Muhammad, the Qur'an and Islam
a false understanding of the Trinity and makes an ambiguously phrased
rejection of His Sonship. The vv. 170f show that the proud are to be
punished, the v. 174 claims that the proof and light has come, and v. 175
answers a question regarding inheritance. The Arabic word for "crime" in v.
2 appears to have come from Syriac, and the term "jibt" in v. 54 came from
Ethiopic. Some of the verses of this sura are at least remotel^274 y similar to
passages in the Bible or Talmud.^275
Sura 65Sura 65Sura 65Sura 65 begins by giving regulations with respect to divorce (vv. 1f), and
the vv. 8f refer to the punishments of previous peoples. The vv. 11f show
that those who believe and practice good (works) will go to Paradise, and
v. 12 mentions the "seven heavens." The v. 11 contains a phrase w^276 hich is
similar to an expression in Acts 26:18.^277
Conclusions
The Qur'anic evidence from this period shows that the "middle prayer" was
added (2:39), and some form of ablution was performed (4:46). Islamic
worship appears to have become congregationalized in this period, and in
opposition to Jewish and Christian practices, Friday was chosen as a day of
assembly (62:9f). As a result of Muhammad's turning away from Judaism,
the Islamic Abraham legend was forged (2:118f) in order to theologically
justify the change of the qibla (apparently) from Jerusalem^278 to the Ka`ba
(2:136f), the Hajj was adopted and modified from Arabic polytheism
(2:185, 192f; 3:91), and the fast of the month of Ramadan was instituted
(2:179f). Additionally, traditions show that the feast of the sacrifice and the
"zakat al-fitr" were introduced, and these seem to have been based on the
Jewish celebrations of Passover. Although some general cre^279 eds can be
found in this section of suras (2:285; 4:135), the traditional Islamic
"shahada" cannot be found in the Qur'an at all. According to^280 the suras of
this period, believers are described as having believed the "hidden" (2:2f),
as peforming the prayer and giving alms (2:2f; 8:2f), of believing what was
revealed to Muhammad and the previous Books (2:2f); of believing in
angels, the Books, the messengers (4:135), and the Resurrection (2:59,
4:135). They were to practice good works (2:58; 98: 6f; 64:9; 47:2; 4:121f;
65: 11f), to fear God (8:1), to fear Muhammad (3:169), to obey God and
Muhammad (64:12; 8:1, 20, 24f, 48; etc.), to believe God and Muhammad
(64:8; 3:174; 57:7f, 28f; 4:135), not to deceive God and Muhammad
(8:27f), not to have unbelievers as protectors (3:27f), not to have unbeliev-
ing friends (3:114; 4:138f), not to obey unbelievers (3:142), not to be as