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Abraham: Sons
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Abraham then married Keturah, who became the mother of six sons, whose descendants were afterwards known as the "children of the east" (Judg. 6:3), and later as "Saracens" [an ancient nomadic desert people of Syria and Arabia living on the fringes of the Roman Empire].
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Various biblical passages describe the complex inter-relationships in the family of Abraham (originally named Abram). Contrary to modern Western customs, it was acceptable in ancient times to marry close family relatives, including cousins and nieces. It was evidently ... common for men to have more than one wife, and even to have children with women who were not their wives (slaves or concubines). For example, Abraham's first son was the child of his wife's slave-girl; and one biblical tradition even says that his wife, Sarah, was actually his half-sister. Similarly, the twelve sons of Jacob have four different mothers: the two wives of Jacob (who are his first cousins) and two other women (slave-girls of his wives).
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Three world religions honor Abraham as their ancient patriarch and a model of faith in one God. In Judaism the 12 tribes of Israel trace their lineage to Abraham through his son Isaac and grandson Jacob. In Christian scriptures he is a spiritual ancestor, "justified by faith." In Islam's Koran he and another son, Ishmael, build the sacred site at Mecca, which remains the holiest destination for the world's Muslims, by decree of Allah through Muhammad. The biblical book Genesis describes Abram's birth in Ur (near modern Nasiriyah, Iraq), his marriage to Sarai, and God's promise to make of him "a great nation." God sends them on a long, dramatic, Middle Eastern journey, eventually renaming them Abraham and Sarah and periodically giving Abraham guidance and commands.
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There is a final understated irony at the conclusion of the Abraham story. Abraham owned no land at all when Sarah died. He had to go to the Hittites and pay an extravagant amount of money for a single cave in which to bury Sarah. When Abraham died shortly after he had no great number of descendants, let alone having descendants like the stars of the heaven or the sand of the seashore. When he died he had one son at home, and owned one burial cave. So where were the great promises?
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Muslims believe that Arabs are descended from Abraham and Hagar through their son Ishmael. Abraham is further regarded as an ancestor of Muhammad. According to the Qur’an, Abraham and Ishmael built the Kaaba in Mecca and instituted pilgrimages there. The Qur’an depicts him destroying the idols of his father and of his clan; hence, Islam is the restoration of the religion of Abraham.
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Jealousy now arose between Sarah and Hagar, whose son, Ishmael, was no longer regarded as Abraham's heir. Sarah insisted that both Hagar and her son should be sent away. This was done, although it was a hard trial to Abraham (Gen. 21:12).
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