��ѿ��ý

Available for over a year

Good morning. Scientists are currently exploring Richard III’s genealogy. The monarch whose remains were found in Leicester is being studied so that we can find out more about his ancestry. They might find more skeletons than they bargained for, it turns out that matching his DNA to his descendants may call into question the right to rule of certain 14th century monarchs. Now, we’re not going to put matters to rest on that one just now, but this sort of exploration can throw light on history. We are fascinated by such stories of our ancestors; their experiences continue to mean something today, they help us to know who we are and where we’ve come from. And there’s been an explosion of people wanting to trace their roots and heritage in recent years. Programmes such as Who Do You Think You Are? and an increasing number of online services have helped to do that. Thanks to technology we can explore our genealogy and find out what life was like for those who came before us and whether our choices or personalities are anything like that of our great, great grandparents. Genealogy has played a key role in the transmission of religious scripture and theologically inspired teachings too. The Abrahamic faiths have a strong tradition of citing genealogy within texts such as the Bible and the Qur’an. By understanding the lineage of key figures we can connect with the text more intimately. In fact writers, historians, poets and many others in Islamic history are referenced using names across at least two generations. Figures such as the famous philosopher Ibn Sina, translated as the son of Sina, known to us as Avicenna, are an example of this. This has also created divisions in the genealogy of the Abrahamic faiths. An important historical aspect of these faiths includes Prophet Abraham’s lineage. Through his sons Isaac and Ishmael we find the two great faiths of Judaism and Islam. Jews are believed to hail from the line of Isaac and Muslims from the line of Ishmael. In the Qur’an, Abraham shows his gratitude for both his sons when he says: “Praise be to God, who has granted to me in old age Ishmael and Isaac. Indeed, my Lord is the Hearer of all prayers.” Isaac, Ishmael and their father are symbols of strong moral lessons; by understanding who they were we are brought closer into their world and their relationships with each other. Our history plays a crucial role in giving us a sense of rootedness and belonging to our nation, culture, community…or in this case, our faith too.