Muhammad, the Qur'an and Islam
37:120 Aaron is mentioned with Moses. 37:120 Aaron is mentioned with Moses. 37:120 Aaron is mentioned with Moses. 37:120 Aaron is mentioned with Moses.The Qur'anic name for Aaron probably comes from the Christian-
Palestinian dialect of Syriac, and pre-dates Muhammad (Jeffery,
Vocabulary, pp. 283f). Cf. Ex. 4:29.
37:123f37:123f37:123f37:123f Elias is mentioned with respect Elias is mentioned with respect Elias is mentioned with respect Elias is mentioned with respect
to the challenge against Baal.to the challenge against Baal.to the challenge against Baal.to the challenge against Baal.Jeffery believes that both of the Arabic names for Elias (Jeffery,
Vocabulary, p. 67 f.) and Baal (Ibid., p. 81) probably come from Syriac and
both pre-date Islam. Horovitz, Untersuchungen holds that Muhammad most
likely heard the names from Ethiopians, and Ahrens, "Christliches,"
ZDMG, vol. 84, p. 38 maintains with Horovitz that both probably came
from the Ethiopian Bible translation. The vast majority of scholars think
that Muhammad received this narration from Christians. Cf. I Kings 18:21.
37:13537:13537:13537:135 An old woman was not saved An old woman was not saved An old woman was not saved An old woman was not saved
with Lot. with Lot. with Lot. with Lot.The Arabic name for Lot, mentioned in Qur'an 54:33 perhaps for the first
time, probably comes from Syriac and does not appear to have pre-dated
Muhammad in Arabic (Vocabulary, p. 254 f). The peculiarity that Lot's
wife is here described as simply being an old woman, suggests that
Muhammad did not know who she was up until this time. Cf. Gen. 19:26.
37:139f37:139f37:139f37:139f Jonah would still be in the fish Jonah would still be in the fish Jonah would still be in the fish Jonah would still be in the fish
if he had not praised God, he was if he had not praised God, he was if he had not praised God, he was if he had not praised God, he was
ill, God caused a gourd to grow ill, God caused a gourd to grow ill, God caused a gourd to grow ill, God caused a gourd to grow
over him, he was sent to more than over him, he was sent to more than over him, he was sent to more than over him, he was sent to more than
100,000, who believed and were 100,000, who believed and were 100,000, who believed and were 100,000, who believed and were
allowed to live. allowed to live. allowed to live. allowed to live.The Arabic name for Jonah came either from Syriac or Ethiopian, and thus
from Christians; see Jeffery, Vocabulary, pp. 295 f. In 37:146, however, the
non-Arabic word μÀ÷¤¿ is thought to have come from the Hebrew for
"gourd." Jeffery thinks that the form was garbled by Muhammad; cf.
Vocabulary, p. 292. Cf. Jonah 1-4.