Binding of Isaac - wikipedia Binding of Isaac For the video games, see The Binding of Isaac ( video game ) and The Binding of Isaac : Rebirth. `` Akeda '' redirects here. For the album by Matisyahu, see Akeda ( album ). `` Aqedah '' redirects here. For the Islamic creed, see Aqidah. This article is written like a personal reflection or opinion essay that states a Wikipedia editor 's personal feelings about a topic. Please help improve it by rewriting it in an encyclopedic style. ( June 2011 ) Mosaic `` Sacrifice of Isaac '' - Basilica of San Vitale ( A.D. 547 ) The Sacrifice of Isaac by Caravaggio, in the Baroque tenebrist manner The Binding of Isaac ( Hebrew : עֲקֵידַת יִצְחַק ‎ Aqedat Yitzhaq, in Hebrew also simply `` The Binding '', הָעֲקֵידָה Ha - Aqedah ), is a story from the Hebrew Bible found in Genesis 22. In the biblical narrative, God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, on Moriah. Abraham begins to comply, when a messenger from God interrupts him. Abraham then sees a ram and sacrifices it instead. This episode has been the focus of a great deal of commentary in traditional Jewish, Christian, and Muslim sources, as well as being addressed by modern scholarship. Contents 1 Biblical narrative 2 Jewish views 3 Christian views 4 Muslim views 5 Modern research 5.1 Redactors and narrative purpose 5.2 Ethical responsibility 5.3 Possible child sacrifice 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 External links Biblical narrative God commands Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice, Domenichino According to the Hebrew Bible, God commands Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice. After Isaac is bound to an altar, a messenger from God stops Abraham at the last minute, saying `` now I know you fear God. '' Abraham looks up and sees a ram and sacrifices it instead of Isaac. Abraham and Isaac ( oil on canvas ), Rembrandt, 1634 The passage states that the event occurred at `` the mount of the LORD '' in `` the land of Moriah. '' 2 Chronicles 3 : 1 refers to `` mount Moriah '' as the site of Solomon 's Temple, while Psalms 24 : 3 ; Isaiah 2 : 3 & 30 : 29 ; and Zechariah 8 : 3 use the term `` the mount of the LORD '' to refer to the site of Solomon 's Temple in Jerusalem, the location believed to be the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Jewish views Mosaic on the floor of Beth Alpha depicting the Akedah The majority of Jewish religious commentators argue that God was testing Abraham to see if he would actually kill his own son, as a test of his loyalty. However, a number of Jewish Biblical commentators from the medieval era, and many in the modern era, read the text in another way. The early rabbinic midrash Genesis Rabbah imagines God as saying `` I never considered telling Abraham to slaughter Isaac ( using the Hebrew root letters for `` slaughter '', not `` sacrifice '' ) ``. Rabbi Yona Ibn Janach ( Spain, 11th century ) wrote that God demanded only a symbolic sacrifice. Rabbi Yosef Ibn Caspi ( Spain, early 14th century ) wrote that Abraham 's `` imagination '' led him astray, making him believe that he had been commanded to sacrifice his son. Ibn Caspi writes `` How could God command such a revolting thing ? '' However, according to Joseph Hertz, Chief Rabbi of the British Empire, child sacrifice was actually `` rife among the Semitic peoples '' and suggests that `` in that age, it was astounding that Abraham 's God should have interposed to prevent the sacrifice, not that He should have asked for it. '' Hertz interprets the Akedah as demonstrating to the Jews that human sacrifice is abhorrent. In The Binding of Isaac, Religious Murders & Kabbalah, Lippman Bodoff argues that Abraham never intended to actually sacrifice his son, and that he had faith that God had no intention that he do so. Rabbi Ari Kahn ( on the Orthodox Union website ) elaborates this view as follows : Isaac 's death was never a possibility -- not as far as Abraham was concerned, and not as far as God was concerned. God 's commandment to Abraham was very specific, and Abraham understood it very precisely : Isaac was to be `` raised up as an offering '', and God would use the opportunity to teach humankind, once and for all, that human sacrifice, child sacrifice, is not acceptable. This is precisely how the sages of the Talmud ( Taanit 4a ) understood the Akedah. Citing the Prophet Jeremiah 's exhortation against child sacrifice ( Chapter 19 ), they state unequivocally that such behavior `` never crossed God 's mind '', referring specifically to the sacrificial slaughter of