Abstract
In spite of varying methods and writing styles, Muslim tafsir literature possesses quite a large number of biblical accounts and stories of previous Prophets and former nations, commonly known as riwayat isra’┘liyyah. A lot has been written about the origin and quality of these riwayat and that how did they penetrate into Qur’anic exegesis. One of such accounts relates to the story of the child who was offered for sacrifice by the prophet Abraham (Peace be upon him). According to the Old Testament (Genesis: 22), Abraham was instructed by Allah (subhanahu wa ta‘ala) to offer Issac for sacrifice on Moriah. This event is known as “Aqedat Yitzhaq” (in Hebrew) = “The Binding” (in English). This episode has been the focus of tremendous interest of scholars/interpreters/missionaries (both classical and modern) of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The present article, through critical investigation, looks into the story in Muslim Arabic tafsir literature and points out biblical accounts and opinions of early scholars about them.
Keyword(s)
Abraham, Ishmael, Issac, The child of sacrifice, Biblical Accounts, Qur’anic exegesis