Unleashing the Beast

34 / U NLEASHING THE B EAST

controlled and they refuse to negotiate. Many Muslims of Arab descent trace their lineage back to Abraham through Ishmael, Abraham's first son. Ishmael's mother, Hagar, was Sarah's Egyptian servant (see Genesis 16:4-11). Abraham's second son, Isaac, was the son God promised through Sarah, Abraham's wife (Genesis 17:19-21). In fact, some Muslims believe that when Abraham offered Isaac before God (see Genesis 22), it was actually Ishmael who was the chosen son. They believe that the Jews and Christians changed the story and replaced Ishmael with Isaac as the son of promise. By accepting this distortion, Muslims believe that the land of Israel actually belongs to them and not to the Jews. The fact that many trace their genealogy back to Ishmael brings out this interesting point. God spoke to Hagar, Ishmael's mother, about her son: And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren (Genesis 16:11, 12). Ishmael and his descendants would dwell among the Hebrew people and Ishmael would be a "wild man." The same Hebrew word wild is used in the Old Testament 10 times when referring to wild donkeys (see Job 39:5). Ishmael's hand "being against every man" indicates he would be a person who would fight and generate much