🌍 Greater Israel vs. The Abrahamic Covenant: A Comparative Theological Perspective

1️⃣ Introduction

The concept of Greater Israel (Eretz Yisrael HaShlemah) emerges from a literal reading of the biblical promise to Abraham in Genesis 15:18:

“To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.”

Within Jewish and Christian Zionist traditions, this has been interpreted as a territorial covenant—an eternal land grant to the children of Israel through Isaac and Jacob.

In contrast, Islamic scholarship interprets the Abrahamic Covenant as a universal spiritual promise fulfilled through Ishmael (Ismā‘īl عليه السلام) and culminating in Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. The Islamic view reframes the covenant as a legacy of faith and monotheism rather than borders and conquest.

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2️⃣ The Land Promise: Nile to Euphrates

📖 According to the Bible (Genesis 15:18), Abraham’s descendants were promised land stretching from the Nile River in Egypt to the Euphrates in Mesopotamia.

🔹 Zionist/Christian View

• The land is seen as a divinely guaranteed inheritance for the children of Israel.

• It forms the basis of the concept of Greater Israel, extending territorial claims across vast parts of the Middle East.

🔹 Islamic Perspective

• Geographical Fulfillment: While the Israelites never controlled this entire expanse, the early Muslim Caliphates—descendants of Ishmael through Muhammad ﷺ—ruled dominions from the Nile to the Euphrates.

• Historical Realization: This suggests the territorial covenant found its fulfillment not in ancient Israel but in the rise of the Islamic ummah, aligning with Abraham’s lineage through Ishmael.

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3️⃣ Blessing to All Nations

God’s promise to Abraham included not only land but also a universal blessing:

“Through your seed all nations on earth will be blessed.”

(Genesis 12:3, 22:18)

🔹 Zionist/Christian View

• This is often understood as pointing to the eventual Messiah from David’s line—fulfilled in Judaism by a future king, and in Christianity by Jesus Christ.

🔹 Islamic Perspective

• The Qur’an presents Muhammad ﷺ as this universal blessing:

“And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.” (21:107)

• His mission transcended ethnicity, addressing all humanity.

• Islam is seen as the revival of Abraham’s pure monotheism (dīn Ibrāhīm), intended for all nations.

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4️⃣ The Sacrifice: Ishmael or Isaac?

The question of which son Abraham nearly sacrificed underpins the covenantal claim.

• Zionist/Jewish View: Isaac was the sacrificial son, reinforcing Israel’s special covenantal status.

• Islamic View: The Qur’an narrates the sacrifice (37:99–113) without naming the son, but context places the birth announcement of Isaac after the sacrifice. Thus, Ishmael is understood as the chosen son.

• Many Muslim scholars argue that Israelite scribes altered the Torah, substituting Isaac for Ishmael to shift the covenantal lineage.

👉 In Islam, this episode affirms Ishmael’s precedence and links the covenant directly to the lineage culminating in Muhammad ﷺ.

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5️⃣ The Sinai Covenant: Conditional and Ethnic

While the Abrahamic Covenant is universal, the Sinai Covenant—given through Moses (Exodus 19–24)—was specific to the Israelites.

• 📜 Content: Laws, commandments, and rituals forming the Torah.

• ⚖️ Conditional: Blessings depended on Israel’s obedience.

• 🏷️ Scope: Ethnic and national, binding the Children of Israel as a chosen community.

Islamic scholars stress that while the Sinai Covenant was valid, it was limited in time and scope, whereas the Abrahamic Covenant finds its eternal and universal fulfillment in Islam.

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6️⃣ Greater Israel vs. The Abrahamic Covenant

🔹 Greater Israel (Zionist View)

• The covenant is territorial: land from the Nile to the Euphrates promised exclusively to the Israelites.

• Seen as an eternal land grant, tied to the lineage of Isaac and Jacob.

• Linked to the restoration of the Davidic Kingdom and the expectation of a Messiah.

• Carries political implications, often used to justify expansionist ideology.

🔹 Abrahamic Covenant (Islamic View)

• The covenant is universal, fulfilled through Ishmael’s line and not restricted to one ethnicity.

• It is a faith-based covenant, rooted in Abraham’s submission and Ishmael’s descendants.

• Fulfilled in Islam through Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as a mercy to all nations.

• Carries spiritual implications, emphasizing the revival of pure monotheism rather than territorial conquest.

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7️⃣ Conclusion: A Clash of Perspectives

• For Zionists, Greater Israel represents a literal territorial promise, with political and eschatological significance.

• For Muslims, the Abrahamic Covenant transcends borders:

• The land promise was historically realized through Ishmael’s descendants during the Caliphates.

• The universal blessing was fulfilled in Muhammad ﷺ.

• The sacrificial son was Ishmael, securing his role as covenantal heir.

✨ From an Islamic perspective, Islam is not a new religion but the restoration of Abraham’s monotheistic faith, uniting humanity under one God. Thus, the Abrahamic Covenant is fulfilled not in a map of Greater Israel but in the universal message of Islam.

— Azahari Hassim

Founder, The World of Abrahamic Theology