My religion teacher says that Islam was started by Biblical Abraham's child Ishmael (the kid he had with his servant), but my history teacher says that it was started around 500 A.D. So which was it?

Question

My religion teacher says that Islam was started by Biblical Abraham's child Ishmael  (the kid he had with his servant), but my history teacher says that it was started around 500 A.D. So which was it?

anonymous · Answer

Well, I may be wrong, but the way I understood that Islam was founded the prophet Muhammad in early 7th century CE. Muhammad preached the message to the people of Arabia. The teachings centered around Allah. Although it is debatable about the specific event that formed the religion. Some say it was with the birth of Muhammad. Some say it began with the laylat-al-qardar or the Night of Power, where Muhammad received the call to be God's messenger. But according to the religion itself, the faith was formed with God's creation of the universe. Your religion teacher is correct, though. So is your history teacher. Abraham was also believed to be one of God's messengers, one of the first. Scriptures in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all consider Abraham to be of such importance. The story that your religion teacher speaks of is how Abraham and his son Ishmael built the Kaaba in Mecca, the center of Islamic worship. So I suppose its all correct, it just depends on how you look at it. I hope I helped! If you have any questions, please ask! :)