JUDAISM and the KORAN

By

the

Same Author

TOLDOT HA-YAHASUT SHEL EINSTEIN

HEBREW

IN AMERICAN HIGHER EDUCATION

HEBRAIC CONTRIBUTIONS TO AMERICAN LIFE

HEBREW LANGUAGE, LITERATURE AND CULTURE

IN AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS

OF HIGHER LEARNING

HEBRAIC FOUNDATIONS
OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

NACHMAN KROCHMAL
AND THE GERMAN IDEALISTS
GINZEI RUSSIYAH

MIDRASH DAVID HA-NAGID

i*

r>w V

fArU.

~.

V-^'f ov

4
.,

U{^x

The Opening
(Al-Fdtifyah)

JUDAISM and the KORAN

BIBLICAL AND TALMVDIC BACKGROUNDS

OF THE KORAN AND ITS COMMENTARIES

ABRAHAM

I.

KATSH

DIRECTOR
INSTITUTE OF HEBREW STUDIES
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

A PERPETUA BOOK

A.

S.

BARNES AND COMPANY,

NEW YORK

INC.

1954, 1962,

BY ABRAHAM

PERPETUA EDITION

I.

KATSH

1962

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

TO MY WIFE
ESTELLE
AND OUR CHILDREN
ETHAN, SALEM AND ROCHELL;
nana

'tf

6403050

CONTENTS

page
Preface

Foreword by Solomon L. Skoss

Introduction

Analysis of Verses in Sura II

Analysis of Verses in Sura III

189

List of Abbreviations

225

Transliteration of Arabic Letters

228

Transliteration of

Hebrew

Letters

228
229

Bibliography

INDICES

Koranic

247

Biblical

249

Targumim

251

Rabbinic

252

Mishnah, Tosefta, Talmud Yerushalmi, Talmud

Babli, Midrashim, Other Works

Authors

257

General

260

PREFACE

This book grew out of a doctoral dissertation submitted in 1943 to

the Dropsie College for Hebrew and Cognate Learning. In the intervening years the incorporation of a large amount of source material
has resulted in what is to all intents a new work. The original comparative study dealt, on the Moslem side, only with the Koran, whereas the present greatly expanded treatment also encompasses the work
of

Moslem commentators and

I

wish to express

Professor

my

exegetes*
gratitude to

my

late teacher

Solomon L. Skoss, who guided me during

and

my

friend,

years at

Dropsie College. His critical evaluations, scholarly suggestions, and

above all his kindness and personal interest were of inestimable value
to me. Professor Skoss prepared the Foreword to this volume only a
a tragic loss not only to me
short time before his sudden death
personally, but to scholarship as well. A great teacher and scholar,
he was greater still as a human being.
I am also grateful to President A. A. Neuman and Professor
Zeitlin of Dropsie College, and Professor Philip K. Hitti of
have been inspiring teachers and
Princeton University, ail of

Solomon

whom

true friends.
It is

a pleasure to acknowledge

my

indebtedness to Drs.

M. M.

Bravmann, David Rudavsky, Moshe Zucker and Mr. Jacob Moshief

for reading the page proofs of Judaism in Islam and offering valuable
criticism and constructive suggestions. Mr. Moshief was extremely
helpful to me in verifying Arabic sources and in the preparation of
Mr.
the indices. To them and to the staff of Maurice Jacobs, Inc.
David Skaraton and Drs. Samuel Kurland and Menahem G. Glenn
my heartfelt thanks for their unfailing co-operation and painstaking
efforts. From the New York University Press and its editors, Mr,
Fillmore Hyde, Mr. Allan Angoff, and Mr. Wilson Follett, from Mr
Edward H. Bloch and Mr. Solomon Kerstein of the Bloch Publishing
Company, now celebrating its centennial year, and from Dr. Maurice
Jacobs, I have had every kind of inspiring encouragement.

PREFACE
For the

let me thank the Dropsie

and
its
College Library
Librarian, Dr. Joseph Reider; the Library of
Congress and particularly Dr. Lawrence Marwick, Chief of its Hebraic

many courtesies

have received,

Section; the Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary; the Oriental

Section of the New York Public Library; and the New York

University

Library of Judaica and Hebraica.

My everlasting gratitude goes

to

my

wife for her tireless labor in

preparing the manuscript for publication. The dedication of this

book to her and to our children is but a small expression of
my appreciation for their devotion, patience, and infinite forbearance.
The publication of this volume has been materially assisted by
the generosity of Mr. William Rosenthal, a friend and
supporter of
of
Mr.
Louis
M.
Jewish scholarship,
Rabinowitz, eminent patron and
benefactor of Hebrew letters, and of Mr. Harry Starr, President of
the Lucius Littauer Foundation.

shall

always be grateful

for their

and keen appreciation of scholarship.

assistance, vision,
April, 1954

A.

I.

K.

PREFACE TO THIS EDITION

Scholarly and popular interest here and abroad to my original study of
Judaism in Islam are still mounting. In addition to the English edition

which was published by the New York University Press in 1954 there
appeared also a revised edition in Hebrew, published by Kiryat Sefer in
Jerusalem in 1957.
I

am

grateful to

Thomas

Yoseloff for publishing this volume in an

inexpensive edition, thus making it possible for students and laymen to
further their studies in this field.

ABRAHAM
March, 1962

I.

KATSH

FOREWORD

indeed a pleasure to write a few words in preface to the book

Judaism in Islam, by my friend and former student, Professor
It is

Abraham I. Katsh.
Even a cursory

reading of the Koran, the Bible of Mohammedan

stories and episodes
religion, reveals frequent references to various
from the Old Testament, occasionally embellished by familiar Jewish
legends and later customs. However, it exhibits at times such discrepancies and confusion in handling and presenting this material that
it is often difficult to trace the various channels through which

Mohammed

obtained his information.

works have been written on the Jewish background of various topics in the Koran. But Professor Katsh's study
undertakes to present a clear picture of Mohammed's indebtedness to
Judaism, a picture which could not be obtained from previous sporadic

number

of general

topical studies or general discussions.

the most important

presents a verse by verse study of two of
in the Old Testament,
chapters of the Koran, tracing its background
rabbinic lore and Jewish legends. He likewise traces the various

He

Koranic allusions and metaphorical expressions which

may have some

for every serious

Jewish background. Its significance, therefore,
student of the Koran, and of the origin of Islamic religion, is quite
obvious. This book will be of much interest to scholars pursuing
Koranic and Islamic studies, and its publication will be deeply

appreciated by them.

SOLOMON

L.

SKOSS

Professor of Arabic, Dropsie College

May

10,

1952

INTRODUCTION
Nature of Study

Ever

since

Abraham Geiger wrote

his book,

dem Judenthume aufgenommen?",

"Was

hat

Mohammed

a number of scholars have

tried to corroborate his view that Islam owes a tremendous debt to
Hebraic writings and traditions. "The Koran/ according to R. B.

aus

Smith, "teems with ideas, allusions, and even phraseology, drawn not
so much from the written as from the oral Jewish law, from the tra-

grew round

ditions that

Talmud)

the meeting

is

and the commentaries on

...

It (the
point of the three Monotheistic creeds of the
it,

it

world; and, even with the imperfect information that the Eastern
scholars have given respecting it, it has done much to throw light upon
them all. Mohammed was never backward to acknowledge the
intimate connection between his faith and that of the Jews. And in
more than one passage of the Koran he refers with equal respect to
their oral

and to

their written law. Ma

On the other hand, there are scholars like Brockelmann, who claim
that Muhammad's "acquaintanceship with biblical material was, to
be sure, extremely superficial and rich in errors. He may have owed
some of its (Koranic)
Haggadah, but more
1

Abraham

Geiger,

characteristics to the Jewish legends of the

to the Christian teachers who, in addition,

Was

Mohammed

hat

aus dem Judenthume aufgenommen?

Bonn, 1833; translated into English by F. M. Young under the name Judaism
and Islam, Madras, 1898. The references here will be to the German original
(Leipzig, 1902 edition) unless otherwise indicated.

Nachrichten

iiber

ZDMG, LXX

Arabien,"

Mohammedanische Tradition
in Arabien zur Zeit

(1916), pp. 325-53;

das J&ngste Gericht, Berlin,

iiber

Mohammeds,

Cf. S. Krauss,

Berlin, 1910;

M. Maas,

"Talmudische

Rudolph Leszynsky,
1909, also Die Juden

und Koran,

Bibel

Leipzig,

1893.
a

Mohammed and Mohammedanism, London,

R. B. Smith,

1889, p.

146;

cf,

Julian Obermann, "Islamic Origins," The Arab Heritage, ed. N. A. Paris, Princeton,
1944, pp. 58-120;

I.

Gastfreund,

Mohammed nach Talmud und

Midrasch, Berlin,

1875; J. Earth, Midraschische Elemente, Berlin, 1903 and Studien zur Kritik

Exegese des Qorans, Strassburg, 1915;

Heinrich Speyer,

"Von den

Berlin, (1923-24), pp. 7-26;

Leiden, 1893;

I.

J. J. Rivlin, Gesetz

biblischen Erzahlungen

und

im Koran, Jerusalem, 1934*

im Koran,

"

KorrespondtnzUaU,

M. Griinbaum, NeueBettr&ge zur semitischen Sagenkunde,

Ben-Zeeb, Hayehudim Ba'arab, Tel-Aviv, 1931.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

acquainted him with the Gospel of the Infancy, the legend of the Seven
Sleepers, the saga of Alexander, and the other recurrent themes of
medieval world literature." 3

The same opinion is maintained by Wellhausen 4 and H. P. Smith, 5

who feel that "the impulse came from Christianity." However, no
conclusive research has been done thus far to determine how much of
Jewish and how much of Christian tradition went into the making of
Islam.

The

lack of unanimity among these scholars is due primarily to

the character of the literature with which they deal.
Though Mufcammad never disclosed the sources of his information, the Koran
suggests that he obtained much of his knowledge from both Jew-

and Christian

ish

"With Judaism," writes Torrey, "on

the contrary, his acquaintance is intimate and many-sided. He
learned his lessons well; and when a thorough-going comparison is
made of the Koranic material, of all sorts, with the standard HebrewJewish writings then current, we must say with emphasis that his
authorities, whoever they were, were men well versed in the Bible, in
the oral law, and the haggada." 6
scholars.

Carl Brockelmann, History of the Islamic Peoples, London, 1950, pp. 16-17;

K. Ahrens, "Christliches im Koran," ZDMG, LX (1930), pp. 15-16, 148-90;

C. H. Becker, Ckristentum ud Islam, Leipzig, 1907. Also, Islamstudien, 2 vols.,

cf.

Leipzig, 1924-32.

Muhammed denselben durch jtidische Vermittlung

wenngleich man dessen eingedenk bleiben muss, dass

"Es'ist wahrscheinlich, dass

zugeftihrt

bekommen

hat,

derselbe Sagenstoff auch bei den orientalischen Christen

dass die Haggada ihre Quelle grossenteils in

im Umlauf war, und

apokryphen Schriften hatte, die wenn

we auch

seit

jtidischen Ursprungs,

waren doch

dem

zweiten Jahrhundert immer

ausschliesslicher in christlichen Besitz tibergingen." J. Wellhausen, Reste arabischen

Heidentums, Berlin, 1897,

of Islam,

New

York, 1933,

p. 205,

quoted in Ch. C. Torrey, The Jewish Foundation

p. 66.

Cf.

Christentum, Uppsala, 1926; also,

Tor Andrae, Der Ursprung des Islams und das

Die Person Muhammeds in Lehre und Glauben

seiner Cemeinde, Stockholm, 1918.

H. P. Smith, The Bible and Islam, New York, 1897, p. 315; cf. R. Bell, The
Origin of Islam in its Christian Environment, London, 1926; E. Fritsch, Islam und
*

Christenthum

im

Mittelalter,

Breslau,

1930; Axel Moberg,

fiber eine

Christliche

Legende in der Islamischen Tradition, Lund, 1930; D. L. O'Leary, Arabia Before

Muhammad, London,

1927;

H. Lammens, L'Arabie Occidentale avant

I'htgire,

Beyrouth, 1928.
Torrey, op.
in the

Koran,"

eit. t

p. 61; cf. J. Horovitz,

HUCA,

Names and Derivatives

Abraham I. Katsh, "Li-She'elat

"Jewish Proper

Vol. II, 1925, pp. 145-227;

INTRODUCTION

The

who have

written on the subject of Jewish influence

on the Koran have dealt with this theme from a general point of
view. They either discussed whole narratives or dealt with religious
scholars

terms or Aggadic stories common to Islam and Judaism.

In this volume the author treats the subject by means of a verse by
verse study of the Koran and at the same time utilizes the Moslem
commentators and traditionalists, Zamakhshari, 7 Baicjawi, 8 BukhSri 9

and TabarL 10 'The Koran, 11 correctly writes von Grunebaum, "is

not the book as Mohammed revealed it. In fact, he never revealed a
book; he revealed short visions, injunctions, parables, fables, or
doctrinal discourses/ " Our approach, therefore, is to relate, wher1

ever possible, Muhammad's single utterances to their rabbinic sources.

The study does not deal, however, with the detailed theological and
philosophical doctrines of the two religions. For this study Suras two
and three" were chosen as the most representative in the Koran. xs

Sura two, entitled al-Baqarah, and described as the "Koran in

miniature," is a summary of all the essential points of the RevelaFurthermore, it tells of
tion, which are elaborated elsewhere. 14
Hashpa'at ha-Talmud 'al ha-Ioran," Hatefrufah, New York, Vols. XXXIV-XXXV,
1950, pp. 834-38; H. Hirschfeld, New Researches into the Composition and Exegesis
of the Qoran, London, 1902; Jiidische Elemente

zur Erkldrung des Rordn, Leipzig, 1886;

im

I.

im Koran,

Berlin, 1878;

and Beitr&ge

Schapiro, Die haggadischen Elemente

erzdhlenden Teil des Korans, Leipzig, 1907.

7

The

Zamakhshari,

Kashshaf 'an Ilaqaiq

alrTanzit

(ed.

Lees),

vols.,

Calcutta, 1856.
I

Baujawi, Tafslr (ed. Ministry of Interior), 2

Abou Abdallah Mohammed

MahomStanes (Krehl
10

Mubammad

Cairo, 1331
II

ed.),

vols., Cairo,

1355 A.H.

ibn Ismail al-Bukhirt, Recuett des Traditions

Leyde, 1862-1908.

ibn-Jarir al-Tabari, Jami'u'l-Bay&n fl Tafslru'l-Qur'&n, 30 vols.,

A.H.

G. von Grunebaum, Medieval Islam, Chicago, 1946,

AnwHru-l-Tanztl, Lipsiae (ed. Vogel), 1848, p. 552: "we sent

cf.

BaitfSwi,

down

gradually

80;

p.
it

piece by piece," 25:32; and compare with B. Git. 60a.

M
According to Bukhari, Muhammad once remarked: "whoever reads the

two verses

of the chapter entitled

Baqarah on any night, they are

him." M. M. AH, The Holy Qur-an, Lahore, 1935, p. xlvi;

The Meaning of the Glorious Koran, London, 1930, p. 23.
**

is

Sura

I,

sufficient for

Marraaduke

Pickthall,

as Al-F&tibah (the Opening), consists of seven verses only, and

used by every Moslem at least thirty-two times a day.

References to other verses in the Koran are frequently cited when they are

essentially
14

known

cf.

last

a prayer.

related to this study.

It is

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

Muhammad's

experiences with Jews, his discussions with

find

more

them and

them

of his greatness. One is apt, therefore, to

of rabbinic background in this Sura than in any other.

his efforts to convince

Sura three complements Sura two and contains a number of references

to the Jews and Christians. However, less of the Hebraic background
is evidenced there.
It is the hope of the author to publish other
Suras by this method in the future.
Our study reveals that Muhammad (570-632 C. E.) borrowed
extensively from Jewish sources. He was fully aware of the importance
of the Jewish religion and leaned heavily upon it. He used all sources,
the Bible, the Talmud, as well as the Apocrypha. The Christian
tradition, too, was an invaluable material for the development of his

new

structure. rs

Early Stages of Islam

According to the Koran, Muhammad alone possessed a true understanding of God. He stated that he did not come to abrogate the Old
and New Testaments, but rather to fulfill the spirit and the letter of
the Book. He maintained that Abraham was neither a Jew nor a
Christian, but the true expounder of ethical monotheism, and that the

Koran, as revealed to him by Allah through the angel Gabriel, embodied the true revelation which the Jews and the Christians had
Tracing his genealogy to Abraham through his son
Ishmael, Muhammad claimed to be the rightful heir to Abraham's

failed to follow.

16
high rank.

was Muhammad's contention that God could not have omitted

the Arabs from the revelations with which He had favored the Jews
and the Christians. Though he denied the divinity of Jesus, he
It

'

A. Sprenger,

Mohammed und

"Mahomet

fut-il sincere,"

New York,

1911, pp. 72-74;

RSR,

der Koran,

Hamburg, 1889; H. Lammens

1911, p. 22; D. B. Macdonald, Aspects of Islam,

Tor Andrae, Muhammad: The

Man and His

Faith,

New

York, 1936, pp. 63-70; N6ldeke-Schwally, Geschichte des Qordns, Leipzig, 1909, Vol.
pp. 4-6;

W.

C. Klein

Al-Ib&nah 'an us&l ad-Diyanah, New Haven, 1940,

Vol. II (1925), pp. 145 f.; D. S. Margoliouth, "Old and

(tr.),

p. 13; J. Horovitz,

HUCA,

New Testament

Muhammedanism,"

in

I,

ERE # IX,

einer Darstettung der Christologie des Koran,

pp. 482

f.;

C. F. Gerock, Versuch

Hamburg, 1839; John Walker,

Bible

Characters in the Koran, Paisley, 1931.

**

William Thomson,

XXXIX,

"Muhammad: His

|2 (1944), pp. 96-137.

Life

and Person," The Moslem World,

INTRODUCTION
accepted the Nazarene as the last of the Hebrew prophets. Himself he
considered the Messenger of God and "the Seal of all the Prophets."
He accused the Jews of deleting from the Bible predictions of his
advent. At the same time, however, he accepted most of the narratives
of the Bible.
Mubammad never intended to establish Islam as a new religion.
He considered himself the rightful custodian of the Book sent by Allah
to "confirm" the Scriptures. It is for this reason that in the beginning
he saw no difference between Judaism and Christianity and believed
that both Jews and Christians would welcome him. It is only later,

from either of them,

that he presented Islam as a new faith. He accepted whatever of their
traditions that came within the purview of his plan, making such
changes as he saw fit. This accounts for the seeming discrepancies
between the stories of the Bible and the Koranic version of the same
narratives. However, in relating the Koranic version of the biblical
story to the Aggadic source as indicated in our study, the discrepancies

when he

realized that he could never gain support

almost entirely disappear. For, astonishingly enough, the biblical

narratives are reproduced in the Koran in true Aggadic cloak.
At the time of Mubammad's appearance, a great number of Jews

made

their

centuries.

home in Arabia, where, indeed, they had lived for many

The Hebrew Bible contains a number of references to the

close relationship

between Arabs and Jews. 17

Arabic sources abound in incidents attesting to the friendly relations between the Jews and the Arabs in the pre-Islamic period
li

"Commercial

relations

on a

large scale between Palestine

and Arabia certainly

go back to the days of Solomon; and many books of the Old Testament, particularly
Job and Proverbs, which are strongly marked by the presence of Arabic words,

show that the connexion was steadily maintained." Alfred Guillaume, "The Influence
of Judaism on Islam" in the Legacy of Israel, edited by Bevan and Singer, Oxford,
1928, p.

About the exalted Jewish poet al-Samaw'al

132.

period see R. A. Nicholson,

pp. 84

f.;

W.

J.

Hirschberg,

in

the pre-Islamic

Literary History of the Arabs, Cambridge, 1941,

Yisrael Ba'arab, Tel Aviv, 1946, pp. 245-69:

"We

Arab Jews possibly exercised a certain indirect influence

on the construction of the Talmud. Some paragraphs in the Mishnah refer
for them to live
exclusively to the Jews of the Peninsula. It was considered lawful
in Bedouin tents, and their women were permitted to go out on Sabbath wearing
a veil. The Talmud also alludes to the custom of circumcision among Arabs and

may

gather

that the

twice mentions Arab foot-gear." Hirschfeld, op.

Vida,

"A

pp. 53-72.

proposito

di

cit. t

p. 104; see also

as-Samaw'al" in Rivista degli Stvdi

G. Levi Delia

Orientali,

XIII,

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

part of the Arabian peninsula, known
as Yemen, was generally considered a Jewish state. The last Himyar
fell in battle in 525 C.E."
king, Dhu Nuwas, who converted to Judaism,
of Yemen wrought a tremendous change in the religious life of
The
(J&hiftydh).**

The southwestern

Jews

the Arab people, hundreds of years before the advent of Muhammad.

It is likely that had Islam not appeared, the Jews and the Christians

would have absorbed all Arabia into their faiths.

The Arab tribes in the Jahillyah period who had accepted Judaism
followed Jewish practices extensively. Jewish customs and traditions
were known to and practiced by many Arabs, and Muhammad who
knew many of these laws and customs incorporated a considerable
10
number of them into his religious teachings.

The Koran
Like the Torah in Judaism, the Koran" is considered the fountainhead of all knowledge dealing with human life. Furthermore, the

and
arrangement of the Suras, the nomenclature for the new religion,
the pillars of Islam seem to have Jewish backgrounds. The term
Koran is probably derived from the Hebrew and, like the Bible, it is
18

"Whole

seem to have gone over to Judaism and accepted monotheism

tribes

Muhammad,"

before the rise of

Guillaume,

Mohantmed and Mohammedanism, London,

TV Mekka, Leipzig, 1864, pp. 15

ibid., p.

1889, p.

154;

cf.

D.

S.

Margoliouth,

36; R. Dozy, Die

Israeliten

f.

"Tabari, Annales, 1885-93, Vol. I (ed. M. J. de Goeje), Leiden, pp. 901-3;

D. S. Margoliouth, The Relations between Arabs and Israelites prior to the Rise of
der Juden in Arabien"
Islam, London, 1924, pp. 65 f.; Th. N6ldeke, "Die Geschichte
in Beitrdge zur Kenntniss der Poesie der Alien Araber,

Hannover, 1864, pp. 192

f.;

Use Lichtenstadter, "Some References to Jews in Pre-Islamic Arabic Literature,"

Arabic Relations in Pre(1940), pp. 187 f.; J. Horovitz, "JudaeoPAAJR, Vol.

Islamic Times," Islamic Culture, Vol. Ill (1929), pp. 161-99.

*J.

"A

Finkel,

Israelitish

RisSla of

JAOS (1927), pp. 326-28 and

PAAJR, Vol. II (1931), pp. 7-21.

al-JShiz,"

Tradition in the Koran,"

"Old
Also,

on Arabia" in D, B. Macdonald
"Jewish, Christian and Samaritan Influences
Presentation Volume, Princeton, 1933, pp. 147-66; C. C. Torrey, op. tit., pp. 42-45;
A. Sprenger, Das Leben und die Lehre des Mohammed, Berlin, 1869, Vol. I, pp. 54-57;
Guatav Weil, The Bible, the Koran and the Talmud, New York, 1846, also Biblische
Leben Mohammeds nach MohamLegenden der Muselmanner, Leipzig, 1886, and Das

med

ibn Ishaq
I.

Goldziher,

Stuttgart, 1864, Vol.

Muhammedanische

I,

p. 143.

Studien, Halle, 1899, Vol. II, pp. 40-45.

INTRODUCTION

known

'The Book/

as

The

follows similar divisions of

Koran into 114 Suras

the Hebrew Scriptures. The veneration of
division of the

the Koran by the Moslems, as well as the practice of reading it at

Friday Assemblies and other religious holidays, follows the Hebrew
pattern.

Fundamental Tenets of Islam

on Iman (religious belief) and Din (religion or
practice). Iman involves six major principles, i. e. belief (a) in God,
(b) in His angels,
(d) in the prophets,
(c) in His "scriptures,"
(e) in the Last Day and
(f) in predetermination of good and evil.
Islam

The

is

built

religious duties of the

Moslem

center upon five canonical obligations: the shahddah, or the affirmation that there is no God but
Allah and that Muhammad is His messenger; the observance of

prayer; the

and fasting

payment of zakah
in Ramadan. 22

(legal alms); the

pilgrimage to Mecca;

The canonical obligations or the pillars of Islam as well as a great

number of names or narratives in the Koran have their biblical and
Aggadic counterparts. Adam, Noah, Abraham are mentioned 70
times each; Ishmael, Lot, Joseph, Saul, David, Solomon, Elijah, Job
and Jonah figure prominently. 23 Moses' name occurs in 34 Suras.
The story of the Creation and the Fall of Adam is cited five times and
the Flood and

Sodom

eight times.

The Unity of God

Like the Jew, the Moslem affirms the unity of God. God is one,
eternal, merciful, compassionate, beneficent, almighty, all-knowing,
just, loving and forgiving. Like Judaism, Islam does not recognize
saints serving as mediators between the individual and his Creator.
In both the Jewish and Moslem religions any learned man of good
character may conduct the prayer service. Like the Jew, the Moslem
believes in the immortality of the soul and in personal accountability
for actions on earth and negates the doctrines of original sin and

And

Jew, the Moslem believes that each individual is to follow a righteous path and secure atonement by improving
his conduct and by sincere repentance.

redemption.

like the

22 cf. Bu. 9 Vol.

I,p.21.
23
Philip K. Hitti, History of the Arabs, 7th ed.,

London,

1960, p. 125.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

Gabriel

Mubammad

God to whom
revealed his will through the angel Gabriel. The latter is of the
same stature in the Koran as the angel Michael in the Bible. Scholars
have been puzzled by Muhammad's selection of Gabriel and have
indicated that in his break with the Jews he probably substituted
Gabriel for Michael. They claim that in Islam Gabriel is considered an
According to Islam,

is

the Apostle of

God

adversary of the Jews and a friend of the Moslems

who

brings

them

prosperity and good tidings. Jewish tradition, however, does not substantiate this view. On the contrary, in numerous instances Gabriel
occupies a position almost similar to that of Michael. 24
To the writer, it appears that the primary reason for designating

Gabriel as the angel of Mubammad 's revelations is to be found in the

role Gabriel played in the lives of the two
outstanding personages in

Judaism, Abraham and Moses. Gabriel is described in rabbinic

literature as having been the guardian angel of Abraham and Moses,
and he is generally more prominent than Michael in the careers of
these great Jewish leaders. Hence, Mubammad selected Gabriel as
the angel of Revelation, because he believed him to be closely associated with Abraham, the "father of Islam," 25 and with Moses, the
exalted of

all

prophets.*

Prayet

Every Moslem

obligated to pray five times daily (at sunrise,

mid-day, mid-afternoon, sunset and at night before retiring). "While
Muhammad and his followers," writes Brockelmann, "prayed twice
is

a day in Mecca, and according to Jewish example three times a day

in Medina, subsequent ritual, under Persian influence, makes five
prayer periods obligatory."* 7 Goldziher in his article on Islam in
the Jewish Encyclopedia, regards the five daily prayers as of Persian
influence. On the other hand, we find the famous rabbinic scholar

Simon Duran (1361-1444)

of Algiers attributing the

Moslem custom

of five prayers to the Jewish practice on Yom Kippur, the Day

of Atonement.
Similarly, Professor Torrey states that in their
to
anxiety
surpass the Jew in devotion, the followers of Mubammad
*

B. Sanh. 44b;

cf.

notes to 2:91.

op.

rit.,

2:125.
2:91.

* Brockelmann,

p. 39.

INTRODUCTION
adopted the

five daily prayers,

by Mohammed.

instituted

service even for one

day

"and

It is

in the

not clear that they were

not like him to ordain si five-fold
it is

week." 28

However, in addition to the sunrise prayer, the mid-day prayer

and the night prayer, which Torrey cites from the Koran, we also
find references to the mid -afternoon prayer in 20:130 and to the
sunset prayer in 11 :116.

Prophet who

Islamic tradition also claims that it was the

told his followers that "Allah has made obligatory upon

them the five prayers every day and night." 2*

It would appear, however, that in regard to
worship, as in so many
other Moslem practices, Islam has followed a Jewish pattern. The
Professor Louis Ginzberg, the eminent authority on Talmud,
claimed that the Arabian Jews actually prayed five times daily; but
this number was reduced to three, by combining two prayers in the
late

morning and two in the evening, in order not to make the burden
upon the congregation too onerous. The five daily prayers were
undoubtedly ordained by Muframmad as a result of this early Jewish
practice of gathering five times daily for prayer. 30
Among the Moslems, the hours of prayer are announced by a
crier (Mu'adhdhiri) from the tower of the mosque. Muhammad was

under the impression that the Jews used the blowing of the horn
(Shofar) for summoning the Jewish people to worship. For the Moslems, however, he ordained that a man sound the call for prayers. This
Moslem practice may be traced to an ancient custom followed in the
Temple in Jerusalem. According to a talmudic passage an appointed
crier used to announce: "Arise, ye priests to your service, ye Levites
to your platforms, and ye Israelites to your stands." 31 The crier's
voice was heard at a distance of three miles.
Muljammad chose Friday to take the place of the Jewish Sabbath
and the Christian Sunday. Now we know that the practice of the
Jews in Arabia was to begin the observance of the Sabbath early on
Friday. It is quite possible that Muhammad took this pattern as a
model for his day of rest, although the notion of a complete day of
rest was alien to him. Though he considered the day of rest as a
*

*
39

Vol.

tit.,

Bu., Vol.

p. 354.

I,

Louis A. Ginzberg,

I,
*z

p. 40.

Torrey, op.

Commentary on the Palestinian Talmud,

New York,

1941,

p. 73.

Georges Vajda, "Jefines Musulmans et jetines

XII-XIII (1937-38), pp. 367-79 and "Juifs et Musulmans selon

Hirschberg, op.

Juifs,"

HUCA,

le ffadit" in

tit.

p. 197; cf.

Journal Asiatique. Paris, 1937.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

burden imposed upon the Jews and the Christians, nevertheless he

followed the Jewish practice of making Friday a day of special
congregational services, including a sermon.

Almsgiving

The

giving of alms

is

another fundamental

pillar of Islam.

The

Koran is studded with verses and aphorisms extolling the importance

of and the reward for the giving of $adaqah (alms) to the poor, the
widow, and the orphan. This doctrine is of Jewish origin.*' The
Bible and the Talmud regard the giving of charity (ZedakaK) as an
act of righteousness and not merely as an act of generosity or philanman is merely the custodian
thropy. All wealth is the Creator's and
who must share it with the less fortunate of God's children.

Ifajj (Pilgrimage)

incumbent upon every Moslem to make a pilgrimage to Mecca

at least once in a lifetime unless he is physically and financially unable
to do so. The idea of the pilgrimage is well known in the Bible, which
It is

make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem three

prescribes that the Israelites
B. C. E.
times a year. After the destruction of the First Temple in 586
when the Jews were no longer able to travel to Jerusalem, the synaout of which the church and the mosque develwas
instituted,

gogue

Like the synagogue, the mosque is a house of worship without

the case of the Moslem
any images or figures. The purpose of prayer in
i. e. self-examination,
is comparable to that in the case of the Jew,
training to be humble, exalting the Almighty, offering thanksgiving
and receiving God's mercy and guidance."

oped.

Ramadan

Mufcammad at first accepted the Day of Atonement as a day

the tenth"), a synonym
fast. It was known as 'Ashura' ("the fast of
to the
for the Jewish Day of Atonement, which falls, according
Hebrew calendar, on the tenth of Tishri. Only later when he turned
the month
his back on Judaism did Mubammad institute the fast of
Moslem lunar
of Ramadan which occurs during the ninth month of the
of

Cf. notes to 2:1-2, 172;

G. Weil, "Oral Tradition

in

Judaism and

132-48.
(Hebrew), Magnes Anniversary Book, Jerusalem, 1938, pp.
2:193.

in

Islam"

INTRODUCTION
However, 'Ashura' has been retained as a voluntary fast and
observed not on the original tenth of Tishri but rather on the tenth
of the Moslem Mufcarram.
Ramadan has been held by scholars to be a Moslem counterpart of
the Christian Lent, but it also resembles the Jewish observance of the
month of 'Elul as a period of Teshubah or penitence. To this day,
pious Jews still keep the forty days from the beginning of 'Elul until
Yom Kippur as a season for fasting and prayer. The rabbinical
year.

explanation for this observance

is

that

it

commemorates the

forty

days which Moses spent on Mount Sinai before giving the Torah to
Israel. 34

Jihad

The duty

of Jihad, the waging of a Holy War, has been raised

to the dignity of a sixth canonical obligation,
especially by the

descendants of the Kharijites.

To the Moslem, the world is divided into regions under Islamic
control, the ddr al-Isl&m, "and regions not subjected as yet, the ddr
al-liarb. Between this 'area of warfare and the Muslim-dominated
part of the world there can be no peace. Practical considerations may
induce the Muslim leaders to conclude an armistice, but the obligation
1

to conquer and,

possible, convert never lapses. Nor can territory

Muslim rule be lawfully yielded to the unbeliever. Legal
if

once under
theory has gone so far as to define as ddr al-Isldm any area where at
least one Muslim custom is still observed." 35

Thanks to this concept the Moslem is required to subdue the

infidel, and he who dies in the path of Allah is considered a martyr
and assured of Paradise and of unique privileges there. 36

Other Precepts discussed in the study

Muhammad
and

in

found guidance for his legislation in Hebraic tradition

rabbinic lore. Cleanliness plays a tremendous role in Jewish life.

part of godliness, and the individual, made in the image

of God, must always be pure in mind as well as in body. He must
always be charitable, love mercy, be kind and walk humbly with his
Cleanliness

is

2:179-181.

Grunebaum,

2:125, 187

op.

cti.,

p. 9.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

God and

key to paradise

Similar concepts are found in Islam. "The

"
prayer and the key to prayer is purification. 37

men.

fellow

is

The Koran

prescribes the need of at least two witnesses to a formal

business transaction. However, in ordinary loans or transactions no

evidence in writing

is

required;

it is

assumed as

in

Jewish law that no

man will go back on his word. Regarding usury, the Moslem,

biblical law, is
liever.

It

Moslems)

is

following

duty-bound not to engage in usury with a fellow bepermissible, however, in dealing with infidels (non-

Mufcammad

regarded

many

of the precepts given to the

Jews as a

punishment from God and for that reason a Moslem is not obligated to
observe them. Thus, the Koran disregards the Jewish concept of a
day of rest, inheritance laws, and dietary laws, but prescribes the rite
of circumcision and prohibits the use of blood and of the meat of a
pig or of an animal that "dieth of itself" for culinary purposes.
The Koranic stories of the Creation, life in Paradise, the question
as to whether earth or heavens came first, the objection of the angels
to the creation of man, Adam's remarkable wisdom, Satan's rejection
of Adam, Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, Adam's universal
lesson for repentance, stem from biblical and midrashic elements. The
stories about Israel's covenant with God, the travails in Egypt, the
miracles at the Red Sea, the making of the golden calf after Moses
went up the mountain, the Israelites' request to see God manifestly
in order to believe in Him, the restoration of the stricken dead to life,
the pillar of cloud, the manna and the quails, Moses' smiting of the
rock, the objection to the taste of the manna, the giving of the Torah
by "raising the mountain," the breakers of the Sabbath, the red heifer
these stories in the

Koran are

traceable to Jewish origins. Likewise, the concepts of ethical monotheism, the unity of God, prayer,
consideration for the underprivileged, reverence for parents, fasting,
all

penitence, the belief in angels, the stories about Abraham, the Patriarchs, Samuel, Saul, David, Solomon, the injunction of a pilgrimage
to Mecca, waging war against the enemy, the status of women,

and the position

of prophets, all

have

their antecedents in Jewish

tradition*

In tracing the rabbinic background of each Koranic verse and in

relating it to the comments by authoritative Moslem exegetes, the
author feels that he has succeeded in shedding new light upon the debt

Islam owes to Judaism.

"Cf.

2:1-2, notes 45-64.

Many

biblical stories

and sayings

(especially

INTRODUCTION
from the Pentateuch and the Psalms), intertwined with an inexhaustible amount of talmudic and midrashic tales, weave the structural
core of the Koran and its exegeses.

Our

findings negate the theories of

many historians who claim

that

the Arabian Jews were uncultured and ignorant and were severed
from traditional Judaism that had been flourishing in Palestine and

The abundance

and ideas contained

in the Koran and in its early authoritative commentaries testify to
the profound knowledge of Judaism possessed by Arabian Jews. They
may even help us to restore some Aggadic concepts lost in the course
of time and unknown to Jewish scholarship today, as well as to gain
much-sought data about the life and practices of the Jews in Arabia.

in Babylonia.

of Jewish thought

the literature of the Moslem exegetes we may rightfully surmise

that had Islam not appeared on the scene, Judaism would have extended its faith throughout all of Arabia or at least through an
extensive part thereof. Many Arab communities accepted the Jewish

From

and practices and even Muhammad himself was almost Judaized.

The knowledge of the Jews and Judaism displayed in Islamic
literature reflects not only upon the excellent relationship between the
Jews and the Arabs but also shows that Arabian Judaism was not
different from that of other Jewish communities. The Arabian Jews
abided by the laws and traditions that prevailed among Jews everywhere who, steadfast in their faith, resisted Muhammad's attempt
at Islamizing them. The unusual number of Aggadic stories quoted
in the writings of Zamakhshari, Baitfawi, Bukhari and Tabari testify
to the fact that the Arabian Jews took an active part in Jewish
spiritual life, erected many synagogues, schools and other institutions,
and succeeded in maintaining strong permanent ties with the Jews
of Palestine and Babylonia. The Moslem commentators used in our
faith

study are thus excellent source material for reconstructing Jewish

traditions hitherto

unknown and

forgotten.

CULTURAL RELATIONS BETWEEN ARABS AND JEWS AFTER THE HIJRA

The Arabic language

which, with its increasing momentum, spread

the vernacurapidly after the emergence of Islam, gradually became also
lar of the Jewish community in the Orient. The two Semitic peoples

worked together through the medium of Arabic and contemporaneously

advanced the teachings of the great centers of learning of Basra and
Cordova. The spread of the Arabic language

among
1

the Jews

is

well

indicated by the "father of Hebrew translators' and physician Judah ibn

Tibbon (112CM190) in the Introduction to his translation of Bahya's

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

"Kitab al-Hidaya ila Fara'id al-Kulub": "Most of the Geonim in the
dispersion under the rule of Ishmael in Babylon, Palestine and Persia

were speaking Arabic, and likewise all the Jewish communities in those
lands were using the same tongue. Whatever commentaries they wrote
on the Bible, the Mishnah, and the Talmud, they wrote in Arabic, as
they similarly did with their other works, as well as with their Responsa,
for all the people understood that language/' 38 Works confined to the

Jewish usage were of course written in Hebrew, whereas

works of a wider scope of interest were written in the language of the
educated classes in Arabic, or in Judaeo-Arabic. 39
limits of

to these Semitic peoples that we owe the perpetuation of Greek

thought in Europe throughout the Middle Ages. Aristotle, Plato and the
It is

other Greek thinkers

came

to

Western

civilization filtered

through the

minds of Moslem, Jewish and Christian theologians. The seed of these

philosophers and the great Alexandrians, which had lain so long dormant and inactive, now began to fructify and blossom, producing marked
advances in the fields of mathematics, medicine, philosophy and the physical sciences. Thanks to the Jewish and Muslim scholars we owe the
survival of many a classic text. Greek works were first rendered into
Syriac, Aramaic or Hebrew, thence into Arabic. Then again these studies
were translated from Arabic into Hebrew. 40 Much of the Greek and
the Arabic versions are lost and only the Hebrew rendering survives. 41
The Jews, dispersed among the people of the Orient and the Occident,
served as an international educational bridge at a time when other nations
warred. In striking contrast to an intellectually frozen world in the Middle Ages, the Jews manifested a burning zeal for education and considered it essential to their very survival. A knowledge of reading and
writing was a normal possession of every Jew. As a link between East
and West the Jews were excellent carriers of Arabic learning to the
42
profit of mankind.
Throughout the entire Moslem empire in Spain, North Africa, Egypt,
Palestine and Babylonia, the Jews took an active part in the Arabic

One

of the prominent physicians to the Caliph Umar was

the scientist of Jewish descent, Maser Djawah ibn Djeldjal of Basra.
renaissance.

He

was

also a noted poet, scientist, philosopher

and translator of many

literary works.

Robot ha-Lebabot, Tr. Introduction. Cf. Solomon L.

Alfdz of David Ben Abraham Al-Fasl, Yale University Press,
38

Skoss, Kitab Jam's Al1936, Vol. I. p. xxv.

Inc., New York, 1955 p. 182.

B* S. D. Goitein, Jews And Arabs, Schocken Books

40 Hitti,
op. cit. p. 583.
41 M. Steinschneider, Die Hebraeischen Vbersetzungen des Mittelalters

und

die

INTRODUCTION

The
in

797

Charlemagne's delegation to Harun al-Rashid

(who brought back the first elephant seen in Europe in 802

sole survivor of
A.D.

was the Jew Isaac, who was fluent in Hebrew and Arabic.
Another Jew, by the name of Joseph, who lived in Spain in the ninth
century, is said to have introduced to the Western world the system of
Arabic numerals which was used then in India. 48
One of the greatest physicians of this period was Isaac Israeli of alQayrawan (circa 855-955) known to the Western world as Isaac Judaeus. He distinguished himself by his treatises on fevers, and his work
as a physician was one of the Western lights of the Arabian period. He
A.D.),

an

and later on in the treatment of trachoma and

ophthalmis. Isaac was born in Egypt but eventually settled in Qayrawan.
At the behest of the Fatimid Caliph 'ubaydullah al-Mahdi, he composed
several medical works which were written in Arabic and translated into
Hebrew and Latin. 44
The list of Jewish scientists of the ninth century in Bagdad, Kufa and
Basra, the great centers of Arabic learning of that era, reads like a
Who's Who. They wrote unique treatises on medicine, astronomy, embryology, psychology and zoology. The interest by Jewish leaders in advancing medicine continued later on in Spain where we come across
Hasda ben Shaprut (c. 915-970) who acted as private physician to the
Caliph 'Abd-al-Rahman III of Andalusia, at the capital city of Cordova.
excelled

first

as

oculist

He, with the aid of a Byzantine monk, translated into Arabic, Dioscorides' work on botany, which later was used extensively in medieval
45

Europe.
Medicine was part of the discipline of Jewish scholarship and most of
the rabbis pursued the medical profession.

The most famous

of the

Hebrew

physicians and philosophers of the

whole Arabic epoch and the Middle Ages was abu-'Imran Musa ibnMaymun (Hebrew-Mosheh ben-Maimon, known as Maimonides (11351204). He was an outstanding Talmudist and was equally at home in
Arabic and Hebrew. His chief philosophic work is known as "Dalalat
al-Ha'irin" (The Guide for the Perplexed), in which he endeavors to
harmonize the philosophy of Aristotle with Judaism. Of him Cassaubenus writes, "He treats religiously matters of religion, philosophically
all that pertains to
philosophy and divinely all that is Godly/' "The Guide
for the Perplexed' has been translated innumerable times into Hebrew,
Latin, German, Spanish and English. Both Albertus Magnus and Thomas
Aquinas lean so heavily on Gablrol and Maimonides that neither of
Har Friedenwald, The Jews And Medicine, Vol. I, The
1

iol!

IJ*W, pp. 153f.

4* Friedenwald,
op. cit., pp. 185-192; Steinschneider, op.
45 Hitti,
op. cit.. p. 577.

John Hopkins

cit.,

p. 393.

Press,

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

them can be imagined without these two predecessors. All Maimonides'

works with the exception of the "Mishnah Torah," the gigantic religious
code which summarizes the entire spiritual and intellectual content of
the Talmud, were written in Judaeo- Arabic, To him we own much for
46
injecting Aristotelian philosophies into the Western world.
Maimonides' fame extended far beyond the confines of the Moslem
world and he declined an invitation from Richard the Lion-Hearted to
become his physician. As a result of the Muwafrhid persecution he left
Spain about 1165 and settled with his family in Fostat, a suburb of
Cairo, Egypt, where he was appointed physician at the court of Saladin.
Ten medical works of Maimonides all written in Judaeo-Arabic have
been translated into Hebrew, some into Latin and other European
tongues. These have exerted great influence upon European medical
science. 47 Israel scholars are now editing several of his works which are
still in Arabic and Hebrew manuscripts. He also wrote important medical
works under the title "Aphorisms According to Galen and Aphorisms of
48
A very popular work of his during the Middle Ages
Hippocrates."
concerned poisons and antidotes. These writings lost their medieval aspect for so much of them are in accord with modern practice.
His works on medicine and antidotes were often quoted by writers in
the 13th and 14th centuries. In his treatises Maimonides relied more on
diet than on drugs, and advised moderation in all things, even in the
choice of medicine.

He considered

factor of Jewish ethics.

To him

the study of medicine a very important

"Medicine teaches man to restrict his

boundless lusts which undermine his health and to choose the right
manner of living. It helps to maintain the fitness of the body and

him

to purify and raise his strength to an uplifted ethical plane.

It leads man to his higher destiny and thereby enables him to recognize
the truth and bliss." Ibn abi-Usaibi'ah (1203-1270), the great Arabic

enables

historian of medicine, a contemporary of Maimonides, closes his biographical sketch of Maimonides with a poem by the poet Al-Said ibn-

Sina Almtilk

only the body,

But abu-Imran's the body and the soul.

Galen's

art- heals

His knowledge made him the physician of the century.

He could cure with his wisdom the disease of ignorance.
If the moon would submit to his art,
He would free her from her spots at the time of full moon,
46 Israel
Zinberg Toledot Sifrut Yisrael, Tel-Aviv, 1955, Vol. I, pp. 140-153.
47 Hitti,
op. cit., pp. 584-85; cf. The Guide For The Perplexed tr. by M. Friedland, New York, 1942.
48 See the edited works of Suessmann Muntner Medical
Aphorisms of Moses

INTRODUCTION

Would relieve her of her monthly ailments

And at the time of her conjunction, save her from waning.
Maimonides was not only a philosopher and physician of distinction
but was a philosopher in medicine and a physician in ethics and philosophy.

49

Maimonides' spirit of free inquiry was carried forward after the

Jewish Golden Age of Spain into the Ottoman Empire and Italy and
later on into the Netherlands.
Jewish interest in philosophy revived considerably paralleling the development of the interest of Moslem theologians in philosophy. The
emergence of the school of Mu'tazilites (from the Arabic "itazala" to
separate or to dissent), brought about, in the second century of the
Hijra, a schism in the Moslem theological schools of Basra. In order to
avoid the stigma of heresy, the Mu'tazilites sought to support the doctrines of philosophy. They thus founded a rational theology which they
designated as the Ilm-al-Kalam (Science of the Word), and those who

professed

it

were known as Mutakallimun.

The Kalam

gradually shifted to Jewish

transformations as among the Moslems. It

movement

50

which enirg'cd

soil

and underwent the same

was the

result of the Karaite

middle of the 8th century in Babylonia rejecting the oral tradition and challenging the authority of the
Talmudists. It was at this time that the work "Kitab al-'Amanat Wai-

"Book

in the

of Beliefs and Opinions" 51

was authored by Sa'adia

ben Josef al-Fayyumi (Hebrew, Saadia Gaon) (882-942), who in his
effort to combat the Karaite and other sectarian views which dangerously undermined the spiritual foundations of Judaism, supported greatly
the Kalam. This book, written in 933, which constituted the first systematic presentation of Judaism as a rational body of beliefs, was written
in Judaeo- Arabic and translated into Hebrew by Judah ibn Tibbon in
1186. Saadia is the first Jewish philosopher who shows a thorough
familiarity with the problems raised by the Mu'tazilites. He was also
the first Jewish scholar of renown to translate the Hebrew Scriptures
I'tikada" or

into Arabic, a version which

used by Jews in Arabic-speaking

countries. His translation of the Bible into Arabic was an epoch-making
is

still

achievement, comparable in its importance to the historic rendering of

the Bible into the Septuagint. He had written an extensive commentary
on the Bible for more learned readers in Arabic. Another important

work

of his

was

his

Siddur written

in Judaeo-Arabic, the first scientific

investigation of the ritual of the Synagogue. Saadia was the spiritual

49
Friedenwald, op. cit., pix 193-216; cf. H. A. Wolfson, Philo. Harvard

University

50 From Hebrew
Qara, Kara, to read or study the Scriptures,
'~
51 Tr.
Samuel
Rosenblatt, Yale University Press, If
by

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

head of the Talmudical Academy of Sura and the chief Jewish legal
52
authority in the world at that time.
The first Jewish philosopher in Arabic Spain was Solomon ibn Gabirol
(Avicebron, Avencebrol c. 1021-1058). His work, "On the Improve-

ment of the Soul," written

in Arabic, presents

him as the

first

teacher

Neoplatonism in Europe. An outstanding poet, philosopher and

moralist, he is considered the "J ew * s h Plato" and "the most original
philosophical writer among the Jews and Arabs/' He is better known
as the author of "Yanbu al-Hayah" or in Latin, "Fons Vitae" (the fount
of life) and in Hebrew, "Meqor Hayyim." This book, the first Jewish
philosophic treatise of magnitude in Spain has, from its publication
date, ranked very high in the estimation of Arab and Jewish men of
thought and reflection. It exerted a tremendous influence upon Christian
philosophy and theology. It was translated into Hebrew, Spanish and
Latin during the beginning of the middle of the 12th century. 53
Abraham ibn Dawud of Toledo in the 12th century took exception
of

to Gabirol's teachings,

and

in order to negate Gablrol's influence as a

philosopher wrote an Arabic book which was later translated into

Hebrew under the title "Emunah Ramah," in which he bitterly repri-

mands Gabirol

for having philosophized without any regard to the tenets

of the Jewish religion. Gabirol made an impression on the non- Jewish
philosophic thinkers of the Western world. As late as 1843, Jourdain
called attention to the

major position of Avicebron

in the history of

Christian philosophy. Gabirol, however, is highly regarded among the

Jews as an outstanding poet and for his "Keter Malkhut," a religious
philosophical treatise, a versified form of "Fons Vitae."
Gabirol's extensive poetical works and philosophic treatise are a
tribute to the brief and stormy life of the genial poet among the philosophers and philosopher among poets. Just as Sa'adia shows the en-

trance of Mu'tazilite discussion

how

the Jews, so does Gabirol show

introduced to a Jewish milieu. In

among

the Aristotelian philosophy was

fact, all the intellectual experiences of the

Moslem community were

Jewish thinkers in Moslem philosophical

repeated by the Jews of Spain.

studies did not merely limit themselves to transmission from Asia to
Spain but to actual participation and development.

Like Gabirol, Bahya ibn Pakudah immortalized himself in his famous

philosophic treatise, "Kitab al-Hidayah ila Fara' id d-Kulub," Hebrew,
"Hobot ha-Lebabot" (Duties of the Heart), written in Arabic and trans52 Sec
Henry Maker Saadia Gaon His Life and Works, Philadelphia, 1942; cf,
Siddur R. Saadja Gaon (Kitab Garni' As-salawSt Wat-Tasabih) ed. I. Davidson,
S. Assaf, B. I. Joel,

Jerusalem, 1941.
58 Gabirdl's Isldh
al-Akhldg, has
York, 1901.

been edited and translated by

S. S.

Wise,

New

INTRODUCTION

Hebrew by Judah

lated into

fluence

upon

ibn Tibbon and Joseph Qimhi. His inChristian philosophy and theology was great, but greater

was his impact on Jewish religious thought.

In the 12th century the Mu'tazilites and

Moslem

philosophers were
philosophy took its shape and

followed by the Moslem Scholastics, whose

form under Al-Ghazali (1005-1111). Similarly in Judaism, Al-Ghazali
had his parallel in the person of Jehuda Halevi (c. 1085), the greatest

poet of the Golden Age of Spain, about whom Heinrich Heine

wrote, "When God created the soul of Halevi, He was so enraptured by
its beauty and exquisiteness that He could not restrain Himself and

Hebrew

kissed

it."

Having

received a well-rounded

education,

student of medicine and a master of Arabic and

he became a

Hebrew language and

And though

he immortalized himself in Jewish liturgy as the

Sweet Singer of Zion, he is also known as the founder of orthodox
Jewish scholasticism through his philosophic book written in Judaeo64
Arabic, "Kitab al-Khazari," (The Book of Proof and Argument),
a dialogue about God between the King of the Kazars and a Jewish

literature.

visitor to his court.

There were three main centers for Jewish activity as interpreters to

Europe of Graeco- Arabic science. One was in Spain, during the period
commonly known as the Golden Age of Spain. Another was in Naples
under the auspices of the House of Anjou. The third was Provence, the
link between France and Spain, where local Jewish scholars translated
large numbers of literary works from the Arabic and Judaeo- Arabic
into Hebrew. These works were frequently rendered into Latin at the
request of Christian scholars.
The 13th century shows a continuous effort on the part of Hebrew
scholars to present Abu-al-Walid Muhammad by Ali mad ibn-Rushd

(Averroes) to the Western world. Among them were Yehuda Ben

Solomon Cohen in 1247 and Solomon Ben Yusuf Ben Aiyuh in 1257.
This was followed in the 14th century with Hebrew versions on Ibn
Rushd's commentaries by Kalonymos ben Kalonymos, Ben Meir, Levi

ben Gershon, Moses Narbonne and others. The 14th century was the
Golden Age of Jewish scholasticism and though the following century
sees it in its decay, Ibn Rushd was still studied and commentaries were
55
still compiled
by Jewish scholars. This lasted until the end of the 16th
century when later Jewish philosophers such as Spinoza were no longer
in touch with medieval tradition. The study of the Arabic commentators
on Aristotle fell generally into disrepute -and even Arabic medical
writers ceased to have a strong influence in the European universities.
54 See H. Hirschfeld, ed. Kitdb
al-Khagari, New York, 1927.
65

Friedenwald nh.

rit.

nn

221

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

Henceforth
take

it

is

up Oriental

the sheer intellectual interests that drew scholars to

studies, in order to trace the origin

and development

of the great religions of the world and especially the Hebrew language.
In the field of Biblical exegesis, Arabic also exerted an influence

among the Jewish commentators. In addition

Abraham Ibn Ezra (1093-1167) of Toledo

to Sa'adia,

explains

we

find that

difficult Biblical

passages by referring to Arabic and Aramaic grammar for comparison.

Rabbi Ben-Ezra is also noted as a talmudist poet and translator.

Among

his translations

from Arabic are two

treatises

on astrology by

the noted Jewish astrologist, Masha'-allah (d. 815) and the

commentary

on al-Kwarizmi's tables by al-Biruni. 56 In a like manner Nahmanides

(1194-C.1270) shows the influence of the Arabic intellect in his commentary on the Scriptures.
Prof. George Sarton of Harvard University, the renowned historian
of science, claimed that the great cultures of the Moslems and the Jews
in the so-called dark ages were responsible for the preservation of the
that it was
great cultures of the Greeks and Romans. He maintains
they who laid the foundation of modern social structures and suggests

modern

European civilization should

and Latin in order to probe
be known as the Renaissance and Reforma-

investigator or student of
learn Arabic and Hebrew instead of Greek

that the

sources of what
tion.

came

to

57

stimulated the study of the Bible and its language

anjl, as a result of the keen interest in Hebrew, other Semitic languages
benefited. The Hebrew and Arabic manuscripts at the library of Leyden

The Reformation

attracted

many Jewish

students in the 17th century.

Among them were

Isaac Gabbai from Constantinople in 1625, Zaad Abraham from Morocco in 1626, Rabbi Moses from Poland in 1647, and others. These stu-

dents taught their non-Jewish professors Hebrew and cognate languages.

By the end of the 18th century, Leyden became the seat of philology
and Oriental studies. The Dutch example paved the way in other countries and especially in the German universities. Late in the 19th century

we

Gustav Weil, teaching at the University

of Heidelberg, which eventually became a beehive of activity for Oriental
studies. Likewise do we notice in the University of Frankfort Jewish
Orientalists such as Martin von Plessner, Joseph Horovitz and others,
find the noted Orientalist,

advancing Islamic studies. Horovitz also was for a time professor at the

Mohammedan

Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh, India.

The

great tradition of Jewish dedication to Islamic and Arabic studies

has been revived in modern times. Ignaz Goldziher of the University of

Hitti, op. cit., p. 589.

57 G. Sarton,
History of Science,

New

York, p. 101.

INTRODUCTION

Budapest (1850-1921) blazed the

trail

towards a historic understanding

Judaism and Christianity. He was the first

European to study at the famous al-Azhar University in Cairo, and his
Oriental library, which is now in the possession of the Hebrew Uniof Islam in

its

relation to

most important private

contains ancient prints of extreme rarity,

versity in Jerusalem, is considered one of the

collections in the world. It

From

pen came to us such valuable

treatises as Mohammedanische Studien, Abhandlungen zur arabischen
Philologie, Vorlesungen Uber den Islam and Richtungen der Islamitischen Koranauslegung. He was one pf the founders of, and contributor
to the classic Encyclopedia of Islam to which major Jewish contribu-

unmatched by European

tions

libraries.

his

were made. 68

In England much research has be^n done toward the understanding of

the Koran and the Prophet of Islahi. The classic works of the Jewish
scholars Hartwig Hirschfield, M. JFriedlander, and D. S. Margoliouth
are indispensable for the student of Islam today. 59 Jewish interest in
Islamic studies is also keen in the New World. As in the Old World,

Jews continue to delve into dusty Arabic manuscripts bridging the

cultural gaps in the great legacy of Semitic civilization. Jewish scholars
are active in research and in teaching the Arabic language and literature.

Some

of their writings have resurrected the ideas and the teachings of

Ibn Khaldun and other Arabic philosophers and historians, and made

them

accessible to the English, reader.

M.M. Bravermann have

Professors F. Rosenthal and

been leaders in the

of Arabic linguistics.
universities, Oriental studies
field

In the departments of Semitics in American

have been fostered by H. Malter, M.M. Jastrow, Harry A. Wolfson,
E.A. Speiser, W.F. Fischel, A.S. Halkin, J. Mann, J. Finkel, Use Lich-

von Grunebaum, Leon Nemoy, Julian Obermann,

A.I. Katsh. M. Perlmann, and others. In the Judaeo-Arabic field notable
contributions have been made by Solomon L. Skoss, Lawrence Marwick,
Moses Zucker, and Samuel Rosenblatt. They have translated into English, among other things, works by Sa'adia Gaon and Maimonides.

tenstaedter, Gustave E.

The Hebrew

University in Jerusalem, through its Department of the

Near East, as well as other scholars in schools of higher learning
have attracted outstanding Jewish Orientalists, such as Professors D.Z.

Banneth, JJ. Rivlin, N. Brown, S.D. Goitein, Jacob M. Landau, J.H.

Hirschberg, E. Strauss (Ashtor), Ch. Rabin, L.A. Mayer, L Ben-Ze'dj,

A new edition is now being published. Vol I has already appeared. Cf.
Scheiber's research at the Academy of Science in Budapest Hungary.
See also the writings of N. Wieder, Z. Werblowsky, J. Rosenblatt, A. J,
berg and others.
58

Sandor

Wizen*

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

L. Kopf,

J.

Blau,

them have been

M. Goshen,

S.

Morag, M. Plessner, and

others. All of

engaged in extensive writing pertaining to the

laws of Islam, early development of the Moslem religion, and Arabic
actively

linguistics.

Through the writings of the modern Jewish Orientalists the affinity

of these two great Semitic peoples is stressed. In fact, there is hardly
an important Jewish scholarly magazine or Gestschrift that does not
60
In the colleges and
contain some research dealing with Arabic learning.
universities, as well as

America share

through the written word, Jewish Orientalists in

in the intellectual heritage of their

Arab

colleagues. Just
as they played a part in the days of yore as intermediaries in the transmission and unfolding of Islamic culture to the Latin world, so Jewish

scholars today are contributing in no small measure to the advancement

of Arabic learning in the English-speaking world.

60 Cf. A.I. Katsh, Cultural Relations:

Jan.-Feb., 1955.

Arabs and Jews,

Israel Life

and

Letters,

SURA

II

VERSES
That

1-2

no doubt therein; a guide

to the pious, who believe in the unseen, and are steadfast in prayer, and of what we have given them expend
the book! 1 there

is

is

in alms.

The word "Koran"

is

either a genuine Arabic

term signifying

"reading" or "reciting," or a word borrowed from the Hebrew or

Aramaic, which was used by the rabbis to describe Scripture or
Torah.'
The division of the Koran into 114 Suras (Chapters) follows the
type of arrangement found in the Hebrew Scriptures. The veneration

Book by the Moslems, as well as their practice of reading it on

holy days and of reciting certain verses therein for prayers, also

of the

3
appears to emulate a Jewish pattern.

Muhammad
1

AH

in

considers the

The Holy Qur-an,

Koran the fountainhead

is

knowledge

Dh&lika 'l-Kitdb as "This book,"

p. 12, translates

and claims that Palmer's rendition as "That

of all

the book"

is

erroneous, for

DWika

does not refer here to a remote thing, but indicates "the high estimation in which
as
the
is held"; Pickthall, Rodwell, and Wherry also translate Dhalika

Qur-an

"this".
*

oinn

Book" (IBD nt).

This term was used by the Jews for the Scriptures,
Th. Noldeke claims that the word Sura is derived from the

Cf. Gen. 5:1, "This

Mikra' mpn.
-rnni

tnpo

o.

is

the

cf. his
(row), Gcschichte des Qordns, Gottingen, 1860, pp. 24-25;
Neue Beitrage zur semit. Sprachwissenschaft, Strassburg, 1910, p. 26, as well as
claims that the
Noldeke-Schwally, op. tit., Vol. I, pp. 31 f. Just as Judaism

Hebrew Shurah

Bible
so

too,

cf. Jallalein

29:27; J. Horovitz, Koranische Untersuchungen, Berlin-Leipzig,

Muhammad,

43:2-3);

mm rnn*

Holy Tongue (Hebrew), (i ,rT'B nan irwra) p'nVa

claimed the Koran to be an "Arabic Koran" (20:112; 42:5;

was written

in the

Baidawi 3:98; Zamakhshari 3:6. See also Arthur Jeffery, The Qur'&n
As Scripture, New York, 1952, pp. 9 f. and notes 2:48-50; 3:2 onfurqan.
3
that "the disfigurement of many Biblical names and
Hirschfeld
1926, p. 75;

conjectures

words mentioned in the Qoran is due to misreadings in his (Muhammad's) own

notes made with unskilled hand
Sura, written in square characters (mio)
.

could easily be misread from Sidra (rmo)."

"Sura," El, Vol.

4,

pp. 560

f.

New

Researches ... p. 13 n.;

See also Bu., Vol. IV,

3

p. 400.

cf.

F. Buhl,

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

dealing with human life, and refers to it as "the Book' (al-gitab)

Similarly the Bible 5 promises its followers: "When thou walkest, it
shall lead thee, When thou liest down, it shall watch over thee; And
when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. M Referring to this verse in
Proverbs (6:22), the Talmud explains: "When thou walkest, it shall
lead thee (in this world); when thou liest down, it shall watch over
1

thee (in the grave) and

the world to come)/ 17
;

when thou wakest,

it

shall talk 6

with thee (in

The Koranic emphasis on

the significance of prayer has its

antecedent in Jewish tradition.
We find in the Talmud that the
injunction, "And ye shall serve the Lord your God," refers to
the reciting of the Shema* (Israel's confession of faith, recited twice
8

morning and the evening), and to Tefillah (Prayer,

the Eighteen Benedictions, i. e. "the main constituents of the regular prayers which are recited three times daily"). Both the Shema*
and the Moslem Shahadah express identical ideas. 9 As with the

daily, in the

2:171.

Synonyms

for the

Koran

are: al-Furqan (the "Distinguisher

between

and wrong" or "Divine help"), 25:1; al-Tadhkira (the Reminder), 15:9;

al-Tanzll (Revelation), 26:192; al-Huda (the Guidance), 72:13; al-Rahmah (the
right

Mercy), 17:84; al-Khair (the Goodness), 2:103; aUtefr (the Spirit of

al-Bayan (the Explanation), 3:133; al-Ni

mah

Life), 42:52;

(the Blessing), 93:11; al-Burhan

Argument), 4:175; al-Qayyim (the Maintainer), 18:2; al-Muhaimin (the

Guardian), 5:48; al-Nur (the Light), 7:156; and al-ffaqq (the Truth), 17:83. In
(the

a 'similar vein, Judaism speaks of the Torah as "Tree of Life," "Maintainer,"

"Guide," "Light," "The Wisdom," "Truth," etc. Cf. M. M. Ali, The Religion
of Islam, Lahore, 1926, pp. 17-57; n-K o'p-UD ,3'Tro;

na

^ai; B. 'Erub. 54b; and aa

Mishnah Ab. 5:19 ra-p

nan on

nan naioa.

,-T*'D

Cf. B. Meg., 16a; B. Ta'an., 7a;

I. e.

Mishnah Ab.

Num.

Rab., 3.

"intercede on thy behalf."

6:9; cf. Yaftut Shim'oni, Prov., Vol. II,

938,

even than good deeds, for there was

no one greater in good deeds than Moses our Master, and yet he was answered
only after prayer." Cf. (n ,'"D nan Hip !) b>an nany n^om nxno nany nawn,
1

B.

Ben

32a: "Prayer

is

more

efficacious

and Deut. Rab.

note

8:1:

3.

"Great

is

the efficacy of prayer before the Almighty." Cf. 2:239,

V> "There is no God but Allah (the God),"

'n irn^K 'n ^*OBP yo
stresses the idea of Monotheism as expressed in nn
"Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is One" (Deut. 6:4). The utterance

'The Koranic &\ ^\

AJI

of these phrases, according to Isl&m

and Judaism,

is

tantamount to a confession of

and Zech. 14:9 as well as Rashi's commentary on Deut. 6:4

that "He who now is our God and is not yet recognized by the nations as their

faith; cf. Zeph. 3:9

SURA

VERSES

II

1-2

Shcma'," the Moslem in reciting the ShahOdah accepts the yoke of the
ill& 'lldhu
kingdom of Heaven, and in uttering the famous la il&h&
but Allah), he repeats the biblical phrases, "For
(there is no God
who is God, save the Lord,"" and "There is no God but the Lord.""
It is incumbent upon every Moslem to pray five times daily (at
13
Goldsunrise, mid-day, mid -afternoon, sunset and before retiring).
15
Rabbi
ziher 14 regards the five daily prayers as of Persian influence.
Simon Duran (1361-1444), who lived in Algiers, maintains that
Mufcammad borrowed the custom from the Jewish Day of Atonein their anxiety to surpass

ment. 16 Professor Torrey claims that,

the

ONE God of the whole world"; see also 21jl07: "Say, I am only
^J $ ^l Uit "j[ ^J, \**\ J*.
inspired that your God is one God,"
will yet

God,

be the

According to Khaftb Mishkat al-Ma?abih, Vol.

that there

ijJU-

is

I,

p. 12,

J>* &\

VI

&

no God but Allah enters paradise",

"Whoever dies while he knows

J*J

*i

&

411.

a nation unique on the earth, declares daily the

O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord
unity of His great Name, saying, 'Hear,
"
112:1.
is One'
(Deut. 6:4), P.R.E., p. 26. See also 3:16; 13:29;
'o
"
D :(a 7 ,n"> ,o'Vnn) mrr "ipVao mV
? ,a'a -'a Vtnw) mrv nySao "?
*

B. Ber. 13b;

cf.

"Israel,

g|

-.(a'

(j'a ,n*o rvye>')

(aV ,n

-ny v*o VK 'J.

O'Vnn oiVpaw) " K^K

n' ?; cf.

Cf. Torrey, op.

Ps. 98:2; 138:4; Hos. 13:4.

cit.,

God
Regarding the incorporeality of

29-31.

*Fajr (morning); Zuhr

(sunset); 'Isha' (night).

te

und Kultus,

J. E.,

Cf. E. Mittwoch,

Berlin, 1913, p. 9

"Islam," Vol.

(1901), p. 15.

und

6,

New

ff.

Zur

and A.

6:3;

and Hirschfeld, op.

tit.,

the Koran and the Bible see

'Apr (late afternoon); Maghrib

Entstehungsgeschithte des islamischen

Wensinck,

J.

Mohammed

en de Joden

See also notes on 2:239, 240 and 3:7.

York,

p. 653;

Cf. Noldeke-Schwally, op.

Christlicher Gebetstypus

134;

Is.

(early afternoon);

Medina, Leiden, 1908, pp. 106

'<

in

p.

my r; and

2, p. 152.

H. A. Wolfson, Philo, Cambridge, 1947, Vol.

Gebets

Deut. 4:35, naVo

nV

tit.,

im Koran"

"Islamisme et Parsisme,"

p. 151;

in

Anton Baumstark,

Der Islam, Vol.

