Who are the Arabs?
Who are the Arabs of today? That is a complicated question. John Tvedtnes wrote in his article, Who Is an Arab?, "One who considers himself an Arab would say that an Arab is someone who speaks Arabic, but he probably would not mention his historical background." In general we might say that most Arabs today are descended from Abraham's son Ishmael. Others are the descendants of Abraham through his third wife, Ketura.
However, Brother Tvedtnes also notes, "Incongruous as it may seem in the light of the modern conflict in the Holy Land, many of the Palestinian Arabs of today are descendants of the Jews who inhabited the land some 2,000 years ago. Many important Palestinian families can trace their genealogy back to Judah or another of the tribes of Israel."The chart on the right, taken from this same article, may help sort out the genealogy of today's Arab population, along with other Old Testament peoples. Two quotes below are also helpful in our understanding of Abraham's seed, along with related articles.
Related Articles:
"Who is an Arab?" John A. Tvedtnes, April 1974 Ensign
"A Latter-day Saint Perspective on Muhammad," James A Toronto, August 2000 Ensign
"All Are Alike Unto God," Howard W. Hunter, BYU Speeches, February 4, 1979
"Ishmael, Our Brother," James B. Mayfield, June 1979 Ensign
“The great religious leaders of the world such as Mohammed, Confucius, and the Reformers, as well as philosophers including Socrates, Plato, and others, received a portion of God’s light. Moral truths were given to them by God to enlighten whole nations and to bring a higher level of understanding to individuals. …
“We believe that God has given and will give to all peoples sufficient knowledge to help them on their way to eternal salvation” (Statement of the First Presidency regarding God’s Love for All Mankind, 15 Feb. 1978, quoted by James E. Faust in CR May 1980).
"Many Latter-day Saints are of the opinion that little or nothing of note took place between the time of the Apostasy and the Renaissance. They rarely stop to consider the factors that transformed western Europe from a backward collection of quarreling tribes into an economic, scientific, and cultural powerhouse.
"Islam provided a much-needed challenge to a Christianity that was becoming more and more corrupt. It played a crucial role in preserving and significantly improving on the achievements of Persian, Indian, Greek, and other civilizations.
"Muslim, Jewish, and Christian scholars and scientists working together made revolutionary breakthroughs. Muslim centers of learning in Spain and Sicily provided western Europe with easy access to knowledge and methods that helped to fuel the Renaissance. Latin translations of Arabic medical and philosophical textbooks were required reading in European universities. Arab navigational tools and techniques facilitated early European exploration of the globe. Many educated Europeans learned Arabic to gain direct access to the intellectual treasures of Islamic civilization. One of these was Martin Luther, who made a careful study of the Qur’an." (Excerpted from "Wars, Rumors of Wars, and Wise and Faithful Servants," R. Kirk Belnap, BYU Devotional, July 8, 2003.)