Isaac. Though readers of this parashah throughout the generations have been disturbed, even horrified, by the Akeida, there was no miscommunication between God and Abraham. The thought of actually killing Isaac never crossed their minds. Others suggest that Abraham 's apparent complicity with the sacrifice was actually his way of testing God. Abraham had previously argued with God to save lives in Sodom and Gomorrah. By silently complying with God 's instructions to kill Isaac, Abraham was putting pressure on God to act in a moral way to preserve life. More evidence that Abraham thought that he would not actually sacrifice Isaac comes from Genesis 22 : 5, where Abraham said to his servants, `` You stay here with the ass. The boy and I will go up there ; we will worship and we will return to you. '' By saying we ( as opposed to I ), he meant that both he and Isaac would return. Thus, he did not believe that Isaac would be sacrificed in the end. In The Guide for the Perplexed, Maimonides argues that the story of the Binding of Isaac contains two `` great notions ''. First, Abraham 's willingness to sacrifice Isaac demonstrates the limit of humanity 's capability to both love and fear God. Second, because Abraham acted on a prophetic vision of what God had asked him to do, the story exemplifies how prophetic revelation has the same truth value as philosophical argument and thus carries equal certainty, notwithstanding the fact that it comes in a dream or vision. In Glory and Agony : Isaac 's Sacrifice and National Narrative, Yael S. Feldman argues that the story of Isaac 's Binding, in both its biblical and post-biblical versions ( the New Testament included ) has had a great impact on the ethos of altruist heroism and self - sacrifice in modern Hebrew national culture. As her study demonstrates, over the last century the `` Binding of Isaac '' has morphed into the `` Sacrifice of Isaac '', connoting both the glory and agony of heroic death on the battlefield. In Legends of the Jews, rabbi Louis Ginzberg argues that the binding of Isaac is a way of God to test Isaac 's claim to Ishmael, and to silence Satan 's protest about Abraham who had not brought up any offering to God after Isaac was born, also to show a proof to the world that Abraham is the true god - fearing man who ready to fulfill any God 's commands, even to sacrifice his own son : When God commanded the father to desist from sacrificing Isaac, Abraham said : `` One man tempts another, because he knoweth not what is in the heart of his neighbor. But Thou surely didst know that I was ready to sacrifice my son ! '' God : `` It was manifest to Me, and I foreknew it, that thou wouldst withhold not even thy soul from Me. '' Abraham : `` And why, then, didst Thou afflict me thus ? '' God : `` It was My wish that the world should become acquainted with thee, and should know that it is not without good reason that I have chosen thee from all the nations. Now it hath been witnessed unto men that thou fearest God. '' -- Legends of the Jews The Book of Genesis does not tell the age of Isaac at the time. Some Talmudic sages teach that Isaac was an adult in his age of thirty seven, likely based on the next biblical story, which is of Sarah 's death at 127 years, being 90 when Isaac was born. Isaac 's reaction to the binding is unstated in the biblical narrative. Some commentators have argued that he was traumatized and angry, often citing the fact that he and Abraham are never seen to speak to each other again ; however, Jon D. Levenson notes that they never speak before the binding, either. Christian views Sacrifice of Isaac, by Adi Holzer, 1997 The Binding of Isaac is mentioned in the New Testament Epistle to the Hebrews among many acts of faith recorded in the Old Testament : `` By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, ' In Isaac your seed shall be called, ' concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. '' ( Hebrews 11 : 17 -- 19, NKJV ) Abraham 's faith in God is such that he felt God would be able to resurrect the slain Isaac, in order that his prophecy ( Genesis 21 : 12 ) might be fulfilled. Early Christian preaching sometimes accepted Jewish interpretations of the binding of Isaac without elaborating. For example, Hippolytus of Rome says in his Commentary on the Song of Songs, `` The blessed Isaac became desirous of the anointing and he wished to sacrifice himself for the sake of the world '' ( On the Song 2 : 15 ). Other Christians from the period saw Isaac as a type of the `` Word of God '' who prefigured Christ. The majority of Christian