SEJARAHID The Qur’an tells us much about Prophet Abraham (Ibrāhīm عليه السلام): his search for truth, his submission to God, and his test of faith through the command to sacrifice his son. Yet the Qur’an never mentions the son’s name. This silence has puzzled generations of readers, but perhaps it carries a deeper meaning.
- Abraham’s Sacrifice Both Isaac and Ismael (in the Bible & the Qur’an)
- When Isaac Was Just a Baby (2–3 Years) and Went Home to the Wrong Address
- Abraham’s Sacrifice 8 Sons including Isaac and Ismael!
- Abraham’s Sacrifice and His 8 Eight Sons (not only Ishmael and Isaac): A Qur’anic Perspective by SEJARAHID
While classical Islamic historiography acknowledges that Prophet Abraham (Ibrāhīm) fathered several sons beyond Ishmael (Ismā‘īl) and Isaac (Ishāq), this broader familial awareness has largely faded from contemporary Muslim discourse. Predominant narratives focus exclusively on the two prophetic sons, overlooking the Qur’anic employment of the plural term banīhi (“his sons”) and its theological implications. This study employs a direct intertextual methodology, correlating Qur’anic language with the Biblical record in Genesis 25:1–6, which details Abraham’s additional sons through Keturah. In doing so, it identifies the Midianite lineage—through which Prophet Shu‘ayb (Jethro) later emerged—as a continuation of Abraham’s wider spiritual heritage. This Qur’an–Bible cross-analysis, developed independently of traditional Tafsir or Israiliyyat materials, recontextualizes Abraham’s narrative within a more universal and inclusive framework of monotheistic history.
1. Abraham’s sons — more than two
In several verses, the Qur’an explicitly names two sons of Abraham — Ismāʿīl (Ishmael) and Isḥāq (Isaac):
“And We gave him good tidings of Isḥāq, a prophet from among the righteous.”
(Qur’an 37 : 112)“Praise be to Allah, Who granted me in old age Ismāʿīl and Isḥāq.”
(Qur’an 14 : 39)
However, the Qur’an also hints that Abraham had other sons who shared in his faith.
In Surah Al-Baqarah (2 : 132) it says:
وَوَصَّىٰ بِهَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بَنِيهِ وَيَعْقُوبُ
“Abraham enjoined this faith upon his sons, and so did Jacob.”
The verse uses the plural banīhi — “his sons” — not “his two sons.”
This plural form suggests that Abraham had multiple sons, and that each was taught the same creed of submission (islām).
The Qur’an doesn’t list their names because the message, not the genealogy, is what matters.
On Bible narrated that Abraham had 6 more sons (Genesis 25:1–6 New International Version)
1 Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah.
2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah.
3 Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan.
The descendants of Dedan were the Ashurites, the Letushites and the Leummites.
4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanok, Abida and Eldaah.
All these were descendants of Keturah.
5 Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac.
6 But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east.
2. The unnamed son in the sacrifice story
In Surah Aṣ-Ṣāffāt (37 : 101–107), the Qur’an narrates the test of Abraham’s sacrifice:
“So We gave him good tidings of a forbearing boy.
Then when he reached the age to work with him, he said, ‘O my son, I have seen in a dream that I am sacrificing you.’”
But the Qur’an never states who that son was.
By keeping the son unnamed, the Qur’an transforms the story from a tribal claim (whose lineage is ‘chosen’) into a universal act of surrender.
The real message is not who was on the altar, but what Abraham was willing to give up — his most beloved gift, for the sake of God.
3. The missing link — Midian and Shuʿayb
Later in the Qur’an, another prophet appears: Shuʿayb, sent to the People of Madyan (Midian).
“And to Madyan [We sent] their brother Shuʿayb.
He said, ‘O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him.
Give full measure and weight, and do not deprive people of their due.’”
(Qur’an 7 : 85)
Centuries after Abraham, the people of Midian still upheld a message of justice, honesty, and monotheism — the same faith Abraham taught his sons.
Then, in Surah Al-Qaṣaṣ (28 : 22–28), Prophet Mūsā (Moses) flees Egypt and arrives in Madyan, where he meets Shuʿayb, marries one of his daughters, and begins his prophetic training before carrying a revolt against Pharaoh.
This episode is crucial. Even without naming genealogies, the Qur’an shows that another branch of Abraham’s faith — the Midianites — was still alive and righteous. Moses did not escape history; he stepped into the house of a prophet who preserved Abraham’s ethics. The Qur’an quietly reconnects these lines through story, not genealogy.
4. A unified Abrahamic family
From these verses, we can see a pattern:
| Qur’anic Figure | Location | Shared Message |
|---|---|---|
| Abraham | Mesopotamia / Canaan | Surrender to God (islām) |
| Ismāʿīl | Arabia | Purity and devotion (pilgrimage) |
| Isḥāq | Canaan | Continuity of prophetic wisdom |
| Shuʿayb | Midian (NW Arabia) | Justice, honesty, ethical trade |
| Mūsā | Egypt → Midian → Sinai | Liberation and divine law |
Each of these prophets continues the same submission and moral teaching. Thus, the Qur’an’s refusal to name the “sacrificial son” fits its vision of one continuous Abrahamic covenant, expressed through many families and nations.
5. Conclusion
From a Qur’anic perspective, Abraham’s legacy was never limited to two sons.
The Qur’an itself speaks of “his sons” (banīhi), and later shows Moses meeting Shuʿayb — proof that the light of Abraham’s faith reached other peoples.
By leaving the sacrificial son unnamed, the Qur’an removes ethnic boundaries and unites all Abrahamic descendants under one principle:
True sacrifice is not about bloodline, but about surrender to God.