Which son of Ibrahim is traditionally associated with the sacrifice story in Islam? Isma'il is traditionally associated with the sacrifice story in Islam.
The Qur'an recounts that Ibrahim was tested when he saw in a vision that he should sacrifice his son. The son accepted the command, but before the sacrifice occurred, God declared that the test had been fulfilled and provided a great substitute sacrifice. Islamic tradition generally identifies this son as Isma'il, also known as Ishmael.
The Qur'an does not explicitly name the son in the sacrifice passage. Early Muslim scholars therefore debated whether the son was Isma'il or Ishaq, the Arabic name for Isaac. Most Muslims ultimately came to identify Isma'il with the story, while the Hebrew Bible's parallel Binding of Isaac names Isaac. This difference explains why the subject can be confused across Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions.
Eid al-Adha commemorates Ibrahim’s obedience and the son’s willingness to submit to God. Animal sacrifice during the festival symbolizes that event rather than human sacrifice.