52 r Bat-Sheva Garsiel
confrontation in order to point out the similarities between Muhammad
and Abraham. At the beginning of his mission, Muhammad was com-
pelled to argue with his people, sometimes unsuccessfully, in order to
persuade them to forsake their idols. In order to strengthen his position
and to give validity to his words, he selected a similar story about Abra-
ham’s life that was familiar to his audience.^36
It is noteworthy that according to the Quran, Abraham attempted to
persuade his father to believe in one God, and when he refused, Abraham
prayed, “Forgive my father, for he is one of those astray” (26:86). In other
suras, however, the Quran states that the Prophet and his believers were
forbidden to request that idolaters be pardoned. Nevertheless, the Quran
justifies Abraham’s act, explaining that “Abraham asked not pardon for
his father, except because of a promise he had made to him. And when
it became clear to him that he was an enemy of God, he declared him-
self quit of him” (9:113–114). In this instance, as in the case of Noah, who
asked forgiveness on behalf of his transgressor son, the story of Abra-
ham prompts a discussion on the appropriateness of asking forgiveness
for pagans. This question interested Muhammad’s followers a great deal,
especially the first believers who apparently attempted to request pardon
for their pagan relatives.^37
The Quran relates that Abraham was expelled from his homeland. His
father became so angry with him for not believing in his idols that he
evicted him (19:46). There is another passage, however, that seems to con-
tradict this, and it presents another reason for Abraham’s departure: “We
delivered him and Lot unto the land We blessed” (21:71). According to the
first statement, Abraham was exiled from his homeland by his father; but
the second one infers that Abraham was in danger (apparently from his
people or his father), and therefore God helped him escape. In contrast,
in Genesis there is no hint of any danger or force by anyone—only a com-
mand by God: “Go forth from your native land and from your father’s
house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation
... and they set out for the land of Canaan.”^38
It seems to me that the Quran gives other reasons for Abraham’s leav-
ing his home in order to create an analogy to an incident in the life of
Muhammad. The Quran notes that nonbelievers in Mecca plotted to have
Muhammad arrested or expelled from Mecca (8:30), and Muhammad was
compelled to flee to Medina. This description shows an analogy between