(The following story was collected in Qana by Marwan Ragab on 2 April 200. The name of the storyteller is Fahima Shaalan)

Upon seeing (Hajar), Sarah sank in a sea of bewilderment. She said: O wife of my husband, your stomach has grown. Pregnant you have become. O Lord of all Worshippers, I lived my whole life a sterile woman and no children ever came out of my womb.

(Sarah said): O Beloved of God (Ibrahim), be now pleased, (I wish you to) take Hajar away from my sight. Dump her in the wilderness, among the mountains. Throw her away in a barren land, among the beasts.

He (Ibrahim) said: How can I abandon her when she is carrying my child? She would complain to God from our injustice. You, Sarah, are the one who made her my wife, why have you changed? Why have you become so difficult? Why are you jealous?

She said: Give me your word. Swear by Lord of the Throne, the God of All Worlds: if Hajar gives birth to a child, there will be light in my eyes and I will be able to live together with Hajar in the house. But if she gives birth to a boy, take her away.

Throw her in the wilderness, far from here. Take her to a barren land filled with beasts.

She (Hajar) completed her term of pregnancy and gave birth to Ismail, who had a lovely face.

She gave birth to Ismail and Sarah took him. She cut his umbilical cord and put kohl around his eyes, but as she gave him back to his mother, her heart was on fire.

She made him swear by God, then she said: Take her away.

Our master Ibrahim took her somewhere and set up a tent for her, and then said: I leave you to God.

He left her and our master Ismail, and went away.

She got thirsty and went to look for water.

Our master Ismail woke up and she came back and found him screaming and kicking.

She said: Zemmi, Zemmi (meaning obscure), o blessed (water).

This is the Zemmi that became Zamzam (name of a well near the Kaaba in Mecca).

Peace be upon the prophet (Mohammad), the Arab nomads came from the mountain.

They saw our master Ismail and his mother, then they saw the water and were pleased.

They said: This (child) will grow and become our sultan and we will give him the third of all our camels.

With the will of God, our master Ismail grew up and got married.

His father (Ibrahim) said to Sarah: I wish to see him.

Sarah made him swear not to dismount from the camel during his visit.

He (Ibrahim) left home and went searching for the home of our master Ismail.

Good people took him (Ibrahim) to the door, and he knocked at the door.

His (Ismail’s) wife came out and started talking nonsense.

Ibrahim said to her: I am leaving now and if our master Ismail comes back, tell him someone came to see you, someone who dreams of you day and night, and he wants you to change the threshold of your door.

Ismail came back and she told him.

He said to her: this is my father, and he is telling me to leave you and marry someone else.

Our master Ibrahim said to Sarah: I feel like going to see him.

Now he Ibrahim knew the way.

He Ibrahim went (to Ismail’s house) and as soon as he knocked at the door, the new wife welcomed him and swore by God that he cannot leave.

She went inside and came back holding food in one hand and water in the other hand.

Ibrahim, still mounted on the camel, ate and drank and thanked God.

Ibrahim said to her: I am leaving and if our master Ismail comes, tell him someone came to see you, someone who dreams of you day and night, and he wants you to keep your threshold the way it is.

Our master Ismail came back and she told him what happened.

He (Ismail) said: This is my father, and you are now even dearer to me than before, o light of my eyes.