[muawiyah]

First I'd heard that "legitimacy" was an issue in those days. Remember, ALL the children belonged to the father. Women were merely a vessel.

This gets back to the homonucleus theory of reproduction current in those days. Whenever you see that word "seed", that's what it's about.

[nmh]

That is not true.

Sarah and Abraham were married. Hagar never was the WIFE of Abraham, hence Isaac is the LEGITMATE son - between tow married people. NEVER is Hagar referred to as Abrahams's wife because she is not - she is just a maid to Sarah.

[nmh]

Even in the OLD Testament a man was supposed to have ONE wife. Yes, many still disobeyed Him.

Gen.17:15,17

[15] And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

Sarah was the wife of Abraham. Hagar was a lowly maid to Sarah.

[17] Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

Sarah was not convinced that she'd have children being so old so she took matters in her own hands and allowed her husband, Abraham to conceive a child with her maid Hagar and Ishmael was that child. Of course Sarah shouldn't have done that ... .