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Parallels Between the Qur'an and Late Antique Judeo-Christian Literature: Difference between revisions
Parallels Between the Qur'an and Late Antique Judeo-Christian Literature (view source)
Revision as of 00:34, 7 August 2021
, 7 August 2021→Corruption of the Previous Scriptures
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The charge of a scheme to corrupt the Christian and Jewish scriptures in just such a way as to render the Qur'an seemingly inaccurate would have required a conspiracy of hundreds of different individuals working across immense distances of time and space in different linguistic and religious traditions; it can be dismissed prima facia as a groundless conspiracy theory. | The charge of a scheme to corrupt the Christian and Jewish scriptures in just such a way as to render the Qur'an seemingly inaccurate would have required a conspiracy of hundreds of different individuals working across immense distances of time and space in different linguistic and religious traditions; it can be dismissed prima facia as a groundless conspiracy theory. | ||
The parallelism however, between the Qur'an and the Judeo-Christian scriptures is undeniable. Many parallelisms have been mentioned in this article;others such as the [[Seven Sleepers of Ephesus in the Quran|seven sleepers in the cave]] {{Quran|18|8-26}} (as per the seven sleepers of Ephesus); the story of the angels Harut and Marut {{Quran|2|102}} (as per Midrash Yalkut chapter 44 with the angels Shamhazai and Azael: for further details, click [http://www.truthnet.org/islam/src-chp3.htm here]); and God holding Mt Sinai over the Israelites {{Quran|7|171}} (as per the second century Jewish apocrypha Abodah Sarah) are not yet covered. | The parallelism however, between the Qur'an and the Judeo-Christian scriptures is undeniable. Many parallelisms have been mentioned in this article; others such as the [[Seven Sleepers of Ephesus in the Quran|seven sleepers in the cave]] {{Quran|18|8-26}} (as per the seven sleepers of Ephesus); the story of the angels Harut and Marut {{Quran|2|102}} (as per Midrash Yalkut chapter 44 with the angels Shamhazai and Azael: for further details, click [http://www.truthnet.org/islam/src-chp3.htm here]); and God holding Mt Sinai over the Israelites {{Quran|7|171}} (as per the second century Jewish apocrypha Abodah Sarah) are not yet covered. | ||
Robert Morey has also listed some other interesting parallelisms (for further details, click [http://www.bible.ca/islam/islam-koran-fairy-tales-dr-morey.htm here.]) | Robert Morey has also listed some other interesting parallelisms (for further details, click [http://www.bible.ca/islam/islam-koran-fairy-tales-dr-morey.htm here.]) | ||
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These parallelisms are either apocryphal, heretical, commentaries by religious figures, or mere folk tales. Or, in the case of the Trinity, a clear misunderstanding of Christian doctrine. | These parallelisms are either apocryphal, heretical, commentaries by religious figures, or mere folk tales. Or, in the case of the Trinity, a clear misunderstanding of Christian doctrine. | ||
Now, one must stress that the charge is not that the Qur'an copied from previous scripture, but that it incorporated stories which were overheard from other people. | Now, one must stress that the charge is not that the Qur'an copied from previous scripture, but that it incorporated stories which were overheard from other people. The Muslim tradition itself mentions a Christian slave in {{Bukhari|4|56|814}}, whom Ibn Ishaq named as Jabr, who may have been the origin of {{Quran|16|101-104}} . Waqidi names this Christian as Ibn Qumta. Ibn Ishaq also recounts the story of how three Christians, Abu Haritha Ibn `Alqama, Al-`Aqib `Abdul-Masih and Al-Ayham al-Sa`id, spoke to Muhammad regarding such Christian subjects as the Trinity, Jesus speaking in infancy, and Jesus animating clay birds. Ibn Ishaq also claimed that as a result of these discussions, the Qur'an was revealed addressing all these arguments – perhaps indicating that Muhammad incorporated Judeo-Christian tales he had heard from other people. | ||
As such, the | As such, just on the basis of evidence in the Islamic tradition itself, the parallelisms between the Qur'an and Judeao-Christian seem to stem not from divine revelation, but from mundane religious contact. | ||
==Talking Baby Jesus== | ==Talking Baby Jesus== | ||