Muhammad, the Qur'an and Islam
[14] Muir viewed 18 suras as predating Muhammad's call (see EI², s.v.
"Kur'an," p. 417. Buhl (Muhammeds, p. 136) felt that it is quite possible
that the first revelations were lost. Watt (Religionen, pp. 187 f) thinks the
traditions about Qur'an 96: 1f (or 74:1f) being the first Qur'anic revelation
were developed later, based on exegetical interpretations of their texts (cf.
Is. 40:6 also); i.e. the phrases "Recite!..." (96:1) and "Arise and warn!...
(74:2) generally lend themselves to being considered as primary. Cf.
Welch, in EI², s.v. "Muhammad," p. 363.
[15] Open opposition to Muhammad's message could have only begun
after he made it public; cf. Guillaume, Muhammad, pp. 121, 135 f; Tabari,
History, vol. 6, p. 101.
[16] In Qur'an 73:15f Muhammad is likened to the apostle (or messenger)
sent to Pharaoh, but in 69:40f Muhammad's being an apostle is used to
confront the charges of him being a poet or soothsayer.
[17] The traditions regarding Muhammad's visit to Waraqa (who is said to
have become a Christian) are suspect, because of the mention of Namus
(see n. 6, above) and Moses, but not the Gospel and Jesus. The name Moses
also appears in later Qur'anic suras (e.g. Qur'an 87:19; 53:37) and
Muhammad's knowledge of him develops only gradually (cf. Qur'an
79:15f).
[18] Nöldeke and Schwally, GQ, vol. 1, p. 85; Watt, Muhammad, p. 20;
Welch, EI², s.v. "Muhammad," p. 363. In general, there is a three year
discrepancy in the various traditional accounts of Muhammad's age and the
Meccan period of his ministry, see: Tabari, History, vol. 6, pp. 60 f.
[19] See the sura orderings of Weil, Nöldeke and Blachère as given by
Welch in EI², s.v. "Kur'an," pp. 416 f. Bell, in that he viewed many suras as
composite texts modified over time, did not arrange the suras in any
particular order. He did, however, regard the texts of Qur'an 96:1f and 74:1f
as being early. Watt (Muhammad, p. 23; Introduction, p. 198, n. 9;
Religionen, p. 206) has put together a list (according to Nöldeke's sura
orderings) of those portions of the Qur'an which Bell considered as having
been early. See also n. 12, above.