- published: 01 Jan 2016
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Sarah or Sara ( /ˈsɛərə/;Hebrew: שָׂרָה, Modern Sara Tiberian Śārā ISO 259-3 Śarra; Latin: Sara; Arabic: سارة) was the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac as described in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran. Her name was originally Sarai. According to Genesis 17:15 God changed her name to Sarah as part of a covenant after Hagar bore Abraham his first son, Ishmael.
The Hebrew name Sarah indicates a woman of high rank and is translated as "princess".
Sarah was the wife of Abraham, as well as being his half-sister, the daughter of his father Terah (Genesis 20:12). The Talmud identifies Sarai with Iscah, daughter of Abraham's deceased brother Haran (Genesis 11:29), so that Sarah turns out to be the niece of Abraham and the sister of Lot and Milcah. She was also the mother-in-law of Rebecca, her successor. She was considered beautiful to the point that Abraham feared that when they were near more powerful rulers she would be taken away and given to another man. Twice he purposefully identified her as being only his sister so that he would be "treated well" for her sake. It is apparent that she remained attractive into her later years. Despite her great beauty, she was barren for an unknown reason. She was originally called "Sarai" which is translated "my princess." Later she was called "Sarah" i.e., princess." In Biblical times, the changing of one's name was significant and used to symbolize the binding of a covenant. In this case, God promised to put an end to her barrenness and give her a child (Isaac).
Ali Bader (Arabic: علي بدر, Alī Bader, 1974) is an award winning Arabic novelist and a Film producer, author of eleven works of fiction, and several works of non-fiction, he has also worked as war correspondent covering the Middle East. He rose to prominence in the Arab world in the last decade. In addition to his work as an author, he is also an Arabic media journalist. His novels are considered unique in Arabic fiction, with critics already spotting what they believe to be clear imitations.
Bader was born in Baghdad, where he studied western Philosophy and French Literature. In 2001, he published his seminal novel, Papa Sartre (Arabic: بابا سارتر). The focus of the novel is the 1960s generation, whom he sought to critique for the negative impact of their cultural influence still felt by the current generation today. In particular, the novel highlights the trials and tribulations of the pseudo-intellectuals of sixties Baghdad in parody form. It also includes memorable portrayals of Iraq’s wealthy and influential families in their decline. For this work, he was awarded the State Prize for Literature in Baghdad in 2002 and the Tunisian Abu Al-Qassem Al-Shabi Award. Following its critical acclaim in the Arab world, it was translated into English