Hagar was an Egyptian woman and might have been picked up during Abram’s infamous venture into Egypt. At the behest of Sarai, Hagar conceived through Abram (when he was 86 years old) Man-initiated activities risk becoming a snare! Beware! The Lord saw Hagar and her affliction (of being cast out by Sarai) and delivered her. The place was thenceforth called Lahairoi – I have seen the Lord that sees me. (I see Eye see eye!). Hagar gave birth to a son and named him Ishmael as per the Lord’s instruction.

And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. Wherefore she said unto Abraham, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac”. And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son. And God said unto Abraham, “Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed”. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. And she went and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, “Let me not see the death of the child”. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept. And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, “What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation”. And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. 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: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt. – Gen 21:20, 21.

The Lord said to Abram about Ishmael, “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”. – Gen 17:20.
Ishmael’s descendants multiplied and became as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable. – Heb 11:12. – a subset of the unbelieving population. And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, and Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations. – Gen 25:13-16. And they dwelt from Havilah (Ganga valley?) unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria. – Gen 25:18.

Ishmael became the father of a multitude that later spread across the wilderness of the middle east as Ishmaelites – a major part of them being called Bedouins. Most of today’s Muslim population are proud to call themselves Ishmaelites and the sons of Ibrahim (Abram is called Ibrahim in Arabic). But, they mistakenly believe Ishmael was the promised Seed.

Ishmael was not the promised seed nor the son of the covenant. He was of the bondwoman (who was) born after the flesh – Gal 4:23. A son of Abraham would be born after the Spirit to the freewoman whose descendants would be as the stars of the sky in multitude. – Heb 11:10. My covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee. – Gen 17:21. Believing Jews and believing gentiles are not children of the bondwoman (Islam means submission!), but of the free. – Gal 4:31. God also foretold that “he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so, it is now”. – Gal 4:29. How true!