Hagar in Islam

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Gheorge Tattarescu's imagining of the angel appearing to Hagar

Hājar (Arabic: هاجر), the Arabic name for the biblical Hagar, was the wife of the patriarch and Islamic prophet Ibrāhīm (Abraham) and the mother of the Ismā'īl (Ishmael). She is a revered woman in the Islamic faith. According to Muslim belief, she was the Egyptian handmaiden of Abraham's first wife Sara (Sarah). Although not mentioned by name in the Qur'an, she is referenced and alluded to via the story of her husband. She eventually settled in the Desert of Paran with her son Ishmael. Hagar is honoured as an especially important matriarch of monotheism, as it was through Ishmael that Muhammad would come.

The story of Hagar[edit]

Ibrahim was childless. He was a prophet of God and, having left his native land, he was concerned over who would continue the prophetic office after him and whether he would indeed be a father one day. Abraham's wife, Sarah was barren and she gave him her Egyptian handmaid Hagar as a second wife. Hagar subsequently bore a child, and named him Ishmael, meaning "God will hear".

Islamic view of Abraham taking Hagar and Ishmael to Mecca[edit]

Islamic scholars and sources state the following using the Arabic name Haajar for Hagar; "After Haajar gave birth to Ismaa’eel, Saarah began to feel jealous, so she asked Ibraaheem to send them away from her. Allaah revealed to Ibraaheem that he should take Haajar and the infant Ismaa’eel and take them to Makkah. So he took them and left Haajar and her child Ismaa’eel in a bleak, isolated place in which there was no water, then he left them and went back to Palestine. Haajar said to him, 'For whom are you leaving us in this forsaken valley?' But Ibraaheem went and left her, and she said, 'Has Allaah commanded you to do this?” He said, 'Yes.' She said, 'Then Allaah will not cause us to be lost.'



Islamic sources state that Abraham would go between Palestine and Mecca (in Arabia) and later Abraham and his eldest son Ishmael constructed the Kaaba in Mecca. "Then Ibraaheem stayed in Palestine for a while, then he returned to Makkah for an important reason. Allaah had commanded him to build in Makkah the first House to be built for the worship of Allaah. So Ibraaheem undertook this task of construction, and his son Ismaa’eel was lifting up the stones to him. When the walls grew higher, Ibraaheem stood on a rock, and this is the Station of Ibraaheem (Maqaam Ibraaheem) which is to be found in the vicinity of the Ka’bah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

'And (remember) when Ibraaheem (Abraham) and (his son) Ismee‘eel (Ishmael) were raising the foundations of the House (the Ka‘bah at Makkah), (saying), ‘Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knower’'

[Qur'an, al-Baqarah 2:127]



[Qur'an, al-Hajj 22:27][1]

Hagar in the desert[edit]

Because of the scarcity of water in the desert, it was not long before both mother and son suffered immense thirst. Thus, Hagar ran between the Al-Safa and Al-Marwah hills in search of water for her son. After the seventh run between the two hills, an angel[2] appeared before her. He helped her and told her that God had heard Ishmael's crying and would provide them with water. At that point, God caused a spring to burst forth from the ground, where Ishmael's heel lay, and thereafter Mecca became known for its excellence and abundance of water. The well was subsequently named Zamzam, and become a holy source of water.

Legacy of Hagar[edit]

Hagar is honoured by Muslims as a wise, brave and pious woman as well as the believing mother of the Adnan Arab people. The incident[3] of her running between the Al-Safa and Al-Marwah hills is remembered by Muslims when they perform their pilgrimage (Hajj) at Mecca. Part of the pilgrimage is to run seven times between the hills, in commemoration of Hagar's courage and faith in God as she searched for water in the desert (which is believed to have then miraculously appeared from the Zamzam Well) and to symbolize the celebration of motherhood in Islam as well as the leadership of women. To complete the task, some Muslims also drink from the Zamzam Well and take some of the water back home from pilgrimage. Many Muslims believe Hagar and her son, Ishmael, are buried beside the Kaaba, in a semi-enclosed area which Muslims circumambulate around as they circle the Kaaba during Hajj.[4]


  1. ^ a b IslamQA website: "Ibraaheem (peace be upon him)" IslamQA retrieved June 22, 2013
  2. ^ Genesis 21:17-19: "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.

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