Biblical commentators view this episode as prefiguring God 's plan to have his own Son, Jesus, die on the cross as a substitute for humanity, much like the ram God provided for Abraham. This fulfilled Abraham 's reply to Isaac 's question of where was the animal that would be used for the sacrifice ; Abraham 's affirmation that `` God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering '' is seen as a prophetic foreshadow of the promise of the Lamb of God. Abraham 's willingness to give up his own son Isaac is seen, in this view, as foreshadowing the willingness of God the Father to sacrifice his Son ; also contrasted is Isaac 's submission in the whole ordeal with Christ 's, the two choosing to lay down their own lives in order for the will of God to be accomplished, as no struggle is mentioned in the Genesis account. Muslim views Ibrahim 's Sacrifice. Timurid Anthology, 1410 - 11. The version in the Quran differs from that in Genesis. In Islamic sources, when Abraham tells his son about the vision, his son accepted to be sacrificed for the fulfillment of God 's command, and no binding to the altar occurred. The Quran states that when Abraham asked for a righteous son, God granted him a son possessing forbearance. When the son was able to walk and work with him, Abraham saw a vision about sacrificing his son, Ishmael. When he told his son about it, his son agreed to fulfill the command of God in the vision. When they both had submitted their will to God and were ready for the sacrifice, God told Abraham he had fulfilled the vision, and provided him with a ram to sacrifice instead. God promised to reward Abraham. The next two verses state God also granted Abraham the righteous son Isaac and promised more rewards. Among early Muslim scholars, however, there was a dispute over the identity of the son. The argument of those early scholars who believed it was Isaac rather than Ishmael ( notably ibn Qutaybah and al - Tabari ) was that `` God 's perfecting his mercy on Abraham and Isaac '' referred to his making Abraham his friend, and to his rescuing Isaac. On the contrary, the other parties held that the promise to Sarah was of a son, Isaac, and a grandson, Jacob ( Sura 11 : 71 -- 74 ) excluded the possibility of a premature death of Isaac. And it has become the mainstream Muslim view that it was the first - born son Ismail, not Isaac, who was asked to be sacrificed in the vision, and that the second son Isaac was born later as one of the rewards for Abraham 's fulfillment of his vision. The submission of Abraham and his son is celebrated and commemorated by Muslims on the days of Eid al - Adha. During the festival, those who can afford and the ones in the pilgrimage sacrifice a ram, cow, sheep or a camel. Part of the sacrifice meat is eaten by the household and remaining is distributed to the neighbors and the needy. The festival marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. In Islam, the site of al - Marwah near the Kaaba is identified with the Moriah mentioned in the Book of Genesis. Modern research Redactors and narrative purpose Modern scholars operating under the framework of the documentary hypothesis commonly ascribe the Binding 's narrative to the biblical source E, on the grounds that it generally uses the specific term Elohim ( אלוהים ) and parallels characteristic E compositions. On that view, the second angelic appearance to Abraham ( v. 14 -- 18 ), praising his obedience and blessing his offspring, is in fact a later Jahwist interpolation to E 's original account ( v. 1 -- 13, 19 ). This is supported by the style and composition of these verses, as well as by the use of the name Yahweh for the deity. In Mimesis : The Representation of Reality in Western Literature, the literary critic Erich Auerbach considers the Hebrew narrative of the Binding of Isaac, along with Homer 's description of Odysseus 's scar, as the two paradigmatic models for the representation of reality in literature. Auerbach contrasts Homer 's attention to detail and foregrounding of the spatial, historical, as well as personal contexts for events to the Bible 's sparse account, in which virtually all context is kept in the background or left outside of the narrative. As Auerbach observes, this narrative strategy virtually compels readers to add their own interpretations to the text. Ethical responsibility More recent studies question the analysis of E and J as strictly separate. Coats argues that Abraham 's obedience to God 's command in fact necessitates praise and blessing, which he only receives in the second