This is an example of the Comparing of Jewish and Islamic Perspectives By Prophets Abraham and Ishmael written By Rabbi Allen Maller, on January 24, 2024 on the website of Islamicity

The Qur’an itself tells us of the importance of the Hebrew Torah Qur’an 46:12. “And before it (the Qur’an) was the Book of Moses, a model and a mercy. And this (Qur’an) is a confirming Book, in the Arabic language, to warn those who do wrong—and good news for the doers of good. Qur’an 46:13. Those who say, “Our Lord is God,” then lead a righteous life—they have nothing to fear, nor shall they grieve. Qur’an 46:14 These are the inhabitants of Paradise, where they will dwell forever—a reward for what they (the Jews) used to do.”

In Genesis 25, after Sarah’s death (Genesis 23) and Isaac’s marriage (Genesis 24), Abraham takes another wife named Keturah, and we learn the names of their descendants, and how they were sent east, so as not to threaten Isaac’s inheritance (Genesis 25:1-6). The rabbis suggest that the wife he took after Sarah’s death, Keturah, is actually Hagar (Genesis Rabbah 61:4).

Isaac’s son Esau married Ishmael’s daughter (Genesis 28:9, 36:3), meaning that relations were normalized between the brothers and their families. Finally, the text tells us the names of Ishmael’s descendants who dwelt in the wilderness near Egypt.

A rabbinic book of midrash (a creative expansion of a Biblical text) Pirkey de’Rabbi Eliezer (PRE), offers a fascinating addendum to the end of their biblical story. PRE introduces the following story: “And he (Ishmael) dwelt in the wilderness of Paran” (Genesis 21:21). “Ishmael sent and took a wife from the daughters of Moab named ʿAʾishah.” ʿAʾishah is presented here as a Moabite, though the name is Arabic, and was the name of one of Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ wives.

The story begins with Abraham navigating the same tension familiar from Genesis 21: He is attached to Ishmael, but Sarah is adamant that he maintain a clear distance. Upon his arrival, Prophet Abraham is disappointed with his daughter-in-law’s lack of hospitality, which clashes with one of Abraham’s core principles (Genesis 18-19) and the general norms of hospitality.

ʿAʾishah’s lack of hospitality connects with her being Moabite, a group which the Torah reports, did........

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