Abraham in Judaism, Christianity and Islam

Known as

Avraham (Hebrew), Ibrahim (Arabic)

Main sources

Genesis 11–25; the Quran; rabbinic and Islamic tradition

Family

Wives Sarah and Hagar; sons Ishmael and Isaac

In Judaism

First patriarch and partner in God’s covenant

In Christianity

Father of all who believe

In Islam

Prophet and pure monotheist who built the Kaaba with Ishmael

Traditional burial place

Cave of Machpelah, Hebron

Genesis tells how Abram, later renamed Abraham, lived in Ur of the Chaldeans and then Haran, and was called by God to travel to the land of Canaan. God promised him land, many descendants and that through him all the families of the earth would be blessed.

Abraham and his wife Sarah were childless into old age. Sarah’s servant Hagar bore him a son, Ishmael. Later, Sarah gave birth to Isaac, as God had promised. The story continues with God testing Abraham by commanding him to sacrifice Isaac, then stopping him and providing a ram instead. Abraham died and was buried at Hebron, in the cave of Machpelah, a site still revered today.

Abraham is a figure of scripture and tradition, and there is no direct archaeological evidence of his life. Scholars debate when and how the stories took shape. Religious communities treat him above all as a figure of faith whose story defines their relationship with God.

In Judaism, Abraham is Avraham Avinu, “Abraham our father,” the first of the three patriarchs with Isaac and Jacob. God’s covenant with him, sealed by circumcision, is the foundation of the covenant with the Jewish people, and Jewish boys are still circumcised as a sign of this covenant.

Rabbinic tradition tells that Abraham recognized the one God as a young man and rejected the idols of his father’s house. He is remembered for hospitality, welcoming strangers into his tent, and for arguing with God for justice on behalf of Sodom. The binding of Isaac, the Akedah, is read on Rosh Hashanah.

The New Testament presents Abraham as the great example of faith. The apostle Paul writes that Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and calls him the father of all who believe, Jew and Gentile alike. The letter to the Hebrews praises his faith in leaving home and in the test of Isaac.

Many Christians read the binding of Isaac as foreshadowing God giving his own Son. Abraham is also mentioned in the Gospels, and Jesus is described as a descendant of Abraham.

In the Quran, Ibrahim is one of the greatest prophets and a hanif, a pure monotheist who was neither Jew nor Christian but devoted to the one God. The Quran tells of his rejection of his people’s idols and his survival when thrown into a fire.

Islamic tradition holds that Ibrahim and Ishmael built the Kaaba in Mecca as a house for the worship of the one God. Many rites of the hajj pilgrimage recall Ibrahim, Hagar and Ishmael, including Hagar’s search for water between the hills of Safa and Marwa. The festival of Eid al-Adha commemorates Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son, whom most Muslim commentators identify as Ishmael. Muslims include blessings on Ibrahim in their daily prayers.

The two sons carry different weight in the traditions. Jewish and Christian tradition trace the covenant line through Isaac and Jacob. Islamic tradition honours both sons as prophets and associates Ishmael with Arabia and Muhammad’s ancestry. The question of which son was to be sacrificed has been a point of difference, but both traditions emphasize Abraham’s obedience and God’s mercy.

In modern interfaith dialogue, Abraham is often presented as a bridge between Jews, Christians and Muslims. Some scholars caution that each tradition shapes Abraham in its own image, so the shared figure also reveals real differences. Hebron, where tradition places his tomb, is holy to all three faiths.

Abraham is the common ancestor of the Abrahamic religions. Judaism honours him as the first patriarch and covenant partner, Christianity as the father of faith, and Islam as the prophet Ibrahim, builder of the Kaaba and model of pure monotheism. His story of trust, obedience and hospitality remains central in all three traditions.