2.2.1 Lineage to Prophet Ibrahim عليه السلام

The Honor of Prophetic Lineage

The lineage of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is not a small historical detail. It is part of the honor that Allah granted him and a sign of continuity between the messages of the earlier prophets and the final message of Islam. Muslims believe that Muhammad ﷺ is a direct descendant of the Prophet Ibrahim عليه السلام through Ibrahim’s son Isma‘il عليه السلام and through the noble Arab lineage that came after them.

This connection is mentioned clearly in Islamic sources. The Prophet ﷺ said, as reported in Sahih Muslim:

«إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَى كِنَانَةَ مِنْ وَلَدِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، وَاصْطَفَى قُرَيْشًا مِنْ كِنَانَةَ، وَاصْطَفَى مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ، وَاصْطَفَانِي مِنْ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ»
“Indeed Allah chose Kinanah from the children of Isma‘il, and He chose Quraysh from Kinanah, and He chose Banu Hashim from Quraysh, and He chose me from Banu Hashim.”

This hadith summarizes, in a short statement, the chosen path of his ancestry from Isma‘il عليه السلام down to his own clan, Banu Hashim. The details of tribes such as Quraysh and Banu Hashim will be discussed under their own headings in later chapters. Here the focus is on the connection to Prophet Ibrahim عليه السلام and on what this means for understanding the Seerah.

Ibrahim عليه السلام as a Father of Prophets

In the Quran, Ibrahim عليه السلام is described as a leader, an example, and the father of many prophets. Allah says:

﴿إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَانِتًا لِلَّهِ حَنِيفًا وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ﴾
“Indeed, Ibrahim was a community in himself, devoutly obedient to Allah, inclining to truth, and he was not of those who associate others with Allah.”
(Surah an Nahl 16:120)

Through his two famous sons, Isma‘il and Ishaq, many prophets were sent. From the descendants of Ishaq عليه السلام came prophets such as Ya‘qub, Yusuf, Musa, Dawud, Sulayman, and Isa عليهم السلام. From the descendants of Isma‘il عليه السلام came the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the final messenger. In this way, Ibrahim عليه السلام stands at the root of both the Israelite prophets and the final Arabian prophet.

The Quran mentions a special supplication of Ibrahim and his son Isma‘il when they raised the foundations of the Ka‘bah in Makkah. Among their prayers was a request for a messenger to be sent among their descendants:

﴿رَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُوا عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ﴾
“Our Lord, raise among them a messenger from among themselves who will recite to them Your verses, teach them the Book and wisdom, and purify them. Indeed, You are the Almighty, the All Wise.”
(Surah al Baqarah 2:129)

Muslim scholars unanimously understand that this supplication was fulfilled in the person of Muhammad ﷺ, who was raised in Makkah from the descendants of Isma‘il عليه السلام and who came with the Quran, with wisdom, and with a message of purification.

From Ibrahim to Isma‘il to the Arabs of Makkah

The direct link between the Prophet ﷺ and Ibrahim عليه السلام is through Isma‘il. The Quran describes how Ibrahim عليه السلام brought Hajar and the infant Isma‘il عليهما السلام to the valley of Makkah. At that time, there was no city there and no water. Ibrahim left them in obedience to Allah’s command and made a heartfelt prayer:

﴿رَبَّنَا إِنِّي أَسْكَنْتُ مِن ذُرِّيَّتِي بِوَادٍ غَيْرِ ذِي زَرْعٍ عِندَ بَيْتِكَ الْمُحَرَّمِ رَبَّنَا لِيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ﴾
“Our Lord, I have settled some of my descendants in a valley without cultivation near Your Sacred House, our Lord, so that they may establish prayer.”
(Surah Ibrahim 14:37)

Later, as narrated in authentic hadith, the well of Zamzam was brought forth by Allah for Hajar and Isma‘il عليهما السلام, and eventually a tribe called Jurhum settled in that valley. Over time, the descendants of Isma‘il عليه السلام merged with the Arabs of that region and their language and traditions took on the form of Arabic.