angelic speech. That speech, therefore, could not have been simply inserted into E 's original account. This has suggested to many that the author responsible for the interpolation of the second angelic appearance has left his mark also on the original account ( v. 1 -- 13, 19 ). More recently it has been suggested that these traces are in fact the first angelic appearance ( v. 11 -- 12 ), in which the Angel of YHWH stops Abraham before he kills Isaac. The style and composition of these verses resemble that of the second angelic speech, and YHWH is used for the deity rather than God. On that reading, in the original E version of the Binding Abraham disobeys God 's command, sacrificing the ram `` instead of his son '' ( v. 13 ) on his own responsibility and without being stopped by an angel : `` And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son ; but Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked and beheld, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns ; and Abraham went, and took the ram, and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son '' ( v. 10, 13 ). By interpolating the first appearance of the angel, a later redactor shifted responsibility for halting the test from Abraham to the angel ( v. 11 -- 12 ). The second angelic appearance, in which Abraham is rewarded for his obedience ( v. 14 -- 18 ), became necessary due to that shift of responsibility. This analysis of the story sheds light on the connection between the Binding and the story of Sodom ( Genesis 18 ), in which Abraham protests against God 's unethical plan to destroy the city, without distinguishing between the righteous and the wicked : `` Far be it from you to do such a thing : Shall not the judge of all the earth do what is just ? '' Abraham 's ethical rebellion against God in the destruction of Sodom culminates in his disobedience to God, refusing to sacrifice Isaac. The Binding also figures prominently in the writings of several of the more important modern theologians, such as Søren Kierkegaard in Fear and Trembling and Shalom Spiegel in The Last Trial. Jewish communities regularly review this literature, for instance the recent mock trial held by more than 600 members of the University Synagogue of Orange County, California. Derrida also looks at the story of the sacrifice as well as Kierkegaard 's reading in The Gift of Death. Possible child sacrifice Francesca Stavrakopoulou has speculated that it is possible that the story `` contains traces of a tradition in which Abraham does sacrifice Isaac. R.E. Friedman argued that in the original E story, Abraham may have carried out the sacrifice of Isaac, but that later repugnance at the idea of a human sacrifice led the redactor of JE to add the lines in which a ram is substituted for Isaac. Likewise, Terence Fretheim wrote that the text bears no specific mark of being a polemic against child sacrifice. Some scholars also point at the genealogical snippet ( verses 20 -- 24 ) as containing a hint to the question whether Abraham sacrificed Isaac or not. First of all, the description of a rash of newborns placed right after the main story suggests the existence of some direct cause - effect connection between the two. From the perspective of a sacrificial economy, such a numerous progeny could not have been conceived without the preceding payment in an appropriate ' currency '. Secondly, the said passage is problematic due to its onomastic content. The verses 20 -- 23 list the progeny of Nahor and Milkah while v. 24 adds the offspring conceived with Re'umah, said to be his concubine. However, whereas verses 20 -- 23 have some significant links with other parts of the Hebrew Bible as well as with the historical and cultural entourage of the ancient Near East, such connections are absent in v. 24. The very name of Nahor 's concubine appears here exclusively and in no other place in the Hebrew Bible is Re'umah mentioned. The same applies to her children 's names with the exception of Ma'akah which is sometimes utilized in the historical books. The extreme rarity of these appellations demands some alternative interpretation with regards to its purpose. Accordingly, the personal list may contain some `` coded '' explanation concerning the rest of the story : Re'umah ( ראומה ) -- `` see what '' Tevah ( טבח ) -- `` slaughtering '' or `` slaughtered '' Gaham ( גחם ) -- `` flame '' or `` burning '' Tahash ( תחש ) -- `` skin '' often used to describe the tabernacle 's covering Ma'akah ( מעכה ) -- `` blown '' or `` crushed '' In other words, v. 24 begins with an interpretational