Muhammad, the Qur'an and Islam
followers faced. After relating that Muhammad publicly began preaching
three years after receiving his first revelations, traditi^98 ons relate how Abu
Lahab opposed him and even threw excrement in front of Muhamm^99 ad's
door.^100 At least one tradition shows that the first Muslims sat around the
Kaba,^101 although they probably prayed secretly in glens.^102 Muhammad appears to have still practiced the pagan rites at the Kaba^103 and even
kissed the stone^104 as the Ka`ba was still filled with idols.
The suras 101, 99, 82 suras 101, 99, 82 suras 101, 99, 82 suras 101, 99, 82 and 81 8181 81 generally describe the coming Judgment and
the end of the world. The origin of the similes in 101:3-4 does not appear to
be known, but idea of scales being used in the Judgment seems to come
from Jewish or Christian apocalyptic literature.^105 Qur'an 101:6 contains a
peculiar word from Ethiopic.^106 The opening verses of the suras 99, 82 and
81 are weak modulates of Rev. 6:12-14 and must have come from Christian
sources. The notion of the sun being folded (81:1) may have been due to a
misunderstanding,^107 and 81:10 is similar to Rev. 20:12. Qur'an 81:8 is a
reference to the old Arab practice of burying infant girls alive, but their
giving testimony at the Judgment appears to be based on ideas from Jewish
and Christian eschatology^108 The oaths of Qur'an 81 are positioned in the
middle of the sura rather than at the beginning. Muhammad again denies
being possessed (v. 21) and briefly mentions an encounter (vv. 22-24), on
which he appears to elaborate later in 53:2-18. In 81:25, not only does the
word for "Satan" seem to be a loan from Ethiopic which predates
Muhammad^109 but the word usually translated as "stoned" in this verse is
also from the same language and actually means "cursed."^110
Qur'an 53Qur'an 53Qur'an 53Qur'an 53 begins with an oath, and since the vv. 2-18 are very similar to
81:22-24 in describing what appears to be how Muhammad was shown a
sign and given revelation, both Muslim and Western scholars^111 place this
sura earlier than it probably should be. Although 53:1-18 may be early,
traditions surrounding the background of vv. 19f and the context of these
verses, that Muhammad had begun openly attacking the pagan deities of the
Meccans, can hardly be reconciled with the evidence from the other suras
of this period.^112