Muhammad, the Qur'an and Islam
19:50 19:50 19:50 19:50 Isaac and Jacob were given to Isaac and Jacob were given to Isaac and Jacob were given to Isaac and Jacob were given to
Abraham (as sons); both were Abraham (as sons); both were Abraham (as sons); both were Abraham (as sons); both were
prophets. prophets. prophets. prophets.Apparently an error of Muhammad, as Jacob was Abraham's grandson.
That both were prophets is clear from the Bible; Gen. 27:27-29, 39-40;
48:19; 49:1-27.
19:55 19:55 19:55 19:55 Ishmael had a book named after Ishmael had a book named after Ishmael had a book named after Ishmael had a book named after
himself. himself. himself. himself.No source known prior to Muhammad.
19:57 19:57 19:57 19:57 Idris is a prophet who had a book Idris is a prophet who had a book Idris is a prophet who had a book Idris is a prophet who had a book
named for himself. named for himself. named for himself. named for himself.Since Idris is most probably to be identified with the cook Andreas in the
Syrian Alexander the Great legend (Horovitz, Untersuchungen, p. 88;
Tabari, History, vol. 3, pp. 2 f., n. 11, SEI, p. 158), this description appears
to have been due to a misunderstanding on Muhammad's part.
38:17f 38:17f 38:17f 38:17f Mountains and birds were subjected Mountains and birds were subjected Mountains and birds were subjected Mountains and birds were subjected
to David. to David. to David. to David.Cf. Ps. 148:7-10; Speyer, Erzählungen, p. 381.
38:19f 38:19f 38:19f 38:19f David's decision between the man with David's decision between the man with David's decision between the man with David's decision between the man with
99 sheep and the man with one is related, 99 sheep and the man with one is related, 99 sheep and the man with one is related, 99 sheep and the man with one is related,
David repents. David repents. David repents. David repents.This narration is a distortion of II Sam. 12:1-5, in which the Qur'an has this
be said of two who brought their case to David. The immediate source is
unknown. Speyer, Erzählungen, pp. 378 f. thinks that the 99 and one sheep is
perhaps from Mt. 18:12; and maintains that Muhammad’s source must have
been Christian, as David's form of repentance (38:23) "to fall down, bow
and repent" is alien to the liturgy of the Day of Atonement in post-Talmudic
Judaism. Cf. Tabari, History, vol. 3, pp. 145 f.