Among the descendants that came in this line were the tribes that eventually led to Kinanah, then to Quraysh, and then to the clan of Banu Hashim in Makkah. The Prophet ﷺ himself summarized his noble and pure lineage in a narration found in Musnad Ahmad:

«إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَقَ الْخَلْقَ، فَجَعَلَنِي فِي خَيْرِهِمْ قَبِيلَةً، ثُمَّ جَعَلَهُمْ فِرْقَتَيْنِ، فَجَعَلَنِي فِي خَيْرِهِمْ فِرْقَةً … فَأَنَا خِيَارٌ مِنْ خِيَارٍ»
“Allah created the creation, then He placed me in the best of their groups. Then He made them into two groups and He placed me in the best of the two … so I am the best of the best.”

Although the full, detailed chain of every single ancestor is a subject for specialized books of genealogy, what concerns us in Seerah at this level is the clear point that his ancestry, as recognized by the Arabs of his time, went back to Isma‘il son of Ibrahim عليهم السلام. This rooted his identity among the Arabs and at the same time connected him to the long line of prophets.

The Prophet ﷺ as the Answer to Ibrahim’s Prayers

Ibrahim عليه السلام did not only pray for worldly safety for his family. He prayed repeatedly for guidance for his descendants and for the coming of a messenger among them. In another verse Allah mentions:

﴿وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَٰذَا الْبَلَدَ آمِنًا وَاجْنُبْنِي وَبَنِيَّ أَن نَّعْبُدَ الْأَصْنَامَ﴾
“And [remember] when Ibrahim said, ‘My Lord, make this city secure, and keep me and my children away from worshipping idols.’”
(Surah Ibrahim 14:35)

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ later came in that very city of Makkah, called to pure monotheism, and cleansed the Ka‘bah from idols. In this way, his mission completed what Ibrahim عليه السلام had prayed and worked for in that sacred land. When the Prophet ﷺ finally entered Makkah again, near the end of his life, and the idols in and around the Ka‘bah were destroyed, many scholars pointed out that this moment was the clear outward fulfillment of the wish of Ibrahim عليه السلام that his descendants should be saved from idol worship in that place.

The Prophet ﷺ himself linked his own mission back to Ibrahim in a hadith in Sahih al Bukhari. He mentioned that on the Day of Judgment people will go to various prophets asking for intercession, and they will go to Ibrahim عليه السلام and say:

«أَنْتَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ، وَخَلِيلُهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الأَرْضِ»
“You are Allah’s Prophet and His close friend among the people of the earth.”

Yet in the end they will come to Muhammad ﷺ, the descendant of Ibrahim, as the one granted the final and greatest intercession. The line of prophecy from Ibrahim to Muhammad ﷺ is therefore both a bloodline and a line of spiritual leadership.

Shared Religion, Not Just Shared Blood

The connection between Muhammad ﷺ and Ibrahim عليه السلام is not only about family ancestry. The Quran emphasizes that the true relationship is one of shared faith and submission to Allah. Allah tells the Muslims:

﴿مِلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ۚ هُوَ سَمَّاكُمُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِن قَبْلُ﴾
“The way of your father Ibrahim. He named you ‘Muslims’ earlier.”
(Surah al Hajj 22:78)

And Allah says:

﴿ثُمَّ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ أَنِ اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ﴾
“Then We revealed to you [O Muhammad], ‘Follow the way of Ibrahim, who inclined to truth, and he was not of those who associate others with Allah.’”
(Surah an Nahl 16:123)

These verses show that the Prophet ﷺ was commanded to follow the same pure monotheistic path as Ibrahim عليه السلام. The rituals of Hajj, the respect for the Ka‘bah, and the concept of complete submission to Allah all have their roots in the legacy of Ibrahim. The Prophet ﷺ renewed and purified that legacy from all the distortions and idol worship that had grown among the Arabs over centuries.

This is also why in the daily prayer, Muslims are encouraged to send salutations not only on Muhammad ﷺ but also on the family of Ibrahim عليه السلام. In the Tashahhud, which is recited in Salah, Muslims say:

«اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ»
“O Allah, send prayers upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers upon Ibrahim and upon the family of Ibrahim. Indeed, You are Praiseworthy, Glorious.”

This constant remembrance in prayer reinforces the spiritual link between the two prophets and teaches believers that they belong to the same stream of faith.

The Purity of His Lineage

Islamic sources repeatedly emphasize that the ancestry of the Prophet ﷺ is pure from the major forms of immorality and from the disgrace of open unbelief. This does not mean that every single ancestor was a prophet or a believer at the highest level. Rather, it means that his lineage was protected from the most shameful forms of corruption and that it was always honored among the people.

