Fertile Crescent/Cradle of Civilization:

The term refers to the well-watered crescent-shaped area extending from the Persian (Arabian) Gulf up the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, westward over Syria to the Mediterranean, then curving down along the coast of Palestine to the Nile valley of Egypt. It was in this mighty semicircle that the first great civilizations appeared.

Hebrews:
They trace their name from their ancestor Eber or Heber (Gen. 11:16) a great grandson of Shem, the son of Noah. The Hebrews are thus a Semitic people

Abraham:
Prominent among the Hebrews was the family of Terah (11:26) Terah lived in Mesopotamia (Iraq today). Centuries later the three great religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam would all trace their spiritual beginnings back to this great patriarch. And significantly, the great figures of three world religions -Moses, Jesus and Muhammad - would all be lineal descendants of this great man of God!

Promised Land:
At age 75, Abraham (Peace be upon him) was commanded by God to travel 'unto a land that I will show you' (12:1). God promised, 'I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great'...(12:2) 'So Abraham departed' 12:4. Obeying God's command, he left Haran after the death of his father. On faith, he journeyed to a land he had not seen. He and his family followed the southward curve of the Fertile Crescent, 'and into the land of Canaan they came' 12:5. God promised him that the land would one day become the possession of his descendants 12:7; 13:14. It would therefore come to be known as the Promised Land. History shows that most of the military activity in the Middle East through the millennia of time has focused on that very area, the region popularly called Palestine or the Holy Land. In fact, historians label that blood-soaked soil as the most fought-over strip of land on earth! In a sense, the fate of this land had been sealed at creation. Geographically, it was made the keystone in the arch of three continents. It was the ancient crossroads between East and West, North into Europe and South into Africa, the strategic land bridge lying astride the traditional routes of trade and communication between Europe, Africa and Asia.

Son of a Bondwoman:
At age 86, Ishma'el was born to Abraham. Ishmael (Isma-el) was the son of Abraham and Hagar the Egyptian, whom Pharaoh Sesostris 11 had given to Abraham and Sarah as a maidservant 12:16. Why was Ishmael's birth significant? Because Ishmael will become the progenitor of most of today's Arab world. The Arabs are essentially an Ishmaelite race! Notice the circumstances of Ishmael's birth: Sarah was considered barren. Despairing of bearing children herself, she suggested that Abraham obtain an heir by Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid. Sarah would thus have a child by proxy. Abraham agreed, and Hagar conceived a child 16:1-4 But friction soon developed between Sarah and Hagar. Sarah began to treat Hagar harshly. When she could endure it no longer, Hagar fled into the desert. There God instructed her to return to Sarah, promising, 'I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude' 16:10 God further informed Hagar: 'Behold, thou art with child, and shall bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishma'el (meaning God shall hear) because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. Hagar obeyed God's command to return and submit herself to Sarah. Soon afterwards she presented Abraham with a son 16:15.

The Ka'bah at Mecca:
Thirteen years went by. During that time, Abraham and Ishmael rebuilt the cube-shaped shrine called the Ka'bah at Mecca. In later centuries, the Ka'bah would become Islam's foremost Holy place - the most sacred spot on earth - believed by many to rest directly beneath the heavenly throne of God. Muslims would turn their faces toward it during their five daily prayers, and visit it on the required pilgrimage or Hajj.

Birthright blessings:
Abraham had grown to love Ishmael dearly, and desired that he be his heir and receive the birthright blessings. 'O that Ishmael might live before thee!' Abraham entreated God 17: 18. But the birthright was denied to Ishmael. But God understood Abraham's concern for Ishmael's future, and assured him: 'And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.'

'also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation because he is thy seed 21:13. God looked after Ishmael, this half - Hebrew, half-Egyptian son of Abraham. 'And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran (the Negev Desert) : and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.' 21: 20-21.

