ʾt-Taʿrīfāt, in loco). Also title of a mystic work by ʿAbdu ʾl-Karīm ibn Ibrahīm al-Jīlī (lived A.H. 767–811).
INSHĀʾ (انشاء). Lit. “Constructing; raising-up.” The term is particularly applied to literary compositions and forms of letter-writing.
Mr. Lane, in his Modern Egyptians, vol. i. p. 272, mentions the Shaik͟h of the great Mosque, the Azhar, as the author of a collection of Arabic letters on various subjects, which are intended as models of epistolary style, such a collection being called an Inshāʾ.
INSHĀʾA ʾLLĀHU TAʿĀLĀ (ان شاء الله تعالى). “If it should please God Almighty.” A very frequent ejaculation amongst Muslims. [ISTISNAʾ.]
AL-INSHIRĀḤ (الانشراح). “Expanding.” The title of the xcivth Sūrah of the Qurʾān, which opens with the words “Have we not expanded thy breast.” It is supposed to allude to the opening of Muḥammad’s heart in his infancy, when it is said to have been taken out and cleansed of original sin. (See al-Baiẓāwī, in loco.)
INSOLVENCY of a debtor is established by a judicial decree; and after such a declaration a bequest by such a person is void. If, however, the creditors relinquish their claim, the bequest is then valid. (Hidāyah, iv. p. 475.)
INSPIRATION. Arabic waḥy (وحى). According to the Nūru ʾl-Anwār, by Shaik͟h Jīwan Aḥmad (A.H. 1130), inspiration is of two kinds. Waḥy z̤āhir, external inspiration, or Waḥy bāt̤in, internal inspiration.
I.—External Inspiration is of three kinds:—
(1) Waḥyu Qurʾān, or that which was received from the mouth of the angel Gabriel, and reached the ear of the Prophet, after he knew beyond doubt that it was the angel who spoke to him. This is the only kind of inspiration admitted to be in the Qurʾān. It is sometimes called the Waḥy matlū.
(2) Ishāratu ʾl-Malak, or that which was received from the angel but not by word of mouth, as when the Prophet said, “the Holy Ghost has breathed into my heart.”
(3) Ilhām or Waḥyu qalb, or that which was made known to the Prophet by the “light of prophecy.” This kind of inspiration is said to be possessed by Walīs or saints, in which case it may be either true or false.
II.—Internal Inspiration is that which the Prophet obtained by thought and analogical reasoning, just as the Mujtahidūn, or enlightened doctors of the law obtain it. It is the belief of all orthodox Muslims that their Prophet always spoke on matters of religion by the lower forms of inspiration (i.e. Ishāratu ʾl-Malak, Ilhām, or Waḥyu qalb); and, consequently a Ḥadīs̤ is held to be inspired in as great a degree, although not in the same manner as the Qurʾān itself. The inspiration of the Ḥadīs̤ is called the Waḥy g͟hair matlū. (See Nūru ʾl-Anwār, p. 181; Mishkāt, book i. ch. vi. pt. 2.)
Sūratu ʾn-Najm, liii. 2: “Your lord (ṣāḥib) erreth not, nor is he led astray, neither speaketh he from impulse.”
According to the strict Muḥammadan doctrine, every syllable of the Qurʾān is of a directly divine origin, although wild rhapsodical Sūrahs first composed by Muḥammad (as xci., c., cii., ciii.) do not at all bear marks of such an assumption, and were not probably intended to be clothed in the dress of a message from the Most High, which characterizes the rest of the Qurʾān. But when Muḥammad’s die was cast (the turning point in his career) of assuming that Great Name as the speaker of His revelations, then these earlier Sūrahs also came to be regarded as emanating directly from the Deity. Hence it arises that Muḥammadans rigidly include every word of the Qurʾān, at whatever stage delivered, in the category of Qāla ʾllāhu, or “Thus saith the Lord,” and it is one of their arguments against our Christian scriptures that they are not entirely cast in the same mould—not exclusively oracles from the mouth, and spoken in the person of God. (Muir’s Life of Mahomet.)