invitation and continues with the names which seem to explain the cause of the rash of newborns present at the conclusion of the pericope : Somebody had been blown, slaughtered, put on the tabernacle, and burned. From a 14th - century Icelandic manuscript of Stjórn Abraham about to sacrifice Isaac. From a 14th - century English Missal See also Child sacrifice Covenant of the pieces Eid al - Adha Fear and Trembling Filicide Free will Phrixus in Greek mythology, child sacrifice thwarted by ram Iphigenia The Binding of Isaac ( video game ) Vayeira, the parashah containing the Binding of Isaac Notes Jump up ^ Jewish Virtual Library. `` Akedah ''. Accessed March 25, 2011 Jump up ^ Judaism 101 : A Glossary of Basic Jewish Terms and Concepts Accessed March 25, 2011 Jump up ^ Genesis 22 : 14 Jump up ^ Genesis 22 : 2 Jump up ^ http://www.ou.org/torah/parsha/rabbi-ari-kahn-on-parsha/never-crossed-mind/ Jump up ^ Hebrew - English TANAKH., Page 39, The Jewish Publication Society, 1999 Jump up ^ Maimonides. The Guide of the Perplexed, Vol. 2, Book III, Ch. 24. English translation by Shlomo Pines. Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 1963. Jump up ^ Feldman, Yael S. ( 2010 ). Glory and Agony : Isaac 's Sacrifice and National Narrative. Stanford, California : Stanford University Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8047 - 5902 - 1. Jump up ^ Ginzberg, Louis ( 1909 ). The Legends of the Jews Vol. I : Satan Accuses Abraham ( Translated by Henrietta Szold ) Philadelphia : Jewish Publication Society. Jump up ^ Ginzberg, Louis ( 1909 ). The Legends of the Jews Vol. I : The Akedah ( Translated by Henrietta Szold ) Philadelphia : Jewish Publication Society. Jump up ^ Levenson, Jon D. ( 2004 ). `` Genesis : introduction and annotations ''. In Berlin, Adele ; Brettler, Marc Zvi. The Jewish Study Bible. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195297515. Jump up ^ Ginzberg, Louis ( 1909 ). The Legends of the Jews Vol. I : The Akedah ( Translated by Henrietta Szold ) Philadelphia : Jewish Publication Society. Jump up ^ Jon D. Levenson, Lecture Oct 13, 2016 : `` Genesis 22 : The Binding of Isaac and the Crucifixion of Jesus, starting at about 1 : 05 : 10 Jump up ^ Levenson, J.D. ( 2012 ). Inheriting Abraham : The Legacy of the Patriarch in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Library of Jewish Ideas. Princeton University Press. p. 59. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4008 - 4461 - 6. Jump up ^ See Yancy Smith, `` Hippolytus ' Commentary On the Song of Songs in Social and Critical Context '' ( Unpublished PhD Dissertation ; Brite Divinity School, 2008 ), 312. Jump up ^ Origen, Homilies on Genesis 11 -- 13 Jump up ^ 37 : 100 -- 111 Jump up ^ 37 : 112 -- 113 Jump up ^ Encyclopaedia of Islam, Ishaq. ^ Jump up to : G.J. Wenham. ( 1994 ). Genesis 16 - 50. Dallas, TX : Word Biblical Commentary. Jump up ^ Coats, G.W. ( 1973 ). Abraham 's sacrifice of faith : A form critical study of Genesis 22. Interpretation, 27, pp. 389 -- 400. Jump up ^ Boehm, O. ( 2002 ). The binding of Isaac : An inner Biblical polemic on the question of disobeying a manifestly illegal order. Vetus Testamentum, 52 ( 1 ) pp. 1 -- 12. Jump up ^ O. Boehm, O. ( 2007 ). The Binding of Isaac : A Religious Model of Disobedience, New York, NY : T&T Clark. Jump up ^ Bird, Cameron ( 12 January 2009 ). `` For ' jury ', a case of biblical proportions ''. The Orange County Register. 105 ( 12 ). p. 11. Jump up ^ It may be that the biblical story contains traces of a tradition in which Abraham does sacrifice Isaac, for in Genesis 22 : 19 Abraham appears to return from the mountain without Isaac. Stavrakopoulou, F. ( 2004 ). King Manasseh and child sacrifice : Biblical distortions of historical realities, pp. 193 -- 194. Jump up ^ Friedman, R.E. ( 2003 ). The Bible With Sources Revealed, p. 65. Jump up ^ Terence E Fretheim in The Child in the Bible edited by Marcia J. Bunge, Terence E. Fretheim, Beverly Roberts Gaventa, pg. 20 Jump up ^ Kosior, Wojciech ( 2013 ). `` '' You have not withheld your son, your only one, from Me ``. Some arguments for the consummated sacrifice of Abraham ''. The Polish Journal of the Arts and Culture. 8 ( 5 / 2013 ) : 73 -- 75. Retrieved 16 June 2014. References Berman, Louis A. ( 1997 ). The Akedah : The Binding of Isaac. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 1 - 56821 - 899 - 0. Bodoff, Lippman ( 2005 ). The Binding of Isaac, Religious Murders & Kabbalah : Seeds of Jewish Extremism and Alienation ?. Devora Publishing. ISBN 1 - 932687 - 52 - 1. ISBN 1 - 932687 - 53 - X. Bodofff, Lippman ( 1993 ). `` The Real Test of the Akedah : Blind Obedience versus Moral Choice ''. Judaism. 