16,

RHR, xliii
"Jfldischer

Berlin,

1927,

pp. 229-48.
of five daily prayers is regarded by
According to Pollack, the institution
iw D'on"D ovin anprn
Islam as an integral part of the Sunna. nfcwin IBDO i*in
uer nn!? n'ono nyornV wnV Vro
pVna nV'Dnn mrry n nun D^'ttn iV'Ki .-mmo
'' nan ,pVis .J .) .rtJion.
(a'^p 'y ,1'eri ,oVm ,0'anyn
'

ed. by Steinschneider, Berlin, 1881,

Duran, Qeshet u-Magen in Ozar Tob,
iaai inrrw yr 'flVi
nawnVi nVonV Vn'
p. 14: mVon on ia M onwan or Kin
nv Vaa ni^on on on ? ] P n. However, it is questionable whether the Musaf (additional
as
the Shaharit (morning service) should be considered
'

S.

ow

service) following closely

upon

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

in devotion, the followers of

Mubammad

adopted the five daily

prayers after his death. "There is in the Koran no prescription of the
five daily prayers, and it is not clear that they were instituted by
Mohammed. It is not like him to ordain a five-fold service even for
one day in the week. What he commands in the Koran is characteristic.

Jews

It is simple, reasonable, and like other features of the new legislation

in its adaptation of an already existing ritual to Arabian conditions.

The

traditional Jewish prescription was three daily prayers, as e. g.

in Dan. 6:11. In four passages (11:116, 17:80 f., 50:38 f., 76:25 f.),
all from the Mekka period, the prophet directs his followers to pray

three times in the day: in the morning, at eventide, and in the night
a time better suited to the Bedouin travelling under the stars than to

the city-dweller/' 17
In addition to the four passages quoted by Torrey, we find several
other passages in the Koran which give indications of the practice of
five daily prayers. Thus, in 20:130 we read: "Bear patiently then
what they say, and celebrate the praises 18 of thy Lord before the rising
of the sun,

and before

its setting,

and at times

in the night celebrate

them; and at the ends of the day; haply thou mayest please (Him)."
Here Muljammad directs his followers to pray at sunrise, sunset and
"at the ends of the day," i. e., before retiring. 19 In 11 :116 Muhammad
also directs his followers, "And be thou steadfast in prayer at the two
>f
ends of the day, and the (former and latter) parts of the night.
"
Pickthall 20 renders the last phrase "and in some watches of the night,
whfcreas AH 21 translates it "in the first hours of the night." This
would add, immediately after sunset, another prayer to the three
prayers mentioned in 17:80, i. e., "from the declining of the sun until
the dusk of the night, and the reading of the dawn." In 24:57 the
Koran also talks about "the prayer of dawn, and when ye put off your
a separate service rather than as an extension of the Shafrarit. Compare, however,
Maimonides, Hilkot Tefillah, Ch. I., Halakah V, VI and B. Ber. 26 b. Rabbi Duran
(ibid., p.

(or) rnoix
17

14) also maintains that

o'0W urb

Torrey, op.

jpn

cit.,

nawm

Ramadan

is

of Jewish influence: (s'nr) Nirw 'sVi

mx. See also Mittwoch, op.

cit.,

pp. 36

ff.

pp. 135-36.

"Celebrate the praises" here refers to prayer, as shown by the context in

20:132: "Bid thy people prayer, and persevere in it." Cf. Ps. 68:20; ov or 'rw -jria;
18

Ps. 78:4: mrr

19

mbnn Dnsoo;

Ps. 96:3:

cnaa VIDD; Ps. 105:2:

Here the two evening prayers are spoken

and mid-afternoon prayer are

80

mas

Marmaduke

p. 474;

cit.,

d.

p. 234.

Ali,

irr.

of together, while the sunrise prayer

indicated.

Pickthall, op.

The Holy Qur-an,

vm^DJ ^oa

The Religion of Isldm, pp. 406

f.

SURA

II

VERSES

1-2

and

after the evening prayer." Thus, the sunrise

prayer and the prayer before retiring are referred

clothes at noon,

prayer, the mid-day

to in 17:80, the mid-afternoon prayer in 20:30 and the sunset prayer in
88
11 :116. According to Islamic tradition, it was the Prophet who told
his followers: "Allah has made incumbent upon them the five prayers
in

every day and night." 83

The

and regulations concerning prayer

rules

in general in

I si

5m

would indicate that the five daily prayers originated with Jewish practices. Thus, a Moslem, like a Jew, is encouraged to pray often and as
84
Prayers may be combined or curtailed
frequently as possible.
when one is on a journey or in time of danger. If one unwittingly
omits a prayer he may recite it when he becomes aware of the omis86
8
sion. * Prayers, too, must not be said in a loud voice nor in a whisper.
Nor may a drunken man pray. 87 Similarly, the rules with regard to
the
prayers pertaining to the congregation, such as reading from
Book, special prayers for the community, petitions for rain, etc., are
88
Some authorities even claim that
all traceable to Jewish practices.

Bu., Vol.

Cf

p.

I,

354:

discussion on the five prayers

by BaidSwI and Zamakhsharl

ad. loc.

sunrise prayer,
According to Zamakhsharl and Baidawi, SjOiJI 5jl^ refers to the
whereas /<*M SjU^ refers to the prayers of mid-day, mid-afternoon, sunset

and before
1877, Vol.

See also Ibn Hisham, Life of

retiring.

was Muhammad who decreed the

p. 204: "It

I,

Muhammad

(Arabic), Bulaq,

institution of five daily

"
prayers
(K'n

,Yo niana

,D^nv

tioVn)

rwj

rfrena nanon; Bu., Vol.

prayers are best for people to do." Cf. Bu., Vol.

converses intimately with
Shim'oni, Vol.

II,

-b

k>

"He who

\*\

"Frequent

utters prayers,

$Vl

l;

Yalkut

I,

p. 157:

the prayers openly, nor yet murmur them, but

Sam.
Compare: "But her voice could not be heard (I

"And do not say

seek a

way between

1:13):

from

B. Ber. 31b;

p. 144:

p. 181.

847.

s4:10;Bu., Vol.
17:111,

God"

I,

I,-

these."

in the Tefittah"
this (we learn), it is forbidden to raise one's voice
cf.

23:3,

"who

in their prayers are

humble," and Ecc.

5:1,

"Be not

rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter a word before God;
few."
for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be
forbidden to say the
*> 4:46.
Compare B. Ber. 31 b, "... a drunken person is
Tefillah."

Hirschberg, op.

cit.,

pp. 196-7:

mina nnnp) onirrn ^XH

nuina

w
vn

ma pi nssircn
mVnn njjn rm

nV'Bn

n^'unn -nToa 01

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

at the early stages of Islam, Moslems used to

put on a Tollit (prayer
shawl) at services in the mosque." It seems logical that, since most

main from Jewish usage, the five

daily prayers should have originated from the same source.
That the Jews in Arabia prayed five times daily is substantiated by
recent talmudic studies. In the Book of Daniel it is related that
Daniel's windows were "open in his chamber in Jerusalem, (and) he
kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks
were derived

oi the rituals

in the

God

as he did aforetime" (Dan. 6:11). 3 From this we may

infer that the custom of three daily services included the morning

before his

afternoon (Minfyah), and evening prayers (Ma'arib).* 1

According to the Talmud, the Great Assembly 32 established the
institution of daily prayers.
Important portions of the morning
(Shafyarit),

rwyn^

mtan

,")mrt

oiV^

Cf. notes to 2:239.

nV'an).

Mubammad

his followers for "reciting God's signs in the night-time" (3:109) recalls

practice (B. Ber. 3b;

to

calling

Mishnah Ben

prayer by a

a Jewish

Even the

4:4; B. Sanh. 42b; also 3:188).

be traceable to an old Jewish

may

person

special

praising

custom by which one man would assemble the entire congregation: o'jnD noy
(a'y ,D KDV) rviKDiD B^KD yotw i^ip mm laDioyo^ ^m0n DDJDH^ on^i aurnuy^
Hirschberg,
op.

cit.,

ibid., p.

197; see Ibn Hisham, Vol. II, p. 101, quoted in

29; Mishnah Yom.

p.

The saying

1:8.

of

'Amin at the

congregational prayer in the mosque also follows the

Hebrew

Ben-Zeeb,

I.

close

of

'Amen.

usage,

^*' has the same connotation as ]D. David Yellin, gikre Mikrcf,
Jerusalem, 1937, p. 33; and Is. 7:9; Ps. 44:14; 2:196. In Islam as in Judaism any
Similarly,

learned

man

good character

^x

uy>
*

of

Hirschberg,

w*

may

lead in the prayer service. Bu., Vol.

*>.

jji

197: no'ttn ora

ibid., p.

ia'n mrra urn rm naooa onvna. Cf. A.

jjn^M

mischen Reinheitsgesetzgebung," in Der Islam,

* HTIDI H^DI 'msna
^y -|na Kin nova nrbn
%

Smi)

mn H

p. 181:

air.

D'D^Dion oa iDoynn ays '3

Wensinck,

J.

^je

jit,

If

4<

Die Entstehung der Musli-

(1914), pp. 62

]n

IDIDD

O^WT

iaa

ff.

nn^ya rb ]nn

1*131

nn^ Dip.
^ap
from high noon
from sunrise to a third of the day; Minfrah
Shafrarit
to sunset; and Ma'arib
the entire night. Cf. Ps. 55:18; Talmud Yer. Ber. 4, 1;
(H

,1

ran noip ID lay

31

Numbers Rab.

* During
Study of the

2,1.

the Second Commonwealth.

First Canonization of the

(1946), 211-29

and Vol.

XXXVIII

Cf.

Solomon

Hebrew Liturgy/' JQR,

(1948),

289-316;

Gottesdienst in seiner geschichtlichen Entwicklung,

"The Intermediate Benedictions

of the

423-26; L. Zunz, Die Gottesdienstlichen

a.

M., 1892; B. Ber. 33a; B. Meg. 17b.

Zeitlin,

I.

"An

Historical

N.S., Vol.

XXXVI

Elbogen, Der jiidische

Leipzig, 1913; L. J. Liebreich,

Amida," JQR, N.S., XLII (1952), #4,

Vortr&ge der Juden, 2nd ed., Frankfurt

SURA H

VERSES

1-2

34
prayer were recited in the Temple, which would indicate that regular
daily services were in existence during the greater part of the Second
Commonwealth. From the time of the destruction of the Temple, the
public recitation of the Shemone 'Esre (Eighteen Benedictions) or, as
they are also known, the Amidah became an important part of the
'

three daily services, though the recitation of

must have been

vogue much

in

It

earlier.

some of the benedictions

was Rabbi Gamaliel (c.

90 C. E.), of the Academy of Jabneh, who enacted that each worshipper should recite the Shemone 'Esre individually. In order not to
deviate from the original public recitation, he ruled that the Reader
should also repeat it in public. In the prayer book (Siddur), the Shema'
and the 'Amidah constitute the most important parts of the service,
while the other parts are mainly supplementary. The Shema is
composed of verses from the following passages of the Pentateuch:
Deuteronomy 6:4-9, dealing with the unity and love of God and
observance of the precepts; Deuteronomy 11:13-21, emphasizing reward for the fulfillment of the laws and punishment for their transgression and the duty of the teaching of the Torah to the children;
Numbers 15:37-41, embracing the law concerning the observance of
the %i%it (fringes on the garment) and an exhortation to submit to the
laws of God in remembrance of the Exodus. The Shemone 'Esre is
divided into three parts. The first three prayers contain praises of the
Lord; the twelve middle ones, petitions; and the last three, thanks to
1

In the morning prayer as well as in the evening prayer there

is also, between the Shema' and the Shemone 'Esre, a benediction for
the deliverance from Egypt, which is called the Ge'ullah.
the Lord.

a difference of opinion between Rabbi

Jofeanan and Rabbi Joshua b. Levi as to whether the Ge'ullah should
be attached to the Shemone 'Esre at the evening prayer or not. Rabbi
Jobanan holds that it should be attached to the Shemone 'Esre,"
while Rabbi Joshua b. Levi maintains that it should not. 35 Unless the

we

In the Talmud,

find

attached to the 'Amidah, there are two separate prayers,

that of the Shema' and that of the Shemone 'Esre. Otherwise there is
only one. The majority opinion agrees with Rabbi Jobanan and holds
that the Ge'ullah should be attached to the 'Amidah in the evening
Ge'ullah

is

yio0 DM rrm yov

nn

"\ovtb

(H ,n

rona

Ton mo)
-an*

(a'y ,n

j'D'oio

my itnp

,ia*ia

naai oaro nanai miayi

Dm nn rona ona

njioon onV

oyn n

a'*i non niana

icern.

ia

ynn' an .n'any

mana) oupn
Ibid., cf.

nnain

,1

*?v

rtanV nViw imon

yxa niVen.
,njyn

TOW

:M ,n

,Ton

n0.

nr

nan oViyn

ja

inrn

pm Tin

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

10

prayer. As for the Shaharit (morning prayer), all scholars agree that
in it the Ge'uttah is attached to the Shemone 'Esre. Therefore, according to the Babylonian Talmud, we have only three daily prayers.
However, Prof. Louis Ginzberg, in his monumental study on the

Talmud Yerushalmi, 36 shows

that the institution of Jewish prayer

originally called for five daily prayers instead of the known three.
Ginzberg maintains that all scholars in the Talmud Yerushalmi are
of the opinion that the Jews in the talmudic period did not attach the
prayer of Redemption to the Shemone 'Esre in the evening prayer. 37
Thus the Shema' and the Shemone 'Esre were two separate prayers.
In early times, the custom was to recite the Shema' at home before
Before the institution of
retiring and immediately upon arising.
prayer, the people recited the Shema' in the morning at dawn and

and the hours of work.

This practice was based on the biblical verse, "and when thou liest
down and when thou risest up." 38 Later on, when prayer became an
institution, the morning prayer was held in the synagogue after the
rising of the sun. The Shema too, was recited in the synagogue at the
before the rising of the sun,

i.

e.,

between

rising

The hardship

usual time.

of congregating twice, once for the

Shema

and once for the "prayer" (Shemone 'Esre), was eased by reciting the
Shema closer to sunrise, immediately before the "prayer" (Shemone
1

Though there were still many who continued to recite the

Shema' at home and joined the congregation for prayer later on, the
general practice was to combine the two. This finally led to the
assumption that it was obligatory to attach the prayer of Redemption
'Esre).

to the

Shemone

'Esre.

Thus, we learn that the Jews

Arabia during the talmudic period

really met five times daily for prayer in the synagogue; twice for the
recitation of the Shema', 39 and three times for the three regular
40 For
41
"prayers."
practical reasons, the two prayers in the morning
were combined into one, as were the two prayers in the evening. 43

Louis Ginzberg, op.

"

Ibid., Vol. I, 68.

Ginzberg, op.

Shemone

cit.,

cit.,

Vol.

I,

in

Introduction and Vol.

64:

'Esre\ cf. 26:79-84

I,

pp. 68-75.

* Deut. 6:7; 11:9.

minn ID p'p n&mvr njnV nrw.
which

recall

some

of the prayers in the Eighteen

Benedictions.
41

when

/. e.

the Shema* and Shemone 'Esre.

Moslem

tradition, too, provides that

the days are short, the guhr and the *A$r prayers

Similarly

when the

See Bu. f Vol.

I,

nights are too short the Maghrib and the

may be combined.
'Isha may be combined.

pp. 141-60.

Ginzberg, op.

tit.,

p. 63: cripjnm

wrai ID Vs pipiV

iVa % vb iiasn

an

SURA

The

VERSES

II

1-2

11

thus have been directed by Muhammad as

a result of the early Jewish practice of meeting five43 times daily for
five daily prayers

prayer.

may

44

One of the cardinal principles of IslSm is that of giving alms. 45

The tradition is "Faith in Allah, and then the hope that 'prayer' would
carry the true believer half-way to God, that 'fasting' would bring
him to the door of His palace, and that 'alms' would gain him admit-

Throughout the Koran one

tance/' 46

finds

numerous utterances

which emphasize the importance of charity, 47 feeding the poor, 48

emancipating slaves, 49 taking care of widows and orphans, 50 doing good
to humanity in general, 51 as well as engaging in other benevolent
enterprises.

53

mow IDDI
Kin nonn

pn

rmnrr

no

pn onp

noxy rwoa

JDT

a'naa p'p *op^ innpn p!?i yora ornujn

-irw oipoaff *JHI

p^

nVun pa Tanwo 0'p tnpV

nmo

,a

lonpn nnrwaai /a ,n":> Vaai ,'n 'a pic ]"y ;p'p ^P

anyo n^sn^i nroo n^cn^ o'oya a'na^ n^i on^K^DD ^eaV on^ nK>p nn
nice D-np 0*p itnpi fra-iya

TO

/
raor

nmo imVa nypV IIDD n inn n nV n^en *nw i^bsnn

naor onp e^'p Kiph ivany Wcnn^ j'onpo vnw ..... mrm^.
43
m
J6id., p. 74: nan ^y nawn K^D: n^flnV nViiu iaoo K^ D'HIIDKH 'o^a ny
IT inapn nman *DD
ID^D none i^pnnt^ niV'Dn 'n n:pn K'm D^an ia ivpnav
*o^o Kn
^m np H!? any mn aruoa miD*
no* n^iy ^an irnan B^ D^IHI .m^'0n
K^H iab )'
K^ mana n' ,'Bn naaioa n^sn !?) m^n 'n a w n^enV nbina j'aoio vn b any mn^
rn^sn 'n nuiyai nnnva yo^ ^y nons ,]n^ rn (oawnni nwpa niaia ,'VVan nwioa
mana n'\
rr3BV

n^aiyi

'a

^^

See, however, Naphtali Wieder, Islamic Influences on the Jewish

JWrf,, p. 75.

Worship, Oxford, 1947, p. 16;

**

ye love.

is

Ibn Hisham, op.

cit.,

p. 72.

attain to righteousness until ye expend in alms of

what

God knows."

365:

But what ye expend

"adaqah
46

"Ye cannot

3:86:

cf.

in alms, that

#*U*

every Moslem's obligation"

J. J. Pool, Studies in

*1~**

Cf.

Bu., Vol.

J>

Mohammedanism, Westminster,

I,

p.

J^.

1892, p. 7 (quoting the

historian Gibbon).
47

2:172, 255, 265 f 266; 3:86; 5:12; 24:22; 91:15. Cf. note 55.

48

69:34; 76:8; 90:15; 93:9; Bu., Vol. IV, p. 114:

" ' ~
~
*
\l

no mercy"
49

f-*>i

Bu., Vol.

I,

p. 15.

M*

f-^X
Cf. o"iap

4-

I/

pn.

17:36; 76:8; 89:17; 90:15; 93:8; 107:2.

and the poor

"
*

is like

90:14; 107:6;

the one

cf.:

who

Bu., Vol.

"He who is not merciful receives

"One who takes

fights for the cause of

I,

God"

care of the

(Bu., Vol.

I,

widow
p. 485).

p. 11.

2:272, 275, 278; 3:86, 110; 4:9; 57:10-14; 58:14. Cf. Bu., Vol. IV, pp. 117, 128.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

12

The Koranic

or fadaqah (righteousness) 53 signifies the

supreme virtue obtainable by human beings. Through fadaqah "man
becomes God-like and God's creditor." 54 All this is modelled after
zafcah

Jewish tradition. 55
Giving alms was prevalent among the Hebrews long before the
Mosaic laws of charity were promulgated. Jacob, following his famous

dream, vowed to give one- tenth of all his possessions to God: "I will
surely give the tenth unto thee" (Gen. 28:22). Moses later incorporated this principle into the biblical laws of charity (Deut. 14:22).
The one-tenth of all the produce was to be given to the members of
the tribe of Levi, who did not share in the tribal land division. Similar
provisions were made for the poor, the needy, the landless and the
foreigner (Lev. 19:9-10). According to Simeon the Just, "The world
is based upon three things: the Torah, divine service, and the practice
"
of kindliness. s6 The rabbis stipulate that "an individual's obligation to support charity

was

in direct proportion to his wealth; that

every poor person must be supported; that even if he declined aid,

he must be assisted through the subterfuge of a loan or a gift." 57
Rabbi Judah said: "Great is charity, in that it brings the redemption
nearer. f>5 * "Give unto him of that which is his." 59 "He who is merciful
to others,

mercy

is

shown

him by Heaven." 60

Cf. np"nc; (ntor) mar. Sec also

(1950-51) Vol. XXIII, Part

"

to

cit. 9

2:246; Torrey, op.

I,

Franz Rosenthal, "Sedaka, Charity"

in

HUCA,

pp. 411-30.

p. 141,

claims that the terminology and practice are

Compare, however, K. Ahrens, Muhammad als Rcligionsstifter,

Leipzig, 1935 p. 119, where he tries to show that though the terms are of Jewish
See also J. Horovitz, HUCA,
origin, the practice is taken from Christianity.
of Jewish origin.
f

pp. 206-8; N6ldeke-Schwally, GeschichU des Qordns, Vol.

205,

II, p.

and notes to

2:172, 211, 246, 271, 272, 273, 280; 3:128, 136.

B. B. B. 9b; B. Ket. 67b; B. Gi{. 7b; B. Suk. 49b;

Mohammed

Cf. [B]

1:2.

(y ,ntn

,KDirun) rrtma

# B. B. B.

Wensinck,

nonh pnsn Oman.

A. A. Neuman, The Jews in Spain, Philadelphia, 1942, Vol.

(try ,no ,mam:>)

J.

p. 114.

* Mishnah Ab.
*

A.

cf.

o^'Vn
lOa;

(*'y ,D .a'a) nixon

nmy

cf.

B. Git. 7a:

^ THS npn* n^pr

and compare with Bu., Vol.

I,

;(a'y

,r

j'tw) ripi*

p. 365, that

171; cf.

rry o^yon Vs.

oama b* nano ^?ra npix po

laiy 1^10 np-rsn

2, p.

rwnjn VDSJD

rwy npixn

]D

Dnenon

man
ay

60

3:8.

B. Shab. 151b;

cf.

'n7 "irua OJPVOI npix.

B. Suk. 49b: rwy

'DH

even the poor are not excused from

charity.

Mishnah Ab.

IDKW maipn ^DD nnr

npiac nanyn

SURA

The attitude

of

VERSES

II

13

1-2

Judaism towards charity

mirrored in all Koranic

utterances and in the badith.
Technically, sakdh is a fixed portion of
one's wealth which a Moslem is obliged to contribute annually for the
benefit of the poor, and the giving of fadaqah in secret is praised. 6*
According to Islam, the practical realization of the belief in the Unity
of God, in Divine revelation and in the Hereafter, is through prayer
and the service of humanity through charity. "But if they repent and
is

6*

are steadfast in prayer and give alms, then they are your brethren in
65 This
religion."
concept echoes the prayer of the Jew in the synagogue

on the Holy Days: "Repentance, prayer and charity (righteousness)

avert the (Divine) harsh decree." 64

The Koran prescribes: "and know that whenever ye seize anything as a

spoil, to God belongs a fifth thereof, and to His Apostle, and to kindred and orphans,
and the poor and the wayfarer" (8:42). The limit of one-fifth recalls B. Ket. SOa,
that a man should not spend more than a fifth for charity. Torrey, op. tit., p. 143;
also Talmud Yen Peah 1,1.
'*

2:275; Bu., Vol.

4lw*j
*

is

JjU U
9:1

cf.

Bu., Vol.

05

4)1

S*lA Jl

01
01

*JpU

pioea i/w^an
(n'n ,a'B ,n'ayn
.

1*

p. 360:

4JUJi;

no God but Allah

41

I,

cf.

I,

J>- UU>-U AKUaj J-Uw J>-j

B. B. B. 9b -moa po.

"Allah has decreed ... to bear witness that there

p. 354:

prayers

^il
dUo)

and charity."

JUi j>JI Jl ISU.

-u....<jJI

* OU

J\j

yiW

nawni npnx nVen

,'D^IT "no^n). Cf.

i?05fc

n^em npix nawn; compare Tobit

]n

1^10

4)1

nrp

J^j
m'n

j'Veao

onan

01

'J

Hashanah and Fom Kippur prayer books,

12:8; Matt. 6:1-8.

14

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

VERSE
Verily, those

who

warn them or

if

misbelieve,

it is

the same to them

ye warn them not, they

will

if ye
not believe.

Baitfawi, referring to a similar verse in Sura 3:84, x comments that

he who turns aside from the truth after it has been made clear to him

from guidance.' A counterpart is found in the

talmudic statement: "The wicked do not repent even at the gate of
Gehenna." 3 Muhammad's warning that those who pay no heed at
all to him cannot benefit by his preaching, recalls the talmudic
statement that the wicked man is as little able to learn from the
righteous as the righteous man is able to emulate the behavior of the
wicked: Rabbi Eleazar said, "A wicked man lived between two
righteous men and did not learn from their ways." 4
A similar thought is expressed in Jer. 13:23: "Can the Ethiopian
change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good,
that are accustomed to do evil."
is

sunk

in error

and

who

"Verily, those

far

misbelieve after believing, and then increase in misbelief,

their repentance shall not be accepted; these are those

*

Baidawi, Vol.

I,

B. 'Erub. 19 a.
B.

Yom. 38

b.

p. 80.

who

err," 3:84.

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE

15

God has set a seal upon their hearts and on their hearing;
and on
woe.

their eyes

is

dimness, and for them

is

grievous

Zamakhshari maintains that this sentence should not be taken

literally but only to indicate that after man has wilfully turned away
from the truth, his capacities for comprehension become dulled as if
a partition existed between the man and the things to be comprehended
by him. Zamakhshari also states that this sentence does not contradict
the idea of free will. 2 It is interesting to note that the very same problem posed by Zamakhshari with regard to free will was also raised by

Gaon (882-942

C. E.) in connection with the sentence in

Isaiah 6:10. 3 Sa'adia, too, endeavors to harmonize the sentence in
Isaiah with the principle of free will. 4 Likewise, Yellin 5 calls attention

Sa'adia

to the similarity of the roots used in the Bible 6 and in the Koran, 7
and claims that the Koranic verse is almost an exact translation of

Isaiah 6:10. 8
1

Cf. Isaiah 6:10.

Zamakhshari, Vol.

I,

p. 27:

U CJS OU

jUJI
fU*

^
Jl

Nj

JLfc,

1<J

6V

J>JI

HKjJi

J~J....

4JI

.iUj

4JI

JUJ

4^1

^Jl

Jl

JL-I

li

CJ5

ui
4i
*

A irpjv)

yn vrjn TWH vami

Kitab al-Amdndt

Cf

Jk)

U-

nrn oyn

wa'l-'itiqdddt, ed. S.

and Opinions, ed. S. Rosenblatt,

David Yellin, op. cit., pp. 7, 32.

Beliefs

6
8

ypn.

"Make

their eyes."

5jv

is

di

a'

Landauer, Leiden, 1880, ch.

New

Haven, 1948, pp. 198

4, p.

160.

And

shut

f.

from the root li^^rwy.

the heart of this people

fat,

And make

their ears heavy,

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

VERSE
And when

12

said to them, 'Believe as other men

believe,' they say, 'Shall we believe as fools believe?'
Are not they themselves the fools? and yet they do
it

is

not know.

The theory

that he

who

disbelieves or transgresses is foolish is

discussed extensively in Jewish tradition. "Resh Lavish said: A
person does not commit a transgression unless the spirit of folly
1
This deduction the Talmud makes from
(shctuf) enters into him."
2
the Scripture: ".
if any man's wife
go aside" (Num.
.

also find in the

5:12).

We

Talmud

that "sin dulls the heart of man."' In a similar

vein Jeremiah (5:21) exclaims: "Hear now this, O foolish
people, and

without understanding, That have eyes, and see not, that have ears,
and hear not." 4

B. So*. 3 a.

The Hebrew word

saying:

"No

rendered "to act in folly." Hence the rabbinical

one sinneth unless the spirit of folly has entered into him." P.H.,
tisfeh is

p. 589n.

B.
*

Cf.

Yom.
Is.

39a. Cf. Lev. 11:43.

3:11: iV

rwy VT

Vioj 3 jn

yv*b MB.

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE

17

20

20

Who made

the earth for you a bed and the heaven a

and
sent
down from heaven water, and brought
dome;
forth therewith fruits as a sustenance for you so make no
peers for God, the while ye know!
;

The concept

of rain as a heavenly gift rewarding good deeds

1
occupies a prominent place in rabbinic tradition. Thus: "The clouds
draw water from the depth, as it is said, 'He causeth the vapours to

ascend from the ends of the earth' (Ps. 135:7), and in every place
where the King commands them, there they cause rain (to fall), and
But when
forthwith the earth becomes fruitful and yields produce
the Holy One, blessed be He, desires to bless the produce of the earth
and to give provision to the creatures, He opens the good treasuries in
f>a
heaven and sends rain upon the earth, namely, the fructifying rain
The phrase here, "make no peers for God," and the one in Sura
51:51, ilah akhar,* recall the Hebrew phrase 'Elohim 'afarim* used in
the Second Commandment (Exod. 20:3; Deut. 5:7).
The unity of God, which is a fundamental doctrine of Islam 5 as
.

own TIID. The Bible warns

of the Lord thy God" and the

Cf. the phrase in the Eighteen Benedictions,

the people to "hearken diligently unto the voice

reward

will

be that "the Lprd

(Deut. 28:12); the fact that

is

clearly stated in

n>py nn

n^N ^D n

Jen

open unto thee His good treasure the heaven

."
season, and to bless all the work of thy hand

will

to give the rain of thy land in its

rain

God

and not the

alone,

14:22: n!?n

CTMT

mpj) irn^K mrr Kin

idols, is

capable of giving

ujv D'opn OKI O'BBWD crun '^aru

nn. The Targum

refers onan

*n

^an to

N'Mis *nbs myw -|m n^ n

"
Kin n *6n. It would seem
(33 ,T IPPDT) ]^K !?3 rv may n n -pip -iawi wn^K
that the Koranic term for idolatry OjpU* (2:257) is a derivative of the Aramaic
idols:

-pDD hy ]n^N ]D'DI

mye used

pair vb K'DP OHI

Targum and

in the

nn^

*ODD

K'n ,o"s ,niDia

o^n

-no^n.

See, however, Geiger, op.

who claims that this word for idolatry is not found in rabbinic literature.
The Talmud states that three keys has God "retained in His own hands and not
entrusted to the hand of any messenger, namely, the Key of Rain, the Key of Childp. 55,

tit.,

birth,

and the Key

God

that

of the Revival of the

alone sends

See also [B]

,v>pra

The Moslem World,

Dead"

down water from heaven

is

An

expressed here by

identical

view

Muhammad.

,Dimn, and W. R. Taylor, "Al-Bukhari and the Aggada,"

XXXIII

(1943), # 3, p. 196.

P.R.E., p. 30. Cf. Jer. 5:24 inya anp^Di

j>T

(B. Ta'an. 2a).

A!!.

Cf. notes to 2:1-2,

mn ow jmn.

onn OM^K.

256 and R. A. Nicholson,

o.

tit.,

p. 225.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

18

Mu

well as of Judaism, is expressed by

ft am mad as Allah 'ahad (God
6
The latter seems to be a replica of the Hebrew phrase
is One) ( 1 12 :1)
,

'Adonai 'Efyad (the Lord is One), which is from the Shema'.i The
Koranic unity of God negates the idea of a plurality of gods and condemns the worship of the sun, the moon, and the stars. "And of His
signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Adore
ye not the sun, neither the moon; but adore God who created you,
The same admonition is found in
if it be Him ye serve" (41:37).
and hath gone and served other gods, and worDeut. (17:3): ".
shipped them, or the sun, or the moon, or any of the host of heaven,
.

which

have commanded not."

frequently refers to God as rabb (Lord) (2:4; 2:19;

96:1) or, as in Al-Fati^ah, rabb al-'alamin (the Lord of the world);
Rafyim Merciful) Malik (Master or King) and Rahman (Beneficent)

Muframmad

Exact counterparts

Divine being are used in the

Bible and in the Talmud: ribbon ha-'Olamin; ha-Rafyman; Melek.*
The same applies to the other names for the Deity mentioned in the
Koran, which have their Hebrew equivalents, such as 'Afyad (One);
(1:2, 78:3).

for the

Quddus (Holy); Bari' (Creator); Salam (Author of Peace); 'Aliyy

(Exalted) Kdblr (Great) Ifamid (Praiseworthy) #akim (Wise) and
;

Malik-dl-mulk (Master

Cf. Id

inn mzr irnbn mrr

iwom, I^D

Obermann,
.

,pmn

op.

^mr

"iv

yop, Deut. 6:4.

For a lengthy discussion

,0'oViyn pan.

cit.,

of these terms see

p. 93; Geiger, op. cit., pp.

p. 100.

,nri)bnai

Stfer Ye&rak, p.

no God but Allah).

pp. 198-204; Noldeke, op.

cit.,

,oim

Kingdom).

is

(There

,mu
np

TQJ ,VHU ,Vn)

,)win

(cms
cf.

itta-'lldhu

HUCA,

Horovitz,

ai

O&ha

of the

^ina
.

ii3c

in* ,'rm ,mn

... nry

,wn

jr^y

saw

osn

]DW ,*w
10; Num. Rob. 14:10; ion Tin in no bv man.
.iniVyna

iioa)

iy

mo

,Vn n'apn^

,o'n^

pan

51-52;

SURA

II

VERSE

VERSE
But bear the glad

23

19

23

who

believe and work

righteousness, that for them are gardens beneath which
rivers flow; whenever they are provided with fruits therefrom they say, 'This is what we were provided with
before/ and they shall be provided with the like; and
there are pure wives for them therein, and they shall
dwell therein for aye.
tidings to those

The Mubammadan promise

for Paradise

that of a material

is

world with gardens, rivers, fruits of various types, tastes and colors,
wives or perpetual virgins of constant purity, wherein the God-fearing

Moslem

shall abide forever. 1

Jallalain, approving of this sense, supposes the fruits of Paradise,

3
though of various tastes, to be alike in color and outward appearance.

According to Zamakhshari, however, the meaning is that the righteous

will find there the kinds of fruits they tasted while on earth. 3
In the liturgical epic 'A^damut, written in the Aramaic language
and recited on the first day of Pentecost prior to the biblical reading
of the Decalogue, it is stated: "Leviathan and the wild ox of the

mountain

meet

will

in battle

And

the sea-monster will smite

him

His creator will then approach him with his

mighty sword and prepare a banquet for the righteous. They will sit
around tables made of precious stones and before them will flow rivers
of balsam. They will regale themselves and drink full cups of the wine
preserved for them from the time of the creation of the world/' 4 The
with his powerful

fins.

Zamakhshari, Vol.

mates" (S^fk*

p. 59.

I,

The "pure

Cf. 2:34; 3:13, 127, 130, 197; 9:73.

This

Jjjt) are the wives of the faithful.

in the Koranic verse: " Verily, the fellows of Paradise

is

upon that day

clearly indicated
shall

be employed

enjoyment; they and their wives, in shade upon thrones, reclining; therein shall
a speech
they have fruits, and they shall have what they may call for. Peace!'

in

'

from the merciful Lord!"

2

(36:55).

1882, Vol.

I,

p.

298 n;

cf.

Is.

Comprehensive Commentary on the Quran, London,

3:10: "Say ye of the righteous, that it shall be well

Quoted by E. M. Wherry,

with him: For they shall eat the

B. tfag. 12a; B.
^

Yom.

Zamakhshari, Vol.

nmp

I,

p. 58.

n*

n*V

Cf. 77:41; 78:31-35; 88:5-14

in Scripta Universitatis, Vol.

Tajn TSD *:> iro -rrn

ir
nVapV pa yanp'

nnn

Also,

B. B. B.

life;

38b.

"Das Koranische Paradies,"

4

fruit of their doings/

IIDD-IK

nmoi me -nm

I,

and

J.

Horovitz,

article 6, Jerusalem, 1934.

]nn

unia-a ninra HMD

umana-o rrcnra rr-a n

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

20

items in this poem were gathered from the Midrashim 5 and other
rabbinic sources. 6
Muhammad does not mention here the number and quality of the
rivers, but the idea is completed in 47:16 where he mentions four

are rivers of water, milk, wine and honey. 7

parallel is
found in Yalfcut,* where we read that there flow four rivers: milk,

They

rivers.

honey, wine and oil. It is to be noted, however, that meat is not

mentioned in the Koranic paradise, though it frequently appears in the
rabbinic sources. 9

timm

Krnyr'a TD3

mo

nnwnaoi

wnoin

pT

JIDDIDK iirrop

-Taiai 'an

wvn

-ion

*oaa

*y jnnoo

mi

ppaDnoi

(mjna* mrno ,moTp)

pmD

j'pnsm

nirnra nin^y niD'^ya

(r'n ,r'e ,p'iD

I-ID,

Tny^ opn^ (xoprjyfa) n^in 0*n nwy^ n'apn Tny

nio^y nioVy urnr ton tyi oViy irn^K D'n^N n? *a now yaxaa ini
.

'DVm') Hno^iy 1^*0

D a

D ^

interpretation

)aa

is

based

Mishnah

oij

loc. %

explains !?ino as an "outer space."

00

Kil. 4:3 D^3D5

]W man

]D

pnxi pnx ^ai ... nvVyi D^na onyvn Vai py

onDiyo niDin omwi onorDi rau^ onpioi VJB^ -ronn OK^OI

piD

loipo

This

niDn oipo.

IJQ

mm

ony

a^o DB;I
n*imn ]'0'3^Di r^yo DHian om O'DDD I^H rma DH^D!? pnxn aw) OHTII
D ^
nn ^r nnm ya-iN ncin^ im ]H^D DDI .vm ^ao im DBPD naa 'jn
a ncin i^
noxy
pnxi pn* ^ai ... ono o^pnxn OTW
'na

Tn

Abraham S. Yahuda, anjn nay, New York, 1946, p. 153;

onra a*v mm opn^ ^ino nwy^ n'apn Tny nryV ui IDK

n^yn) iya2ca HK^D. Rashi, ad

,K^

Cf. S. Lieberman,

nio!?y.

Jerusalem, 1935, p. 9;

and: iron inn ^ai ]iy

('y

ia^

'

y ina ib

Dip

]D

pnxi pnx bai

nwaa nna

Hion ao aVa
('r ,'e

onia

nn

nVnp ,mnn) .py

noW
.

]aa

-IDK

*]vrb

onpio ma^i nom

'y /n nn ,-non n'a ,p'r^y .) .maa

,on3p!?

.(42

nnna mye ^'m

nD3

^Dwa K^pnx ^a^

-ID*D^

o^y

*D^

no

i^,

in it
promised to the pious,
are rivers of water without corruption, and rivers of milk, the taste whereof changes
i

47:16:

and

not,

clarified

"The

rivers

similitude of Paradise which

of

is

wine delicious to those who drink; and rivers of honey

."

ran hv

'HI

PDDIDH ^r 'm

]"

*i

&"

'

H nnn3
n'apn

[F] ,aop 'y).

MGWJ,
*

Cf. B. Sanh. 99a

"^

.(a

and V. Aptowitzer, "Die ParadiesesflUsse des Kurans,

1928, pp. 151-55.

o^iya ni^a) ^an vbv

o ^ai na^

.nan oViy^

mm^

Tny^ o'pnxn may^ nwy^ n'apn Tny

nair nrn.

Cf. B. B. B. 75a.

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE
How

21

26

26

in God when ye were dead and

and
then He will kill you and then
alive,
make you alive again, and then to Him will ye return?

can ye disbelieve

He made you
The

God

destroys and restores life abounds in the Koran.

In 53:45 Muhammad states: "And that it is He who makes man
idea that

laugh and weep and that

Similarly,

we

He who
"Is not He

it is

and makes

kills

alive

."

able to quicken the dead?"

found in the Talmud: "... the Holy One,

find in 75:35:

comparable idea is
MI It also
blessed be He, restores the souls to the dead bodies
brings to mind the Jewish benediction, "Blessed art Thou, O Lord,
who revivest the dead," 2 and the biblical passages, "The Lord killeth,
and maketh alive; He bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up"
(I Sam. 2:6) ... "I kill, and make alive; I have wounded, and I heal"
.

(D6ut. 32:39).

Zamakhshari associates the words of the Koran, "when ye were

dead and He made you alive," with the emergence of living man out
of a dormant sperm. 3 The same idea is expressed by Baitfawl. 4

Talmud we

also find reference to the formation of a living soul

out of the unfertilized seed: 5 "An emperor said to Rabban Gamaliel:

In the
4

that the dead will revive; but they turn to dust, and

Ye maintain

can dust come to

Thereupon his (the emperor's) daughter said

to him (the Rabbi) 'Let me answer him: In our town there are two
potters; one fashions (his products) from water, and the other from
clay: who is the more praiseworthy?' 'He who fashions them from
water/ he replied (this being far more difficult). 'If he can fashion
(man) from water (sperm), surely he can do so from clay!' (the dust
into which the dead are turned)." 6
life?'
:

B. Sanh. 108a.
B. Ket. 8b. Cf. Bu., Vol.

II, p.

201.

65:

Zamakhshari, Vol.

Baitfawi,

Cf. Rashi to B. Sanh. 91a: oo:> HTTP nniiD HDODI T'XD Kin

ID iniKiab'

inim nr
6

tion,"

ad

^wr

I, p.

loc.

P'DI

iVis o^iyn

PDD

bs

m ]w

*DJ >K

mop

HJDDD

oDn

]D

DIKH HK n*r n'apn nw 'am

OK n'apn D'K
.

"rVio Kin

iDyn.

Cf. B. Sanh. 90b-91a; Hirschfeld,

New

and notes to Verse 2:53 about "the

Researches

revival of the

p. 43,
1

about "resurrec-

dead/ Also notes to

2:52, 53.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

22

VERSE

27

It is He who created for you all that is in the earth, then

he made for the heavens and fashioned them seven
heavens; and He knows all things.

This verse dealing with the creation recalls 50:38: "We did create
the heavens and the earth and what is between the two in six days
and no weariness touched us." In the latter verse, "heavens" precedes
"earth," whereas in our present text the order is reversed. In the
Talmud, too, there is a controversy between the school of Shammai
and that of Hillel, as to whether the heaven or the earth was created

The

former, maintaining priority for the heavens, bases its

claim upon Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning God created the heaven
and the earth." The school of Hillel in upholding the opposite
first.

view claims that the earth was created

first,

as

is

written: "... in the

day that the Lord God made earth and heaven" (Gen. 2:4). Each
school sets forth arguments to substantiate its claim by logical reasoning. The Sages, however, hold that both, heaven and earth, were
created at the same time. They offer as evidence the Scriptural
verse: "Yea, My hand hath laid the foundation of the earth, And
My right hand hath spread out the heavens; When I call unto them,
They stand up together" (Is. 48:13). The Talmud then quotes Resh
Lavish "When they were created, He created heaven (first) and afterwards He created the earth; but when He stretched them forth He
stretched forth the earth (first), and afterwards He stretched forth
heaven." The Midrash cites the above legend and adds that the
controversy of the two schools lasted until the Shekinah rested on
them and they both agreed that heaven and earth were created
:

together.

Moslem commentators

also raise the question of sequence in the

creation of heaven and earth. According to Zamakhshari, the creation

1

B. #ag. 12a.

From

the word together in

Is.

48:13, "the inference

is

drawn

that heaven and earth are coeval."

on'jw I^H oy I^K iD'som om'3

awn

as *V

D'ow

pro

PHI p*V
(fop

'y

.n'twru

nuji

n'apn

nnpop D'oycr ]*w

ma

nilvxn

rooo)

consult

Talmud Yerushalmi, Sag.

Book

1923, p. 127.

I,

two

nmw

2,

om

tnaj nr

noVo.

and T33H enno,

om'3 nnnn

*?y

ynsi nnn nyea

,"nB)

.(rT'B

HOIK ''13 H'T

jw omiw
1,

ny nrn lain

rwy no in

IDIM ''am jvan nV'nn

0'

o'D

iro'

rta'3

As

,mn
to

'1031

n^nn

p
DB^K

O3J

D'or,

ed. A. Marmorstein, Drir,

SURA

VERSE

II

23

27

of the earth preceded that of the heavens. Referring to the Koranic

verse: "And the earth after that He did stretch out" (79:30), he

explains that in the beginning the earth

was created where

Israel's

sanctuary was later erected. This was in the form of a round rock
surrounded by smoke. Later on the smoke ascended upward and the
heavens emerged. Only then did the rock expand, and the earth

assumed its final form. 3

That the world was created

from the place of the sanctuary is also a rabbinic conception. Thus: "The world was created
(started) from Zion...;" and: "When the Holy One, blessed be
He, created the sea, it went on expanding, until the Holy One, blessed
be He, rebuked it and caused it to dry up." 5 The Talmud also adds
that the heavens were created from fire and water, rather than from
(started)

smoke. 6

The seven heavens mentioned in the Koran are:

Eternity, the Abode of Peace, the Abode of Rest,

the Garden of
the Garden of

Eden, the Garden of Resort, the Garden of Pleasure, and the Garden
of Paradise. 7 The Koranic idea that God "fashioned them seven
*

Zamakhshari, Vol.

p. 67:

I,

jPj....*U-JI
-U j^\

Cf.: (a'y ,TJ HDV)

^jNl fj*
y ^ ^jVi

fJff

^-uiJI c~i

dJU-lj ol^-JI

oiU

jDLi-

At

OUuJl

ji>-j

o*nyn nnann naoDB? *on .rmipa nivn rrron; also:

p0orw -po^

^nnn ID imx nya-w^ ]KD!N IKD^ nnioi nuoo ^nno "rant n^' no .IN-O
nosna 'n
(a'y ,TDP mpD ,oimn) o^iyn nnnn n^DDi n^nn n'nr ]aD io^y n; and: no
rwn niVo o^iyn nn n'apn ia '121 pn
o^iyn ID "i^im ^nno mn D^DI nu^oo Vnno
ID
o*bn ir ma'B ^m -i^3 ^ w nnw WD1 maDD n'apn Vnnn
]a
nip no!?i
n'apn

63

'y

,i^Dn nin ,-non n^a

re B?ipo in

,pyr^y

.K

Hawfeh, Budapest, 1926,

*Cf. B. Wag.

iVia o!?iyn nn^in

DDD n*n. Cf. Aptowitzer,

p. 270.

12a; V. Aptowitzer,

"Zur Kosmologie der Agada/'

MGWJ

(Reprint), 1929, pp. 363-70.

tfm. Rob.

B. Wag. 12a;

Mubammad refers often to the seven heavens A;-J' Ojj**J

cf.

Gen. Rob. 4, 7;

12, 4.

In 78:12 he calls the seven heavens "the seven strongholds"

23:17 he calls them the "seven paths" <$[}*
expression

yp-n

^a.

The Koran, however,

or

O|^*Ji

*\J^

**

^j-*^.

and

in

corresponding to the talmudic

stresses the fact that at the

**,

time of the creation "His throne was upon the water"

*UJI

J* *jf

t>O

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

24

heavens" and that the latter were made out of one of them is also
"
Jewish. This tale is found in Midrash ha-Ne'elam: Rabbi Jofrannan
said: This Ra&a' (heaven) that was created on the second day (of
All the other heavens were made
creation) is the uppermost one
out of this one
The Scriptures call it both Rakia* and Shamayim
(Gen. 1:8) because Shamayim was made of Rafcia*. And that heaven
bore all the other heavens which came out of it. f>8
Innumerable references to the heavens are found in rabbinic
sources. Thus in Midrash 'Aseret Hadibrot we find: "God created the
"
heavens and he named the lowest one Wilon." 9 And elsewhere: Rabbi
Me'ir says: There are seven heavens' ;" 10 "Resh Lavish said: There
are seven heavens, named Wilon, Rafcia', Sheha&m, Zebul, Ma' on,
Makon and 'Arabot" 11 "Every seventh is loved by God. In the
.

heavens, the seventh

loved: Heaven, Upper Heaven, Rafci'a, Shefya'Arabot, as the Psalmist (68:5) writes: 'Extol

is

kim, Zebul, Ma'on and

him that rideth upon 'Arabot.' ""

We find

a similar treatment in the Midrash with both a change of

sequence and a change of one name. "Rabbi Eleazar said: There are

11:9.

The

found

latter idea is

in

Rashi

who

states that the throne of glory stands

and hovers over the waters by the command of God Tia ioiy ma
noM>ai mn iT-o empn V* re ima cron
Vy ^moi (Rashi, Gen. 1:2).
in the air,

'

Geiger,

op.

<jJ*\J O]j**Ji
J.

Obermann,
1

op.

,n'ra

OWKI
f

op.

cit.,

p.

The Arabic terms

219.

p. 102.

mai

.nVyo^D Vxion

mnn imnc ivy

,icbiy

maw

n'apn

n'n

DD imrov o^ypirt niw ^D i^in p^pin imHi ,nVnna imai n'apn irsrw ,]wmn

y^pin inmr

cit.,

Hirschberg,

Cf.

(heaven and earth) correspond to the Hebrew pin O'DP.

yp-in iniKo o'D0n

.

(T

64-65;

pp.

tit.,

ro

o^yan

Quoted

own

v f p"i Hipan y % pn imna ornarn

amo) o^om
in Jellinek,

-nai ,nnann

mry

maiy pao pyo

]D,

quoted

60 fi

,H

r-no) ID
^iar

o'pn

,r

in T.S., Vol.

]i^i

D n n

'

a:

nnmon nn

^03 ,ypnn

im

n'apn

p. 130.

If

pnnrn o^p'pi nya

n'apn

K-ia

ny

]^ua.

ypi

ji^i

]n

I!?H

|n

(D ,r^ r-nn).

B. Sag. 12b.

"

pyo iVu? ,0'prw ,ypT ,DD^ ^Dr o f o ,a*an 'yu^

IB] a'y .Tap ,'yan anna aa PDJD ,KnpDB :(n ,n'D D'Vnn) nuiya aanV
<4
'The mention of seven and seventy and $v*n hundred
According to Lisdn-'l-'Arab,
frequent in the Qur-2n and in the sayings of the Holy Prophet, and the
"
Arabs use them to signify a large number and multiplicity
(quoted in Ali, The
is

Holy Qur-&n,

p. 22).

and nyan o*yav

Cf. Sa'adia

on Gen. 4:15 and

ifiam iAa*.

24,

where D'nya*

is

rendered

SURA n

VERSE

25

27

Upper Heaven, Rafcia', Shefyakim, Ma on,

Zebul, 'Araphel." 13 The Midrash also cites a controversy between Rab
and the Rabbis. The former says there are two heavens; the latter
1

seven heavens: Heaven,

R. Eliezer, however, says that there are

The Koranic phrase that God " knows all things" is frequently
seven.
mentioned in Jewish literature. 15
claim that there are three.
14

i
,ran D'TH).

,3

M
(?

,1

,i*'p

D'Dvn 'i^ ]n nt^W

%DB?I

,n

Cf.

,^p

Lclab Tab

,310 imB?) ]n

nya

,m

no

'r

nnw, Midrash ha-Gadol to Gen.

pm

Dip D

IDIK nry^n

DW

aon^ 10*00

*i .D'orn.

24.
%

i'y

[B] (Gen. 1,7 note 94) 31 is substituted for pai.

In the same place

the word O'DBU mentioned in the Midrash Tehillim Shower fob

read D'D*
z*

'3

In the explanatory remarks to

is

corrected to

(three heavens).

In the prayer book of Rosh Hashanah the following

np o'3Di HBU .irn^K w n 1 ^^

ynn

nVa ^DH

nnnn

^3.

is

recited:

n'waov nnnoa

]iom

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

26

VERSES

28-30

said unto the angels, 1 I am about

to place a vicegerent 2 in the earth, they said, Wilt
Thou place therein one who will do evil therein and shed
blood? we celebrate Thy praise and hallow Thee/ Said
(the Lord), I know what ye know not.

And when thy Lord

Rashi, on Gen. 1 :26, sums up the Midrashim and states that when
man was created God consulted the heavenly hosts in order to empha-

an ethical principle that

<4

the greater should always consult and

receive the permission of the lesser." 3 The general idea was that if
there be none of God's likeness in the lower spheres, there would be
size

Os)

The word used here for angel is mal'ak (pi.

which corresponds
to the Hebrew mal'ak IK^D meaning the bearer of messages; cf. Macdonald's article
on Mal&'ika in E. /., Vol. 3 pp. 189-92. Also, S. S. Haas, "The 'Creation of Man
1

Qur'Sn," in The Moslem World,

in the

XXXI

(3),

July 1941, pp. 268-73; Horovitz,

"Muhammads

Himmelfahrt," in Der Islam, Vol. IX, pp. 159 f.

The term AAO>- used here means that man is endowed with the

of ruling the rest of the earthly creation.

is

who

subjects to you th

that ye

may

may

sea that the ships

sail

crave of His grace, and that haply ye

subjected to you what

in the heavens

is

unto a people

verily, in that are signs

man was

biblical

statement that

and

them have dominion over the

let

It is so stated in 45:11,

and over the

and over

cattle,

creepeth upon the earth

and what

who

reflect."

give thanks; and

the earth

This idea

created in the image of God, ".

all

fish of

"God

it

thereon at his bidding, and

may

is in

12:

gift

all

He

has

from Him;

is

identical with the

after our likeness;

the sea, and over the fowl of the

air,

the earth, and over every creeping thing that

and God

said unto them:

Be

fruitful,

and multiply,

and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the
sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creepeth upon
the earth

"

(Gen.

1:26-28).

man

Sa'adia's idea that

nwna) MoVta

D&renbourg, Vol.

UK IDS

P ''jm

om

]epn

I,

ana

Vilna

1893.

I,

loc.\
.

edition:

See

also,

r'y

]v*

unwo

K^an0^. The

God may possess the power of

unioiai. Sa'adia, CEuvres
Kanma
KDimnV Kiaoa

'*na

Krpp irrwa wmpiai UD^xa, quoted in T.

UD^2tt

latter echoes

governing: UD^xa
Completes

.,

ed.

KDimn and ,no K^K

S.,

Vol.

I,

p. 159n.

iKJpm o'DK^on nioia o-mrw *& IKDD ino^ n'apn b&

bv K'Vow i^w Kin cr^on HK p KIJWDI ora -j^oa

man ^DW ^DJ ^nan KH^ may moi

iixa ana mawni wxy oy K^K wn na

47,

like

lornro

no^ vhw

Rashi, ad.

Zohar

hy D'^0 KD^ya *inm Kin nnoV Kia KI

(?o ,K'n TIT) idna

(ia ,K

Cf.

irnanup

TIT ID^D ainan yaoa

ino^ vb D-TK rwyK ana
oy naio KH

PK

SURA

VERSES 28-30

II

27

jealousy among angels and man, and the earth would be jealous of
the heavens.

In the Midrash, too, it is related that God consulted the angels

concerning the creation of man. 4 The angels were not all of one
opinion. Because man would be affectionate, his creation was favored
by the angels of love. But the angel of truth opposed it on the ground

man would rarely be truthful. The

knowing that man would practice justice,
that

the angel of peace opposed

angel of justice, however,

favored his creation, while

it. 5

Moslem commentators also inquire how the angels could have

known in advance what man's character would be like. Tabari's6 and
ZamakhshariV statements that the ministering angels were informed
by God himself are found in Aggadic sources. There the narrative
reads: "Rab Judah said in Rab's name: When the Holy One, blessed
be He, wished to create man, He (first) created a company of ministering angels and said to them: Is it your desire that we make a man in
our image? They answered: Sovereign of the Universe, what will be
Such and such

his deeds?

pnm own

-|^D3

U^l

,nan JVPK-Q)

roK^oa HDN *b

,1DN 'DN

"1

be his deeds,

will

He

Thereupon

replied.

DBQ ywrr *ai .-^03 >oa .OIK npya DM^

'-i

... -1^03 DV1 DV ^3 JWyoa ,1DK ]Dm 13 ^K1D0

mwn ON^oa i^w jwmn

ann n

nma^ wap nya K^M

,p

-urn

!?

"10*01
,

-|^D3

wan

,n.

nnun nnum on
"ion

na

oy
(n ,n
6

4J

nDi

Tabari, Vol.

I,

lili

o3

r'no WJN

n'mK

nna^

n'apn HaB?

nom ion Ynn ma' onoi onoi

i^i3
Kia*
IDIH nom
,onp

41!

b>

ny

no ,nep

^03 n'apn

nn

no o'D^iyn pan n'apn

^'no^ iy

n?y3 iaa

]^HD

on

no^n

nyw

na> ^

IIDD

TM

DHDIH ono

n^m ma
MD no

'3e^

po

no

,n^-iK

rnn

no

-|Wm

(n

,pn

no inb now n'apn itna

ib

oy I^H.

p. 157:

l^Lj

CJU ^feUI

UU UJ^

ona

pi::

]rno

i^

nan nnwna) on

UJWI

,ipw aiWi p-r^ i^D3

Kin

neny

Zamakhshari, Vol.

dllS

I,

p. 67:

0!

PU

Vl

CJIX

AJjl

/^S
1

4l

Jli

Jy oli..
is oi uu

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

28

they exclaimed: Sovereign of the Universe, What is man that thou

art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou thinkest
of him?
(Ps. 8:5). Thereupon He stretched out His little finger among them
and consumed them with fire. The same thing happened with a second

company. The third company said to Him: Sovereign of the Universe,

what did it avail the former (angels) that they spoke to Thee (as they
did) ? The whole world is Thine, and whatsoever that Thou wishest
to do therein, do it. When He came to the men of the Age of the
Flood and of the division (of tongues) whose deeds were corrupt, they
said to Him: Lord of the Universe, did not the first (company of
angels) speak aright? Even to old age I am the same, and even to hoar
hairs will I carry you (Is. 46:4), He retorted."*
The motif of the angels envying man is also illustrated in the story

God in order to receive the Torah. " 'Sovereign

What business has one born of woman amongst us?'
receive the Torah,' answered He to them. Said they

of Moses' ascent to
of the Universe!

'He has come to

to Him. 'That secret treasure, which has been hidden by Thee for
nine hundred and seventy-four generations before the world was

God

Thou

desirest to give to flesh and blood!

."
told Moses to "return them an answer." When

created,

explained to the angels that the Torah

is

given to

who have no opportunity for fulfilling its

them was moved to love Moses. They had
angels

precepts, each one of

to agree that man's

were superb and they praised the Lord

intellectual qualities

creation of

Whereupon
Moses had
man and not to the
.

man upon

earth.

for the

10

As

to the purpose of God's consulting the angels about

creating
man, Zamakhshari gives various explanations. One is that it might
serve as a moral lesson for His subjects to consult others before acting,
though God, of course, with His infinite wisdom, needs no advice."
B. Sanh. 38b.
B. Shab. 88b.
inquiry,

"We

"Who

Cf.

will

shall follow

[B]

obey

My

npira .Koimn where the angels' reply to God's

,1

laws,

your teaching."

if

Here

shall not create

Muhammad

man?"

is

replaced by,

uses a similar expression,

"we hallow Thy name."

'Gn.

Rob.

Shim'oni, Vol.

17, 5;

II, $

Lekab Tab, Gen.

2, 19.

Cf. also 2:31

404.

" Zamakhshari, Vol.

01

I,

JJ

p. 67:

*js\

SjjUJt

and

Is. 6:3;

SURA H

29

VERSES 28-30

The Midrash Lefcab Tob also states that the reason why God said,
"Let Us make man/' is that God does nothing without consulting

He

does not require their advice. Similarly, the Talmud states: "The Holy One, blessed be He, does nothing
"
without consulting His heavenly Court. ts
According to the Talmud, the Bible itself attests to the creation
of man by God alone without assistance. This is deduced from the

His heavenly court," though

biblical verse:

"And God

created

However, God wanted to teach

man in His own image" (Gen. 1 :27).

man an ethical principle, always to

ask the advice of others before doing something. 14

Tabari quotes the Moslem tradition that God gathered earth from
all over the world and that, therefore, man's physiognomy differs in
color as does the earth out of which he was formed. 15 In the same
manner, Jewish tradition explains the various colors of the parts
16
comprising the human body, and that for the creation of man,
collected the dust from all parts of the world. 17

M pTy nTna nmop n^yo hv wbon

([B] YD ,N'B rwma ,310 nph) NnVw par-ip
J3

(r

B. Sanh. 38b. bncr^

,n:n

,n

^
x*

nwu)

inx

IKTQD

*3K

110^

no no

-J^DJ

God

n'apn

]w

man hwh ^nan KU'

o0

DM K^K -an

mny

-uroai HOOTD.

UDD ppn

onoiK om

Ibid.

Tabari, Vol.

I,

p. 165:

*pw

(^D ,n-n) nian n? pn ,D*T nioxy I^K ]a^ ,oaipn i^ TITO ,onn nr on. However,
Targum Jonathan to Gen. 2:7 mentions three colors only, ivrn Dirw, poiD.
^ B. Sanh. 38a-38b: "Adam's trunk came from Babylon, his head from Ere?
Yisrael, his limbs from other lands, and his private parts, according to R. Aba,
from Afcra
Sanh. 4 9.
f

di

Agma." See

also [Z] i ,n

]mrD

KnDin and Talmud Yerushalmi,

t

30

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

VERSES
And He

31-32

Adam

the names, all of them x then He

propounded them to the angels and said, Declare to me
the names of these, if ye are truthful.
They said,
'Glory be to Thee! no knowledge is ours but what Thou
thyself hast taught us, verily, Thou art the knowing, the
wise/ Said the Lord, O Adam, declare to them their
names; and when he had declared to them their names
He said, 'Did I not say to you I know the secrets of the
heavens and of the earth, and I know what ye show and

taught

what ye were hiding?

Adam's remarkable wisdom, according to Jewish tradition, was

2
displayed by his ability to find names for all the animals: "The
ministering angels spake before the Holy One, blessed be He, saying:
Sovereign of all Worlds! 'What is man, that thou shouldst take note
of him?' (Ps. 144:3) 'Man (Adam) is like unto vanity' (ibid. 4), upon
earth there is not his like. (God) answered them: Just as all of you

Me in the heights of heaven so he professed My Unity on earth,

praise
1

"He created man, taught him

"Adam" is used for insan as in

Cf. 55:3:

in verse 31

op.

amc^

nonan rm

n*o

no

&

nr

no

n^ia

,r"'

The

the names

Tb,

those

names by

Adam called

the

heavenly

'n

n^ IDK

,nai

a'B na

naioa)

niD
f

ed.) a*'

,a

'D

no

,HHBDin)

'JN

mnan

D^nT); and:

imtp ]va ]n IK
,1

no nni ^D: nn DID

-JDP

nnw n
%

-ipn^?

nw

nr

-)!?

ia*D

no

nivn

nr\b

-ION

DTK

ib

py

-non nr TIP nr

VK ^DP no *JKI nmnn

were to remain forever because

spirit,

no

JD.

According to Midrash

Midrash cited below.

^ ]mo

^ iV

IJ;T

nr^i ^D3 nrbi DID nr^i

[Z] (n

IDK

DIM

rw&nn

Adam
ain

designated

^DD

DDHM

oaWo

HDK

]rb

mpn

)Tayn DIH mas? ira

i"n

Haas,

rn-n^ n'apn ^pa^a nno n moan

3H^oa 1^03 Din n
V'
mam a PU no rieV no lio^xa
nano moan ni*na^ nacn '3w
iDH

on^

,D'MD

no

ib

*JK

fully related in the

Lefcab

rwyi

n*

inan n^K-in) i^nria bsb ]nn

is

story

oaWo nano moan

*ran

VJD^ p'ayn o-m toa0 ]va j'jnr vn N^I 100 no nr

DIN topn^

(a

S.

cf.

The Foreign Vocabulary of the Qur'an, Baroda, 1938, p. 79.

nan itt&xa DIN npjn ]rb no m0n 'at6oa -|^DJ o-wn rm mtaaV n'apn ap nypa

nvin

no

Hebrew Ditrp;

biblical

p. 269; A. Jeffery,

cit.,
2

(i

Note, however, that

plain speech.

nr^i ni

n'apn

^a by

mam

ja^ ]noiH *:a

pnn

"nn and [B] -rt

no ^'K

nnp^ nw
IDK

]n.

'a

in'3D^

Cf.

IKTI

INU

jij;i

nr^ -UDN I^H

ID

^ imo^ no ^ ID

nobn) ,nn o^iy

nnn *a^D^
'n

HPDD ,mc nvnc nana

n^n nnna ^a ora

no

PUN no y'pai vas^

^aa IDP TTH no i)3n

*y ,1

p'aym

not*

am

n3

j^in cm

noi Tmn
n'apn io

ny

ni^ no nT. See

ia

nyra

nma

wi

also (Sch.

SURA

VERSES 31-32

II

3f

nay, moreover, are you able to stand up and call the names for all
the creatures which I have created? They stood up, but were unable
(to give the names). Forthwith Adam stood up and called the names

His creatures, as

for all

it is

said,

'And the man gave names to

all

"
cattle'

(Gen. 2:20) .3

also assembled all the angels and requested them to name

the animals according to their kind. But they were not equal to the

God

God

then called upon Adam, and he spoke without hesitation. 4

A direct parallel to this Aggadic source may be found in Zamakhshari who writes that God showed Adam the various species he
task.

the horse, the camel, etc. God also

about their characteristics and their usefulness in

created and taught

informed
secular

Adam

and

him

to

name

5
religious matters in this world.

P.R.E., p. 91.

<

Lefab Tob, Gen. 2,20

Zamakhshari, Vol.

I,

[B]; cf. Gen. Rab. 17,5.

p. 68:

<U!LPJ

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

32

VERSE

33

And when we

said to the angels, 'Adore Adam/ they

adored him save only Iblls, who refused and was too
1
proud and became one of the misbelievers.

Geiger claims that this "legend bears unmistakable marks of

Christian development." He goes on to say that "it is true that in
Jewish writings great honour is spoken of as shewn by the angels to
Adam, but this never went so far as adoration; indeed when this was

once about to take place in error, God frustrated the action. >>a
This claim of Geiger is refuted if we assume that the word sajada,
literally meaning "bow down'* (before him), does not refer to the
deification of man by the angels, but merely to tribute and honor.
Such an interpretation is actually given by Zamakhshari and Baitfawi,
agree that the command to the angels to "bow down before
Adam M is not to be understood as a command to adore or deify him. 3

who

worth mentioning that quite apart from the Moslem commentaries, Torrey recognizes that "the Koran does not speak of worshipping, however, but merely of approaching a personage of high rank
in a truly oriental way/' 4 To the interpretation of the Moslem commentators, the rabbis offer an abundance of parallels and counter5
We find in the Midrash: "On the day when the first man was
parts.
It is

Cf. 38:71-75

1938, pp. 84
a

and E.

J. Jurji,

Illumination in Islamic Mysticism, Princeton,

f.

Geiger, op.

cit.,

p.

98 and

p.

77 (English edition).

He

also quotes a source

(found in Zunz, "Die Gottesdienstlichen Vortrage der Juden," p. 291 n.) that shows

a striking resemblance to this Koranic verse.

It is

found in the ms. Midrash

Rabbi Moses Haddarshan, who, however, lived in the eleventh century.

M. Griinbaum, Neue Beitrage zur semitischen Sagenkunde (p. 60), follows Geiger

of

in that worshipping

The same view

p. 16:
*

Zamakhshari, Vol.

.4J

upheld by Hirschberg, op.

"Diese Vorstellung

4*^1
*

is

any other than God would be inconceivable

4*rj

I,

p. 69:

O^jJj

Jf>

cit.,

aiyo^ rnron
,b

p. 71

rvnnrwn^

p. 224.

See also H. Speyer, op.

OiU!

(^tj)

J~*

\J3j

according to AH, op.

cit. 9

cit.,

p.

25

JUJ

4&SJI
n.,

sajada means "saluted."

mm OT&K hioia iHino mm v^n

inai omu mm? anno raw iNTnn

inoip

Jewish tradition.

typisch christlich."

ATp-lj <Ju-ji

Torrey, op.

no*

is

cit.,

in

*?y

op OIK K-QJP

nv-inn

^3

imn

jr:>

SURA
4

created, as

it is said,

VERSE

II

In the day

33

33

when thou (Adam) wast

created they
were prepared,' the Holy One, blessed be He, said to the ministering
angels: Come, let us descend and render loving service to the first
"*

man

That the angels adored Adam "save only Iblts," is also discussed
in the Talmud and other rabbinic sources. R. Judah says: "Adam
reclined in the Garden of Eden, whilst the ministering angels roasted
flesh and strained wine for him;" 7 thereupon the serpent 8 looked in,
saw him, and became envious of him. "In the hour when the Holy
One, blessed be He, created man, the ministering angels mistook him
for the Deity and wished to proclaim him as the Holy One. God
then made man to fall into a deep sleep, and all knew that he was
human." 10

nnina utna*

ny

(rann ron .o'Vnn

o^

u^y

,'Jiyoe?

-p^wi nyi rruo

DipV')

aV

vzbn

niKJ -|^o 'n

'

noa

ninan

*?3

onto

mnn

'V

nnnrwn^ o'na arm no

uyi re n

OIK

tins.

P.R.E., p. 89.

The Talmud,

Adam

to

repeating the Aggada that the angels were serving roast

Garden

in the

of Eden, states that this

was

"flesh that descended

meat
from

heaven" (B. Sanh. 59b).

*/.

e.

Satan;

cf.

p. 84.

Re the term

Kor.

Unt.,

Iblts (Satan: Iblis

87;

p.

Gen. Rob. 17 and L. Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews, Vol.

also

diabolos; Shaifan

(ash-shait&n)

and Ibn Ezra

to Gen.

ibid.,

pp.

120

5,

Ethiopia) see Horovitz,

,

f.;

cf.

A.

N.

Pollack,

... rrun.

See also L. Jung,

Fallen Angels, Philadelphia, 1926, pp. 59-61; and 7:22 as well as Tabari, Vol. I,
op.

cit.,

p.

130;

3:1: ]o

p. 179.
9

Yalkut Shim'oni, Vol.