The following is a description of inspiration as given by Ibn K͟haldūn, “The sign that a man is inspired,” he says, “is, that he is at times completely absent, though in the society of others. His respiration is stentorious and he seems to be in a cataleptic fit, or in a swoon. This, however, is merely apparent; for in reality such an ecstasis is an absorption into the invisible world; and he has within his grasp what he alone is able to conceive, which is above the conception of others. Subsequently these spiritual visions descend and become perceptible to the faculties of man. They are either whispered to him in a low tone, or an angel appears to him in human shape and tells him what he brings from God. Then the ecstasis ceases, and the prophet remembers what he has heard.”
INTELLECT. Arabic ʿaql (عقل), fahm (فهم), idrāk (ادراك).
The Faqīr Jānī Muḥammad ibn Asʿad, in his work the Ak͟hlāq-i-Jalālī, says: “The reasonable mind has two powers, (1) the power of perceiving, and (2) the power of impelling; and each of these powers has two divisions: in the percipient power, 1st, an observative intellect, which is the source of impression from the celestial sources, by the reception of those ideas which are the materials of knowledge; 2nd, an active intellect, which, through thought and reflection, is the remote source of motion to the body in its separate actions. Combined with the appetent and vindictive powers, this division originates the occurrence of many states productive of action or impact, as shame, laughing, crying; in its operation on imagination and supposition, it leads to the accession of ideas and arts in the partial state; and in its relation with the observative sense and the connection maintained between them, it is the means of originating general ideas relating to actions, as the beauty of truth, the odiousness of falsehood, and the like. The impelling power has likewise two divisions: 1st, the vindictive power, which is the source of forcibly repelling what is disagreeable; 2nd, the appetent power, which is the source of acquiring what is agreeable.” (Thompson’s ed. p. 52.)
INTERCALATION of the Year. Arabic nasīʾ. The privilege of commuting the last of the three continuous sacred months for the one succeeding it, the month Ṣafar, in which case Muḥarram became secular, and Ṣafar sacred. M. Caussin de Perceval supposes that this innovation was introduced by Quṣaiy, an ancestor sixth in ascent from Muḥammad, who lived in the middle of the fifth century. Dr. Sprenger thinks that intercalation in the ordinary sense of the word was not practised at Makkah, and that the Arab year was a purely lunar one, performing its cycle regularly, and losing one year in every thirty-three.
The custom of nasīʾ was abolished by Muḥammad, at the farewell pilgrimage, A.H. 10, as is stated in the Qurʾān, Sūrah ix. 36, 37:—
“Twelve months is the number of months with God, according to God’s book, since the day when He created the heavens and the earth: of these four are sacred; this is the right usage. But wrong not yourselves therein; attack those who join gods with God in all, as they attack you in all: and know that God is with those who fear Him.
“To carry over a sacred month to another, is only a growth of infidelity. The Infidels are led into error by it. They allow it one year, and forbid it another, that they may make good the number of months which God hath hallowed, and they allow that which God hath prohibited.”
INTERCESSION. Arabic Shafāʿah (شفاعة). There is a general belief amongst Muḥammadans that their Prophet is a living intercessor for them at the throne of God; but the Wahhābīs state that the intercession of their Prophet will only be by the permission (Iẕn) of God at the last day, and that there is no intercession for sins until the Day of Judgment. The teaching of the Qurʾān and the Traditions seems to be in favour of this view.
Sūrah ii. 256: “Who is he that can intercede with Him but by His own permission?”
Sūrah xix. 90: “None shall meet (in the Day of Judgment) with intercession save he who hath entered into covenant with the God of mercy.”
Sūrah xx. 108: “No intercession shall avail on that day, save his whom the Merciful shall allow, and whose words He shall approve.”
Sūrah xxxiv. 22: “No intercession shall avail with him but that which He Himself alloweth.”
Sūrah xxxix. 45: “Intercession is wholly with God.”
Sūrah lxxviii. 38: “On the day whereon the spirit (Rūḥ) and the angels shall stand ranged in order they shall not utter a word, save he whom the God of mercy permits, and who shall say what is right.”
The statements of Muḥammad, as contained in the Traditions, are as follows:—
“He is most fortunate in my intercession in the Day of Judgment, who shall have said from his heart, without any mixture of hypocrisy, ‘There is no deity but God.’ ”
“I will intercede for those who shall have committed great sins.”
