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Answer
Ishmael was a son of Abraham, born to Hagar, Sarah’s maidservant, in an effort to fulfill God’s promise of a son to Abraham and Sarah. Subsequently, Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah, leading to Hagar and Ishmael being cast out due to Ishmael’s behavior towards Isaac (Genesis 21:9-10, 14). Nevertheless, God had a purpose for Ishmael.
God assured Hagar that Ishmael, being Abraham’s son, would establish a great nation (Genesis 21:17-18). This promise was fulfilled as documented in Genesis 25:12–18—Ishmael fathered twelve sons who grew into prominent leaders and eventually formed a nation. This occurred when Hagar, an Egyptian, arranged for her son to marry an Egyptian woman, and Ishmael settled in the wilderness of Paran «And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt. », (Genesis 21:21). Ishmael’s descendants resided “from Havilah to Shur, near the border of Egypt as you go toward Ashur” «And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren. », (Genesis 25:18). The Bible enumerates Ishmael’s sons as Nebaioth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah (verses 13–15).
The region of Havilah where Ishmael’s descendants resided is situated in the northern part of the Arabian Peninsula; Shur is a desert region between Beersheba in the Negev Desert and Egypt. Isaiah 60:7 references the descendants of Nebaioth and Kedar as those who tend to flocks. The descendants of Ishmael became known as Arab.
As nomads, the descendants of Ishmael were known for their warlike nature. They lived in hostility towards all related tribes, as mentioned in Genesis 25:18. This fulfilled God’s prophecy that Ishmael would be “a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers” (Genesis 16:12).
Over time, other groups settled in the Arabian Peninsula, including the descendants of Keturah’s sons (1 Chronicles 1:32-33) and some of Esau’s descendants, such as the Amalekites (Genesis 36:12).
There is a prevalent theory among Muslims and some Christians that Arabian Muslims are direct descendants of Ishmael. Muhammad supported this idea, claiming descent from Ishmael according to the Quran. This theory likely holds some truth. Missionary and author Kenneth Fleming suggests that the Ishmaelites are a significant part of the Arab genetic line. Historical records connect the north Arabians with Ishmael’s descendants. (“Ishmael and the Bible,” Emmaus Journal 13:2, 2004). However, it is improbable that all individuals in the region can trace their ancestry back to Ishmael.In Arabia, there are descendants of Ishmael, along with the descendants of Keturah and the children of Esau who also resided in the Arabian Peninsula.
While some contemporary Arabs can trace their ancestry back to Ishmael, not all Arabs are descendants of Ishmael as asserted by Muslims. According to the Bible, God promised to make Ishmael a great nation. His descendants can partake in the blessings of Abraham by placing their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.
