Abraham (or "Ibrahim" as pronounced in Arabic) is considered the patriarch (or father) of the Jews and the Arabs. He had two sons: Isaac and Ishmael. Jews trace their ancestry through Isaac. Arabs trace their ancestry through Ishmael.
The story of Abraham is well known to Jews and Christians as well as to Muslims. In Islam he is remembered as one of the great Prophets, and the father of the Prophet Ishmael who was the ancestor of Prophet Muhammad himself.
Long, long ago, a child was born to the Prophet Abraham and his second wife, Hagar. The baby's name was Ishmael and, when he was born, he was Abraham's only son. In those days, it was not unusual for a man to have two wives. Abraham's first wife was named Sarah. She had no children, and this made her sad. But God told Abraham that one day, Sarah too would have a son. He would be named Isaac. Ishmael and Isaac were to be the ancestors of two great nations and three great religions. The nations were the Arabs and the Jews.
The prophet Abraham, revered by Jews and Christians, is a model of faith for all believers in God. He was born in Babylonia (present-day Iraq), during the rule of King Nimrod. He was persecuted for preaching against idol worship and astrology. He invited everyone toward the worship of the one true God.
God tested Abraham's faith by asking the great prophet to sacrifice his son Ishmael. This test was even more severe because Abraham did not have any children until he fathered Ishmael by his second wife, Hagar, at a very old age. Ishmael exhibited the qualities of prophethood from a young age, urging his father to obey God's command to sacrifice the young man.
Because Abraham and Ishmael were willing to carry out this difficult command, God was pleased; therefore, Allah provided a sheep for Abraham to sacrifice in place of his son.
After passing the great test, Abraham and Ishmael rebuilt the Holy Kaaba, a house dedicated to the worship of the one true God. The Holy Kaaba, which stands at the center of Mecca's Great Mosque, is the most sacred place for Muslims.
(NOTE: The version in Genesis of the Bible is different in that it is Abraham's son Isaac who would have been sacrificed, not Ishmael.)
Condensed from The Record at http://www.bergen.com/home/mirza25199903259.htm