“Three classes will intercede on the Day of Judgment, the Prophets, the Learned, the Martyrs.” (Mishkāt, book xxxiii. ch. xii.)
The author of the Sharḥ-i-Muwāqif says (p. 588): According to the Sunnīs, the intercession of Muḥammad is specially for those who have committed great sins (ahlu ʾl-kabāʾir), for the purpose of removing punishment; for Muḥammad has said, “My intercession is for those who have committed great sins.” But the Muʿtazilahs say the intercession of Muḥammad is for the increase of merit, and not for the prevention of punishment; for it is said in the Qurʾān, Sūrah ii. 45: “Fear the day wherein no soul shall pay recompense for another soul. Nor shall intercession be accepted for it, nor shall compensation be taken from it, nor shall they be helped.”
INTERMEDIATE STATE. The state of the soul between the time of death and the resurrection is generally expressed by the term ʿĀlam-i-Barzak͟h, for an explanation of which refer to the article BARZAKH. Ṣūfī writers use the term ʿĀlam-i-Arwāḥ, “The world of spirits.”
From the Traditions it would appear that Muḥammad taught that the intermediate state is not one of unconsciousness. To the wicked it is certainly not; but inasmuch as the Muslim is encouraged to “sleep like the bridegroom,” it may be inferred that the intermediate state of the Muslim is held to be one of absolute repose. [PUNISHMENTS OF THE GRAVE.]
INZ̤ĀR (انظار). Listening or lending an ear to the bankrupt’s statement or petition.
INZIʿĀJ (انزعاج). Lit. “Being disturbed and moved from its place.” A term used by the Ṣūfī mystics for the movement and excitement of the heart in the direction of God, through the effect either of a sermon, or of music and singing. (ʿAbdu ʾr-Razzāq’s Dict. of Ṣūfī Terms.)
IQĀLAH (اقالة). “Cancelling.” In law, the cancelling or dissolution of sale, or any other contract.
IQĀMAH (اقامة). Lit. “Causing to stand.” A recitation at the commencement of the stated prayers when said in a congregation, after the worshippers have taken up their position. It is the same as the Iʾẕān, with the addition of the sentence, “Verily prayers are now ready” (Qad qāmati ʾṣ-ṣalāt). The sentences are, however, recited singly by all the sects except the Ḥanafīs who give it exactly as the Iʾẕān. It is not recited by the Imām, but by the person who stands behind him, who is called the Muqtadī, or “follower.” In large mosques it is usual for the Muʾaẕẕin, or caller to prayer, to take this office. But in his absence the person who happens to be behind the Imām recites the Iqāmah. [IMAM.]
IQRĀR (اقرار). Acknowledgment; confession.
(1) A legal term used for the avowal of the right of another upon one’s self in sales, contracts, and divorce. (2) A theological term used for a confession of the Muslim faith, or a confession of sin. (3) Iqrār-nāmah, a legal deed of acknowledgment. (4) Iqrār-nāmah s̤alās̤ī, a deed of arbitration by a third party. (5) Iqrāru ʾl-as̤ām, a confession of guilt by a prisoner. (6) Iqrār ʿāmm, a public acknowledgment.
IQTIẒĀʾ (اقتضاء). Lit. “Demanding.” A term used in the exegesis of the Qurʾān for sentences which demand certain conditions, e.g. Sūrah iv. 94: “Whoso killeth a Muʾmin (a believer) by mischance shall be bound to free a slave.” Here the condition demanded is that the slave shall be the property of the person who frees him, and if he have not a slave to free, then some other expiation is required.
IRĀDAH (ارادة). Purpose, will, intention. (1) A word used for the intention, or will of man. (2) Irādatu ʾllāh, the will of God. (3) According to the Ṣūfī mystics, it is “a flame of love in the heart which desires God and longs to be united with Him.” (ʿAbdu ʾr-Razzāq’s Dict. of Ṣūfī Terms.)
IRAM (ارم). A place mentioned in the Qurʾān, Sūrah lxxxix. 6: “Iram of the columns, the like of which has not been created in these lands.”
