Muhammad: Meccan Oppositionothers. Originally, Muhammad's night journey to Jerusalem and his
ascension into Heaven were related as having been two separate events.
Later Islamic traditionists combined the two stories into one; cf. Welch in
EI², s.v. "Muhammad," p. 366; Sahih Muslim, vol. 1, pp. 100, 110.
[259] This name seems to come from the same root as the Arabic for
"lightning"; SEI, p. 65.
[260] Nöldeke and Schwally, GQ, vol. 1, pp. 134 f, n. 7.
[261] Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 8, pp. 580 f; Nöldeke and Schwally, GQ,
vol. 1, p. 136, n. 2.
[262] SEI, p. 183.
[263] Speyer, Erzählungen, pp. 322 f, sees a similarity between these verses
and Homily 19 of Aphrahat or in Opp., I, 440 A sqq. (Ephraem).
[264] Rudolph, Koran, pp. 262 f, n. 10; Ahrens, "Christliches," ZDMG, 84
(1930), pp. 177 f. Of the Ten Commandments I, II, V (all in 17:23), VI
(17:35) and VII (17:34) or variations are given; cf. Ex. 20:1f and Dt. 5:6f.
For other Biblical references, see Appendix F, p. 411.
[265] This passage is also mentioned in some of the Sira traditions on the
Satanic inspiration; Ibn Sa`d, Classes, vol. 1, 1, p. 238; Tabari, History,
vol. 6, p. 112; Cf. Nöldeke and Schwally, GQ, vol. 1, p. 139.
[266] It is improbable that this verse refers to the Jews of Medina, as some
Muslims claim; Nöldeke and Schwally, GQ, vol. 1, p. 138.
[267] Guillaume, Muhammad, pp. 136 f. Some accounts given in
canonical traditions place this event in Medina instead of Mecca, and have
the Jews ask Muhammad directly; Sahih Bukhari, vol. 1, p. 94; vol. 6, p.
207; vol. 9, pp. 295, 412; Sahih Muslim, vol. 4, p. 1464.
[268] See the comments on Qur'an 18:8f, 82f, below.
[269] See nn. 91 and 92, above. In the Sira tradition found in Guillaume,
Muhammad, p. 255, Jewish rabbis ask Muhammad about "the spirit," and
Muhammad answers that "the spirit" is Gabriel, who comes to him.