Why the Arabs and Jews are often referred to as brethren or as part of an extended family lineage through Abraham.
The Arabs are considered cousins of the Jews because they trace their lineage back to Abraham's two sons, Ishmael and Isaac. Here’s how the relationship is traditionally understood:
1. Abraham's Two Sons: According to the Bible and the Quran, Abraham had two sons: Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael is traditionally seen as the ancestor of the Arabs, while Isaac is seen as the ancestor of the Israelites (and later, the Jewish people).
2. Lineage through Ishmael: Ishmael, Abraham's eldest son, is believed to be the forefather of the Arab people. He and his descendants settled in the Arabian Peninsula, and his lineage is associated with the tribes of that region.
3.Lineage through Isaac: Isaac’s son Jacob, who was also known as Israel, is regarded as the ancestor of the Israelites. Jacob’s descendants formed the twelve tribes of Israel, which gave rise to the Jewish people.
4.Shared Ancestry: Since Ishmael and Isaac were both sons of Abraham, their descendants—the Arabs from Ishmael and the Israelites/Jews from Isaac—are considered to be related, making them "cousins" in a genealogical sense.
This shared ancestry explains why the Arabs and Jews are often referred to as brethren or as part of an extended family lineage through Abraham.
The prophecy given to Moses in the Book of Deuteronomy 18:18-19 states:
King James Bible
18) "I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
19) And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him."
Abraham, the forefather of both Jews and Arabs, had two sons: Ishmael, who is regarded as the progenitor of the Arab lineage, and Isaac, who became the father of Israel and the Jewish people. Therefore, the Arabs are considered the cousins, or brethren, of the Jews.
Although Jesus was not from the brethren of the children of Israel (the Arabs) but rather from the children of Israel themselves, Christians argue that he fulfills the prophecy because he was a prophet like Moses and was also Jewish. By this interpretation, every prophet raised after Moses—including Solomon, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Daniel, Joel, and John the Baptist—would fulfill the prophecy since they were all prophets from among the Jews.
However, it is argued that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was the one truly raised from among the brethren of the Israelites, the Arabs, fulfilling this prophecy rather than Jesus. Despite this, Christians deny Muhammad's(ﷺ) prophethood in this context, maintaining that Jesus is more like Moses.
The argument against this comparison is that Jesus was born miraculously, without a father, and defended his mother from his cradle—a miraculous aspect absent in Moses's life. Moses, like Muhammad(ﷺ), was born naturally to a mother and father. Furthermore, Jesus ascended to the heavens and, according to Islamic belief, will return as the Messiah to demolish the cross, kill the swine, and die a natural death. Christians also falsely assert that Jesus died for the sins of humanity, an idea not applied to Moses, who neither claimed divinity nor died for humanity's sins.
It is also noted that *the Bible as it exists today has undergone numerous changes and alterations*. Many non-Muslim historians have acknowledged this, and, as Shaykh Rahmat-Allah Al-Hindi stated, Christians have made alterations whenever possible. Consequently, some passages quoted by ancient scholars no longer exist in the current Bible. Nonetheless, certain passages are believed to foretell the coming of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and affirm his prophethood.
Comments
Post a Comment