It is related that ash-Shaddād, the son of ʿĀd, ordered the construction of a terrestrial paradise in the desert of ʿAdan, ostensibly to rival the celestial one, and to be called Iram after his great grandfather. On going to take possession of it, he and all his people were struck dead by a noise from heaven, and the paradise disappeared.
AL-ʿIRĀQ (العراق). Lit. “A side, or shore.” A country frequently mentioned in the Traditions, which extends from ʿAbbadān to al-Mauṣil in length, and from al-Qādisīyah to Ḥalwān in breadth. Said to be so named because it was on the “shore” of the rivers Tigris and Euphrates. Its principal cities were al-Baṣrah and al-Kūfah, and were called al-ʿIrāqān, or the Two ʿIrāqs.
ʿIRBĀN (عربان). Earnest-money paid in any legal transaction.
IRHAṢ (ارهاص). Lit. “Laying the Foundation.” A term used for any wonder wrought in behalf of a Prophet before he assumes the prophetic office; for example, the existence of a light on the forehead of Muḥammad’s ancestors is an Irhāṣ. (Kitābu ʾt-Taʿrīfāt.)
IRON. Arabic al-Ḥadīd (الحديد). The title of Sūrah lvii. in the Qurʾān, in the 25th verse of which it is said: “We (God) sent down iron, in which are both keen violence and advantages to men.” Zamak͟hsharī says that Adam brought down with him from Paradise five things made of iron, viz. an anvil, a pair of tongs, two hammers, a greater and lesser, and a needle.
IRTIDĀD (ارتداد). [APOSTASY.]
ʿĪSĀ (عيسى). The name given to Jesus in the Qurʾān and all Muḥammadan writings. [JESUS CHRIST.]
ISAAC. Arabic Isḥāq (اسحاق). The son of Abraham. He is mentioned in the Qurʾān as specially the child of promise, and a gift from God to Abraham; and also as an inspired prophet.
Sūrah xxi. 72: “And We (God) gave him (Abraham) Isaac and Jacob as a farther gift; and we made them all righteous.”
“And when he had separated himself from them and that which they worshipped beside God, we bestowed on him Isaac and Jacob; and each of them we made a prophet.
“And we bestowed gifts on them in our mercy, and gave them the lofty tongue of truth.”
The birth of Isaac as a child of promise to Abraham is related in Sūrah xi. 72–77:—
“And our messengers came formerly to Abraham with glad tidings. ‘Peace,’ said they. He said, ‘Peace,’ and he tarried not, but brought a roasted calf.
“And when he saw that their hands touched it not, he misliked them, and grew fearful of them. They said, ‘Fear not, for we are sent to the people of Lot.’
“His wife was standing by and laughed; and we announced Isaac to her; and after Isaac, Jacob.
“She said, ‘Ah, woe is me! shall I bear a son when I am old, and when this my husband is an old man? This truly would be a marvellous thing.’
“They said, ‘Marvellest thou at the command of God? God’s mercy and blessing be upon you, O people of this house; praise and glory are His due!’
“And when Abraham’s fear had passed away, and these glad tidings had reached him, he pleaded with us for the people of Lot. Verily, Abraham was right kind, pitiful, relenting.”
Abraham’s willingness to offer up his son is told in the Qurʾān, and from the text there would seem little doubt but Isaac was intended, although al-Baiẓāwī and many commentators declare it was Ishmael. The account runs thus (Sūrah xxxvii. 97–113):—
“And he said, ‘Verily, I repair to my Lord who will guide me.
“ ‘O Lord give me a son, of the righteous.’
“We announced to him a youth of meekness.
“And when he became a full-grown youth,
“His father said to him, ‘My son, I have seen in a dream that I should sacrifice thee; therefore, consider what thou seest right.’
“He said, ‘My father, do what thou art bidden; of the patient, if God please, shalt thou find me.’
“And when they had surrendered them to the will of God, he laid him down upon his forehead.
“We cried unto him, ‘O Abraham!
“ ‘Now hast thou satisfied the vision. See how we recompense the righteous.’
“This was indeed a decisive test.
“And we ransomed his son with a costly victim.
“And we left this for him among posterity,
“ ‘Peace be on Abraham!’
“Thus do we reward the well-doers,
“For he was of our believing servants.