I,

15

)xn.

n'apn vrav

nya

and B. Sanh. 59b: maaa nmi

rru

tupnn.
10

.n

rnp vicV no^ wpai nnn OK^O iye pwnn on

rno) ot wn ^an iyTi nmnn v^y ^en n'apn; cf.

nry no ...

,nan

nna

Ecc. Rob. 6, 10.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

34

VERSE

34

Adam dwell, thou and thy wife, in

eat
therefrom
and
Paradise,
amply as you wish but do
not draw near this tree or ye will be of the transgressors.
And Satan made them backslide therefrom and drove
them out from what they were in, and we said, 'Go
down, one of you the enemy of the other, and in the earth
there is an abode and a provision for a time.

And we

said, *O

Equivalent phrases are found in Gen. 2:16-18; 3:4,13-23. The

Arabic term for the devil (Shaitan) is the same as the Hebrew Satan.
Likewise the Arabic Janndtun (Paradise) (68:32) (98:7) is undoubtedly
borrowed from the Hebrew Can or Gan 'Eden. 2
Griinbaum claims that the identification here of Satan with the
snake is not to be found in Jewish literature and should therefore be

attributed to Christian influence. 3

Jewish lore of the

4
post-Koranic period, Satan is definitely identified with the serpent.
According to Zamakhshari and Baitfawl, Satan hid himself in the
mouth of the snake in order to be able to enter Paradise. 5 A similar
idea is expressed by Sa'adia Gaon, who states that an angel spoke out
of the mouth of the snake and not the snake himself. 6

However,

Ibn Ezra to Gen. 3:1; Maimonides, h'D

Geiger, op.

signifying bliss,

Rab.

p. 71; Gen.

term AJ^-

pp. 46-47; "'Eden,"

cit.,

and py p
17, 18;

is

in

,3'n J'ID.

py,

name

the proper

is

the garden of pleasure."

See also Torrey, op.

Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews, Vol.

5, p. 84.

used in the Koran in connection with other gardens and

is

in the pre-Islamic literature, there

is

no doubt that

its

of a region

derivation

is

cit.,

Though the
is

also found

from the Hebrew.

Die Aram. Fremdworter im Arabischen, Leiden, 1886, p. 148. The Koranic

expression here recalls the biblical "And the Lord God planted a garden eastward,
in Eden." Compare 18:107; 23:10; B. tfag. 14a and U. Cassuto, m Ty QTND,
S. FrSnkel,

Jerusalem, 1953, p. 70.

*

Neue Beitr&ge

any
,K'n

(n'h

quoted
*

-in?)

.,

p. 61.

*ram ... in K^:N IBP

ntbyh KHID oia

in'K

men IN^O

*n pnn rpoVixi
I?TN GTKH

0m

pai mon

hy vnrmi

iVo

mn

i yin

^N'DDI

nr m,

in T. S., Vol. II, p. 252.

Zamakhshari, Vol.

BaitfSwI,
6

rrn

ad

I,

p. 69:

loc.

Ibn Ezra's commentary, Gen. 3:1: vb pnnn

on

0run

pna

'iyo at

SURA

VERSE

II

35

34

Tabari elaborates on the sadistic acts of the snake as well as on

the punishment inflicted by God on the snake and on Adam and Eve.
He writes that when Satan wanted to enter Paradise he entered the
body of the snake, which was a quadruped and had the appearance
of a camel. In Paradise he came out of the snake, took the fruit from
the forbidden tree, brought it to Eve and enticed her by pointing out
the greatness of its beauty, the sweetness of its taste and fragrance.
Eve tasted it and came to Adam and persuaded him, too, to follow
her example. Adam also ate it and then they began to realize their
nakedness and hid themselves in the tree. God came and called:
"Adam, where art thou?" And Adam replied, "Here I am. I hid
because I am ashamed to stand before Thee." God replied: "The
earth out of which thou wert created will be afflicted because of thee,
cursed shall be the fruits it shall bear, and no tree, whether in Paradise
or on earth, shall surpass in beauty the cedar and the lote trees in the
Garden of Eden." And to Eve He said: "Painful (like death) shall be
thy giving birth." And to the snake He said: "Because thou misled
My servant, be thou condemned. Upon thy belly shalt thou go and
dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. Enmity shall prevail
between thee and man." 7
-JVD pT .nat. This idea

is

also found in f>

'o

K'-HB; cf. Geiger, op.

tit.,

p. 100.

Tabari, Vol.

4J-I

CJtfj

I,

p. 181:

c>j>-

Ui

J>o

01

UfJju-i

4,1

i^JLI

Ui...

Jl
>

Jl

U
JU ^j
jj
i

ju
jJI

U dlx-

ju

oLij

JA Cj^l

,^-,1

isji

JU"

^>J

Jl

VI ...CJI

u^* Jj^.
^ii oir

JQJI

dJLL

JU

Sj^lSI

^waJ
jdl

01

O^jl

CJI C^J)

ISU

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

36

This narration in its entirety is drawn from Jewish sources. That

the snake was like a camel is related in the Midrash.* Similarly, the
Midrash speaks of Adam's sin and of thorns and thistles that would
grow from the earth instead of trees because of man's unworthiness.'
The same applies to the story about Adam hiding from God because
he was ashamed of his wrong doings. 10

As

for the curses inflicted

upon the

earth,

Adam, Eve and the

snake, Tabari's words duplicate the story in Genesis 3:14-19: "...

beasts of the
cursed art thou (snake) from among all cattle, and .
field ... I will put enmity between thee and the woman ... 'I will
.

greatly multiply thy (woman's) pain and thy travail; in pain thou
shalt bring forth children
cursed is the ground for thy (man's)
.

thou eat of it all the days of thy life ...'".

Tabari also mentions that the menstruation of woman is a punishment inflicted originally upon Eve because of her sin." This, too,
appears in several rabbinic sources: "Eve was cursed with ten curses,
toil shalt

sake; in

since

it is

written

Unto the woman

He

said,

and I

will greatly multiply

(Gen. 3:16), which refers to the two drops of blood, one being that of
menstruation and the other that of virginity.""
According to Baitfawi, the prohibition to "draw near this tree" was
a means of precaution. For the proximity of a thing stirs up a desire
for it. 13 The Aggada, too, relates that when Adam told Eve that

SjJU*

JJ

jo!

CJI

v^l

rrn
* '131
(

-jynp VM)!? -JDH

f

Mtar

VyiJDD

.H'-IIB)

way ,py

.p nma

Hanw ,Kanw OJH

.

OJH GIT?

"Tabari, Vol.

I,

noV

Ji

^DD

*\h

n^yo mvn nor

h*

:IDH

'

DITJ;

IDHI o

:iV

,yoD.

HI^HI ]3a

Cf.

,D

'

nyor n^ip nn IDHJT 'moxy nyni 'nyov

,n:n

nwu.

p. 182:

V
*

IDH -wpn

rm nnwna).

.a'a
xo

TITO PP nor

Jjj 4)

VI

T.

B. 'Erub. lOOb;

cf.

Bai<J&wi, Vol.

p. 20.

I,

i^^i

Uo)l
S.,

On

oi

Jp V

*LJ Ol^J

*lj>-

ou AI Jia...
Cj.UI

jdl

i^WI

Vol. II, p. 273 n.

God's command "do not draw near this tree" he

writes:

Jjb)l

OUoi. j.

^OJI

^li

^Jl

JJUJ

OUIL- 4J

SURA

II

VERSE

37

34

God commanded

not to eat from the tree of knowledge, he added the

1
prohibition of "not touching" the tree as a preventive measure. *
Muhammad leaves us in the dark as to the nature of the prohibited

Zamakhshari and Baitfawl, however, do raise the question of

"the nature" of the tree and state that opinions about it are divided
among Moslem commentators. Some hold that it was a "wheat (tree),"
others claim it was a "vine (tree)," still others maintain it was a "fig
tree." 15 All three opinions mentioned above are found in the Talmud.
"That (forbidden) tree from which Adam ate was a vine, for nothing
else but wine brings woe to man. R. Judah said: It was the wheat
plant, for an infant cannot say 'father' and 'mother* until it has
tasted of wheat (thus, wheat is the first thing to induce knowledge).
R. Nehemiah said: It was the fig tree, for whereby they transgressed,
they were taught to make amends as it is written, And they sewed fig
tree.

leaves together. (Gen. 3:7)" 16

Around the Koranic statement, "one

you the enemy

of

of the

other," the counterpart of which is found in the Bible (Gen. 3:16),

Tabarl weaves an Islamic legend: Mubammad was once asked

He replied: "Man and snake

are eternal enemies. When the snake sees man he frightens him and
bites him and inflicts pain upon him." 17 In the Talmud, too, we find

whether

it

was permitted to

kill

a snake.

that "only an ox that killed (is tried) by twenty- three, but any other
animal or beast who killed, whoever is first to kill it acquires merit in

.^lj
Cf. 7:18, "but

* nan

vh

noo mi'

"IOH0

mott^ ronr
f

j iiK)

(H'D

draw not nigh unto

.

o-wn Vy

vrn^

in

will

ye

I,

nVi

p,

21:

nm

loxy

AUJIjl

pwnn

o-w rwpt I M D inrn

V'w -pia mnV

IUD i^Dnn H^ o'n^H ion

jo nin

be of the unjust/'

IDIK ton nrr ina-fr

)"D rwjn r6 IDH -p H^H n'apn

iyan
imwn p
ny'M I^DH fyn

sBai(Jawi, Vol.

o*rfrn 'n

this tree or

JiJI

nina nr

pvmn DTH
noi n'apn i^

iniV

fpn

n.
4^

^11

j\

^kJ-1

^A

3y>JtJlj;

cf.

Zamakshari, ad he.
I<J

B. Sanh. 70a-70b; B. Ber. 40a; Gen. Rab. IS, 7:

fig tree/*

As

Haggada

Literatur, Berlin, 1900, pp. 38

f

1948, p. 56.

* Tabarl,

the forbidden tree

to the nature of the tree of knowledge in Jewish

see L. Ginzberg, Die

XXI

4l

Vol. I f p. 181.

ff.

bei

was a

and Christian sources

den Kirchenvatern und in der Apokryphischen

and Judah Rosenthal, Tina nipny

niW, HUCA,

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

38

the sight of Heaven

Is not R. Akiba's opinion identical with
that of the first Tanna (of the Mishnah)?
(No;) they differ in the
case of a serpent (which, according to R. Akiba, can be killed even

without

18

na'py
...

trial).

>>x8

B. Sanh. 15b: IDIK nry^K

'i

'ID

...

nwfo pa

]n ]H

:na

in

carcass of a snake

opinion
kill

is

that

it

him and use

was

op

in T.

and thus

nona -wan n0Wi onpya n'orw

rabbis also discuss the reason

woman

man

why

nw
the

should be eager to

God's command, Gen. 3:15, "and

fulfill

Vol. II, p. 270.

oroa

mm

deliberately done so in order that the

his skin

S.,

wn wn. The

in'orw rrm nona irwi rvonp TIP irw

not contaminating like that of other creeping animals. Their

enmity between thee and the

quoted
irno HM

n0Vn onpya

]nn^ oTipn hi uvorw

nar

rn tO'H

is

'n

Cf.

.":

nn

will

put

D'5nrn ^3 iKtto irtaj MD'D

TOD ,0'WD naoo, where

it is

stated that

According to Targum Yerushalmi (Gen. 3:21), "the

garments, (my rmro) which God made for man were made of the skin of the

snake/

ynaci

aio.

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE
And Adam caught

turned towards him, for

35

words from

certain

He

39

35

his Lord,

and

He

the compassionate one

is

easily turned.

The Arabic

expression of taba-'alayhi, if used in the religious sense,

1
implies returning to a state of obedience, i. e., repentance.
According to Baitfawi, the phrase, "and He turned towards him,"

Lord turning to Adam mercifully and accepting his

This idea is also found in rabbinic sources, where it is
repentance.
related that God showed Adam the way to repent. 3 The Midrash
derives its explanation from the biblical phrase, "In the sweat of thy
face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground" (Gen.
refers to the
2

3:19).

We

when Adam met Cain and

also find that

inquired about his

penalty for killing Abel, the latter replied that he had repented and
his punishment was mitigated. 5 Thereupon Adam realized the importance of repentance. 6 The Midrash also states that when Adam
violated the prohibition of eating from the forbidden fruit, he implored
God not to mete out the punishment of death on the very same day,

*i

having the same meaning as the Hebrew term nawn (repentance), from

the root aw, "return".

*

Baicjawi, Vol.

JUb

p. 21.

I,

Jfj^l j*j

^V

*>dl

Cf.
in

Mahdi Allam, "The Theory

Manchester Literary and

of Forgiveness as

Phil.

01

^.j

.'Jl

-oU&l

4UMfc!

Jp

expressed

f jJl

in

the Qur'Sn,"

Warrington, 1939, Vol.

Society,

LXXXIII,

pp. 63-79.
3 N*?

on^

,o-rKn

^3n

bxN -urwai

TJDK nyra

]nn

n^

"i

mo^ oom mo b onpn

ow

n'D-a

"i

oin

VK o'n^K

,nain nwy^

ID

,]

iaa

*nmn

'n

^ rm

naw

Gen. 3:19, HDIHH ^K law iy.

i
^"
:cv
iwmn DIH u y

jwtnn oi8

-iD

nyj^

([B] ro ,nwKia
6

^ now

([B] H* ,ynrn ,KDirun)

^

ID

-IDK

nma

unman) (a

.dnyn
,a"x

f
ID -nan 'n' n

o^nn)

'n^

nmn^

aio.

Cf. n

Vi^K io
,aio

,a'

by neon

nryj no

inw.

^mwnai nawn nry .aib

jwmn om ^nnn
w norn nnm jwmn OIH iny in ,ynr 'n w n b ai ,nawn V
nwma) 'nV nmnb. Cf. B, 'A. Z. 8a; Lev. J?a&. 10, S.
v

,nan

nria

nn
nna

]^p

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

40

but one thousand years hence (God's day), so that he would have
ample time to repent. 7
8
Tabarl and Zamakhshari relate that Adam pleaded with God:
"Didst Thou create me? Didst Thou imbue me with Thy spirit?
Didst Thou place mercy before anger?" Such a plea is, to our knowledge, not to be found in rabbinic sources. However, the idea that
God placed mercy before anger in His dealing with Adam is explicitly
mentioned in rabbinic sources where it is stated that the reason for
God's calling to Adam, "Where art thou?", was to place mercy before
judgment and thus induce Adam to repent. 9 Teaching Adam to
repent has influenced the whole world to learn the art of asking
forgiveness."

voo

mwy) ro ^a

Yy

,n"V i~i

quoted

men mo HDD i^an ova o Ym Vy iu n'apn

Vy im nawn rmyv naa n'apn ^v IDV iV |'no *6n ovn

Wunn

vbv

nr n'n

ivayn ioxy

in

o-nn

jwtnn OIK py nroVn emo).

Tabari, Vol.

Jl

gtf

VJ

^1 JU J, JU

JU db^r

J.

187:

I, p.

Zamakhshari, Vol.

I,

^j

(i

j^SUJ
Jtf

tf

dJL-^P

Jli

....Jj

ila-o

dlio-j

Jj

Jl

c->j

JB
Jl

J--J

Jl

*-J

J:

L.J

^->rf

J tf

l-

Ju

Je

...Ji
Kin
'

(i

rno

pn yir n'apn JK
aw ^m TIT i^ nnc

,H'a ,nai
10

laooi

mo

onpn

'31

w*

&

*py

H!?H

o'ornn

IDHM

mo

.([B]

*6n
'

'n

]n ... DTKH

iV nni>

10^0

n'apn m? y noi ... VD

W inora mini

mm na nan

^a nayna

inn nr

ar

Jtf
!?H

dJL^

'^H 'n

nawn ny*

,ynrn KDinjn)

mo, T.S., Vol. II, p. 262 n.)-

nno n'apn

^?

we

(man

nawna in^ym ]iy

,nvo^n nioa rm^vn np) nawn nwy^ nmin

nawna no nvo

(twmn onn

iV

n'wna) nawn
Kin* iro*

Jli...

p. 70:

b.

oomn

^1

mpn
.

jnn
nnyi

pwnn

OTH

IDK IT.

Hn

iJDia

Cf. also: rfrw

a"i

in

nona a iVapi nonn

SURA

VERSES

II

VERSES

38

AND 44

41

38 and 44

ye children of Israel! remember my favours with which

have favoured you; fulfil my covenant and I will fulfil
your covenant.
1

ye children of Israel! remember my favours which

1 have favoured you with, and that I have
preferred
you above the worlds.

"You have made me a unique

and I shall make you a unique object

rabbinic dictum:

Compare the

object of your love in the world,

love in the world." 1
of

My

Similarly, the Bible states:

"And

My

will establish

covenant*

Me

and thee and thy seed after thee throughout their

generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee
and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed
after thee, the land of thy sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an
everlasting possession; and I will be their God" (Gen. 17:7-9). The
word "covenant" is frequently mentioned in the Scriptures, 3 e.g.:
"Now therefore, if ye will hearken unto My voice indeed, and keep
between

My

covenant, then ye shall be Mine own treasure 4 from among all

peoples; for all the earth is Mine" (Exod. 19:5).
According to Midrash Tanfyuma the foundation of the world is
the Torah, with which God favored the Israelites, that they should

study and obey

its

is

similar idea

B. #ag. 3a.

5
precepts day and night, and be blessed by Him.
found in T abari, who also interprets the favors

Cf.

,rb

(a'y

OTIDB)

'roa rwoV

iV

noiu* .onain

nna

in

jn

See 3:111:
rp KpDB ,-]ryro "UDD) ...b omiD na TTID oiw moar
"What ye do of good surely God will not deny, for God knows those who fear."

and

([F]

Also 2:147.
9

(a'o

,r'D
3

Cf.

Cf.

WD rm

JK

vnD'pm

:(o ,r"0 VNprrv) o^iy

nna h*wh pn^

Exod. 19:5; 34:28; Deut.

The Hebrew term 'am

or "peculiar people/

and

segullah

is

'niD'pm

*nna na

JK

'man

oman

as
'a

its

ma

"WK

Mishnah Ab.

3:18:

inna a^ny^

Vmr

nar.

O'a'an.

by some as "peculiar treasu^"

being peculium. The Targumim, both

translated

the Latin translation

,pnn ^a

5:3; 9:9-11; 26:18;

Yerushalmi give

Cf. also: !?DD oy pan

meaning "beloved,"

oyei .inoa nn

K'DDJ;

Vao

fyan.

K*D* H^I lonai laaa lai .n^ao n^oi

Vnam inn .ynn 'oy Va V a ina ,0'Djjn.

* Gen.
as a substitute
1, 13 [B]; the Torah was given to Adam after he repented
the Garden of Eden which he had lost (a-K O'piB J'YTK). Cf.: jwn jnw on 'a

(n ,D^

for

-jV

^Nprrr).

Ps. 105:8, 9, 10, o^iy

Onkelos

nna

mov

rtorp jan)

nvnV o^oyn Vap oann

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

42

as referring to the Scriptures, the prophets and to the miracles in

Egypt.

The Rashbam

offers

Obadia Sforno gives a more

entire

human

specific reason.

dear to

Me

He

yet you
thereby will you be more beloved to Me than

for

species

be to

shall

you

teach the entire

worship

Him/

iom -OTJ

Me

race to call

says: Although the

are dearest of all ...

the other peoples

all

understand and to
in the name of the Lord and to

a kingdom of

human

rrtnjD

priests, to

'n

.I'ao*)) 'n

np^.

Tabari, Vol.

I,

^ on"m nan
.pan ^3 ^ 3 -IDNI

*T3 vnnp troyn hon rbno

om

toe.; cf.

"

18

0'oyn hzb
(n ," nior

is

But Rabbi

a similar explanation. 7

p^n IPK oyo3

-IPN

^3

irw

T3

p. 191:

Moshe Greenberg,

"Segulla,"

JAOS,

1952, Vol.

LXXI

(3),

pp. 172-

Boaz Cohen, "Peculium in Jewish and Roman Law," in PAAJR, XX

pp. 135-234. The divine communication with Moses was for the sake of
74;

B. B. B. 12 Ib; Rashi to Deut. 2:17:

'"

ow

0^3

V rnn on

mpV

ivro *3 nDH3i ,impn

,n ,D ff

nior ,iniDo)

.0^3 KISW DIH

*?y

3'3n

mw

mm

Vs!?

Israel.

nrsn

(m3)

nmn^i ]^nV D^ns ns^oo rnn '3 0^30

un3 onm noK3 .K3^ Tny^ ^nv ]^aj; n\T 103

viann pon
'

oipo ^DD

^303 H^K onraan

(1951),

H^ID rnn

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE

43

46

46

When we

saved you from Pharaoh's people who sought

evil and woe, slaughtering your sons and
letting your women live; in that was a great trial for you
from your Lord.
to

wreak you

here combines two stories: the biblical tale about

Pharaoh's decree to kill the sons "upon the birthstool" 1 and the
midrashic legend that Pharaoh was stricken with leprosy and ordered

Muhammad

3
the slaughter of the Israelite children in order to bathe in their blood.
Zamakhshari, 3 Baitfawi and Tabari4 quote a tradition that the
Egyptian wise men foretold to Pharaoh that a male child would be

born that year who would inflict defeat upon him and crush his empire.
This caused Pharaoh to decree the death of all male children.
This tradition is well known in the Talmud, where it is related that
Pharaoh decreed the slaughter of all male children, because the
astrologers had warned him that a boy was soon to be born to the
Israelites who would overthrow him. 5
The Midrash also describes how Pharaoh's people "sought to
M
wreak the Israelites "evil and woe." "The taskmasters of Pharaoh
were beating the Israelites in order that they should make (for them)
the tale of bricks, and it is said, 'And the tale of the bricks, which
they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them

Exod. 1:15-22; Rashi, ad

o'tfom rmo ^KIBP

,9 run mop) ova

o'oys >np

ounn)
3

Zamakhshari, Vol.

I,

(Ex. 5:8).

mooi

-|^

Drrma ymi ipaa

onxo

'DIB-IH

now

*tb

anporn HKDI aiya. Cf. also:

p. 75:

4Jb

Cf

Baicjawi,
4

a4

/oc.

Tabari, Vol.

B. Sot. 12a;

I,

p.

208:

gty.1

cf.

OJj

[B] ra

The

loc.

Binpj N ? ON

^opo

,'H

mo

ISU

.aw

Ji^ *LJ
np!?

:Top on

^^O-

,nio

Jl

imna

no!?

nwa mm

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

44

were gathering the straw of the wilderness, and they were

carrying it on their asses and (also on) their wives, and their sons.
The straw of the wilderness pierced their heels, and the blood was
mingled with the mortar ... the Holy One, blessed be He, descended
and smote the firstborn of the Egyptians
." 6
Pharaoh's cruel decree brought havoc to the whole community.
Israelites

Talmud

"Amram was

the greatest man of his

generation when he saw that the wicked Pharaoh had decreed 'Every
son that is born ye shall cast into the river,' he said, In vain do we labour.
He rose and divorced his wife. All (the Israelites) thereupon arose
It is related in the

that

and divorced their wives. His daughter said to him, 'Father, thy
decree is more severe than Pharaoh's; because Pharaoh decreed only
against the males whereas thou hast decreed against the males and
females. Pharaoh only decreed concerning this world whereas thou
hast decreed concerning this world and the World to Come. In the
case of the wicked Pharaoh there is a doubt whether his decree will be
or not, whereas in thy case, though thou art righteous, it is
certain that thy decree will be fulfilled ... He arose and took his
wife back; and they all arose and took their wives back." 7
fulfilled

The
Mosaic

style in Verses 46-95 of this Sura is much like that of the

admonitions in the Book of Deuteronomy. 8 It also recalls the

biblical expressions describing the hardships of the Israelites at the

hands of the Egyptian taskmasters. 9

'P.R.E., pp. 385-86;

cf.

Geiger, op.

tit.,

pp. 153-54.

B. Sot. 12a. Cf. Exod. 1:11-21.

Deut. 29:1-5.
*

Rashi in explaining the Hebrew word "pos

Israelites

in

Exod. 1:13 writes that the

were put to rigorous labor which crushed and shattered their bodies.

See also B. B. Sot. 12a-b.

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE

45

47

47

When we

divided for you the sea and saved you and

drowned Pharaoh's people while ye looked on.

1-29 in Exodus relates the entire history of the

Israelites in Egypt culminating in the events related in the 30th verse:
"Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore." In
verse 21, God commands Moses to stretch out "his hand over the
sea." According to the Midrash, when Moses "stretched out his hand
over the sea" the waters refused to be divided. "What did the Holy
One, blessed be He, do? He looked at the sea, and the waters saw the
face of the Holy One, blessed be He, and they trembled and quaked,
."* The Egyptians then "entered
and descended into the depth
the 'sea after him (Pharaoh)
Forthwith the waters returned, and
a
."
covered them

Chapter

14, verses

Tabari writes that the Koran in using the word bikum implies
that the sea was divided 3 into twelve parts, a number equal to the
twelve tribes. This is found in the Mekilta Beshalafy.*
According to Zamakhshari, the
sea unless the tribes, separated
see each other while crossing. 5

Israelites refused

by the walls

of water,

to cross the

were able to

P.R.E., pp. 329-30.

Ibid., p. 331; cf.

Tabari, Vol.

I,

[W]

I'B

p. 210:

l*
Cf. Zamakhshari, Vol.

yir

\tii

*\j>m

([W] M'D

I, p.

01

JT

75

<>.j

nWa .yom

Ja***

ttn^oo)

[&j

cjtf

1
apy 'oa

iy ow

Cf. Ps. 136:13: onnfr HID o' nrA as well as: (n'oo .H'-ne)

Zamakhshari, Vol.

ju

I,

y v bUw,i

p. 75:

jji

^-^J

yis

dlLj

TJW ]'yno -wy

o'^av n^y oafc wyn

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

46

That the Israelites agreed to cross the sea only provided Moses
met their conditions is also told in the Midrash. 6 According to Jewish
tradition, making the walls transparent so that the tribes could see
one another was one of the ten miracles performed at the Red Sea. 7
Jewish tradition also relates that Pharaoh sent along some Egyptians to see that Israel returned after three days. When the Egyptians
notified Pharaoh that Israel refused to return, Pharaoh mobilized his

army and

set out in six

hundred iron chariots. At the end of the sixth

day of the Exodus, the Israelites noticed the Egyptians approaching.

Moses ordered his followers to advance all that night. The Egyptian
chariots lost their wheels in the heat of the fiery pillar that moved
behind Israel and therefore proceeded with great difficulty. Finally
Israel reached the Sea. It separated and Israel passed to the other

The Egyptians

side.

followed.

When

they were

all in

the midst of

the Sea, the waters began pouring back and drowned them all. 8
Tfabari relates that when all the Israelites entered the sea, Pharaoh

watched them from the shore while riding on a male horse. Then
Gabriel appeared on a female horse and when the male horse saw her,
he ran after her. Pharaoh's horse was followed by the other Egyptian horsemen and they all entered the sea. 9 This legend is found in

4JI

o'apj D'n

([W] TB
i

(a'y

n^ita
,oy

'*.~\yo -\y

,nV'3D

,nWa

may) K^

no nay

ioip

;a'Vs ,)'nN) o'apj D'apj o'n

.Koinan)

n'aisr '^33 wyai

p. 167.
*

[W]

I'B

nWa

Tabari, Vol.

,nV'3D;
I,

onV

cf.

p. 211:

B. Pes. 118b.

no

'yn

no

on

crn ^y

o'on wspi.

Vy irma

ram

Cf.

noy

nytpa

inoo rwo ho: o'apj.

Grunbaum,

op.

tit.,

SURA

VERSE

II

47

47

Jewish sources. "The Egyptians desired to follow after Israel, but

they turned backwards, fearing lest the waters would return over them.
What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He appeared before them
like a man riding on the back of a mare, as it is said, To a steed in
Pharaoh's chariots' (Cant.

saw the mare

after it."

God), and

(of

The

1:9).

horse on which Pharaoh rode

neighed and ran and entered the sea

it

10

no statement to the effect that Pharaoh

himself was drowned. It tells only about Pharaoh's people. Rabbinic
11
however, tell that Pharaoh was saved in order to relate to
sources,
the Egyptians the great miracles God had shown His people. Similarly
does the Koran (8:56; 11:99) talk about the Egyptians and state
that Pharaoh was saved because he began to believe in God and in
order that he might be an example for future generations.
According to Zamakhsharl, the Israelites saw how the Egyptians
were, drowned and all their doubts disappeared." The same idea is
In the Pentateuch there

is

mown

Tabari's reference to Michael recalls the following Midrash:

BDPI nn

Dnxo^

no'D

(TMK emo)
(

[B] 3D
10

,"i">B

o*a

,n^a

P.R.E.,

nWa

runt? |ra

inm-noa n'apn nrr^y at? TD

np ?) onnnn irn D'rno rn o'Diom ,oa

,2iD

(TMK

cf.

Grunbaum,

n ?^
1

nr

-naya abii

,N'TW)

(J'DJD
(

mo) imn

,154

op.

a/,

166;

p.

p. 17; r'D

pno

KH^DD) nyiDD pn. Cf.

1^01

^TTD)

,n^a

(Kor.

pp.

,i"p

"

D'W

;^

nnb

nny

,o) now

:(r

([B] na ,YMD
Unt.,

H* n

-]i

mna

ypn

... HD^D

,3

%
]

^n
cit.,

-n; and

,ma npb.

also: no

-]^

[B] 3D

rrt>BQ

yin IDIH

won^ ]w^

mpn

iniNai (a

]^:DI .o^non

o^iy

nav;

f.)

np^).

see

ia^o

na

However, Hirschberg (^.

in

this

story

Islamic

IDD^I

o VID.

Zamakhshari, Vol.

I,

p. 75:

Vj

AJjAftl^J

dJ)

162;

]a

n'apn

Tan^

a/., p. 237)

influence.

p.

fan n'apn i^rm

.imua na IDD^ ,0'non

^ mu

Cf.

n'

i^m .^moyn; and: nnp^ n^x >)aw mna i?o

,ai

23

?n'oyn

mot

nn^.

oy

10:90-2; Geiger, op.

?no

^D :IDHJ

nap3

IT D^

onoy ^Hnaa

tPTTD)

la
(I'D ,D

.on*o ^y

Aggadath Shir ha-Shirim (Sch.),

([W] TD

^WD

,*p

,^nan ^110;

11

roi

Dyaoi

331;

p.

^na&

DDI

'

nvy:

IHW

and Horovitz

See Ps.

136:15;

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

48

found in the Aggada The Israelites saw the Egyptians dead in order
that they should not say that the Egyptians escaped from the other
side of the sea just as the Israelites came out from this side. 13
The Koranic expression " while you looked on" recalls the fol"
lowing legend: Rabbi Simon said: On the fourth day the Israelites
The Egyptians were floating
encamped by the edge of the sea.
upon the surface of the waters, and a north wind went forth and cast
:

them opposite the camp of Israel, and the

." X4
them, and they recognized them
.

(ion
I'JD

onain

,rfrw ,nn^oo) inn i2co

(WJ).

inni)

on

]D

by

p. 332.

Israelites

,DTID

onxon DN ^*n0* im

onn -p n? TXD on

Cf. also, [B] V ,T'i> .r^ra ,aw np!?.

M P.R.E.,

JD

went and saw

SURA

II

VERSES 48-51

VERSES

49

48-51

When we

treated with Moses forty nights, then ye took

the calf after he had gone and ye did wrong. Yet then
we forgave you after that; perhaps ye may be grateful.
And when we gave Moses the Scriptures and the Discrimination; perhaps ye will be guided. When Moses
said to his people, 'O my people! Ye have
wronged
yourselves in taking this calf; repent unto your Creator

and

each other!'

kill

The Talmud

"When Moses

ascended on high, he said to

end
of
Israel,
forty days, at the beginning of the
sixth hour (at midday). At the end of forty days Satan came and
confounded the world. Said he to them: 'Where is your teacher
Moses?' 'He has ascended on high,' they answered him. 'The sixth
(hour) has come,' said he to them, but they disregarded him
(Thereupon) he showed them a vision of his bier, and this is what they
said to Aaron, for this Moses, the man, etc." 1 Thus, upon Moses'
seeming disappearance, the people sought a divine substitute to "go
I

relates:

will return at the

before us" (Exod. 32:1).

The Koran speaks here of forty nights only, ignoring the biblical
forty days: "And Moses entered into the midst of the cloud, and went
up into the mount; and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty

nights" (Ex. 24:18).

This

perhaps explained by an interpretation

is

found in Rashi in his comment on Exodus 32:1, which most likely is

taken from early midrashic sources: "When Moses went up to the
mountain he said to them, 'At the end of forty days I shall return
within (the first) six hours (of the day).' They thought that the same
day that he went up was part of the number (of forty) but he had
said to them whole (days), (i. e.) forty days and their nights together
with them, but the day of his ascent did not (include) its night together
with it."
.'
Thus it happened that when Moses did not return at
3

B. Shab. 89a;

Ka

1^1 ov

'JN

o'j?ai

Ka i'3 nona
K'aiany

ov

cf.

o'jmn

notes to 2:52, 53, 54, 57, 80, 86, 87, 102.

po^

o'oV0 noN Kim Kin

,mD

pon

rwo rbyvs

~\rf?

,')

P.R.C., Vol.

mnon

II, p. 399.

ov ny

na 6i niy

no IT

nirvK

M jw

rbyv ov imtw on D'-iuoa

iy nyaa o'j?ai ov KJKM nVy ]VD3 'ra ioy nrw

no no 'mi noiV K'amyi n^ni jt>n nion ntam

jnyon ova K^K lyo vbv noiV K'I

(H ,a'^

non

on^

vb

w 1*0

obiyn

pa^ winna

my

'i

rv'^y ovi

m aanyi

-nsv nvo no onV nan

nrw nun nni6 ja

nucn o-np ja.

-pna

my

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

SO

the expected hour, the Israelites made the golden calf. This may be
the reason why Muhammad refers to the forty nights only, since it
was the fortieth night that caused Israel's sin. 4
The Midrash also relates that Moses "burnt the calf with fire,

and powdered

dust of the earth, and he cast its dust upon

He made Israel drink the water (with the
the face of the waters
dust of the calf). Everyone who had kissed the calf with all his heart,
his upper lip and bones became golden, and the tribe of Levi (which did
not associate itself with the affair of the calf) slew him, until there
fell of Israel about three thousand men." 5
Comparably with these details the Koran says: "then ye took the
calf after he had gone and ye did wrong." In 2:87, repeating the sin
of the calf, the Koran states: "and they were made to drink the calf
down into their hearts for their unbelief," a detail found in Exodus
32:20: "And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it with
fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed it upon the water, and
made the children of Israel drink of it." This would indicate that the
Koranic calf, like the biblical, was not a live one.
The Koranic statement: "Yet then we forgave you after that;
perhaps ye may be grateful," is also paralleled in the Midrash. "By
the merit of the three patriarchs, the three angels, Wrath, Anger, and
it,

like the
.

Temper, were restrained from (doing harm to) Israel. But two
(angels) remained. Moses spake before the Holy One, blessed be He:
Sovereign of all the Universe! For the sake of the oath which Thou
didst swear unto them, keep back (the angel) Destruction from
and Destruction was kept back from Israel, as it is said,
Israel
'But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity and destroyed
them not (Ps. 78:38). Moses spake before the Holy One, blessed
be He: Sovereign of all worlds! For the sake of Thy great and holy
Name, which Thou didst make known unto me, hold back from
What did Moses do? He
Israel (the angel called) Glow of Anger
dug into the earth in the possession of Gad, as (though for the foundation of) a large dwelling, and he buried Tierce Anger' in the earth, like
a man who is bound in the prison. Every time Israel sins it arises and
opens its mouth to bite with its breath, and to destroy Israel. Moses
pronounced against it the (divine) Name, and brought it back beneath
the earth. Therefore is its name called Peor (the one who opens)." 6
.

about the forty nights.

P.R.E., pp. 356-57; cf. Targum Yerushalmi, Exod. 32:20.
Ibid., pp. 357-58. Cf. also: IID? rwo now ]vsi pano IKTI wo oy
Cf.

Zamakhshari and Baitfawl ad

(I'D 'y

.jvpma ma*)

'in

'n

loc.,

onn TO a UK inn

-mo

OH 10*0 n'apn -or

'in

rrm

SURA

The Koranic

VERSES 48-51

II

51

Book

points to the verse: "And this

set before the children of Israel" (Deut. 4:44).

reference to the

the law which Moses

Scholars and commentators have been puzzled by the meaning of the
term Furqan."1 Some have rendered it as the illumination (3:2),
is

Mosaic Revelation

deliverance (8:29),

(between right and wrong)

(2:50, 21:49, 25:1), distinction

(2:181), or divine help (21:49).

Professor

Margoliouth suggests: "there is some probability that the 'Sayings of

the Fathers' called by the Jews Peraklm lies hidden in the name of a
sacred book which he (Mubammad) calls Furqan." 8 Baitfawi suggests
that it means the Psalms. ' Our present study shows a large number of
references in the Koran to Pirke Aboth and to the Psalms," which
would lead us to the conclusion that Muhammad was aware of these
books since they were used reverently by the Jews in Arabia. They
were read by the latter in their Synagogues, taught by them in
their schools and were considered a guide for ethical conduct. According to Horovitz: "it is not quite out of place to call attention to the
Aramaic form 'pir^In,' which Mohammed may have changed into
'furfcan,' and the word 'pirfcan' would be even still closer to the Koranic
form, which form 'pirfcan' is repeatedly mentioned in the Baraita
Erubin 54b and which is there employed with reference to the doctrines handed over by Moses to the individual groups and to the people
as a whole." 11
7

Geiger, op.

p.

tit,,

55; Hirschfeld,

539; Ndldeke, Neue Beitrage

ERE,

Vol.

E.

Vol. II (1927), p. 120;

X,

New

Researches..., p. 68; Margoliouth,

pp. 23

f.; J. Wensinck, Furb&n,

"Islam
und
Salam" in ZSVG, Vol.
I.,
Lidzbarski,
I, p. 92; J. Horovitz, HUCA, pp. 216-18; R. Dvorak, "tfber die Fremdwdrter
im Koran," in Sitzungsberichte der Wiener Akademie, Philos.-hist. Klasse, Bd. 109

(Wien, 1885),
'

D.

S.

p.

.,

Mark

p. 499.

Margoliouth, op.

Baidawi, 3:2

JV

tit.,

p. 145.

However, BaidSwi, Vol.

y'-

I,

p. 24, in his

comment on
**

*
*!***
as a derivation from the verb (Jj*,
verse, explains the term <Jv*^
"to separate/' which denotes the Torah, since the Torah distinguishes

this
i. e.

and falsehood and between things permitted and prohibited,

Zamakhsharl gives the same explanation, Vol. I, p. 75. Cf. Horovitz, HUCA,
between

truth

pp. 205-6; Frankel, Fremdwdrter, p. 248; 4:163; Tabari, Tafsir, Vol.

10

Many

of the sayings

of Psalms 104-8.

we have

my
14

and ideas

In another place in

written in the Psajms

two and three appear to be a replica

the Koran, Mubammad states, "and already

in Suras

(j^^/*)

after the reminder that 'the earth shall

righteous servants inherit"' (21:105).

The

latter phrase repeats Ps. 37:29,

the righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever."

ZDMG,
11

LII, p. 133;

Horovitz,

Is.

6, p. 18,

Cf. Schwally,

60:21.

HUCA,

pp. 217-18,

It is possible

that

Mufcammad adopted the

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

52

As

"and

for the clause,

each other," the original reads faqtulU

anfusakum" which may also mean "kill yourselves." In Baujawi
and Zamakhshari we find two explanations: one, that those who did
not worship the golden calf should kill those who did; 13 the second,
that they should destroy their evil inclinations, for he who never
chastises himself never pleases himself, and he who never kills himself
never lives. 14 The first explanation has a counterpart in rabbinic
literature.

kill

The Talmud 15

states that Levi's tribe did not worship the

therefore was told to kill the sinners.

golden calf and

Regarding the expression "kill each other," Baitfawi comments:
"Kill yourselves so that you may live." 16 This is a counterpart of the
talmudic statement: "What shall a man do to live? They replied:

him mortify himself.' ""

As to thumma 'afauna 'ankum

'Let

(then

states that it refers to the Israelites

of the golden calf.

we forgave you), Zamakhshari

making atonement 19

for the sin

A broader concept of the efficacy of repentance, no

matter how grievous the sins might be,

constantly stressed by the

rabbis: "The Israelites made the (golden) calf only in order to place
a good argument in the mouth of the penitents." 80
is

term furq&n from the word O'pnsV in the talmudic passage: O'pns^
(a'p ,D'JC ]'-nrtJD). Of interest is the phrase yautna 'l-furq&ni in 8:43 which
with the expression in the Targum
however,

See,

Rivlin,

J.

"jmipa

Sam.

11:13, KipiiD,

(dtf^l) ]pnBn"

mm
is

identical

meaning "deliverance."

in

Gotthold

Weil Jubilee

Volume, pp. 24-33.

*!
-X ju\

*-

......

Zamakhshari, Vol.

I,

p. 75:

oi

M Baidawi,

Vol.

Yom.

66b.

B.

rt

BauJSwi, Vol.

f*

I,

p. 25:

I,

p. 25.

4<

Literally,

i on) ioxy
%

'kill

himself,' with

mo n^ no*.

Zamakhshari, Vol.
10

(a'y ,T

I,

p. 75,

study and hard work/

Cf. 2:149, note

*i

7.

U^

,mr mnay) nawn ^ya^ ne pnns jn^ H^H

^:yn nn

rrm

rm

na?' no

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE

S3

52

52

And when ye

said to Moses,
Moses! we will not
believe in thee until we see God manifestly/ and the
thunderbolt caught you while ye yet looked on. 1

This story

found in the Midrash: "The voice of the second

(commandment) went forth, and they (the Israelites) were quickened
(after they were alive and had fallen on their faces and died), and they
stood upon their feet and said to Moses: Moses, our teacher! We are
unable to hear any more the voice of the Holy One, blessed be He, for
we shall die even as we died (just now), as it is said, 'And they said
unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God
speak with us, lest we die' (Exod. 20:19). And now, why should we
is

we

died (just now)?" 2

Sifre* takes the Hebrew word Bamar'ah in Num. 12:6 to mean the
vision of the word and not of the Shekinah. According to Sa'adia Gaon
and others, the various allusions in the Bible to "seeing God" refer to a
die as

special light created for the vision of the prophets/ The phrase "They
saw the God of Israel" (Ex. 24:10) is explained by Abraham Ibn Ezra

to

mean "They saw

In like manner, Isaiah and Ezekiel

Talmud states that at "every word

in a vision." 5

"saw" the throne of God. The

which went forth from the mouth

Holy One, blessed be He, the

souls of Israel departed, for it is said, My soul went forth when he spake
(Cant. 5:6) .... He brought down the dew with which He will resurrect the dead and revive them, as it is said: Thou, O God, didst send a
plentiful rain, Thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary"
(Ps. 68:10).
1

of the

Cf. notes to 2:26, 60;

and 4:152.

P.R.E., p. 325. According to Reckendorf,

about the

Israelites' desire to 'see

his vision

and

HM KB^

iVa'

&

o'n 'ax rmo N

(n

'fin

died.
-\*

Then Moses

,orb

p D n

-i

mm
IK

them and God revived them,"

wpa h*-w 'ja a iaVo nono ma nw

interceded for

N) .'n o"nrt

otya TOD ^ennai ;oVa imoi inmo

.[J'*D"V] K'osV ,*ptnjpn ]D-n.

,no; B. Shab. 88b-89a.

mon na
V. Aptowitzer, miKn
*?y rbyo ^v

>

invented this story

manifestly,' but they were unable to see

j'ya jj> 'n niK-fc

ni p ^

God

"Muhammad

[F] ip Kpo'B ,-ini^pna

'

pp. 278

Tarbif, Vol. II, #3, 1931,

f.

nKiaj runoa.

B. Shab. 88b;

story:

maa

ni

cf.

Geiger, op.

pun vm

tit.,

i^ip iyori

pp. 161-62, quoting the following rabbinical

iim

IKT

n"apn

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

54

According to Baitfawl and Zamakhshari, seventy 7 leaders requested of Moses to see God, otherwise they would not believe in
Him. This probably is based on the story in the Bible that seventy of
the elders of Israel saw the God of Israel: "Then went up Moses, and
Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and they
saw the God of Israel
." (Exod. 24:9-10).
.

PKH -pno

nyw

nm
in

New

B'D

onow nnns on^

mm non

]now

p.

107

Koran

n^aai

n.,

"it

'n

umn p

*ro^ IHS

mm TD o^no ^aai

'

i^np

D^HD

]VD

I!?D.

However, Hirschfeld

is

the people

who

desire to see God,

confounded Ex. 20:19 with 33:18 and Num. 16:22-35."

,nn nrfcvDD; [B] 3 ,T D'B n/v

,ai

and yadith Interpretation"

1948, Part

I,

pp. 286

in

I,

p. 76:

(!)

52.

whilst

Cf.

also

Yahuda, "A Contribution

Goldziher Memorial Volume, Budapest,

npb>;

and A.

S.

f.

Zamakhshari, Vol.

rm

claims that Geiger misunderstood verse

to Qur'Sn

nn im^a

noy^ RD
n'apn 3D^D o'om Dn^y rwpa minn

D 1^0

ina

For, says he, in the

[W]

*?y

Researches...,

Muhammed

HUD

ibnp nro a'nsi i^-u nni

onoy -010

'n

j*~". Cf. BaicjSwi, ad he.

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE
Then we raised you up

55

S3

53

may

your death perhaps ye

after

be grateful.

According to Moslem commentators, when Moses saw his seventy

companions stricken dead he immediately "interceded for their restoration to life, on the ground that the people might suspect him of their
murder." God then restored them to life. 1 This Koranic verse seems
to refer to the legend in the Talmud 2 that the Israelites, upon hearing
the divine voice, died and were later restored to life. Another version

Talmud

in the

were restored by the

states that the Israelites

inter-

Torah
Tabari comments: After the seventy were restored to life, they
gazed at each other with amazement and said (to Moses): All your
requests from God are fulfilled pray that we too may become prophets. Moses implored God, whereupon they were inspired with prophecy. This is the meaning of the Koranic sentence: "Then we raised
cession of the

itself. 3

you up after your death." 4 This tradition about the seventy people
who became prophets probably has its origin in the biblical story
and took
(Num. 11:25) "and the Lord came down in the cloud,
of the spirit that was upon him, and put it upon the seventy elders ..."
According to Baio'awi, 5 they were punished because of their insistence on seeing God or comprehending Him in corporeal form, imagin.

Tafslr-i-Raufi,

quoted by Wherry, op.

B. Shab. 88b;

cf.

2:52 note 3;

sake

." Ps. 106:23:

to turn

rtnp

106:8; "Nevertheless

"Had

back His wrath,

ona rvn t^n ...

,0'aB

see also
op.

tit.,

,nan

mop)
P

(i

,'

Part

Tabari, Vol.

He

lest

ryowi

p. 309.

He

saved them for His name's

should destroy them." Also

maa

nana*

jnow

mm

imn

B ,naT naioa)

I, p.

I,

not Moses His chosen stood before

,nana rm:r 'BI IDWP onoy

()

Vol.

notes to 2:52; B. Hag. 12b.

Ps.

cf.

tit.,

jnn

Vy onow

TO
n

rni iVip

nms

... n'apn

^m'

in the breach,

'Vo o'm
im

ia

onan

i!?w

iyon niaa IHT

onV nV:m 'ro^

onV p'noni n'apn

Him

n'apn

]va

tioyV na

npa minn ^a
nma; and Jellinek,

on'Vy

nyv

69

I,

p. 224:

IJIU!

Referring to 2:52.

Jl
VI

ILi

4JLJ

-oil

'^o

^JU

CJI

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

56

God

ing that

possesses dimensions

and

comprehensible to the
human senses. He adds that some Moslem traditionalists
maintain
^^^
6
that a fire descended from heaven and killed them. This very same
idea is found in Maimon ides' Guide: "But the 'nobles of the Children
of Israel were impetuous, and allowed their thoughts to go unrestrained: what they perceived was but imperfect' '.
"They are
blamed for the nature of their perception, which was to a certain
a result which necessarily followed, from the fact
extent corporeal
that they ventured too far before being perfectly prepared. They
deserved to perish, but at the intercession of Moses this fate was
averted by God for the time. They were afterwards burnt at Taberah,
except Nadab and Abihu, who were burnt in the Tabernacle of the
7
congregation, according to what is stated by authentic tradition/'
is

Bai<jawi, Vol.

4Jtj

JW

fttiJI

I,

41

p. 25:

\jb

jU-Vlj

f4U

Ol^JLl

A>.

L*jyi

04 01
jU O.U

ijj

^UJI
Cf.

,m0D)
([W] n'oj; ,r
7 Moses
Maimonides,

oDn
r/wr

]D

nnrv

io<fe

nwy^ p-my

in

IDIO ID^ ry D'ny

*nai niov) nnanin.

ijj ojj

jSLJi

J^lki

j,

^ o^JJ

JJ...5>^fl

/or

mn

Perplexed,

DMV oipon

tr.

by M.

'3fl!7

nh nn

Friedl2nder,

H^

n'apn

irn H^

i^ip

nn

dilij

a IBIW.

London, 2nd ed. 1942, pp. 18-19. Cf. rmno

v

wyorm I^D nm HIM nn inn

'Di

n^

TH

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE

57

54

54

And we overshadowed you with the cloud, and sent down

the manna and the quails; 'Eat of the good things we
have given you.

They did not wrong

but

us,

it

was

themselves they were wronging.

In this verse, 1 the Koran mentions the great events in the life of
the Israelites in the desert, the pillars of cloud, the manna and the
quails. The former served as a protection and the latter provided

them with sustenance.

The Talmud declares that the pillar of cloud completed 2 the pillar
of fire, and the pillar of fire completed the pillar of cloud. According to
a Jewish tradition, when Israel was almost overtaken by the Egyptians before they reached the Sea of Reeds, the pillars changed direction.
41
And the angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, removed
and went behind them M (Exod. 14:19). 3 This, the Midrash explains,
was due to the approach of the Egyptians who had been throwing

arrows and stones at the

Israelites.

The

cloud served as a

pillar of

4
intercepting the missiles.
The pillar of cloud (one of seven) that moved in front of Israel also
served to level hills 5 and to fill valleys so that Israel might have an

protection

by

6
easy road on which to travel.

Compare

Ps. 105:39-40,

light in the night.

They

"He

spread a cloud for a screen;

asked, and

He

brought quails,

And

fire to

And gave them

give

in plenty

the bread of heaven."

1

/. e.

(K'D ,n!?0a
*

also:

Cf.:

overlapped (D^PD).

KH^DD) noix

0n

miia

.n^n

^N-i0'

B. Shab. 23b. Cf. also:

-rioy

(Yc ,n^Ga KH^OD) orrby

mm hmw ?

rny

a^sn

"a

P?n

ano*

*b

mn o"p pyn noy.

po

inn

:o"-i2CDV

inborn pyn

-|0nm >K-urV pyn .-|0nm pyn

vn

mm.

rprai nnxo Wpn jr

If one of the Israelites dropped out from
(D' ,-T'' ,mD0 ,'oWiT oinn). Also: ".
under the wings of the cloud, the pillar of cloud gathered him from behind until
V'apo Kuy

linn*

1*33*0

jn'a

he joined the main body." M.S.N.,

p. 61.

(PI'DT TD1.
6

M.S.N.,

it raised,

and

p. 61:

"Every

it killed

hilly place it (the cloud) levelled,

the serpents and the scorpions

."

and every depression

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

58

Regarding the second part of the Koranic 7 verse, we find a

comparable idea in the Talmud: "The flesh for which they asked
improperly was given to them at an improper time; whereas the bread
for which they asked properly was given to them in its proper time/' 8
The Moslem commentators who discuss this Koranic verse about
the miracles in the desert reveal a thorough acquaintance with
rabbinic lore. Zamakhsharl writes that the clouds came down to
Israel as a protection and followed the Israelites in all their vicissitudes
in order to protect them against the sun. Likewise, a pillar of fire
descended in the night to illuminate their way. Also their apparel
was protected from mud or from being worn out. 9 Each one of these
remarks is traceable to rabbinic sources. The rabbis tell us that the
clouds formed a canopy, 10 that is, a protection against the sun," and
also served to protect the clothing of the Israelites." "The clouds
encased them, preventing their apparel from wrinkling and protecting

them from

dust, thus avoiding the need for laundering." 13

According to Tabari, the clothing also expanded in proportion
with the growth of the people. 14 This tradition, too, has its origin in

Jewish sources, which claim that "the Divine clouds of glory rubbed
the dirt from their garments and bleached them so that they looked
like new; and as the children grew, their garments grew with them." 15

The Koranic terms

the Hebrew man and

to

or

"manna" and

(Mann and Salwa) are similar

selaw and always occur together. The Aramaic is Salwe
Salwai (Targum Jonathan Num. 11:32). Cf. Horovitz, HUCA, pp. 210, 222.
7

B.
9

Yoma

for

75a-75b.

Zamakhshari, Vol.

I,

p. 77:

'My K^K ni3io JH;

11

(i

M
*

,T

(T ,n
(j'nn

"quails"

ny') snno oov^xV

cf.

Tabari, Vol.

,'jiyo

I,

jp 'y

,IIDK

mpi

.toso)

vn 1133 'My 01303.

rvnn nsoi. Cf. B. Suk. 2a.

onsn) -p^yo nn^3 vb

m ,spy

([W]

oipb')

-\rbov.

]m

j'xnao

vn 1133

'My

nonsn ]'3nr vn

p. 227:

S. Ch., p. 1035 n.; cf.:

JH ino

H'JipV

'T

VHP \\yov sns nry^H '3T

SURA

VERSE

II

59

54

In discussing the manna, Zamakhshari and T abari quote a tradition to the effect that it was the kind of food called Taranjabln in
Persian. 16 In Jewish literature, the heretic I^iwi al-Balkhi, who lived
in the 9th century, expresses the

same

opinion.

17

wind gathered the manna

Since there is no mention of a wind in the
daily for the Israelites.
Bible in connection with the manna, it would appear that Zamakhshari confuses this with the quails, about which it is stated in the
Bible: "And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought
." (Num.
across quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp
also adds that the south

Zamakhshari

18

11:31)

This

also in line with Tabari's

is

wind gathered the

ip'n-w b-n

mnv no

quails.

comment

that the south

19

nrn jir^n

fc'ii

?]^13

vn

bi

-pbjw nrfca *b

O'nn ron ,apy ,'jijw eip^O ioy.

16

Zamakhshari, Vol.

I,

p. 77:

Tabari,Vo!.I,p. 225:

_
' * *

(Jfc&*^ Jf
'

J.
cf.

Ul

Rosenthal, "yiwi al-Balkhi," in

Ibn Ezra to Exod. 16:13.

* Zamakhshari,
'

Tabari, Vol.

Vol.

I,

I,

p. 77:

p. 226:

J0* (New

Series),

XXXVIII

#3, p. 18;

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

60

VERSE
When Moses,

57

too, asked drink for his people

and we said,

'Strike with thy staff the rock/ and from it burst forth
twelve springs; each man among them knew his drinking
place. 'Eat and drink of what God has provided, and
transgress not on the earth as evildoers.
1

In one place in the Bible, Moses was directed to strike the rock:
'And the people thirsted there for water; and the people mur-

mured against Moses, and said: 'Wherefore hast thou brought us up

out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?'
And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying: 'What shall I do unto this
people? they are almost ready to stone me. And the Lord said unto
Moses: 'Pass on before the people, and take with thee of the elders
1

and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thy
hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock
in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water

of Israel;

out of

may

that the people

drink

"

(Exod. 17:3-6). In another

passage, however, Moses was told to speak to the rock: "And the
Lord spoke unto Moses, saying: 'Take the rod, and assemble the
congregation, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the
rock before their eyes, that it give forth water; and thou shalt bring
forth to them water out of the rock; so thou shalt give the congregation
"
and their cattle drink'
(Num. 20:7-8). In this Koranic verse
it,

Muframmad

uses the

first

version. 1

Zamakhshari seems to be aware of both references in the Bible

and comments that first Moses struck the rock and water emerged,
but then the Israelites said, 'Should the rod be lost, we too will be
lost.
Therefore, God said to Moses, 'Speak to the rock but do not
use the rod to strike it; perhaps they will be instructed.' 3
The references in the Bible about "striking" or "speaking" to the
1

rock are also discussed by the rabbis.

According to them, just as

punishment and coercion are required in the training of a child,
1

Cf. Ps. 105:41:

"He opened

the rock, and waters gushed out;

They

ran, a

y*

JL&

river in the dry places."

9

Zamakhshari, Vol.

SjUJ^l

I,

p. 78:

yB V

<JI

jU

laP

bt oUp

SURA

II

VERSE

61

57

and whereas words are used when he is mature, so here, too, Moses
was directed to "strike" the rock when it was a small stone, but

to "speak" to it when it developed into a rock. 3

less naive explanain
found
Midrash
is
There we find that God s
tion
Lefcafy Tob.
miracles assumed differing meanings. At the beginning, God told
M
Moses "to strike the rock, and later on "to speak to it/ in order to
prove the might of God as it reveals itself in different forms. 4
f

Another interesting tradition is found in Zamakhsharl, viz. that

Adam brought the rock down from Paradise. From him it passed
through many hands and finally fell into the hands of Jethro, 5 who
6
gave it to Moses, his son-in-law, together with the rod. There is no
mention of the rock 7 in rabbinic literature, but we do find reference to
*

im pp

Tiaia ^-rarw JVD HD^DI IHDD

oivam ,y^on

"lyarwo ^'N ,10*0 *b

*?*

omm

ivam 'iw imn ivan ]0p m y^o rrrwo rnw& n'apn IDK "p ,nDo
(awn ton ,npn ,'nyotf enp^*) y^on h* email.
%
[13] p ,nWa ,aiD np^; cf. IDN n^nna ,nr^ n? ] on )r
n'apn ^ vmniNV *cV

way

b>3K ,-n*3

n'apn hv in-naa na yninV

-p^ onpab o^in

non |nnnn
(r

Dny

,nrV

,oman
nr

oon

|on

orA ion

naai OD

o^iyn n*m IDIW

iKX 1 w laia

iaoo inxn

noH^v HD

nom

mn
.

on^

0^0101 mnin ]MW

rnpn^

'a

cuuoiin

H^

,aa ,npn .naioa ,Hnnir nnp'os).

Shu'aib
Horovitz,
6

^..^A; cf.

HUCA,

N6ldeke-Schwally

op.

cit.,

Vol.

If

p.

151

note 9;

p. 172.

Zamakhshari, Vol.

Jl

I,

p. 78:

>j

J>-

DjJjJyi

Ali!

,y

*T

Aia^l

A^

JJj
<JI

The rock could, however, be identified, and it was so pointed out to Moses
by God (Pcsi&a Num. 20). According to the Yalbuf (763), mentioned in footnote 3
^

of this verse,

it

was the same rock that Moses used

in ftoreb

and

in the Wilderness

Thus, the Moslem idea of the rock having passed through many hands
have some relation to the rock carried around by Moses. Zamakhshari (ibid.)

of Zion.

may

also relates that the rock

had four corners

(square),

and out of each corner there

flowed three springs, one for each tribe. The Israelites, he says, were 600,000 in
number, and camped on a plain twelve miles long.

jr
I

That the camp

Yerushalmi where
in the place

a space of twelve miles is found in Talmud

stated that a disciple should not give an Halakic decision

of Israel occupied
it is

where his teacher

resides, unless there is

a distance of twelve miles

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

62

the rod, 8 The rod was one of the ten things created by God at twilight
on the eve of the Sabbath. 9
The reference here to " twelve springs" is probably based on the
story in the Aggada about the travels ^f the Israelites in the desert

when

rivers

were said to have formed around each

tribe. 10

between them, comparable to the space occupied by the camp of

*as^ na^n
,'oVanT -no^n) ^100* nanoa ^D a' HDD pirn K.VP ny

H'n

,I"JD

jvyatf). Cf. B.

Torah, V, Halakah
*

,n

n'op roi ,niD0

HUH naD;

nmn^

Sanh. 5b; B. 'Erub. 55b, and Maimonides, Hilkot Talmud

3.

,nyw

H y

Israel.

,na

mpV';

cf.

,n

mop iiw mnn;

[F] n

pos

,n:nan

nn neo;

D'HDD.

]wnn DIH^ -1003 rnpopn )^a na3 non IDI *b 'i

py
TIDD
nooi onsco^ nmn apyi apy^ HDD pnxn pnx^ noo omai omaK^ noo D^T nvh
HHTI onxo Dinno "rn nn rrm nyiD ^ ]ncD^Da inai iiva ^D ^3 ]DV HDI^DI .in *)DrV
iom v^y -UPK mmnn ni noon n
lira ]) -]ina lywi warn inp^i ia!?a om
lum

Tianb

noo

D-TI

(D'D .ifnnjD).
10

nnan

Cf.
'D'D

Grunbaum,

vm m'

^?/>.

onoini

cit. t

p. 163.

ian

Vy onoiy D^H'W

pa oo^noi on^n nano ba n

nano ^a n
*\*p& Vna inai
nn ^ai
([Z] M

,:

,naiD ,Hn0Din). Cf.

.(ian ron

,mpD

vn

a' 1

opDi

Exod. 15:27 and Rashi ad

oip^)

loc.

noy^

D'aiyno iioa^
nano

na*a

,aiyD

-ixnn ^y^p

]ra

onrw

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE

63

58

58

And when

they said, *O Moses, we cannot always bear

one kind of food pray then thy Lord to bring forth for
us of what the earth grows, its green herbs, its cucumSaid he, 'Do
bers, its garlic, its lentils, and its onions.
what
ask
is
meaner
of
instead
what
is
best?
Go down
ye
there is what ye ask.
to Egypt,
Then they were
smitten with abasement and poverty, and met with
wrath from God.. That was because they had misbelieved in God's signs and killed the prophets unde1
servedly; that was for that they were rebellious and
;

had transgressed.
In the Yalfcut it is stated that the Israelites were afraid that the
manna would cause their intestines to burst, and kill them. 2 Com-

menting on the
41

Moses

part of the Koranic sentence Tabari writes:

first

said to the Israelites:

'Would you prefer a thing of importance

though small and limited in its nutritious value to a thing of greater

"3
This tale parallels the
importance and of higher nutritious value?'
story found in SifreS which reads as follows: "R. Shimeon says: 'The

manna

tasted according to their fancy, except for those five kinds of

The sages
food (viz. melons, cucumber, leeks, onions and garlic)
.

say: 'The manna tasted according to their fancy, but they saw only
manna, as it is said: Our soul is dried away, there is nothing at all
"
save this manna to look upon.' s
The Koranic expression, "Go down to Egypt," 6 is reminiscent of
'

Cf. 3:20, 108, 177.

unn^ UD-Q

."jm^yna ,'aiyD0 aip^)

Tabari, Vol.

I,

p.

-pna nsn^

pn Tny no

[F] rs

vn H^

o^n

a-iya ]oi nnB?a ID

131 *?&

K^K ub

]^H

OM

*l

JJli

ljla>-

onm

nw

irw>a nnyi

237:

Jli

Cf.

^n^

41*

on^ naiwo

irry jon ^

OIX^jt JU

jA

j*nn

n^a ^a

]'H

noa

on^rya

PDD).

M.S.N.,

AH,

op.

p. 68; cf.

cit.,

p.

36

B.

n.,

Yom.

75a.

considers the translation

"Go down

Egypt" as erroneous
the word fiyr is used here as a
to

and renders the phrase as "Enter a City/' since

common noun. This city would probably refer to Hazeroth (Num.

11:35).

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

64

Moses' admonitions, where the great leader rebukes the Israelites for
their disobedience, and threatens: "And the Lord shall bring thee back
into Egypt in ships, by the way whereof I said unto thee: Thou shalt
see

it

As

no more again

"

.'

(Deut. 28:68).

Koranic verse,

for the last part of this

telling of the unjust

slaying of the prophets, Geiger thinks that it is probably a reference

to Jesus. 7 However, there is in the Aggada a comparable story that
1

the Israelites, during Moses first stay on Mount Sinai, called upon
their Elders to make a god for them. When the Elders refused, Israel

them outright; they also killed IJur, the prophet, son of Miriam,
8
for the same reason.
The Talmud comments on the biblical verse, "And when Aaron
saw this, he built an altar before it" (Exod. 32:5), as follows: "What
He saw Hur lying slain before him
did he (Aaron) actually see?
and said (to himself) if I do not obey them, they will now do unto me
as they did unto Hur, and so will be fulfilled (the fear of) the prophet,
Shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of God?"
killed

(Lam.

2:20).'

Geiger, op.

noK -p lyow

cit.,

p. 196,

JVD

"Was

DM^N

sich

laV

wohl auf Jesus bezieht."

rwy Dip ... ]n^

inyv 'D^i oianm on^ iyw K^I niK^cam o^oan

w
]V3
]no in m nin^i o'jpr^ wy no innn n-nn

(p ,VD

,nai lanoa).

B. Sanh. 7a;

cf.

Rashi to Exod. 32:5.

]nin
.

now

^D 03^

imnm

o^prn

ny

"ny

^K

^HI^

*D^ ]'D'yDD on

!?D

no

v^y noy o^p onaia PHD

SURA

II

VERSE

VERSE

60

65

60

And when we

took a covenant with you and held the

mountain over you; Accept what we have brought you
with strong will, and bear in mind what is therein,
haply ye yet may fear/
'

According to Zamakhsharl, Moses brought the tablets to the

Israelites and when they became aware of the burdening and taxing
precepts contained therein, they refused to accept them. Whereupon,
God commanded Gabriel to uproot the mountain and hold it over
"
their heads, saying,
Accept them (the precepts) lest I shall drop it
1
(the mountain) on you."
A counterpart to this interpretation is found in the Talmud:
"R. Abdimi b. IJama b. Hasa said: This teaches that the Holy One,
blessed be He, overturned the mountain upon them like an (inverted)
cask,

and said to them,

'If

"2

ye accept the Torah,

'tis

well;

if

not, there

be your burial/
Tabari calls attention to the fact that the word TUT, used here for
mountain, is of foreign (Syriac) origin. He states that some maintain
that this is the mountain Moses spoke from. 3 This is merely a further
illustration of the linguistic influence of Judaism on the Koran which
is evidenced by the Koranic usage of many biblical terms and names
such as: Saum (om fast); Sadaqah (Zedakah righteousness, charity); Malak (MaVak
Angel); Shaitan (Satan leader of the devils);
Kitab (Ketab Scriptures); Taurat (Torah Torah); Ifai (Ifay Liv-

shall

Zamakhshari, Vol.

,n)BDin)

because of the
^

p. 80:

lT

B. Shab. 88a;

n's nn

('y

I,

cf.

IKI^D onnn vrv HD

n^n^n

B?Kn.

As

yo

for the people

n^y: innpn -HDP

who

refused to accept the Torah

many precepts they would have to fulfill, see

Tabari, Vol.

I,

p. 247:

Mekilta, Yithro, ch. 5 [W].

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

Qayyum (J^ayyam

ing);

Abiding); Al-Wafyid ('Efyad

the one); Sabt

Jahannam (Gehinnom
Sabbath) Khafiah (Ifet sin)
hell); Din (Din
judgment); Jannah (Can 'Eden Paradise); Adam
(Adam Adam) Nulj, (Noafy Noah) Ibrahim (Abraham Abraham)
(Shabbat

Luf (Lot

Lot) Isma'll

Yishma'el

Ishmael) Isfydq ( Yizfyafc Isaac)

Ya'qub (Ya'afcob Jacob); Yusuf (Yosef Joseph); Musa (Moshe
Moses); Hdrun ('Aharon Aaron); Aiyub (lyob Job); Da'ud
(David David); Sulaiman (Shelomoh Solomon); Ilyds ('Eliahu
Elisha); Yunus (Yonah Jonah); 'Uzair
Elijah); Alyasa* ('Elisha*
;

Ezra)/

('Ezra

Here
called

Mubammad
in the

Tura

^Horovitz,
1-kitab'

it is

Targumim. 5

HUCA,

im Kuran,"

uses the term Tur for mountain because

pp. 145-87;

cf.

David Kuenstlinger,

in Rocznik Orientalistyczny,

Lw6w,

4I

'Kitab'

und

'ahlu

1928, Vol. IV, pp. 238-47;

2:1-2; 2:20; 2:28-30; 179-81.

Mingana, Syriac Influence on the Style of the

gur'&n, reprint, 1927, pp. 11-17; A. S. Yahuda, Goldziher Memorial Volume, Part I,
*

p.

Exod. 19:18.

282

f.;

pp. 112

See, however, A.

A. Geiger,

f.;

ZDMG,

Vol.

Hirschfeld, Beitrdge

XXI,
.,

uran,"

ibid.,

1916, Berlin, p.

pp. 58-67.

Noldeke-Schwally, op.

p. 38; Lidzbarski,

von der Koniglichen Gesellschaft der

historische Klassc,

p. 688;

Wissenschaften

cit.,

Vol.