42 ( 1 ). Bodofff, Lippman ( 1993 ). `` God Tests Abraham - Abraham Tests God ''. Bible Review. IX ( 5 ) : 52. Boehm, Omri ( 2002 ). `` The Binding of Isaac : An Inner Biblical Polemic on the Question of Disobeying a Manifestly Illegal Order ''. Vetus Testamentum. 52 ( 1 ) : 1 -- 12. doi : 10.1163 / 15685330252965686. Boehm, Omri ( 2007 ). The Binding of Isaac : A Religious Model of Disobedience. T&T Clark. ISBN 978 - 0 - 567 - 02613 - 2. Delaney, Carol ( 1998 ). Abraham on Trial. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0 - 691 - 05985 - 3. Delaney, Carol ( 1999 ). `` Abraham, Isaac, and Some Hidden Assumptions of Our Culture ''. The Humanist. May / June. Feiler, Bruce ( 2002 ). Abraham : A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths. HarperCollins. ISBN 0 - 06 - 083866 - 3. Feldman, Yael ( 2010 ). Glory and Agony : Isaac 's Sacrifice and National Narrative '. Stanford University Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8047 - 5902 - 1. Firestone, Reuven ( 1990 ). Journeys in Holy Lands : The Evolution of the Abraham - Ishmael Legends in Islamic Exegesis. State University of New York Press. ISBN 0 - 7914 - 0332 - 7. Goodman, James ( 2015 ). Abraham and His Son : The Story of a Story. Sandstone Press. ISBN 978 - 1 - 910124 - 15 - 4. Goodman, James ( 2013 ). But Where Is the Lamb ? Imagining the Story of Abraham and Isaac. Schocken Books. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8052 - 4253 - 9. Jensen, Robin M. ( 1993 ). `` The Binding or Sacrifice of Isaac : How Jews and Christians See Differently ''. Bible Review. 9 ( 5 ) : 42 -- 51. Levenson, Jon D. ( 1995 ). The Death and Resurrection of the Beloved Son : The Transformation of Child Sacrifice in Judaism and Christianity. Yale University Press. ISBN 0 - 300 - 06511 - 6. Ravitzky, Aviezer. Abraham : Father of the Believers ( in Hebrew ). Hebrew University. Sarna, Nahum ( 1989 ). The JPS Torah Commentary : Genesis. Jewish Publication Society. ISBN 0 - 8276 - 0326 - 6. Spiegel, Shalom ( 1967 ). The Last Trial : On the Legends and Lore of the Command to Abraham to Offer Isaac As a Sacrifice : The Akedah ( 1993 reprint ed. ). Jewish Lights Publishing. ISBN 1 - 879045 - 29 - X. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sacrifice of Isaac. Symposium on the Sacrifice of Isaac in the Three Monotheistic Religions The Sacrifice of Isaac in Medieval English Drama Mystery play texts in the cycles from Chester, Wakefield, York and n - Town Shofar Callin ' ( G - dcast 's animated retelling of the Binding of Isaac, to a hip hop soundtrack ) People and things in the Quran Characters Non-humans Allāh ( `` The God '' ) Names of Allah found in the Quran, such as Karīm ( Generous ) Beings in Paradise Ghilmān or Wildān Ḥūr Animals Related The baqarah ( cow ) of Israelites The dhi'b ( wolf ) that Jacob feared could attack Joseph The hud - hud ( hoopoe ) of Solomon The kalb ( dog ) of the sleepers of the cave The nūn ( fish or whale ) of Jonah The nāqat ( she - camel ) of Saleh The fīl ( elephant ) of the Abyssinians ) Non-related Ḥimār ( domesticated donkey or wild ass ) Qaswarah ( ' Lion ', ' Beast of prey ' or ' Hunter ' ) Angels Angels of Hell Mālik Zabāniyah Angel of the Trumpet ( Isrāfīl or Raphael ) Jibrīl ( Gabriel ) Mīkāl ( Michael ) ' Izrā'īl Malakul - Mawt ( Azrael, Angel of Death ) Riḍwān Munkar Nakir Harut and Marut Kirāman Kātibīn ( Honourable Scribes ) Raqib Atid Jinn ' Ifrīt ( `` Strong one '' ) Jann Mārid ( `` Rebellious one '' ) Iblīs the Shayṭān ( Devil ) Other Shayāṭīn ( Demons ) Qarīn Prophets Mentioned Ādam ( Adam ) Al - Yasa ' ( Elisha ) Ayyūb ( Job ) Dāwūd ( David ) Dhūl - Kifl ( Ezekiel ? ) Hārūn ( Aaron ) Hūd ( Eber ? ) Idrīs ( Enoch ? ) Ilyās ( Elijah ) ' Imrān ( Joachim the father of Maryam ) Isḥāq ( Isaac ) Ismā'īl ( Ishmael ) Dhabih Ullah Isma'il Ṣādiq al - Wa 'd ( Fulfiller of the Promise ) Lūṭ ( Lot ) Ṣāliḥ Shu'ayb ( Jethro, Reuel or Hobab ? ) Sulaymān ibn Dāwūd ( Solomon son of David ) ' Uzair ( Ezra ? ) Yaḥyā ibn Zakariyyā ( John the Baptist the son of Zechariah ) Ya'qūb ( Jacob ) Isrā'īl ( Israel ) Yūnus ( Jonah ) Dhūn - Nūn ( `` He of the Fish ( or Whale ) '' or `` Owner of the Fish ( or Whale ) '' ) Ṣāḥib al - Ḥūt ( `` Companion of the Whale '' ) Yūsuf ibn Ya'qūb ( Joseph son of Jacob ) Zakariyyā ( Zechariah ) Ulu - l - ' Azm Muḥammad Aḥmad Other names and titles of Muhammad ʿĪsā ( Jesus ) Al - Masīḥ ( The Messiah ) Ibn Maryam ( Son of Mary ) Mūsā Kalīmullāh ( Moses He who spoke to God ) Ibrāhīm