Muhammad, the Qur'an and Islam
executions of Christians performed by Dhu Nuwas in Yemen in 523 AD.
Cf. Nöldeke-Schwally, GQ, p. 97 f, n. 3; Andrae, Ursprung, pp. 10 f;
Speyer, Erzählungen, p. 424.
85:18 85:18 85:18 85:18 Pharoah is mentioned.Pharoah is mentioned.Pharoah is mentioned.Pharoah is mentioned.The word was known to be a title, probably came from the Syriac and was
most likely not used in Arabic before Muhammad's time; Jeffery,
Vocabulary, p. 225.
84:7f 84:7f 84:7f 84:7f Those who receive books in the Those who receive books in the Those who receive books in the Those who receive books in the
right or left hands at Judgment. right or left hands at Judgment. right or left hands at Judgment. right or left hands at Judgment.Ahrens in "Christliches," ZDMG, vol. 84, p. 55, believes this to have come
from Christian sources and cites Baumstark, who thought Muhammad
probably saw something to this effect in a Christian picture.
79:16 79:16 79:16 79:16 Moses' calling in the valley of Tuwa.Moses' calling in the valley of Tuwa.Moses' calling in the valley of Tuwa.Moses' calling in the valley of Tuwa.Islamic scholars and Qur'an translators usually identify the "valley of
Tuwa" as being in the vicinity of Mount Sinai, but then are at a loss for
being able to say which valley was meant. From the context (cf. Qur'an 20:
12 also) it is clear that Muhammad supposed Moses to have been in a valley
when he was called to go to Egypt (cf. Ex. 3:1f). The word "Tuwa" appears
to be related to "tawa" = "to roll" or "fold" (Kassis, Concordance, pp. 1245
f), and as such would be a rough equivalent of "Gilgal" near Jericho (Jos.
5:9) in whose vicinity Joshua was commanded to remove his shoes (Jos.
5:15). Some early Qur'an commentators also seem to agree that "Tuwa"
must have the meaning of "folding" (or "doubling") as a tradition from
Hasan says Tuwa was in Palestine and was so named for having been
"twice holy," and Bishr b. Ubayd said that Tuwa was in Ayla and was thus named for having been "twice blessed," see Suyuti, El-Itkan, vol. 2, p. 370. IbnAbbas seems to have thought "Tuwa" came from "to go around" as he
said the valley was named Tuwa because Moses got lost there with his
family at night and then saw the fire; see Sahih Bukhari, vol. 6, p. 231,
Suyuti, El-Itkan, vol. 2, p. 370. If "Tuwa" really is related to the verb "to go
around," then it would appear that Mount Seir was meant; cf. Deut. 2:1f.