I,

"Neue Cotter," Nachrichten

zu Gottingen,

Philologisch-

90; David Kuenstlinger, "Jur und Gabal im

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE

67

61

61

Then

did ye turn aside after this, and were it not for

God's grace towards you and His mercy, ye would have
been of those who lose. Ye know too of those among
you who transgressed upon the Sabbath, 1 and we said,

'Become ye apes, despised and spurned/

no Aggadic source for "the incident of
the Breakers of the Sabbath, who changed into apes." 2 However,
it is possible that Muhammad derived this bit of legend from the
story in the Talmud about the transformation of a class of sinners into
3
"R. Jeremiah b. Eleazar
apes, wild beasts and other wild animals.
said: They split up into three parties. One said, 'Let us ascend and
dwell there;' the second, 'Let us ascend and serve idols;' and the third
said, 'Let us ascend, and wage war (with God).' The party which
the Lord scattered them:
proposed, 'Let us ascend, and dwell there'
the one that said 'Let us ascend and wage war' were turned to apes,
." 4
spirits, devils and night-demons
The word Sabt s (used in Arabic for the seventh day) is the equivTorrey states that there

is

Cf. 4:153; 7:163-166; 16:125.

Op.

no trace
s

He

cit.,

is

p. 68;

Cf. Hirschberg, op.

Torrey 's statement

is

cit.,

p.

316 note 41.

based on Geiger's remark

(p.

181) that

to be found of such a transformation in Jewish writings.

Hirschfeld, op.

cit.,

p. 108,

doubts whether

me

Muhammad knew

of this legend.

on a misunderstanding on the part

of the compilers, or those who copied the revelations from the original notes. The
claims that

word
qird,

"The matter seems

in question, qiradatan, [5

meaning an ape.

If

we

to

^-*]

is

to rest

recorded in the dictionaries as plural of

read qirddn [O * j-*], vermin (and in the archetype

of that passage the difference between these

two readings was probably

difficult

to distinguish), the verse would be a mistaken rendition of Exod. 16:20, 24.

The

mistake was probably caused by the circumstance that the transformation of

worms. Now
living human beings into apes seemed much more fitting than into
the reason of the transformation
the Sabbath, which

is

'those

who go

refer to a given space of

(Mishnah

in the Qordn, disobedience in connection with

the same cause as mentioned in the Pentateuch.

of the food left over night,

The words,

is,

Muhammed
too

far',

ground

Instead

has the disobedient persons transformed.

are perhaps a rendering of Exod. 16:29,

and

in the sense of the Rabbinical interpretation

Erflbin, 2:3)."

Cf. B. Sanh. 109a; Hirschfeld, Jiidische Elemente ... p. 65.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

63

Hebrew

alcnt of the

Shabbat? and the Aramaic

ShabW

(Exod. 20:8).*
Muljammad, perhaps relying upon Ex. 16:4 considered only the Jews
to be obligated to observe the Sabbath as stated in Ex. 30:13, 17 XO and
in the Midrash." Though Muhammad chose Friday to take the place
of the Jewish Saturday and the Christian Sunday, yet this day on
which Moslems are allowed to work, unlike the Jewish Sabbath, is not
9

called the

day

of rest, but the

of assembly/' 12 being the holy

"day

day of the week. 13 In the time of Mubammad, Jews in Arabia observed

the Sabbath early on Friday. 14 It is quite possible that Muhammad
"
took this pattern as a model for his "day of assembly. IS For he

Knar. Cf Horovitz, Koranischc

,

Dozy

p. 96.

177) claims that the Arabs adopted the

(p.

names

of the week-days

from the Jews. The seventh day they call Sabt only. Cf. J. J. Rivlin, Gesetz im
Koran, p. 20 n,: "Es verdient immerhin Beachtung, dass der feierlichste Sabbat-

am

gottesdienst, die natf n^ap, schon

Freitag,

bei den jemenitischen

und zwar

Juden am frUhen Nachmittag, stattfindet. Vielleicht ist diese na rtap in der von
Becker Islam III 379, zitierten Tradition gemeint, in der M. sagt Vahle den Tag
"

an dem die Juden ihren Sabbat vorbereiten.'

See, however, I. Goldziher,
"Die Sabbatinstitution im Islam" in Sefer Hazikaron D. Kaufmann, Breslau, 1900,
aus,

p. 6.
*

nV OH

Cf.

(0V?

*mwa i^n UWH

]yth.

mwar

ha

rmson

TID

twn

H'D

([W]
f

Cf. also: (a y n

*a

naerw

irxp

owaaai

o'ainaai

mina

]TTn) war

Prayer Book: wrwoa

OJT

rn

ww

'a

Even

"]oy

.iBoon

mn

^mro nVi

in the J&hitiyah period the

20

nn

naw

o'lap;

and the Sabbath

m2cnn M iA wn^M M wna

K^I

*6.

i33

Vy o'D i-won

,yiaw naaan ovn on^

iip

mn

'any jw^ai
%

a .oiian 00 ty

ona^naa.

term

derived, according to Rivlin, from the

influenced

nn'o a^n

hinvb a ,o^iy

n'ao win i*np nar

,m?y )an WTJD) noV

fa

on IDKW

'w on

Cf, JWI'&M

*jj>.

K^ n^^i

,0^*00 naiy^ IID^D wVran H^I

rnna oa IPK ,aj; yirS nanna

p.

nVipr

f.

ft ,oma o^r
II

is

Cf. Goldziher, ibid., pp. 86

i J^

Hebrew

by the Hebrew and Aramaic nwa,

uraraa.

any.

was used
4**4*l

for Friday,

^ ji

which

was probably

Cf. J. J. Rivlin, Gewte

tw Koran,

n.
(a*y ,?a niaia)

na

anya nar hv Vr an; also: na

na* nia^n ,nprnn

-

(congregation)

every Moslem

is

is

.o'aon)

any Dian ^y

na*n noaaa nVr

'f

np^ oi^ A

ByK or nyao.

the term used for the sixth day of the week and

commanded by Mufcammad

to observe

it

(62:9).

Mubammad

SURA

VERSE
V

69

61

Iv

accepted the Jewish idea of making Friday a day of special prayers

and also followed the Jewish practice of including a sermon in the
service and making his followers bathe their bodies and wear special
" l6
Yet the spirit of a complete day of
attire for the "day of assembly.
rest as practised by the Jews was alien to Muhammad. 17
As for the Koranic statement about the Jews having transgressed
the Sabbath, Baitfawl says that this happened in the reign of King

David, when a Jewish community dwelt in the city of Elath on the

Red Sea. The Jews of Elath dug pits on the eve of the Sabbath so
that on the day of rest the fish flowed abundantly into them. (God

And on Sunday

did this in order to tempt the people).

drew them
It

is

the Israelites

18

out.

possible that this legend

came

into

Moslem

tradition through

For, according to talmudic and post-talmudic

permissible to spread "snares for wild beasts, fowls

Karaite literature.

Halakah,

and

fish"

it is

on the eve of the Sabbath. 19 Nets

also ordered his followers not to fast

Mubammad

may

not

on Fridays, which follows the Jewish practice

in connection with the Sabbath. Hirschberg, op.

that

for wild animals

told his followers that the

cit.,

p. 196, cites

a Moslem tradition

commandment not

to engage in

war

on the Sabbath was given to the Jews alone. Cf. Geiger, op. cit., p. 53.
16
According to Moslem tradition each service must be preceded by a sermon
which is considered part of it. Cf. Bu., Vol. I, p. 233:

"

Wellhausen, Reste

.,Vol.

"Die Sabbatinstitution im Islam,"

Steinschneider,
Leipzig,

M a oJ3i^

pp. 27
18

11

in

Literatur

A. Strauss, ''DM^DRn DID^BH

f.;

'

^,

cit.,

p. 133;

I.

Goldziher,

Gedenkbuch ... D. Kaufmann, pp. 86-91; M.

und Apologetische

Polemische

1877, pp. 320

p. 142; Pollack, op.

I,

in

Arabischer

3Vt. in

Jerusalem, 1950, pp. 46

f.;

Sprache,

pnstn TDD

Mittwoch, op.

f.

BaidSwi, Vol.

IjUfiilj

All

I,

p. 26:

p^Ul
JUL

*A*

Jj

J^U J*
f J4

j c-Ji
19

a y

,r

tf

nar.

cit.,

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

70

be spread, however, unless they

be caught the same day. But

the school of Hillel permit it, so that they could be caught naturally in
the net on the day of rest. 21 It is only according to the Karaite Halakah
that the spreading of nets for fish on the eve of the Sabbath was
prohibited unless they could be caught while it is yet day. 22

may

20

Ibid., n'ai

ov -nyao

nw*

ns vb*

om

niciyi rrn

nmsD

J'DTIS

pn OHDIH

"

,^n) n^Vn hi ne&ip H'm or nyaD nnn^. It seems unlikely that the
Moslems were aware of the non-accepted opinion of the school of Shammai.
ai

(a'y

,\">

r\yo

SURA

VERSES 63-66

II

VERSES

71

63-66

And when Moses

said to his people, 'God bids you

a
cow/ they said, 'Art thou making a jest of
slaughter
us? Said he, 'I seek refuge with God from being one of
the unwise.' They said, Then pray thy Lord for us to
show us what she is to be. He answered, 'He saith it
is a cow, nor old, nor young, of middle age between the
two; so do as ye are bid.' They said, Tray now thy
Lord to show us what her colour is to be. He answered,
'He saith it is a dun cow, intensely dun, her colour
delighting those who look upon her.' Again they said,
Tray thy Lord to show us what she is to be; for cows
appear the same to us; then we, if God will, shall be
guided.' He answered, 'He saith, it is a cow, not broken
in to plough the earth or irrigate the tilth, a sound one
with no blemish on her.' They said, 'Now hast thou
brought the truth.' And they slaughtered her, though
they came near leaving it undone.
1

apparent that we have here a mixture of the story of the

heifer in Num. 19 with the story of the calf mentioned in Deut. 21 :l-9.
In Jewish sources the red cow appears to be insensitive. 1 The expression "not broken in to plough the earth or irrigate the tilth" recalls
the words in Num. 19:2, "faultless, wherein is no blemish, and upon
which never came yoke," as well as the discussion in the Talmud 2
about the prohibition of doing other work. Sifre compares the red
cow with the heifer "which hath not been wrought with (Deut. 21 :3)"
It is

and whose neck was broken in the valley. 3

As for the age of the cow, there are two opinions in the Talmud.
Rabbi Jose says she must be two years old, but the sages maintain
that she may be three years old, and the prevailing law is that of the
4
It seems likely that the frequent talmudic comparisons
sages.
between the red cow and the heifer caused Muhammad this confusion.

p
RDBD ODD
([B] o'y
2

,1

B. Sot. 46a;

HDK^D i
(i ,K'a

mn

RPDS ,m>

[F] asp

-Trm

PDD

*ai

'JD

cf.

,mc

,Rina

DR j^oin ,nm

am

Rashi, ad

,npn ,nso:

Rnp'DD) D'DyD

loc.\

Mishnah, Par.

1:2.

nfcn

,nnin

ynr

Cf. 5#re, ibid.

w irw

'ii

ma

ow rVy pro.

^njn HDH^D -m* rn wj; ra

lonyi

rm

]'mwi nniR perron

[F] n'oy T'D ,vai nnp'DB; [B]

n3 n^yjip Kin IH na ^DIB

onan) ^nia n^iyn HK ov

pwnai

'->

|)nv

Dioni^; cf. also:

K^I ia -fay K^

^mo

n^ayn n

IPR

,npn

Dion JH

K*nn

Tyn

,Dimn;

rtay noi
'jpr

mini

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

72

Zamakhshari says that the cow had to be "dun" completely, even

to its horns and hooves, 5 and a similar statement is found in the
Mishnah. 6
Tabari relates: "There was a man in Israel who proudly honored
his father. Once a man passed by him and offered to sell him precious
stones. The father was then asleep and had the key to the money
under his head. The man said, 'I will sell you the pearls for 70,000
worth of currency if you pay it immediately.' But the devoted son
answered, 'Wait until my revered father will awaken, and then I'll
pay you 80,000.' The man said, 'Wake him up right now and I'll sell
them to you for 60,000,' and so he went on until he offered them to
the son for 30,000. The son refused, however, to awaken his father
and increased the price to 100,000 if the man would wait. Finally
the son said, 'For no price will I disturb the sleep of my father.' The
reward of the pious son was that a red cow was born among his herd
for which Moses gave him a very high price." 7
This story with slight variations recalls the legend in Kiddushin:
"It was propounded of R. 'Ulla: How far does the honour of parents
He replied, Go forth and see what a certain heathen,
(extend)?
Zamakhshari, Vol.

pp. 82-83:

omrw

Mishnah, Par. 2:2: -m

I,

Tabari, Vol.

I,

p.

n'BBi rvnp0 mo.

258:

UJU
CJI

IT

&\>\

Jiil

4]

juiJl

>VI

JIS U
<J

JU*

UJI

Ull

fj

ai

jBj....
P!

^r

^....

ji

4j

ijiiyu....

^> Ui

l^jj

....uy

SURA

II

VERSES 63-66

73

Dama

son of Nethinah by name, did in Askelon. The Sages once

desired merchandise from him, in which there was 600,000 (gold
denarii) profit, but the key was lying under his father, and so he did
not trouble him. Rab Judah said in Samuel's name: R. Eliezer was
Said he,
asked, How far does the honour of parents (extend)?
Go forth and see what a certain heathen, Dama son of Nethinah by

name, did

in Askelon.

profit of 600,000 (gold

The Sages sought jewels for the ephod, at a

R. Kahana taught: at a profit of
denarii)

but as the key was lying under his father's pillow, he did
800,000
not trouble him. The following year the Holy One, blessed be He,

gave him his reward.

B. ^id.. 31a.

red heifer was born to him in his herd.

1 '

74

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

VERSE

69

Yet were your hearts hardened even

after that, till

as stones or harder still, for verily of stones
from which streams burst forth, and of

they were

are some
them there are some that burst asunder and the water
issues out, and of them there are some that fall down
for fear of God but God is never careless of what ye do.
;

Compare: "Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock
in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water
out of it, that the people may drink ..." (Exod. 17 :6) "And Moses and
Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said
unto them: 'Hear now, ye rebels; are we to bring you forth water out
;

20:10). The Koranic phrase "your hearts

2
recalls the Biblical words in Deut. 10:16.
Similarly the

of this rock?'"

hardened"

(Num.

idea that the heart hardens as stone recalls Ezekiel: "And I will give
them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will
remove the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart
of flesh" (Ezek. 11:19) .3
parallel to the Koranic idea that

man's heart

is

harder than stone

commentary on Num. 20:12: "For if you had

spoken to the rock and it had brought forth (water), I would have been
sanctified in the eyes of the congregation, and they would have said;
If this rock, which does not speak and does not hear, and does not
require sustenance, fulfills the word of the Omnipresent, then cer4
tainly we (should do so)."
found

is

in Rashi's

According to Rashi's interpretation, which is undoubtedly based

on midrashic lore, man can learn a lesson from the stone. Though
a stone does not depend much on God's support, yet it readily fulfills
His will, a fortiori a human being, who is sustained by God.

Cf. 2:82,

and nyno zh naa;

Cf. Ezek. 36:26:

"A new

cf.

Zech. 7:12 TDB> 100 oaVi and Jer. 5:3.

heart also will

give you, and a

put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your
Kjwn
give you a heart of flesh." Also, Targum, ad loc.: ]'pn

wm

ttuto.

P. R.

C., Vol.

IV, pp. 204-5.

new

spirit will I

flesh,

a^

rv

and

nanto

will
.

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE

75

73

73

And some of them

there are, illiterate folk, that know not

the Book, 1 but only idle tales; for they do but fancy.
But woe to those who write out the Book with their
hands and say 'this is from God to buy therewith a
little price
and woe to them for what their hands have
written, and woe to them for what they gain!
1

Zamakhshari commenting on ''illiterate folk/' states that they are

unfamiliar with writing and therefore unable to peruse the Torah
and ascertain its true meaning. 2
Rodwell and Lane hold that the word "illiterate" 3 (ummiyun,
plural of ummi) refers to a non-Jew, who is unaware of or does not
possess the Scriptures. Torrey, upholding this view, suggests that
this is "simply the transfer into Arabic of the Hebrew goi, goylm. It
was not coined by Mohammed, but was taken over by him from the

speech which he heard. It designated any and all who were not of the
Israelite race (as has already been said, and as is well known, Mohammed does not distinguish Christians from Israelites). The passage
2:73, which has made trouble for previous explanations of the problematic term, expresses the indignation and scorn with which the

prophet replies to certain proselytes

had

tried to trick or ridicule

in

one of the Medinese

him by means

of

some

tribes,

who

'scripture of their

own composition

a most natural proceeding for would-be Israelites.

He has just been speaking of the Jews, and now continues: 'And among
them there are certain goylm, who do not know the scriptures, but only

and who think vain things. Woe to those who write

out scriptures with their hands and then, say, This is from God!' Here,
the adjective is plainly used in reproach and contempt; elsewhere, it
means precisely 'Gentile,' most obviously in 3:69! 4 The Koran, then,
"
gives no ground whatever for supposing Mohammed unlettered. s
hope to appear

Cf. the expressions: (n'ypn ron ,jv-or

(HD ,n"'D ,310

a

to,

.IfJ
*

*
*

who

Jj-j^l,

i. e.

cit.,

'no iy;

p. 86:

I,

"gentile,

Cf. Geiger, op.

irby rmyo nn

ir^y opiy nrm 'no ly.

inw) topon n

Zamakhshari, Vol.

wyw mp^) o'airon n

p.

non-Jew or heathen."
49; Gastfreund, op.

cit. t

Part

I,

p. 12.

Torrey also quotes Noldeke-Schwally, op. cit., p. 14,

maintain that the term umml refers to those "who do not have ('or know')
Torrey, op.

cit.,

p. 38.

the ancient holy scriptures/' Cf. Bu., Vol. IV, p. 400.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

76

Horovitz thinks that in this verse "it is possible that the word
might have been confused with the 'amme ha- are/ those among the
6
However, in 62:2 "Allah is
Jews who do not know the law."
praised for having raised up among the 'ummiyun' a prophet who was
one of their midst, and for this reason Mohammed calls himself *annabi al ummi in 7:156, 158, because he came from the ranks of the
7
Arabs, i. e., from one of the 'umm5t ha-'olam/ and not from Israel. ."
Mubammad "learned of the 'ummot haVolam' through the Jews in
Medina and formed the word 'ummi in accordance with this term/' 8
Thus it is possible that the term ummiyun here and in 7:156 9 is
derived from the Hebrew "Ummot ha'Olam." Muhammad in announcing himself "the seal of the prophets wished to indicate that
10
he is the "prophet unto all the nations/'
>

1 '

Horovitz,

HUCA,

Ibid., p. 190.

Ibid., pp. 190-91.

NSldeke-Schwally, op.

IO

them

Jer.

1:5,

in the

unto you

D"iab

p. 191.

As
cit.,

':;

to the term Nabi, see Horovitz,

Vol.

cf.

law (S \jj$\ ^>)

all/

of

Him whose

If

pp. 159

7:156*
.

is

158,

f.,

HUCA,

and notes to 2:254;

"Whom

p.

223 and

3:4,75.

they find written down with

Say, 'O ye folk! Verily,

am

the apostle of

the kingdom of the heavens and the earth

God
."

SURA

II

VERSE

VERSE

77

74

74

And

then they say, 'Hell fire shall not touch us save

a number of days.' Say, 'Have ye taken a covenant
with God?' but God breaks not His covenant. Or do ye
say of God that which ye do not know?
1

for

The Koranic

number of days" recalls the talmudic

statement that the trial of the transgressors in hell lasts twelve'
months. 3 In 2:161 Muframmad states: "When those who are followed
clear themselves of those who followed them, and see the torment, and
the cords are cut asunder." This idea brings to mind the rabbinic
statement that on the Day of Judgment God will separate (untie)
the (bad) followers from their leaders who will not be able to be helped

by the

reference to "a

latter. 4

Cf. 3:23.

According to R. Johanan b. Nuri the judgment of certain sinners will last

"(only) from Passover to Pentecost," *. e. seven weeks. Mishnah 'Eduy. 2:10 [DJ.
'

('a

pis .nvny

,nypo)

enn

a''

oma

o'yan oovo;

cf.

2:160.

and consigns to
never extinguished fire those who misled others and caused them to sin, and those
who isolated themselves from the community (B. R. H. I7a).

The Talmud

distinguishes incidental sinners from heretics

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

78

VERSE

77

And when we

took 1 from the children of Israel a covenant, saying, 'Serve ye none but God, and to your two
parents show kindness, and to your kindred and the
orphans and the poor, and speak to men kindly, and be
steadfast in prayer, and give alms' and then ye turned
back, save a few of you, and swerved aside.
;

Chapter nineteen in Leviticus, which, as the rabbis rightly note,

contains the major principles of Judaism, 2 embraces almost every
precept enumerated in this Koranic verse, i. e., monotheism, covenant,
honorable dealing, no talebearing or malice, reverence for parents,
consideration for the poor, for the needy and for the stranger. 3 Though
prayer is not explicitly mentioned in Leviticus 19, the precept has
been deduced from the biblical command, "Ye shall be holy; for
4
As to "speak to men
I the Lord your God am holy" (Lev. 19 :2).
kindly,"

we may

find a parallel in the rabbis' interpretation of the

words "not (to) bear sin" (Lev. 19:17). According to them even an
admonition to improve one's deeds should be uttered in a friendly
way. 5 Other parallels are found in Aboth: "and judge all men in the
scale of merit," 6 and in the Talmud, where it is stated that "addressing
words of comfort" is even higher than charity. 7
AH, Holy Qur-an p. 44, translates "we made a covenant with."
2
^*n0* *aa my ^a ^K
Rashi to Lev. 19:2: ^npna IT nano mmop no^o

na ]"i^n
3

mm

Ibid.-,

'sia

ant? JBD.

([B]

onmp

Iedftshah (holiness)

humbly with our God,"

([B]

,onmp

,KDinan)

is

,NDimn)

498

P. H., p.
.

oana IDPD

v^a

^h.

*aNi

Vn

rnn
no0 ,^tnp^ n'apn IDN -p
,jvmjn nniw yop nnp rnso ,'DIXD.

mantpo vaui irrsio n

-pano

3y^

i^'sm ^i:r

D'anip

rrsin

roim

nons |man ^D pnr

1:6.

B. Shab. 127a;

n rby nVyo DI^D

,3*c

hw

n.

cf.

also the following: -tra

raoi a^iya

H'n

nnann

maia.

^Mishnah Ab.,
7

nama

attained "by doing justly, loving mercy, and walking

(a'y ,D ,a"a)

in

the Midrash, too, equates the precepts enumerated here to the ten

commandments
4

i^

]na

H^ ''DM ma*

nayn 'oWn* iio^n

;(a

and ^Good manners are preferred

01

fi

^o

o^as)

ms

o>

naoa oiKn ^a n

mma mano ^a n*an^ ]na

naoa nan n ^apon !?a

a'-nan)

oi^a i^

o^iyap maiw mano ^a

for you," Bu., Vol. IV, p. 167,

i^

jna

]na
ib

SURA

II

VERSE

79

77

Other relevant biblical passages are: "And He declared unto you

His covenant, which He commanded you to perform
." (Deut. 4:13).
"Thou shalt have no other gods before Me" (Ex. 20:3). "And ye
shall serve the Lord your God" (Exod. 23:25). "Honor thy father
and thy mother" (Ex. 20:12 and Deut. 5:16)
"Thou shalt surely
open thy hand unto thy poor and needy brother, in thy land"
(Deut. 15:11). "When thou hast made an end of tithing all the
tithe of thine increase in the third year, which is the year of tithing,
and hast given it unto the Levite, to the stranger, to the fatherless,
and to the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be satisfied,
then thou shalt say before the Lord thy God: I have put away the
hallowed things out of my house, and also have given them unto the
Levite and unto the stranger, to the fatherless and to the widow,
according to all Thy commandments which Thou hast commanded
me ." (Deut. 26:12-14). "At the end of every three years, even in
the same year, thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase,
and shalt lay it up within thy gates. And the Levite, because he
hath no portion nor inheritance with thee, and the stranger, and the
fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates, shall come, and
shall eat and be satisfied that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all
8
the work of thy hand which thou doest" (Deut. 14:28-29).
.

Cf. Is. 1:17,

fatherless,

"Learn to do

well;

plead for the widow."

Seek

justice, relieve

the oppressed, Judge the

For an elaborate discussion on prayers and

charity in Islam see notes to 2:1-2. 172, 211, 239, 240, 246, 272, 273, 280: 3:128.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

VERSE

80

Those who have bought this worldly life with the Future,
the torment shall not be lightened from them nor shall
1
they be helped.

Baitfawl interprets the words, "have bought this worldly life,"

to mean that they give preference to the values of this world. 2
striking parallel to this Koranic verse as well as to Baiglawi is found in

Talmud: "They forsake

and engage in life temporal!" 3

Other parallels are also found in Jeremiah 12:1: "Wherefore doth the
way of the wicked prosper?" and in the Talmud: "... why is it that
(righteous men) .... are in adversity, (and) .... wicked men pros," 4 According to Tar gum Yerushalmi, God pays to those who
per?
dislike him the reward for the minor good deeds they have done in
this world so as to destroy them in the world to come. 5
The Talmud interprets the biblical phrase: "which I command
"
thee this day, to do them" (Deut. 7:11) as
'This day (you are) to do
them' but you cannot postpone doing them to tomorrow (after death)
this day (you are in a position) to do them and tomorrow (after death
the

life

eternal

is
is

6
reserved) for receiving reward for (doing) them." A closer parallel
found in the Mishnah: "For in the hour of the departure of a man

(from the world), there accompany him neither gold nor silver, nor
." 7 The
precious stones nor pearls, but Torah and good deeds alone
Midrash also states that wealth is of no avail on the day of judgment
and only deeds of merit "shall come to meet thee there even before
thou hast arrived, for it is said, thy righteousness shall go before thee." 8
.

'

Cf. 3:14.

Bai#lwi, Vol.

I,

B. Shab. 33b.

B. Ber. 7a.
pnjv

p. 30:

ljf^\

K"rpoV hhn

omn) ]nn KD^yn pn'Ta

,r

b.

JP

LJoll

SL>Jl

jnn KD^ya prr-pa rpm

JVKI ]^'bp jnxo

-UK

ip

pixo -UN n

niwV HD^D^ MPD

,on:n).
6

B. 'Erub. 22a.

Mishnah Ab.

Y^B

,K'TTD.

Levi also said:

6:9.

Cf.
'All

anm

,vui nnp'DD and "R. Joshua

the good deeds which Israel does in this world will bear

[FJ a'y ,r"op ,D'B ,*y:upn

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE
Moses came
up with the

The

to

81

86

86

you with manifest signs, then ye took

when he had gone and did so wrong.
1

calf

Bible records that

when God

children of Israel, the latter said:

"

told

Moses

to bring forth the

'But, behold, they will not believe

me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they will say: The Lord hath not
"
(Exod. 4:1). It was then that God gave several
appeared unto thee'
if they
signs into the hands of Moses with the promise that: ".
will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign,
.

that they will believe the voice of the latter sign (ibid., verse 8).
The Midrash argues that Moses was wrong in assuming that Israel

not believe him, after God has said: "And they shall hearken to thy
voice" (Exod. 3:18). God, however, responded to Moses thinking
and gave the signs to him. 2
The Koranic verse also recalls the biblical statements: "And
the people believed" (Exod. 4:31) ... "And they believed in the Lord,
"and made it a molten
and in His servant Moses" (Exod. 14:31)

will

calf" (Exod. 32:4).'

According to the

Moslem commentaries, 4

the signs mentioned here

refer to the miracles in connection with the Exodus which Moses
5
performed before Pharaoh and the Israelites. Among these miracles,
6
according to Tabari, are: the rod turning into a serpent, the hand of
Moses turning again "as his other flesh," and the crossing of the Red
Sea. The miracles were performed to testify to the truth of Moses
1

prophecy.
*

Cf. 3:184.

"jVipV

OB

,a

,n:n

won

mo*)

ib

ION n'apn ,pin3

inn

*tb ninin

Cf. 2:48-51.

]na

V0

wo

-01 nyp

nm

.^ iron* vb jm

ion nD

JJH

IIWBQ n'apn un*n TO .^ iron* vh jm IDN Kim.

Cf. Baitfawl, ad he., Vol. I, p. 31:

oilT
*

These miracles, according to Baitfawi and Zamakhsharl,

rod, stretching forth his hand, bringing

gnats, bringing

up the

Israelites.

Tabari, Vol.

I,

p. 317:

Moses casting the

frogs, the dust of the earth

becoming

Egypt becoming blood, the smiting

the sea and the raising of the mountain over the

locusts, the waters in

of the rock, the crossing of

up the

are:

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

VERSE

87

And when we

took a covenant with you and raised the

mountain over you, 'Take what we have given y6u with
resolution and hear;' they said, 'We hear but disobey';
and they were made to drink the calf down into their
hearts for their unbelief. Say, 'An evil thing is it which
your belief bids you do, if ye be true believers.'

here 1 connects the acceptance of the Torah with the

making of the molten calf, whereas in 2:285 he refers to the acceptance
of the Torah only. 2
According to the Aggada, when Moses told the Israelites that God

Muframmad

would give them the Torah, they said: "We will do, and obey." 3 The
rendition in 285, "We will hear and obey," reverses the biblical statement, "We will do, and obey." 4 In Shabbath 88b the biblical expression is given special emphasis. 5 However, some noted Hebrew gram-

the

commentary, p. 48 n.: "We hear the words and disobey

command." See also Rashbam's commentary to Exod. 24:7: "We will do what

He

has said and obey what

Cf. 2:60, 285

Ali's

Exod. 24:7,

He

will

"We

There the statement,

WtfjN (Deut. 5:24),

*

and

"And we

yopai n0ya,

command

hear and obey" (2:285),

will hear

"we

us in the future."

it,

will do,

is like

the

Hebrew uyoBn

and do

it/

and obey/'

p. 109, Mubammad identified

According to Hirschfeld, New Researches
'asinu Or0y) (we do it) with Arabic 'asaini (U~*aP), which has an opposite
meaning. Sometime later he became aware of the error. "To correct it was,
.

however, impossible, since the true version did not suit his purposes at all. He
therefore replaced the faulty word by 'we obey/ placing this avowal into the

mouth

of

the Believers

who

believe in AlHlh, His angels, His Books,

and His

Messengers (we make no difference between any of His messengers) and they say:
We hear and obey" (2:285). However, in view of note 1, there is no need
to attribute a different

meaning to the Koranic

text.

Cf.

Horovitz,

HUCA,

p. 214.
5

oVo

Va^ "wn

nun

ow

i*a

yoi^

n0yj ^*n0

innpntf nyt&a *KD'D

'i

b npp VK-WD -mm in

yon lua -mm wya TOD irw anna
ino any n ^*n0> ^a iVxjm (& ,mo) IDKW oipnm n^an 'DN^D un onvyi no
i ipis anna pDKia uyD anna ipis anna uya anna wan la on ai now
n'apn Tnyi ^'i ID ^nn n np nt^oi n^ I^DDT ]^wi nc?o nar I^D
VH-W

own

IMDPIP ]iai

^y o^iy nno^i
ip

na

men no n^ noi ?
(n'y ,n'D na)
1

nna

]rx mai

)m^

'n

nnr yo0& n^ya ^i^ wipn nyt^a nry^

man^ ^i 1^03 no^ ... ia i^on^o
%

^HDI (n^ /

yopaV rwya lonpn !?K-I^ IK v*?y^

mn

'a

'a!?D

o-rip v-is nr.

nr

SURA

VERSE

II

87

marians and commentators do not see any difference between "we

will do, and obey" and "we will obey, and we will do." Sa'adia in his
To/sir (commentary) renders the phrase na'aseh wenishma' as nefcablah
6

venizna'ah.

The Koranic expression, "And they were made to drink

down
.," recalls the verse in Exod. 32:20: "And he took
.

the calf

the calf

which they had made, and burnt it with fire, and ground it to powder,
and strewed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink
of it."

Jabari comments that they drank the water in which the ashes of
the burnt calf were mixed. In a more detailed explanation, fabarl
writes, that when Moses came and saw the Israelites assembled around
the calf, he burnt it, put the ashes into the water and commanded them
to drink it. 7 Those who participated in the making of the calf received
a sign of gold on their lips and in this way Moses was able to recognize
them. 8 The Talmud, too, states that they were tested by the drinking
of the water as was the So{ah. 9

nyjxn rtapa (Exod. 24:7),

Paris, 1893.

Jonah Ibn Janah

yoj

p. 360, writes: rwyji

7

^ne"
8

is

^3 n

'33 *?y

b'opi

issi

I,

^NIP

H mp

Tabari, Vol.

Jl

yotw

'^*i

rwyj.

'pttw

wypnV

commentary on Song

tbnb nnsy

wnn

war

Exod.

*>-j

32:20:

and burnt

it

with

<4

'the

fire,

and ground

of

water had a visible

detect."
(N'y

S.

Ch.

,YD

-nai t>b)y rr

*\v\

r\vo

p'Voi Viop.

____

it

the

to powder,

Israel drink of it."

effect

upon the

....

And he (Moses) took

and made the children

1

of Songs, 1:14,

p. 318:

JB
Cf.

Les (Euvres completes de Saadia,

(ed.),

Hariqma, ed. M. Wilensky, Berlin, 1924,

in his Sefer

also in line with the Targum

This

3'nntn

IBSIPD

Derenbourg

J.

guilty

calf

which

and strewed

they
it

had

made,

upon the water,

According to Ibn Ezra, ad

loc.,

which the Levites were able to

p. 552n.

mr muy)

]iDna.

]piuV ^ psna
See also D'nsn, ad /oc., moioa
JVIBIDD

^-

Cf. Rashi to Exod. 32:20:

84

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

VERSES

88-89

'If the abode of the future with God is yours alone

and not mankind's: long for death then if ye speak the
truth.' But they will never long for it because of what
their hands have sent on before; but God is knowing
as to the wrong doers.

Say,

seems to reject the idea that all Israel have a portion

in the world to come. 1 Nor is he aware of the liberal talmudic concept,
as found in early rabbinic literature, that if "a gentile occupies himself
with the study of the Torah he equals (in status) the High Priest,"

Mubammad

"Ye

for it is said:

nances, which

a
(Lev. 18:5). This
if

"

shall therefore

keep

man
is

and Mine ordiby them: I am the Lord"

My

statutes,

do, he shall live

based on the fact that the Bible does not say
"a
1

Here Mubammad
Levites and Israelites,' but 'a man.
accuses the Jews and the Christians of maintaining that they alone
are entitled to Paradise and of considering themselves specially
'priests,

favored by God. 3

pa WT

cbiy ?

B. B. K. 38a;
Cf. 3:59; 5:72.

cf.

o'pnx

0^3

nojn

B. Sanh. 59a.

noK3

Kan

o^nyfc

pVn

orb

v>

84

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

VERSES

88-89

'If the abode of the future with God is yours alone

and not mankind's: long for death then if ye speak the
truth.' But they will never long for it because of what
their hands have sent on before; but God is knowing
as to the wrong doers.

Say,

seems to reject the idea that all Israel have a portion

in the world to come. 1 Nor is he aware of the liberal talmudic concept,
as found in early rabbinic literature, that if "a gentile occupies himself
with the study of the Torah he equals (in status) the High Priest,"

Mubammad

"Ye

for it is said:

nances, which

a
(Lev. 18:5). This
if

"

shall therefore

keep

man
is

and Mine ordiby them: I am the Lord"

My

statutes,

do, he shall live

based on the fact that the Bible does not say
"a
1

Here Mubammad
Levites and Israelites,' but 'a man.
accuses the Jews and the Christians of maintaining that they alone
are entitled to Paradise and of considering themselves specially
'priests,

favored by God. 3

pa WT

cbiy ?

B. B. K. 38a;
Cf. 3:59; 5:72.

cf.

o'pnx

0^3

nojn

B. Sanh. 59a.

noK3

Kan

o^nyfc

pVn

orb

v>

SURA

II

VERSE

VERSE

85

91

91

1
Say "Who is an enemy to Gabriel?"

for

he hath revealed*

to thy heart, with God's permission, confirmation of

what had been before, and a guidance and glad tidings to
believers.

According to Moslem tradition, the Jews objected to Muhammad's

assertion that Gabriel revealed the Koran to him, because they
considered Gabriel an enemy and a messenger of wrath who announced
the destruction of the first Temple, whereas the angel Michael was
their friend,

who brought them

3
prosperity and plenty.

Moslem commentators and exegetes also maintain that Gabriel

"was charged to convey the gift of prophecy to the Israelites, and he
4

conveyed it to another people, i. e. the Ishmaelites."

Zamakhshari relates that Omar owned a piece of land in Medina
and in order to approach it he had to pass synagogues. From time to
time he would visit a synagogue and listen to the discussions there.
Once the Jews remarked to him, "We love you and desire you," to
which Omar replied that he had some doubts pertaining to religious

J*

or ID

in

recalls the biblical

mrv

'

^H nan which appears often

in

the Bible,

not* na.

/. e.,

Baidawl, Vol.

the Koran.
I,

^J\, UP

JUi

^irw

p. 32:

Jji <>**..

..JL Ujj^

Jrf

4^X*
*JIS

JjJ

JUi

and Margoliouth, Mohammed

p. 91, "the angel (Gabriel)
who in the New Testament conveys messages." In Luke 1:11-38 Gabriel appears
of
as the angel of Annunciation, informing of the births of John the Baptist and
Testament
Cf. H. L. Strack, and P. Billerbeck, Kommentar zum Neuen
Zamakhshari, ad

loc.

.,

Jesus.

Although one rabbinic

The
source claims that Gabriel set fire to the Temple at Jerusalem (L. Ginzberg,
and another source maintains
Legends of the Jews, Philadelphia, 1925, Vol. V, p. 71),
Vol. VI,
that Michael and Gabriel "carried out the work of the destruction" (ibid.,
and
the authorities are unanimous in their opinion that both Michael

aus Talmud und Midrasch, Munich, 1922, Vol.

I,

pp. 59-60.

1928, p. 392),

as they
Gabriel were the keepers of the Temple, which was indestructible as long

watched over
*

AH,

op.

it (ibid.).
cit.,

p.

50 n. 40. Cf. Tabari, Vol.

I,

pp. 324

f.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

86

matters and came to seek more knowledge and information. He also

inquired about angel Gabriel and was told that Gabriel was the enemy
of the Jews because he disclosed their secrets to Muljammad. They
further told him that Gabriel to the Jews, is the messenger of affliction and punishment, whereas, Michael is their bearer of prosperity
and peace. Omar then inquired: "How are they (the angels) placed
with God?" They replied: "Gabriel is on the right hand of God and
Michael on the left." 5
6
7
Geiger, relying on a Responsum of Rabbi Solomon ben Adret of
Barcelona (1225-1310), sees some justification for Moslem tradition
about Gabriel, but attributes it to the fact that the Moslem exegetes
perverted the truth and failed to realize that to the Jews Gabriel is
the messenger of God for the punishment of sinners only. In fact,

Geiger argues that the

Talmud

presents Gabriel as one

who

"hides

the sins of Israel," i. e. wipes them away.

Although at times Gabriel's mission is that of destruction as
8

case

when he came

to

Zamakhsharl, Vol.

I,

Abraham

ono

On

n
8

tst,

Geiger, op.

cit.,

I,

"Und

pp. 13-14.

^naa

allerdings

so ist doch

him that he would overturn

p. 327.

B. B. B. 74b: *u DIDKD

iisnV MS

the

p. 92:

Cf Tabari, Vol.
6

to inform

is

ypnpa

^nnA

]nn

mo

oansr

]am ^naa.

demnach manches Wahre

selbst

mpo bD3 UD HDnaV

in

dieser Geschichte enthalten

der angefiihrte Ausspruch verdreht, indem Gabriel als

Boten Gottes bloss die Bestrafung der Sunder obliegt und von ihm sogar an einer
andern Stelle des Talmud Sanh. 44 gesagt wird, er heisse poem 'Verstopfer' DBIMP
^Hir* hv QTvnny 'weil er verstopft die Siinden Israels', sie verwischt, also den
Israeliten

durchaus nicht

als

Feind dargestellt wird,"

ibid., p. 14.

SURA

Sodom, 9 there

VERSE

II

87

91

no source found in the Talmud and subsequent

rabbinic literature that would indicate in any way that Gabriel was
an enemy of the Jews. 10 On the contrary, Gabriel is known in the
Talmud as the " intercessory spirit who always intercedes on behalf
is

1 '

He

of Israel. 11

known

also

is

in rabbinic literature as the angel

who

pleads for mitigation of punishment and as the bearer of good tidings."

He is one of the four angels surrounding the throne of the Almighty
and is the recorder of all human deeds and thoughts. 13 All angels,

but Michael and

Gabriel are eternal. 14 Even though, in Jewish tradition, Michael is
placed on the right side and Gabriel on the left side of the Almighty, 15
both share equally in importance and in function, 16 and very often
Gabriel's position is featured. Thus, Gabriel was the first to be sent
by God to fetch the dust collected from the corners of the earth for
the creation of man, 17 a legend quoted by Tabari. 18
The Midrash relates that Abraham "was still communing with
himself when the angel Gabriel approached him and met him with
the greeting, Teace be with thee,' and Abraham returned, 'With thee
be peace,' and asked, 'Who art thou?' And Gabriel answered, and
said, 'I am the angel Gabriel, the messenger of God,' and he led
Abraham to a spring of water near by, and Abraham washed his face
states the

a'y

nwia;

cf.

Cf.
"

,nan JYIDP.

,n*'E>

nwna

,rr

(a'y

'*

(,a

,i'a

nwia
in

'aaito Dip^ 1 )

DH ^*np*

Aruch Completum,

^nnaai

^wo.

ed. A.

Kohut, Vienna,

p. 434. Cf.

n ,n'D ,nai mo0;

D'3^D

nan

33D -p D^H
ma^o "raaa vas^o

1KD3^

'1

n-nn %

naiDa)

'1

]lai ninn

"T

n"j?s na-i

nvp onowi D'DK^D hv n^in na

1^0 capo) ^naai ^na^DD.

a"s ^nai na^K; cf. also fin

(a'yo D'b roi

Js

r\vhv nam;

77a.

^KD'D

.a's

OWN

D'axa

v^y

.,

Legends of the Jews, Vol. VI,

Ginzberg,

Yom.

.'oWn* main.

" B. Sanh. 44b; cf.

'Itmon"
1878 and N'ap ,KDV ,on!nD 'pnpi.
" Louis
The
B.

for specific missions;

KJPXD tea) ono^ JVMJTD^ ^?m ^Knaa

,ID

('a ,a"D ,na*i

10

Talmud, are created

"D

ro

nnrV

('a n'*p -laioa inr)

N^NDPD

^naa

a^D*D

^a^D;

cf.

n'apn

noon ^y yo

mu

ov

nnp

,-ino

and Mafaor Yom Kippur.

16

,a"D

nan

und Gabriel,"

on^n T; o^an ^ay

MGWJ

,n!?"i

nrsVn VIID;

cf. S.

(1928), pp. 449-50; Ginzberg, op.

'f

M.

18

Tabari, Annals, Vol.

A. Horodetzky, "Michael

cit.,

Vol. V, p. 71.

Gaster, The Chronicles of Yerabmeel, London, 1899, p. 15.

I,

p. 87:

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

88

and he prayed to God, bowing down and

19
It was Gabriel who bade Abraham "to proprostrating himself."
30
Gabriel also
claim the true faith to his father and his mother/'
dwelt with Abraham in prison and provided him with food and water. 21
Similarly when Abraham proclaimed God when still a babe it was
Gabriel, according to Jewish tradition, who was sent to assist and care
for him. 22 The Midrash abounds in legends designating Gabriel as
and

hands and

his

feet,

Abraham during

the protector of

the vicissitudes of his

life. 23

Similarly we observe the importance of Gabriel's position in the

life of Moses. 24 Gabriel was a witness when God proclaimed the New
Moon before Moses and Aaron, 25 and was appointed by God to take

charge of
'

it.

26

It

Ginzberg, op.

was through Gabriel that Pharaoh's daughter had

Vol.

cit.,

I,

1913, pp. 189-90.

Ibid., p. 193.

Ibid., p. 198.

"Ibid., Vol. V, pp. 210

cf.

R. Margaliyuth,

Gabriel also acted as a guide

32.

p.

f.;

New

D. Eisenstein, '0?ar Midrashim,

(J.

,a

protector of Isaac (a ,K'D

**

Cf. "(For)

]V*?y

'DVo, Jerusalem, 1935,

Ishmael in his ascension to heaven

to

York, 1918,

p. 400).

He was

also the

nnr).

when the wicked Nimrod

cast our father

Abraham

into the fiery

Holy One, blessed be He: 'Sovereign of the Universe!

Let me go down, cool (it), and deliver that righteous man from the fiery furnace.'
Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to him: 'I am unique (TIT) in My world, and he

furnace, Gabriel said to the

is

unique (TIT)

him who

'

is

unique (TFT)

Him who

unique (TIT^) to deliver

But because the Holy One, blessed be He, does not withhold

in his world: it is fitting for

the (merited) reward of any creature, he said to him,

to deliver three of his descendants'

Simon the

"

Thou

shalt be privileged

(B. Pes. 118a).

remarked:

Shilonite

is

"When

Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah into the

the

wicked

Nebuchadnezzar cast

fiery furnace, Yurfcami, Prince of hail,

Holy One, blessed be He, and said to Him: 'Sovereign of the Universe!
Let me go down and cool the furnace and save these righteous men from the fiery
rose before the

furnace.' Said Gabriel to him,

The

might

(manifested), for thou art the Prince of hail,

fire.

But

I,

the Prince of

fire, will

Holy One, blessed be He, is not thus

and all know that water extinguishes

of the

go down and cool

burn those who threw them into

it

within and heat

it

without

thus perform a double miracle

It was then
(03 -pm w).' Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to him, 'Go down.'
that Gabriel commenced (with praise) and said, 'And the truth of the Lord endureth
(to

for ever'

"

and

(B. Pes. 118a-118b); see also [B] n

M Ginzberg,

op.

R. Margaliyuth, op.
s

it),

will

mxn

,KDimn.

cit.,

Vol. II, p. 331; Vol. Ill, pp. 440, 472; Vol. V, p. 415;

cit.,

p. 35.

Ibid., Vol. II, p. 362.

Ibid., Vol.

p. 164.

cf.

SURA

VERSE

II

89

91

compassion on Moses when she found him, since he caused Moses to

7
Later on as a child, in Pharaoh's home, when seated in the lap
cry.'
of the king, Moses chanced to remove the crown from the head of the
Egyptian ruler and placed it on his own head. Pharaoh then became
alarmed and sought advice from his counsellors, 28 who interpreted this
act as a threat to Pharaoh's crown. He was therefore urged to test
Moses* intelligence by placing before him two bowls; one full of gold
coins and the other full of live coal. Should the infant reach for the
gold it would prove his superior intelligence and he would be put to
death. In order to save Moses' life Gabriel directed the infant's little
fingers to the live coal. The child threw the hot coal into his mouth,
burnt his tongue, and remained tongue-tied for life. 29
According to Jewish tradition, the angel of the Lord who appeared
before Moses in the flame of fire from the midst of the bush was the
30
angel Gabriel, and in crossing the Red Sea it was Gabriel who kept
the waters from drowning the Israelites. 31 At the revelation on Sinai,
Michael and Gabriel took hold of the two hands of Moses, 32 and it

was Gabriel who taught him how to fashion the candlestick. 33

As for Gabriel's mission in the future, the Talmud relates that
both Michael and Gabriel will appear before God to plead for the
restoration of the Jewish people. 34 Similarly in the world to come when

God will bring the righteous to Paradise, Gabriel will be instructed

by God to greet them in His name. "Soon Gabriel together with
proceed to the entrance and

Israel, will

Michael, as the angels of

welcome them." 35
real reason for choosing

view of the above, that the

It appears, in

Gabriel as the angel of Muhammad's revelation was Gabriel's unique

of
position in the lives of Abraham and Moses, the expounder
Monotheism and the author of the Mosaic Law, respectively.

As

a8

**

in

Ginzberg, op.

uw^

UDDI

(Top ron ,mo

3

3*

(Y^n
3"

n
.

,3E>
.

ro-i

cit. f

rs ^nh

niDai

'aiyop

mpV

r\hmr\

oy IT

o^om nVmn

ran mop)

;*6 N'B

treats

Moses and

]wb> -QDI

psm IT rm nmi

HD 133 npya.

,n:n mo*.
,nmn:>

rAa

eip^O

DB

too,

Vol. II, p. 274.

P-DD rrm

Muhammad,

Jewish tradition,

,K

,'jiyo*

cnoBn
.

oa'prn

onoy

twaa IT a^

minn ^p!? 1'Tnyp

^inr*

ITW nya

VHTM

^nr

^ma nnrn.

TUD.

,mmD) mi

33

('y

34

B. Pes. 118b;

35

R. Margaliyuth, op.

.D'S

cf.

nyo

rwo^

b nmm

n ,rTD nan mor.

cit. 9

p. 44.

rrn

*D3

nun

-i

IDH.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

90

Abraham

as well as Joseph 36 as teachers and great leaders. It is interesting that in the Mecca Suras, when Islam is still in the embryonic
stage, Gabriel is not mentioned at all. Only later in the Medina period,

when Muhammad

crystallized his theory

on Islam, does Gabriel

In Judaism Moses is considered superior to all the prophets.

Similarly in the Koran, Mubammad is considered "the Seal of the
3'
and like Moses, a shepherd 40 chosen in the desert, 41 a
Prophets,"

appear.

37

messenger of God to lead his people, 42

Rasul, 43 the messenger of God.
'

Mubammad,

too, calls himself

Gabriel taught Joseph seventy languages (B. Sot. 36b). Similarly to Jewish

Mubammad emphasizes Gabriel's important role in the life of Joseph.

In the Koran he devotes a whole Sura (XII) to Joseph. Islamic tradition, too,

tradition,

knows

of Joseph's

knowledge of seventy languages.

Zamakhshari, (Vol.

p. 663)

I,

I**

states:

Mubammad was

much impressed by Joseph and no wonder

thus

to the story of Joseph in the

Koran as "the most

beautiful."

Die haggadischen Elemente..

Leipzig, 1907, p. 51.
3*
Hirschfeld, Neue Beitr ..... p. 19; Horovitz, HUCA,
.

p. 107.

in the

that he refers

Cf. Schapiro,

I.,

p. 158

and Koranische

.,

Abraham and Moses are the most frequently mentioned biblical personages
Koran. Abraham is mentioned about seventy times, and Moses over one

hundred and thirty times.

3*

cf.

ID

,rai

,K'B

"And

the Lord

knew

(n ,3'ojD ,rai
39

>a; Maimonides, rn

minn

,r'>

HID*

rrD^n;

whom

there hath not arisen a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses,

B'D ,rfraa

[W]

.anoajn

top'i

face to face"

(Deut. 34:10); notes to 2:254.

,nTBn KMDD; B. Yeb. 49b and rrn HPD

^ inmaa

j'yo

See also
tojno rrrw

mop).

cEtT^ f

^'

33:4

Cf

'

^ ag

'

2:23: DnlnD

T nwl

Hirschfeld, op.

cit.,

p. 22,

Prophecy by the Christian monk Batrira.

Exod. 3:1-2 ".
and he led the flock to the farthest end of the wilderness,
and came to the mountain of God, unto Horeb. And the angel of the Lord

re the discovery of the Seal of

<

appeared unto him

a flame of

in

fire

out of the midst of a bush

."

Cf.

Reynold A. Nicholson, A Literary History of the Arabs, p. 147, and 16:121; 20:13.
* Exod. 3:1 nrv JKX n njn; cf. Nicholson, op. cit.,
pp. 147-62. A tradition
"
from the prophet states that
'God has never chosen a man to be a prophet, who
has not herded sheep', " Bu., 26:2; 60:29; 70:50, quoted by

W. Thomson,

op.

cit.,

p. 99.
42

Muljammad

p. 498):

Cf.

---Ps.

$O

considered himself closer to Moses than the Jews (Bu., Vol.

^>w

106:23: ".

Had

J>-l

I,

UU...

not Moses His chosen stood before

Him

in

the

SURA

VERSE

II

To establish that he was the

mad claimed that Abraham was

91

91

and true monotheist,

first

Mubam-

neither a

Jew nor a Christian, 44 but

the true expounder of monotheism and that the Koran as revealed to
him by Allah through the angel Gabriel 45 embodied the true monotheistic teachings which the Jews and the Christians had failed to
Tracing his genealogy to Abraham 47 through his son Ishmael,
Muhammad seemed to have selected Gabriel as the angel of Revelation because to him Gabriel was the only one closely associated with
the exalted of all the prophets and with the "father of monotheism/' 48
the law giver 49 and expounder of the "true" revelation, respectively. 50
follow. 46

breach

Vol.

.,

251

II, p.

13

.-]'!?

^p

onnyn

f.;

and Deut. 34:11: mrr

'b

Sprenger,

Das

Horovitz, Kor. Unt ____ p. 44; Wensinck, "Rasul,"

Ada

and compare with

179-181; 7:141

2:125,

Leben

Exod. 7:16:

." Cf.

D. Goitein,

Orientalia, Vol. II, 1922, p. 168; S.

"Who Were Muhammed's

Teachers?" in Weil Jubilee Volume, Jerusalem, 1953,

The Qur'dn

443:60, 89.

XP

4l

432:101 (Alied.):

J^ Jj^J

20

p.

n. 37.

^J-

f**\*T

Bu., Vol.

Jalalain2:141:

I,

p. 6:

U-!

&l

tfl

^11

47

Cf. 2:129, 134; 3:60; 6:79; 16:121, 124; Gen. Rab. 14,6.

48

According to Baidawi, Vol.

49

Abraham":

,n"B

nmnn

(J

HID' niD^n ;n"^s

s^See notes to 2:118-19, 125, 260, 262.

(a'y ,na

D^iyn
,as

or);

^D ?
1

nai

Mishnah

wya

ICid.

iioabi

on^n T); and

L?A
Cf.

,n

Islam

80, the sect of

p.

I,

J^

p*U*

Maimonides, a'n

Cf.

A. Jeffery,

Cf.

Cf. 2:118, 125.

45

sect of

Chief

p. 19.

(r

See also A.

Uj^j.

D'PHCT

.ooua

n^o minn ^D

B. Ber. 7b:

iip^ DT

rrn

^i
*?

essentially the

f^^mio.&*.

4:14 and B. Ber. 13a: rwjn n^nna

mvb a;

is

n^n

o^iyn n

omaK o^p

ira

oman
...

Hin

ira

n"apn

-ia

DVD

ny inn n'apn^. Also Maimonides a'n ,K'JD ,D^DID n-nay m^n;

mara V *on o^iym nrn o^iyn iraw oman T H^ KXID nn pi
e?

([W]

I'D ,nVB?a

,rrn KHDDD

nmnn

,nVoD)
^a

ni

npiac

A nawn

nnacon ba n

ira

'na

I'DHJTI

HDKW; and

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

92

VERSE

96

And

they follow that which the devils recited against

it was not Solomon who misSolomon's kingdom; 2
believed, but the devils who misbelieved, teaching men
and what has been revealed to the two angels
sorcery,
at Babylon, Hirflt and M&r(lt; yet these taught no one
until they said, 'We are but a temptation, 3 so do not
Men learn from them only that by which
misbelieve.
they may part man and wife but they can harm no one
therewith, unless with the permission of God, and they
learn what hurts them and profits them not. And yet
they knew that he who purchased it would have no
portion in the future; but sad is the price at which they
have sold their souls, had they but known.
1

two angels Harut and Marut teaching men sorcery

by which they might cause division between man and wife is ascribed
by Geiger4 to the Jewish legend about the two angels Shamfrazai and

The story

Azael s

of

who in

men,

AH,

cit. f

op.

trial,"

Geiger, op.

"the devils fabricated,

p. 51, translates

"prophethood," viiU

Ibid., p. 52,

"a

were

Noah

lived in immorality with the daughters

beautiful and they could not tame their lust. c

the time of

for these

3*16^.,
4

of the

cit.,

i*.
Cf. Horovitz, Koranische Untersuchungen, p. 146.

pp. 105-6.

For an elaborate discussion on angels in Jewish and Christian traditions who

rebelled against God and were cast down as Satan, see B. J. Bamberger, Fallen
Also B. Heller, "La Chute des Anges:

Angels, Philadelphia, 1952, pp. 113-17.

Schmhazai, Ouzza, et Azael," R.E.J., Vol. 60 (1910), pp. 201-3; L. Jung, "Fallen
Angels/' JQR N. S. (1926), 295-310; E. Littman, "Harut und Marut" in Festschrift
Friedrich Carl Andreas zur Vollendung des Siebzigsten Lebensjahres, Leipzig, 1916,

pp. 70

H. A. Wolfson, Pkilo, Vol.

ff.;

I,

pp. 384-85; Wensinck, "Harut,"

/.

(1927), Vol. II, pp. 272-73.

*

"

According to the Talmud:

'Sihon and

Og were

the sons of Ahijah the son

of Shamhazai' (one of the fallen angels referred to in Gen. 6:2, 4 as 'sons of God'

or 'NephilimT (B. Nid. 61a). Cf. Gen. Rab. 26,7.

6

Geiger,

op.

^on

run no

ID^IJ;
'

,'h

'H

cit.,

D-IH

p.

105:

jis

noy TD axyno
n

nmaw

,u i^penoD

-pe^

wn

IDK hwy ino

nrb
n'apn

mo

y'wn

ib

rvn

H^n

non

mr

VTD^H

rroap

najn

!?uDn

*?v

uui

rac^

o^iy
v*?y

*]DV

n % no o^iyi

in
noto

onV IDK

morn

SURA

The

VERSE

II

93

96

angel Shamfoazai later repented and hung himself up between

heaven and earth. 7

Zamakhshari and Baitfawi assign this story to the era of Solomon's
kingdom. According to these commentators the devils eavesdropped
and told their exaggerated lies to the priests who in turn wrote them
down in books to be taught to the people. The dissemination of lies by
the devils and the priests was so widespread that it was claimed that
the reign of Solomon became perfect only because of his contact with
the devils and his dominion over them. 8

run
n nv

TD onoy nnrn
'm&rw ny i ? nyot?
1

*rN

'

~\w jntnpo UN

'

b mm* ^

*yD0n ID

-p

mom nman

ra rry

jna -VIBD'K

man
nnn nan

oy TITH
HDPI

mob iniDt nnn nyw y^pi^ u n^y nnw

DUDIS nyn i^a myapi ID^ mayn ]D no^y n^Di ^in n'apn -IDH
irn 0*33 iT^im ow iwwi noy ... TD HD^DD nyapai oViy^ n3
n*n ^ryi torn
may -nmnV DTK *n n ]>nBDi^ DW W ]^^an TO ^yi D^iya^ TO ^y.
nn^yi

IJTIN

rrvsrn ov

imn

Geiger, i6iJ., p. 107, claims that the similarity between the Koranic statement

and the midrashic story receives

full

corroboration from later

Moslem

authors,

who, quite in harmony with the midrashic legend, speak in similar vein about these
angels. He quotes the following statement from Maracci, Prodromi IV, 82:

J^l
Ulfi

pf^
^jNI

Oij

ol5C>o

L^Jjil

cJjJ
(41

bsili

If>-j3

CJIT lJ b=M

jdl

*-^l>J

Si^JI

Cf. Horovitz, Koranische UnUrsuchungen, pp. 147

65.
*

Zamakhshari, Vol.

Cf Baidawi, oJ
.

/oc.

I, p.

94:

!/'

f.,

and

HUCA,

pp. 164-

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

94

Arabic tradition also relates that: "The devils, having, by God's

permission, tempted Solomon without success, they made use of a trick
to blast his character. They wrote several books of magic, and hid
them under that prince's throne, and after his death told the chief men
that if they wanted to know by what means Solomon had obtained his
absolute power over men, genii, and the winds, they should dig under
his throne; which having done, they found the aforesaid books, which
contained impious superstitions. The better sort refused to learn the
evil arts therein delivered, but the common people did; and the priests
published this scandalous story of Solomon, which obtained credit

among the Jews, till God, say the Muhammadans, cleared that king
by the mouth of their prophet, declaring that Solomon was no
idolater." 9

This recalls a Jewish legend about King Solomon whose pride,

when he was on his throne, swelled because of his wealth and he overstepped the command of God (Deut. 17:16-17), and collected many
horses and horsemen, amassed much silver and gold, and took many
wives of foreign nationalities. Soon the wrath of God came upon him.

He

sent Ashmedai, king of the evil spirits, who drove Solomon off the
throne, robbed him of his signet ring, and left Solomon wandering
about in punishment for his folly. Solomon thus went from town

town in Judah and Israel crying: "I, Solomon, have been king over
Israel and Jerusalem." 10
Another Jewish legend relates that Ashmedai was chained by
Benaiahu son of Jehoiada' at the request of King Solomon. Ashmedai
then demanded to be brought before the king and later challenged
Solomon to free him. When Solomon complied with his request,
Ashmedai hurled the king to a distance of four hundred parasangs.
Ashmedai meanwhile took possession of the king's throne, his household and also his wives. Finally he was detected and reported to the
religious authorities. Following the rumors about a wandering beggar
who claimed that he was the king of Israel, Solomon was finally
to

restored to his throne. 11

Wh^erry, op.

10

cit.,

p. 326,

quoting Yahya and Jaldluddfn.

hy -njn nnny Vy inr6 rrn^

ruariN rrrvD^o

'DTD by nvr KD^D

noW mn

12

Kami NSDD nan jwao I'BHDI p:rmi ]>DID rai n mo'D nTta
rrrvD^D ITDTD p rnv men TBH to^o 'KIDPK rrm^ man Miby n ?an TP n T
KJHK o-Di o^'e 'DID hy imD mm rrrnnoiN^ KD^ya ^ai ^DD inn ]'ja rr
^H"w* ^y 3^o mn nn noip p npno noVp mop im nVnp w IDKI pm
1'DDyn jnnnKi Kirh

,K
xx

n^np omn).
B. Git. 68a-68b: 'n^m wvav KDH

n^ no

prrw

m^

wain ion no

SURA

VERSE

II

95%

96

The Koranic notion of magic power ascribed to Solomon is variously

found in early Jewish traditions. 12
the legend that God
the vicious power of the

Flavius Josephus alludes to it in

endowed Solomon with the ability to turn

demons

power working to the advantage

of man; that he mastered incantations by which diseases were cured
and by which demons were exorcised. 13

HTP

jrrrri
.

y-r

'Ten to^o

mn

iyn

n'ro

>n"

jryT K^

rv
jut

nw

n^ono

Kr'n

n^p^

KTW ^

ai

Binm i?D IDH

x^

irn, cf. B.

^Dt^n

|iri iin^a

,nno

nV)D Vy

WDD

jn'

in

onn ?

ipon rra ? n^n^m wrya H^D

Ky^pna n^w in^ n'am my^a mnpry
pi

nnn ^loy ^ i^oy

1

y-u

mm

rrrp

n^i n^ am ynrr p

!?D3

DT^

]nn^ no no^p ID

Sanh. 20b; Fa/^w^ Shime'oni Ecc.

N'DP ^siy ^yi Hia nrn ^y

ryT
([M]

wan

^ya^o

rrpne t<y-ia mui nn ?!

iDBn

inraoa

nu KT^ KHK n^m aai nn

aA m^^y H^

HKD yan

12

mn

no

n^y p'pm Nnpryi DV n^y p'pm

'aa:n o

Hp

noH D^H

into a

wnp

]'!?^

^yi

I^DI nna
rnn ^yi PT

n^n^

w omn).

Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Vol. VIII,

2, 5.

967.

I,

no

^yi

in nna
yni iwrm
op

96

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

VERSE

101

Dost thou not know that God's is the kingdom of the

heavens and the earth ? nor have ye besides God a patron
or a help.

The main

idea here that only God, the king of the universe, can
be of real help to man, abounds in the Bible and in the Aggada. The
Psalmist exclaims: "I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains:

From whence shall my help come? My help cometh from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth" (Ps. 121 :l-2). The Midrash commenting on this verse states that Israel well knows that help can come
from the Creator only. 1 Numerous references are found in the Bible
and the Midrash which portray God as the ruler of the heavens and
earth. Thus, in Deut. 10:14, "Behold, unto the

Lord thy God belong-

eth the heaven, and the heaven of heavens, the earth, with all that
therein is." Also, Ps. 89:12: "Thine are the heavens, Thine also

The world and the fulness thereof, Thou hast founded

them."
That besides God there is no "patron or help," is also
expressed in the Bible: "...And beside Me there is no saviour"
the earth;
3

(Is. 43:11).'

(i

,"3p

SID

-inw)

pw

o'ow

my

nan

inj>

o'jnv

DDK

n'apn

-ION.

And whose

trust

Cf. notes to 2:1-2, 109, 256.

Cf. Ps. 24:1; 50:12.
Cf. Jer. 17:7, "Blessed

the Lord

is."

is

the

man

that trusteth in the Lord,

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE

97

102

102

Do

ye wish to question your apostle as Moses was

questioned aforetime? but whoso takes misbelief in
exchange for faith has erred from the level road.

Muhammad, who,

as already indicated in this study, compared

himself to Moses, seems to allude here to Moses dispute with Korah
whom the earth swallowed up. 1 Like Moses, 2 Muhammad was
1

challenged by his opponents. 3

Korah was not the only one to speak to Moses in a rebellious spirit.
There were others who revolted against the authority of Moses, as is

"And they met Moses and Aaron, who

they came forth from Pharaoh; and they said

indicated in the biblical verses:

stood in the way, as

unto them: 'The Lord look upon you, and judge; because ye have
made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the
"
eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us'
(Exod.

Numbers

5:20-21) or as in

murmured

14:2-3:

"And

all

the children of Israel

Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said unto them: 'Would that we had died in the land of Egypt!
or would we had died in this wilderness! and wherefore doth the Lord
bring us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little
M
ones will be a prey; were it not better for us to return into Egypt?
According to rabbinic lore the Israelites in the desert accused Moses
of exploiting them and waxing fat on the food and drink he took away
from them. 4 The Talmud also tells of the Korahites who questioned
Moses' morality, suspecting him of adultery with their wives. 5 There
is thus a similarity between the Koranic verse and the challenge of
Moses as described in the Bible.
against

Num.

B. Sanh. lla.

Gastfreund, op.

16.

cit.,

p. 19.

'K-nrr ID

(n'y ,''p I'-nnjD)

^10

HPDD irwK n

'*mrr

wp

*n0 'Kiirr ID *TDN

inm inn

bw

nofco

pnr

py-D vn rrpp

^io0 VK.

>rn

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

98

VERSE
God's

is

there

is

109

the east and the west, and wherever ye turn

God's face;

verily,

God comprehends and

knows.

The

Psalmist, too, talks in identical words about God's omni"

presence: Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? Or whither shall I
flee from Thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, Thou are there;

make my bed

If I

in the netherworld, behold,

Thou

art there.

If I

take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the
sea;

Even

hold

me"

there would

Thy hand

(Ps. 139:7-10).

Commenting

And Thy

right hand would

on these verses the Midrash

lead me,

David addressed God as follows: "Thou knowest my sitting

down and my rising up. Even the step I intend to make is not hidden
from you. 2
states that

rron

Amos 9:2-3,6: OKI

rm im DPD o*n ypipii
Cf.

jo

mn\
9

,OTTIK OPD o'opn i^y ONI onpn

*ry

HMD nno*

D*O a*nnp!?i PDI-JK

Vy D3D0n crn >D^ K-npn mo* JHK hy

See also 2:256.

njrDm ny^DD VD hy K^H

my

H^I

oipi

DVD ^D-P

ID-UKI ini^yo D'DBD

na

nyi* nn

DPD ^iKBa nnrv

naun

n*apn ^s^

(T ,0'^p
nnw) -paV mi^a 133 yiofi^ Tny HW. Cf. Deut. 29:28 irn^K
and (i ,a^r ,n:n naioa) nrstrn p n pta qipo ir.
,3i

m
mn^

IDK -p

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE

99

111

111

The

Originator of the heavens and the earth, when He

decrees a matter He doth but say unto it, 'Be/ and
it is.

Close parallels to this verse are: "By the word of the Lord were
the heavens made; And all the host of them by the breath of His
mouth M (Ps. 33:6) .... 'Tor He spoke, and it was; He commanded,
and it stood" (Ps. 33:9). According to the Talmud, the world was
created

by ten

The Midrash

sayings.

'The Holy One,

relates that:

blessed be He, spake one word and the heavens were created 2 as the
residence of the Throne of His Glory .... He blew with His mouth

the wind of the breath of

and

life

the host of heaven were created

all

." 3

(simultaneously)
In 50:38 Muljammad states: "We did create the heavens and the
earth and what is between the two in six days and no weariness touched
us." This idea that "no weariness touched" God in the creation of the
universe and that everything was achieved by the Word is also found
in the Midrash, 4

note that Jewish philosophers of the middle

ages were disinclined to ascribe to God even the act of speaking, 5 and
therefore translated the word wayy'omerf in connection with creation,
It is interesting to

willed. 8

by wayir%ehS meaning
maN

,n

I,

even

My

also

P.R.E., p. 41.

John

Cf.

Philadelphia, 1933, Vol.

'n

Gen.

Rab.

3,2,

1313 N^N lobiy

([W]
s

'*>

D*?iyn

II, p.

wjn D'DP

ru*

about the

mx

And

Word

nt^yon /y.

Arabic *Li

1313 nno

'n

JID'D

Foreien Vocabulary

..

to

n. 76.

