Binding of Ishmael

The Binding of Ishmael (Arabic: عَقْد إِسْمَاعِيل‎, romanized: ʿAqd Ismāʿīl) refers to the narrative in Islamic tradition where Abraham is commanded by God to sacrifice his son, generally believed by Muslims to be Ishmael, though the Qur'an does not explicitly name the son. This contrasts with the Tawrat (the Arabic term for the Torah in Islamic context), which identifies Isaac as the son to be sacrificed in the Binding of Isaac. The story, known as the dhabih in Islamic tradition, is believed to have originated as an oral narrative, marked by variability and creative flexibility across versions, as noted by scholar Norman Calder. The narrative holds significant theological and cultural importance in Islam, particularly in relation to Eid al-Adha and the themes of obedience and sacrifice.