Muhammad, the Qur\'an & Islam

Appendix D

71:20f 71:20f 71:20f 71:20f Noah mentions the names of gods Noah mentions the names of gods Noah mentions the names of gods Noah mentions the names of gods

worshipped in Muhammad's time. worshipped in Muhammad's time. worshipped in Muhammad's time. worshipped in Muhammad's time.

This anachronism is due to Muhammad himself. See: Sahih Bukhari, vol. 6,
p. 414; Nöldeke, "The Qur'an", p. 9; Speyer, Erzählungen, p. 101.

20:74 20:74 20:74 20:74 Pharaoh threatens the punishment Pharaoh threatens the punishment Pharaoh threatens the punishment Pharaoh threatens the punishment

of crucifixion in the time of Moses. of crucifixion in the time of Moses. of crucifixion in the time of Moses. of crucifixion in the time of Moses.

This appears to be an anachronism of Muhammad, since crucifixion was
known to the Jews through the Romans, who had in turn taken it from Car-
thage; Lexikon zur Bibel, p. 812.

20:87f 20:87f 20:87f 20:87f The Samaritan was a deceiver of Israel The Samaritan was a deceiver of Israel The Samaritan was a deceiver of Israel The Samaritan was a deceiver of Israel

against Moses. against Moses. against Moses. against Moses.

Speyer in Erzählungen, pp. 329 f. shows that Geiger thought Muhammad
may have confused the angel Samael with "Samaritan" (WMJA, p. 163),
but that this is improbable. Goldziher, along with the Muslim scholars,
thought that the Samaritans are actually meant in this passage, cf. 20:97
where as a punishment the Samaritan is to say: "do not touch," SEI, p. 502.
Speyer (Erzählungen, p. 330 f.) suggests that through Christian influence
Muhammad may have meant Satan in the person of Zimri (Num. 25:14);
this is also not very convincing though. A Jewish tradition (Midrash
Tanhuma ki tissa) cited by Speyer (Erzählungen, p. 324) shows that
magicians took part in making the golden calf, which according to Pirke
Rabbi Eliezer, 45 and in harmony with 20:90, lowed. Al-Samiri essentially
takes the place of the magicians in these traditions, and the only Samaritan
magician known in the Bible is Simon (Acts 8:9f). Chrysostum, in his 18th
homily on Acts (vol. 11, pp. 115 f; Eerdmans ed.) contrasts the miracles of
Moses with the magic of Simon. The (apparently Ebionite) Recognitions of
Clementine (book 3 ch. 56) compares Simon with the Egyptian magicians
who resisted Moses (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 8, p. 129), and in The Acts
of Peter and Paul, Simon is also likened to Jannes and