Is it right that the religion of Islam came from Ishmael's descendant?
Yes, this is essentially correct. The Bible describes the peoples who came
to be known as the Arabs as having been descended from Ishmael. As
Muhammad, the founder and chief prophet of Islam is Arab, he would be a
direct descendent of Ishmael. This is why historians of religion would
claim that Judaism, Christianity and Islam all trace their roots to
Abraham. Bear in mind that approximately two thousand five hundred years
separate the birth of Ishmael and Muhammad, so the relationship is
extremely distant!
John Oakes, PhD
