Answering Questions Through The Holy Qur'an: Was Abraham commanded to sacrifice Isaac or Ishmael?

Was Abraham commanded to sacrifice Isaac or Ishmael?

37:100 My Lord grant me of the righteous." 37:101 So (fa) We gave him the glad tidings of a forbearing boy. 37:102 Then (fa) when he reached working with him, he said, "O my son, indeed, I have seen in a dream that I am sacrificing you, so look what you see." He said, "O my father, do what you are commanded. If Allah wills, you will find me of the patient ones."

(In Verses 37:101 and 37:102, the Arabic word “fa” (so, then) is chronological; according to these Verses the one to be sacrificed is mentioned to be “righteous”, and it is mentioned that there was “glad tidings” about him. Isaac is explicitly called “righteous” in Verses 21:72 and 37:112, and Ishmael is called “righteous” in Verse 21:86. But only Isaac is explicitly mentioned as there was “glad tidings” about him, in Verse 11:71 and 37:112, because Isaac is the one who was born from a barren old mother (51:29), while the mother of Ishmael was Hagar, according to Genesis, who was not a barren mother. On the other hand, according to Verse 14:39, both Ishmael and Isaac were granted to Abraham in old age)(Verse 37:102 mentions “working with him”; according to Verse 2:127, Abraham worked with his son Ishmael in raising the foundations of the House. Another point is that the son who was to be sacrificed said “you will find me of the patient ones”; Verse 21:85 explicitly says that Ishmael was “of the patient”, while it is not explicitly said about Isaac, but it does not mean that Isaac was impatient)(Allah knows best)

21:72 And We bestowed on him Isaac and Jacob in addition, and all We made righteous.

11:71 And his wife was standing and she laughed. Then We gave her glad tidings of Isaac, and after Isaac, Jacob.

2:127 And when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House and Ishmael, "Our Lord, accept from us. Indeed, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

21:85 And Ishmael and Idrees and Dhul-Kifl; all were of the patient. 21:86 And We admitted them into Our Mercy. Indeed, they were of the righteous.

37:103 Then when both of them had submitted and he put him down upon his forehead, 37:104 And We called out to him, that "O Abraham, 37:105 verily, you have fulfilled the vision." Indeed, We thus reward the good-doers. 37:106 Indeed, this was surely a clear trial. 37:107 And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice, 37:108 And We left for him among the later generations. 37:109 "Peace be upon Abraham." 37:110 Thus We reward the good-doers. 37:111 Indeed, he was of Our believing slaves. 37:112 And We gave him good tidings of Isaac, a Prophet among the righteous.

(After the event of the sacrifice (37:103-107), Verse 37:112 says, “And We gave him good tidings of Isaac”, but “and” (wa) does not specify order or timing in Arabic, so this Verse does not say who was the one to be sacrificed)(Allah knows best)

19:54 And mention in the Book, Ishmael. Indeed, he was true to his promise and was a Messenger, a Prophet.

(Verse 19:54 says, “...Ishmael. Indeed, he was true to his promise...”)(The one to be sacrificed kept his word of letting his father sacrifice him. Verse 37:102 says, “I have seen in a dream that I am sacrificing you, so look what you see." He said, "O my father, do what you are commanded”)(Allah knows best)

14:39 All Praise is for Allah, the One Who has granted me Ishmael and Isaac in old age. Indeed, my Lord is All-Hearer of the prayer.

2:133 Or were you witnesses when death came to Jacob, when he said to his sons, "What will you worship after me?" They said, "We will worship your God and the God of your fathers, Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac – One God. And we are Muslims/submissive to Him." … 2:135 And they said, "Be Jews or Christians, then you will be guided." Say, "Nay, the religion of Abraham, the upright; and he was not of those who associated partners." 2:136 Say, "We have believed in Allah and what is revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the descendants, and what was given to Moses and Jesus and what was given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them. And to Him we are submissive."

(Isaac and Ishmael and all other Prophets were Muslims (aka Submitted (to God)), not Jews or Christians)(In order to practice Islam it is irrelevant to think whether it was Isaac or Ishmael the one to be sacrificed)(According to the Bible, Isaac was the one to be sacrificed (Genesis 22:2), but that Verse says, “take your son, your only son, whom you love - Isaac”. Isaac was not his “only son”, but Ishmael was Abraham’s first son, according to Jews, Christians and Muslims. So, at first Ishmael was Abraham’s only son, because Ishmael came first, so the Bible could implicitly suggest that Ishmael was the one to be sacrificed)(Even if the sentence “whom you love – Isaac” in Genesis 22:2 were to be interpreted that he took the only son he loved, then this interpretation would be in direct contradiction with Genesis 17:18, which suggest that Abraham preferred Ishmael, because, after Abraham heard that Sarah will bear Isaac, Abraham said, in Genesis 17:18, “if only Ishmael might live under your blessing”)(Another point is that Judaism became a racist religion, because, according to themselves, a person is or can be a Jew only if his mother is a Jew, so for them it is an important matter that it was Isaac instead of Ishmael, so Genesis could have been corrupted. In that sense, it is said that the Torah is not a reliable source because it is said that it had multiple authors and that its composition took place over centuries. The mention of “your only son” could raise doubts about who was the one to be sacrificed. According to Verse 5:13, about the Jews, “They distort words from their places, and forgot a part of what they were reminded of”)(See the link below: “Is the Bible corrupted?”)(Nevertheless, in order to practice Islam, it is irrelevant to think whether it was Isaac or Ishmael the one to be sacrificed)(Allah knows best)

3:67 Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a true Muslim, and he was not of the polytheists.

(“Islam” is an Arabic word meaning “submission (to God)”; and "Muslim" is an Arabic word meaning "one who submits (to God)". All Prophets were Muslims, and preached “Islam”. So, Isaac does not belong to Judaism. See the links below “How the Qur’an corrects Judaism?”, “Is it ok to be a Jew or Christian?” and “Were the Prophets Jews or Christians?”)(Allah knows best)

2:140 Or do you say that Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the descendants were Jews or Christians?" Say, "Are you more knowing or is Allah?" And who is more unjust than one who conceals a testimony he has from Allah? And Allah is not unaware of what you do.