“And we announced Isaac to him—a righteous prophet—
“And on him and on Isaac we bestowed our blessing. And among their offspring were well-doers, and others, to their own hurt undoubted sinners.”
The feast of sacrifice, the ʿĪdu ʾl-Aẓḥā, is said to have been instituted in commemoration of this event. [ʿIDU ʾL-AZHA.]
Syud Ahmad Khan Bahadur, in his Essays on Arabia, remarks that learned Muḥammadan theologians distinctly say it was Isaac and not Ishmael who was to have been offered up; but our researches scarcely confirm the learned Syud’s statement. Ismāʿīl al-Buk͟hārī, no mean authority, says it was Ishmael, and so does al-Baiẓāwī.
The weight of traditional authority seems to be in favour of Isaac, and so does the text of the Qurʾān, which we have explained in the account of Ishmael; and yet amongst both the Sunnīs and the Shīʿahs the opinion is now almost universal that it was Ishmael. [ISHMAEL.]
ISAIAH. Arabic Shaʿyāʾ (شعياء). The name is not mentioned in the Qurʾān, but al-Baiẓāwī, the commentator, in remarking on Sūratu ʾl-Miʿrāj, xvii. 4:—“We decreed to the children of Isrāʾīl in the Book, ‘Ye shall verily do evil in the earth twice,’ ”—says the two sins committed by the Israelites were first the murder of Shaʿyāʾ ibn Amsiyā (i.e. Isaiah, son of Amoz) or Armiyā (i.e. Jeremiah); and the second, the murder of Zakarīā and John the Baptist, and the intention of killing Jesus.
IʾS̤ĀR (ايثار). Honouring another above oneself. Thinking of another’s gain rather than one’s own. The highest form of human friendship.
ʿISHĀʾ (عشاء). The Night Prayer. The liturgical prayer recited after the night has well set in. [PRAYER.]
ISḤĀQ (اسحاق). [ISAAC.]
ISḤĀQĪYAH (اسحاقية). A Shīʿah sect founded by a person named Isḥāq, who held that the Spirit of God existed in the K͟halīfah ʿAlī.
ISHĀRATU ʾL-MALAK (اشارة الملك). [INSPIRATION.]
ISHMAEL. Arabic Ismāʿīl (اسماعيل). The eldest son of Abraham, by his “wife” Hagar. [HAJAR.]
(1) The progenitor of the Arabian race, and, according to the Qurʾān, an inspired prophet. Sūrah xix. 55:—
“And commemorate Ishmael in ‘the Book;’ for he was true to his promise, and was an Apostle, a prophet;
“And he enjoined prayer and almsgiving on his people, and was well-pleasing to his Lord.”
(2) Said to have assisted his father in the construction of the Kaʿbah. Sūrah ii. 119, 121:—
“And remember when we appointed the Holy House as man’s resort and safe retreat, and said, ‘Take ye the station of Abraham for a place of prayer.’ And we commanded Abraham and Ishmael, ‘Purify my house for those who shall go in procession round it, and those who shall abide there for devotion, and those who shall bow down and prostrate themselves.’
“And when Abraham, with Ishmael, raised the foundations of the House, they said, ‘O our Lord! accept it from us; for Thou art the Hearer, the Knower.’ ”
(3) Also mentioned in six other places.
Sūrah ii. 134: “Do ye say that Abraham and Ishmael, and Isaac and Jacob, and the Tribes were Jews, or Christians?”
Sūrah iii. 78: “And what was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Tribes.”
Sūrah iv. 161: “And we inspired Abraham and Ishmael, and Jacob and the Tribes.”
Sūrah vi. 86: “And Ishmael and Elisha, and Jonah, and Lot.”
Sūrah xxi. 85: “And Ishmael, and Idrīs, and Ẕū ʾl-Kifl, all these were of the patient.”
Sūrah xxxviii. 48: “And remember Ishmael, and Elisha, and Ẕū ʾl-Kifl, for each was righteous.”
(4) According to the Old Testament, Ishmael had twelve sons, and Muḥammadan tradition also agrees with this:—
Genesis xxv. 12: “Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bare unto Abraham. And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, according to their generations: the first-born of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, and Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, and Hadar, and Tema, and Jetur, and Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names by their castles, twelve princes according to their nations.”
