Isaac’s Sons – Jacob and Esau
Isaac married Rebekah Bint Bethuel, Ibn Nahor, and she gave birth to a set of twins, Esau (Al
Eis) and Jacob (Yaqub). Ill feelings developed between the two brothers when they grew into
manhood. Esau disliked the fact that Jacob was favored by his father and by Allah with
prophethood. This ill feeling became so serious that Esau threatened to kill his brother. Fearing for his life, Jacob fled the country.
Isaac’s Sons – from the People of the Book
The People of the Book said that when Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, Bint
Bethuel, during his father’s life. They said she was sterile, so Isaac prayed to Allah and then she became pregnant. She gave birth to twin boys. The first one was called Esau whom the Arabs called Al-Eis. He became the father of Rum. The second one was called Jacob, which means Isreal, (belonging to the people of Israel).
The People of the Book claimed that when Isaac (pbuh) grew old and his eye sight had
weakened, he had a desire for food, so he asked his son Esau to go hunting and bring him some cooked game. Esau asked him to bless the food and pray for him. Esau, a hunter, went out to get his father the meat. Rebekah, overhearing this, ordered her son Jacob to slaughter two goats of his best flock and cook them as his father liked and bring it to him before his brother returned.
She dressed Jacob in his brother’s clothes and put goat skin on his arms and neck, for Esau was hairy while Jacob was not. When he approached his father with the food, his father asked: ‘Who are you?’ Jacob answered: ‘I am your son.’ When his father finished eating, he prayed for his son to be the more blessed brother and to prevail over them and all people, and for Allah to sustain
him and his children.
When he left his father, his brother Esau, who had carried out his father’s command, entered.
Isaac asked him: “What is this my son?” He answered: “This is the food you like.” Isaac asked:
“Did you bring it an hour ago and ask me to pray for you?” Esau said: “No, I swear I did not,”
and he knew his brother had preceded him in this matter and he was sick at heart.
Jacob Leaves his Home – from the People of the Book
The People of the Book said Esau threatened to kill his brother when their father was dead. They also said that he asked his father to pray for him that Allah make the earth good for his offspring and multiply his sustenance and fruits.
When their mother knew that Esau threatened his brother Jacob, she commanded her son Jacob to go to her brother Laban in the land of Haran and abide with him for a time until his brother’s anger had abated, and to marry one of the Laban’s daughters. She told her husband Isaac to command him with that advice and pray for him, and he did.
Jacob’s Promise
Jacob (pbuh) left his family, when night came he found a place to rest. He took a stone and put it under his head and slept. He dreamed of a ladder from heaven to earth. Angels were ascending and descending and the Lord addressed him and said to him; “I will bless you and your offspring and make this land for you and for those who come after you.”
When he awoke he felt joyful from what he had seen in his dream and vowed, for Allah’s sake
that if he returned to his family safely, he would build here a temple for Allah the Almighty. He
also vowed to give one tenth of his property for the sake of Allah. He poured oil on the stone so as to recognize it and called the place “Ayle’s House” (Bethel), which means “House of Allah”. It was to be the location of Jerusalem later.
Jacob’s Wives – from the People of the Book
The People of the Book also said that when Jacob came to his maternal uncle in the land of
Haran, his uncle had two daughters. The elder one was called Leah (Lia) and the younger one was Rachel (Rahil). The latter was the better and lovelier of the two. His uncle agreed to marry his daughter to him on the condition that Jacob pasture his sheep for seven years.
After a period of time, his uncle prepared a feast and gathered people for the wedding. He married Leah, his elder daughter, to him at night. She was weak-sighted and ugly. When morning came, Jacob discovered she was Leah and he complained to his uncle.
“You deceived me; I was engaged to Rachel and you married me to Leah.” His uncle said: “It is not our tradition to marry the younger daughter before the elder daughter. However, if you love her sister, work another seven years and I will marry you to both of them.”
Jacob worked for seven years and then married Rachel. It was acceptable in their time, as
described in the Torah, for a man to marry two sisters. Laban gave a female slave to each
daughter. Leah’s slave was called Zilpah and Rachel’s slave was called Bilha.
Jacob’s Children – from the People of the Book
Almighty Allah compensated Leah’s weakness by giving her sons. The first one was named
Rueben (Robel), after whom there were Simon (Shamun), Levi (Lawi), and Judah (Yahudh).
Rachel felt jealous of Leah’s having sons, as she was barren. She gave her slave Bilha to her
husband and he had relations with her until she became pregnant. She gave birth to a son and
named him Naphtali. Leah was vexed that Rachel’s slave had give birth to a son, so she in turn gave her slave Zilpah to Jacob (pbuh), Zilpah gave birth to two sons, Gad and Asher. Then Leah got pregnant and gave birth to her fifth son, Issaacher, and later she gave birth to a sixth son Zebulun. After this Leah gave birth to a daughter named Dinah. Thus, Leah had seven sons from Jacob.
