Muhammad: The Hijracontinues in vv. 38f. The alleged revelation given to Noah (v. 38), was
more probably a reason for Muhammad to leave Mecca, but the idea of
Noah being ridiculed as he built the ark seems to have been Jewish, as^89
well as the notion that the waters of the flood were warm (v. 42). The^90
origin of the anomaly that one of Noah's sons drowned in the flood is
uncertain (vv. 44f), and it appears that Muhammad meant to loc^91 alize the
final resting place of the ark to Arabia in v. 46. The narrativ^92 e about Hud
(vv. 52f) presents him as not only not asking for a wage (v. 53), similar to
Noah (cf. v. 31), but also has Hud call his people to be Monotheists, repent
and to ask for forgiveness (vv. 52, 54), as the character Salih does (v. 64) in
the narrative about him (vv. 64f). The vv. 72f give a narrative a^93 bout
Abraham, in which Isaac and Jacob were said to have been proclaimed to
his wife, and no mention is made of Ishmael. The vv. 79f tell of Lo^94 t as the
angels came to him, and in general, this version of the narrative, although
not flawless, appears to follow the Biblical accounts bett^95 er than previous
ones (cf. 54:33f; 37:133f; 26:160f; 15:61f). A narrative about Shuayb, who is now said to have been from Madyan, is told in the vv. 85f, and h^96 e also calls his people to be Monotheists (v. 85), request forgiveness and repent (v. 92). Shuayb's preaching style is based on Muhammad's own (cf.
vv. 86, 89f), and the replies of the people were no doubt the same as the
Meccans' to Muhammad (v. 93). The vv. 99f briefly mention Moses and
Pharaoh. In general, the narratives of this sura represent an improvement
over those of Qur'an 26, as even their chronology has been "corrected." In^97
the vv. 112f the themes of the example punishments of previous peoples
and the Judgment are interrupted by the statement that the Book given to
Moses is disputed over (v. 112), and a listing of three prayer times (v. 116),
in which the night vigil has become another time for prayer.^98
Sura 14Sura 14Sura 14Sura 14 begins with mysterious letters and mentions that (the) "Book" has
been sent down. The vv. 2f speak of God's judgments, and v. 4 describes
the Qur'an doctrine of predestination. The vv. 5f speak of Moses, and
Muhammad (cf. v. 1) is compared with Moses (v. 5) as bringing the people
"from the darkness(es) into the light," which phrase is actually based on
something which was told the apostle Paul (cf. Acts 26:18). The v. 9
alludes to Noah, the `Ad and the Thamud, the vv. 10f generally concern the
messengers and the peoples to whom they were sent, and v. 16 reiterates the
notion that the various peoples tried to drive their messengers from the
land, but that the latter will dispossess the former (of the^99 ir land). The^100
vv. 18f tell about the Judgment, and the vv. 29f give both the gist of Ps. 1:3
and its converse. The vv. 33f speak of apostates from Islam, v. 36^101 states