Was prophet Abraham a Muslim

Answer 1

Answer AYes, He is Muslim in the universal sense of Islam. Islam in its universal sense is an Arabic word that means full submission to God and full submission to God's will. In this sense Abraham is Muslim and considered by the three Heaven religions as the father of all prophets through his two son prophets Isaac and Ishmael.

God says in Quran, Muslims holy book, that Abraham is nether Jewish nor Christian but Muslim:

"O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Why do you dispute about Ibrahim (Abraham), while the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel) were not revealed till after him? Have you then no sense? Verily, you are those who have disputed about that of which you have knowledge. Why do you then dispute concerning that of which you have no knowledge? It is Allaah Who knows, and you know not. Ibrahim (Abraham) was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a true Muslim Hanifa (Islamic Monotheism -- to worship none but Allah Alone) and he was not of Al-Mushrikun (polytheists). Verily, among mankind who have the best claim to Ibrahim (Abraham) are those who followed him, and this Prophet (Muhammad p.b.u.h.) and those who have believed (Muslims). And Allah is the Walii (Protector and Helper) of the believers."

(Quran meaning English translation, Surah Al Imran, chapter 3, verses 65-68 )

Answer BWell, the question was about an American... but -

"Abraham is one of the best-known people of The Bible. He's a key figure in the history of both the Jewish and Arab people. He was the great-grandfather of Judah, whose descendants became known as the Jews, and he was also the father of Ishmael, from whom many of the Arab people are descended. Abraham was a Hebrew, and although the ancestor of both, Abraham himself was neither Jew nor Arab."

The Arabs Muslims descended from Ishmael who was the illegitimate son between Hagar and Abraham.

Hint on Answer BThe saying that Ishmael is an illegitimate son of Abraham is reflecting the views of some holy book texts that does not match with one of the greatest prophets as Abraham. It is not logic that a great prophet as Abraham (who is considered the father of prophets) gets involved in an illegitimate relation with Hagar and gets Ishmael as illegitimate son who was also a prophet. Hagar was a second wife for Abraham that he married after the approval of his first wife Sarah to bring him a child when Sarah lost hope to give birth of a child for Abraham. However, after Abraham got Ishmael (or Ismael) from Hagar, Sarah gave birth to Isaac.

The story of Hagar is found in the Bible in the book of Genesis, chapters 16 and 21. Genesis 16:2-3 states that Hagar was an Egyptian servant belonging to Sarah, who, being barren, gave Hagar to her husband Abraham "to be his wife", so that he might still have children. She gave birth to a son, whom she named Ishmael.

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Answer CHebrew. There were no Jewish people or Arabs yet. They descended from Abraham's children.

Answer 2

Answer 1 Abraham was not a member of any organized religion. By Jewish Tradition, he is the first monotheist, and therefore the first Jew. He was also the father of Ishmael, so Muslims also consider him as a founding father.

Both Muslims and Jews have a valid claim.

Answer 2 (Muslim answer): Yes, He is Muslim in the universal sense of Islam.

Abraham (or Ibrahim in Arabic) is the father of prophets. His sons are Isaac and Ismael (or Ishmael). He worshiped God (Allah in Arabic) the one and only one God with no son, no father, no partner, no companion, and no associate. This submission to God is called in Arabic 'Islam'. So, Abraham; and his sons Isaac and Ismael; are Muslims. Some claim that he was Jewish. However, Judaism per Torah revelation to Moses started after Prophet Abraham death. So, how was he Jewish.

Refer to question below for more information.

He is Muslim in the universal sense of Islam. Islam in its universal sense is an Arabic word that means full submission to God and full submission to God's will. In this sense Abraham is Muslim and considered by the three Heaven religions as the father of all prophets through his two son prophets Isaac and Ishmael.

God says in Quran, Muslims holy book, that Abraham is nether Jewish nor Christian but Muslim:

"O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Why do you dispute about Ibrahim (Abraham), while the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel) were not revealed till after him? Have you then no sense? Verily, you are those who have disputed about that of which you have knowledge. Why do you then dispute concerning that of which you have no knowledge? It is Allaah Who knows, and you know not. Ibrahim (Abraham) was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a true Muslim Hanifa (Islamic Monotheism -- to worship none but Allah Alone) and he was not of Al-Mushrikun (polytheists). Verily, among mankind who have the best claim to Ibrahim (Abraham) are those who followed him, and this Prophet (Muhammad p.b.u.h.) and those who have believed (Muslims). And Allah is the Walii (Protector and Helper) of the believers."

(Quran meaning English translation, Surah Al Imran, chapter 3, verses 65-68 )

Answer 3: The above person say he was Jewish, but Abraham never said "hey im jewish". He also never said he was Muslim. Abraham believed in the oneness of God and submitted himself to God, these are characteristics of a Muslim and of a Jew.

Answer 4 (Jewish answer): According to Jewish tradition, Abraham founded Judaism.