The names of these sons of Ishmael can still be distinguished amongst the tribes, the names of which occur in Muḥammadan history: Nebajoth (Nabayus̤), the founder of the Nabathean nation, who succeeded the Idumeans in Arabia, and were an important people in Northern Arabia. Kedar (Qaidar) was also a famous tribe, so famous that the Badawīs of the desert applied the name to all Jews. Dumah is still preserved in the name Dūmatu ʾl-Jandal. Tema corresponds with Taimah, and Jetur with the Jadūr of modern Arabia. Muḥammad is said to have been descended from Ishmael’s second son Kedar (Qaidar), through one named ʿAdnān. The period between ʿAdnān and Ishmael is doubtful. Some reckon forty generations, others only four. Umm Salmah, one of the Prophet’s wives, said ʿAdnān was the son of ʿAdad, the son of Humaisa, son of Nabat, son of Ishmael. (See Abū ʾl-Fidāʾ, p. 62.) Muslim historians, however, admit that the pedigree of Muḥammad beyond ʿAdnān is uncertain; but they are unanimous in tracing his descent to ʿAdnān in the following line: (1) Muḥammad, (2) ʿAbdu ʾllāh, (3) Abū Mut̤t̤talib, (4) Hāshim, (5) ʿAbdu Manāf, (6) Quṣaiy, (7) Kilāb, (8) Murrah, (9) Kaʿb, (10) Luwaiy, (11) G͟hālib, (12) Fihr, (13) Mālik, (14) An-Naẓr, (15) Kinānah, (16) K͟huzaimah, (17) Mudrikah, (18) Al-Yaʾs, (19) Muẓar, (20) Nizār, (21) Maʿadd, (22) ʿAdnān.
Syud Ahmad Khan Bahadur, traces the descent of Muḥammad to Kedar, the son of Ishmael, and the view is one in accordance with that of most Muslim writers. In the time of Isaiah the two chief Arabian tribes seem to have been the descendants of Nebajoth and Kedar. (See Isaiah lx. 7.) “All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered unto thee, the rams of Nebajoth shall minister unto thee.”
(5) The account of Hagar leaving Abraham’s home is given in numerous traditions. But there are two traditions given by Ibn ʿAbbās, and recorded in the Ṣaḥīḥ of al-Buk͟hārī, which are the foundation of Muḥammadan history on the subject. We give them as they have been translated by Syud Ahmad Khan, and afterwards append the Scripture narrative, which can be compared with the traditions of Islām:—
For reasons known only to Abraham and his wife, Sarah, the former took Ishmael, his son, and the boy’s mother (Hagar), and left his country.
And they had with them a skin full of water.
Ishmael’s mother drank from out the skin, suckling her child.
Upon her arriving at the place where Mecca now stands, she placed the child under a bush.
Then Abraham returned to come back to his wife, and the mother of Ishmael followed him,
Until she reached Keda.
And she called out, “O Abraham, with whom leavest thou me?”
He answered, “With God.”
She replied, “I am satisfied with my God.”
Then she returned, and commenced drinking out of the skin, and suckled her infant until the water was consumed.
And she thought that if she went and looked around, she might, perhaps, see someone; and she went.
She ascended Mount Safā, and looked around to see whether or not there was anyone in sight; then hastily returning through the wilderness, she ascended the mountain of Marvā.
Then she said, “I must now go and see how my child is.” And she went, and saw that he was at the point of death; but not being able to compose her mind, she said, “If I go and look around, peradventure I may see someone.” And accordingly she ascended the mountain of Safā, but could descry no one.
And this she repeated seven times.
She then said, “It will be better for me to go and see my child.” But she suddenly heard a voice.
And she replied, “Kindly assist me, if you have any compassion.”
The angel was Gabriel.
The narrator of the tradition, stamping the earth with his foot, said, this was exactly what the angel did, and that water issued from the spot; and she began to widen the hole.
It is related by Ibn ʿAbbās, that the Prophet said that had she (Hagar) allowed the water to remain in its former state, the water would then have continued issuing forth for ever.
She used to drink that water and suckle her child.
Abraham brought with him his wife (Hagar) and his son (Ishmael),
Whom she (Hagar) suckled.
