ABSTRACT
This chapter argues for the indispensable contribution that Islamic exegetical traditions make to Reception Studies of the Bible. Although Reception History, in its various manifestations, has now assumed a central position in academic study of the Bible, insufficient attention has been paid in current projects to ways in which Islamic exegesis can illuminate some of the ambiguities and enigmas inherent in the biblical narrative. Taking Ishmael as a case study, the chapter explores the gradual development of his character in Islamic tradition to find out whether (or not) it reflects the same preoccupations as in Jewish and Christian interpretation.