Alliance with Esau:
In time, Ishmael became the father of 12 sons - Abraham's grandchildren - whose names are recorded in 25:13-16. Ishmael also had a daughter, called Bashemath, who would later married Esau, a grandson of Abraham. The descendants of Ishmael and Esau would remain closely associated throughout their history.

Ishmaelite/Israelite:
As God had foretold, a great people sprang from Ishmael. Today's Arabs are the family of Ishmael grown great! The relationship between the Ishmaelite Arabs and the Biblical Israelites is thus clear: Ishmael was the elder half-brother of Isaac, son of Abraham and Sarah. Isaac, in turn, had twin sons, Esau and Jacob. From Jacob—later renamed Israel-- descended the Jews and the other tribes of Israel. Israelites and Arabs are cousins!

Esau's birthright:
As firstborn, Esau was the legal inheritor of the birthright, which fell to the eldest son in each generation. Jacob - disguising himself as Esau - tricked Isaac into bestowing upon him the blessing confirming the birthright (Gen. 27). By this piece of deception, Jacob earned Esau's implacable anger. Bitterness and vengeance filled Esau's heart. 'And Esau hated Jacob' 27:41. Forty centuries have not sufficed to wipe out the effects of this deep-seated enmity. The two peoples have continued in their antagonism up to this present day!

Kedar/Qaidar:
The daughter of a Jorhamite prince named Mudad later married Ishmael. From that marriage was born Ishmael's illustrious son Kedar (Qaidar in Arabic). This marriage alliance bound tightly the destinies of the Ishmaelites and Jorhamites. Kedar, in turn, was the ancestor of Adan (or Qais), considered the progenitor of all the tribes claiming origin in northern Arabia.

Lifestyle of Ishmaelites:
Through the period of the Medo-Persian kingdom and on into Roman times, the sons of Ishmael lived in semi-isolation from the rest of the world, breeding camels, goats and sheep in the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula and warring among themselves. Divided, they had little impact or influence on the world scene. When it came to religion, the Arabs were idol worshippers. The great temple in Mecca—overseen by the high ranking Quraysh tribe– is said to have had 365 idols, one for each day of the year. Mecca's main sources of revenue were the profitable pilgrimages to this ancient shrine.

Rise to prominence:
At the beginning of the 7th century A.D. - nearly six centuries after the death of Jesus - the curtain again rises on Ishmael's descendants. Onto the stage strides the most illustrious of all Ishmael's progeny, the prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). He was a member of the Hashemite family of the powerful Quraysh Tribe.

Muhammad / Gabriel / Qur'an:
The archangel Gabriel appeared to Muhammad at Mt. Hira near Mecca, first in A.D. 610, and imparted to him revealed wisdom from God. This and later revelations would be collected to form the Quran, the Islamic holy Book. Muhammad became a zealous and courageous preacher of monotheism - the belief in one God. The old Quraysh aristocracy feared that Muhammad's new religion might threaten their leadership and cut into their revenues derived from Hajj.

Introduction of Islam:
Despite stiff opposition, Muhammad succeeded in abolishing the idolatry that had long held sway over pagan Arabia and bringing his fellow Arabs a new monotheistic faith called Islam. Muhammad's message forged the divided Arab tribes into a socially, culturally and religiously united people. Islam provided them for the first time with a powerful unifying force, making it possible for them to aspire to greatness as a Nation. The one-sentence Islamic creed, called the Shahada summarizes the core of Muslim belief. A solemn , heart-felt recitation of this profession of faith is the sole requirement for becoming a muslim.

1,000 million Muslims:
In the eyes of his followers, Muhammad held a lofty office. He was the Seal of the Prophets. The greatest in a series of Messengers from God which included Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus.

The Paraclete:
Muslims believe that Muhammad completed the work begun by his predecessors, bringing God's final and absolute word to all mankind. They claim he was the Paraclete or Comforter, whom Jesus prophesied would guide mankind into 'all truth' (John 16:7, 13.)