I am tempted to give you the short answer and just reply No! But that would not be completely true; the evidence is too complex to give such an answer. On the other hand, it's amazing how many Christians just assume the answer to be Yes. A popular old reference Bible calls Ishmael "the progenitor of the Arabs" and goes on to say that Muhammad "came from the line of Ishmael." That is very definitely untrue as well. The truth is that the term "Arab" designates peoples of diverse ethnic origins who are united only by the Arabic language and culture. The seed of Ishmael represents only a very small component of the genetic pool of the Arabic people. Let me explain.
In Arabic and Hebrew the term arab means "nomad" (synonymous with bedouin), and originally referred only to the nomadic people who roamed the Arabian Peninsula. Later, it was used to designate all the inhabitants of the peninsula--both nomads and town-dwellers. According to the Old Testament, the earliest inhabitants of the peninsula descended from Joktan (
Genesis 10:26-29
Joktan was the ancestor of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were descendants of Joktan.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
), a descendent of Shem (whence the term Semite). Later, the area was also settled by Abraham's sons through Keturah (
Genesis 25:1-4
Abraham married another wife, whose name was Keturah. She gave birth to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. Dedan's descendants were the Asshurites, Letushites, and Leummites. Midian's sons were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. These were all descendants of Abraham through Keturah.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
), the 12 sons of Ishmael (
Genesis 25:13-16
Here is a list, by their names and clans, of Ishmael's descendants: The oldest was Nebaioth, followed by Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These twelve sons of Ishmael became the founders of twelve tribes named after them, listed according to the places they settled and camped.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
), and finally the sons of Esau (
Genesis 36:1-19
This is the account of the descendants of Esau (also known as Edom). Esau married two young women from Canaan: Adah, the daughter of Elon the Hittite; and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite. He also married his cousin Basemath, who was the daughter of Ishmael and the sister of Nebaioth. Adah gave birth to a son named Eliphaz for Esau. Basemath gave birth to a son named Reuel. Oholibamah gave birth to sons named Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. All these sons were born to Esau in the land of Canaan. Esau took his wives, his children, and his entire household, along with his livestock and cattle—all the wealth he had acquired in the land of Canaan—and moved away from his brother, Jacob. There was not enough land to support them both because of all the livestock and possessions they had acquired. So Esau (also known as Edom) settled in the hill country of Seir. This is the account of Esau's descendants, the Edomites, who lived in the hill country of Seir. These are the names of Esau's sons: Eliphaz, the son of Esau's wife Adah; and Reuel, the son of Esau's wife Basemath. The descendants of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. Timna, the concubine of Esau's son Eliphaz, gave birth to a son named Amalek. These are the descendants of Esau's wife Adah. The descendants of Reuel were Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These are the descendants of Esau's wife Basemath. Esau also had sons through Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon. Their names were Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the descendants of Esau who became the leaders of various clans:The descendants of Esau's oldest son, Eliphaz, became the leaders of the clans of Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, Korah, Gatam, and Amalek. These are the clan leaders in the land of Edom who descended from Eliphaz. All these were descendants of Esau's wife Adah. The descendants of Esau's son Reuel became the leaders of the clans of Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These are the clan leaders in the land of Edom who descended from Reuel. All these were descendants of Esau's wife Basemath. The descendants of Esau and his wife Oholibamah became the leaders of the clans of Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the clan leaders who descended from Esau's wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah. These are the clans descended from Esau (also known as Edom), identified by their clan leaders.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
), all descendents of Abraham (also Semitic). Clearly, Ishmael's offspring represent just a small fraction of the Arab peoples.
But there is another reason it is incorrect to say that the Arab nation descended from Ishmael. Following the Arab conquest of the Middle East and North Africa (7th C.), many of the conquered countries eventually adopted Arabic as their mother tongue, as well as Islam. There was also a certain amount of intermarriage between conquerors and conquered. So that today, the term "Arab" has a strictly cultural and linguistic connotation. To conclude, while some Arabs of the Arabian Peninsula may be descendants of Ishmael, most Arabs of the rest of the "Arab World" have no blood relationship to Ishmael at all.
But what about the claim that Muhammad is a descendent of Ishmael. The Arabs, of course, make this claim, but I note that some trace his ancestry through Nebaioth, and others through Kedar, showing that they really do not know for sure. When one considers the well-documented fact that Muslims often invent genealogies, I am skeptical.