-a

J. Z.

the world

1:3:

mn

ina

rmm
"m

njrra N^I ^Dj?3 xh

the

loc.:

'31

VJD

Lauterbach),

came

into being

DBH

mma ^n

nnni.

vb a^nyn n

1^*0 n^Ti IDD

"1313 ]3T lyDtPDD H1H pi

Ramban ad

As

(willed).

have

their host

all

it;

or the Logos being the Creator.

He by whose word

,10J73 D^DIP

Cf.

man upon

one utterance/'

n'apn N-Q

Kin 'D

rwn wn;

,i'

-IDNP -p-a.

Mekilta de-Rabbi Ishmael (ed.

62: ".
in

N*y

have made the earth, and created

Ibn Ezra's Commentary to Gen.

mn

mm

,n^ra ,mn&n KHDDD .KH^DD) iDKDa N^K

DJ?C3m ,1N-)331

1:3

also,

spoke the ten commandments

*

I,

nao;

3'y ,K'D

hands, have stretched out the heavens,

commanded." See
3

even

Cf. Is. 45:12: "I,

nnoKD rrwjn;

K-QJ

rhsn THD)

Cf. (noS

onyn

p-is)

pann hy

n'apn.

'Dn "&
.Tl

Cf.

HVn^

nmn^ ]33 nTD

terms bara' and

fralak,

see

]i3n

'181

rho.

A.

Jeffery,

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

100

VERSE
And when

Lord

his

118

Abraham with words, and he

tried

He

them,
said, 'Verily I will set thee as a high
priest for man.' Said he, 'And of my seed?' God said,
'My covenant touches not the evil-doers.'

fulfilled
1

The

story about Abraham's righteousness is found in the Bible

and in rabbinic sources: "because that Abraham hearkened to

My
voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My

laws" (Gen. 26:5). The Mishnah states that: "With ten trials was
Abraham, our father, proved, and he stood (firm) in them all; to make
known how great was the love of Abraham, our father (peace be upon
him)."*

The

Abraham became a

story that

stems also from the

priest

on R. Ishmael's authority: The Holy

One, blessed be He, intended to bring forth the priesthood from Shem,
as it is written, and he (Melchizedek) was the priest oj the most high
God (Gen. 14:18). But because he gave precedence in his blessing
to Abraham over God (Gen. 14:19), He brought it forth from

Talmud: "R. Zachariah

Abraham

/. e.

." 3

UUI. "The primary

may mean:

it

Holy Qur-an,

New

Imam

Mishnah Ab.

(o'inan pa) nV'D

2:91,
s

B.

rm

iy
.

j"m).
and (n

who

,-|V -]!?

maa

(Bu., Vol.

nnaa

Nathan the ten

them

in

32b;

cf.

vbm

,I'DB

(i

,'Jijmr Bip^'

D'pnxn

onnan

and: vzb

oma 'ai
nn vbv

ovb

'JBD

DI

!?ia
.

,*"nt) oViyV ]na nnn onr

Mubammad

nwia)

rrn

'a

tmo

]na topai

yaw

va

'J3

D'a^on

oj?

Isa. 41:8, II

'a

l^

in*

-|Va 'a

vw 'na

Chron. 20:7;

oma.

^ni pa

ivai o^ij; *?v

omaH.

maa

See also

rvn

oV

IDD

TO ...

iwtnn
nVna n:ina nia

poo OIK no iva

no
.HDD moiy nunn rbvhv m nsx
iV monj pnx
anpnV rpso 3py

... nvh

n'n K^I

Vi 'n

with which Abraham was

rrn ira

uanp anp

pw" m no
.Dm3V mom D

]'a

See also

0m

Va^>

,nan

trials

are enumerated:

all

OHBO iia in

iron

In his lifetime

p. 175).

5 :3. In Abot de R.

oo
(n'e

I,

,fs ,rcn D'TBTI TB>)

rrn ns'

iiaa rrn

congregational prayer; (3) model,

leads the prayer," p. 15 n.

Cf. 11:73; 15:53; 37:99-113, etc.

Ned.

that of being foremost; hence

is

a book of guidance and instruction," A. Yusuf Ali, The

York, 1934, Vol. I, p. 52 n. According to Palmer it is "the name

tempted and stood steadfast

(&'

Imam}

[of

(4)

given to the priest

also acted as

sense

(1) leader in religion; (2) leader in

pattern, example;

said

'D

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE

101

119

119

And when we made

the House a place of resort unto

and
a
men,
sanctuary, and (said) take the station of
2
Abraham for a place of prayer; and covenanted with
Abraham and Ishmael, saying, 'Do ye two cleanse my
1

house 3 for those who make the circuit, for those who
pay devotions there, for those who bow down, and for
those too who adore !"

According to Baitfawi and Zamakhsharl, Abraham ascended the

mountain Abu Kobeis (near Mecca), and exclaimed: "Oh, people,
go up to the sanctuary of your Lord/' 4 Similarly, the Talmud relates
that Abraham "caused the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, to be

by the mouth of every passer-by. 5 How was this? After

(travellers) had eaten and drunk, they stood up to bless him; but,

uttered

mine? You ate of that which belongs

to the God of the Universe. Thank, praise and bless Him who spake
"
and the world came into being/ 6

said he to them, 'Did

As to the

you eat

of

relationship between the

pp. 219-20 and

HUCA,

consult Horovitz,

Hebrew

and the Koranic

oipo

Grimme, Mohammed, Minister, 1892,

Vol. II, p. 46.

2

Abraham and

Cf. notes to 2:91, 118.

the two originators of the sanctuary:

nnwna
(Y'

,'D^BHT oinn) "i Knrat? ip*

,a"a.

Mubammad

Isaac are, according to Jewish tradition,

anp "i

oniat*

rr&npD n*a

noa jno

nanpo rra Kin pin mieai

i^y n^aiv

ma

nno^

pnr

n*

here replaces Isaac by Ishmael.

or square temple at Mecca is spoken

"
Cf. Mishna Ber. 11:5, Viun rvan
of as Bait Al&h = Bethel, 'the house of God.'
3

Palmer

0npm and

15 n.) states that "the

(p.

Ps. 30:1 rvan.

Compare,

Kaabah

the biblical expression,

also,

mpon VN na^m

(Deut. 26:2).
*

M. Grunbaum, Neue

Deut. 26:3, 4
tionship to

is

Beitrage

used because the priest

God;

cf. 'the

God

of

is

p.

104:

The

expression

'thy God'

"conceived as standing in a special rela-

Abraham*

in the Liturgy."

Cf. P. H., p. 859 n.;

Targum Onkelos, Gen. 22:14: p,T *on " Dip now wnn *oriKa ]on oma ^xi
" Dip onian ]nn miea rin nova ion^ |aa ni jri^D.
(a"y ,ao ,mana) rhs
s

Based on the

biblical

B. Sot. 10b;

inn I^DH

H we

cf.

Targum Jonathan, Gen.

1

rfcai

"And Abraham planted a

on the name of the Lord, the

sentence in Gen. 21:33;

tamarisk-tree in Beer-sheba, and called there

M
Everlasting God.
6

in

n^V ino ? ]^ya

nm imn

r^a

21:33:

yw iaa DUD

iim roinn^i

onian a'Mi

npoi ^aKD nnn

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

102

The Talmud also states: " Whosoever has a fixed place for
7
According to
prayer has the God of Abraham as his helper/'
rabbis, "there was no
Lord,* until Abraham

his

the

man

that called the Holy One, blessed be He,

came and called Him Lord." 9
An Arabic tradition concerning the "station of Abraham " runs as
follows: "Abraham visited the house of Ismail in his absence, but
not liking the treatment he received from his wife, left with her a

message for his son, which was understood by Ismail to express a

desire that he should divorce his wife. This he did, when he married
another. Abraham came again in the absence of his son, and being
urged by his daughter-in-law to descend from his camel and to permit
her to wash his head, he declared that, owing to a vow not to leave his
camel till he had completed his journey, he could not get down.
Being pressed, however, he so far consented, that with one foot on
This is
his camel and the other on a stone he had his head washed
!

'the place of

Abraham/

The above

>>I0

story undoubtedly stems from Jewish tradition.

found in Jewish lore about the time when Abraham,

counterpart is
against his own will, exiled his servant-wife, Hagar, and their son
Ishmael. At first, Sarah did not allow Abraham to visit either his
wife or his son. After many years of pleading Sarah permitted Abraham such a visit on condition that he remain atop his camel. When
Abraham thus came to Ishmael's house, he was not in. Abraham
called to his daughter-in-law for a drink of water. She refused to
give it to him or even to look at him. She was beating the children
and cursing them as well as her husband, Ishmael. Abraham became
angry and left a message for his son saying: "An old man from the land

Canaan was here, and asked you to remove the main pillar of your
tent and to replace it by a good one." When Ishmael came home and
received the message he understood that his father had been to see him
and that he was mistreated by his wife. He, therefore, divorced his
wife, and married another one. Three years later, Abraham again,

of

under identical circumstances, set out to visit his son, and did not find
him home. Ishmael's wife came forth insisting that Abraham partake
of food and drink. He refused to get off the camel; the good woman
brought forth some food and Abraham ate and drank. Upon leaving,
pan* oip ]bx nno'Da KD^y
prur I^DI pruv v'3D

mm

MH^M *H HID'D 08Q

i

B. Ber. 6 b.

B. Ber. 7 b.

10

Taffir-i-Raufi,

mm

pr ly

IDHI no

pmrm

OmaK pn
*

^2C1

orroN ]ann pnV IDK

nn

N^M

mm

pmvnan pn^DK
HHO ND^yi HmiK.
ID pyr

pin.

quoted in Wherry, op.

tit.,

p.

335

n.

proo

nnn pi

SURA

VERSE

II

103

119

a message for his son. "The pillar of your tent is very good,
keep it." Ishmael now knew that his wife treated her father-in-law
respectfully. He then took his whole family and returned to Abraham
and remained with him many days."
It is not unlikely that the Koranic verse has its antecedent in the
famous prayer of Solomon at the dedication of the Temple at Jerusalem (I Kings 8:22-53). Processions are not strange to either Judaism or Christianity. In the latter there is the practice of street

he

left

procession is also staged by Jews in the synagogue

during the holiday of Tabernacles."
The phrase, "cleanse my house/ is comparable to Exod. 19:10:
processions.

"and sanctify them to-day and tomorrow, and let them wash their
garments/ Similarly, the phrase, "a place of worship/' is comparable
to 1 Kings 8 :42-3 where it is stated that the Temple too was supposed
to be a place of worship, "when he shall come and pray toward this
house" .... "and that they may know that Thy name is called upon
this house which I have built/' 13
1

"

iV

jm

omaK "UMW
jmna

nn

*m

o'D'D

bKyDtp* !?n
|Vn

nan maion

am

!?j;D

ma
onaia

inv

-mm

IDI

n^nn

n^

onoy

H^ lA

o^pm

xm V^H
nrai

HD^JDI

|*H

nnxb

nai

nnom

m&

*?&

^KyDn ,vi in0w xon ovn

3 ^D3n ^y 3W imy On-OKI T2C
-]mno JK yn n^y ^ D^D oyo ^

]3

'D

irm n^H

nm oman mpi vrya yiM IHD

an

jpr

W^H nan

inn in' rrnnh noi

onnan

K^I

omaV
^ noun

Vnn

in' n

maa

TOM nuo

ny

i^

^nn

ID

oma

Hxm avn
bnnn ^H ^nn mio iDnm .D'Voan myiVi nin
hw*}

\>y

on DD
ns^y *a onS

o f n^

IDKI

imn pa^ D^n^c ^IHD

nn n-ii

p iD3

bxyQw n rwrni I^N

n^a nn HDD HK Hin

van ^ipa yown imn

nw>an no

IDKHI

Hiaai IDII^

^nyo

]* raw oman maya

)*

ySW

b npm

IDK

npai

pnm

m^

mm

nano now on*o PHD

wwnn

irn*oV

K^0

mm inmfl
in

.n^ -]Vm rwnri

oipoa

DHIK

n^ IDHM

nn IDH nai

IT

on!? H^I D'D

DDinm n^ya *7yo^ nm

%

-]V>i

Vyo^ nw oman ^Kn

nonm

rri>rmb

-inm

.nto vb ran run TKD

1DKM HX1K ^D3H

iHiaa

n^m

nai o:a nya-m iV

oyo

mn

f?

in^H

^aan

-JK

HHDD a

aw

V noun

13

na
iprn

nan

VK D'n^D yi
(

nK

-)!?n

nnora

-ram

'n

na'i
'n

in3pDi vaai

oan

,'
12

mcpn. Cf. Mishnah Suk.

J3

Cf. E.

nn^on

n
D^D

^?H

ID

VKPDV inan
va

oy

naiB ns Vnna
n^rr

an

ra

raw.

now

Vnyov

Cf.

also:

4:5.

Landau, Synonyma fur

1888, pp. 30-45

Gott in der neu-hebr&isckcn Litteratur, Zttrich,

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

104

VERSE
When his Lord said to him,
am resigned unto the Lord of

125
'Be resigned* he said,
the worlds.'

'I

AH

translates Islam as a term denoting "submission." 1 Some

scholars suggest that Muhammad's use of this verb-stem conveys

the idea of "coming into the condition of security," which would

render Islam as "safety."* Torrey claims that the term Islam was
adopted by Mubammad because his two noted ancestors, Abraham
and Ishmael, yielded and surrendered themselves to the divine will. 3
Grimme renders its meaning, "man's salvation as a result of his
4
Bravmann interprets Islam to mean "readiness for
purification."
defiance of death" or "self-sacrifice (for the sake of God and his
prophet)," which would be related semantically to jihad (warlike
efforts for Allah and his Prophet). 5 The latter interpretation of the

term Islam seems most plausible and is similar to the concept in

Judaism of Riddush ha-Shem, i. e. the sublime duty of every Israelite
6
to hallow the Name of God by his life and if necessary by his death.
In view of verses 118 and 119 it is possible that we may have here
an allusion to Deut. 26:3, "I profess this day unto the Lord thy
God (the God of Abraham)," and to Deut. 27:6, 'Abanim Shelemot
(unhewn stones), i. e. "whole or peaceful stones." 7 The adjective
shelemot is of the same root as "shalom" (peace, salvation) or of the
cognate Arabic saldm meaning "peace."
*

Op.

T.

p. 55; cf.

cit.,

W.

Arnold, "Islam," El, pp. 539

(1903), p. 784; Horovitz, Koranische Untersuchungen

*

M.

Gtbiete,
'

Lidzbarski, "Islam

(1922), pp. 85

Ibid., pp. 101

f.;

und Salam,"

.,

Ch. Lyall,

JRAS

p. 54.

Zeitschrift fiir Semitistik

und verwandete

f.

Noldeke-Schwally, Geschichte des Qdrans, Vol.

cf.

and Martin Hartmann, Der Islam: Geschichte

pp. 26

f.;

Glaube

II, p.

Recht, Leipzig,

206,

1909,

f.

Grimme,

op.

cit., I,

M. Bravmann, "On

p. 16;

Tor Andrae, Mohammed, pp. 55

f.

the Spiritual Background of Early Islam and the History

of its Principal Concepts" in Muston,

LXIV, Louvain

(1951), pp. 325

f.

Cf. Tarbif,

XVIII (1946-47), pp. 69-79.

B. Sanh. 74a.

name
*

God

of

nwVr

Talmud

is

Abraham's readiness

to sacrifice his

also expressed in the Midrash, [B] a

O'ttN..

M tforeb

,"]!?

life

in order to hallow the

"^ ,KDin3n.

As to the Hebrew Shalom, see M. Jastrow, Dictionary of the

ed. (1926), Vol. II, p. 1579 and Eliezer Ben Yehuda, A Complete

Dictionary of Ancient and Modern Hebrew, edited by Prof. N. H. Tur-Sinai, Jerusalem,

1952, Vol. 14, pp. 7130-35,

SURA

Moslem

VERSE

II

105

125

Abraham was the first to employ

the term Islam in connection with monotheism. 8 The Bible as well as
the rabbis also stressed the idea that Abraham was the first true
monotheist: "The Lord appeared to Abraham and said unto him:
'I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be thou wholehearted
(Gen. 17:1).* The Talmud, commenting on Psalm 15, writes: "He
who walks uprightly" refers to Abraham, 10 who by virtue of his
circumcision, became upright according to God's command." This
tradition maintains that

1'

found in the Koranic expression, "Resign thyself (to God).'

Abraham in the Bible uses the expression Yir'at 'Elohim 12 (the fear
of God), which connotes "submission f|3 or unquestioning obedience
to God, 14 To Mubammad this expression would have meant a great

idea

is

deal in formulating his new religion. 15 It is interesting that the Koran

refers to God as the "Peace-Giver" 16 which is identical with the
biblical

and talmudic concept that God

Baiqlawi, 3:89: "(the sect of) IslSm

"Abraham being

Jalalein, 2:141:
9

Cf.

of the

is

New

who abandons home

for the sake of

Shalom. 17

supreme

op.

10

(N'y

I,

pp. 876

Cf.

considered "the pattern of

is

cit. t

is

the type of the

M.

See also

p. 132.

Geschichte der judischen Apologetik, Zurich, 1903, pp. 306

Philo, Vol.

"

faith."

Testament, and that for Philo he

God/'

Abraham.

essentially the sect of

Thomson's statement that Abraham

true believers in the

is

f.;

all

man

Friedlander,

and H. A. Wolfson,

f.

,Ya mao) o*Dn

mm

V -jVnnn a*na*r

omrm

nr

D'DD

Ynn

cf.

Maimonides,

nmay ma^n.
" Cf.
n'apn h'& ,onaN n^ono ion nn Q!?P iron nnwp mao n no n'apn
,o-a ID& mn Vion
Q'ya-mi DTIKD o-map onan poi nB>Wi D'jmMi O^HKD

a'n ,N'i> o'aaia

iV

x^

TDIH

ama

mm

DISH ID*

Gen. 20:11: nrn oipoa DM^K

na^nn
f*

-]W

mma ]Dm.

Cf. 2:106; 3:17, 78;

Cf.

my

nT

,I

tnp K^ n'apn

JH pi vnDM

S D ,nai nmoa)

and Gen. 22:12, nn

nW

!?DW a^on n^m VID

b'

o omsK

D^3n
DM^ KT

iV

nn
'a

TDK^;

cf.

IDK
ny

Gen, 15:6:

T^D oman mn.

*nym nny

a.

oWna my 'D, which is explained

by Rashi ad loc. thus: *pj KXVI rVioan Va oWoa Kin nm. The interpretation of the
commentators on oVpoa corresponds to the Koranic idea of Islam. See in rmo,
16

59:23,

^%JI

...

^Sll

^*J.

Cf. Is. 42:19

ad

loc. t

nnoa abvn

v B. Shab. lOb:
Cf. Judg. 6:24,

D^wa,

mW

'n

abv mn* and

HipM

'nav

Rashi, ad

DWD j^mon maa nanV

loc.

oi^

]n0

OIH!? rnon.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

106

The Koran

"Lord! and send them an apostle from amongst

themselves."
This, too, is reminiscent of a biblical sentence: "A
prophet will the Lord thy God raise up unto thee, from the midst of
." x
thee, of thy brethren, like unto me
states:

1'

2:123.

Exod. 3:13, oa^K vrhv

with J-fj; also n'Vrn
2:91, 254.

oawa* nVn and Exod. 3:14, oa^N jnV nvm; compare

vbi
or nbv T hy nVi in HDD ^v mm; cf. notes to

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE

107

127

127

Were ye then witnesses when Jacob was facing death,

when he said to his son, 'What will ye serve when I am
gone?' They said, 'We will serve thy God, and the God
Abraham, and Ishmael, and

of thy fathers

God; and we are unto Him

one

Isaac,

resigned.

similar story about Jacob is found in the Talmud: "R. Simeon

b. Lavish said: And Jacob called unto his sons, and said: Gather your-

you (that which shall befall you in the end of

the days} (Gen. 49:1). Jacob wished to reveal to his sons the 'end of the
days' (Dan. 12:13), whereupon the Shechinah departed from him.
Said he, 'Perhaps, Heaven forfend! there is one unfit among my
children, like Abraham, from whom there issued Ishmael, or like my
father Isaac, from whom there issued Esau/ (But) his sons answered
him, 'Hear O Israel (Jacob), the Lord our God the Lord is One: just as
there is only One in thy heart, so is there in our heart only One. In
that moment our father Jacob opened (his mouth) and exclaimed,
"*
.'
'Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever

selves together, that

I may

tell

The Targum Yerushalmi

is

more descriptive

of Jacob's position

the story almost exactly with one exception.

It adds to Abraham's unworthy seed all the children of ICeturah,
Abraham's second wife, who were born to him after the death of Sarah. 3
at the time.

It repeats

understandable that the many legends originally related in rabbinic

lore to Isaac, should later be attributed by Muhammad to Ishmael.
Baicjawi writes that here Jacob designates Ishmael as one of the
Patriarchs. The reason given is that Mubammad considers an uncle
of the father. "*
(i. e. Ishmael) to be "a part
It is

B. Pes. 56a. Cf. n ,rr*D ,nai nnwna.

Nn3K JVPDl K'TDD KMl

apyn

irDatf

i ID Knorm
133 naa^

wona

inai apy

mm

pun

vnpy nn

y? P n ^

an

'

'"i

rs^

mn

J^n apy

nrn rraD -ntrN Njnn nV

pu

ann Ham

mna

IBUDHN
'

])& '3HK1 WJDflK ]in^ 1DM1 '133^ HpJT J313K

ton no pyi rrnrVoi irjwn iinnujniJDi K'

KP33 NX'p

iD^pm apy-r 'lea^

nrum

IIQK

H p mo

'm^y nn wiDnm

apy^ ]3iaK n:y :n^o 'DSJVKI nnomi wnaia

mo

mm

]in^

narrn nw-rfr
>D:MVK

rr^

ID :pnrv

Kim inao

mn

yai apy

pnxn mip 3a ^ai ^KyD0 ^D^D n3D op nam nan oman

H^-I V'rn IUMI
jnyo Dip H^DD^ ^roV nn ^y 3^D ma^ 133 pa^a
"
^
!?n^ ]3D yo ]no*o ina ]inbia apyn
nn
H3n^
]3ia
op K3

Jli

Baidawi, Vol.

UT

4jj

I, p.

>^

^iJL

IJu.

39:

J\

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

108

VERSE
.

But the

faith of

Abraham

129
the 'Hanlf, he was not of

the idolaters.'
In this verse as well as in 3:89; 4:124; 6:162; 16:121, 124, Mubammad refers to Abraham as fyanif (pi. bunafa'), whereas in 6:79; 10:105;
30:29, he claims himself to be one of the fyunafa' and requests his

him in their ways and customs, since the bunafa'

the origin
possessed the real and true religion. Scholars are puzzled by
and meaning of the term fyantf. According to Torrey, the word "came
its employment
originally from the Hebrew *pn, fyanef\ and probably
by him (Muhammad) as a term of praise, rather than of reproach,
indicates that in his mind it designated one who 'turned away from
followers to join

1
the surrounding paganism." Nicholson suggests that it is "connected
9
with the Hebrew bdnef" (profane). However, Wellhausen thinks that
and regards it as a native
kavtif originally meant a Christian ascetic

Arab development. 3
In describing his condition when the angel appeared to him,
Mubammad used the word Tafyannuth.* Hirschfeld states: "The term
has caused the traditionalists some embarrassment. I. Ish. explains
it

by tabannuf

be a Banif), and adds a remark which

is

linguistic point of view, vis., that th and / interin Arabic. This remark is welcomed with satisfaction by

interesting

change

(to profess to

from a

Sprenger, who finds it a support of his Hanyferei. I believe, however,

that takannuth is nothing but the Hebrew pluralis t'ebinndth, 'prayers,'
a word very common among Jews to express voluntary devotions
apart from the official liturgy. There is little doubt, that Muhammed
heard this word often in Medina before he framed his report of the
affair,

and employed

character."
1

it

readily on account of its strange

and sacred

Torrey, op.

tit.,

Nichplson, op.

*Reste...,

p. 87.

tit.,

II,

p. 149.

pp. 238

f.;

cf.

J.

A. Montgomery, "Ascetic Strains in Early

Judaism," JBL, Vol. LI (1932), pp. 183 f.

4 Numerous articles have appeared on this word.
Vol. 19 (1939), pp.

1 f.,

Acta OrientaUa, Vol.

who

II, p.

Cf. Faris-Glidden,

JAOS,

consider the term to stem from Greek; A. J. Wensinck,

191; Ahrens, op.

tit.,

p. 14;

D.

S.

Margoliouth,

JRAS,

1903, pp. 467-93; J. Horovitz, Koranische Untersuchungen, p. 56; A. Jeffery, Foreign

Vocabulary
*

. . .,

pp. 112-15.

Hirschfeld,

New

Researches.

.,

p. 19 n.; cf.

Tor Andrae, Der Ursprung

des

SURA

VERSE

II

109

129

N6ldeke defines the root frannath 6 as "leading a solitary life," which

the Ifanifs must have followed. According to the Talmud, 7 the
devotee who spends the night studying the Torah is commended.
Similarly, Mubammad states: "Of the people of the Book there is a
nation upright reciting God's signs through the night, as they adore
the while" (3:109).

Islam und das Christentum, Uppsala, 1926,

and 'Muslim',"
Bravmann,

op.

JRAS
cit. t

(1903), p. 772;

p. 40;

Charles Lyall,

Sprenger, Das Leben

.,

"The Words
Vol.

I,

pp. 45-134;

p. 342.

fc

<>-.

Geschichte des Qordns, p. 67;

B. Tarn. 32b.

cf.

Hirschberg, op.

cit.,

'tfanif

pp. 211

f.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

110

VERSE

136

fools among men will say, 'What has turned

from their quiblah, 1 on which they were agreed?

The

them

the east and the west,

will unto the right path/

'God's

is

He

guides

Say,

whom He

never intended to make Islam a new religion. 2 At

the beginning he considered himself "a guardian over it," 3 to preserve
the truth and "confirming what was before it." 4 It is for this reason
that at first he saw no difference between Christianity and Judaism 5
6
He
and, according to scholars, was almost converted to Judaism.
believed that both Jews and Christians would welcome him as the
"Seal of the Prophets/' 7 It was only later, when he realized that he
could gain support from neither camp, that he presented Islam as a
new faith, 8 and changed the qiblah from Jerusalem to Mecca. 9
10
Jalaluddin writes that after the hijrah, Muhammad, in order to

Mubammad

Qiblah

is

pp. 583

/.,

the place towards which prayer

f.;

Grimme, Mohammed,

is

to be made. Cf. Wensinck, "Ka'ba,"

Wellhausen, Reste arabischen Heiden-

p. 45;

tums, p. 73; J. L. Burckhardt, Travels in Arabia, London, 1829, Vol.

1

Cf. 51:50; 74:2; 88:2 1-22; J. A.

1934, pp. 31
3

5:48,

I,

pp. 87

f.

Montgomery, Arabia and the Bible, Philadelphia,

f.

Ajip

L-: f*.

Mubammad

Cf. Baicjawl, Vol.

I,

p. 131:

quoted to have said: "Transmit (what you hear) from me,

be it only a verse; relate also (what you hear) from the children of Israel; thereby
is no sin incurred." Bu., 60:589, cited by W. R. Taylor, op. cit., p. 196.
*

3:2;

Cf. 2:285; 3:2, 78; cf. Baicjawi, Vol.

Book
6

in truth ... to

is

Moses and Jesus

Margoliouth, Relations
33:40,

.,

"He has

sent

down

to thee the

respectively."

p. 67.

Cf. 2:91.

*Jl>-.

J~~M

p. 70:

I,

3:61f.

9]. Rivlin,

"Mubammad

nw

*a

m pya

*?y

inn n0

o'n^K -IDDD K*n npnyn OHKUID irmuj

10

Quoted by Geiger,
jl

A!***

^Jf^

op.

cit.,

Kenesset (1933), p. 295 n.:

.o^iyn hsh

imrrVp

insp^ra

in

Hamebofcek,"

irbp nvn^

.D'znj;^

rp^w

noio
loxy n

mn
run

p. 19:

^^ ^JlUi

C^J

jLiUvb

JA\

j>\*

LJ

SURA

VERSE

IX

136

111

please the Jews, instructed his followers to turn the qiblah to Jerusalem 11 rather than to Mecca, the place which the ancient Arabs had

always regarded as holy. Only later on, when he was convinced of his
failure to conciliate the Jews did Muhammad
change back to the
1*
original direction.

According to Moslem tradition, "the whole earth is a mosque

and if there is no house of worship, prayers may be offered anywhere." 1 '
This follows the Jewish tradition that Divine presence is everywhere. 14

As

to the last phrase in the Koranic verse, "God's is the east and
the west
.," Jewish tradition abounds in references
praising the
15
universality of God.
.

11

Dan. 6:11;

cf.

Ben-Zeeb, op.

p. 29,

tit.,

quoting Ibn Hisham, Vol.

I,

pp. 217,

314.

" The
Jews
to Jerusalem.

of Arabia

p. 68: iaj?

Tabari, Vol.

Cf.

Noldeke-Schwally,

I,

II,

12;
tit.,

Wensinck, op. tit., pp. 105, 133;

p. 317 note 47, and Pollack, op. tit.,

ann yxoto ,-imn n^'en nyea ^n (nV'enrrpvs)

n^?js>ci

nr *\rv.

'i

oa

p. 93:

Utt

Cf. (i ,a''D ,nai naioa)

f

-IHDD n

p.

p. 74; Hirschberg, op.

IK a'ri

Bu., Vol.

were never pleased with Muhammad's order to turn

apn

nrDn

D^DDH

n
n

pna

oipo I*H; and: -n HHH

-VIBD nrn

mpon no

'n

^N-W>

mpo

ID .u ^UD!?I mpon ^*K i^^ nnsc HDDH IDIH nn

^ia nr nn OKI ^Tya nwan n^aa
noaan n'aa

n'apn no
Tina ^Venn ,-]Tj?a

Tnn
(no

.*ja^a
,T .aie
15

niaa

^^

^a
nm) n^o iom
innn iai^

nn Va

Vo.

VH ow -nneo !?y ^^snn ^cnn^ n^^

oaasvo ^y oaaa^a no.
n

And

cf.:

o'jinnm

uwby

H^D n'apn ^aH

^w
.

nn

]K

niVoi

ion

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

VERSE

137

Thus have we made you a middle nation, to be witnesses

against men, and that the Apostle may be a witness
1

against you.

Translators vary as to the meaning of the phrase, "a middle na11

Some take it to mean an 'intermediate people" between the
tion.
Jews and the Christians. Others translate it "exalted" or "a chosen
3
people" or a most good and just nation. The last explanations seem
4

The Arabs, no

than other nations, boasted of being

a chosen people, in direct imitation of the biblical statements: "then
ye shall be Mine own treasure from among all peoples" (Exod. 19:5)
and "and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests" (ibid. 19 :6). 4
plausible.

less

Some Moslem commentators

also explain

the meaning of the

is, the midst is equally

above words as "a well balanced nation." That

distant from all extremities. 5 A similar explanation is found in Judah
Hallevi's Kitab Al-Khazari, 6 in connection with the high qualities of
Israel and the Holy Land. Being situated in the midst of the world, 7
the Holy

Land enjoys the most well-balanced

climate. 8

Ik* j
Cf. 3:106.

Ali op.
f

cit.,

note 182.

p. 66,

and notes to verse

Compare Deut.

Zamakhshari, Vol.

Translated by Hartwig Hirschfeld, London 1931 (rev. edition);

14:2

II, p.

44.

110:

cf.

A. Zifroni

roads lead up to Palestine." Cf. Ez. 5:5 -pro

o^nT nr

ed.,

(Hebrew), Tel-Aviv, 1948.

*

Ibid., p. 85: "All

mnK
8

is

rrnu'aDi rrnop o'un, and

Mishnah Ket.

Ibid., p. 78: "Priority belongs, in

the

the essence and kernel (of the nations)

13:11; Yalfcut Ezekiel,

first instance,
.

No

O^WT

(IB]

ysDKa

npon

,Q'rnp iMOimn).

y*DK3 .rrnw

man

ivai

3m

jnn

yxoia

336.

to the people which

other place (than Palestine)

would share the distinction of the divine influence..."

.

D^WTI

Cf.:

row

,o^ny

See also B. Sanh. 38a; B. Yom. 56b and Rashi to Ezek. 5:5
-pra.

SURA

II

VERSE

VERSE

113

144

144

From whencesoever thou comest

forth, there turn thy

Mosque, for it is surely truth
is not careless about what ye do.

face towards the Sacred

from thy Lord; God

Compare the Mishnaic dictum: "If he is riding on an ass he

dismounts and prays. If he is unable to dismount he should turn his
face (toward Jerusalem); and if he cannot turn his face he should
1
concentrate his thoughts on the Holy of Holies."
Similarly the rabbis teach that: "If one is standing outside Pales-

he should turn mentally toward Eretz Israel ... If he stands

in Eretz Israel he should turn mentally towards Jerusalem .... If
he is standing in Jerusalem he should turn mentally towards the
Sanctuary .... If he is standing in the Sanctuary, he should turn
said What
mentally towards the Holy of Holies .... R. Abin
text confirms this?
Thy neck is like the tower of David builded with
turrets
(Cant. 4:4), the elevation (tel) towards which all

tine,

(talpioth)

mouths

3
(piyyotK) turn."

Mishnah Ber. 28 b.

B. Ber. 30a.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

114

VERSE
Remember me,

then, and I
1
do
not
misbelieve.
and
me,

147

will

remember you; thank

Moslem commentators interpret this Koranic verse as follows:

'Remember me with gifts, that I may remember you with favours;
or remember me with worship, that I may remember you with benefits; or remember me with prayer, that I may remember you with
blessings; or remember me among the people, that I may remember
"a
you among the angels.
To remember God's favors is also a biblical command. The
Psalmist urges: Remember His marvellous works that He hath done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth" (Ps. 105 :5). Similarly,
David, giving thanks to the Lord, says: "Remember His marvellous
4

4l

works that He hath done, His wonders, and the judgments of His
mouth" (1 Chron. 16:12). At Mount Sinai God speaks to Moses to
tell the children of Israel, "in every place where I cause My name to be
mentioned 3 I will come unto thee and bless thee" (Exod. 20:21).
The Talmud Yerushalmi 4 interprets the words, "I cause to be
6
mentioned, >>s as if they were written in the second person, i. e.
remembering God

a
*

/. e.

in the sense of prayer.

"be not ungrateful," Palmer,

p.

19 n.;

cf.

notes to 2:38, 44; 3:11.

quoted by Wherry, op. cit., p. 345 n.

'DP rm Tarn IPK Dipon ^M. Cf. Rashi, ad loc.: D^HD^ nipi
Tafslr-i-Raufi,

oyn nn I-Q^ DDD

Yn

,-r'D

rwpn

]iu

DP m'ran n'a inn

Brnimn DP Tarrfr.

ni3-n ,*D!WIT

mobn

.'DP

Tarn IPK 'DP rw Tarn IP

oipon

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE

115

149

149

And

1
say not of those who are slain in God's way
(that they are) dead, but rather living; but ye do not

perceive.

similar statement

killed in the

commenting

found

is

in 3:163:

"Count not those who are

way of God

as dead, but living with their Lord." Baitfawi,

on the verse in Sura 3, writes that they are "alive" 2

rather than "dead."*

emphasizes the greatness of those who die in

order to sanctify God's name. 4 Similar to the Koranic expression, is
the rabbinic one: "The righteous in their death are called living," 5
and "The righteous, whom the Holy One, blessed be He, will resurrect,
will not revert to dust
just as the Holy One endures for ever, so
shall they endure for ever." 6 In 3:151 Muhammad states: "And if,
indeed, ye be killed in God's way or die, surely forgiveness from God
and mercy is better than what ye gather; and if ye die or be killed it
is to God ye shall be assembled."
To this Baitfawi comments, "kill
yourselves so that you may live," 7 which recalls the talmudic statement: "What shall a man do to live? They replied: Let him mortify

The Talmud,

too,

himself." 8

7. e.

Baitfawi, Vol.

(n'y

"in the cause of religion," Palmer, p. 19 n.

,3

B. Ber. 18a.

B. Sanh. 92a;
'obny

p.

^U ....

90:

D'nos) ins'non Tiny^

(r

I,

?!

cf.

(a'y

zb^b o"ra

,r

by

OIK

r^in)

ny

Kin

]'N

*\?-\

*r*^

Ji

(J

rvD^o 'inn.

p"rao inv

jnn'Da o'pnx

o^ru; poiyp

n'n ^3

K^K no vb noto noi irmpr lyi mwapo mira

,YD ,K3i IH^K).

7

Cf. notes 16-17 to 2:48-51.

B. Tarn. 32a;

cf.

2:48-51 n. 14.

with study and hard work."

To

"mortify himself means to

"

'kill

himself/

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

VERSES

154-55

Verily, those who hide what we have revealed of manifest

signs and of guidance after we have manifested it to
men in the Book, them God shall curse, and those who
curse shall curse them too. Save those who turn and do

right and make (the signs) manifest; these will

to again, for I am easy to be turned and merciful.

similar

turn

pronouncement against those who do not obey God

found in the following passages of the Pentateuch: "But

if ye will not hearken unto Me, and will not do all these commandments; and if ye shall reject My statutes, and if your soul abhor Mine
ordinances, so that ye will not do all My commandments, but break
My covenant; I will do this unto you ." (Lev. 26:14-43). ". Cursed
be he that confirmeth not the words of this law to do them. And
precepts

is

all

the people shall say:

The Koranic phrase

Amen." (Deut. 27:15-26; 28:15-66)

am

'

easy to be turned and merciful'

recalls the biblical: "Pardon, I pray Thee, the iniquity of this people
according unto the greatness of Thy lovingkindness, and according
as Thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now. And
the Lord said:

"for

"

h^ve pardoned according to thy word*

(Num.
14:19-20)! Compare also: "For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to
pardon, And plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee"
(Ps. 86:5).

SURA

II

VERSES

VERSES

117

156^57

156-57

who

misbelieve and die while still in misbelief, on them is the curse of God, and of the angels, and
of mankind altogether; to dwell therein for aye; the
Verily, those

torment shall not be lightened

be looked upon.

them, nor shall they

for

A similar expression is found in the following two biblical passages:

"See now that

I,

even

I,

am

He,

And

there

is

no God with Me;

have wounded, and I heal; And there is

none that can deliver out of My hand" (Deut. 32:39). "And they
shall go forth, and look Upon the carcasses of the men that have

and

I kill,

make

alive; I

worm

Neither shall their

fire be quenched; And they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh" (Is.
will
66:24). Likewise the Talmud states: "the thoroughly wicked
1
forthwith be inscribed definitively as doomed to Gehinnom." Wrongtwelve months their body is consumed and their
doers
. "after
soul is burnt and the wind scatters them under the soles of the feet

rebelled against

Me; For

their

shall

not

die,

3
of the righteous."

Those "who rejected the Torah and denied the resurrection of

and those who 'spread their terror in the land of the
the dead,
masses sin, like Jeroboam the
living,' and who sinned and made the
these will go down to Gehinnom
son of Nebat and his fellows
." J
and be punished there for all generations
.

B. R. H. 16b.
Ibid., 17a.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

118

VERSE

159

Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and

the alternation of night and day, and in the ship that
runneth in the sea with that which profits man, and in
what water God sends down from heaven
and in
the shifting of the winds,
are signs to people who
.

can understand.

The
lical

expression "the ship that runneth in the sea" recalls the bibexpression, "The way of a ship in the midst of the sea" (Prov.

Similarly does the Psalmist declare: "They that go down to

the sea in ships, That do business in great waters
These saw the
30:19).

works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep;' .... "Let them
give thanks unto the Lord for His mercy, And for His wonderful works

men"

to the children of

The

belief that rain

(Ps. 107:23, 31)

!'

and wind are a manifestation

of the

power

of

God abounds in Jewish tradition. Thus, Amos declares:

"For, lo, He that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind
the Lord, the God of hosts, is His name." The prophet Jeremiah
pronounces: "Are there any among the vanities of the nations that
can cause rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Art not Thou He,
O Lord our God, and do we not wait for Thee? For Thou hast made
2

the true

all

these things" (Jer. 14:22).

The Talmud, too, attributes the

power, 3 "Because
therefore,

it 4

it is

was

put on a

level

phenomenon

,aio

of rainfall to divine

with the resurrection of the dead,

inserted in the benediction of the resurrection." 5

imn ]>D^PD hirw nn -m .IDI^P^

imp) min D'D^po rpyo ^DI inpyo ^jn.

Cf.: m^ijND hy

(a ,D"'D

See notes to 2:20, 27, 111.

Cf. the second benediction in the

Shemone

,iruyD^ 'n

Vys VD

'Esre: T-noi

nnn

a'0o

nna nn

own; and compare Q'JDtn n n^no in the Prayer Book with the Koranic expression
"and the alternation of night and day." See also Is. 55:10-11, own TV -WKD o
on^i

jnr*? jnr

-WK

]jw nrrDxrn

m^ini

pn n

nnn DK

^ aw

vb

non

O'DPH

nm rrm p.

The formula "Thou

B. Ber. 33a.

causest wind to blow," cited in the Daily Prayer Book.

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE

119

160

160

Yet there are some amongst mankind who take to themselves peers other than God; they love them as
they
should love God; while those who believe love God
more. O that those who are unjust could only see, when
they see the torment, that power
Verily, God is keen to torment.

Some
1

translators render the

which

ship,'

may

is

altogether God's!

word anddd 1 as "objects

refer to "idols" or to "the leaders

followers into evil."

lead their

The

expression here about man's love for Allah

numerous biblical passages. The injunction to love

Judaism and

principle in

who

of wor-

The commandment

is

reminiscent of

God

is

a cardinal

occupies an essential place in the Shema'.*

."
"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God
considered in the Talmud as the first commandit

(Deut. 6:5, 11:1) is

ment. 4 The Psalmist expresses the same idea in his own language:
"As the hart panteth after the water brooks, So panteth my soul after
Thee, O God ( Ps. 42:2). "s
The idea that those who follow other gods will be punished severely

by God

also expressed in the Midrash: "(When) the men of Israel

depart from their Creator and trust in the statutes of the nations,
they are bad, accursed, and bitter, and there is no benefit in them for
is

the world. Just as the waters of the rivers (are) the food of the waters
of the sea, so are (the sinners destined to be) fuel for Gehinnom." 6

Muhammad never specified the time at which the Day of Judgment

would take

He

coming and

punishment of
the sinners. Similarly to the Psalmist's expression that with God one
day means a thousand years: "For a thousand years in Thy sight are
but as yesterday when it is past, And as a watch in the night" (Ps.

AH,
.

op.

place.

cit.,

-prfcK

p. 73; cf.

" n

naruo

Cf. Deut. 10:12

Torah, and

let

is

sure of

its

of the

2:20 and B. Sanh. 74a concerning idolatry.

.

"

in

irrfr

and the prayer

"

^tritf'

yap;

in the Siddur:

cf.

notes to 2:1-2.

"Enlighten our eyes in

Thy

our hearts cleave to thy commandments, and unify our hearts to

love and reverence

Ben

Cf. B.

P.R.E., p. 63.

Thy Name"

lOb.

(.

rrn rarm).

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

120

Mubammad, too, states in 22:46, "They will bid thee hasten on

torment, but God will never fail in his promise; for, verily, a day

90:4),

the
with thy Lord

is

similar idea

as a thousand years of

is

also found in 32:4,

what ye number/' 7

"He governs

the affair from the heaven

ascend to him in a day, the measure of which is a

thousand years of what ye number." Compare B. Sanh. 97a and consult Ibn Ezra's

unto the earth; then

commentary on

shall it

Ps. 90:4.

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE

121

167

167

ye who do believe! eat of the good things wherewith

we have provided you, and give thanks unto God if it be
Him ye serve. He has only forbidden for you what is
dead, and blood, and flesh of swine, and whatsoever
has been consecrated to other than God.
In 5:4

Muhammad

adds the following to the above forbidden

"that which dies of itself

and the strangled and the
knocked down, and that which falls down, and the gored, and what
wild beasts have eaten
and
except what ye slaughter in time
things:

what

and dividing carcases by arrows." 1

All these prohibitions are found in the Bible and in rabbinic
literature. 2 The Bible rules against eating that which dies of itself, and
advises that one give it ... "unto the stranger that is within thy gates,
is

sacrificed to idols,

eat it" (Deut. 14:21). The reason for the prohibition is

given in the same verse: "for thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy
God." The talmudic law also prohibits the meat of an animal that has

that he

may

not been slaughtered according to the Jewish law. According to the

Sifra? Moses was holding the animal 4 and showed it to Israel, saying
"this you may eat and this you may not eat."
In Jewish tradition there is a specific branch of law concerning food
which had been consecrated or intended to be consecrated to idol
worship. The law prohibits wine which has remained under the sole
care of idol-worshippers long enough to have been dedicated to idols,
even if such a dedication is not formally established. 5
Tabari, commenting on the Koranic expression, "and (has forbidden) whatsoever has been consecrated to other than God," states
that whenever they (Arab idolators) slaughtered an animal to offer
a sacrifice to their gods, they invoked the name of the god to whom
6
they were offering the animal which they were sacrificing. This cor1

Cf. 3:87

"AH

food was lawful to the children of Israel save what Israel

made

unlawful to himself before that the law was revealed." Cf. 6:119; 16:115; 22:35-36.
8

i^3Kn *6 in

([W] a
*

ye

i^3n

ir

,?D"y ,'rop .toso); cf.

on^ IDIKI

,a'n

rrno; B. #ul. 39a f b.

rrnn rnin

wo

n'rw TP^D

B. tful. 42a and Gen. 9:4; 32:33.

Referring to the biblical phrase in Deut. 14:4: "These are the beasts which

may
*

oDU3
^*ne^ on^ nmoi

Yoreh De'ah, chs. 13-17; Maimonides B'DB

eat."

Maimonides, Mishneh Torah,

Tabari, Vol.

II, p.

258:

ch. 11 re -pa ]"; cf. notes to 2:216.

*y.J

\J*\j\

^l

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

122

responds to the mishnaic prohibition that "if a man slaughtered in

honor of mountains or of hills or of seas or of rivers or of wildernesses,

what he slaughters

is

invalid/

"ra venous hunger seize a man he

may be given even unclean things to eat ./' Muhammad, too,
states that if in time of emergency 9 or by compulsion a man eats
Similarly to the Jewish law* that

if

some of the unlawful things, it is no sin. 10

Muljammad, greatly influenced by Jewish law, prohibits food used
by Arab idolaters, and orders abstention from "flesh of swine"" and
"what is dead and blood !"" According to Torrey, Muhammad evidently intended "in a general way to imitate them (the Jews). Conditions and customs in Arabia necessitated some differences, however.
13
The laws of Israel are now superseded by the Muslim enactments
He insists, however, both here and in other passages, that these
.

prohibitions were not originally given, but were of the nature of

punishment/' 14
The Koranic idea that the forbidden food in the Mosaic law was
a punishment for the Jews for being rebellious, is undoubtedly of
Christian influence. St. Justin Martyr in his Dialogue with Trypho
writes that circumcision "is not essential for all men, but only for the
" IS

Jews, to

mark you off for the suffering you now so deservedly endure.

And he

goes on to say that the Jews were "forbidden to eat certain

Mishnah #ul.

,D
I

i^nn)

im

2:8 [D].

The Talmud interprets the mishnaic sentence

as follows:

mjfr IDHHT.

Cf. Hirschberg, op.

cit.,

pp. 197-8:

IM

n^ % 3K

.rmiDN rvtawDD

nnn

m'an

nVon n * O^SIM vn vb pi .mo^ownm nw pD^ ra^m

nomo an
*bv
minn rm
omrviw pio
*?y m'ayV
pi

.crany^ iniK O<-DID K*?K

-ma I^DK 16

,-vrn

oniDHn n nono

iVVn

The

pig

*?ap onoi .nicnoi nfrzi.

"

6:146.
II

Ibid.; cf.

,)s

*DV

cit. t

navo)

nan

nnn nwD3

poo.

(6:146 jdj^"-) The

later. Rivlin, Gesetz
pp. 67 ff.;

came

p. 26.

M In 6:146 the

prohibition

shed, or the flesh of swine

against "dead (of

is

for that is

The

consecrated to other than God."

in

Cf. also, 4:158; 16:119.

the only one singled out in the Koran.

is

prohibition of the flesh of the donkey or ass

Leszynsky, op.

nr

Gen. 43:32, myin

D.

a horror

expression

the laws of

Compare

itself),

or blood that has been

or an abomination that

j^ j
f

**\J*

recalls the

nmB

,nV:, B. iJul. 43a;

in Goldziher Memorial Volume, pp. 303 f

**
5:7, "the food of those to whom the Book has been given

cf.

is

phrase

Yahuda,

and your food

* Torrey,
*

Inc.,

is

lawful for them.'

is

lawful for you,

Cf. 6:147.

4:159 and Geiger, op. cit., pp. 135-37.

Writings of Saint Justin Martyr, ed. by Thomas B. Fails, Christian Heritage,
op.

New York,

cit.,

pp. 151-52;

1948, p. 175.

cf. 3:87,

SURA

VERSE

II

123

167

kinds of meat, so that when you ate and drank you would keep God
16
before your eyes, for you have always been disposed to forget Him."
This idea, however, is in contradiction to the Midrash and other
rabbinic sources which emphasize that the prohibition was not a
punishment for misbehavior but rather a willingness on the part of the
17
Jews to indulge more in the precepts of the Lord.
Regarding the phrase, "consecrated to other than God,' Palmer
remarks that "At the time of slaughtering an animal the Muslims
always repeat the formula bismi'lldh, in the name of God." This is
similar to the talmudic law of pronouncing a benediction before the
18
This law extends to
slaughtering of an animal for food or sacrifice.
the pronouncement of a benediction before partaking of food. 19 In
20
must be careful that the
killing the animal the Moslem, like the Jew,
1

21
jugular vein of the throat be cut and not the spinal cord.
The expression Inna 'llaha ghafurun ralj/lm recalls the liturgical

expressions 'Adonai

and

molfiel wesoleafy

'El r alburn

wefyannun*

The

when

the Israelites were slaughtering their

Passover sacrifices, the Levites would recite the Hallel. 23
Hirschfeld commenting on 3:87
"Bring the law and recite it, if

Talmud

also states that

therefore, not quite clear what

this remark, except that he wished to parade

writes: "It

ye speak the truth"

Muhammad meant by

is,

his intimate acquaintance with the Pentateuch, and the passages in

"
Gen. 9:4 and 32:33 24 in particular. 25 According to Baitfawi, Jacob

16

M. Zucker, oVo^m nnmn

Ibid., p. 177; cf.

D"mn

]*zv

Domain nnbnru

Armand Kaminka, Wien, 1937, pp. 31-48;

Mohammedanische Polemic gegen Ahl al-Kitab," ZDAfG,

in

cit. t

v bz HN DD^
([B]
Cf.

I.

Festschrift

Steinschneider, op.

Moshe Zucker,

Vol.

XXXII,

p. 372;

p. 34.

:wy

*nnj

,'rotf ,KDirun) SID

a*

anna,
Goldziher, "Uber

-00 on ?
1

mnoD

natpn

"imo

"iDKW

PTD

jrr^

rmsoi

DID^IDS

mm

]1K3

^DH rrn
orb

nnyo

nmn

'i

*?&

o^iy

*ro

-in

uvna n^nno

hy ^NIBP nojWDi

ip^n, in

PAAJR,

Vol.

XX

(1952), pp. 25-6.

18

Palmer,

p. 21 n.; B. Ber.

^ B. Ber. 35a;

**

]i3m

iv P

aim ^K

*]*?

^i^a mn

.nViDi

jU-l

SlMlj

14,

mo

'n,

B. Pes. 64a.

^ Gen.

32:33:

>D nrn

i^n apy i^'iDa

a

18:14, n'n

Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, n^nt^ rrD^n ch.

BU., Vol.

22

Nu.

1;

Hirschfeld,

New

ovn n

yaj.

Researches

.,

p. 114.

B. Hul. I7b; B. Pes. 7b.

^D; and

,mDia.

r'n ,n*D
20

cf.

35a; Yoreh De'ah, ch.

1.

SlToJI.

Talmud Yerushalmi,

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

124

suffered from a severe pain in the sciatic nerve.

He made

vow

that

he were cured he would never eat the food he liked best and that 26
was what he liked most. Hence the prohibition of the sinew of the
27
The Koranic expression, "bring the law and recite it," rethigh.
calls the well-known talmudic phrase nete sefer wenefyeze.** It is not
unlikely that Muhammad used a common expression which prevailed
among the Jews in Medina, in order to show them that not only was
he well versed in the Torah but that he alone possessed the true
if

revelation. 29

J. e. 9

He, thus, challenged them to deny his statement.

the sciatic nerve.

Baitfawi, Vol.

I,

p. 80:

ui

jru

.4JI

wo

'n'j;

B.

mm
3:106; 20:112; 75:16.

!^id.

30a,

inrjo'w

mm

nso

V->-l
n'j;

ilDi
cf.

B.

<L)lj

4JI

Shab. 49a,

SURA

II

VERSE

VERSE

125

172

172

Righteousness is not that ye turn your faces towards the

east or the west, but righteousness is, one who believes
in God, and the last day, and the angels, and the Book,
and the prophets, and who gives wealth for His love to
kindred and orphans, and the poor, and the son of the
road, and beggars, and those in captivity; and who is
steadfast in prayer, and gives alms; and those who are
sure of their covenant when they make a covenant; and
the patient in poverty, and distress, and in time of
violence; these are they who are true, and these are those

who
The

fear.

basic tenets of Islam

and

their relation to

Judaism have

been discussed elsewhere. They are represented by those who express

2
1
3
faith in Allah; in the Last Day; in the angels; in the Book;' in the
6
5
prophets; as well as by those who take care of the needy, of the
8
7
wayfarer, and of those in captivity; also by those who are steadfast
10
and abide by the covenant."
in prayer, 9 give charity
Similar attempts to enumerate the essentials of true piety are found
in the Bible and in the Talmud. Thus, according to the rabbis, King
David reduced the essential precepts to eleven," as enumerated in

Ps. 15: "Lord,

who

shall sojourn in

Thy

tabernacle?

upon Thy holy mountain? He that walketh

Who shall

dwell

and worketh
righteousness, And speaketh truth in his heart; That hath no slander
upon his tongue, Nor doeth evil to his fellow, Nor taketh up a reproach
is despised, But he
against his neighbour; In whose eyes a vile person
honoureth them that fear the Lord;

and changeth not; He

He

'U*.^

pi,

2:74, 160.

2:28-30.
2:1, 48-51, 209; 3:2.

2:254; 3:75.

'2:1-2,211.
i

that sweareth to his

that putteth not out his

'2:12, 101, 109, 111,256.

uprightly,

2:1-2, note 61.

"2:1-2,211,273,280.
2:1-2, 239, 240; 3:7.

"2:1-2,211,273,280.
" 2:1-2, 87.
"Leading virtues." Cf. B. Mak. 24a.

own

money on

hurt,

interest,

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

126

Nor taketh a
shall never

bribe against the innocent.

be moved."

He

that doeth these things

Came Habakkuk "and

based them

all

(principle), as it is said, 'But the righteous shall live by his faith

on one
(Hab.

2:4)."'"

The Koranic

verse also recalls Isaiah 1:11, 17, where

God abhors

"the multitude of your sacrifices," and requests: "Seek justice, relieve

the oppressed, Judge the fatherless, plead for the widow."

SURA

II

VERSES

VERSES

127

173-75

173-75

O Ye who

believe! Retaliation is prescribed for you

for the slain: the free for the free, the slave for the
slave, the female for the female; yet he who is pardoned
at all by his brother, must be prosecuted in reason, and

made

to pay with kindness. That is an alleviation from

and a mercy; and he who transgresses after
Lord,
your
that for him is grievous woe. For you in retaliation is
there life, O ye possessors of minds! it may be ye will
fear.

In the Jahiliyah period, retaliation was not only against the

1
person who committed the crime but against the next of kin as well.
the new religion, however, prescribed that retaliation (qi?a$) is only

who committed

against the one

Muhammad

This innovation by

the crime.

Deut. 24:16: "The fathers shall

not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put
to death for the fathers; every man shall be put to death for his own
Sa'adia Gaon, too, states that in the pre-Islamic period the Arabs
sin.'
retaliated not only against the criminal but also against his relatives,
and it was later prohibited by God. 2 The Koranic recommendation to
be lenient in retaliation and to accept ransom instead, is not in accord
with the Bible which prohibits ransom in the case of murder. 3 It is
recalls the biblical

law

in

possible that Muhammad expresses here the biblical idea of "an eye
M
for an eye (Exod. 21:24 and Lev. 24:20), which is based on the principle that the punishment must be equal to the crime committed and

prohibits doing

Th.

W.

more harm than the criminal had done. 4

Juynboll, Handbuch des islamischen Gesetzes

.,

Leiden-Leipzig, 1910,

p. 289.
2

This remark, which

is

attributed to Sa'adia Gaon,

commentary on the Pentateuch:

<D

osnn

ruro

n^

D?H

f^K

'ip
'

any^n 1*6

!?py^

'>

quoted in Ibn Bal'am's

^'r myD urn pnK

is

Kosno

VM

]*o

]KI

irtn

-D-ta

jy

TWD anp^fctt anp^N ^>np'

jyn K^n. Solomon Fuchs, Studien uber
Abu Zakaria Jachja Ibn BaVam, Berlin, 1893, p. xxi.
* Num. 35:31: "Moreover
ye shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer,
]y

that

is

to death/' Cf.
guilty of death; but he shall surely be put

Maimonides, Guide
Maimonides,

. .

Num.

35:33 and

(Friedlander ed.), p. 344.

ibid.,

in another
"injuries that cannot be reproduced exactly

person, are compensated for

by payment/' Cf

4:94.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

128

VERSES

who

There

179-81

prescribed for you the fast

as it was prescribed for those before you ; haply ye may
certain number of days, but he amongst you
fear.
who is ill or on a journey, then (let him fast) another
number of days. And those who are fit to fast (but do
not) may redeem it by feeding a poor man but he who
follows an impulse to a good work it is better for him;
and if ye fast it is better for you, if ye did but know.

ye

believe!

is

1
accepted the Day of Atonement as a day of
fast. It was known as 'Ashura'* meaning the tenth day and corresponding to the Jewish Day of Atonement, which occurs on the
tenth of Tishri. Mubammad later3 substituted for it the month of
Ramadan, 4 and required every Moslem to fast a whole month.

At

first

Muhammad

Torrey thinks that the fast of Ramadan

"
terned on the Lenten fast of the Christians. s

is

"very probably patadds, however, that

He

"the manner of fasting, abstaining altogether during the day, and

6
eating and drinking after sundown was Jewish."
It is probable that Muhammad took for his pattern the Jewish
month of 'Elul which precedes Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur,
a month devoted to repentance and asking for forgiveness. 7 Perhaps

or or iipy.
p.

498:

From

Hebrew

the

18:13.

p. 196;

tit.,
*

Geiger, op.

'Ashura coincided with the fast of

Cf.

Wensinck, op.

cit.,

cf.

Day

of

(op.

cit.,

p. 14),

Atonement:

Rashi

Hirschberg,

practiced today as a voluntary fast

I,

p. 179;

A. Sprenger, Das

Mohammed and Mohammedanism,

Torrey, op.

Ibid., p. 138; cf. Hirschberg, op.

cit.,

mo&pnD anntw

who

p. 131; cf. Rivlin, op.

ton an

claims that

rnoix ons^tf on^ jpn

is still

Noldeke-Schwally, Vol.

cf.

p.

250;

p. 37.

Simon Duran

for the Jewish

I,

pp. 12, 136-37.

Vol. Ill, p. 539; Margoliouth,

tit.,

Yom Kippur.

'Ashura was never abolished and

on Tipy niD^n. Cf. Bu., Vol.

which connotes the Day of Atonement;

Tipy,

but for a different reason;

Leben

...

on Exod.
op.

See Maimonides, nprnn

cit.,

cit.,

p.

oniMn ov DHimn

p. 11;

Mubammad

rowm

01* (s'nr) Nina? 'sVi.

and Duran,

196: oixn nn nifcaV

^K

*D

substituted

omana

op.

cit.,

p. 14.

o^'n vn

looinpn "]3^}

niwo iruwn ^aipop nnv pioi iroiD Kin VI^K win D'D ny Vsa naiD nawnnp
mo\ See also Zohar (n'a
)

it

SURA

VERSES

129

17^-81

we have

here an allusion to the forty days which Moses spent on the

Mountain and to the day he descended, L e. on the Day of Atonement. 8 Ramadan is considered a month devoted to prayer for redemption and deliverance from sin. 9 The idea of fasting 10 as an expression
of submission to the divine Being is Jewish. 11 The practices and ceremonies that Moslems must observe during the month of Ramadan
are likewise traceable to Jewish sources. Thus, a Moslem, like a Jew
on Yam Kippur, must abstain during his fast from food, drink,
falsehood and foul talk." Though fasting is one of the pillars of
Islam, excessive fasting is prohibited. Similarly one who is ill or of
old age or on a journey, or a pregnant woman may be excused and
is permitted to keep the fast at another time. 13
Likewise when one
eats or drinks, forgetting that he

po

ITOD

,m

man

is

fasting, the fast is

Q'D 1 rrv no

nrrv ton tn

not broken. 14
nni rraK

nn

The

suggestion that Muhammad, in establishing the fast of Ramadan, had in mind

"the fast of the tenth' mentioned in Zech. 8:19, rather than "the fast of the tenth"
1

of Lev. 16:29

untenable, since the Zechariah reference

is

is

to Tebet, the tenth

month of the Hebrew calendar, commemorating the destruction of the Temple,

whereas in Leviticus the reference is to the tenth day of the month.
Rashi on Exod. 18:13: inn

irm mno^ mnoo

nsoa in*

inoi

-p.

According

forty days and forty nights; he

did neither eat bread, nor drink water" (Exod. 34:28). Compare 2 :91, notes on Moses
and verse 7:138: "And when we appointed for Moses thirty nights, and completed

to the Bible: "(Moses)

was there with the Lord

Lord was completed to

^K n^y rnw& n'apn ID *?I!?K nn wnai.

them with ten (more), so that the time appointed by

See also:

forty nights."

Rivlin, op.

tit.,

(I'DD .H'TID)

M.

p. 15;

mnn

Plessner, "Ramatfan,"

his

./.,

1929, Vol. Ill, p. 1111.

473 quotes the Prophet, in the name of Abu Huraira,

that "the odour of the mouth of one fasting is tastier in the estimation of God
10

Cf. 2:183

f.;

Bu., Vol.

I,

p.

than the odour of musk."

"

aa

Hirschberg, op.

rm JTP

'D DISC

'D

tit.,

iy^ w

pi p^'om.

Wellhausen, Reste

f.;

Cf. Wensinck, op.

1

Goitein, "Zur Entstehung des

pp. 189

ov Vaa ox rrn lorno

p. 197:

Ramadan,'
2nd edition,

in

cit.,

,porfr

IPDN

pp. 125

if.;

-rrm

mpoo

F. (S. D.)

Der Islam, Vol. XVIII (1929),

p. 97.

Abstaining from cohabitation during the fast of Ramadan

also recalls the Jewish observance on omwn or eve; cf. Lev. 23:27-33; C. C. Berg,
"awm," E. /., Vol. Ill, p. 202; Th. Juynboll, op. tit., p. 114; Th. Noldeke, Neue
xa

Bu., Vol.

Beitrage
x*

who

I,

p. 475.

p. 36.

Bu., Vol. Ill, p. 202.

is

The provision to fast at another time for one who is sick or

on a journey resembles the

"second Passover/'
'<Bu. Vol.
9

I,

'

nou;

p. 471:

cf.

biblical prescription in

Torrey, op.

"...

cit.,

p. 138; B.

Num.

Yom.

9:9-13 about the

83b.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

130

The Koranic

"God

desires for

you what

easy," recalls
"
the talmudic statement that the Sages declared not to trouble the
" rs
phrase,

is

community unduly.
The exact date on which the Koran was revealed is stated by
Mubammad to be in the month of Ramadan, in the Night of al16
Qadn 'The Night of Power is better than a thousand months! The
angels and the Spirit descend therein, by the permission of their Lord
with every bidding

1 '

In Jewish tradition, too, the date of

fixed. It was the sixth day of the month

(97:3-4).

the giving of the Torah is

of Siwan, the date of the Feast of Weeks. 17

The Midrash also speaks

ascended with God upon Sinai to witness

of thousands of angels that

the revelation of the Torah. 18

.**

B. Ta'an. 14b **nD inv lu'xn n

(K'y ,0'y p"a) na -noy^ j^ia* -na>*

16

Re

Cf. 44:2; 97:1.

IWIDD

an p

Cf.

DM.

]*K

and

lU'xn ^y PITH

Talmud Yerushalmi, Rosh H.

the calendar in Islam, see Rivlin, op.

1,4.

pp. 3-7.

cit.,

According to Jewish tradition, Moses received the second tablets from God
on Yom Kippur. Rashi to Exod. 31:18. Goitein, in his article on Ramadan in
xr

Der Islam, XVIII, calls attention to the parallelism between Muhammad's mission and the handing of the second tablets of the law to Moses on the tenth
month.

day

of the

first

a fast lasting

He

Ramadan, the successor to 'Ash&rff, was at

ten days and not a whole month (2:184), which paralleled the
claims that

practice of the Jews to observe ten days of penance preceding the

o'rm rn

Cf. oniN ^a

^m0

,OTM "n)

See also

'n

,1

'n

muya

pnu ,nm in^

nny 1333 ,m0y

PHH p nuiy (DD^)
([F] ,D*op y ,D*D
fS

uV

pi

,'y

no^i
B^
%

i^0H)

an

Exod. Rob. 29,9;

cf,

"nw or oy DV nnnw)

IDJ rrrw

D'Dy otK ^D

]*Dn!?

msa

n nna

ivaym 1^1 n^yru

^ iDxy nn

rnpya

ypn

Day

irm

oVaaw )nn

a^iy^

moD^ oniDDn

of

Atonement.

biVn rT-n rhy mi

on

jvjym

QV i3"m av

^ jnn nbsm naitrna anp ar D'BT^ n n

g

'n

and ]U Q'D'n nn^y i^a nmt^n wy ^K-IP^ n'apn IDH

.QHIB^H ora ODHK nsro jm oms^n or*? njt^n B^KI

omcon

or 3B^ o'tc oni ana nawn on^y

ina ,*nai nnp'DD)

Obermann,

op.

)^

cit.,

p. 91.

om .nawn

SURA

II

VERSE

VERSE

131

182

182

When My servants ask thee concerning me, then, verily,

I am near; I answer the prayer's prayer whene'er he
prays to me. So let them ask me for an answer, and let
them believe in me; haply they may be directed aright.
Similar words are found in the Bible: "The Lord is nigh unto all
them that call upon Him, To all that call upon Him in truth. He will
fulfil

the desire of them that fear

Him; He

also will hear their cry,

save them" (Ps. 145:18-19).

The Koranic verse recalls also the words of Isaiah: "Seek ye the
Lord while He may be found, Call ye upon Him while He is near"

and

will

(Is.

55 :6).'

'

Cf. 2:1-2, 77.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

132

VERSE

183

Lawful for you on the night of the fast is commerce with

your wives; they are a garment unto you, and ye are a
garment unto them. God knows that ye did defraud
yourselves, wherefore He has turned towards you and
forgiven you; so now go in unto them and crave what
God has prescribed for you, and eat and drink until a
white thread can be dinstinguished by you from a black
one at the dawn. Then fulfil the fast until the night, and
go not in unto them, and be at your devotions in the
mosques the while. These are the bounds that God
has set, so draw not near thereto. Thus does God make
manifest His signs to men, that haply they may fear.

Within Jewish tradition the expression, "Ye

shall

afflict

your

souls" (Lev. 16:29), entails five prohibitions: eating and drinking,

1
barnbathing, anointing, wearing shoes and sexual intercourse.
mad here pronounces fasting and sexual intercourse as prohibited

Mu

days and not for the nights. This is contrary to talmudic law
which prohibits cohabitation on the eves of the fast days of Yom
Kippur and the Ninth of 'Ab, since the nights are counted as part of
for the

the fast days themselves.

daybreak in the manner prescribed in the

Mishnah: "So soon as one can distinguish between blue and white
2
However, the Koranic statement is in connection with
(thread)."
fasting, whereas the talmudic expression deals with the time of recitAlso, the identification mark in the Koran is between
ing the Shema
"white and black," whereas in the Mishnah it is between "blue and

Muliammad

identifies

white."

Mishnah Yom.

Mishnah Ber.

8:1

1:2 [DJ.

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE

133

185

185

ask thee about the phases of the moon; say,

indications of time for men and for the pilare
'They
And it is not righteousness that ye should
grimage.
enter into your houses from behind them, but righteousness is he who fears; so enter into your houses by the
doors thereof and fear God; haply ye may prosper yet.

They

will
1

found in Talmud Yerushalmi, where the moon

3
1
is an indication of the time for holidays and pilgrimages.
Similarly,
for
indicator
as
an
do we find in the Midrash that the moon serves
counterpart

is

3
pilgrimages and festivals.

IKUD yT vor QHjnoV

rwy.
-no^n) onyiD^ nv rupy IKUD yr *DPD ,IKUD yT

Cf. Gen. 1:14; Ps. 104:19:

.onyiD ?
^
.