Answer 5Islam is an Arabic word that means full submission to Allah (or God in English and same God worshiped in Judaism and Christianity). Hence Islam in its universal sense is God religion since start of universe and mankind creation and even before, In this sense, all God prophets are Muslims and called their people to Islam. Islam per Torah revelation to Moses is called Judaism. Islam per the Bible revelation to Jesus is called Christianity. Islam per Qur'an revelation to Muhammad is called the very name Islam as it is last God religion and Qur'an is last God holy book. Peace be upon all God prophets. In this sense Abraham (or Ibrahim in Arabic) is a Muslim prophet and called his people to Islam. One must differentiate between Judaism as a race and Judaism as religion. Judaism as a race started much earlier than Judaism as religion. Judaism as religion started by God revelation of Torah to prophet Moses while He was in Sinai (in Egypt).

Answer 3

Islam was founded 2500 years after Abraham.

According to tradition, Abraham (18th century BCE) founded Judaism, and Moses later received the Torah from God.(See also: Timeline of Jewish history)

Abraham, tenth-generation descendant of Noah, of Hebrew lineage, was the son of Terah, uncle of Lot, father of Isaac, grandfather of Jacob, and ancestor of the Israelites. His story is in Genesis ch.11 (end), through ch.25. Jewish tradition states that he was the first to teach belief in One God; and it is in his merit that Jews continue to exist (Genesis 18:19, and ch.17).

Abraham came from ancestry that had been aware of God a couple of centuries earlier but had afterwards slipped into idolatry (Joshua 24:2). (See: How did polytheism start.)

By the time of Abraham, the area where he lived was full of pagan cults; they were polytheistic, worshiping multiple deities. Abraham became the first to advance the idea of ethical monotheism: the worship of One God, and the appropriate ethical code of conduct.

Nimrod, the idolatrous tyrant, had brought Abraham's father (Terah) from the Semitic ancestral seat near the confluence of the Balikh and the Euphrates, and instated him in a position of power in his army in the royal Babylonian city of Ur, where Abraham was born. Nimrod persecuted any who would question his idolatrous cult.

The Kuzari (Rabbi Judah HaLevi, 1075-1141) states that Abraham was gifted with high intelligence; and, as Maimonides (1135-1204) describes, Abraham didn't blindly accept the ubiquitous idolatry. The whole populace had been duped, but the young Abraham contemplated the matter relentlessly, finally arriving at the conclusion that there is One God and that this should be taught to others as well. This is what is meant by his "calling out in the name of the Lord" (Genesis ch.12).

As a young man, he remonstrated with passersby in public, demonstrating to them the falsehood of their idols; and our tradition tells how he was threatened and endangered by Nimrod.
Subsequently, Terah relocated to Harran; and it is here that Abraham began to develop a circle of disciples (Rashi commentary, on Genesis 12:5).

Later, God told Abraham in prophecy to move to the Holy Land, which is where Abraham raised his family.
He continued his contemplations, eventually arriving at the attitudes and forms of behavior which God later incorporated into the Torah given to Moses. (See: Thirteen basic Jewish beliefs)

Abraham became the greatest thinker of all time. His originality, perseverance, strength of conviction, and influence, cannot be overestimated.

Abraham, with God's help, trounced the supremacy of the evil Nimrod.

He received God's promise of inheriting the Holy Land (Genesis ch.13).

He strove to raise a family (Genesis ch.15, 17, and 24) which would serve God (Genesis 18:19); and God eventually blessed his efforts, granting him many children (ibid., ch.16, 21 and 25), as He had promised(Genesis ch.17).

Abraham founded the Jewish people and lived to see his work live on in the persons of Isaac and Jacob; and he taught many other disciples as well (Talmud, Yoma 28b).

He saved the population of the south of Canaan from invading foreign kings (Genesis 14); and he was feared by neighboring kings (ibid., ch.12 and 20).

Abraham gave tithes (Genesis ch.14), entered into a covenant with God (Genesis ch.15 and 17), welcomed guests into his home (Genesis ch.18) unlike the inhospitable Sodomites (Genesis ch.19), prayed for people (Genesis ch.18), rebuked others when necessary (Genesis ch.20), eulogized and buried the deceased (Genesis ch.23), and fulfilled God's will unquestioningly (Genesis ch.22).

He became renowned as a prince of God (Genesis 23:6).

The gravesite of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their wives (Genesis 49:29-32) is located in Hebron and has been known and attested to for many centuries.

All of the above practices of Abraham were based upon the ways of God, which Abraham comprehended through his contemplations. These, and similar personality traits, were the teachings of Abraham and his descendants (unlike idolatry, which had tended to go hand in hand with cruel, licentious and excessive behavior, since the caprices which were narrated concerning the idols were adopted as an excuse to imitate those types of behavior). (See: Cruelties of the polytheists)

It is therefore clear why God expresses His love for Abraham (Isaiah 41:8) and calls Himself the God of Abraham (Genesis 26:24), and says that Abraham obeyed Him fully (Genesis 26:5). And this is why Abraham is credited with having begun the religion which became known as Judaism. (However, Abraham and his descendants observed their traditions voluntarily, until the Giving of the Torah to Moses 3325 years ago, when God made it obligatory.)