An important narration in Sahih Muslim states:

«إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَى مِنْ وَلَدِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، وَاصْطَفَى مِنْ وَلَدِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بَنِي كِنَانَةَ، وَاصْطَفَى مِنْ بَنِي كِنَانَةَ قُرَيْشًا، وَاصْطَفَى مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ، وَاصْطَفَانِي مِنْ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ»
“Indeed Allah chose from the children of Ibrahim, Isma‘il. He chose from the children of Isma‘il, Banu Kinanah. He chose from Banu Kinanah, Quraysh. He chose from Quraysh, Banu Hashim. And He chose me from Banu Hashim.”

This repeated choosing at every stage shows that Allah prepared a noble environment and a respected family for the final messenger. The line from Ibrahim and Isma‘il down to Muhammad ﷺ went through the most honored branches of the Arabs. This gave the Prophet ﷺ a natural place of respect and influence among his people even before revelation began, which would later help in spreading the message.

Muslim scholars sometimes express this idea in a simple way, that Allah moved the light of prophecy through the pure loins and wombs until it reached Aminah, the mother of the Prophet ﷺ. While the exact wording of some narrations on this theme is debated among hadith experts, the general concept that his lineage is noble and respected is well established.

The Lineage as a Bridge Between Arab Tradition and Universal Message

For the Arabs of pre Islamic times, ancestry and tribal origin were extremely important social markers. Being able to trace one’s lineage to a noble ancestor gave a person status, protection, and influence. The Arabs of Makkah knew and preserved genealogies carefully, and they were well aware of the claim that the Quraysh were descendants of Isma‘il عليه السلام.

Because the Prophet ﷺ was recognized among them as a descendant of Isma‘il, and through him of Ibrahim عليهما السلام, his message could be understood both as a call back to the pure religion of their forefather and as a continuation of the same prophetic stream that the People of the Book, Jews and Christians, knew from the descendants of Ishaq عليه السلام. This made his lineage a bridge between the Arabs of his time and the earlier scriptural communities.

The Quran makes this connection clear when addressing the People of the Book and the wider humanity:

﴿إِنَّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِإِبْرَاهِيمَ لَلَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ وَهَٰذَا النَّبِيُّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ۗ وَاللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾
“Indeed, the people who have the best claim to Ibrahim are those who followed him, and this Prophet, and those who believe. And Allah is the ally of the believers.”
(Surah Aal Imran 3:68)

Here Allah joins together three groups as the true followers of Ibrahim. The Prophet ﷺ himself, those who believed with him, and those earlier followers of Ibrahim who stayed true to his message. This lifts the discussion from mere blood ties to the higher level of faith and obedience, yet the mention of “this Prophet” in connection with Ibrahim shows the importance of his place in that same line.

In the Seerah, we will later see how the Prophet ﷺ addressed both Arabs and non Arabs, both idol worshipers and People of the Book, and often reminded them of their shared roots with Ibrahim عليه السلام. His lineage to Ibrahim served as a living reminder that his message did not come from nowhere but came from the same God who had guided Ibrahim and who now completed that guidance through the final messenger.

Summary of the Lineage to Ibrahim عليه السلام

To conclude, the essential points about the lineage of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to Prophet Ibrahim عليه السلام are as follows. Ibrahim is the honored prophet and “father of prophets” whose two main lines of descendants produced many messengers. Through Isma‘il عليه السلام, who was settled in Makkah and associated with the building of the Ka‘bah and the well of Zamzam, came the Arab tribes that eventually produced Quraysh and Banu Hashim. From this chosen branch was born Muhammad ﷺ.

His ancestry is described in authentic hadith as the best among the best, chosen stage by stage from the descendants of Isma‘il. This noble lineage gave him natural authority among his people and fulfilled the prayer of Ibrahim and Isma‘il for a messenger to be raised in that valley to teach the Book, wisdom, and purification. At the same time, the Quran constantly reminds us that the most important link between Muhammad ﷺ and Ibrahim عليه السلام is not only blood, but adherence to the same pure way of tawhid and submission.

With this understanding, the Seerah can be seen not as an isolated story but as the final chapter in a long history that begins with Ibrahim عليه السلام and continues through many nations. The Prophet’s lineage to Ibrahim is therefore both a historical fact and a spiritual sign that his mission completes and perfects the path of the earlier prophets.