Cf. [F]

'y

HT ny

mmV vm

,VOD 'nan

np'D

nnc ])nv
onyio!?

and [B]

"i

vw

onyioV FIT rwy

nmo TT

n^ n-iaa rw& O'H ,taVa non

,3'oy

134

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

VERSE

186

Fight in God's way (cause) with those who fight with

you, but transgress not (by beginning the fight yourselves) verily, God loves not those who do transgress.
;

According to Zamakhshari, the prohibition to commence a fight

or to wage war applies to those who might attack people incapable of
fighting, such as women, old men and children. This prohibition
included also war against those with whom a covenant had been made/
The Bible, too, states: "When thou drawest nigh unto a city to
fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it ... And if it will make no
peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt
besiege it ... but the women, and the little ones, and the cattle
"
shalt thou take for a prey unto thyself (Deut. 20:10-14). Zamakhshari's view is also expressed in the Mishnah: a "ye draw nigh unto battle
this day against your enemies
and not against your brethren." 3
.

Zamakhshari, Vol.

I,

p. 132:

JU2,

Mishnah

Cf.

jl

JbuJt

Sot. 8:1 [D].

2:187

and

}ni6

irar

pnH

H^r

iy

DO^IHD ^IH
Dbrn mo^n) i^3i non^o wy
oaij;aa

See, also, Maimonides, 6,

1,

ir

btnp

pnb

y^in 1

rbv

nvrDiD

K osnn
-fro inni o^vi^v

VMI^

pn

nn

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE

135

187

187

them wherever ye find them, and drive them out

from whence they drive you out; for sedition is worse
than slaughter; but fight them not by the Sacred Mosque
until they fight you there; then kill them, for such is the
recompense of those that misbelieve.
Kill

That

worse than slaughter" is expressed in identical

words in the Sifre on Deut. 23:8. x The Talmud likewise deals with the
seducer more severely than with other criminals: "For all whom the
Torah condemns to death no witnesses are hidden to entrap them,
3
If the seducer is a layman he is
excepting for this one (seducer)."
stoned. But if he be a prophet he is strangled. 3
The Koranic statement not to fight at the Sacred Mosque recalls
the biblical verse in Exod. 21 :14 that "if a man come presumptuously
upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from
Mine altar, that he may die." A specific example of the custom of the
found in
guilty to seek refuge at the altar, in order to escape death, is
I Kings 2 :28: ".
And Joab fled unto the Tent of the Lord, and caught
hold on the horns of the altar." The presumption behind this practice
was that no religious man would desecrate the altar by committing
murder upon it. To the Moslems, Mecca served as "a city of refuge"
"sedition

is

(Num. 35:6).
The statement in 2:186, "fight in God's way," and the phrase here,
"kill them wherever you find them," may have their antecedents in
the biblical verses dealing with milfyemet mifwah* and milfyemet reshut*
which are found in Exod. 17:14-16 6 and in Deut. 20:1. 7
The Talmud states: "(A war) which is (designated) voluntary
and
according to the Rabbis is commanded according to R. Judah,
the Rabbis is
(a war) which is (designated) commanded according to
1

imnn

Mishnah Sanh. 67a;

notes to 2:213.

cf.

/&*. ;cf. Deut. 13:2-13.

Sifre
*

on Deut. 19:19; B. Sanh. 20b.

B. Sot 44b; Sifre, ibid.

nrino

pVoy nsr

TI -no p!?Dya

O'D-Y'

mm

nor!

nno

yenm 'Jma o'n isoa inar

'3

oa^y

'3

noun

.'

mm

nt

aro rwo K^K

ID* mp'i naro rwo

mm

pn .own

,f' 1YID0).

nVK
(K ,s

m nno

mm

onan) onxo

*a

pan

ono

mn

H ? -\oo an oy aaii DID

1

nmi

na'* Vy nonVoV Kxn

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

136

obligatory according to R. Judah. Raba said: The wars waged by

Joshua to conquer (Canaan) were obligatory in the opinion of all;
the wars waged by the House of David for territorial expansion were

voluntary in the opinion of all; where they differ is with regard to

(wars) against heathens so that these should not march against them.
One calls them commanded and the other voluntary, the practical
issue being that one who is engaged in the performance of a commandment is exempt from the performance of another commandment. 118
Jihad (Holy War) 9 is one of the main pillars of Islam, 10 and he
14
who loses his life in the struggle enters Paradise as a martyr of the
faith.""

to

The

B. Sot. *4b.

fight

against

biblical injunction

"When

thou drawest nigh unto a city

then proclaim peace unto it"

it,

to in Yalkuf Shim'oni as

men

(Deut.

20:10),

is

referred

non^D, which, according to the Talmud, needs the

approval of the Sanhedrin (B. Sanh. 20b).

9

Bu., Vol. II, pp. 198-99:

can not find one"

Cf. 22:76,

JL>-I

and 60:2 "and

"show me a deed which

Jlf

See also notes to 2:125 and SHEI,

10

Ph. Hitti, op.

cit.,

pp. 136

"G. von Grunebaum,

the Qur'Zn,

London, 1919,

enters paradise,"

....J,

Jtt

jUll

op.

equal to jihad.

He

said,

ilpJl

fight strenuously for

is

God,"

J>-

4l

p. 89.

f.

cit.,

p. 65;

p. 9; cf.

H. U.

and Bu., Vol.

W.

II, p.

Stanton, The Teaching of

206:

"He who

dies in jihad

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE
The

137

193

193

well-known months: whosoever

then makes it incumbent on himself (let him have
neither) commerce with women, nor fornication, nor a
quarrel on the pilgrimage and whatsoever of good ye do,
God knoweth it; then provide yourself for your journey;
but the best provision is piety. Fear ye me ye who
possess minds.
pilgrimage

is (in)

Bible states: "Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto Me in

the year. The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep; seven days
thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, at the time

The

for in it thou earnest out from Egypt;

appointed in the month Abib
and none shall appear before Me empty; and the feast of harvest, the
first-fruits of thy labours, which thou sowest in the field; and the
feast of -ingathering, at the end of the year, when thou gatherest in
thy labours out of the field. Three times in the year all thy males
Three times
shall appear before the Lord God" (Exod. 23:14-17).
'

thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place
which He shall choose; on the feast of unleavened bread, and on the
feast of weeks, and on the feast of tabernacles; and they shall not
appear before the Lord empty; every man shall give as he is able,
according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which He hath given
a year shall

thee

all

(Deut. 16:16-17).

Shammai

In the

Talmud we

The

pilgrimage offering must be worth (at

pieces of silver and the Festal offering one ma ah of silver."
Hillel says: "the pilgrimage-offering must be worth (at least)
says:

and the

of silver

festal sacrifice

two

"Beth
least) two
But Beth
one ma'ah

find the following:

3
pieces of silver."

The Koran,

following the biblical injunction regarding pilgrimage,

prescribes that every Moslem, except those physically and financially
unable, visit Mecca at least once in his lifetime; and, again, as in the
biblical practice,

age:

"And proclaim

'

Hebrew

at the time of the

3

God 4 must be rendered at the pilgrimamongst men the Pilgrimage; let them come to

an offering to

an -

Cf J ud 21:19
-

new moon

Kin &s

of the twelfth

Later on, after the destruction of the

8:2

month
first

The

&ati

is

to be undertaken

Dhu'lfrijjah.

temple in 586 B.C.E., when the Jews

were no longer able to travel to Jerusalem, the Synagogue was established.

S. Zeitlin, The History of the Second Commonwealth, Philadelphia, 1933, p. 52.
*

Mishnah Hag. 2a.

Mishnah Yom. 83b.

Cf.

138

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

you on foot and on every slim camel, from every deep pass, that they
may witness advantages for them, and may mention the name of
God for the stated days over what God has provided them with of
brute beasts, then eat thereof and feed the badly off, the poor"
(22:29) .5

prohibition against cohabitation during the days of the pilgrimage is not known in Jewish law. It is possible that the Koranic
6
prohibition against dealing with women, fornication and quarrel,
stem from the talmudic command, "a man should purify himself
for the festival." 7

In early days the ffajj was associated with great fairs. "These
fairs were probably the main thing to Muhammad's contemporaries,
as they still are to many Muslims. For the significance of the religious
ceremonies had even then lost its meaning for the people. The
following

be stated.

may

main part

ceremony was the

Islam the Hadjdj without

of the

wufcuf 'the halt' in the plain of 'Arafat; in

wufcuf is invalid. This can only be explained as the survival of a
pre-Muslim notion. Houstma has compared the wufruf with the stay
of the Israelites on Mount Sinai. The latter had to prepare themrefraining from sexual intercourse (Ex. 19.15) and
the washing of their garments (Exod. 19.10, 14). Thus they waited
upon their god (crroi, 11, 15). In the same way the Muslims refrain
selves for this

by

from sexual intercourse, wear holy clothing and stand before the
8
deity (<Jaij= VQ = stand) at the foot of a holy mountain."
The institution of ffajj has been serving as a major influence upon
Moslems congregating in Mecca from all over the world. Rjch and
poor fraternize in comity on the common ground of faith. Each pilgrim enters "the holy precincts as a mufyrim (wearing a seamless garment) and performs the seven-fold circumambulation of the Ka'bah
(fawaf) and the seven-fold course (sa'y) between the adjacent al-Safa
mound and the Marwah eminence lying opposite. The fyajj proper
begins with the march to 'Arafah, which lasts from the seventh to the
eighth of dhu-al-Hijjah. The halts (wuquf) take place at the outlying
sanctuaries of 'Arafah, namely, al-Muzdalifah and Mina. The stone-

Compare Exod. 34:23 and nmyo IT) TPJ> IT runns P' vhy *JN *mp nam ITT ^y
(n'n ,8*1) nnn 'D^nT no^n) -pn^n 'n nmaD rhy *JM mip.
6
C*l ....
Bu., Vol. I, p. 408: "They did not mix with them (wives)/*
*

Jl>-I

Jl
1

B. R. H. 16b,

^na

Wensinck, E.

I.

IDXJJ

inoV

o*i

)1

<JX

an.

(1927) Vol. II, p. 200;

cf.

B. Shab. 87a.

Cf. notes to 2:179-81.

SURA

II

VERSE

throwing ceremony takes place on the

Jamrat al-'Aqabah. With the

139

193

way

to the valley of

Mina

Mina

at

a camel or of a
sheep or other horned domestic animal (Koran 22:34-37), which always
takes place on the tenth of dhu-al-Hijjah and is celebrated throughout
the Moslem world as 'Id al-Atffra (the festival of sacrifice), the whole
ceremony formally ends. After the shaving of the head the garment
119
(far am) is discarded and the ifyldl (secular condition) resumed.

Hitti, op.

cit.,

see Doz
Dozy, o.
op.

pp. 133-34.

cit.
cit.,

pp. 120
.

f.

sacrifice at

As to the Jewish

of

origin of the practices of the

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

140

VERSE

196

And when ye have performed your

as ye

remember your

rites,

fathers, or with

remember God

a keener memory

still.

This verse alludes, according to Rivlin, 1 to the Jewish practice

of reciting the gaddish* by the Reader or mourner at the close of each
section of a public service. 3 To remember God after performing "the
"
rites,
may also refer to the word 'Amen* which is included in the
gaddish, or to the custom in the Synagogue of having the assembly of
"
worshippers respond to the prayer: 'Amen, may God's great Name be
praised for ever and ever."* According to the Talmud, "He who
responds 'Amen!' with all his might has the sentence against him
annulled." Similarly, the Islamic tradition maintains that "a correct
observance of the ritual of prayer brings about the cancellation of sin.
When the Imam says, 'Not of those with whom thou art angered nor
of those who go astray,' say Amen,' for whosoever says 'Amen' at
the same time as the angels shall have his past sins remitted him." 6
4

Rivlin, op.

tit.,
1

Lit.

"Holy/

p. 109.

It is

a brief prayer, written in Aramaic, magnifying and hallowing

the great name of God.

* B. Ber.
21b; cf. Rivlin, op.

cit.,

p.

109 n,

who

refers to Juynboll, op.

cit. 9

p. 78:

"Vor dem Ruk'u, sowievor und nach jedem Sudjud hat man ein Takbir auszusprechen. Das Kaddisch beginnt mit ^"Niv, was wortlich mit Takbir ubereinstimmt."
Cf. notes to 2:1-2, note 28; Ps. 89:53,
*

B. Shabb. 119b "pao

his prayer

nD0

added the following:

pm

rr IDH; cf.

May

]D

zbiyh

mn *]m.

B. Ber. 16b:

"Rab on concluding

be Thy will (]i2n TP

in which Thou shalt fulfil

it

*3n),

Lord

our God, to grant us long life

a life
all the desires
of our heart for good!" This prayer is now a part of the Sabbath prayers and
recited when the New Moon is announced. Cf. f jn oViyn JD ^-ur nVn mrr
.

(n*o ,Vp
6

o^nn)

rmWn pa

Quoted by Taylor,

ojm bz now o^nyn.

op. cU. 9 pp. 198-99.

SURA

II

VERSE

VERSE

206

141

206

What can

they expect but that God should come unto

them in the shadow of a cloud, and the angels too? But
the thing is decreed, and unto God do things return.

Sa'adia Gaon, in his translation of the biblical phrase in Lev.

3
to dwell in booths
23:43, ".
.,"* employs the identical words used
in the Koran. 9 The Talmud refers to the booths as "clouds of glory."*
Identical descriptions are employed by Rashi 5 and in the tannaitic
.

literature. 6

voenn HIDDS

/.

B. Suk. lib.

made

e.

"in the

shadow

of

This view

Rashi on Lev. 23:43, TIM

The

In the

Cf. D

>*

,J.

who

maintains: "they

(ibid).

'jay.

opinions of Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Akiba are reversed in the Sifra.

latter,

,a'py

^*

not accepted by R. 'Akiba

is

for themselves real booths'

&

([W]

a cloud,"

R. Akiba maintains, that the booths were

TIDK ,tnDD) vn

nuon

>uy msiDa -mi

wpy

"i

,vn 000

"clouds of

glory/

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

142

VERSE

209

Men

were one nation once, and God sent prophets with

good tidings and with warnings, and sent down with
them the Book in truth, to judge between men in that
wherein they disagreed.
According to some Moslem commentators the expressions, "men
were one nation once/' 1 refers to the ten generations from Adam to
3
Noah, whose people followed the true faith and were like one single
religious community. This thought is likewise expressed in Jewish
tradition, 3 which maintains that from Adam to Enosh all people
4
worshipped the one true God and only in the time of Enosh did
idolatry emerge.

Zamakhshari, Vol.

I,

p. 143:

OU
4*1

Cf. Baicjawi,

ad

loc.

"

Compare Mishnah Aboth 5:2: (There were) ten generations from Adam to
Noah, in order to make known how long-extended is long-suffering with him; for
all

those generations were repeatedly acting provokingly, until

them the waters

4

See

of the flood."

Tar gum Jonathan and Gen. Rab.

rnny,

He brought upon

1, 1; cf.

23,

6;

compare

also

Maimonides,

Gen. 4:26.

Rashi to Gen. 4:26: iDBa

o>axj?n rno

n*o

Din mop

rm

*op^> i^nn

]wh :^mn

D^'^H ]nwyh n'apn W. The expression ^mn is from ]^in, i. e. profane.

See, however, Ibn Ezra and Sforno, ad loc., who claim that ^mn is derived from
n^nn, and the meaning is that this was the beginning of worshipping the true God.
]nnp!?i

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE

143

211

211

will ask thee what they are to expend in alms:

Whatsoever
say,
good ye expend it should be for parents
and kinsmen, and the orphan and the poor, and the
son of the road; and whatsoever good ye do, verily, of
it God knows/

They
'

The

2
1
place of charity in Islam is discussed in 2:1-2 and elsewhere.
In Jewish tradition the laws pertaining to obligatory "alms," i. e.
the one-tenth of the yearly produce and the unharvested edges of the

and orchards, were supplemented by other laws in the Bible,

thou shalt not harden
e. g., "If there be among you a needy man,
lend him sufficient for his need"
thy heart, nor shut thy hand
(Deut. 15:7-8). Islamic tradition, too, elaborates on the Koranic
Zakdh 3 and urges helping "the distressed one who is in need," "as well
fields

as the giving of charity in secret. 4

The sequence in the Koranic verse implies that "parents and
kinsmen" have priority with regard to alms. The same is true in

the case of the orphan and the widow. 5

This corresponds to Jewish

law. The Talmud provides that: "If an orphan applied for assistance
to marry, a house must be rented for him, a bed must be prepared for
him and (he must also be supplied with) all (household) objects (re6

$adaqah, 4

*Cf. notes on 2:172, 246, 272, 273, 280; 3:128 and T. H. Weir,
E.

/.,
3

Vol. IV, pp. 33

Bu., Vol.

springs or in

one-tenth

I,

is

Uj

."

Cf. Deut. 26:12:

f.

377: "in the produce derived from the watering of heaven

p.

what

"adaka,"
and

watered by water running on the surface of the ground

^JUJI

"When

Q^P

<L)\T

dj*d\ J

ji

*UUi

thou hast made an end of tithing

increase in the third year, which

is

all

the tithe of thine

the year of tithing, and hast given

Levite, to the stranger, to the fatherless,

is

it

unto the

and to the widow, that they may eat

within thy gates, and be satisfied."

Bu., Vol.
s

Vol.

D-np

pp. 359

f.

Bu., Vol. Ill, p. 485;

I,

I,

pp. 149

f.;

T.

Maimonides,

anpnp

ton

W.

Cf. notes 53-64 to 2:1-2.

cf.

Al-Ghazali, Ibyd

Juynboll, op.

r'on ,*"D Q"ay

n^n) npisi

cit.,

'Ulum al-Din

pp. 109

nuno nu^n:

^33

(Cairo, 1326 A.H.),

f.

nr

nn

10*61

vzvb mnro jrmn pi

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

144

." 7 The
quired for) his use, and then he is given a wife in marriage
rabbis add: "You are commanded to maintain him and supply him
even with a horse and a servant (if he were used to such luxuries), but
.

you are not commanded to make him

rich/' 8

Regarding "the son of the road, Jewish tradition, too, puts great
stress on the obligation to take care of the wanderer and to provide
him with board and lodging as well as an escort in case of danger. 9

B. Ket. 67b. According to the Bible, the giving of npix approximates a loan

"He that is gracious unto the poor lendeth unto the Lord, And his good
deed will He repay unto him." Prov. 19:17; cf. Lev. R. 34, IS; B. B. B. 9b. The
Koran, too, states: "Verily, those who give in charity, men and women, who have
it shall be doubled for them, and for them is a generous
lent to God a goodly loan,
to God.

hire" (57:17).

B. Ket. 67b; Sifre on Deut. 15:6.

*

Sifre

Cf. B.

to

Deut.

21:7:

imrom

imrm

*6i

rrnV

nbQ

imnoDi ir-rV

SURA

II

VERSE

VERSE

213

145

213

ask thee of the sacred month,

of fighting
therein. Say, 'Fighting therein is a great sin but turning
folks off God's way, and misbelief in Him and in the
Sacred Mosque, and turning His people out therefrom, is
a greater sin in God's sight; and sedition is a greater sin
than slaughter.'

They

will

The Talmud

problem of waging war on the

Sabbath. According to the rabbis: "Gentile cities must not be
besieged less than three days before the Sabbath; yet once they
commence they need not leave off. And thus did Shammai say: until
1
it fall, even on the Sabbath."
too, discusses the

Idolatry or sedition is considered by Mubammad, as in Jewish

2
tradition, to be a graver offense than fighting at the prohibited time
and worse than slaughter. According to the Mishnah, "exile comes

upon the world because

of idolatry

and

incest

and the shedding

of

The Talmud further stipulates: "in every (other) law of the

Torah, if a man is commanded: Transgress and suffer not death' he
blood." 3

transgress and not suffer death, excepting idolatry, incest (which

includes adultery), and murder." 4

may

B. Shab. 19a.

Cf. notes to 2:187.

Mishnah Ab. 5:9

B. Sanh. 74a.

[DJ.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

146

VERSE

216

ask thee about wine and

el mdisar* say, 'In

to
but
the sin of both
men;
profit
than
the profit of the same/
greater

They

will

them both
is

is

and

sin

The

Bible prohibits the drinking of wine and of other intoxicating

2
beverages only in the case of priests and judges. The Koranic prohibition of drinking wine applies only to the time of prayer, 3 which

corresponds to the talmudic law "that a drunken person is forbidden

to say the Tefillah." 4 Wine was considered in the talmudic period
to be an intoxicating drink 5 and was used moderately even for benediction. 6
evil,

However, though the Jews looked upon wine as a serious

8
usage in a temperate form was encouraged in the Bible.

its

form of gambling, "the prize being a young camel, which was

slaughtered and given to the poor." Palmer, p. 29 n.

Perhaps we have here an allusion to Deut. 28:39: "Thou shalt

plant vineyards and dress them, but thou shalt neither drink of the wine, nor
gather the grapes; for the worm shall eat them/' Compare ^*>J with noni in
a

Lev. 10:9.

Onkelos, Deut. 29:5.

About the reason

Mubammad's prohibition of wine, see

Hai Gaon in D'nwn nuwn (Assaf, Editor),

for

and notes 8-9. Also, R.

10, 11, and 74 'y ,(p3^K

.n

^DKH

rmnn)

4:46.

B. Ber. 31a. Cf. Noldeke-Schwally, op.

(K'y ,D rvD-ia) ]"

6
7

(a'y

,3

p. 182 n.

uno nnp

,3*'

,ro

mn nn

]na

pins nn

Cf.

,m

[B]

ny

pn

^y I^-QD VK.

nn

no^w nnna

]"n

3D^ ^rn:n DI^D

DTK nru^p o*np

nyiv naH

it

0333 on Kin

ID inr nnw JVD

^^D^HD Trrp ni^yj
K^IDI pn
,Dimn) nvy no yiv i3^i nsn ni^33 ^DH

o^n

nmni

Ecc. 10:19 ".

p. 152.

]w.

-]b

oipo ^oa.

See the story of Noah in Gen. 9:20-24 and

,-in

cit.,

H^H o-mn hy rhh^ N'SDP n:n

rvD-a) O*D iDin^

nu)

(*y

]"

Jerusalem, 1929,

-UDD.

pbro KXID nn

Zion, V, 209-10

^oa

And wine maketh

glad the

life

."

Cf. Torrey, op.

cit..

SURA

II

VERSE

VERSE

147

220

220

not with idolatrous women until they believe,

for surely a believing handmaid is better than an
idolatrous woman, even though she please you. And
wed not to idolatrous men until they believe, for a
believing slave is better than an idolater, even though
he please you.

Wed

Compare: Ezra 9:13-14: "And after all that is come upon us for
our evil deeds, and for our great guilt, seeing that Thou our God hast
us such
punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given
a remnant, shall we again break Thy commandments, and make
not
marriages with the people that do these abominations? wouldest
Thou be angry with us till Thou hadst consumed us, so that there
should be no remnant, nor any to escape?"
The Mishnah prohibits inter-marriage with Nethinim for all time,
1

2
Accordingly, "a female
whether they be males or females.
3
Nethinah (is prohibited) to an Israelite and a daughter of an Israelite
.

to a Nethin."'
rabbis interpret Lev. 18:21, "And thou shalt not give any
.," to mean "an Israelite
of thy seed to set them apart to Molech
who has intercourse with a Cuthean woman and begets from her a

The

son for idolatry." 3

Descendants of the Gibeonites who deceived Joshua (Josh. 9:3

Mishnah Yeb.
3

"Who

is

f.).

78b.

forbidden on the ground of the sanctity of Israel to marry such

types."
4

Mishnah Yeb.

B. Meg. 25a;

20a.
cf.

Targum Jonathan to Lev.

18:21

and B. Sanh. 64a.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

148

VERSE

222
4

ask thee about menstruation: say, It is a

hurt/ So keep apart from women in their menstruation, and go not near them till they be cleansed; but
when they are cleansed come in to them by where God
has ordered you; verily, God loves those who turn to
Him, and those who keep themselves clean.

They

will

1 '

According to the Talmud 'menstruation is one of the ten curses

x
inflicted on Eve for eating of the fruit of the forbidden tree (Gen. 3 :6).
The Koranic expression, "it is a hurt," recalls the biblical words:
4

"Unto the woman He

multiply thy pain and thy

." (Gen. 3:16).
travail; in pain thou shalt bring forth children
Tabari, referring to the Koranic words, "and go not near them
until they be clean," writes that Moslem commentators differ about
the exact meaning of this sentence. Some maintain that the true
meaning is to refrain from sexual intercourse, whereas others hold
said:

will greatly

'I

woman

during the menstruation period is

prohibited. Such an interpretation is also found in the Talmud: "Said
I to her, 'My daughter! how was he (the husband) to thee in thy days
of menstruation?' 'God forbid!' she rejoined; 'he did not touch me
"
even with his little finger. 3 The Koranic phrase, la taqrabuhunna, 4
Likewise the term
is similar to the Hebrew, lo tifcrafr (Lev. 18:19).
that any proximity to a
2

Cf. J'-rm, chapter 1; Perek

'Tabari, Vol.

II,

ha-Rishon, in T.S., Vol.

II, p. 97.

217:

B. Shab. 13b; nyn

not approach unto a

Adam

mv

woman

195,

yr vb.

Cf. Lev. 18:19:

"And thou

to uncover her nakedness, as long as she

by her uncleanness." See also Lev, 15:19-30.

with most Moslem commentators

who

The biblical

claim that

cohabitation during the period of menstruation.

prohibition

Muhammad

is

in

is

shalt

impure

agreement

prohibited actual

Compare Tabari

(ibid.)

and

Wensinck, "Die Entstehung der muslimischen Reinheitsgesetzgebung," Der Islam,

Vol.

V
"

(Strassburg, 1914), pp. 62-80.

M
VI

*0S.J"
:npn vh.

SURA

II

VERSE

149

222

used for purification and recovery, corresponds to the

Hebrew Ta&or* (Lev. 15:13, 28).
The expression, fa'tazalu* (go not near), recalls the Hebrew parash*
10
used in connection with the biblical and talmudic
(Lev. 15:31),
prohibition to approach women during their menstruation: "Rabbi
that they shall separate from their wives near
Jeremiah observed,
"clean,"

their periods.""

10

Cf. Rashi,

Compare Ibn

ad

loc.:

Ezra, ad

B. Nid. 63b.

rwn K^K

loc.,

HTTJ pt

om?m;

also,

onprnni; and see B. Ket. 61a.

Onkelos, ad

loc.,

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

ISO

VERSE

223

Your women are your tilth, so come into your tillage

how you choose; but do a previous good act for yourselves, and fear God, and know that ye are going to meet
Him; and give good tidings unto those who do believe.
That "women" are "tilth" is
was merely natural soil (which

also noted in the

woman

the El-Amarna tablets.

with

is

tilth occurs, also, in

tilled)."

Talmud: "Esther

The comparison

of a

Similarly,
"plowing" is well

the comparison between "sexual intercourse" and

known in rabbinic literature. 3 The famed heretic and founder of the
Karaite movement, 'Anan ben David, 4 interprets the biblical sentence,

plowing time and in harvest thou shalt rest" (Exod. 34:21),

to mean abstention from cohabitation on the Sabbath. 5 Comparisons
between the "woman" and the "field" abound in the Talmud: "If
one has married a woman and has not found in her virginity (and) she
says, 'After thou hadst betrothed me (to thyself) I was violated and
"6
.'
In the Song of Songs (4:12) the
thy field has been inundated
woman is described as "A garden shut up," and as "A spring shut up,
a fountain sealed."
",

in

The

7
expression here,fa'atu fyarthakum (so come into your tillage),
recalls the biblical phrase: "... go in, I pray thee, unto my hand-

Likewise, the phrase, "how you choose,"

is comparable to the talmudic dictum: "... a man may do whatever
he pleases with his wife (at intercourse)," 9 The latter view is not

maid ..." (Gen.

16:2).

shared by R. Joljanan b. Dahabai. 10

1

B. Sanh. 74b.

D. H.

tiller,

Semitica, Vol.

und Assyrier, Leipzig, 1907,

Kaufmann Kohler, Berlin,

Talmud Yerushalmi, Yeb. 1,

O. Weber, Die Literatur der Babylonier

Poznanski, in Studies in Jewish Literature in

1913, p. 241.
1: yaa

pom onn nwnn

rnye

Lived in Babylonia and died c. 800 C. E.

Ibn Ezra on Exod. 34:21: moan *6ni .n0n

mm T*p n^oa n^n .nnn -nan -ra

6

p. 33; cf.

p. 307; S.

honor of
*

I,

*a

aatfo

hy

pon.

nr

inoK DK a .nna.

B. Ket. 16a.

p^

yii.

Cf.

ibo*6 n*i naan ivao *an -WD^ hv& ,rwnp

Gen.

(a'V ,D on-w)
10

Ibid.

16:4, nan

*?

n^a mnain.
inwo nwp^ nm O-KW no

tun; and Gen. 29:21,

i"*n n'ao nan

an

pi

py

SURA

Some

II

VERSE

151

223

Hadlth.

of the Jewish practices regarding marriage are found in the

Bukhari's statement not to force marriage against the

woman's

will,"

accord with the talmudic statement: "One may

not give his daughter in betrothal when a minor (but must wait)
until she grows up and says 'I want So-and-$o. >>xa
is

in

"Bu., Vol.

Ill, p. 430:

Cf. S. Bialoblocki, Materialien

1928, p. 54

" B.

f.

Ifid. 41a.

zum Islamischen und

Jiidischen Eherecht, Giessen,

152

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

VERSE
Make
clear

224

not

God

the butt of your oaths, that ye will keep

and

fear

and make peace amongst men,

God

for

both hears and knows.

Almost

commandments

the Decalogue 1 have

their counterpart in the Koran. In Sura 17 verses 23-41 Muhammad
M
commands, among others: "Put not with God other gods; "ye shall
M
not serve other than Him; "kindness to one's parents;" "give thy
kinsman his due and the poor and the son of the road;" 2 "draw not
near to fornication;" "slay not the soul that God has forbidden you,
of the ten

all

in

except for just cause;" 3 and "draw not near to the wealth of the
orphan."
The Koranic phrase, "Make not God the butt of your oaths,"
is comparable to the biblical: "Thou shalt not take the name of the
Lord thy God in vain" (Exod. 20 :7). 4 Muhammad likewise commands
his followers not to invoke the name of God in a false oath.
The phrase, "Make peace amongst men," seems to be a replica of
the statement in Sifre that peace is essential for the dead as well as for
the living. 5
1

Exod. 20:2-18 and Deut. 5:6-18: onrm O'n^N

-pn^N mrr 00 n

*wn

vb .mnn K^

.*]*on

n0N norm

*b

-pN

iva

.ijn

on^ mnnpn vh

mo

"ronn
l^Jl

Exod. 20:20,

Similarly,

*n

]wyr\

identical with Deut. 4:28,

b.

]iyw

t6i ]IHT

,ip0

**

<&\

In 50:25 the expression, j>-T

.

-pan m* -QD

*b

mrp *6

-]h

ly

^4i ^J

!?.

mrr

-]'n^

^DS ^h rwyn *b
ienp^ rapn or n
.

*as

nayn
is

JJI,

Cf.

tit.,

2:172.

comparable

^ m

**"''

See also Rivlin, op.

H!?.

p.

^y

-nsr

iynn

J^>-

19:43

to
is

118 and notes

to 2:1-2, 77, 211, etc.

*

Cf. Bu., Vol. IV, p. 109

"Thou

128

Respect for father and mother; Bu., Vol. IV,

p.

"Be merciful

to

shalt not hate one another"; Bu., Vol. IV, p. 117

men."
3

Cf PDJ
.

rnps; also,

am

cf.

man

live

by them), Lev.

18:5.

In Judaism

danger to human life. According to the

shall live by the laws but shall not die because of them, B. Yom. 85a;

Sabbath laws are suspended

rabbis,

'm (he shall

in the case of

B. Ket. 5a.
4

Cf. B. Shab. 119b, 120a;

Mishnah Sheb. 3:10

[D].

Cf. nonVoa iV'cw m^n !n-u ,oiW o3n* o>no iV'

.ronoa oiW nny nomv o^ oDn* on n-w
niDip naiDD o3K^o nWw IDHW oi^ am iTn rwo >)Ki .D^HD nana (n)
nai (5t/re on Deut. 20:10). Also Sifre on Num. 6:26: ^D *mD Vipw ori^n
*

SURA

II

VERSE

VERSE

153

226

226

Those who swear off from their women, they must wait
four months; but if they break their vow God is forgiving
and merciful.

The

may

rabbis, too, set a limit to the time during which a

have no intercourse with his wife: "If a man vowed to

husband
have no

intercourse with his wife,, the School of Shammai say: (She may consent) for two weeks. And the School of Hillel say: For one week
(only). Disciples (of the Sages) may continue absent for thirty days
against the will (of their wives) while they occupy themselves in the
." x If the man overstudy of the Law; and labourers for one week
steps the time limit, he is obliged either to grant his wife a divorce or
revoke his vow. 2 This is in line with Baitfawi's comment on the second
.

3
part of the verse: "they retract their oaths by revoking it."
The expression, "those who swear off from their women," recalls
the biblical phrase in Deut. 24:1, "if she find no favour in his eyes/' 4

Mishnah Ket.

B. Ket. 61b.

Baicjawi, Vol. II, p. 56:

5:6 (D).

Samuel Rosenblatt, "The Relation Between Jewish and Muslim Laws

Concerning Oaths and Vows," in PAAJR, Vol. VII (1935-36), pp. 229-43.
Cf.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

154

VERSE

228

women must wait for themselves three courses

not lawful to them that they hide what God
created in their wombs, if they believe in God and

Divorced

and
has

it is

in the last day. Their husbands will do better to take

them back in that (case) if they wish for reconciliation;
for, the same is due to them as from them but the men
should have precedence over them. God is mighty and
;

wise.

This verse and verse 233 are similar to the talmudic laws. According to the rabbis, a divorced woman is not allowed to be married
within ninety days of the date of the divorce. This is done in order
to ascertain pregnancy, since it is presumed to take three months 1 to
detect pregnancy, 3 The Mishnah, too, states: "widows may not
"3
(again) be betrothed or married before three months have passed
.

the Koran, as in Judaism, gives the right of divorce only to

the husband, divorce legislation in Islam as a whole differs greatly

Though

from Jewish practice. 4

\Deduced from Gen.

38:24:

B. Nid. 8b.

Mishnah Yeb. 4:10 (D).

11:230,

wo

es heisst, der

"And

Mann

it

came

Geiger,
diirfe,

after ..."

er die Frau

ist

(zum zweiten Male)

nicht wieder heirathen, es miisste sie denn ein Anderer schon

sie

geheirathet

und wieder verstossen haben,

cit.,

months

however, states: "und merkwiirdig

nachdem

verstossen,

op.

to pass about three

in

direktem Widerspruche mit 5 M,

1 ff.,"

p. 196.

It is

worth noting that the

list

of the near relatives with

whom

marriage

is

not permitted according to the Koran (4:26-27) tallies with the list enumerated
in Lev. 18:6-18; 20:11-21. Mubammad, however, unlike the biblical law, disallows

marriage with a niece. Cf. R. Roberts, The Social Laws of the Qordn, London, 1925,
p. 14; Torrey, op.
4

cit.,

p. 149.

The Koran does not

require the granting of "a

prescribed in the Bible and in the Talmud.

*]DM

ntznjno.

written document, however,

For an elaborate discussion

bill

of divorce'* (2:229), as

See B. Git. 21b:

is

rwo rwuno

na'roa

required in monetary transactions,

between Jewish and

Moslem laws of marriage and divorce see Bialoblocki, op. cit., pp. 25 f., and
D. B. Macdonald, The Development of Muslim Theology, Jurisprudence and Con2:283.

stitutional Theory,

of the close relationship

London, 1903, pp, 67

f.

SURA

II

VERSE

VERSE

155

233

233

Mothers must suckle their children two whole years

for one who wishes to complete the time of suckling;
and on him to whom it is born its sustenance and
clothing are incumbent; but in reason, for no soul shall
be obliged beyond its capacity. A mother shall not be
forced for her child; nor he to whom it is born for his
And the same (is incumbent) on the heir (of the
father). But if both parties wish to wean, by mutual
consent and counsel, then it is no crime in them. And if
ye wish to provide a wet-nurse for your children, it is

child.

in you when you pay what you have promised

in
reason. Fear God, and know that God on what ye
her,

no crime
do doth

look.

prescribed time for childrens' suckling is also found in the

Talmud, which states that a baby sucks and may continue to suck
"
until twenty-four months old.
'From that age onwards he is to be
f>x
regarded as one who sucks an abominable thing.'
"If she (the mother) was divorced, he (her husband) cannot compel
her; but if (the child) knows her (and refuses to be nursed by any other
woman), (her husband) pays her the fee and may compel her to suckle
"a
it in order (to avert) danger.

B. Ket. 60a, ypv pavs.

his (child's)

weaning

B. Ket. 59b.

is

in

Compare Josephus,
two years/'

Antiquities, 2, 9;

and

31:13,

"and

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

156

VERSE

239

Observe the prayers, and the middle prayer, and stand

ye attend before God.
phrase, to "observe the prayer," recalls the talmudic
1
expression lefayyem mifwat tefillah. In 20:14 the term aqama f-$aldh*
is similar to the Hebrew la'amod bitefillah.* The Arabic term for prayer
5
"Stand ye attend before
is identical with the Aramaic ?e/oto.

The Koranic

salah*

God"

Mishnaic phrase: "None

recalls the

Tefillah save in sober

stand up to say the

may

mood." 6

midst of the
the prayer one
congregation stands twenty-five degrees higher than
7
the Talmud
performs in his house or in the market place." Similarly,
states: "A man's prayer is heard (by God) only in the Synagogue
How do you know that the Holy One, blessed be He, is to be found
in the Synagogue? For it is said: God standeth in the congregation
that if ten people pray
of God (Ps. 82:1). And how do you know
For it is said God
together, the Divine Presence is with them?
standeth in the congregation of God (and a congregation consists of

According to Islamic tradition: "The prayer

in the

not

less

than ten)." 8

nixo o"pV;

which

(prayer),

TefiUa

cf.

notes to 2:1-2, 172, 211, 246 and elsewhere.

is

derived from the root

"self-examination" or as "an invocation of

God

WB

"to judge",

The Hebrew,
is

taken as

to judge." See Gen. 21:17; 25:21;

28:20; 32:11; 35:3; Deut. 9:25-26.

UI.

op.

tit.,

p. 84; Rivlin, Gesetz

p. 138n.;

and 2:229-30

UJL

r^'sna

44b:

B. Sanh.

p. 93;

ioxy

pon

Mittwoch, op.

Vs.

cit.,

See,

also,

Geiger,

p. 16; Torrey, op.

tit.,

Cf. B. Ber. 30a.

William Rudolph, Die Abhangigkeit des Qorans von Judentum

und Christentum, Stuttgart, 1922, p. 56; A. J. Wensinck, "Salat," El, Vol. IV,
4

pp. 99

jJU

cf.

f.

Mishnah Ber.
Taylor, op.

tit.,

*o naia -pno

p. 200; cf. note

28 to 2:1-2.

onVona DMID n'apn ]'H D'HDin ona rn iV'BNi Ton nyotw iiaxn
,nVn ma^n ,nprnn T ,0'aD-i) luxn DJ; ioxp )nV mn nnx na'oV o'a

B. Ber. 6a;
n'

5:1:

cf.:

See also Mishnah Meg. 4:3, B. Sanh. 2b and Juynboll, op.

cit.,

p. 81.

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE
And

157

240

240

then afoot 1 or on horseback; but when ye

are in safety remember God, how He taught you while
yet ye did not know.

if

ye

fear,

similar verse

found

is

"who remember God standing

in 3:188:

and sitting or lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the
heavens and the earth," to which Baitfawi comments that Muhammad
directed his followers to pray in

any

of these three postures

depending

That

is, pray standing and if unable, sitting;

upon
and if still unable (to pray), leaning on one side. 3
The Talmud, too, prescribes the position for prayer: 3 "If one was
riding on an ass and the time arrived for saying Tefillah, if he has
someone to hold his ass, he dismounts and prays, if not, he sits where
he is and prays." 4 As in Judaism, 5 so in Islam, prayer may be shortened
in time of emergency, 6 and in purification before prayers, sand 7 may

their strength.

be substituted for water

1

"That

is,

if

in

time of need. 8

ye are in danger, say your prayers, as best you can, on foot or

horseback, not staying so as to endanger your lives/' Palmer, p. 33

n.; cf. 4:46;

10:13.
a

Baitfawi, Vol.

I,

p. 93:

jli

('y

Mishnah Ber.

Cf.

B. Ber. 30a.

>n

4:102:

come short

JlpUi

4:5 [DJ.

^moan nu

,n"D ,1'aiTy) *ov

6

.(a'y

,n':>

mxp

rvD-n HMD)

n^un

^sno

HIDD oipoa

nnbn ^^D *6 NmiKa.

"And when ye knock about

in prayer."

Cf. Geiger, op.

no crime to you that ye

86: "vergleich den ganz gleichen

in the earth, it is
p,

tit.,

pa

BW." See notes to 2:1-2, 147, 172, 182, 196, etc.

Ausdruck
* 5:8: "But if
ye are sick, or on a journey, or if one of you comes from the privy,
or if ye have touched women and cannot find water, then take fine surface sand

and wipe your

faces

n'Doprn Tnxai iBjn

1

up

and your hands therewith,"

VT mpo VT pni^

D*D ih

fK

wash your

heads, and your feet

faces,

down

and your hands as

to the ankles.

And

I,

p.

98 and B. Ber. 15a:

*D.

In 5:8, the Koran prescribes the following:

to prayer

Bu., Vol.

cf.

if

"O ye who

believe!

far as the elbows,

when ye

rise

and wipe your

ye are polluted, then purify your-

Such a practice was prescribed in Exod. 30:19 for Aartm and his sons
to "wash their hands and their feet thereat.' The Talmud refers t0 this practice

selves/

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

158

VERSE

244

Dost thou not look at those who left their homes by

thousands, for fear of death; and God said to them
"Die/ and then He quickend them again? Verily,
God is Lord of grace to men, but most men give no
1

thanks.
Ezekiel 1 relates that the spirit of God had placed him in a valley
that was filled with human bones, all very dry and numerous. Then
the word of God came forth asking: Can these bones return to life?
Ezekiel replied: Thou, Lord, thou knowest. God said: Prophesy over
these bones, in the name of God, that He will enclose them with
veins, flesh and skin, and the spirit of life, that they all come back

Ezekiel prophesied. A storm and noise of moving bones were

heard; the bones neared each to its parts, and they were clothed with
skin and flesh. God then asked Ezekiel to call upon the wind from the
four corners and blow into those killed ones. The winds brought the
to

life.

and a very large army arose, standing upon their feet. God
then said to Ezekiel: These bones are the children of Israel. They
had said: Our hopes are lost, our bones are dried up. 2

spirit,

as

rVm VT amp

(B.

Yom.

30b).

the precept of 'sanctification' (fulfilled)?

his right foot
his

and

hands and

his left

on

"Our Rabbis taught: How is

(The priest) places his right hand on
and sanctifies them (so that he washes

Cf. B. Zeb. 19b:

his left foot,

feet simultaneously,

by pouring water on each

pair with his fore

R. Jose son of Judah said: He places both his hands on each other and on
his two feet lying on each other, and sanctifies them." See also Rivlin, op. cit.,
hand).

p. 90.
'

ni.ni

Ezek. 37:1-14;
Cf. B. Shab.

cf.

notes to 2:260, 261, 262.

88b and B. Sanh. 92b:

D'n iT^im onw. Also Geiger, op.

cit.,

itwai ^fcOP* Y~ivb

p.

190n:

"Audi

by ^pnv

rrniw D'no

arab. Ausleger wissen

AH im Namen des

Ibn Taleb angiebt,

j>% der nach ^L**^, Sohn des
"
According to
Caleb, diese Stelle bekleidet habe, vorgefallen (Mar. Prodr. IV, 83).
Moslem writers, Ezekiel was one of the judges of Israel.

davon, jedoch halb traumend, sowie Ismail ben

es sei dies in den Zeiten des Richters (?)

J^

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE
Who

159

246

246

there that will lend to God a good loan? He will

redouble it many a double; God closes His hand and
holds it out, and unto Him shall ye return.

is

found in Sura 3:177: "God heard the speech of

"
those who said, 'Verily God is poor and we are rich/ l Baitfawi,
commenting on the latter verse, writes that this was said by the Jews
when they heard the words, 'Who then will lend a hand to God a
good loan?' It is related that the Prophet once sent a letter from
similar verse

Abu Bakr
Islam and

to the Jewish tribe Banu Qainuqa/ inviting them to accept

to observe prayer and to give alms and to lend to God a

When

Pinfcas B. 'Azura said, 'Then God must be poor,

desires a loan! Then Abu Bakr slapped him saying, 'Were it

good loan.
if

He

is

not for the covenant that

is

between

would have cut

off

your
head/ Then Pinlias complained to the Prophet, claiming that he had
not said it. Then this text was revealed which gave its meaning, that
it is not hidden from God, and that He has prepared punishment for
them on account of it. 2
Talmudic law, too, reacts to people who are critical of the law of
us,

The rabbis say "... The critic (of Judaism) may bring against
you the argument, 'If your God loves the poor, why does He not
support them?' If so, answer him, 'So that through them we may be

charity.

saved from the punishment of Gehinnom.' This question was actually

Compare: "And the Lord said unto Moses: 'Is the Lord's hand waxed short?
now shalt thou see whether My word shall come to pass unto thee or not* tf
1

(Num.
*

11:23).

Baitfawl, Vol.

I,

p. 92:

U
Jl

4l

J^j

Jl

*lii
>*i

Cf.

M.C.B.

p. 128.

dii^ C-ij^J

AJ1

UiJ

AjpJb

0^1

J^Jlj

CJj^

LXJ
AJU

JJ

U
U

i^

VjJ

Jl

Jlj

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

160

put by Turnus Rufus (Roman Governor of Judea) to R. Akiba: 'If

your God loves the poor, why does He not support them?' He replied,
'So that we may be saved through them from the punishment of
Gehinnom.' 'On the contrary/ said the other, 'it is this which condemns you to Gehinnom. I will illustrate by a parable. Suppose an
earthly king was angry with his servant and put him in prison and
ordered that he shonld be given no food or drink, and a man went
and gave him food and drink. If the king heard, would he be angry
with him? And you are called 'servants,' as it is written, 'For unto me

Akiba answered
an earthly king
was angry with his son, and put him in prison and ordered that no
food nor drink should be given to him, and someone went and gave
him food and drink. If the king heard of it, would he not send him a
the children of Israel are Servants' (Lev. 25:55). R.
him: 'I will illustrate by another parable. Suppose

And we

present?

are called 'sons,' as

it is

written: Sons are ye

to the

"3

Lord your God (Deut. 14:1).

The Koranic idea that giving charity makes

man God's creditor

may refer to the biblical verse in Prov. 19:17: "He that is gracious
unto the poor lendeth unto the Lord, And his good deed will He
repay unto him." Mubammad, probably aware of this Jewish precept,
4

6
emphasized the importance of righteousness in helping the poor and
the needy. This is clear from other verses: "Verily, those who give in
it shall
charity, men and women, who have lent to God a godly loan,
be doubled for them, and for them is a generous hire" (57 :17). Similar
words are also found in 64:17; 73:21 and in 30:38, ".
but what ye
these it is who shall gain
put out in alms, desiring the face of God
.

double."'
In Sura 3:177

This

Muhammad

recalls the liturgical phrase in the

on the High Holy Days: "O inscribe

covenant for a happy life." 9

in

will write

all

Thy

children of

Thy

B. B. B. lOa.

Toyozo W. Nakarai, "The Prophetic Concept

The Shane Quarterly, Vol. XIII (1952), pp. 51-57.
*

Cf.

Cf. B. B. B. lOa, b; Lev. Rob. 34,15; Horovitz,

A*
7

down," 8

prayer of the Eighteen Benedic-

tions

"We

also states:

JU*

cf.

cit. t

Jews say, 'God's hand

Cf. 3:46:

Cf.:

Own nn

pp. 212

f.

is

p.

where he mistakenly

16,

relates 3:177 to 5:69: "the

fettered'."

"So write us down with those which bear witness."

ouiB D"n
-mra

Righteousness/'

notes to 2:1-2, 211, 240.

Cf. Geiger, op.

HUCA,

of

. .

-iDDa

1:3^0 ir

uaro

(HDID rban) ponrv IUDD

ou

oral juro*

rwn

SURA

VERSES 247-48

II

VERSES

161

247-48

Dost thou not look at the crowd of the children of

Israel after Moses time, when they said to a prophet of
theirs, Raise up for us a king, and we will fight in God's
way? He said, 'Will you perhaps, if it be written down
for you to fight, refuse to fight?
They said, 'And
why should we not fight in God's way, now that we are
dispossessed of our homes and sons?' But when it was
written down for them to fight they turned back, save
a few of them, and God knows who are evildoers. Then
their prophet said to them, 'Verily, God has raised up
for you TUlflt as a king; they said, 'How can the kingdom be his over us; we have more right to the kingdom
than he, for he has not an amplitude of wealth?' He
said, 'Verily, God has chosen him over you, and has
provided him with an extent of knowledge and of form.
God gives the kingdom unto whom He will; God
comprehends and knows.'
1

does not specify the name of the prophet who was

asked to "raise up for us a king/' The reference is undoubtedly to
Samuel who anointed Saul 1 "to be prince over His inheritance'

Muhammad

Moslem commentators, however, disagree about the

name of the prophet. Some maintain it was Samuel or Joshua2 and
others think it was Simeon.*
Sam.

(I

10:1).

4
Regarding the birth of Samuel, Tabari relates an interesting

'

In Arabic, Taldt

Tabari, Vol.

II,

Oj

pp. 357

Cf. B. Heller, "TalQt,"

Gustav Weil,

f.;

7,

Vol. IV, 1931, pp. 642-43;

Biblische Legenden der Muselmdnner,

pp. 192-208.
*Bai<JawI, Vol.

I,

p. 61:

Cf Zamakhshari, ad
.

<

Ji

Tabari, Vol.

ljU

a*

II, p.

JiJ*-*

loc.

j'

Oj*+

j'

*ji

Horovitz, Koranische Untersuchungen, pp. 39

354:

SjJI

Ju

OlO *~ OjUli

LJ
51^1

jA.
f.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

162

legend: After Moses' death, the Israelites fought the Amalekites,

and lost. Whereupon the Israelites besought God to send them a

prophet who would lead them to victory. In the struggle with the
Amalekites the tribe of Levi, which was the tribe of prophets, was,
however, completely annihilated save for one pregnant woman. The
Israelites took the woman and locked her up in a convent, so that in
case she gave birth to a girl they would exchange the child for a boy.
The woman prayed to God to grant her a son. Her plea was fulfilled,
and she named the boy Simeon. When Simeon grew up, she sent him
to study in the sanctuary where he also rendered services to an old
man. When the boy reached maturity, the angel Gabriel called him
one night. The boy, who slept in the same place with the old man,
inquired of the latter if he had called him. The old man replied in the
negative and ordered the boy to lie down again. This was repeated

On

the third time, Gabriel revealed himself to the

and told him to return to his people and serve as a prophet.
three times.

boy

a mixture of Jewish, Christian and Moslem traditions.

The reference to the convent is obviously Christian. The reference to
Gabriel is undoubtedly Moslem. The story about the boy in the
sanctuary hearing the voice of God calling him several times recalls
the tale in I Samuel, Chapter 3.
As to the name Simeon, it is to be traced to the story of Leah,
5
Jacob's wife, who called her second son Simeon, "because the Lord
hath heard 6 that I am hated" (Gen. 29:33). This reason is also given
by Tabari, who comments that "she called him Simeon because God
hearkened to her prayer." 7

This story

Moslem

is

abounds in legends about King Saul. Some

commentators explain that Talut (Saul) is derived from the Arabic
8
ful (long), because Saul was tall.
The Koranic expression, "has provided him with an extent of
knowledge and of form," is explained by Tabari as meaning "head and
literature

Jl
obi

cJir
.....
*

JUi

&

Tjt

uu....^

iJb Sl-j

JL)I

pVJLi

Ji

j^UJI

^Ui

JjUJt,

JUS....N

iLji JI

lp;i

vil

JUi

J1JW0.

From

Zamakhshari, Vol.

the Hebrew, yov.

Cf.

I,

Griinbaum,

Noldeke-Schwally, op.

ctt.,

p.

Tabari, Vol.

II, p. 354.

165 and Baidawi, Vol.

op.

Vol.

tit.,

I,

pp.

p. 184.

185-87;

I,

p. 61:

Horovitz,

HUCA,

See also notes to 2:249, 250.

pp. 162-63;

SURA

II

163

VERSES 247-48

shoulders above the people."' This has its origin in the Bible (I Sam.
of Israel a goodlier
9:2): "and there was not among the children
he was higher than
person than he: from his shoulders and upward
of the people."
Tabarl also relates that

any

God

said to Samuel, after the latter

had

will appear in your house

prepared oil to anoint the king, "that a man
and if the oil will begin to flow over, you will know that this man is
10
He adds another Moslem
appointed by Me to be king in Israel."
man's
tradition that God gave Samuel a cane and told him that if the
a sign that he was the
height would measure up to the cane, it was

appointed king.

11

Moslem commentators

attribute the people's objection to the

choice of Saul as king to his inferior ancestry. They maintain that

from the tribe of Levi prophets emerged and from that of Judah came
of Benjamin and therefore
kings, but as for Saul, he was of the tribe
was qualified neither for kingdom nor for prophecy." This tradition
"
'Am not I a Benjamite, of the
recalls Saul's own words to Samuel:
the
smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all
to
families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou
"
after this manner?'
(I Sam. 9:21.)

me

"Will you perhaps, if it be written

down for you to fight, refuse to fight?" refers to the comment by the
rabbis 13 that he who becomes merciful at the wrong time will become
It is possible that the sentence,

cruel at the end. 14

Tabari, Vol.

354

II, p.

ju
">

Ibid., Vol. II, p.

355

IMi

jio

Ibid., Vol. II, p. 359:

UN

JU

4J>

0/d

^U

o\

y>o

.i^h. oi<* u. ojju. tj-ia \<fi*

" Ibid., Vol II, 353-54; cf. Zamakhshari and Baidawl, ad loc.
the people spared
Based on the biblical verse in I Sam. 15:9: "But Saul and
Agog." Cf. (ro
'<

pm

,?

nfcrrp)

oipoa nrsn

au

nmn

p"rx nn VK; B.

nvyw yo nrsn

nn K^I ann

oipoa

Yom. 22b;
pm nrjw

* nan o'jnan i'y au

nm

Ecc. Rab. 7,16.

*B

Va now rpV

(o'' -a'a

IVDW

">

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

164

VERSE
Then

said to

249

The

them

their prophet,
sign of his kingthe
ark with the
shall
to
that there
come
you
shechina in it from your Lord, and the relics of what the

dom

is

family of Moses and the family of Aaron left; the angels

shall bear it/
In that is surely a sign to you if ye
believe.

was sent down from heaven to Adam.

In its wanderings it finally came to the Israelites who considered it
2
extremely precious, and carried it whenever they went into battle.
In the wars led by Moses the enemy captured the ark from the
Israelites. At the coronation of T^lut (Saul) 3 the ark, in sight of all
the Israelites, was brought back by the angels and placed at the feet
In

Moslem

tradition this ark 1

of Talut. Thereupon all Israel acknowledged king Saul as anointed

by God himself. 4

This tradition seems to spring from two distinct but unrelated

Jewish sources. Rebecca, in outfitting Jacob to get the blessing from
his father Isaac instead of Esau, dressed Jacob in the beautiful
clothes that had been entrusted to her care (Gen. 27:15). According
to Jewish commentators these clothes had been presented to Adam
by God himself. The rabbinic sources vary as to how these clothes
reached Esau. One source maintains that when Esau noticed Nimrod
wearing the clothes God had made for Adam, he murdered him and

is
'

here,

'shall

identical with the

come

to

Hebrew ran

4i

expression

Similarly, the

term *~>~"

is

"He

that

identical

nrDtf.

Zamakhshari, Vol.

I,

p. 166.

The king who, according

Zamakhshari, Vol.

i)j*^S~i

The

(before) the ark," recalls the Mishnaic phrase,

you

goes before the Ark" (Mishnah Ber. 5:4).

with the Hebrew

or Aramaic Krna'n.

oO

I,

to verse 247,

was not wanted by the

people.

p. 166:

JJI^I

J*

*LJI

Cf. 2:250, 253.

^-j*

0\T JJj

SURA

VERSE

II

165

249

robbed him of the clothes. 5

Another source, however, claims that

Adam received these clothes from God in order to function as high
priest. By heredity they came down to Noah, and from him to Shem
his oldest son, who was a priest to the Almighty God. Shem, in surrendering the priestly privileges to Abraham, also surrendered his
priestly clothes to him. From Abraham the clothes came to Isaac,

thence to Esau, his first born. Rebecca, Esau's mother, thus became
the custodian of these clothes. When Esau sold his birth-right to
Jacob, Rebecca rightly assumed that the clothes thereafter belonged
to Jacob, and she instructed him to wear them when he went to secure
the blessing from his father. 6

Moslem commentators interpret the relics ("of what the family of

Moses and the family of Aaron left") to mean the tablets, the broken
tablets, the jar of manna (which Moses told Aaron "to lay ... up before
the Lord, to be kept throughout your generations"), 7 Moses' rod, 8 and
Aaron's rod and hat. 9 Again we have here an admixture of Jewish

and non-Jewish

sources. 10

for the second source of the tradition concerning the ark, we

find the following: "So I made an ark of acacia-wood . . and put

As

had made; and there they are, as the

Lord commanded me" (Deut. 10:3-5). According to Talmud Yerushalmi" there were four tablets in the ark: the first, the broken
1*
ones, and the second set. The Sifre comments that this ark, which
went along with Israel in their encampments, housed the broken
the tables in the ark which

np^i

(Too

mm

ia^a nniK lorn Tnoj by mnVi oivb n'apn nvyv ronan n

UDD

,K"-ne)

nniM.

As

Moslem

for

Vol. Ill, 1930, pp. 843

nn

wy

legends about Nimrod, see B. Heller,

Bernard Chapira, "Legendes Bibliques

Attributes & Ka'b el-Afcbar," R.E.J., Vol. LXIX (1919), pp. 86-107; D. Sidersky,

"NamrQd," El,

f.;

Les Origines des Ltgendes Musulmanes, Paris, 1933, pp. 31-35. Cf. notes to 2:260.
*
maa nn prmn OIK
mV
rmro nia vt
nvb poo no ]va
oViy
.

,rm naioa)

,T'B

lisa rrn vbv

apy

omaV

avb.

Cf. 2:118.

Exod. 16:33-34.
Exod.
*

O'n

17:5.

Zamakhshari, Vol.

10

Dov

11

p-wa onoan

Heller,

,n's ,noio

"

o'D^ion

ma

166.

nnaa VKI' -]Vo Virw, in Ha?ofeh, 1926, pp. 138-39.

.a'nan owbv D'aen omar o'w u vn nim^ nya-wo
1

'oVenr -noVn).

mmV na

10:33).

I, p.

ia

rn nsnoa onoy

HJC'

nr

]n

on^ yoia '' nna ]nm

(Sifre

on Num.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

166

that there were two arks

with Israel in the desert; one in which the Torah was placed and the
other containing the broken tablets. The former was in the Tabernacle,
the latter went out in front of the armies. A precedent was established

tablets.

The Talmud Yerushalmi 13 adds

the gold-coated ark and carried it

-in front of the Jewish armies in their battle with the Philistines. The
ark was later captured by the Philistines, and the Jewish armies were
14
The Moslem tradition, however, has it that the Amalekdispersed.

by the two sons

ites,

of Eli,

and not the

Philistines,

vnr iron

nap rrw

nr

Cf.

who took

iDina
.

ijnD

mim rmnn
^nma nno

11,10.

Sam., chapters

IS
captured the ark.

3, 4, 5.

nivrw nrm

-moa

n^n iDina mina

*o' ay
nmnn nrrrw

jno
nr

rn nunn

SURA

II

VERSE

VERSE
And when

167

250

250

put with his soldiery, he said, 'God

with
a
you
river, and he who drinks therefrom,
he is not of mine but whoso tastes it not, he is of mine,
save he who laps it lapping with his hand.
Taitit set

will try

According to Tabari, Saul (Talut) put his forces in water in order

to test them, since they had complained about the shortage of water.
He then urged them to pray to God to make a river flow between them

and

their enemies. 1

The Koranic story of Saul is confused with the biblical story about
Gideon, who camped with his forces beside 'En-harod (the well of
"
Harod) (Judg. 7:1), where God said to Gideon: The people are yet
too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for
thee there; and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee: This shall go
with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto

thee This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go/ So he brought
down the people unto the water; and the Lord said unto Gideon:
:

Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth,
him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down
upon his knees to drink/ And the number of them that lapped, putting
their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of
the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. And the
Lord said unto Gideon: 'By the three hundred men that lapped will
I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thy hand; and let all the
"

(Judg. 7:4-7).
people go every man unto his place'
Tabari's statement that the soldiers were tried because they
complained that there was no water to drink, is undoubtedly a
"
reference to the Israelites' complaint in the desert: Wherefore the

Tabari, Vol.

Ji

U
S

II,

pp. 369-70:

as,*Jli

jft

OjJU*

& f*
4J1

Cf. notes to 2:247, 249, 250.

pjJ

0\

jUi

j&.

ICi

SI

J15

JB

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

168

people strove with Moses, and said 'Give us water that we

:

And Moses

said unto them: 'Why strive ye with

"
ye try the Lord?'
(Ex. 17:2.)'

'

Cf.

Hans

v. Mlik's

may drink.'

me? wherefore do

"Die Gideon-Saul Legende und die Oberlieferung der

Schlacht bei Badr" in Festschrift Joseph Ritter

v.

Karobatek, pp. 63

f.

SURA

II

VERSE

VERSE

169

251

251

And

they drank from it save a few of them, and when

he crossed it, he and those who believed with him, they
said, 'We have no power this day against J10t (Goliath)
and his soldiery/ those who thought that they should
meet their Lord said, 'How many a small division of men
have conquered a numerous division, by the permission
of God, for God is with the patient."

Mubammad

seems to have had some knowledge (though not

exact) of David's words to Saul as recorded in the Bible: "Thy servant
smote both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine
shall be as one of them, seeing he hath taunted the armies of the living

God"

(I

Sam.

17:36).'

Cf. P. Jensen,

"Das Leben Muhammeds und

(Berlin-Leipzig, Vol. 12, 1922), pp. 84-97.

die David-Sage," in

Der Islam

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

170

VERSE

253

And they put them

to flight by the permission of God,

and David killed Jiltit, and God gave him the kingdom
and wisdom, and taught him of what He willed.

This story
the biblical

is

by Tabari with some deviations from

a) David desired the king's daughter

related in detail

narrative:

i.

e.,

as a prize for fighting Goliath; b) following Goliath's death, many

people claimed to have killed him; some brought his sword and some
brought parts of his body, but King Saul announced that the real
victor

was the one who brought Goliath's head, and then David came

and produced the

Zamakhsharl,

Philistine's head.*

commenting on

when David was on

his

way

to

kill

Each one pleaded with him to use

Koranic verse, states that

(Goliath), he found three stones.
this

it

in order to slay Goliath.

Tabari connects the three stones with the three patriarchs,

i.

e.

Jacob, Isaac and Abraham.

Mas'udi 5 states that all three stones became one in David's bag.
Griinbaum 6 traces the latter legend to Gen. 28:11: "and he (Jacob)
4

Sam., chapter 17;

Tabari, Vol.

U!/....4Sj

cf.

II, p.

375:

4^0

01

2:251.

Ahi

oi

oUUi OjJU*

Zamakhshari, Vol.

I,

Ui

jU^I ab
.OjJU-

II, p.

**-y

jjlJb

*l>-

4i^

b Jd

375:

j>^ Jl...JUi
*Ibid.

I,

p. 107,

quoted by Griinbaum, op.

cit.,

p. 192.

"^ 05 j

^i

dlil

Jli

Mas'udi, Vol.

J\i...

p. 168:

JT
Tabari, Vol.

Jl

A)

SURA

VERSE

II

171

253

upon the place and tarried there all night, because the sun was
7
set; and he took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his
head, and lay down in that place to sleep." Rashi, commenting on the
lighted

began quarrelling for the honor of

upon them, whereupon God made them all

latter verse, tells that the stones

having Jacob's head rest

into one stone. 8

The legend
Mas'udi

is

found

in

the Midrash where

selected five stones to honor

nrm

Literally, "of the stones of the place,"

Rashi, ad he.: iV'nnn mjn nrn

n'apn ]*wy

TO

]an

rrr >Vy

Dpi irai nn?n

nw

M>D

is

related that

David

mpon

wm^

KT

mow nn wm

npn IDH

it

God, Aaron and the three patriarchs. 9

Zamakhshari, Tabari and

of the stones as related in

inn.

rrr

pn*

Cf., also:

ano poa ]*vy .vmwoo

^y nioi nr IT rm IT nuno

a'ao

apy^ pian^ iTayn

mnn pnn n) wona pu

apy^

i^D'3

won

aon

oinn)

maw n^WV
(rap roi

"The

^NIDP ,^iyo

nWi ]in

W 10^ inwi n'apn ^^ IDB^ in

7*?n n^on i^ ina'i

oip^). Cf. L. Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews, Vol. IV, p. 87:

stones turned into one pebble," and

(ibid. ,Dip^) IJV^KD

o^a

rnop^no rn

"came

of their

own

accord." See also

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

172

VERSE

254

These apostles have we preferred one of them above

another. Of them is one to whom God spake; and we
have raised some of them degrees; and we have given
Jesus the son of Mary manifest signs, and strengthened
him by the Holy Spirit. And, did God please, those
who came after them would not have fought after there
came to them manifest signs. But they did disagree,
and of them are some who believe, and of them some
who misbelieve, but, did God please, they would not
have fought, for God does what He will.
This verse contradicts verses 2:130 and 3:78 where Muhammad
states: "we will make no distinction between any of them." Well1
hausen, relying on Baitfawi, suggests that Jesus is considered in the
to have eclipsed all Jewish prophets. However, as Torrey
2
already indicates, there is no reason for such a "hasty contention."
On the contrary, Baiglawi states that Moses and Muljammad were the

Koran

only ones who spoke with God, whereas his reference to Jesus is in
connection with the miracles he performed. 3 Elsewhere 4 we have
shown that to Muhammad, Abraham and Moses were the two great
leaders

who

served as examples for developing the religion of Islam. 5

corroborated in 3:30, where Muljammad states: "Verily,

This view is
God has chosen Adam, and Noah, and Abraham's people, and Imr^n's
."
people above the world
It seems that here, too, Muhammad is under the influence of
.

hoch
op.

Reste

p. 205:

"Judische Gesinnung verrat es nicht, dass Jesus im Quran

Propheten des Alien Testamentes

"Nowhere

in the

Koran

especially high rank

among

Ibid.:

Baicjawl, Vol.

42:91.
<

gestellt wird,"

quoted in Torrey,

p. 75.

Maryam
3

fiber alle

cit.,
*

2:125.

I,

p. 63:

is

there any trace of a wish to give 'Isa ibn

the prophets." Cf. note 4 to 2:136.

SURA

VERSE

II

173

254

Jewish tradition which considers Moses the greatest of

The

(n ,3*DD

,nm mop)

rrn n0o

W irmna

prophets.

all

8
prophets, and conclude

]*yo tojno rrnp

hw. Cf. B. Yeb. 49b: "All the

rabbis discuss the various degrees 7 of

that that of Moses was the highest. 9

all

prophets looked into a dim glass (imagining like Isaiah that they saw the Deity),
M

See also Horovitz, "Nabi," ZDMG,

but Moses looked through a clear glass.
Vol. LV, pp. 519 f.; Tor Andrae, Die Person Muhammeds in Lehre find Glauben seiner
Gemeinde, Stockholm, 1918, pp. 32
7

Noldeke-Schwally, op.

hs .nrw HKID iinD irai n^Di HIKID

iyow
,K"D ,n3i
8

f.;

n^n

mi

mpn

n^o

(n ,VttD ,n:n

ros

116-1 15 iry^

(r'Dpnn roi ,av

DD

!?n

'n

^ip

yarn
'3

^ino TISDH
IHID

un HMD) mn^

3iyow Dip^) IHD 'D^ in

1

n3nD

,^pDa K^H

np^),
;r

,3'DD

in

cit.,

Vol.

I,

]hv owajn

pp. 159

f.

n'3ia I'K

^K ^pn HK i^yow vn K^ o^M'aan

HIDD Vipn >ipn rm yD'i '3.

vtprrnn

mw WK D'K'iMn ^y

u ]m

K^3i K*33 ^D; and:

nniw ipn nn I^D

YH

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

174

VERSE

256

no god but He, the living, the selfsubsistent. Slumber takes Him not, nor sleep. His is
what is in the heavens and what is in the earth. Who

God, there

is

that intercedes with Him save by His permission?

