Muhammad, the Qur'an and Islam
praying the ritual prayers together rather early on, and al^47 most all of the
Sira accounts report that three years after Muhammad had his first
revelation, he received the command to preach publicly in Qur'an 15:94 and
26:214.^48
Some traditions then show that Qur'an 111Qur'an 111Qur'an 111Qur'an 111 was revealed after Muhammad's
uncle Abu Lahab (Abd al-Uzza) ridiculed Muhammad's message.^49
Interestingly enough, both Islamic and Western sura orderings have Qur'an
111 appear very early, whereas the suras 15 and 26 are generally placed
about 50 positions later. Indeed, the texts of Qur'an 15:94 a^50 nd 26:214 do
not necessarily imply that Muhammad only then began to preach openly,
and the definitely earlier suras 102 and 92, for example, imply that
Muhammad was preaching to others at that point in time.
Another Islamic Sira tradition associates Qur'an 111 with the boycott
against the Hashimites, and some Western scholars even thin^51 k this sura
was revealed after the death of Abu Talib.^52
The suras 106, 108suras 106, 108suras 106, 108suras 106, 108 and 105^53105105 105 appear to be based on mainly Arabian
sources. Muhammad held to the supremacy of his tribe the Quraysh
(106:1), retained the cult of the Ka`ba (106:3) with pagan sac^54 rifice (108:2)
and used a legendary narration of Abraha's unsuccessful attack on Mecca as
an example of God's punishment (105).
The texts of the suras 104, 107suras 104, 107suras 104, 107suras 104, 107 and 102 102102 102, however, reveal the influence of
Christianity. The similarities between 104:2-4 and Luke 12:16-20 together
with that of Qur'an 107:4f and Matthew 6:5 are more than coincidental, the
notion of a burning Hell (104:4-6; also 111) and Judgment (107:1) are
Biblical ideas, and definitely not pagan Arab. The condemna^55 tion of the
covetous (102:1f) seems to follow a hymn of the Syrian Church.^56
Already in these few suras a pattern of preaching can be seen, which is not
only reminiscent of Christian sermons to pagans, but whic^57 h was to
influence the structure of Muhammad's message. At this stage Muhammad