Khalīlullāh ( Abraham Friend of God ) Nūḥ ( Noah ) Debatable ones Dhūl - Qarnain ( Cyrus the Great ? ) Luqmān Maryam ( Mary ) Ṭālūt ( Saul or Gideon ? ) Implied Irmiyā ( Jeremiah ) Ṣamū'īl ( Samuel ) Yūsha ' ibn Nūn ( Joshua, companion and successor of Moses ) People of Prophets Evil ones Āzar ( possibly Terah ) Fir'awn ( Pharaoh of Moses ' time ) Hāmān Jālūt ( Goliath ) Qārūn ( Korah, cousin of Moses ) As - Sāmirī Abī Lahab Slayers of Saleh 's she - camel ( Qaddar ibn Salif and Musda ' ibn Dahr ) Good ones Adam 's immediate relatives Martyred son Wife Believer of Ya - Sin Family of Noah Father Lamech Mother Shamkhah bint Anush or Betenos Luqman 's son People of Aaron and Moses Believer of Fir'aun Family ( Hizbil / Hizqil ibn Sabura ) Imra'at Fir'awn ( Āsiyá bint Muzāḥim or Bithiah ) Khidr Magicians of the Pharaoh Moses ' wife Moses ' sister - in - law Mother Sister People of Abraham Mother Abiona or Amtelai the daughter of Karnebo Ishmael 's mother Isaac 's mother People of Jesus Disciples ( including Peter ) Mary 's mother Zechariah 's wife People of Joseph Brothers ( including Binyāmin ( Benjamin ) and Simeon ) Egyptians ' Azīz ( Potiphar, Qatafir or Qittin ) Malik ( King Ar - Rayyān ibn Al - Walīd ) ) Wife of ' Azīz ( Zulaykhah ) Mother People of Solomon Mother Queen of Sheba Vizier Zayd Implied or not specified Abrahah Bal'am / Balaam Barsisa Caleb or Kaleb the companion of Joshua Luqman 's son Nebuchadnezzar II Nimrod Rahmah the wife of Ayyub Shaddad Groups Mentioned Aṣḥāb al - Jannah People of Paradise People of the Burnt Garden Aṣḥāb as - Sabt ( Companions of the Sabbath ) Christian apostles Ḥawāriyyūn ( Disciples of Jesus ) Companions of Noah 's Ark Aṣḥāb al - Kahf war - Raqīm ( Companions of the Cave and Al - Raqaim ? Companions of the Elephant People of al - Ukhdūd People of a township in Surah Ya - Sin People of Yathrib or Medina Qawm Lūṭ ( People of Sodom and Gomorrah ) Nation of Noah Tribes, ethnicities or families A'rāb ( Arabs or Bedouins ) ʿĀd ( people of Hud ) Companions of the Rass Qawm Tubba ' ( People of Tubba ) People of Saba ' or Sheba Quraysh Thamūd ( people of Saleh ) Aṣḥāb al - Ḥijr ( `` Companions of the Stoneland '' ) ' Ajam Ar - Rūm ( literally `` The Romans '' ) Banī Isrā'īl ( Children of Israel ) Mu'tafikāt ( The overthrown cities of Sodom and Gomorrah ) People of Ibrahim People of Ilyas People of Nuh People of Shuaib Ahl Madyan People of Madyan ) Aṣḥāb al - Aykah ( `` Companions of the Wood '' ) Qawm Yūnus ( People of Jonah ) Ya'juj and Ma'juj / Gog and Magog Ahl al - Bayt ( `` People of the Household '' ) Household of Abraham Brothers of Yūsuf Daughters of Abraham 's nephew Lot ( Ritha, Za'ura, et al. ) Progeny of Imran Household of Moses Household of Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abdul - Muttalib ibn Hashim Daughters of Muhammad Wives of Muhammad Household of Salih People of Fir'aun Current Ummah of Islam ( Ummah of Muhammad ) Aṣḥāb Muḥammad ( Companions of Muhammad ) Muhajirun ( Emigrants ) Anṣār Muslims of Medina who helped Muhammad and his Meccan followers, literally ' Helpers ' ) People of Mecca Umm Jamil ( wife of Abu Lahab ) Children of Ayyub Dead son of Sulaiman Qabil / Cain ( son of Adam ) Wali'ah or Wa'ilah / Waala ( wife of Nuh ) Walihah or Wahilah ( wife of Lut ) Ya'jūj wa Ma'jūj ( Gog and Magog ) Yam or Kan'an ( son of Nuh ) Implicitly mentioned Amalek Ahl as - Suffa ( People of the Verandah ) Banu Nadir Banu Qaynuqa Banu Qurayza Iranian people Umayyad Dynasty Aus & Khazraj People of Quba Religious groups Ahl al - dhimmah ( Dhimmi ) Kāfirūn ( Infidels ) Zoroastrians Munāfiq ūn ( Hypocrites ) Muslims People of the Book ( Ahl al - Kitāb ) Naṣārā ( Christian ( s ) or People of the Injil ) Ruhban ( Christian monks ) Qissis ( Christian priest ) Yahūd ( Jews ) Ahbār ( Jewish scholars ) Rabbani / Rabbi Sabians Polytheists Meccan polytheists at the time of Muhammad Mesopotamian polytheists at the time of Abraham and Lot Locations Mentioned Al - Arḍ Al - Muqaddasah ( `` The Holy Land '' ) ' Blessed ' Land In the Arabian Peninsula ( excluding Madyan ) Al - Aḥqāf ( `` The Sandy Plains, '' or `` the Wind - curved Sand - hills '' ) Iram dhāt al - ' Imād ( Iram of the Pillars ) Al - Madīnah ( formerly Yathrib ) ' Arafāt Al - Ḥijr ( Hegra ) Badr Ḥunayn Makkah ( Mecca ) Bakkah Ḥaraman Āminan ( `` Sanctuary ( which is ) Secure '' ) Ka'bah ( Kaaba ) Maqām Ibrāhīm ( Station of Abraham ) Safa and Marwah Saba ' ( Sheba ) ' Arim Saba ' ( Dam of Sheba ) Rass Al - Jannah ( Paradise, literally `` The Garden '' ) Jahannam ( Hell ) In Mesopotamia : Al - Jūdiyy Munzalanm - Mubārakan ( `` Place - of - Landing Blessed '' ) Bābil ( Babylon ) Qaryat Yūnus ( `` Township of Jonah, '' that is Nineveh ) Door of Hittah Madyan ( Midian ) Majma ' al - Baḥrayn Miṣr ( Mainland Egypt ) Salsabīl ( A river in Paradise ) Sinai Region or Tīh Desert Al - Wād Al - Muqaddas Ṭuwan ( The Holy Valley of Tuwa ) Al - Wādil - Ayman ( The valley on the ' righthand ' side of the Valley of Tuwa and Mount Sinai ) Mount Sinai or Mount Tabor Religious locations Bay'a ( Church ) Miḥrāb Monastery Masjid ( Mosque, literally `` Place of Prostration '' ) Al - Mash'ar Al - Ḥarām ( `` The Sacred Grove '' ) Al - Masjid Al - Aqṣā ( Al - Aqsa Mosque, literally `` The Farthest Place - of - Prostration '' ) Al - Masjid Al - Ḥarām ( The Sacred Mosque of Mecca ) Masjid al - Dirar A Mosque in the area of Medina, possibly : Masjid Qubā ' ( Quba Mosque ) The Prophet 's Mosque Salat ( Synagogue ) Implied Antioch Antakya Arabia Ayla Barrier of Dhul - Qarnayn Bayt al - Muqaddas & ' Ariha Bilād ar - Rāfidayn ( Mesopotamia ) Canaan Cave of Seven Sleepers Dār an - Nadwa Al - Ḥijāz ( literally `` The Barrier '' ) Black Stone ( Al - Ḥajar al - Aswad ) & Al - Hijr of Isma'il Cave of Hira & Ghar al - Thawr ( Cave of the Bull ) Ta'if Hudaybiyyah Jordan River Nile River Palestine River Paradise of Shaddad Plant matter Baṣal ( Onion ) Fūm ( Garlic or wheat ) Shaṭ ' ( Shoot ) Sūq ( Stem ) Zar ' ( Seed ) Fruits ' Adas ( Lentil ) Baql ( Herb ) Ḥabb dhul - ' aṣf ( Corn of the husk ) Qith - thá ' ( Cucumber ) Rummān ( Pomegranate ) Tīn ( Fig ) Ukul khamṭ ( Bitter fruit or food of Sheba ) Zaytūn ( Olive ) In Paradise Forbidden fruit of Adam Bushes, trees or plants Plants of Sheba Athl ( Tamarisk ) Sidr ( lote - tree ) Līnah ( Tender palm tree ) Nakhl ( date palm ) Rayḥān ( Scented plant ) Sidrat al - Muntahā Zaqqūm Texts Al - Injīl ( The Gospel of Jesus ) Al - Qur'ān ( The Book of Muhammad ) Ṣuḥuf - i Ibrāhīm ( Scroll ( s ) of Abraham ) At - Tawrāt ( The Torah ) Ṣuḥuf - i - Mūsā ( Scroll ( s ) of Moses ) Tablets of Stone Az - Zabūr ( The Psalms of David ) Umm al - Kitāb ( `` Mother of the Book ( s ) '' ) Objects of people or beings Heavenly Food of Christian Apostles Noah 's Ark Staff of Musa Tābūt as - Sakīnah ( Casket of Shekhinah ) Throne of Bilqis Trumpet of Israfil Mentioned idols ( cult images ) ' Ansāb Idols of Israelites : Baal The ' ijl ( golden calf statue ) of Israelites Idols of Noah 's people : Nasr Suwā ' Wadd Yaghūth Ya'ūq Idols of Quraysh : Al - Lāt Al - ' Uzzá Manāt Jibt and Ṭāghūt Celestial bodies Maṣābīḥ ( literally ' lamps ' ) : Al - Qamar ( The Moon ) Kawākib ( Planets ) Al - Arḍ ( The Earth ) Nujūm ( Stars ) Ash - Shams ( The Sun ) Liquids Mā ' ( Water or fluid ) Nahr ( River ) Yamm ( River or sea ) Sharāb ( Drink ) Events Battle of al - Aḥzāb ( `` the Confederates '' ) Battle of Badr Battle of Hunayn Battle of Khaybar Battle of Tabouk Battle of Uhud Conquest of Mecca Incident of Ifk Laylat al - Mabit Mubahala Sayl al - ' Arim ( Flood of the Great Dam of Marib in Sheba ) The Farewell Pilgrimage ( Hujja al - Wada ' ) Treaty of Hudaybiyyah ' Umrah al - Qaza Yawm ad - Dār Implied Event of Ghadir Khumm Note : The names are sorted alphabetically. Standard form : Islamic name / Biblical name ( title or relationship ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Binding_of_Isaac&oldid=841125979 '' Categories : Abraham Angelic apparitions in the Bible Book of Genesis Human sacrifice Isaac Jewish sacrificial law Shacharit Siddur of Orthodox Judaism Vayeira Hidden categories : Wikipedia articles needing style editing from June 2011 All articles needing style editing Articles containing Hebrew - language text All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from September 2016 Articles with unsourced quotes Articles with unsourced statements from November 2015 All articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases Articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases from May 2009 Articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases from September 2016 Articles needing the year an event occurred from September 2016 Articles with unsourced statements from May 2018 CS1 Hebrew - language sources ( he ) Talk Contents About Wikipedia Български Brezhoneg Dansk Deutsch Español Esperanto فارسی Français Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית 日本 語 Polski Português Русский Српски / srpski ไทย Українська 9 more Edit links This page was last edited on 14 May 2018, at 05 : 32. 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Question: who in the bible almost sacrificed his son
Answer: Abraham