He knows what is before them and what is behind them,
and they comprehend not aught of His knowledge but of
what He pleases. His throne extends over the heavens
and the earth, and it tires Him not to guard them both,
for He is high and grand.
is it

am

Isaiah 45:5-8: "I

Compare

the Lord, and there

is

none

else,

That they may know from the rising

Beside Me there is no God
of the sun, and from the west, That there is none beside Me; I am the
Lord, and there is none else; I form the light, and create darkness;
I make peace and create evil; I am the Lord, that doeth all these
things." Also the following: "Behold, unto the Lord thy God belongeth the heaven, and the heaven of heavens, the earth, with all that
M
doth neither slumber nor sleep"
therein is (Deut. 10:14). "He
throne, and the earth is
(Ps. 121:4); ". .The heaven is
footstool..." (Is. 66:1); "For the Lord your God, He is God of
gods, and Lord of lords, the great God, the mighty ..." (Deut. 10:17).
A similar idea is also found in the Midrash: "The Holy One,
.

My

blessed be He,

is

One and

there

My

no god but He, neither man, nor

is

animate nor His serving angels know His whereabouts. He is all over." 1
The Koranic idea that the intercessor requires the sanction of the
Lord is to be found in Jewish lore. According to the Aggada, God
revealed to Abraham his intention to destroy Sodom in order to
2
provoke him to intercede.

God encouraged Moses

Similarly,

to

intercede for the people of Israel. 3

1

rm^

pn

rnjnv

]*K

nvnm

p>n yiv OIK VKI

iDipo Kin

ncoin ,Vpy ,nnon PTTD)

Kin

p*n

jn^y

10^ ama*

V>nnn

'as^

TD

*JK

j'jnv ID

nnwrn). Cf. notes to 2:1-2, 101, 109.

2
inn neny n'apn no .p^y oyia Kim vas^
o"DiiDn iKBnpa pi ... Tinon

naaa

w K^I niion

o^non

I'D'yaoi

j'KBin

^'ap piai mar p'Vy

D'DN^DH

iV

VKI inK

inipo Kin

K!?I

nmanp prap

-j^

jnn

-roW Tino nrb

noDon IDK 'm '*w msr jn^y TD^

(a y ,ia ,KTI KDinan).

3

n"apna DDIH n^n

no

DI .D^DKI

ona

'>

inn

nman nnyi ton ^ny n^p oy nam

tone?
-ftth i'no^ K^K .^ nn^an IDI

svm imanV vpzb ^nnoi ]iDp^ iD*aam iaa ^y oyai^

o % :e^ uai n^on aiaisn IDN .pna ioiy ains n*m .INP
pyxo Kin na^

laa

^y i3D*BKi

iVw

pao -jVonw

^aso

.'^

nn^an ]io^pn ID

pyso "]^on

K^K ,^ nn^an IDIK Kin

IDK V nnan nnyi

TD

ntPoV n'apn

IDK

r\Dh iio^pa

*|a

nman nnyi IDIK Kin ia*D^.

.1

SURA

II

VERSE

VERSE
Do you

not look at him

who

175

260

260
disputed with

Abraham

his Lord, that God had given him the kingdom?

When Abraham said, 'My Lord is He who giveth life
and death/ he said, I give life and death.' Abraham
said, 'But verily, God brings the sun from the east,

about

do thou then bring it from the west? And he who

misbelieved was dumbfounded, for God does not guide
1

unjust folk.

This verse and verses 21:69-70; 29:14-25; 37:81-99, stressing

Abraham's faith in one God and his constant struggle against idolatry, are taken from Jewish sources. The legends concerning the
relations between the impious Nimrod and the youth Abraham are
many and are recorded in different versions in the Midrash: "Abraham
then topk a hatchet in his hand, and broke all his father's gods, and
when he had done breaking them he placed the hatchet in the hand
of the biggest god among them all, and he went out. Terah (Abraham's father), having heard the crash of the hatchet on the stone,
ran to the room of the idols, and he reached it at the moment when
Abraham was leaving it, and when he saw what had happened, he
hastened after Abraham, and he said to him, 'What is this mischief
thou hast done to my gods?' Abraham answered: 'I set savory meat
before them, and when I came nigh unto them, that they might eat,
they all stretched out their hands to take of the meat, before the big
one had put forth his hand to eat. This one, enraged against them on
account of their behavior, took the hatchet and broke them all, and,
behold, the hatchet is yet in his hands, as thou mayest see.'
"Then Terah turned in wrath upon Abraham, and he said: Thou
speakest lies unto me! Is there spirit, soul, or power in these gods to
do all thou hast told me? Are they not wood and stone? and have I
not myself made them? It is thou that didst place the hatchet in the
hand of the big god, and thou sayest he smote them all.' Abraham
answered his father, and said: 'How, then, canst thou serve these
idols in whom there is no power to do anything? Can these idols in
which thou trustest deliver thee? Can they hear thy prayers when

upon them?' After having spoken these and similar words,

admonishing his father to mend his ways and refrain from worshipping
idols, he leapt up before Terah, took the hatchet from the big idol,
broke it therewith, and ran away.
'Terah hastened to Nimrod, bowed down before him, and besought
him to hear his story, about his son who had been born to him fifty
years back, and how he had done to his gods, and how he had spoken.
thou

callest

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

176

and king/ he said, 'send for him that he may

come before thee, and do thou judge him according to the law, that we
may be delivered from his evil. When Abraham was brought before
the king, he told him the same story as he had told Terah, about the
big god who broke the smaller ones, but the king replied, Idols do
neither speak, nor eat, nor move/ Then Abraham reproached him for
worshipping gods that can do nothing, and admonished him to serve

my

'Now, therefore,

lord

God

The King then

"Do you

not know
that I am the Lord of the Universe, the creation, the sun and the
God then endowed Abraham with wisdom and he spoke
moon?"
up: "Naturally the sun always rises in the East and sets in the West.
If you are the creator of the universe, command the sun tomorrow to
rise in the west and to set in the east, only then will I testify to your
the

of the universe." 1

lordship

replied:

." a

The Koranic words

also recall the biblical sentence:

"Then the

round about you shall know that I the Lord have

builded the ruined places, and planted that which was desolate; I the
Lord have spoken it, and I will do it" (Ezek. 36:36). 3
nations that are

left

Louis Ginzberg, The Legends of the Jews, Vol.

nn nw

D'PDD nr

onaia T^DH rm

man

i^v T^P

*b

JJH

OKI

]'

V3>^ D-QN n

onaK |yn .niai

nrn

nt^yoa

jnv nn
n'apn

ai

IB^K

oan

nma
)Via ]K2cv
mmo n2cr nonn

ny

]n3

mn

D*WK

'3

mo3

ia

omaV

pn

"i

Tnoa

('r

,a

'

n3

,o'"noi

omDD

^3ai

IDD). Cf. also the following:

eip^

,B'DD

rneaV

o ,40
J

und

.van VR nai TOR

ana

nayn K^

vn

ona

no^i Diayn

^laon

^D

ama ^
2cn

IDKI

oma^

nra

nonn

wn

vm

is^aw

omaK

v^n

rnsa

!?y

o^D^Dn DHIK

i^an uno^n onowi ipna ]'a^oi on^a D^^aD rm

'y ,n

Cf. Horovitz, IC^r

^iion

Unt.

.,

n*a).

p. 40:

"Die erste

dritte spielen in der Zeit des Ibrahim,

Ort nennt. A.

'rvbvb rwy

Hi 1 ! run

no^a i^ wyi DMIK o^xip

na

mn

on^y n ai
m^rom D'aaiam naa^m nonm o^yon
IDH^I

non
im^ ro

^a >n^

..
o^iy bv 13H3D -|Von 'an
anyoa nypwi
nnn Dyon ^a ]nnw ^a Tyo *3H *)to nnroa ypm aiyoo
.

rfrn

TOR ^nan m^Rn

^DD nwy^i ^ID^I

'!?D DTKH

-rn -j^n ua oiaN iV rwy -HPN rm

iiran

on^ rwy rraa OHR

l^on iDR'i .nyop TOR n

HD ona

-moA

-iD*n

pp. 214-15.

I,

Miiller,

ZDMG

eingefiihrt mit

wahrend

XLII, 80 hat

sie

die zweite

alam tara

ila

weder Namen noch

aus der im athiopischen Baruch-

erzShlten Episode herleiten wollen, M. Schreiner ib. 436 aus der GeM
schichte des #5ni ha-me'aggel (Ta'amt 23a).
See also notes to 2:261, 262.

buch

5,

ff.,

SURA

II

VERSE

VERSE

177

261

261

was desolate
and turned over on its roofs, and said, 'How will God
revive this after its death?' And God made him die for
a hundred years, then He raised him, and said, How

Or like him who passed by a village, when

1

it

'I have tarried a day,

long hast thou tarried?' Said he,
or some part of a day.' He said, 'Nay, thou hast tarried
a hundred years; look at thy food and drink, they are
not spoiled, and look at thine ass; for we will make thee
a sign to men. And look at the bones how we scatter
them and then clothe them with flesh.' And when it
was made manifest to him, he said, 'I know that God
is mighty over all.'

a
to Nehemiah 2:13:
According to Geiger, this Koranic story refers
"And I went out by night by the valley gate, even toward the dragon's
viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which
well, and to the dung gate, and
fire."
were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with
There is, however, a closer resemblance between the Koranic story
"R.
and the legend in the Talmud about tfoni, the Circle-drawer:
man ( tfoni) was throughout the whole
said: This

righteous

Johanan

A Song of Ascents,
of his life troubled about the meaning of the verse,
When the Lord brought back those that returned to Zion, we were like unto
continuthem that dream (Ps. 126:1). Is it possible for a man to dream
he was journeying on the road and
ously for seventy years? One day
does it
he saw a man planting a carob tree; he asked him, How long
take (for this tree) to bear fruit? The man replied: Seventy years.
He then further asked him: Are you certain that you will live another
I found (ready grown) carob trees
seventy years? The man replied:
renders *>,j "a town."
"Noch eine andere Erzahlung beziehen die arabischen
Geiger, op. tit., p. 192:
Versicherung, auf Esra ... wo von Einem
Ausleger, nach Maracci's (Prod. IV, 85)
an ihre Belebung
erzahlt wird, er sei vor einer zerstorten Stadt vorubergegangen,
dann nach 100 Jahren wieder aufleben und
zweifelnd; Gott aber Hess ihn sterben,
1

AH,

op.

tit.,

p. 122,

haben glaubte, die Versicherung,

Beweis sei, dass seine Speise
dass schon 100 Jahre verflossen seien, wovon der
sein Esel zerfallen sei. Siehe da sammelte
zu Grunde

ertheilte ihm, der einen

und

sein

Trank

Gott die Gebeine des

Gott

dem

ist iiber

Ritte,

Tag

sich aufgehalten zu

gegangen,

Esels, bekleidete sie

mit Fleisch, so dass der

Alles mMchtig! Die Fabel riihrt, wie

Mar.

Mann

bekannte:

richtig bemerkt, her

den Nehemias nach dem zerstBrten Jerusalem machte (Neh.

der ja so oft mit Esra verwechselt wird."

von

2:12ff.),

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

178
v

forefathers planted these for me so I too plant

children, tloni sat down to have a meal and sleep over-

in the world; as

these for

my

my

came him. As he slept a rocky formation enclosed upon him which

hid him from sight and he continued to sleep for seventy years. When
he awoke he saw a man gathering the fruit of the carob tree and he
asked him, Are you the man who planted the tree? The man replied:
I

am

for

Thereupon he exclaimed:

his grandson.

seventy years

The
clothe

phrase,

look at the bones

flesh," recalls the

how we

words

B. Ta'an. 23a.

<Cf. 2:244, 260, 262.

scatter

slept

them and then

in Ezekiel,

relating to the vision of Ezekiel concerning the

."*

"And

them with

It is clear that

dry bones

Chapter

37,

in the valley. 4

SURA

II

VERSE

VERSE

179

262

262

And when Abraham said, 'Lord show me how thou wilt

He said, 'What dost thou not yet
believe?' Said he, 'Yea, but that my heart may be
He said, 'Then take four birds, and take
quieted.

revive the dead,

them

then put a part of them on every

mountain; then call them, and they will come to thee in
haste; and know that God is mighty, wise/
close to thyself

This story, hinging upon the narrative in Genesis 15:11-18, probably springs from a Jewish legend which runs as follows: "But though
he believed the promise given him with full and abiding faith, Abraham
desired to know by what merit of theirs his descendants would maintain themselves. Therefore, God bade him bring a sacrifice of an
heifer of three years old, a she-goat of three years old, a ram of three
years old, a turtle dove and a young pigeon, thus indicating to Abraham the various sacrifices that should be brought in the Temple to
atone for the sins of Israel. 'But what will become of my descendants
after the Temple is destroyed?' asked Abraham. God replied and said
'If they read the order of sacrifices, as they will be stated in the
Scriptures, I will account it to them as if they had offered the sacrifices
and I will forgive their sins.' God then revealed to Abraham the
course of Israel's history in connection with the other nations on earth.
:

"Abraham took these animals, omitting the birds, and divided

them. The birds he did not divide in order to show that Israel will
remain whole. When the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses,
Abraham drove them away. Dividing the birds symbolized the advent
of the Messiah, who will cut the heathen into pieces. And as the
Messianic time was made known unto Abraham, so also was the time
of the resurrection of the dead made known to him. When Abraham
laid the halves of the pieces over against each other, the animals

alive again, as the birds flew over

brought the birds back to life is also

became

Commentary.

them."
found

The

in

idea that

God

Sa'adia Gaon's

Midrash Hagadol 16, 17: *?D n b npn '* o'nan n"nn inmn *|N "wnn jan
ma nr proi onann rm hm .a-ian onw an ,pai6i lire ? p*a onn ^y tryn
a*n now* in ? ia^m imai vn -nwn jrv^y TV*
!?K aw ]m D-a* on
1

inn
cf.

a*' -IDINI ,u

naw

'n

nn

now* nnn, quoted

in T. S., Vol. Ill, pp.

P.R.E., pp. 198-99 and 148 ,-iry^R ai naro.

*
Gen. 15:11; cf. Geiger, in ion D-D, Vol. V, p. 180,

Koranic sentence. See also T.S.,

ibid.,

note 124.

who

]vai

650 f.;

calls attention to this

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

180

Geiger believes that this verse shows that Mubammad, in identifying himself with Abraham,* presents the latter not only as one who
preached against idolatry, but also as the expounder of the doctrine
of the Resurrection of the dead. Not certain about this doctrine, 4

Abraham, according to Mubammad, prayed to God for tangible proof

and became convinced when he saw that the divided birds 5 came
6
together and were revived.

Cf % notes to

2:91, 244, 260-61.

Baidawi, Vol.

Jtt

.oil

I,

p. 65:

*U.|

JU c~.lj

4)

^
ijj*J

JL
Cf. Geiger,

had

said:

o/>. cit.,
'I

p. 125,

make

alive

Ul

JU*

>T

English edition, p. 100: "It

and

kill'

(11.260),

ij^J

is

Jli

l^o*

Jl

.>-

J!

said that, after

JJ

Nimrod

Abraham answered: 'Quickening

to the body'. Nimrod replied:

brought about by the return of the spirit

'Hast thou then seen that?' Abraham could not answer in the affirmative and

is

passed over to another argument.

On

he prayed to the Lord for some

revelation, in order that his mind might be easy about an answer to this question,
if it were put to him again."
this

Cf. Gen. 15:9f.

'

view which, according to Geiger, is foreign to Judaism, "die freilich dem

Judenthume fremd ist," ibid. See however, P.R.E., pp. 198 f., and T.S., Vol. Ill,
p. 667,

note 197 o'non

nnn

oa

imarw. Cf. 2:262.

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE

181

271

271

The devil promises you poverty and bids you

God promises you pardon from Him and grace,
1

sin,

but

for

God

both embraces and knows.

Zamakhshari interprets "the devil promises you" to mean that the

devil tells you that being charitable will lead to poverty, but God
promises grace.* This interpretation seems to be in harmony with the
preceding and succeeding Koranic verses which actually deal with
3
charity.
Jewish tradition, as shown elsewhere, abounds in statements relating to the importance of charity. 4 The rabbis stress that
good deeds not only do not make one poorer5 but, on the contrary,
6
7
they bring a person prosperity and protect him from adversity:
'He who gives a small coin to a poor man obtains six blessings, and he
who addresses to him words of comfort obtains eleven blessings/ >g
4

Zamakhshari, Vol.

I,

p. 177:

fiw
4i!lj]...-o\iJU*JI

Cf

Baicjawl,

ad

loc.

"Kind speech and pardon are better than almsgiving followed by

annoyance, and God is rich and clement"; and compare: "Better is a dinner of
herbs where love is, Than a stalled ox and hatred therewith" (Prov. 15:17); "Better
*

Cf. 2:265:

a dry morsel and quietness therewith, Than a house full of feasting with strife"
(Prov. 17:1); "Better is a handful of quietness, Than both the hands full of labor

is

and

striving after

wind" (Ecc.

4:6).

See also 2:269, 272.

Cf. notes to 2:1-2, 211, 246, 272-73.

Maimonides, o"3y rmno maVn

oi^tf np-ren
6

and

n^yo rvm

(N'n ,K*D nKD

(a"y ,D

,3':i).
4

Ta an.

B.

B. B. B. 9b.

9a:

'

oVwT

npi^n

10, 2: y-i

^aa ^a

prn

Tio^n) npix ]na n^iyi

nan

vm

np-ren

*3yo

OIK pn

fc^i.

myo ^ H^DD

n'apn npix nnn

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

182

VERSE

272

Whatever expense ye expend, or vow ye vow, God knows

If ye display your
it; but the unjust have no helpers.
almsgiving, then well is it; but if ye hide it and bring
it to the poor, then is it better for you, and will expiate
for you your evil deeds; for God of what ye do is well
aware.

similar idea

is

also found in the

Talmud which

states that he

who

gives charity in secret is greater than Moses, "for of Moses it is

written, For I was afraid because of the anger and the wrath ( Deut. 9:19),

and

oi

one who gives charity (secretly)

subdues anger (Prov. 21

Maimonides,

it is

written,

in secret

:14).

Mishneh Torah, 2 constructed out

in his

gift

of the

numer-

ous talmudic precepts "an ethical ladder of eight successive rungs (of
charity). The first and highest level was helping the poor man to
sustain himself/' 3

The Koranic assurance

that giving charity in secret "will expiate

for you your evil deeds,
recalls the talmudic statement that charity
will deliver the donor "from an unnatural death" and "from the
1 '

punishment

of

Gehinnom." 5

B. B. B. 9b:

irm HODD nnr nnoa

np-tx jrmn nr

A. A. Neuman, op.

pU

tf

B. B. B. lOa:

cit.,

np-re ncnyn bma.

Cf. B. tfag. 5a:

jn OK, and 2:1-2, 211, 246, 271.

Vol.

J^i

cm) *n nno

II, p. 170.

ma

DK

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE

273

183

273

Thou (Muhammad) art not bound to guide them; but

God guides whom He will and whatever good ye expend
;

for yourselves,
God's face.
it is

The

I
I

and do not expend save craving

for

phrase here recalls the Psalmist's prayer: "As for me,

shall behold Thy face in righteousness; 1 I shall be satisfied, when
2
The Midrash comments that this
awake, with Thy likenfess."
last

teaches that even transgressors who have no other merits but that of
3
giving charity, are privileged to face the Shekinah (the Spirit of the

Omnipresent as manifested on earth). 4

Ps. 17:15.
'

(no

np-rx.

nro

,?>

,310

on 2:1-2, 172, 211, 246, 271, 272, 280; 3:128.

mar Kb>N ora
r^apDi pair la^a npix

Cf. notes
'3D

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

184

VERSES
Those who devour usury

276-77

shall

not

rise again,

save as he

whom

Satan hath paralysed with a touch; and

that is because they say 'selling is only like usury/ but
God has made selling lawful and usury unlawful; and
he to whom the admonition from his Lord has come, if
he desists, what has gone before is his: his matter is in
God's hands. But whosoever returns (to usury) these

riseth

are the fellows of the Fire, and they shall dwell therein
for aye. God shall blot out usury, but shall make alms-

God

giving profitable, for

loves not

sinful misbe-

any

liever.

1
Similarly to the biblical statement, the

what ye put out

men,

it

to usury that

shall not increase

with

may

it

God

."

Koran

also states,

"And

increase with the wealth of

(31

:39).

According to Islam, usury is prohibited in the case of a Moslem

dealing with a fellow-believer, but not when dealing with a non-

Moslem. Also, the term usury applies not only to money transactions
but to any barter or business transaction where profit results. 3

The same
upon

idea

is

expressed in the Bible:

interest to thy brother; interest of

"Thou

money,

shalt not lend

interest of victuals,

any thing that is lent upon interest. Unto a foreigner thou

mayest lend upon interest; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend
upon interest; that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all that thou
puttest thy hand unto, in the land whither thou goest in to possess
interest of

it"(Deut. 23:20-21).*

The

rabbis in discussing the prohibition of usury state: "He who

lends money on usury denies God ... he makes the Torah a laughing

Exod. 22:24: "If thou lend money to any of

My

people, even to the poor

with thee, thou shalt not be to him as a creditor; neither shall ye lay upon him
interest."
1

Cf. 3:125; cf. Torrey, op.

The Arabic word

Hebrew n*:n.
*

cit.,

for usury

p. 148.

is r iba

^J j\

Cf. Ezek. 22:12; Ps. 15:5; Prov. 28:8.

(an excess) corresponding to the

SURA

VERSES

II

276-77

185

4
stock and Moses a fool."* "Usury is like the
sting of a serpent."
"A man should rather sell his daughter than borrow on

usury."*

IBID jvana

minn

rnDn
]^iy

no^n)
f

(n'n ,n D
6

(3

,^
'

^D

TTD

rvm

no

*3>y

nvoo HDD n*oi

nia KD*

MI

]n^io ip^ya jnDisp HDD nnv IDIK iry!?H

umo

n^n K^

i^nmo

ir^n ID

nw

yiv rrn

^K

inoini

WD wo

^yn n

nwan vb

,y^D.
.

,na-i

(a'y

rrwo n^nn nV

mo)

vnn^inVi

o^iyiw nn'aym

nppi

myin ^D n

oin

wy

HK

i^iia

n3n -\n

ow

ainan v^y n^yo rvan

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

VERSE
And

280

be one in difficulties, then wait for easy circumbut

that ye remit it as alms 1 is better for you,
stances;
if ye did but know.
if it

Moses, in caring for the underprivileged, prescribes: "If thou lend

money to any of My people, even to the poor with thee, thou shalt
not be to him as a creditor; neither shall ye lay upon him interest"
thou shalt not go into his (debtor's) house to fetch
(Ex. 22:24). ".
his pledge
And if he be a poor man, thou shalt not sleep with his
pledge; thou shalt surely restore to him the pledge when the sun goeth
.

down"

(Deut. 24:10-13).
2
According to Rashi, assisting the poor is obligatory and a poor
man should get preference in assistance over one who is better off. 3
Nor should the poor man be treated in a slighting manner. 4 Rather

should the creditor put himself in the position of the needy. 5 When
the debt falls due, the creditor must not insist on the pledge and
should evince special consideration and kindness. 6
The rabbis insisted that if a creditor sees the debtor approaching,
he should cross to the other side of the street in order not to cause

him embarrassment. 7

'

Cf. 2:1-2, 211, 246, 272, 273; 3:128.

Rashi on Exod. 22:24: nun miratp

nn

'

OKI

ON bo IDIH ^Kjmtzp *:n .'y rm

mbn

*\DD

ON

'3D fin.

Ibid.: D-np *ay TPJTI

Ibid.: *oy Hint?

Ibid.: I^KD

ay.

rwn^m

jvra

ruo

ia

aimn K^P.

K^N irn^n I^D r^y non >nn

im^n K^.
verse 25: mbn rm PSPDDP

*?& iV

)w

yir nn

DM nprna uyrmn

b>

Dn *b noi^D
6

Ibid.,

ir^i ]Drn
7

ntoVn nypa p3PD ir

rtan jw^

^ ,^ann ban DK

yao^D.

n'nn vh b'n vasb

(a'y ,ny

fc6

,KyxD

aa)

nayV TIDW

iV

^H

ynn

nao

nana

nipiab

I^D no

DH

ai

SURA

VERSE

II

VERSE

187

282

282

ye who believe! if ye engage to one another in a debt

for a stated time, then write it down, and let a scribe
write it down between you faithfully; nor let a scribe
refuse to write as God taught him, but let him write, and
let him who owes dictate; but let him fear God his Lord,
and not diminish therefrom aught; but if he who owes be
a fool, or weak, or cannot dictate himself, then let his
agent dictate faithfully, and let them call two witnesses
out from amongst their men.

The Koranic requirement of two

injunction that "at the mouth of two

witnesses recalls the biblical

witnesses, or at the mouth of

three witnesses, shall a matter be established" (Deut. 19:15).' The
trustworthiness of the witnesses, who are present at the act, must be

unimpeachable and they

shall

be

in full

agreement with each other as

to their testimony.
2
According to Moslem commentators, the Koranic expression,
"from amongst their men/' 3 refers to the faithful and excludes
disbelievers

and

This

slaves. 4

agreement with Maimonides'

in

is

view about testimony of witnesses. 5

Deut. 19:15:

mi

Dip*

any

&w

182:

"Non-Jews and

*D

^y;

cf.

B. Sanh. 9b and Ibn Ezra on

Deut. 17:6 and Deut. 19:15.

2

Zamakhshari, Vol.

p.

I,

slaves are not qualified as

witnesses."

<Tabari, Vol.

Ill, p. 75:

Maimonides, K'n

,D'D

nny;

cf.

B. Sanh. 9b:

therefore disqualified from acting as witness)

."

".

AJX

4)U

he

is

a wicked

See also Exod. 23:1.

man

Ul

(and

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

188

VERSE
God

286

not require of the soul save its capacity. It

shall have what it has earned, and it shall owe what has
been earned from it. Lord, catch us not up, if we forget
or make mistake; Lord, load us not with a burden,
as Thou hast loaded those who were before us. Lord,
make us not to carry what we have not strength for,
will

but forgive

and pardon

us,

and have mercy on

us,

us.

Thou art our Sovereign, then help us against the people

who do not believe!
The Koranic
"

idea that

God

does not

'require of the soul save

Talmud, where the rabbis urge not

to impose "a restriction upon the community unless the majority of the
1
community will be able to stand it." Similarly, the Midrash states
that the punishment to be meted out by God to the wicked will be
2
commensurate with their actions. As for "it shall have what it has
its

is

capacity

also found in the

the Psalmist, too, states: "Behold, he travaileth with

iniquity; Yea, he conceiveth mischief, and bringeth forth falsehoods.
He hath digged a pit, and hollowed it, And is fallen into the ditch

earned

.,"

which he made" (Ps. 7:15-16).

The second part of this Koranic verse recalls the Psalmist who,
in a similar vein exclaims: "Who can discern errors? Clear Thou me
faults." 3

from Chidden

who

O, Lord,

31

B. B.
(n'y

could stand?"

.rwina man)

Km

Thou, Lord, shouldest mark

iniquities,

79b.

Ps. 19:13;

*a0
4

If

Ps. 130:3;

cf.,

no

IKBH ryo vnn

,D* ,3iB

inw:

py

-IDK

JT

>o

.pnajn KJVW.
Sabbath Prayer Book.

KH rrV
cf.

KBIT DIK OH

mir

:b noK

nnnn

rrj

nn no TH^ n'apn

i^

ion

SURA

III

VERSE

He

has sent down to thee the Book 1 in truth, confirming

what was before it, and has revealed the law, and the
gospel before for the guidance of men, and has revealed
the Discrimination.

The terms

nazzala (sent down) and anzala (revealed)* as used here

recall the biblical expressions," and the Lord came down" (Exod. 19 :20) 3

and "Go down (Moses)" (Exod.

with the giving of the Torah, it is

a similar usage for his revelation.

The term Taurat

Since "go down" is connected

possible that Muhammad adopted

19:21).

law" as used here, according to Geiger,

6
Later
refers to the Jewish revelation only, meaning the Pentateuch.
on Moslem commentators expanded the term to include also the
for "the

Psalms, the prophecy of Isaiah and other prophecies, but not the
7

Gospel.
Since

considered Moses as the lawgiver and listed the

Psalms and other biblical prophets separately, it is natural that he

Muhammad

should refer here to the Torah as the Pentateuch.

To

the Jews, too,

the Torah, which in Hebrew means guidance, learning or teaching,
originally referred only to the Pentateuch. As time went on the

term Torah embraced not only the Pentateuch and the whole Bible 8
1

Cf. 2:1-2.

Cf

J j\,

ro in hy mrr ITI.

oya lyn

and elsewhere.

2:3

m.

Geiger, op.

haben

cit.,

p.

44:

"
.

er hierunter bloss den Pentateuch verstanden

indem er (Muhammad) unter den

will

jiidischen

Propheten nach den

Patriarchen bloss den Moses als Gesetzgeber gelten lasst."

?

Geiger,

Prodromi,

I,

ibid.,

Cf. Horovitz,
8

(-|'jn)

45 n.

(quoting

Ahmed ben Abd

p, 5 ):

OlJI

%i.

p.

Uj UAI

HUCA.,

o'aiwi

p. 194.

OM

,min.
191

Elhelim, from

Maracc.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

192

but the entire gamut of Jewish religious literature. The Moslem

commentators, who went beyond the Pentateuch in defining Torah,
followed the accepted view of the Jews in Arabia and referred to the
Torah as the whole Hebrew Bible.
9
Regarding Injtl, Ali claims that the term "does not signify, as
10
He goes on to
supposed by Muir and others, the New Testament."
say that "the Qur-5n nowhere suggests that the original Injll, the
11
revelation of Jesus Christ, existed at the time of the Holy Prophet."
The term, Ali claims, "stands for the Evangel or the Gospel, and
11 "
However, most scholars agree that
signifies literally good tidings.

the word refers to the revelation of God to Jesus which later on

13
encompassed the whole New Testament.

10

"

Ali, op.

tit.,

p.

140 n.

Ibid.

"Ibid.
*

For a detailed discussion of

London, 1885,

s. v.

Injil, p.

211;

this

and

term see Th.

Jeffery,

P.

Hughes, Dictionary of Islam,

The Qur'an as Scripture, pp. 66-67.

SURA

VERSE 4

III

VERSE

193

Verily, God, there is nothing hidden from Him in the

earth, nor in the heaven; He it is who fashions you in
the womb as He pleases. There is no God but He, the
mighty, the wise.

commenting on the word "hidden/

i,

which comes to pass

"x

be

in the world,

it

writes: "Nothing,
universal or particular, faith

idea that nothing is hidden from God is stressed

frequently in rabbinic literature. The Midrash states that the wicked
think that God does not see when they sin because He is separated

or unbelief.

The

from them by seven heavens

God

but

everybody and

sees

everything.
As to the phrase,

knew thee

(Jer. 1:5).
together in

me

that

made me

you

in the

womb

"For Thou hast made

1 '

knit

fashions

as

my

reins;

my mother's womb" (Ps. 139:13).

the womb make him?" (Job 31:15)

in

He

pleases/
saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee
"Before I formed thee in the belly
(Is. 44:2).

compare: "Thus
from the womb"
I

"who

Thou

hast

"Did not He

Similarly, the Talmud states: "... Come and observe how the
capacity of human beings falls short of the capacity of the Holy One,

the capacity of a human being to draw a figure

on a wall, but he cannot invest it with breath and spirit, bowels and
intestines. But the Holy One, blessed be He, is not so; He shapes one
form in the midst of another, and invests it with breath and spirit,

blessed be He.

It is in

And

bowels and intestines.

that

is

what Hannah

said

There

holy as the Lord, for there is none beside Thee, neither is there
(rock) like

Cf.

our God"

BaitfSwi, Vol.

.yr

ji

M.C.B.

p. 3.

rrm

I,

(I

Sam.

is

none

any %ur

2:2).*

p. 70:

uu

Uj*

or

oir

j\

irra o'jrpi nyaen Kin pirn 3 j'KBin UKBO

nan

n'apn

)nt

jnoiN D'ytmrw

n'apm spy >n!?N ia* K^I rv n*rv vb noun orrVy non in pi .HKT *6i b ino ouy
nn*n hz in nmop -m hsh DUD ton ^n 'in yo^ *6n IHH yoian obnyap cryen onV IOIK
-

(D y ,JVPN-Q

mm)

rb

pm

ny DUDI HDI^ ,irn^

,nwn-^-i qoiD
.

*ar

nyoa?

w TJD^

- urno)

ry.

ynn

nnnn

Ber. lOa. Cf. Ps. 22:11.

Cf. (a'y

n^a ^sn
^3.

r'D
.

,HDV) oViy

yir nnn; and:

n^iao nnnw pom

nioiVyn

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

194

that the Koran uses the term fawwara* for

"fashion" or "shape," instead of khalaqa.* The former is identical with
the biblical ya?ar, 6 which is used in connection with the creation of
It is interesting

man. 7

'Gen. 2:7-8,
DIKH HK

19; Ps. 33:15; Jer. 1:5:

ir IH;

B.

Yoma

85a:

Tnjn

jaaa -pisn onea; B. Ber. 60b:

wno IM -rinn p'no.

SURA

VERSE

III

VERSE
He

it is

who has

195

revealed to thee the Book, of which

decisive, they are the

there are some verses that are

mother 1 of the Book
.

to

The Koranic expression, "some

3
the Hebrew 'Otiyot Mafykimot.

verses are decisive,"'

comparable
Similarly the expression, "they are
is

5
the mother of the Book," 4 recalls the talmudic 'Em Lamifrra'. As for
7
6
the word "decisive," compare the Talmud: "Mifcra is determinant."

Palmer, ad

loc., i. e.

Cf. Hirschberg, op.

"the fundamental part of

cit.,

p. 215;

I.

it.

Wolfensohn, Ka'b al-A^bar und seine Stellung

in Hadtf und in der islamischen Legendenliteratur, Berlin, 1933, p. 45; Horovitz,

#704,
s

pp. 188f.

B. Sanh. 4a:
"

miDD^ ON .Nnpo ?

ON.

*. e. the reading
'Mibra has a mother,' or these in preference to Mifra
vocalization has an
of the sacred text according to the Jere np, the established
the
hence well-founded, as distinct from the Masorah (miDD),
authentic

origin,

Kethib 3'fD the traditional text of consonants without vowels." Ibid.,

on
>
irfr HTSD m^w. Cf. B. Suk. 6b: mpn^
Ibid.: NipoV ON
.

p. 10, n. 4.

mioo ? ON \
1

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

196

VERSE

'O Lord! pervert not our hearts again when Thou hast
guided them, and grant us mercy from Thee, for Thou
art He who grants. O Lord Thou shalt gather together
man unto the day wherein is no doubt. Verily, God
will not depart from His promise.'
!

The

first

half of this Koranic verse recalls the Jewish daily prayer

"O our Father,

merciful Father, ever compassionate, have mercy upon

us;
put it into our hearts to understand and to discern, to mark,
learn and teach, to heed, to do and to fulfill in love all the words of
instruction in thy Torah." 1

The

idea in the second part of this Koranic verse that God will
"gather together men unto the day" is also expressed in the Talmud:
"In times to come, the Holy One, blessed be He, will take a scroll of
the Law in His embrace and proclaim: 'Let him who has occupied

himself herewith, come and take his reward.' Thereupon all the
nations will crowd together in confusion, as it is said: All the nations
are gathered together, etc. (Is. 43:9). The Holy One, blessed be He,
will then say to them: 'Come not before Me in confusion, but let each
"
nation come in with its scribes.' 3

D.P.B., p. 115.
B. 'A. Z. 2a-2b.

SURA

III

VERSE

VERSE

197

who misbelieve, their wealth shall not

nor
their children, against God at all; and
help them,
they it is who are the fuel of the fire.

Verily, those

The

Psalmist exclaims: "Wherefore should I fear in the days of

evil, ... Of them that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves
in the multitude of their riches? No man can by any means redeem
And must be let
his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him
For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away;
alone for ever
.

His wealth shall not descend after him" (Ps. 49:6-18) 1

The Koranic idea that "their wealth shall not help them, nor their
children, against God at all," is also found in the Sifre.' Similarly, we
find in the Talmud: "A son confers privileges on his father, but a
Abraham cannot deliver
father confers no privilege on a son
3
Ishmael, (and) Isaac cannot deliver Esau."
.

nea

'

Cf. 2:5, 156-57; 3:172.

'

Sifre to Deut. 32:39: ^a iV o'jnu iV'Dto

OTI!?^ jn

R"?I

B. Sanh. 104a.

'

me'

ms

K"?

Q'n

rw O'^'XD

ma*

m 'xw nea b o'jnu JH oViya

I'M

lino.

V'ro 'TO

]'K1

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

198

VERSE

of Pharaoh's people, and those before

them, they said our signs were lies, and God caught
them up in their sins, for God is severe to punish.

As was the wont

"When Moses and Aaron

to him: Thus saith the Lord, the God
(Exod. 5:1), that they may serve Me.

In similar vein the Midrash relates:

came

to Pharaoh, they said

of Israel, let

He said

my

people go'
Lord.

'Who is the Lord, that I should hearken

unto his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, and moreover
I will not let Israel go' (Exod. 2:2). Aaron cast down his rod, and it
became a fiery serpent. The magicians also cast down their rods, and
they became fiery serpents. The rod of Aaron ran and swallowed them
:

know not the

put his hand into his bosom, and

brought it forth leprous like snow, and the magicians also put their
hands in their bosoms, and brought them forth leprous like snow. But
they were not healed till the day of their death. Every plague which
the Holy One, blessed be He, brought upon them, they also produced,
until He brought upon them the boils, and they were not able to stand

up with

their rods ...( Moses)

and to do likewise

." x

P.R.E., pp. 380-81; Exod. 7:9-17;

cf.

2:46-47.

SURA

VERSE

III

VERSE

11

199

11

'Ye have had a sign in the two parties who met; one
party fighting in the way of God, the other misbelieving;
these saw twice the same number as themselves to the
eyesight, for God aids with His help those whom He
pleases'.

Moslem

exegetes consider this verse to have been composed fol1

lowing the battle of Badr, the first major victory won by Muhammad
against the Meccans. Three miracles happened on that occasion:
at the instruction of the angel Gabriel, took a handful of gravel and threw it toward the enemy the Meccans immediately
turned their backs and fled, b) "The unbelievers thought the believers
to be twice the number of the unbelievers, though the number of the
a)

Muhammad,

was 1000, or twice the number of the Muslims, who numbered

somewhat over 310." a c) God sent down three thousand angels, led
by Gabriel, who routed the enemy, killing seventy of the Quraish
tribe and taking that many prisoners; themselves losing fourteen
latter

men

in that battle. 3

story involving miracles similar to the above first two miracles is

related in the Talmud: "Once the Jews desired to send to the Emperor
a gift and after discussing who should go they decided that Nahum

Gamzu

should go because he had experienced many miracles. They

sent with him a bag full of precious stones and pearls. He went and
spent the night in a certain inn and during the night the people in the
inn arose and emptied the bag and filled it up with earth. When he
discovered this the next morning he exclaimed, This also is for the
best. When he arrived at his destination and they undid his bag
of

they found that it was full of earth. The king thereupon desired to
put them all to death saying, The Jews are mocking me. Nahum
then exclaimed, This is also for the best. Whereupon Elijah appeared
in the guise of one of them (Romans) and remarked, Perhaps this is

Baicjawl, Vol.

I, p.

Bai<Jawi, Vol.

I,

71,

*<

p. 71:

JJl

Cf. M.C.B., p. 9.

Wherry,

op.

cit.,

vol. II, p. 7 n,

cf.

3:160

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

200

some

of the earth of their father

when he threw earth

swords and when (he threw)

Abraham,

for

(against the enemy) it turned into

stubble it changed into arrows, for it is written, His sword maketh
them as dust, his bow as the driven stubble (Is. 41:2). Now there was

one province which (the emperor had hitherto) not been able to conquer but when they tried some of this earth (against it) they were
able to conquer it. Then they took him (Nahum) to the royal treasury
and filled his bag with precious stones and pearls and sent him back
with great honour. When on his return journey he again spent the
night in the same inn he was asked, What did you take (to the king)
that they showed you such great honour? He replied, I brought
thither what I had taken from here. (The innkeepers) thereupon
razed the inn to the ground and took of the earth to the king and
they said to him, The earth that was brought to you belonged to us.
They tested it and it was not found to be (effective) and the innkeepers were thereupon put to death.'
f

Concerning the third miracle, we find in the Midrash 5 that large

armies of angels came sweepingly before Esau while he, with four
hundred strong, went to meet Jacob for a reckoning. This comment is

upon the verse 'and Jacob sent messengers (Gen. 32:4), who
6
according to the Midrash were real angels.
In the battle against Sisera, Deborah sang: "They fought from
1

built

heaven, The stars in their courses fought against Sisera" (Judg. 5:20).
This poetic conception of the heavenly help extended to Deborah
against an enemy who possessed nine hundred iron chariots, has been
taken literally by some commentators. 7
Similarly, we find in 2 Kings 19:35: "And it came to pass that night,
that the angel of the Lord went forth, and smote in the camp of the
Assyrians a hundred fourscore and five thousand and when men arose
18
early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses/
;

B. Ta'an. 2 la.

,nVm

T ,YJJD
(Ibid.)

VDD DOH^D noK pan;

cf.

Rashi on Gen. 32:4, 0DD

mm imy.
8

OVID

Cf.
o'Tifl

Is.

37:36:

o^a

mm.

npM IDWI

I^K worn o'nDn rwo TWN nanoa nan

mm

SURA

III

VERSE

VERSE

201

12

12

Seemly unto men is a life of lusts, of women, and

children, and hoarded talents of gold and silver, and of
horses well-bred, and cattle, and tilth;
that is the
provision for the life of this world; but God, with Him
the best resort.

is

Muhammad

here stresses the inferiority of worldly possessions in

relation to religious attainments. According to Baic^5wi, Muhammad

condemns those who seek these possessions but fail to attain the bliss
which is with God. 1 This view is in harmony with the view expressed
in the Talmud by Rabbi Simeon ben Yoljai who, upon seeing people
"
'All what they made they made for
engaged in worldly affairs said:
themselves; they built market-places,
to rejuvenate themselves; bridges, to
Another Talmudic source gives a
blessed be He, will then say to them:

to set harlots in them; baths,

"a

them/
similar idea: "The Holy One,
'Wherewith have you occupied
levy

tolls for

Lord of the Universe, we have established many market-places, we have erected many baths, we have
accumulated much gold and silver, and all this we did only for the
yourselves?'

They

will reply: 'O

sake of Israel, that they might (have leisure) for occupying themselves
with the study of the Torah.' The Holy One, blessed be He, will say
in reply: 'You foolish ones among peoples, all that which you have
done, you have only done to satisfy your own desires. You have established market-places to place courtesans therein; baths to revel in
them'.
And 'this' is nought else than the Torah: And this is the Law
.

which Moses set before the children of Israel (Deut. 4:44).

then depart crushed in spirit. "*

BaicJSwi, Vol.

I,

p. 71:

OlJUM

oJLXP

U JIJUJ JP
.4JUII

Cf. Zamakhshari, Vol. Ill, p. 195;

*

B. Shab. 33b.

B. A. Z. 2b.

and

3:80.

4>Ui

They

will

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

202

VERSE

13

Say, 'But shall we tell you of a better thing than this?

For those who fear are gardens with their Lord, beneath
which rivers flow; they shall dwell therein for aye, and
pure wives and grace from God.
1

This Koranic idea

be compared with the statement in the

Ethics of the Fathers: ".
and better is one hour of bliss, in the
world to come than the whole life of this world/' 1

may
.

Mishnah Ab. 4:17 (D).

(33 ,1).

run oViyn

Cf. 2:23, 3:12, 80, 127,

"n ^DD

an o^ijn rrn

mp

nrm njw

SURA

VERSES

III

VERSES

203

25-26

25-26

Say, 'O God, Lord of the kingdom!

Thou

givest the

whomsoever Thou pleasest,

Thou
honourest whom Thou pleasest, and abasest whom Thou
pleasest; in Thy hand is good. Verily, Thou art mighty
over all. Thou dost turn night to day, and dost turn
day to night, and dost bring forth the living from the
dead, and dost provide for whom Thou pleasest without
taking count/ Those who believe shall not take misbelievers for their patrons, rather than believers, and
he who does this has no part with God at all, unless,
indeed, ye fear some danger from them. But God bids
you beware of Himself, for unto Him your journey is.
kingdom

to

Similarly to the Koranic idea, the Bible states: "Thine, O Lord, is

the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the

majesty; for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Thine; Thine
is the kingdom, O Lord, and Thou art exalted as head above all. Both
riches and honour come of Thee, and Thou rulest over all; and in

power and might; and in Thy hand it is to make great,

and to give strength unto air (1 Chron. 29:11-12).
Hannah in her famous prayer to God utters the following

Thy hand

is

words: "He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, He lifteth up the
needy from the dung-hill, To make them sit with princes, And inherit
the throne of glory; For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, And
He hath set the world upon them" (I Sam. 2:8).'
2
According to the Talmud: "Even a waterman is appointed from
heaven/' 3
Zamakhshari comments that some books render the Koranic
expression "Lord of the kingdom" as "God is the king of kings/'
meaning the hearts of the kings are in his hands. 4 This view cor-

responds to Prov. 21:1: "The king's heart

Lord

."

Cf. Daily Prayer Book,

"Quite a menial

B. Ber. 58a:

is

rrattn

pn

office."

n^ uo

Zamakhshari, Vol.

iijLJl

obw

K'D
I,

turna

wn

i^'Jsm.

p. 194:

t^Jli

fJJUl

dJiU

4ttl

til

in the

hand

of the

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

204

VERSE

28

The day

that every soul shall find what it has done of

good present before it; and what it has done of evil, it
would fain that there were between itself and that a wide
interval. 'God bids you beware of Himself, but God is
gentle with His servants.'

A similar idea is expressed in

the Mishnah:

precept gets for himself one advocate; but

transgression gets for himself one accuser.

"He

that performs one

he that commits one

Repentance and good

works are as a shield against retribution."

Likewise, the Talmud states: "Perhaps thou wilt say: Who testifies
against me? The stones of a man's home and the beams of his house
1

testify against him, for it is said: For the stone shall cry out of the wall,
and the beam out of timber shall answer it" (Hab. 2:ll). a

Mishnah Ab. 4:11 (D).

B. gag. 16a.

SURA

III

VERSE

VERSE

205

35

35

My Lord, how can there be to me a boy when

reached me, and my wife is barren?' Said
has
old age
he, Thus God does what He pleaseth.'
He

said,

Baitfawi, commenting on the phrase "when old age has reached

1
me," states that old age had overtaken him and left its mark on him.

ninety-nine years old, and his wife ninety-eight.*

The Koranic sentence resembles the biblical story about Sarah
who was at first barren: "And Sarah laughed within herself, saying:
"
'After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?'

He was

wondered
(Gen. 18:12.) The biblical story stresses the fact that Sarah
how she could give birth at a time when she and Abraham had "waxed
old." The Koran, however, relates this story to Abraham, and as such
antecedent in the Talmud.
the day
Referring to the biblical story, the Talmud relates: "On
that Abraham weaned his son Isaac, he made a great banquet, and
all
all the peoples of the world derided him ... He went and invited
the great men of the age, and our mother Sarah invited their wives.
Each one brought her child with her, but not the wet nurse, and a

it

may have

its

miracle happened unto our mother Sarah, her breasts opened like
two fountains and she suckled them all. Yet they still scoffed,
birth at the age of ninety,
saying, 'Granted that Sarah could give
could Abraham beget (child) at the age of hundred?' Immediately

the lineaments of Isaac's visage changed and became like Abraham's,

they all cried out, Abraham begat Isaac" (Gen. 25:19)!*

whereupon

'

/.

Zacharias. Cf. Taf&r-i-Raufi quoted in Wherry, op.

Baidiwi, Vol.

B. B.

M.

87a.

I,

p. 75:

tit..

Vol. II, p. 16 n.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

206

VERSE
But they (the Jews) were
for

God

is

47

crafty,

and God was

crafty,

the best of crafty ones!

According to the Bible: "Take counsel together, and it shall be

brought to nought; Speak the word, and it shall not stand; For God
is with us" (Is. 8:10).
"There are many devices in a man's heart;
But the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand" (Prov. 19:21). "There
is no wisdom nor understanding Nor counsel against the Lord" (Prov.
21:30).

Baicjawl explains this sentence as follows: "God is the most

powerful of them in plotting, and the best able to produce the mis-

whence

not expected." 1
A parallel thought is expressed in the Midrash. Joseph's brothers
said: Let's go and kill him, and the Holy Spirit 2 said: We shall see
chief

it is

whose word will stand, Mine or yours. 3 God knows man's thoughts
and metes out punishment accordingly. 4

Baicjawi, Vol.

I,

p. 76:

Bnpn rm.

(B) f* ,:WM KDimn: IIDH on K!?K rwui IDK *D

D^K nranon rwn IDK Him

D3^

IH

loiy

,wn

.innrai 13^ IIDH on ,oniH

-ft

nmai moin nipn

D hv nn-wi. Cf. Rashi on Gen. 37:20:

osW

IK.
4

(tf'y

.nrma min) -p^a narw no

JK

yir

IDIH

-pvi n'apn IDH.

IK Dip*

nm
D

,innroi

-ia-r

SURA

III

VERSE

VERSE

207

61

61

Verily, the people most worthy of Abraham are those

who follow him and his prophets, and those who beGod is the patron of the believers.
lieve;

The

idea of "the people most worthy of Abraham/' 1 in a spiritual

sense, is mainly Christian. However, the concept is also found in
Jewish tradition. Thus, the proselyte, when he brought his first-

which
other, to say: ".
3 since
the Lord swore unto our fathers to give us/'
he, too, was con4
sidered spiritually a descendant of Abraham. Similarly, the Mishnah

fruits

was

to Jerusalem,

entitled, like

any

disciples of

"Whosoever possesses these three things, he is of the

Abraham, our father; ... a good eye, 5 an humble spirit

and a lowly

soul/' 6

states that

Exod. 23:19.

omaa;

Deut. 26:3, irrnan^ mrr

Cf.

/. e.

cf.

yan

Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Bik. 4, 3.

"an eye that looks upon people with benevolence and kind feelings, free

Talmud Yerushalmi

Bik.

1,

3;

from envy and ill-will."

6
anal rwW WTO o ^a
Mishnah Ab. 5:19: vy ... ira oma *n rToVno Kin
0Mi rnim rmi raie. According to the Bible, the stranger (na) was entitled
rfrD

Mn

to the

same treatment as the native

TH I'm

rriK I'm 0'

miru nans ana

on

-ip'y

(H

,n'

onarw

Israelite (Exod. 12:49;

oma p oma. Cf. ion

noano Kin IDS i^a Dm hv ]mw ^y a^an n'apn
in -wV ^KITD oi Wu ow onA

pa). In Jewish tradition the ger

n'apn ID ...

mo

,nan nanoa)

nn
.

nam

*aa

^y

VKIV^D ^n

twira.

Deut. 1:16, pi* onacan

is

also called

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

208

VERSE
Those who

71

God's covenant and their oaths for a

no portion in the future life.
God
them, and will not look upon
them on the resurrection day, and will not purify them
but for them is a grievous woe.

little

sell

price, these have

will not speak to

idea here, as well as the expression " these have

in the future life," parallels the talmudic statement:

The main Koranic

no portion 1

"And

these are they that have no share in the world to come: he that
says that there is no resurrection of the dead prescribed in the Law,
and (he that says) the Law is not from Heaven, and an Epicurean if a

(3^; cf.

Mishnah Sanh.

Hebrew

p^n.

10:1 (D): nan o!ny^ pbm orb ]H.

SURA

III

VERSE

VERSE

209

75

75

And when God

took the compact 1 from the prophets

'(this is) surely what we have given you of the Book and
wisdom. Then shall come to you the Apostle confirming
what is with you. Ye must believe in him and help him.'
He said moreover, 'Are ye resolved and have ye taken
my compact on that (condition)?' They say, 'We are
resolved.' He said, Then bear witness, for I am witness
with you; but he who turns back after that, these are
sinners.'

Bai^awi comments that "God took the covenant from the Prophets
and their peoples and then made the mention of the Prophets serve
for the mention of the peoples as well." Other commentators, however,
state that "the meaning is 'the children of the prophets', with omission
of the

word

'children', 'the children of the prophets' being the children

Baitfawi adds that the Jews claimed that they had a better
right to be prophets than Muhammad, since they were the true people
of the Book, and prophets came from them only. 3
The Talmud states that on Mount Sinai God revealed himself
not only to the unborn prophets but to the coming generations

of Israel."

as
Similarly, the Midrash says: "The voice of the first (commandment) went forth and the heavens and earth quaked thereat,
and the waters and rivers fled (dried up), and the mountains and hills
were moved, and all the trees fell prostrate, and the dead who were in
Sheol revived and stood on their feet till the end of all the generations,
and those (also) in the future who will be created, until the end of
all the generations, there they stood with them on Mount Sinai." 5
well. 4

Ali translates

"made a covenant." Op.

BaicJSwI, Vol.

I,

cit.,

p. 167.

p. 79:

JJj

Cf. M.C.B., p. 56.

*

Ibid.:

UM

ju~

j,

i^jij

jji

ojiji

....L-

yir

yir

o^i

B. Sanh. 59a. Cf. B. Hor. 8b.

P.R.E., pp. 324-5;

cf.: [Z]

a ,Ts Knooin

:a"j7 ,10

o'nos)

p o't*'3J '33 in o'K'SJ TK o*

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

210

VERSE

84

Verily, those who misbelieve after believing, and then

increase in misbelief, their repentance shall not be

accepted; these are those

who

err.

statement in the Mishnah: "If a man

said, 'I will sin and repent, and sin again and repent/ he will be given
no chance to repent." 1

This Koranic idea

recalls the

Mishnah Yom. 8:9 (D);

cf. 2:5,

156-57; 3:8, 85, 172.

SURA

III

VERSE

VERSE

211

85

85

who misbelieve and die in misbelief, there

shall not be accepted from any one of them the earthfull of gold, though he should give it as a ransom. For

Verily, those

them

is

a grievous woe, and helpers have they none.

That the condemned cannot redeem themselves from God's wrath

through ransom is found in. the Bible and in rabbinic sources: "They
shall cast their silver in the streets,

and

their gold shall

be as an unclean

thing; their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in
the day of the wrath of the Lord; they shall not satisfy their souls,
neither fill their bowels; because it hath been the stumblingblock
of their iniquity" (Ezek. 7:19). "Neither their silver nor their gold
shall be able to deliver them In the day of the Lord's wrath; But the

whole earth shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy; For He will
make an end, yea, a terrible end, Of all them that dwell in the earth ff
(Zeph. 1:18).

Midrash 1 and in the Talmud in

connection with the advice given by Rabbi Jofranan ben Zakkai to
his disciples who came to see him when he was on his death-bed. They
said to him "Lamp of Israel, pillar of the right hand, 2 mighty hammer!
Wherefore weepest thou? He replied: If I were being taken today
before a human king who is here today and tomorrow in the grave,
whose anger if he is angry with me does not last for ever, who if he
imprisons me does not imprison me for ever and who if he puts me to
death does not put me to everlasting death, and whom I can persuade
with words and bribe with money, even so I would weep. Now that
I am being taken before the supreme King of Kings, the Holy One,
blessed be He, who lives and endures for ever and ever, whose anger,
if He is angry with me, is an everlasting anger, who if He imprisons

The same

idea

is

also found in the

me

me forever, who if He puts me to death puts me to death

and whom I cannot persuade with words or bribe with

imprisons

for ever,

nay more, when there are two ways before me, one leading
to Paradise and the other to Gehinnom, and I do not know by which
I shall be taken, shall I not weep?" 3

money

Num.

Sifre

nw

22:18.
Cf.

on Deut. 32:39:

Kings

B. Ber. 28b;

7:21.
cf. 3:8, 84,

172.

ib crania

IN o^iyap

JIDD

Va

ib

cnnu iV'BW. Cf.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

212

VERSE

106

Ye were the best of nations brought forth unto man.

Ye bid what is reasonable,' and forbid what is wrong,
believing in God. Had the people of the Book believed,
1

would have been better for them. There are believers

among them, though most of them are sinners.
it

have become the best

of the nations: i. e., enjoined the just, forbade the evil, and believed
in God. A similar idea is expressed in the Bible and in the Midrash:
"It hath been told thee, O man, what is good, and what the Lord
doth require of thee: Only to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk
humbly with thy God" (Micah 6:8); R. Eliezer said: "To do justly

Here

Muhammad

shows

why

his people 3

refers to the execution of justice: to love kindness refers to acts of

benignity and to walk humbly refers to the acts of burying the dead

and the dowering

Cf. notes to 2:137

AH,

ibid.,

renders

and
it

Ali's translation, op.

"what

is

tit.,

p. 174.

right."

According to the Koran, the Moslems have replaced the children of

who

of brides." 4

were preferred by God (45:15).

.onon m^oj nt ion nanni ,iin
non main nt nsV

originally

ym

(napn ion ,ro'D

,'nyw

eip^') ,nVa

noam.

nr

BO nwy nryV

Israel,

'an -OM

SURA

III

VERSE

VERSE

213

114

114

O ye who believe!

take not to intimacy with others than

not fail to spoil you; they would
yourselves; they
fain ye came to trouble,
hatred is shown by their
mouths; but what their breasts conceal is greater still.
We have made manifest to you our signs, did ye but
understand.
will

This parallels the several Mosaic warnings against intimate relations with the idolaters of Canaan. The natives of the land of Canaan
such as sacrificing their own
performed many abominable deeds,
children and indulging excessively in sensual pleasures with near of kin.
Israel was not to learn such abominations or else they would, like those
1
natives, be expelled from the Promised Land.
lest
The Biblical admonition is: "They shall not dwell in thy land
for
they make thee sin against Me, for thou wilt serve their gods
they will be a snare unto thee" (Exod. 23:33). A similar warning in the

book

of

show the lowness of the civilization

even their sons and their daughters as sacri-

Deuteronomy attempts

of the idolaters

who

offer

Gods (Deut.

to

The reason

not housing
the idolaters is given in Deut. 20:18, "that they teach you not to do
after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods,
fices to their

and so ye

'

sin against the

12:30-31).

Lord your God/' 3

Cf. 16:77.

Cf. B. Sanh. 63a.

*

B. Sot. 3Sb: irnn j^apo vn

rawna jnnn vn

ow mo^

nn.

for

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

214

VERSE

127

And

vie with one another for pardon from your Lord,

and for Paradise, the breadth of which is as the heaven
and the earth, prepared for those who fear.

This Koranic idea is also expressed in the Talmud: "The Holy

One, blessed be He, is to present to each righteous man an inheritance
of three hundred ten worlds/' 1 What the size of each world or its
contents would be is nowhere stated. Since God has been identified
with the constant creation of worlds, there is an infinity of worlds
available.

reported to have had the Paradise indiscovered there were seven houses and each was one

Rabbi Joshua ben Levi

spected.

He

is

hundred and twenty thousand miles long, one hundred thousand

miles wide, and one million miles in height. 2
The size of the Garden of Eden is also mentioned in many rabbinic
sources: "There are two gates in Paradise, made of precious stones,
which are supervised by six hundred thousand angels/' 3 In Midrash
Talpiyot two Gardens of Eden are mentioned: Upper and Lower.
The Lower Eden was created 1808 years before Creation, and is sixty
times as large as the earth. 4 The Talmud also states that "the world
is one sixtieth of the Garden (of Eden) and Garden is one sixtieth of
Eden.V*

pnn p'ix b& ]n^ n'apn Tny.

New York, 1933, chap. Gan Eden,

B. Sanh. lOOa. rnoViy rrwyi HIKD ibv

M.

&

<

Cf. notes to 2:23; see also 3:130, 175.

Higger, Halakoth we-'Aggadoth,

,I"D .n'tfioa

,onmDi omjDD

B. Ta'an. lOa;

cf. (n'y

Y*

ip^

o'noa)

;a

mi

pya

,a'D

,nnmia ,nyo0 Dip^.

OWD in

pi

]n DMWD inn

crtnyi.

p. 146.

VERSE

SURA HI

VERSE

215

128

128

alms, in prosperity and

those
adversity, for those who repress their rage, and
who pardon men God loves the kind.

For those who expend

in

There are

Hebrew

in

numerous notations, tales and

the practice of which is considered

literature
1

ethical precepts concerning charity,

2
greater than the performance of sacrifices.

According to the rabbis,

the act of charity balances all the other commandments combined.'
is that
Baidawi, commenting on this verse, writes that the meaning
men should not fail, whatever their circumstances may be, to expend in
alms as much as they can afford, be it much or little. The thought is
little. As
that seldom do men expend what they can, whether much or
interfor the expression, "for those who repress their rage," Baidawi
themselves from getting angry although they have
prets that they restrain
"If any man rethe urge to do so. He quotes a saying of Muhammad
to give it vent, God will fill his heart with
press his wrath when able
4
comfort and faith."
The virtue of mastering one's anger is paramount in Jewish lore.
are
Besides the warnings in the books of the Bible against anger, there
is he that
drastic pronouncements against it in the Talmud: "Who
He who subdues his (evil) inclination as it is said: He
is mighty?
ruleth his
that is slow to anger is better than the mighty: and he that
"three things may a person's
spirit than he that taketh a city."* By
6
not into a
character be determined ... and by his anger." "Fall
:

For a detailed explanation regarding charity

in

Judaism see notes to 2:1-2,

172, 211, 246, 271, 273, 280.

B. Suk. 49b.
B. B. B. 9a.
(K'PI

,K'B
4

Cf.:

,nD ,'D^WT

Baidawi, Vol.

I,

-mv

Tio^n)

rf

.np-nen

mm to JTOWD to TJ
p

p. 85:

--^

4-15

Cf. M.C.B., p. 92.

4:1.

B. 'Erub. 65b.

nV'DJi

ra'an.

V OUV SI 1*1T Jlj^l J\ S

U JUJU U JU- ^ djfc- V J^lj

Mishnah Ab.

anon

niVip*

ij+*

<J^

*jr+
*>*

U?

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

216

7
passion and thou wilt not sin."

anger, he

money

who

"He who

rends his garments in his

breaks his vessels in his anger, and he who scatters his

in his anger, regard

wiles of the Tempter.

him as an

idolater, because

such are the

>8

As for the Koranic expression, "and those who pardon men," the
Talmud too, states that the rabbis taught: "Those who are insulted
but do not

hear themselves reviled without answering, act

through love and rejoice in suffering, of them the Writ saith, But they
who love Him are as the sun when he goeth forth in his might (Judges
5:3 1)." 9 The Talmud further emphasizes that he who forgoes retalia10
tion, all his transgressions will be pardoned.
insult,

B. Ber. 29a;

cf.

B. Pes. 66b: N*:U OK UDD np^noD

np^noo inKua Kin.

B. Shab. 105b.
Ibid., 88b.
*

B. Rosh H. 17a.

moan

Kin osn DK -urnon

SURA

III

VERSE

VERSE

217

138

138

Mohammed is but an apostle; apostles have passed away

before his time;

what

if

he die or

is killed, will

ye retreat

upon your heels? He who retreats upon his heels does

no harm to God at all; but God will recompense the
thankful.

This idea is also found in the Targum which states that idolaters
1
hurt themselves rather than God.

nVV
Targum Onkelos, Deut. 32:5: ... Nniye& inViT'Tina
ad loc.: omo trn vrrwrw nnrwm vn va (DDIO va) :n'V 6i pnV
'

lin ? ilran.

iV'a

Cf. Rashi,

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

218

VERSE

139

not for any soul to die, save by God's permission

written down for an appointed time; but he who wishes
for the reward of this world we will give him of it, and
he who wishes for the reward of the future we will give
him of it, and we will recompense the grateful.
It is

According to Baujawi, the phrase, "appointed time," means "fixed

1
for a time," or "death shall not come before or after the fixed time/'
2

Basing their reasoning on Ps. 37:23 and Prov, 20:24, 3 the rabbis, too,
maintained: "No man bruises his finger here on earth unless it was
decreed against him in heaven." 4 In Ps. 39:5 David exclaims: "Lord
make me to know mine end, And the measure of my days, what it is\
"
'Let me know how frail I am*
To this the rabbis comment that when
David learned that he would die on the Sabbath, he requested God
to let him die on the first of the week or on the eve of the Sabbath.
"
Said God
'For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand' (Ps. 84 :1 1)
better is to Me the one day that thou sittest and engagest in learning
than the thousand burnt-offerings which thy son Solomon is destined
:

to sacrifice before

The Talmud
on

Me on

the altar."*

discusses three books that "are opened (in heaven)

New

Year, one for the thoroughly wicked, one for the thoroughly
righteous, and one for the intermediate. The thoroughly righteous
are forthwith inscribed definitively in the book of life; the thoroughly
wicked are forthwith inscribed definitively in the book of death; the
^^
doom of the intermediate is suspended from New Year till the Day of
Atonement; if they deserve well, they are inscribed in the book of life;
6
if they do not deserve well, they are inscribed in the book of death."
1

BaicJSwi, Vol.

"It

"A man's

B. Shab. 30b.

is

of the

I,

p. 87:

j ^ JJb

j>-

lJj^ <^.

Cf. M.C.B., p. 99.

Lord that a man's goings are established."

goings are of the Lord;

How then can man look to his way?"

"Now, every Sabbath day he (David) would sit and study all day. On the
day that his soul was to be at rest
e., depart from this world), the Angel of death
stood before him but could not prevail against him, because learning did not cease
*

Cf.:

(*".

from

his

mouth .... Now,

there

was a garden before

went, ascended and soughed in the trees.

ascending the ladder,

broke under him. Thereupon he became silent (from his

had repose,"
B. Rosh H. 16b. There is a

studies)
6

and

it

his soul

He

Angel of death
(David) went out to see: as he was
his house; so the

ibid.

parallel

between the human records up

in

heaven

SURA

VERSE

III

219

139

Relying upon this Talmudic declaration, R. Amnon of Mayence,

famous author of the hymn unetaneh tofcef which is recited on the High
Holy Days, writes: "As the shepherd mustereth his flock, and passeth
them under his crook, so dost Thou cause to pass, number, appoint,
every living soul, fixing the limitations on all creatures, and
prescribing their destiny. On the First Day of the year it is inscribed,
and on the Fast Day of Atonement it is sealed and determined how

and

visit

many
by

people shall live and die

who

is

to perish

by water, who

fire,"'

mentioned

in the

Talmud and

the

Moslem book

of records.

Cf. 3:148: "Say, 'If

ye

were in your houses, surely those against whom

have gone forth to fight even to when they are lying now; that God may try what is
in your breasts and assay what is in your hearts, for God doth know the nature
slaughter was written down, would

of men's breasts/
*

"

Cf. Aggftdath Bereshith, pp. 9

ff.;

'Or Zarua', Hilkot R. Hash. 276.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

220

VERSE

154

God help you, there is none can overcome you; but

if He leave you in the lurch, who is there can help you
after Him? Upon God then let believers rely.
If

Similar expressions are found in the Psalms and in Jeremiah:

not fear; What can man do unto me"

(Ps. 118:6)? "Many are the sorrows of the wicked; But he that
trusteth in the Lord, mercy compasseth him about" (ibid. 32:10).
"Thus saith the Lord: Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, And
maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord"

"The Lord

is

for

me;

will

(Jer. 17:5).

This idea is also found in the Talmud where praise

1
the one who puts all his faith in God.

B. Men. 29a.

is

showered on

SURA

III

VERSE

VERSE

221

159

159

Or when an accident

befals you, and ye have fallen

on twice as much, ye say, 'How is this?' Say, 'It is
from yourselves. Verily, God is mighty over all/

A counterpart is found
sufferings visit him, let

B. Bcr. Sa.

in the

Talmud:

him examine

"If a

man sees that

his conduct.'

painful

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

222

VERSES

172-73

Let not those who misbelieve reckon that our letting

them range is good for themselves. We only let them
have their range that they may increase in sin. And
for them is shameful woe. God would not leave believers
in the state which ye are in, until He discerns the vile
from the good. 1
Similarly to vhe Koranic idea the Talmud, too, states: "And to what
are the wicked compared in this world? To a tree standing wholly

a place of uncleanness, but a branch thereof overhangs a place of

cleanness when the bough is lopped off, it stands entirely in a place
of uncleanness. Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, makes them
2
3
prosper in this world, in order to destroy and consign them to the
nethermost rung, for it is said, There is a way which seemeth right unto
man, But at the end thereof are the ways of death (Prov. 14:12)." 4 In
another place the Talmud states that of those "who walked in perin

versity,

them

it is

written, but the perverseness of the treacherous shall destroy

(ibid. 11:3)."*

'

Cf. 2:149, 156-57, 160; 3:127, 163, 183.

Lit., ''furnishes

them with goodness."

"Thus rewarding them for the little good they perform

branch inclining to the place, that

B. Jid. 40b.

"An attempt

prosper and the righteous suffer."

s

B. Shab. 88b.

it

may

lopping off the

disregard in the next world."

to answer the eternal question,

why

the wicked

SURA HI

VERSE

223

179
n

VERSE

179

God

has covenanted with us that we should not

believe in an apostle until he gives us a sacrifice which fire
'Verily,

devours.'
2
1
Tabari, Zamakhshari and BaitfSwi rightly explain this to mean
that the Israelites considered it a sign of the prophet's truth when a

fire

came down from heaven and consumed his offering. Such

instances

occur in the Bible and especially in postbiblical literature.

