The shaykh—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked:

“Which of the sons of Abraham, Allah’s close friend—peace be upon him—was to be sacrificed: Ishmael or Isaac?”

He replied:

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. Scholars hold two well-known views on this question, each reported from a group of the early generations. Abū Ya‘lā mentioned two opinions transmitted from Ahmad on the matter and supported the view that it was Isaac, following Abū Bakr ‘Abd al-‘Azīz, who in turn followed Muhammad ibn Jarīr.

For this reason, Abū al-Faraj ibn al-Jawzī states that Ahmad’s followers support the view that it was Isaac. In fact, it is only these two and those who follow them who support it. This view is also attributed to Mālik himself, though a group of his followers disagreed with him.

Al-Sharīf Abū ‘Alī ibn Abī Mūsā stated that the correct position within Ahmad’s school is that it was Ishmael. This is what ‘Abd Allāh ibn Ahmad reported from his father, saying: “My father’s position was that it was Ishmael.”

In short, the disagreement over this question is well known. Nevertheless, what must be affirmed with certainty is that it was Ishmael. This is what the Quran, the Sunnah, and the well-known proofs establish. It is also what the Torah in the possession of the People of the Book indicates.