Then Rachel prayed to Allah to give her a son from Jacob. Allah heard her call and responded to her prayer. She gave birth to a son, great, honorable, and beautiful. She named him Joseph
(Yusuf). All of this happened when they were in the land of Haran and Jacob (pbuh) was
pasturing his uncle’s sheep, which he did for a period of twenty years.
Jacob’s Request – from the People of the Book
Jacob then asked his uncle Laban to let him go and visit his family. His uncle said to him: “I have been blessed because of you; ask for whatever money you need.” Jacob said: “Give me each spotted and speckled goat born this year and each black lamb.”
But at Laban’s command his sons removed their father’s goat that were striped, spotted or
speckled, and the black lambs, lest others should be born with those traits. They walked for three days with their father’s goats and sheep while Jacob tended the remaining flock.
The People of the Book said that Jacob (pbuh) took fresh rods of poplar, almond, and plane. He peeled streaks in them and cast them into the water through for the goats to look at. The young inside their abdomens were terrified and moved and they were born striped, spotted or speckled.
When the sheep were breeding, he set their faces towards the black sheep in Laban’s flock and put the rods among them. Their lambs were born black. This was considered an example of supernatural powers, a miracle. Jacob had many goats, sheep, beast and slaves. His uncle and his sons faces changed as if they the sheep and goats had been stolen from them.
Jacob Accused of Taking Idols
Allah the Almighty inspired Jacob to return to the country of his father and people, and He
promised to stand by him. Jacob told his family that, and they responded and obeyed him. Jacob did not tell Laban of his plans, however, and left without bidding farewell.
Upon leaving, Rachel stole her father’s idols. After Jacob and his people had fled for his country, Laban and his people followed them. When Laban met with Jacob, he blamed him for leaving him without his knowledge. He would have liked to know so that he could have made them leave with celebration and joy, with drums and songs, and so that he could have bidden his daughters and sons farewell.
And why have they taken his idols with them?
Jacob had no knowledge of his idols, so he denied that he had taken them from him. Then Laban entered the tents of his daughters and slaves to search, but he found nothing, for Rachel had put the idols in the camel saddle under her. She did not get up, apologizing that she had her menses.
Thus, he could not perceive what they had done.
Then they sat on a hill called Galeed and made a covenant there. Jacob would not ill treat Laban’s daughters nor marry others. Neither Laban nor Jacob would pass the hill into the other’s country.
They cooked food and their people ate with them. Each bade the other farewell as they departed, each returning to his own country.
Jacob Prepares to meet Esau
When Jacob approached the land of Seir, the angels greeted him. He sent a messenger ahead with greetings to his brother Esau, asking forgiveness and humbling himself before him. The messenger returned greetings and told Jacob that Esau was riding towards him with four hundred men. This made Jacob afraid and he entreated and prayed to Allah Almighty.
He prostrated in humiliation and asked Him to fulfill His promise which He had made before. He asked Him to stop the evil of his brother Esau. Then Jacob (pbuh) prepared a great present for his brother:
two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, and thirty milch camels, forty cows and two bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.
He commanded his slaves to take the animals, each drove by itself, and pass on ahead of him with a space between the droves. He instructed them:
“When you meet my brother Esau he will ask you, ‘to whom do you belong? where are you going?’ you shall say, ‘they belong to your servant Jacob; they are a present to my master Esau. Moreover, he is behind us.”
Jacob stayed behind with his two wives, his slaves and his children for two nights, then continued walking by night and resting by day.
Jacob becomes Israel
When the dawn of the second day came one of the angels appeared in the shape of a man. Jacob began to wrestle with him. They were neck and neck until the angel injured his thigh and Jacob became lame.
When the day was breaking, the angel said to him: ‘What is your name?’ He answered: ‘Jacob.’ The angel said: “After today you shall not be called anything but Israel.” Jacob asked: “Who are you? What is your name?” He vanished. Then Jacob knew that he was one of the angels. Jacob was lame, and for this reason the children of Israel do not eat the thigh muscle on the hip socket.
Jacob and Esau Meet
Jacob raised his eyes and saw his brother Esau coming. Jacob prostrated seven times before him for it was their salutation in that time. It was lawful for them just as the angels had prostration in salutation to Adam.
When Esau saw him, he ran towards him, embraced and kissed him and wept. When Esau raised his eyes and saw the women and children he asked: “Who are these with you?” Jacob answered:
“Those whom Allah has given me, your servant.” Leah, Rachel, their slaves, and all the children approached and prostrated before him. Jacob asked Esau to accept his gift and insisted until he did so. Esau returned and went in advance before him. Jacob and his family followed with the flocks and herds and slaves to the mountains (Seir).