As we hear about the impending disaster wherein the principal enemy of Israel is the nation of Islam, it would be useful to consider the fact that the nation of Israel and the nations of Islam both had their origins in Abraham. The Bible establishes the basis for that fact.

As God prepared to call out this nation, eventually to be called Israel, He called Abram (Abraham) to move from the land of Ur to a place God would reveal to him. To put this event in perspective, Adonai (called Adonai due to reverence for the name of God, written as G D in many cases) called Abraham to form a new nation (not called Israel because Jacob whose name was changed to Israel had not yet been born). This event occurred two years after Noah died. The Bible does not say that any person but Abraham was called to fulfill the purpose of establishing a new nation. In fact Abraham had to move away from "his people" in Ur in obedience to God's command.