Muhammad, the Qur'an and Islam
are reported to have converted to Islam, the vast majority wer^238 e no doubt
disinclined to accept either Muhammad as God's messenger, or the Qur'an
as God's Word. Nevertheless, Muhammad's first open disagreement with
the Jews appears to have been over their dietary laws. In Qur'an 10:60
Muhammad rhetorically asks the Jews if God had not allowed them to eat
everything He had provided, and implies that the Jews imposed the dietary
restrictions on themselves (the implied accusation of their inventing a lie
against God is mentioned in 10:61). For their part, the Jews could show that
the dietary laws were found in the "Book" of Moses, and even some Qur'an
passages indicate that Muhammad had seen copies of the Torah on
parchment (cf. 6:7, 91). Although Muhammad seems to have adopted some
of the Jewish dietary regulations (cf. 6:146), he definitely must have
rejected others. Nevertheless, after the Qur'an was said to^239 have confirmed
previous scriptures, which were also sent down by God, Muhammad's
options for justifying this rejection were limited. By way of a story
unknown of from other sources, Qur'an 7:160-162 (cf. 2:55f) accuses the
unrighteous among the Jews for having substituted God's word for another,
and seems to imply that the dietary laws were a punishment on the Jews.^240
In Qur'an 6:147 a generalization of the Judaic dietary regulations is said to
have been a punishment, and the Jewish reaction to all of this can be
surmised from Qur'an 6:148, which anticipates that Muhammad will be
accused of lying.
Qur'an 13Qur'an 13Qur'an 13Qur'an 13 begins with mysterious letters, which are said to be the signs of
"the Book." The vv. 2f describe God as the Provider in creation, and the
vv. 5f mention the rejection of the doctrine of Resurrection and speak of
unbelievers. The v. 8 reiterates the request for miracles, the vv. 9f describe
God's knowledge of the hidden, and the vv. 13f repeat discussions with
unbelievers. The vv. 20-26 are thought by some to have been later
revisions, since they speak of those who keep God's covenant^241 (vv. 20f),
and those who break God's covenant (vv. 25f). The vv. 27f repeat the
requests for miracles, and the vv. 29f show the apparently Meccan rejection
of the term "al-Rahman" (the Compassionate) for Allah. The vv. 31f state
that the Judgment will come, and the vv. 33f speak of unbelievers and the
God-fearing. The v. 36 shows the partial rejection of the Qur'an by some