And they both placed the child close by the spot where the Kaaba now stands under a bush.
Near the well of Zamzem, near the lofty side of the temple—and in those days Mecca was uninhabited and without water—and they deposited the child in the above place.
And Abraham placed beside them a bag full of dates,
And a skin full of water.
Then returned Abraham, and Ishmael’s mother ran after him,
And said, “Abraham, whither goest thou, and wherefore leavest thou me here?
“In this wilderness, where there is no one to pity me, neither is there anything to eat?” This she repeated several times, but Abraham hearkened not unto her. Then she asked him, “Has God commanded thee to do this?”
He answered, “Yes.”
“Then,” said she, “God will cause no harm to come unto me.”
Thereupon she returned back.
And Abraham went away, and when he reached Saneoa, he could not see those he had left behind him.
Then he turned towards Mecca, and prayed thus: “O Lord, I have caused some of my offspring to settle in an unfruitful valley, near thy holy house, O Lord, that they may be constant in prayer. Grant, therefore, that the hearts of some men may be affected with kindness towards them; and do thou bestow on them all sorts of fruits, that they may give thanks.”
And the mother of Ishmael began to suckle her child, and to drink water out of the skin until it was emptied.
And she and her son felt thirsty. And when she saw that her child was suffering from thirst, she could not bear to see it in such a plight, and retired, and reached the mountain of Safā, that was near, and ascending it, looked at the plain, in the hope of seeing someone; but, not perceiving anyone, she came down from the mountain.
When she reached the desert, she girded up her loins and ran as one mad, until she crossed the desert, and ascended Mount Marvā; but she could not see anyone.
She repeated the same seven times.
It is related by Ibn ʿAbbās, that the Prophet said that this was the origin of the custom of true believers running between these mountains during the Haj.
And when she ascended the Marvā mountain, she heard a voice.
She was startled thereat; and upon hearing it again, she said, “Wherefore callest thou on me? Assist me if thou canst.”
She then saw an angel near the Zamzem.
He (the angel) made a hollow place, either by his foot or with his wing, and the water issued forth; and the mother of Ishmael commenced widening it.
She filled the skin with water, which came out of it as from a fountain.
It is related by Ibn ʿAbbās that the Prophet said, “May God bless the mother of Ishmael. Had she left the Zamzem as it was, or had she not filled her skin with water, then the Zamzem would always have remained an overflowing fountain.”
Then she drank the water, and suckled her child.
The account as given in the Bible, Genesis xxii. 9, is as follows:—
“And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had borne unto Abraham, mocking. Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. And this thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight, because of his son. And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away; and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. And she went, and set her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bow shot; for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lifted up her voice, and wept. And God heard the voice of the lad, and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? Fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand, for I will make him a great nation. And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.”
With reference to the above account, as given in Holy Scripture, Syud Ahmad K͟hān remarks:—
“Notwithstanding the perfect coincidence of the facts taken from the Scriptures with those from the Koran, as above shown, there are, nevertheless, three very important questions which suggest themselves respecting Ishmael’s settlement.
“First. Where did Abraham leave Ishmael and his mother after expelling them from his home?
“Secondly. Where did Ishmael and Hagar settle after their wanderings in the desert?
“Thirdly. Was it in the very spot where they had rested for the first time, or in some other place?
“The Koran mentions nothing on the subject; but there are some local traditions, and also a few Hadeeses, which treat of it, the latter, however, by reason of their not possessing sufficient authority, and from their not being traced up to the Prophet, are as little to be relied on as the former. The local traditions being deemed unworthy of credit, from their mixing up together occurrences that had happened on various and different occasions, we do not think it necessary to dwell on the first question more than has been done by the Scriptures themselves, which say that ‘He (Abraham) sent her (Hagar) away; and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.’
“As for the two remaining questions, although the language of Scripture is not very clear—since, in one place it says, ‘And he (Ishmael) grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer’ (Gen. xxi. 20), and in another, ‘He (Ishmael) dwelt in the wilderness of Paran’ (Gen. xxi. 21), passages which would certainly lead us to infer that Ishmael had changed the place of his abode; yet, as no Christian commentator represents him as having removed from one place to another, and as, moreover, neither the religious nor the local traditions of the Mohammedans in any way confirm the above, it may be safely asserted that Ishmael and his mother did not change the place where they dwelt, and that by the word ‘wilderness’ alone the sacred writer meant the wilderness of Paran. The solving of the whole question depends, therefore, upon ascertaining and fixing the position of the said wilderness of Paran, where Ishmael is said to have settled.
