[The Account of the Birth of Ishmael—upon him be peace—from Hagar]
The People of the Scripture relate that Abraham—upon him be peace—asked Allah for righteous offspring, that Allah promised him such, and that, when Abraham had dwelt in the Holy Land for ten years, Sarah said to him, “The Lord has kept me from bearing children; go in to my bond-woman. Perhaps Allah will grant us a child through her.” When she gave Hagar to him, Abraham—upon him be peace—went in to her, and as soon as he did, she conceived.
They further say: once Hagar felt the child, she grew proud and looked down on her mistress. Sarah became jealous, complained to Abraham, and he said, “Do with her as you wish.” Hagar, fearing for herself, fled and halted by a spring. An angel said to her, “Do not fear. Allah will bring forth great good from the boy you carry. Return, for you will bear a son whom you shall name Ishmael. He will be like a wild man: his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will possess all the territory of his brothers.” Hagar thanked Allah—glorified and exalted is He—for this.
These glad tidings find their most perfect fulfillment in his descendant, Muhammad—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him—for it is through him that the Arabs attained mastery and ruled lands east and west. Allah granted this community beneficial knowledge and righteous deeds unmatched by any previous nation. All of that is due to the honor of its Messenger above the other messengers, the blessing of his mission, the auspiciousness of his prophethood, the perfection of what he brought, and the universality of his sending to all humanity.
When Hagar returned, she gave birth to Ishmael—upon him be peace. They say he was born when Abraham was eighty-six years old, thirteen years before the birth of Isaac.
After Ishmael’s birth, Allah revealed to Abraham, giving him the good news of Isaac to be born of Sarah, whereupon he fell prostrate. Allah said to him, “I have heard you regarding Ishmael. I have blessed him, multiplied him, and increased him exceedingly. He will beget twelve great men, and I shall make him the leader of a mighty nation.”
This too is a foretelling of this great ummah: the twelve great men are the twelve caliphs whom the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—promised in the ḥadīth transmitted by ʿAbd al-Malik ibn ʿUmayr from Jābir ibn Samura. He said, “There will be twelve leaders,” then uttered a word I could not catch. I asked my father, “What did he say?” He replied, “All of them will be from Quraysh.” This narration is recorded by al-Bukhārī and Muslim (1).
In another wording: “This affair will continue”—and in one version, “will remain mighty”—“until there are twelve caliphs, all of them from Quraysh” (2).