Muhammad, the Qur'an and Islam
Aside from the association of Abraham and Ishmael with the Kaba (2:118f) and other problems, the laws of the red heifer were confused with the law of the heifer which was to have its neck broken for someone murdered by an unknown (2:63f), the return of the ark of the covenant was to confirm Saul's kingship (2:249), Saul was obviously confused with Gideon (2:250), andImran (Amram) was evidently thought to have been
the father of Moses and Mary, the mother of Jesus (3:30f).
Doctrinally, quite a few contradictions can also be found in the suras of this
section. Qur'an 2:285 claims in essence that God made all prophets equal,
but 17:57 shows that some were made higher than others; 14:38 depicts
Abraham as praying for himself and his sons to be turned away from idols,
whereas 16:121 claims that Abraham was not an idolater; in 3:48 God is
reported to have said He would let Jesus die, but 4:156 implies that He did
not; 3:79 shows that those who desire another religion other than Islam will
be lost, but 2:59 (and 5:73) show that some Jews and Christians also will
have nothing to fear or be sad about; 8:9 maintains that 1000 angels helped
the Muslims at Badr, whereas 3:119f claim that 3000 assisted them there.
Another inconsistency can be found in the anti-Jewish story about the
children of Israel entering a city in which they were commanded to say the
word "forgiveness" (2:55; cf. 7:161). Another version of this account,
however, claims that the children of Israel were instead commanded not to
violate the Sabbath on this occasion (4:153).
The suras of this period indicate that Muhammad had come to realize that
Ishmael was Abraham's son (2:119f), and the terms for "the Messiah"
(3:40; etc.), Torah and Gospel (3:43; etc.), and the names for Gabriel and
Michael (2:91f) appear to have been used for the first time.