“Oriental geographers mention three places as known by the appellation of Paran. First, that wilderness wherein the city of Mecca now stands, and the mountains in its vicinity; secondly, those mountains and a village which are situated in Eastern Egypt, or Arabia Petræa; and thirdly, a district in the province of Samarcand.”
(6) Al-Baiẓāwī says it was Ishmael, and not Isaac, whom Abraham was willing to offer up as a sacrifice; but this view is neither supported by the text of the Qurʾān nor by the preponderance of traditional testimony. If we compare Sūrah xi. 74: “And We announced Isaac (as the child of promise) to her,” with Sūrah xxxvii. 99: “We announced (as a child of promise) to him a youth of meekness; and when he became a full-grown youth, his father said to him, ‘My son, I have seen in a dream that I should sacrifice thee’ ”—there can be no doubt in any candid mind that, as far as the Qurʾān is concerned, Isaac and not Ishmael is intended. [ISAAC.]
The two commentators al-Kamālān quote a number of traditions on the subject. They say Ibn ʿUmar, Ibn ʿAbbās, Ḥasan, and ʿAbdu ʾllāh ibn Aḥmad, relate that it was Isaac; whilst Ibn Masʿūd, Mujāhid, ʿIkrimah, Qatādah, and Ibn Isḥāq say it was Ishmael. But whatever may be the real facts of the case, it is certain that popular tradition amongst both Sunnīs and Shīʿahs assigns the honour to Ishmael, and believe the great Festival of Sacrifice, the ʿĪdu ʾl-Aẓḥā, to have been established to commemorate the event. [ʿIDU ʾL-AZHA.]
The author of the Shīʿah work, the Ḥayātu ʾl-Qulūb (Merrick’s ed. p. 28) says: “On a certain occasion when this illustrious father (Abraham) was performing the rites of the pilgrimage at Mecca, Abraham said to his beloved child, ‘I dreamed that I must sacrifice you; now consider what is to be done with reference to such an admonition.’ Ishmael replied, ‘Do as you shall be commanded of God. Verify your dream. You will find me endure patiently.’ But when Abraham was about to sacrifice Ishmael, the Most High God made a black and white sheep his substitute, a sheep which had been pasturing forty years in Paradise, and was created by the direct power of God for this event. Now every sheep offered on Mount Minā, until the Day of Judgment is a substitute, or a commemoration of the substitute for Ishmael.”
The idea is universal amongst Muḥammadans that the incident took place on Mount Minā near Makkah, and not in the “land of Moriah,” as stated in Genesis xxii. 3. (For a discussion on the site of Mount Moriah, see Mr. George Grove’s article in Smith’s Dict. of the Bible.)
Sir William Muir says (Life of Mahomet, new ed. p. xvii.): “By a summary adjustment, the story of Palestine became the story of the Hejâz. The precincts of the Káaba were hallowed as the scene of Hagar’s distress, and the sacred well Zamzem as the source of her relief. The pilgrims hasted to and fro between Safa and Marwa in memory of her hurried steps in search of water. It was Abraham and Ishmael who built the (Meccan) temple, placed in it the black stone, and established for all mankind the pilgrimage to Arafât. In imitation of him it was that stones were flung by pilgrims at Satan; and sacrifices were offered at Minâ in remembrance of the vicarious sacrifice by Abraham instead of his son. And thus, although the indigenous rites may have been little if at all altered, by the adoption of the Abrahamic legends, they came to be viewed in a totally different light, and to be connected in the Arab imagination with something of the sanctity of Abraham, the Friend of God. The gulf between the gross idolatry of Arabia and the pure theism of the Jews was bridged over. Upon this common ground Mahomet took his stand, and proclaimed to his people a new and a spiritual system, in accents to which all Arabia could respond. The rites of the Káaba were retained, but stripped by him of every idolatrous tendency; and they still hang, a strange unmeaning shroud, around the living theism of Islâm.”