Continuation of my Contentions Series.

Link to Shaykh Abd al Hakim Murad’s Contentions part 1.

31. Hagar, that ‘root out of a dry ground’, the most fertile woman in history.

Hagar (Hajr) is a reference to the hand-maiden of Abraham, and the mother of the Arab people.

Reference: Isaiah 53:2 “For he grew up before him as a tender root out of dry ground”

The verse referenced is from the old testament which is commonly used by Christians to indicate a reference to the Messiah, Jesus (Isa) (AS). Muslims see it as applying to the Prophet Muhummad (??? ???? ???? ? ???). Among the qualities of the person who is mentioned in the first verses of Isaiah are that “he” shall come from humble beginnings, and undergo tremendous suffering.

Certainly Christ-like.

The next few verses is what really does it for me, “Yet it was the will of the LORD to bruise him; he has put him to grief; when he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days… (cut) 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. ”

These verses speak of the turn-around, where the suffering will become success, and it seems quite worldly in nature (ie) “divide the spoil with the strong”. This is certainly much more of related to Muhummad’s (??? ???? ???? ? ???) reality.

Back to the contention: My interpretation here is simply that the Shaykh is reminding us the story of Hajr, and how she bore a son to a very old Abraham. If one were to think about it, you may also realize that it was with her and her son that the well of Zumzum sprouted in the middle of the desert, so her fertility was not only in child-bearing but in building the community of Arabs around this oasis in the desert.

She brought fertility to an man who was unable to concieve with his wife, and then she brought fertility to the desert sand. Truly a remarkable quality and in this way she is certainly the most fertile woman in history.