According to marital customs of the day, a barren woman could give a handmaid to her husband as her substitute. Sarai gave an Egyptian servant named Hagar to Abraham. She conceived, causing conflict between her and Sarai, and fled to the desert. There "the angel of the LORD" (possibly a theophany of the preincarnate Christ) appeared, encouraging her to return to Sarai. In time, she gave birth to a son, Ishmael. Arabs, following Muhammad's example, claim descent from Ishmael.
