48 r Bat-Sheva Garsiel
the synthesis of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, while it also signified
something distinct from those two monotheistic religions. Moreover, ac-
cording to the Muslim viewpoint, Muhammad’s mission was to spread
Islam, the religion of Abraham, which was distorted or forsaken by Jews
and Christians alike.^12
According to the Quran, Abraham was a prophet (19:41) who passed
God’s test and proved himself to be a true believer (2:124). God took Abra-
ham as a dear friend (4:125). Abraham was the father of the believers and
the first Muslim.^13 The Torah was brought down from heaven to the Chil-
dren of Israel at a later date, only during the days of Moses. Therefore, the
Children of Israel are not the followers of Abraham. Only Muhammad
and his community of believers are the true disciples of the religion of
Abraham, and they were the first to follow in his footsteps (3:68; 16:123).
Ibn Hisham (ninth century CE) relates that Muhammad entered the
schools (madāris) of the Jews and invited them to convert and become
Muslims. When they asked him to what religion he belonged, he replied:
“The religion of Abraham.”^14
It is noteworthy that the Quran’s perception of Abraham as a prophet
is already found in Genesis, when God appeared to Abimelech in a dream
and referred to Abraham as “a prophet.”^15 Similarly, in the midrash we
find: “Abraham is a prophet.”^16 Likewise, the perception that Abraham
passed a test is found in Genesis: “God put Abraham to the test. For now
I know that you fear God.”^17 Even the perception in the Quran that God
took Abraham as a friend is based on a couple of midrashic homilies:
“Yedid [a friend] is Abraham”;^18 “Abraham is called ‘Yedid.’“^19
To summarize, Muhammad attributed characteristics to Abraham that
were known to him and his disciples from the Hebrew Bible and its mi-
drashic exegeses. At the same time, a slight Islamization of the image is
recognizable in the emphasis illuminating Abraham’s obedience and sub-
missiveness, which paved the way for Abraham to become, according to
the Quran, the father of Islam.
Building the Ka ̔ba and Abraham’s House
Another indication of the Quran’s perception that Islam preceded Juda-
ism is that according to the Quran, Abraham built the Ka ̔ba together with
Ishmael even before the Pentateuch was delivered to the Jewish people.