Chapter 18 in First Kings relates the story about Elijah and the
prophets of Baal. The former's sacrifice was consumed by a heavenly
fire whereas that of the latter was not. The consuming of an offering

by a heavenly

fire

in rabbinic lore.

as proof of divine acceptance

is

discussed in detail

According to Christian and Moslem traditions, which undoubtedly

have their roots in eafly Jewish traditions, 4 Abel's offering was
consumed by a fire from heaven. 5

'

Tabari, Vol. IV, p. 123:

LJU

>-

tf

&\

0\

'Baicjawl, Vol. IV, p. 92:

i^UJi

Sj^cJl

0Jt#

UU

J*J-JI^.1

5ifra on Leviticus p. 45b (W): naron hy HDH^I

now
ch.

7.

on'D inns o^aVnn

mvh
4

H00

six

n.

D'Dtfn ]D

HIT

O'DJJD

^D^D

miv

nenn vn

Cf. B. Shab. 87b; Seder 'Olam Rabbah,

enumerates twelve times when a

times as a good

omen and

six times as

Cf. V. Aptowitzer,

schen, Christlichen

fire

came

a bad omen:

H^y.

Rashi on Gen. 4:4: 'Tire descended from heaven and consumed

inmo HDH^I. Cf. Ibn Ezra, ad

*

nViyn

Sifre Zwtta (ed. Horovitz, p. 286)

down from heaven:

,

nm

ono

it,"

0N

loc.

Kain und Abel in

der

und Mohammedanischen

Aggada der Apokryphen, der

Hellenisti-

Literatur, Leipzig, 1922, pp. 39, 144-46.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

224

VERSE

191

Lord! forgive us our sins and cover our offenses, and

us die with the righteous. 1

similar utterance

is

found

the Talmud:

in

"Now,

let

that wicked

too gave a sign for himself [that he would not enter

the future world by saying, Let me die the death of the righteous (Num.
23:10)
meaning, If I die the death of the righteous (i. e. a natural

man (Balaam)

world to
come'); but if not (i. e., If I die a violent death), then, behold I go
3
unto my people (ibid. 24:14) (i. e. into the Gehenna)."
In 6:95 Muhammad states: "Verily, God it is who cleaves out the
grain and the datestone; He brings forth the living from the dead,
death)],

my

last

end

be

will

like his

(i. e.

'I

will enter the

brings the dead from the living. There is God how

then can ye be beguiled?" Geiger quotes a saying attributed to
Mubammad that the dead man shall be raised in the garments in

and

it is

He who

which he was buried. 3 This idea

is

also expressed in the

Talmud:

"Queen Cleopatra4 asked R. Meir, 'I know that the dead will re.*
But when they arise, shall they arise nude or in their garvive
He replied, Thou mayest deduce by an a fortiori argument
ments?'
(the answer) from a wheat grain. If a grain of wheat, which is buried
naked, sprouteth forth in many robes, how much more so the righteous,
.

who

are buried in their raiment!'

Cf. 2:149.

'

B. Sanh. 105a.

Geiger, op.

<

p. 78:

Ifc*

Oj^

J^l

4^1?

vl^ u-Jl

jl.

Not of 'Anthony and Cleopatra' fame. Cf W. Bacher, Die Agada der Tannaiten,
.

Strassburg, 1890,
*

cit.,

"6

II, p. 68.

Cf. Ps. 72:16:

"And they

(the righteous) shall (in the distant future) blossom

forth out of the city (Jerusalem) like the grass of the earth."

B. Sanh. 90b.

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
3*-rw

ina

A A SOR

*a-n man, Horeb edition.

Annual of the American School of Oriental Research.

Aboth.
Ab.
A. H.
After Hi'jrah (June 20, 622 C. E.)The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures.
AJSLL
Ant.
Antiquities.
'Arakin.

'Ar.
'A. Z.

B.

'Abodah Zarah.
Babylonian Talmud.

(B)

Buber

edition.
Bulletin of the

BASOR

American Society for Oriental Research.

B. B.
Baba Bathra.
B. C. E.
Before the Common Era.
Ber.
Berakoth.
Bik.
Bikkurim.
B. I.
Baba Iama.
B. M.
Baba Me?i'a.
Bu.
al-Bukhari.

C. E.

Common

Chron.
II Chron.
I

(D)

Dan.
Deut.
D.P.B.
Ecc.

Era.
Chronicles I.
Chronicles II.

Danby's translation of the Mishnah.

Daniel.

Deuteronomy.
The Authorized Daily Prayer Book, by
Ecclesiastes.

E I or E.I. Encyclopedia of Islam.

E J Encyclopaedia Judaica.
ERE Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics.
'Erub.

'Erubin.

Ex. or Exod.
Exodus.
Ezekiel.
Ezek.
(F)

Gen.
Git-

Friedman

edition.

Genesis.
Gittin.
225

J.

H. Hertz.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

226
Hag.

Haggai*
Hagigah.
ftorayoth.

Hosea.

Hos.

HTR
HUCA

Harvard Theological Review.

Hebrew Union College Annual] whenever the Annual appears with
Horovitz's name, it is referred to Vol. II, 1925.

tful.

tfullin.

J. C.

Islamic Culture.
Isaiah.

Isa.

JAOS
JBL

Journal of the American Oriental Society.

Journal of Biblical Literature.
Jewish Encyclopedia.

J. E.
Jer.

Josh.

JQR
JRAS
JSOR

Jeremiah.
Joshua.
Jewish Quarterly Review.
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society.
Journal of the Society of Oriental Research.
Judges.

Judg.

JZWL

Jiidische Zeitschrift fur Wissenschaft

Ket.

Ketuboth.

Kid.

Kiddushin.
giryath Sefer.

5.

Lev.
lit.

und Leben.

Leviticus,
literally.

Nlunk edition.
(M)
Moses ben Maimon (1135-1204).
Maimonides
Makkoth.
Mak.
Chrestomathia Baidawiana, tr. by D. S. Margoliouth.
M.C.B.
Megillah.
Meg.
Men.
Menaboth.
MGWJ Monatschrift fur Geschichte und Wissenschaft des Judentums.
Midrash Sifre on Numbers (English translation).
M.S.N.
Nedarim.
Nehemiah.
Niddah.

Ned.
Neh.
Nid.
N.S.

New

Series.

Nu. or Num.

OLZ

Numbers.

Orientalische Literatur Zeitung.

old series.

O. S.

PAAJR
Par.

Proceedings of American
Parah.

Pes.

Pesafcim.

Academy for Jewish

The Pentateuch and Haftorahs, by J. H. Hertz.

Pentateuch and Rashi's Commentary.
P.R.C

PJS.

Research.

J.

LIST
P.R.E.
Prov.

PirlA

De Rabbi EUezer

OF ABBREVIATIONS

227

(English translation).

Proverbs.

Psalms.

Ps.

K'VTD

R
Rab.

Rab, Rabban, Rabbi,

Rabba.

Ramban

Moses ben Nafrman Gerondi (1194-c. 1270).

Rashba
Rabbi Solomon ben Abraham Ibn Adret (1235-1310).
Rashbam
Rabbi Samuel ben Meier, c. 1085-1174.
Rashi
Rabbi Solomon ben Isaac (1040-1105).

Revue des tudes Juives.

R.E.J.
R. H. or Rosh. H.
Rosh Hashanah.
RHR Revue de Vhistoire des Religions.

RSR
I

Recherches des sciences religieuses.

Sam.
Sam.

II

Sanh.
S.

Samuel I.
Samuel II.
Sanhedrin.

Soncino Chumash.
Schechter edition.

Ch.

(Sch.)

Sforno, Obadiah ben Jacob,

commentator

(c.

1475-1550).

Shabbath.

Shab.
Sheb.
Shebu.

Shebi'ith.

Shebu'oth.

SHEI

Shorter Encyclopedia of Islam.

Shefcalim.

Shelf.

Sot-

So^ah.

ST

Summa

Suk.

Theologica.

Sukkah.

Ta'an.

Ta'anith.

Tamid.

Tarn.

Toh.

Tohoroth.
translation.

tr.

Torah Shlemah.

T. S.

Weiss Edition.

(W)

Yebamoth.

Yeb.

Yom.

Yoma.
Zuckermandel

(Z)

ZA W

ZDMG
Zeb.
Zech.

Zeph.

ZNW

edition.

fur alttestamentliche Wissenschaft.

Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenldndischen Gesellschaft.

Zeitschrift

Zebafrim.
Zechariah.

Zephaniah.
Zeitschrift fur die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der alteren

Kirche.

ZSVG

Zeitschrift fur Semitistik

und verwandete

Gebiete.

TRANSLITERATION OF ARABIC LETTERS

TRANSLITERATION OF HEBREW LETTERS

Note: Transliterations employed

by

different authors cited in the text

were

left

This table refers to words transliterated by the author. The vowels

were not indicated in the Hebrew transliteration.
intact.

228

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THOMSON, WILLIAM, "Muhammad: His Life and Person," The Moslem
World, XXXIV, #2 (1944), pp. 96-137.
Torah Shlemah, ed. Menahem M. Kasher, 14 vols., 1938-53.
TORREY, Ch. C, The Jewish Foundation of Islam, New York, 1933.

Zuckermandel, Posewalk, 1880-82.

TRITTON, A. S., Muslim Theology, London, 1947.
Tosefta, ed.

V
VAJDA, GEORGES, "Jeunes Musulmans et jeunes Juifs,"

XII-XIII (1937-38), pp. 367-79.

"Juifs et Musulmans selon le
,

HUCA,

tfadit," in Journal Asiatique,

Paris, 1937.

W
WALKER, JOHN, Bible Characters in the Koran, Paisley,
WEBER, O., Die Literatur der Babylonier und Assyrier,

1931.
Leipzig, 1907.

WEIL, G., "Oral Tradition in Judaism and in Islam" (Hebrew),

Magnes Anniversary Book, Jerusalem, 1938, pp. 132-48.
WEIL, GUSTAV, The Bible, the Koran and the Talmud, New York, 1846.
,

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Historisch-kritische Einleitung in den Koran, 2nd ed., 1878.
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Stuttgart, 2 vols., 1864.

WELLHAUSEN, J., "Medina vor dem Islam,"

in Skizzen

und

Vorarbeiten,

Berlin, 1885-99.

Muhammed

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,

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245

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,

London, 1882-96.
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the

Quran, Vols. 1-4,

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Das Leben Muhammeds nach Muhammed Ibn Ish&q,

von 'Abd el- Malik Ibn Hischam, edited by von F.
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Wiistenfeld, Gottingen, 1859.

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Contribution to Qur'an and tfadlth Interpretation," in Goldziher Memorial Volume, Budapest, 1948, part I,
pp. 286 f.

YAHUDA, A.

S.,

'Eber Va'arab,

New

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YELLIN, DAVID,

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ed.,

Frankfurt

INDICES
Note;

The numbers
A.

in

refer to pages in the text.

INDEX OF KORANIC VERSES

References are indicated by Sura and Verse.

1:2 (18)

2:1-2 (3)
2:4 (18)
2:5 (14)
(16)
(18)
(17)
(19)
(21)
(21)
(22)
(26)
(30)
(30)
(32)
(34)
(39)
(41)
(43)
(45)

2:12
2:19
2:20
2:23
2:26
2:26
2:27
2:28
2:31
2:32
2:33
2:34
2:35
2:38
2:46
2:47
2:48
2:49
2:50
2:51
2:52
2:53
2:54
2:57

2:58
2:60
2:61
2:63
2:69
2:73

2:74
2:77
2:80
2:82
2:86
2:87
2:88

'

(49, 81 n., 115 n.)

(81 n.)
(81 n.)
(81 n.)
(53)
(55)
(57, 64 n.)
(60)
(63)
(65, 82 n.)
(67)
(71)
(74)
(75)
(77)
(78)
(80)

(74 n.)
(81)

(50

n., 82)

(84)
2:91 (85)
2:96 (92)
2:101 (96)
2:102 (97)
2:103 (4 n.)

2:104 (64 n.)

2:106
2:109
2:111
118
119
123
125
127
129
136
137
144
147
149
154
156
159
160
161
167
171
172
173
179

(105 n.)

184
185
186
187
193
2:196
2:206
2:209
2:211
2:213
2:216
2:217
2:220
2:222
2:223
2:224
2:226
2:228
2:229
2:233

(130

(98)
(99)
(100, 104 n.)
(101, 104 n.)

(105 n.)
(91 n., 104)
(107)
(108)
(110)
(112)
(113)
(41 n 42 n., 114)
(115)
(116)
(117)
(118)
(77 n., 119)
(77 n.)
(121)

(4n.)

(11 n., 125)

(127)
(91 n., 128)
181 (91 n., 128)
182 (131)
183 (129 n., 132)
n.)

(133)
(134)
(135)
(137)
(140)
(141)
(142)
(143)
(145)
(146)
(12 n.)
(147)
(148)
(ISO)
(152)
(153)
(154)

(156

n.)

(155)
247

2:239 (156)
2:240 (157)
2:244 (158)
2:246 (159)
2:247 (161)
2:249 (164)
2:250 (167)
2:251 (169)
2:253 (170)
2:254 (90 n., 172)
2:255 (11 n.)
2:256 (98 n., 174)
2:257 (17 n.)
2:260 (175)
2:261 (177)
2:262 (172)
2:266 (11 n.)
2:271 (181)
2:272 (11 n., 182)
2:273 (108 n., 183)
2:275 (11 n., 13 n.)
2:276-7 (184)
2:278 (11 n.)
2:280 (108 n.,
2:282 (187)
2:285 (82 n., 110 n.)
2:286 (188)
3:2 (110 n., 191)
3:3 (19 n.)
3:4 (193)
3:5 (195)
3:7 (196)
3:8 (197)
3:9 (198)
3:11 (199)
3:12 (16, 201)
3:13 (202)

3:14 (80 n.)

3:16 (5 n.)
3:17 (105 n.)
3:20 (63 n.)
3:23 (77 n.)
3:25-6 (203)
3:28 (204)
3:30 (172)
3:35 (205)
3:46 (160 n.)

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

248
3:47 (206)
3:54 (84 n.)
3:60 (91 n.)
3:61 (207)
3:71 (208)
3:75 (209)
3:78 (105 n., llOn., 172)
3:84 (14, 210)
3:85 (211)
3:86 (11 n.)
3:87 (123)
3:89 (108)
3:106 (124 n., 212)
3:108 (63 n.)
3:109 (109)
3:110 (11 n.)
3:111 (41 n.)
3:114 (113)
3:127 (19 n., 214, 220 n.)
3:128 (215)
3:130 (19 n. 214 n.)
3:137 (4 n.)
3:138 (217)
3:139 (218)
3:148 (219 n.)
3:154 (220)
3:159 (221)
3:163 (115, 220 n.)
3:169 (7 n.)
3:172 (213 n., 222)
3:175 (214 n.)
3:177 (63 n., 159)
3:179 (223)
3:183 (213 n., 220 n.)
3:184 (81 n.)
3:188 <157)
3:191 (224)
3:197 (19 n.)
4:9 (11 n.)
4:10 (7 n.)
4:26-27 (154 n.)
4:46 (7 n., 146 n.)
4:94 (127 n.)
4:102 (157 n.)
4:124 (108)
4:153 (67 n.)
4:159 (122 n.)
4:175 (4 n.)
5:4 (121)
5:7 (122 n.)
5:8 (157 n.)
5:12 (11 n.)
5:48 (4 n., 110 n.)
5:69 (160 n.)
5:72 (84 n.)
6:79 (91 n., 108)
6:95 (224)
6:119 (121 n.)
6:146 (122 n.)
6:147 (122 n.)
f

6:162 (108)
7:18 (37 n.)
7:22 (33 n.)
7:138 (129 n.)
7:141 (91 n.)
7:156 (4 n., 76
7:158 (91 n.)
7:163 (67 n.)
8:29 (51)
8:42 (13 n.)
8:43 (52 n.)
8:56 (47 n.)
9:11 (13 n.)
9:73 (19 n.)
10:90-2 (47 n.)
10:105 (108)
11:19 (23 n.)
11:73 (100 n.)
11:100 (47 n.)
11:116 (6. 7)
13:29 (5 n.)

n.)

15:9 (4 n.)
15:53 (100 n.)
16:115 (121 n.)
16:119 (122 n.)
16:121 (90 n.)
16:124 (91 n.)
16:125 (67 n.)
17:23-41 (152)
17:36 (11 n.)
17:80 (6, 7)
17:83 (4 n.)
17:84 (4 n.)
17:111 (7 n.)
18:2 (4 n.)
18:107 (34 n.)
19:43 (152 n.)
20:13 (90 n.)
20:14 (156 n.)

20:30 (7)
20:112 (3 n., 124
20:130 (6)
20:132 (6 n.)
21:49 (51)
21:69-70 (175)
21:105 (51 n.)
21:107 (5 n.)
22:29 (138)
22:35 (121 n.)
22:46 (119)
22:76 (136 n.)
23:3 (7 n.)
23:17 (23 n.)
24:21 (11 n.)
24:57 (6)
25:1 (4n.. 51)
26:79-84 (10 n.)
26:192 (4 n.)

29:14-25 (175)
30:29 (109)

30:38 (160)
31:13 (155 n.)
31:39(184)
32:4 (120 n.)
33:40 (90 n., 110 n.)
35:55 (19 n.)
37:29 (51 n.)
37:81-89 (175)
37:99-113 (100 n.)
38:71-75 (32 n.)
42:5 (3 n.)
42:52 (4 n.)
43:2-3 (3 n.)
44:2 (130 n.)
45:11-12 (26 n.)
45:15 (212 n.)
46:16 (20)
50:25 (152 n.)
50:38 (6, 22, 99 n.)
51:50 (110 n.)
51:57 (17)
53:3 (30 n.)
53:45 (21)
57:10-14 (11 n.)
57:17 (144, 160)
58:14 (11 n.)
59:23 (105 n.)
60:2 (136 n.)
62:2 (76 n.)
64:17 (160)
68:32 (34)
69:34 (11 n.)
72:13 (4 n.)
73:21, 30 (160)
74:2 (110 n.)
75:16 (124 n.)
75:35 (21)

76:8(11

n.)

n.)

76:25 (6)
77:41 (19 n.)
78:3 (18)
78:12 (23 n.)
78:31-35 (19 n.)
79:30 (23)
88:5-14 (19 n.)
88:21-22 (110 n.)
89:17 (11 n.)
90:15 (11 n.)
91:15 (11 n.)
93:8 (11 n.)
93:9 (11 n.)
93:11 (4 n.)

94:14(11

n.)

96:1 (18)
97:1 (130 n.)

97:3-4 (130

n.)

98:7 (34)
107:2 (11 n.)
107:6 (11 n.)
112:1 (5 n., 18)

249

INDICES

B.

INDEX OF BIBLICAL VERSES

in talmudic sources)
(does not include biblical verses quoted

GENESIS
1:1 (22)

1:8(22)
1:14 (133 n.)
1:26-30 (26 n.)
1:27 (29 n.)
2:4 (22)

2:7-8(194n.)
2:16-18 (34 n.)
2:19 (194 n.)
3:1 (33 n.)
3:2 (148)
3:5 (38 n.)

9:9-11 (12)
10:9 (146 n.)

ll:43(16n.)
15:13 (148)
15:19-30 (148 n.)

15:31(149)
16:29 (129 n., 132)
18:5 (84, 152 n.)

18:6-18 (154
18:19 (148)

5:1 (3 n.)

5:32 (142 n.)

9:4 (121 n.)
9:20-25 (146 n.)
10:9-10 (175 n.)
11:13 (34 n.)
15:6 (105 n.)
15:9 (180 n.)
15:11 (179 n.)
15:11-18 (179)
16:2 (150)
16:4 (150 n.)
17:1 (105)
17:7-9 (41)
18:12 (205)
20:11 (105 n.)
21:17 (156 n.)
21:33 (101 n.)
22:12 (105 n.)
25:21 (156 n.)
26:5 (100)
27:15 (162)
28:11 (170)
28:20 (156n.)
28:22 (12 n.)
29:21 (150 n.)
29:33 (162)
32:4 (200 n.)
32:11 (156 n.)
32:33 (121 n., 123 n.)
35:3 (156 n.)
38:24 (154 n.)
43:32 (122 n.)

EXODUS
1:15-22(43,44)
n.)

n.)

18:21 (147)
19:2 (78)
19:17 (78)

16:20, 24 (67 n.)

3:14 (34 n.)

3:14-19 (36)
3:16 (37, 148)
3:19 (39)

3:1-2 (90

LEVITICUS

3:13 (106 n.)

3:13-15 (106 n.)
3:14 (106 n.)
3:18 (81)
5:20-21 (97)
7:9-17 (198 n.)
7:16 (91 n.)
12:49 (207 n.)
14:1-29 (45 n.)
14:19 (57)
14:31 (81)
16:4 (68)
16:29 (67 n.)
16:33-4 (165 n.)
17:2 (168)
17:3-6 (60)
17:5 (165 n.)

20:11-21 (154 n.)

23:27-33 (129 n.)
23:43 (141 n.)
24:20 (127 n.)
26:14-43 (116)

17:6(74)
17:14-16 (135)
18:13 (129 n.)
19:5 (41)

NUMBERS

19:5,6(112)
19:10
19:18
19:20
19:21

(103)
(66 n.)
(191)
(191)
20:2-18 (152 n.)
20:3 (17, 79)
20:7 (152)
20:8 (68)

5:12 (16)

9:9-13 (129 n.)

11:23 (159 n.)

20:12 (79)
20:20 (152 n.)
20:21 (114)

21:14(135)
21:24(127)
22:24 (184 n., 186)
23:1 (187 n.)
23:14-17 (137)
23:19 (207 n.)
23:25 (79)
23:33 (213)
24:7 (82 n.)

20:7-8 (60)
20:10 (74)
22:18 (211 n.)
35:6 (135)
35:31 (127 n.)
35:33 (127 n.)

DEUTERONOMY

24:9-10 (54)
24:10 (53)
24:18 (49)
30:1 (50)
30:13, 17 (68)
30:19 (157 n.)
31:18 (130 n.)
32:1 (49)
32:4 (81)
32:5 (64)
32:20 (50, 83)
34:21 (150)
34:23 (138 n.)
34:28 (41 n., 129

11:25 (55)
11:31 (59)
11:35 (63 n.)
12:6 (53)
14:2-3 (97)
14:19-20 (116)
15:37-41 (9 n.)
18:14 (123 n.)
19:2 (71 n.)

1:16 (207 n.)

4:13 (79)
4:28 (152 n.)
4:35 (5 n.)
4:44 (51)
5:3 (41 n.)
5:6-18 (152 n.)
5:7 (17)
5:16 (79)
5:24 (82 n.)
6:4 (4 n., 5 n., 18 n.)

nj

6:4-9 (9)

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

250
6:5 (119)
6:7 (10 n.)
7:11 (80)
8:2 (58 n.)
9:9-11 (41 n.)

9:25-26 (156
10:3-5 (165)
10:12 (119 n.)

7:1 (167)
7:4-7 (167)

21:19 (137 n.)

10:14 (96, 174)

10:16 (74)
10:17 (174)
11:1 (119)
11:9 (10 n.)

11:13-21 (9)
12:30-31 (213)
13:2-13 (135 n.)
14:2 (112 n.)
14:4 (121 n.)
14:21 (121)
14:22 (12)

17:16-17 (94)
19:15 (187)
20:1 (135 n.)
20:10 (136 n.)
20:10-14 (134 n.)
20:18 (213)
21:1-9 (71)
23:20-21 (184)
24:1 (153)
n.)

24:11 (91 n.)

24:16 (127 n.)
26:3 (104, 207 n.)
26:3, 4 (101 n.)
26:12 (143 n.)

26:12-14 (79)
26:18 (41 n.)
27:6 (104)

27:15-26 (116)
28:12 (17 n.)

28:15-66 (116)
28:39 (146 n.)
28:68 (64)
29:1-5 (44 n.)
29:2 (44 n.)
29:5 (146 n.)
29:28 (98 n.)
32:39 (21, 117)
34:10 (90 n.)

JOSHUA
f.

(147 n.)

JUDGES
5:20 (200 n.)
6:24 (105 n.)

22:19 (163 n.)

II

SAMUEL

KINGS

15:11 (79)
16:16-17 (137)
17:3 (18)

24:10-13 (186

1:13 (7 n.)
2:6 (21)
2:8 (203)
9:2 (163)
9:21 (163)
10:1 (161)
15:9 (163 n.)
17:36 (169)

22:32 (5 n.)

14:28-29 (79)
15:7-8 (143)

9:3

SAMUEL

n.)

2:28 (135)
7:21 (211 n.)
8:2 (137 n.)

8:22-53 (103)
8:42-3 (103)
II

5:21 (16)
5:24 (17 n.)
12:1 (80)
13:23 (14)
14:22 (17 n., 118)
17:5 (220)
17:7 (96 n.)

40:15 (194 n.)

EZEKIEL
5:5 (112 n.)
7:19 (211)
11:19 (74)
16:60 (41 n.)

22:12 (184 n.)

36:26 (74 n.)
36:36 (176)
37:1-14 (158 n.)

HOSEA
13:4 (5 n.)

AMOS
9:2-3, 6 (98 n.)

KINGS
ZEPHANIAH

19:35 (200 n.)

ISAIAH
1:11 (125 n., 126)
1:17 (79 n.)
3:10 (19 n.)
3:11 (16 n.)
4:6 (58 n.)
6:3 (5 n.)
6:10 (15)
7:9 (8n.)
8:10 (206)

37:36 (200 n.)

41:8 (100 n.)
42:19 (105 n.)
43:11 (96)
44:2 (196)
45:5-8 (174)
45:12 (99 n.)
45:23 (5 n.)
48:13 (22)
55:6 (131 n.)
55:10-11 (118 n.)
60:21 (51 n.)
66:1 (174)
66:24 (117)

JEREMIAH
1:5 (76 n., 193)
5:3 (74 n.)

1:18 (211)
3:9 (4n.)

HAGGAI
2:23 (90 n.)

ZECHARIAH
7:12 (74 n.)
8:19 (129 n.)
14:9 (4 n.)

PSALMS
2:196 (8 n.)
7:15-16 (188)
15:5 (184 n.)
17:15 (183 n.)
18:32 (5)
19:13 (188 n.)
22:11 (193 n.)
24:1 (96 n.)
30:1 (101 n.)
32:10 (220)
33:6 (99)
33:9 (99)
33:15 (194 n.)
37:23 (218)
39:5 (218)
40:32 (5)

INDICES
136:13 (45 n.)
136:15 (47 n.)
138:4 (5 n.)
139:7-10 (98)
139:13 (193)
145:18-19 (131

42:2 (119)

44:14 (8 n.)
49:6-18 (197)
50:12 (96 n.)
55:18 (8 n.)
68:5 (24)
68:20 (6 n.)
72:16 (224 n.)
78:4 (6 n.)

ECCLESIASTES
4:6 (181 n.)
5:1 (7 n.)
n.)

7:16 (163 n.)

10:19 (146 n.)

DANIEL

PROVERBS

86:5 (116)
89:12 (96)
89:53 (140 n.)
96:3 (6 n.)
96:4 (119)
98:2 (5)
104:8 (51 n.)
104:19 (133 n.)
105:2 (6 n.)
105:5 (114)
105:8 (41 n.)
105:39-40 (57 n.)
105:41 (60 n.)
106:8 (55 n.)
106:23 (55 n.,- 90 n.)
106:48 (140 n.)
107:23 (118)
118:6 (220)

121:1-2 (96)
130:3 (188 n.)
135:7 (17 n.)

C.

251

6:11 (6, 8, 111 n.)

6:22 (4)
15:17 (181 n.)
17:1 (181 n.)
19:17 (L44 n.)
19:21 (206)
20:24 (218 n.)
21:1 (203)

EZRA
9:13-14 (147)

NEHEMIAH

21:30(206)
28:8 (184 n.)
30:19 (118)

2:13 (177)

CHRONICLES

JOB
16:12 (114)

31:15 (193)

29:11-12 (203)

SONG OF SONGS

II

CHRONICLES

20:7 (100 n.)

4:12 (150)

INDEX OF QUOTATIONS FROM THE TARGUMIM

TARGUM ON^ELOS
Gen. 22:14 (101

n.)

Lev. 15:31 (149

Deut. 29:5 (146
Deut. 32:5 (217

n.)

n.)

n.)

TARGUM JONATHAN
OR YERUSHALMI

Gen. 18:2 (87 n.)

Gen. 21:33 (101 n.)
Gen. 22:14 (101 n.)
Gen. 28:10 (171 n.)
Gen. 49:1 (107 n.)
Exod. 2:23 (43 n.)
Exod. 4:20 (62 n.)
Exod. 14:19 (57 n.)
Exod. 32:20 (50 n.)
Lev. 18:21 (147

TARGUM SHIR HASHIRIM

14:1 (83 n.)

TARGUM KOHELET
1:12 (95 n.)
9:7 (20 n.)

n.)

Num.
Gen.
Gen.
Gen.
Gen.

2:7 (29 n.)

3:21 (38 n.)
4:26 (142 n.)
15:7 (176 n.)

11:32 (58 n.)

Deut. 7:10 (80 n.)
I Sam. 11:13 (52 n.)
Jer. 14:22 (17 n.)
Ezek. 36:26 (74 n.)

TARGUM SHENI ON
ESTHER
l:3(95n.)

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

252
D.

INDEX OF RABBINICAL PASSAGES

1.

MISHNAH

MISHNAH YEB.

MISHNAH BER.

4:10 (154 n.)

1:2 (132 n.)

4:4 (7 n.)
4:5 (157 n.
5:1 (156 n.
5:4 (164 n.
11:5 (101 n.
28b (113 n., 157 n.)

1:2 (12 n.)

1:6 (78 n.)

MISHNAH KET.
5:6 (153 n.)
13:11 (112 n.)

MISHNAH

MISHNAH YOM.

Sot-

8:1 (134 n.)

1:8 (8 n.)
8:1 (132 n.)
8:9 (210 n.)

83a (122
83b (137

MISHNAH

n.)

4:14 (91

MISHNAH AB.

ID.

3:8 (12 n.)

3:18 (41 n.)
4:1 (215 n.)
4:11 (204 n.)
4:17 (202 n.)
5:1 (99 n.)
5:2 (142 n.)
5:3 (100 n.)
5:8 (62 n.)
5:19 (4 n., 145 n., 207 n.)
6:9 (4 n., 80 n.)

n.)

n.)

MISHNAH

MISHNAH SANH.

MISHNAH SUK.

2:8 (122 n.)

10:1 (208 n.)

4:5 (103 n.)

67a (135

MISHNAH TAM.

MISHNAH MEG.

MISHNAH SHEB.
3:10 (152

4:3 (156 n.)

MISHNAH HAG.
2a (137

n.)

5:1 (8n.)
n.)

MISHNAH PAR.

MISHNAH 'Eou.
2:10 (77 n.)

n.)*

2.

Suk.

Pes. 4, 2 (209 n.)

TOSEFTA

3, 11

(62 n.)

Sot. 6, 5 (30 n.)

3.

2:2 (72 n.)

TALMUD YERUSHALMI

Sanh.

8,

4 (29

n.)

INDICES

4.

TALMUD BABLI

BER.

3b
4b

PES.

7b (123 n.)
38b (41 n.)
50a (115 n.)
54a (62 n.)
64a (123 n.)
66b (209 n., 216
94a (214 n.)
118b(46n.)

(7 n.)
(9 n.)

5a (221
6a (156
lOa (193

n.)

157

n.,

n.)

n.)

10b(119n.)
13b (5

n.)

15a (157 n.)

16b (140 n.)
18a (115)
21b (140 n.)
26b (6 n.)
27b (68 n.)

157

n.,

156

n.,

n.)

31a (146 n.)

31b (7 n.)
32a (4 n.)

'

33a(8n., 118)
35a
40a
50b
58a
60b

(123
(146
(146
(203
(194

n.)

n.)
n.)
n.)
n.)

3a
5a
12a
12b
14a
16a

(41 n.)

(182 n.)
(19 n., 22 n., 23 n.)
(24 n., 55)
(34 n.)
(204 n.)

YEB.
49b (173

YOM.

28b (211)
29a (216 n.)
30a (113, 146

253

28b (91 n.)

22b (163 n.)
30b (157 n.)
38b (14 n., 18 n.)
39a (16 n.)
54b (23 n.)
56b (112 n.)
66b (52)
75a (63 n.)
75a-75b (58 n.)
83b (129 n.)
85a (152, 194 n.)

n.)

KET.
5a
8b
16a
50a
59b
60a
61a
61b

(152 n.)
(21 n.)

(150 n.)
(13 n.)
(155 n.)
(155 n.)

(149 n.)
(153 n.)
67b (12 n., 144 n.)

68a (12

n.)

NED.

n.)

SUK.

SHAB.

6b
13b
17b
19a
23b
30b
33b
39a
49a
87b
88a

20b (150

2a (58

(148 n.)
(69 n.)
(145 n.)

lib (141

49b (12

88b-89a (53 n.)

89a (49 n.)
105b (216 n.)
119b (140 n., 152
120a (152 n.)
151b (12 n.)

215

19a (14

n.)

R. H.

n.)

16b (117 n., 138 n., 218)

17a (77 n., 117 n., 216 n.)
32a (99 n.)

3a (16 n.)
lla (43 n.)
12a (44 n.)
12a-12b (44 n.)
35b (213 n.)
44b (136 n.)

46a (71 n.)

48b (144 n.)

TA'AN.

n.,

2a
7a
9a
lOa
14b

(17 n.)
(4 n.)
(181 n.)

(214 n.)
(130 n.)
2 la (200 n.)
23a (178 n.)
31a (20 n.)

'ERUB.

MEG.

n.)

54b (4 n.)
55b (62 n.)
65a (157 n.)
65b (215 n.)
lOOb (36 n.)

SOT-

n.)

n.,

(57 n.)
(218)
(201)

(209 n.)
(124 n.)
(223 n.)
(65, 82 n.)
88a-89b (28 n.)
88b (53 n., 55 n., 158
216 n., 222 n.)

n.)

n.)
(195 n.)

16a (4
17b (8

GIT.
7a (12 n.)
7b (12 n.)
21b (154 n.)

KID.

30a
31a
40b
41a

(124 n.)
(73 n.)
(222 n.)
(151 n.)

n.)
n.)

21b (99 n.)

25a (147 n.)

79a (130
79b (188

n.)

n.)

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

254
B.

M.

75b (186 n.)

86b (87 n.)
87a (205 n.)
B. B.

9b (12

n., 13 n., 181

182 n., 215 n.)
lOa (12 n., 160 n., 182
lOa, b (160 n.)
lla (19 n.)
75a (20 n.)

121b (42

n.,

n.)

n.)

SANH.
4a (195 n.)
5b (62 n.)
7a (64 n.)
9b (187 n.)
15b (38 n.)
20b (135 n., 136
36a-36b (29 n.)
37a (29 n.)
38a (112 n.)
38b (28 n.)
42b (7 n.)
44b (156 n.)
58b (68 n.)
59b (33 n.)

n.)

5.

ABOTH D'RABBI NATHAN

(cited

by chapter)

148
11*) A-X
(37 n.,
1-2 (41 n.)
1-8 (4n.)
12 (30 n.)
13 ( 78 n.)
27 (47 n.)
31 (99 n.)
33 (46 n., 100
37 (24 n.)
1

MIDRASH RABBOTH

25 (91 n.)
130 (174 n.)
147 (22 n.)

n.)

by chapter and
paragraph)

(cited

MEKILTA
GEN. RABBA
(cited

by Parashah and
section)

BESHALAH
n.)

AGGADATH BERESHITH
(includes MIDRASH TEMURAH and MASEKETH 'A?i-

4
6
10

60

by page)

8 (188 n.)
9 (193 n., 219 n.)
11 (206 n.)
15 (50 n.)

(45
(57
(46
(99
(90

58

n.,

n.)

n.)
n.,

47

n.,

91

n.)

n.)

n.)

3,
4,
5,
6,
8,
8,
8,
13,

2 (99 n.)
7 (23 n.)
7 (37 n.)
1

(133 n.)

3-4 (27
6 (33

n.)

n.)

7 (29 n.)
3 (20 n.)
13, 6 (142 n.)

(91 n.)

KI TIS'A

LUTH)
(cited

MIDRASHIM

(68 n.)
19,

YITHRO
5 (65 n.)

9 (54 n.)

20,
21,
22,
26,

30 n., 31 n.)
(3n.)
(36 n.)
6 (36 n.)
10 (36 n.)
6 (40 n.)
12 (39 n.)
7 (92 n.)

INDICES
46,
49,
50,
74,
78,
98,

4 (100

n.)
n.)
2 (87 n.)
4 (200 n.)
1 (87 n.)
4 (107 n.)

23 (176

EXOD. RABBA
1,

1,
1,

2,

3,

18,
29,
29,
31,

42,
42,
42,

28 (89

n.)

31 (89 n.)
34 (43 n.)
8 (89 n.)
IS (81 n.)
5 (87 n., 89 n.)
3 (55 n., 56 n.)
9 (130 n.)
13 (185 n.)
7 (173 n.)
8 (90 n., 173 n.)
10 (174 n.)

LEV. RABBA
1,
1,

10,
15,
16,

34,

14 (73 n.)
15 (73 n., 90 n.)
5 (4 n., 39 n.)
2 (73 n.)
2 (173 n.)
15 (144 n., 160 n.)

NUM. RABBA
3, 6 (4 n.)
14, 22 (4 n.)
4, 6 (165 n.)
8, 1 (207 n.)
10, 3 (55 n.)

12,4 (23

n.,

98

n.,

Ill n.)

14, 10 (18 n.)

14, 23 (105 n.)

17 (64 n.)
19, 3 (30 n.)
19, 4 (71 n.)
15,,

DEUT. RABBA
2, 32 (25 n.)
8, 1 (4 n.)

SONG OF SONGS RABBA

3,

3 (91 n.)
5 (100 n.)

3,

6 (87

3,

n.)

LAM. RABBA
2: 3 (87 n.)

255

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

256

PESETA ZUTUTA
(cited

by biblical chapter
and verse)

Num.

22:7 (61 n.)

ch.
ch.
ch.
ch.
ch.
ch.
ch.
ch.
ch.
ch.

and 'ELIAHU ZUJA

by chapter and

4, 7 (115 n.)
11, 10 (166 n.)

YAL?UT SHIM 'ONI

volume

331 (47
332 (48

section)
vol.
vol.

I,

IS (33 n.)

I,

20 (20

n.,

214

n.)

188n.; Daily, 87n., 99n., 118n., 119n.,

196n., 203n.

Dikduke Soferim, 87n.

'Eden, 70n.

John l:3,99n.

160n., 193n.;

Hashanah,

Yom

n.)

INDEX OF OTHER WORKS

Adereth 'Eliahu, 70n.

Aggadath Shir Hashirim, 47n.
Beth Hamidrash, 23n., 176n.
Daily Prayer Book, Sabbath, 20n., 68n.,

Luke, 85n.
Mahzor, Rosh

n.)

356-7 (50 n.)

380-1 (198)
385 (44 n.)

6.

Can

30
34
40
41

329-30 (45)

and
section or Parashah and

by

n.)

11 (29 n.)
13 (34 n.)
14 (36 n.)
24 (165 n.)

89 (33 n.)
91 (31 n.)
198 (180 n.)
198-9 (179 n.)
204-5 (74 n.)
324-5 (209 n.)
325 (53 n.)

section)

(cited

n.)

(103 n.)
(80 n.)
(62 n.)
(89 n.)
41 (99 n.)
63 (119 n.)

TANA DEBE 'ELIAHU

includes 'ELIAHU RABBA
(cited

8 (100
10 (22

13n.,

25n.,

Kippur, 13n., 87n.

Maseket Soferim, 38n.

Mishkat al-Ma$abih, 5n.

Mishnah of Rabbi Eliezer, The, 173n.,
179n.
'Or Zarua', 219n.
Passover Haggadah, 106n.
Seder 'olam Kabbah, 223n.
Yalkuf Sippurim u-Midrashim,
Sefer
103n., 176n., 214n.
Sefer Yezirah, 18n.
Tobit 12:'8, 13n.

Torah Shelemah, 24n., 26n., 33n., 34n.,

36n.,

38n., 40n., 45n.,

148n.,

179n.,

180n.

Matthew 6:1-8, 13n.

Me$udath David, 105n.
Midrash Abkir, 22n., 47n.
Midrash Hagadol, 25n., 47n., 179n.
Midrash Moses Haddarshan, 32n.
Midrash Talpioth, 18n. 40n., 87n.
(

Tosafoth, 65n.
Tur 'Oreh ffayim, 128n.

Yalkut Reubeni, 87 n.
Yoreh De'ah, 121n., 123n., 145n., 148n.
Zohar, 26n., 34n., 87n., 88n., 128n.

INDICES

E.

257

INDEX OF AUTHORS

Adret (Solomon ben Abraham), 86.

Ahrens, K. 12n., 108n.
Ali A. Yusuf lOOn.
AH, M. M., xvn., 3n., 4n., 6, 24n., 32n.,
63n., 78n., 82n., 85 n., 92n., 104n.,
112n., 119n., 177n., 192n., 209n. 212n.
Allam, Mahdi, 39n.
Andrae, Tor, xiv n. xvi n., 104n. 108n.,

Dozy, R., xviii n., 68n., 139n.

Duran, Simon, xx, 5, 6n., 128n.
Dvorak, R. Sin.
t

Eisenstein, J. D. 88n.
Elbogen, L, 8n.
Enelow, H. E., 173n., 179n.
f

173n.

Aptowitzer, V., 20n., 23n., S3n., 223n.

Arnold, T. W., 104n.
Paris,

N. A.,

Finkel,

B
Bacher, W., 224n.,
Baitfawi, xiv n., 3n., 7n., 14n., 21n., 32n.
34n., 36n., 37n., 39n., 43n., 49n., Sin.
52n., S4n., 55n., 56n., 69n., 80n., 81n.
8Sn. 91n., 93n., lOln., 105n., 107n.
llOn.,
157n.
115n.,
124n.,
153n.,
159n., 161n., 162n., 163n., 172n., 180n.
181n.,
193n.,
199n., 201n., 205n.
206n., 209n., 215n., 218n., 223n.

xiiin., 108n.

J., xviii n.

FrSnkel, S., 34n., Sin.

Friedlander, M., lOSn., 127n.
Fritsch, E., xiv n.
Fuchs, Solomon, 127n.

Bamberger, B.

J.,

92n.

Baumstark, Anton, Sn.

Becker, C. H., xiv n.
Bell, R., xivn.

Ben-Zeeb,

Ghazali-al, 143n.
Ginzberg, Louis A., xxi, 33n., 34n., 37n.
85n., 87n., 88n., 89n., 171n.
Goitein, S. D., 91n., 129n., 130n.
Goldziher, L, xviii n., xx, S, 5n., 68n.,
69n., 123n.
Greenberg, Moshe, 42n.
Grimme, Hubert, lOln., 104n. llOn.

Eliezer, 104n.
xiiin., 8n., llln.

I.,

Berg, C. C., 129n.

Bevan, A., xvii n.

Bialoblocki, S., ISln., 154n.
Billerbeck, P., 85n.
Bravmann, M. M., 104n., 109n.
Brockelmann, Carl, xiii, xiv n., xx.
Buhl, F., 3n.

Griinbaum, M.,

Bukhari-al, xvn., xixn., 7n., 10n., lln.,

12n., 13n.
69n., 78n., 90n., 91n.,
f

lOOn.,
136n.,

llln.,
138n.,

Abraham, xiii, 17n., 18n., 24n.,

32, 34n., 44n., 47n., Sin., 53n., S4n.,
64n., 66n., 67n., 69n., 75n., 86n., 92n.
93n., llln., 122n., 128n., 154n., 156n.,
157n.,
158n.,
179n.,
160n.,
177n.,
180n., 191n. f 224n.
Gerock, C. F., xvin.
Geiger,

Barth, J^, xiii n.

Bashya^i, E., 70n.

Ben Yehuda,

Caster, M., 87n.

Gastfreund, I., xiiin., 75n., 97n.

123n.,
143n.,

128n.,
151n.,

32n., 34, 46n.

Grunebaum, G. von, xy n., xxiii n., 136n.

Guillaume, Alfred, xvii n., xviii n.

129n.,
152n.,

H
Haas,

S. S., 26n., 30n.

Hai, Gaon, 146n.

Cassuto, U., 34n.

Chapira, Bernard, 16Sn.
Cohen, Boaz, 42n.

D
Danzig, Abraham, 128n.
Delia Vida, G. Levi, xvii n.
DSrenbourg, J., 83n.

47n., 62n., 101, 162n., 170n.

157n.

Burckhardt, J. L., llOn.

xiii n.,

Hallevi, Judah, 112.

Hartmann, M., 104n.
Heller, B., 92n., 161n., 16Sn.
Hertz, J. H., 16n., 78n., lOln., 196n.

Hjgger, Michael, 214n.

Hirschberg, J. W., xvii

n., xxi n., 7, 8n,

llln.
24n., 32n., 47n., 69n M 109n.,
122n. 128n., 129n., 19Sn.
Hirschfeld, H., xvn., xvii n., 3n., Sn. t
21n., Sin., S4n., 66n., 67n., 82n., 90n.,
108, 123.
f

Hitti, Philip

K. xix
f

n. f 136n., 139n.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

258
Horodetzky, S. A., 87n.
Horovitz, H. S., 223n.

J., xiv n., xvi n., xviii n., 3n.,

12n., 18n. f 19n., 26n., 33n., 47n., Sin.,
58n M 61n., 66, 68n., 76, 82n. f 90n.,
91n., 92n., 93n., lOln., 104n. f 108n.,
176n.,
173n.,
162n.,
160n.,
161n.,
191n., 195.

Horovitz,

Hughes, Th.

P., 192n.

Ibn Bal'am, Abu Zakaria Jachja, 127n.

Ibn Ezra, Abraham, 3n., 33n., 34n.,
41n., 53n., 59n., 68n., 83n., 99n., 120n.,
142n., 149n., 150n., 187n., 223n.
Ibn HishSm, 7n., 8n., lln., 11 In.

68n., 90n., 91n., 105n., 121n., 123n.

134n., 142n., 143n.
127n.,
128n.,
156n., 181n., 182n., 187n.
153n.,

207n.

Margaliyuth, R., 88n., 89n.

Margoliouth, D. S., xviii n., 51, 85n.
199n.
193n.,
llOn.,
128n.,
108n.,
218n.
209n., 215n.,
Marmorstein, A., 22n.
Mas'udi, 170n., 171n.
Mingana, A., 66n.
Mittwoch, E., 5n., 6n., 69n., 156n.
Moberg, Axel, xiv n.
Montgomery, J. A., 108n., llOn.
Mueller, D. H., ISOn.

Mzik, Hans

v.,

168n.

Ibn Janah, Jonah, 83n.

Nakarai, T. W., 160n.

Nathan ben

Jehiel, 87n.
A., 12n., 182n.
Nicholson, R. A., xviin., 17n., 90n., 108n.
Nicomedia, E., 70n.
Noldecke-Schwally, xvi n., 3n., 5n., 12n.,

Newman, A.

Jalaluddin, 94n., 110.

Jallalein, 3n,. 19n., 91n., 105n.

Jastrow, M., 104n.

Jeffery, A., 3n., 30n., 91n., 99n., 108n.,

192n.

66n., 75n., 76n., 104n., llln.,

146n., 162n., 173n.
Noldecke, Th., xviii n., 3n., 18n., 51n.,
61n.,

128n.

ellinek, A., 20n., 24n., 55n.

ensen, P., 169n.

osephus, Flavius, 95n., 155n.
92n.
ung, L., 33n.,
32n.
E.
urji,
J.,

109n., 129n.

uynboll, Th. W., 127n., 129n., 143n.,

156n.

O
Obermann,

Julian,

xiii n.,

18n.,

24n.,

130n.

O'Leary, D. L., xivn.

K
Katsh, Abraham
Klein,

W.

I.,

xiv.

C., xvi n.

Kohut, A., 87n.

Palmer, E. H.,"3n., lOln., 114n., 123,

Krauss, S., xiii.

Kuenstlinger, David, 66n.

146n., 157n., 195n.

Pickthall, Marmaduke, xv, 3n., 6.
Plessner, M. 129n.
Pollack, A. N., 5n., 33n. 69n., llln.
Pool, J. J., lln.
F

H., xiv
Landau, E., 103n.

Lammens,

n.,

Poznanski,

xvi n.

S.,

ISOn.

Lauterbach, J. Z., 99n.

Leszynsky, Rudolph, xiii

n., 122n.
Lichtenstadter, Use, xviii n.
Lidzbarski, Mark, 51n., 66n., 104n.
Lieberman, S., 20n.
Liebreich, L. J., 8n.
Littman, E., 92n.
Lyall, Ch., 104n., 109n.

Ramban (Moses ben

Rashbam (Samuel ben

Meier),

42n.,

82n., 83n.

Rashi (Rabbi Solomon ben Isaac), 4n.,

M
Maas, M., xiii n.
Macdonald, D. B., xvi, 26n., 154n.
Maimonides, Moses, 6n., 34n., 56,

Nafcman), 42n.,

99n.

20n., 21n., 24n., 26n., 42n., 43n., 44n.,

49n., 6~n., 64n., 70n., 71n., 74, 78n.,
83n., 105n., 112n., 114n., 128n. 129n.,
173n.,
171n.,
149n.,
142n.,
130n.,
186n., 200n., 206n., 2l7n., 223n.
Reckendorf, H., 53n.
Rivlin, J. J., xiiin., 52n., 68n., llOn.,
(

62n.,

INDICES
122n., 128n., 129n.,
152n., 156n., 158n.
Roberts, R., 154n.

130n.,

259

140n.,

Vajda, Georges, xxi n.

Rodwell, J. M. 3n M 75.
Rosenblatt, Samuel, 153n.
Rosenthal, Franz, 12n.
Rosenthal, Judah, 37n. 59n.
Rudolph, William, 156n.
f

W
Walker, John, xvi

n.

Weber,

O., ISOn.
Weil, G., xxii n.

Weil, Gustav, xviii n., 161n.

Weir, T. H., 143n.
Wellhausen, J., xiv, 69n., 108, llOn.,
Sa'adia Gaon, 15, 24n., 26n. 34n., 84n.,
t

127n., 141.

Schapiro, I., xvn., 90n.

Sforno, Obadiah ben Jacob, 42n., 142n.
Sidersky, D., 165n.
Singer, Ch., xvii n.

Smith, H. P., xiy.

Smith, R. B., xiii n.
Speyer, Heinrich, xiii n., 32n.
Sprenger, A., xvi n., xviii n., 91n., 109n.,
128n.
Stanton, H. U. W., 136n.
Steinschneider, M., 69n., 123n.
Strack, H. L., 85n.
Strauss, A., 69n.

129n., 172n.

Wensinck, A.

J., 5n., 8n., 12n., Sin.,

91n., 92n., 108n., llOn., llln., 128n.,
129n., 138n., 148n., 156n.
Wherry, E. M., 3n., 19n., 55n., 94, 102n.,
114n., 199n., 205n.
Wieder, Naphtali, lln.

Wilensky, M., 83n.

Wolfensohn, I., 195n.
Wolfson, H. A., 5n., 95n., 105n.

Yahuda, A.
Yahya, 94n.

S., 20n., S4n., 66n.,

122n.

Yelhn, David, 8n., 15n.

Young, F. M., xiii n.

Tabari-al, xvn., xviii n., 27n., 29n., 33n.

35n., 37n., 40n., 41n., 43n., 45n., 46n.,
55n., 58n., 63n., 65n., 72n., 81n. 83n.,
87n., llln., 121n., 148n., 161n., 162n.,
163n.,
167n.,
170n.,
171n.,
187n.,
223.
Taylor, W. R., 17n., llOn., 140n., 156n.
Thomson, William, xvi n., 90n., 105n.
Torrey, Ch. C., xiv, xviii n., xx, xxi, 5,
6n., 12n., 13n. 32, 34n., 67n., 75, 108,
122n., 128n.,
129n.,
146n.,
154n.,
156n., 172n., 184n.
Tur-Sinai, N. H., 104n.
f

Zamakhshari, xvn.,

3n., 7n., ISn., 19n.

21n., 22n., 23n., 27n., 28n., 31n., 32n.
34n., 37n., 40n., 43n., 45n., 47n., 49n.
Sin., 52n., 54n., 58n., 59n., 60n., 61n.
65n., 72n., 75n., 81n., 83n., 86n., 90n.
93n., lOln., 112n., 134n., 142n., 161n.
170n.
162n.,
163n.,
164n.,
165n.,
171n.,
181n.,
187n., 201n., 203n.

221n.
Zeitlin, Solomon, 8n., 137n.
Zifroni, A., 112n.

Zucker, M., 123n.

Zunz, L., 8n., 32n.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

260

F.

GENERAL INDEX

(Major references are indicated by bold type.)

Aaron, 49, 54, 60, 64, 66, 74, 88, 97, 164,
165, 171, 198; his rod, 165, 198; and
hat, 165.
'Ab. See Ninth.
Abel, 39, 223.
Abib, 137.
Abihu, 54, 56.
Abraham, xvi, xix, xx, xxiv, 66, 86, 8788, 88n., 89, 90, 90n., 91, 100, 101-3,
lOln., 104, 104n., 105, 105n., 107, 108,
165, 170, 171, 172, 174, 175, 176, 176n.,
179, 180, 180n., 197, 200, 205, 207.

Abraham Ibn Ezra, 53.

Abu Bakr, 159.
AbQ Kobeis, 101.
Adam, xix, xxiv, 30-31,

Arabs, xvii-xviii, xxv, 76, 111, 112, 127.

'Arafat, 138.

Aramaic,

19, 51, 58n., 68, 68n., 140n.,

156, 164n.
Ark of the Covenant, 164, 164n., 16566.

Ashmedai, 94
'Ashura', xxii-xxiii, 128-29, 128n., 130n.
'Asr, 5n., lOn.
Assyrians, 200.

Day

Atonement,

of.

See

Yom Kippur.

'Azael, 92.

Azariah, 88n.

30n., 32-33,
33n., 34-38, 39-40, 41n., 61, 66, 142,
142n., 164-65, 164n., 172.

Adonai 'Efrad, 18.

Aggada. See Haggadah.

Baal, 223.
Babel, 28.

Babylon, 92.
Babylonia, xxv.
Badr, battle of, 199.
Bahira, 90n.
Bait Allah, lOln.
Balaam, 224.

Abijah, 92n.

'Abdamut, 19.
Akiba, Rabbi, 38, 141n., 160.
Alexander the Great, xiv.

Banu Qainuqa', 159.

Baqarah, al, xv-xvi, xv

'Aliyy, 18.

Bayan,

Allah. See God.

Bedouins, xvii n., 6.

Beer-sheba, lOln.
Benaiahu, 94.
Benediction before meat, 123.
Benjamin, tribe of, 163.

Allah 'ahad, 18.

Alms. See Charity, Zafcah, $adaqah.
Amalekites, 162, 166.
Amarna,'El-, 150.

Amos,

al-,

4n.

xiv, xvi, xvii, xviii, xix, xx,

xxv, 3, 4, 5, 5n., 10, 12, 15,
17, 17n., 18, 19, 21, 22, 29, 34n.,
37, 41, 42, 43, 44, 53, 59, 60, 64, 75,
78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 96, 97, lOln.,
105, 106, 112, 114, 116, 119, 121, 125,
127, 129n., 131, 134, 137, 141, 143,
144n., 146, 149, 152, 153, 154n., 160,
163, 167, 169, 170, 176, 179, 184, 187,
191, 192, 203, 206, 211, 212, 216, 223.
Birthgiving, 35, 36, 148.

Bible,

xiii,

xxii, xxiv,

118.
41.

'Anan ben David, 150, ISOn.

Angel(s), xix, xx, xxiv, 26-29, 26n., 28n.,

30-31, 32-33, 33n., 50, 57, 65, 82n.,

87, 92-93, 93n., 114, 117, 125, 130,
140, 141, 164, 199, 200, 214, 218.

Anger, 215-16.
Animals, dead, 121, 122.
Animals, naming of, 30-31, 30n.; snares
for, 69-70.
Annunciation, 85n.
Apes, 67, 67n.

Bismflldh, 123.

xvi.
xix,
97, 112, 172, 209, 217, 223.
Apostle,

Cain, 39.
Call to prayer, xxi, 8.
Canaan. See Palestine.
Charity, xix, xxii, xxiii,

Apocrypha,

See Muhammad, Prophets.

Arabia, xvii-xviii, xvii n., xxi, xxv,

3-188.

Bethel, lOln.

'Amen, 8n., 116, 140.

'Amidah. See Eighteen Benedictions.
'Amin, 8n.
Amnon of Mayence, Rabbi, 219.

Amram, 44.
'Am segullah,

n.,

Bari', 18.

8,

51, 68, 122, 192.

Arabic, xviin., 3n., 24n., 34, 34n., 39n.,
104, 108, 156, 162.
'Arabot, 24.

Book, The,

xvi, xvii, xix, 3-4, 3n., 7, 51,

75, llOn., 116, 122n., 125, 142, 191,
195, 209, 212.

Burhan,

al-,

4n.

3, 11-13, lln.,
12n., 13n., 65, 78, 79, 79n., 125, 126,
128, 138, 143-44, 143n., 144n., 15960, 181, 181n., 182, 183, 186, 215, 215n.

Childbirth. See Birthgiving.

INDICES
Children of Israel, 41, 45, 49, 57, 63, 67,
77, 78, 81, 82, 209. See Jews.
Christian influence, xlii-xiv, xiv n., xvi,
xvii,

xxii,

xviii,

110, 122, 128,

See Jesus.

Church,

12n., 32, 32n., 108,

162, 172, 172n., 207.

xxii.

n., xxiv, 105, 122.

Cleanliness, xxiii, xxiv, 69.
Cleopatra, Queen, 224.

Circumcision, xyii

Cloud. See

Pillar.

261

Elijah, xix, 66, 199-200, 223.

Elisha, 66.
'Elohim 'aberim, 17.
'Elul, xxiii, 128.
'Em Lamibra', 195.
'En-harod. See Well of Harod.
Enosh, 142.
Epicurean, 208.
Esau, 107, 164-65, 197, 200.
Esther, 150.
Eve, xxiv, 34, 35-37, 148.

"Clouds of glory," 141, 141n.

Exodus from Egypt,

Cohabitation, 129n., 132, 137, 138, 150-

Ezekiel, 53, 158, 158n., 178.

Ezra, 66, I77n.

51, 153.

9,

45-48, 81, 137.

Commentators, Moslem, xv, xxv,

14, 15,
19, 19n., 21, 22, 27, 29, 31, 32, 34, 35,

36, 37, 39, 40, 43, 45, 52, 54, 55, 56,
58, 59, 65, 72, 81, 81n., 85, 86, 93, 101,
112, 142, 148, 148n., 161, 165, 171,
187, 191, 192, 199, 223.
Covenant, xxiv, 41, 65, 77, 78, 82, 100,
101, 116, 125, 134, 159, 160, 208, 209,
209n., 223.
Cow. See Heifer.

Creation, xix, xxiv, 17, 21, 22-25, 26-29,

87, 96, 99, 99n.,

101,

157,

174, 193,

214; of man, 26-29, 32-33, 194.

Creditors, 186.

Crime, 127, 127n., 135.

Curse of Eve, 36.
Daniel, 8.

Ddr
Ddr

al-Islam, xxiii.
David, xix, xxiv, 66, 69, 98, 114, 125,
169, 170-71, 218, 218n.
"Day of Assembly," 68, 69.
Day of Atonement. See Yarn Kippur.
Day of rest, xxi-xxii, xxiv, 68.
Deborah, 200.
Debtor(s), 187.
Decalogue, 17, 19, 99n., 152.
Devil, 181.
Dhalika 'l-Kitab, 3n.
137n., 138, 139.

Dhu-al-Hijjah,

xviii.

Dietary laws, xxiv, 121-24, 121n., 122n.

Dm,

xix.

Drunkenness,

7,

7n.

bones, valley

of, 158, 177, 178.

of, 17, 22-23.

23, 33, 33n., 34, 34n., 35, 66,

Earth, creation

Eden, xxiv,

129,

Fire from heaven, 223, 223n.

Fish, nets for, 69-70.
Five daily prayers, xx, 5-7, 5n., 6n., 7n.
Five pillars. See Pillars of Islam.
Flesh. See Meat.
Flood, xix, 28, 142n.
Forgiveness, 39-40, 181, 188, 207, 210,
214, 224. See Repentance.
Forty days, xxii-xxiii, 49-50, 129, 129n.
will, 15.

Friday. See Sabbath.

Friday Assemblies, xix.
Furqdn, 3n., 4n., 51, 52n.
Gabriel, xx, 46, 65, 85, 85n., 86-91, 88n.,
90n., 162, 199.
Gambling, 146, 146n.
Gan 'Eden, 34, 66. See Eden.
Gehenna. See Gehinnom.

Gehinnom,

14, 66, 117, 119, 159, 160, 182,

208, 211, 222, 224.
Ge'ullah, 9, 10. See Prayer.
Gideon, 167.

God,

xvi, xvii, xix, xxi, xxii, xxiv, 4n.,

11, 15, 17, 18, 21, 22-25, 26,
26n., 30-31, 30n., 32-33, 35, 39, 40,
41. 45, 47, 50, 55, 60, 71, 74, 75, 76,
77, 79, 86, 87, 88, 88n., 89, 90n., 94,
96, 96n., 98, 99, 100, 101, lOln., 102,
105, 107, 110, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117,
118, 119, 120, 120n., 123, 125, 1-26,
127, 129n., 130, 130n., 131, 132, 141,
142, 142n., 145, 147, 148, 150, 152,
154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161,
162, 163, 164, 165, 167, 169, 170, 171,
173n., 174, 175, 176, 179, 180, 181,
183, 184, 188, 193, 196, 197, 198, 199,
5, 5n.,

Discrimination, The, 191.

Divorce, 44, 102, 153, 154, 154n., 155.

Dry

Fast(s), xix, xxii, xxiv, 11, 128,

129n., 132. See Ramadan.
Fatifah, a/-, xv n., 18.
Feast of Unleavened Bread, 137.
Feast of Weeks, 130.
Filial piety, 72-73, 78, 79, 143.

Free

al-barb, xxiii.

Dhu Nuwas,

Fajr, 5n.
Fall of Adam, xix.

214.

Egypt, xxiv, 43-44, 45, 60, 63, 64, 81n.,

97, 116; trials of Jews in, 43-44, 44n.
Egyptians, 43, 44, 45-48, 57, 198.
Eighteen Benedictions, 4, 9, 17n., 160.
See Shemone 'Esre, 'Amidah.
Elath, 69.
Eli, sons of, 166.

201, 203, 204, 206, 208, 209, 211, 212,

214, 215, 217, 218, 219n., 220, 221,
222, 223, 224; synonyms for, 18, 18n.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

262
Golden

calf, xxiv,

49-50, 52, 81, 82-83,

83n.
Goliath, 169-70.
Gospel, xiv, 191, 192.

Gdyim, 75.
Great Assembly,

Isaac, 66, lOln., 107, 164, 165, 170, 171,

197 205.
Isaiah, 53/126, 131, 173n., 191.
'Isha', 5n., lOn.

8.

Habakkuk,

126.
151.
Hadith,
Hagar, 102.

Ishmael, xvi, xix, 66, 88n., 91, 101,

102-3, 104, 107, 197.
Islam, xiii, xivn., xv, xvi, xvii, xviii,
xix-xxv, 8, 11-13, 17, 79n. 90, 91,
104-5, 105n., 110, 125, 139, 143, 154,
f

xiv, xv, xvii, xix, xxv,

27, 31, 33n., 36-37, 48, 62, 64, 67, 82,

Haggadah,

InjU, 192.
Insan, 30n.

xiii,

96, 174.

156, 157, 159, 172, 212.

Ismail. See Ishmael.
Israel. See Jews; also Jacob.

Haji, xix, xxii, xxiv, 133, 137-39, 137n.,

139n.
tfakim, 18.

Jabneh, Academy

HaUel, 123.
tfamld, 18.

Jacob, 12, 66, 107, 123-24, 162, 164, 165,

170, 170-71, 171, 200.

Hananiah, 88n.

Jahitiyah, xvii-xviii, xvii n., 68n., 127.

jaiOt. See Goliath.
Jamrat al-'Aqabah, 139.
Jannatun, 34, See Paradise,
ehoiada', 94.
eremiah, 118.
eroboam, 117.

Hdnef, 108.
Ifanlf, 108-9.

Hannah, 203.
tfaqq, al-, 4n.

Ha-Rabm&n,

18.

Harut, 92, 93n.

Hazeroth, 63n.

erusalem, xxii,

Heart of stone, 74.

Heaven, creation of, 2225.

Hebrew language,

3n., 24n., 30n., 34,

34n., 39n., 68, 68n., 108, 156, 156n.
Heifer, red, xxiv, 71-73.
Hell, 77, 77n., 80, 117 r 119, 184, 197,
211. See Gehinnom.
Heretics. See Misbelievers.

High Holy Days. See Holidays,

religious.

Htjrah, 110-11.
Hillel, 22, 70, 137, 153.

Hiwi al-Balkhi,

59.

Holidays, religious, xix,

3, 13, 103, 133,

137, 160, 219.

Holy Land. See Palestine.

Holy of Holies, 113.
Holy War. See Jihad.
Honey, 20, 20n.
Honi the Circle-drawer, 177-78.
Horeb, 60, 61n., 90n.

Huda,

al-,

4n.

Hur, 64.
Iblts,

of, 9.

32-33, 33n. See Satan.

'Id al-Adba, 139.

Idols, 17n., 18, 67, 119, 121, 122, 142,
145, 175-76, 180, 213.
Ikram, 139.

8, 85, 103, 110, 111,

llln., 113, 177, 207.
Jesus, xiv, xvi-xvii, 64, 64n. t 85n., llOn.,
172, 172n., 192.
Jethro, 61.

Jews, xvi-xxv, xviin., 7, 8-13, 41-42,

41n., 43-44, 45-48, 51, 53, 56, 57-59,
60, 63-64, 68, 75, 76, 81, 84, 85-86,
86n., 90n,, 97, 110-11, llOn., llln.,
112n., 114, 121, 122, 123, 159, 161-62,
164, 166, 179, 191, 192, 198, 206, 209,
213 223.
Jihad, xxiii, 104, 135-36, 136n.
oab, 135.
ob, xvii n., xix, 66.
ohn the Baptist, 85n.
on ah, xix, 66.
oseph, xix, 66, 90, 90n., 206.
osephus, Flavius, 95.
oshua, 136, 147n., 161.
Judah, tribe of, 163.
xiii, xiv, xv, xvi, xviii, xix, xxi,
xxii, xxiii, xxiv, xxv, 3n., 4, 4n., 8, 12n.,
13, 18, 65-66, 78^79, 90, 104, 110, 111,

Judaism,

119, 125, 129, 143-44, 145, 147, 154,

157, 159, 160, 180n., 215n.
Judgment, Day of, xix, 66, 77, 119, 125,
154, 1%, 204, 211.
Justin Martyr, Saint, 122.

Il&h dkhar, 17.

Illiterates, 75, 75n.

Kaabah,

Imfim, 140.

Kalnr, 18.

man,

xix.

Immortality, xix.
Imran, 172.
Incorporeality of God, 5n., 55-56.
Infidels. See Misbelievers.
Inheritance laws, xxiv.

101, 138.

Kaddish, 140, 140n.

Karaite literature, 69, 70, 150.
gedushah, 78n.
Kethib, 195n.
Keturah, 107.
Khair, al- t 4n.

263

INDICES
Kharijites, xxiii.

Milk, 20, 20n.

Kiddush ha-Shem, 104.

gitab, al-, 4, 65. See Book.
Korah, 97.

Mina, 138, 139.

Min^ah, 8.

Korahites,,97.
xiii, xiv, xv, xv n., xvi, xvii, xviii,
xx, xxi, xxiv, xxv, 3-4, 3n., 5n., 6,
13, 13n., 15, 17, 18, 19n., 20, 21, 23,
32, 32n. t 34n., 37, 45, 47, 49, 50,
Sin., 54n., 55, 57, 58, 60, 63, 64,
65-66, 67n., 74, 77, 80, 81, 82, 82n., 83,
85, 90, 91, 95, 97, lOln., 105, 106, 111,
114, 115, 116, 118n., 121, 122, 124,
126, 130, 131, 132, 135, 137, 141,
143, 146, 148, 152, 156, 160, 167, 172,
174, 176, 182, 184, 187, 188, 194, 195,
196, 203, 205, 208, 210, 214, 216, 222;

Koran,
xix,
II,
25,
51,

synonyms for, 4n.

"Koran" (word), xviii-xix,

Levi, tribe of, 12, 50, 52, 162, 163.

Leviathan, 19.
Levites, xxi, 79, 83n., 84, 123, 143n.
Logos, 99n.
Lot, xix, 66.

Ma'arib, 8. See Prayer.

Maghrib, 5n., lOn.

Maimonides, 56, 56n., 182, 187, 187n.

Makon,

lOln.

Malik, 18.
Malik-al-mulk, 18.
Mann, 58n.
Manna, xxiv, 57-58, 57n., 58n., 59, 63,
165.

Marriage laws, 154, 154n.

Marriage with unbelievers, 147, 147n.
xxiii, 115, 136,

136n.

Marut, 92, 93n.

Marwah,
Mary,

138.
172, 172n.

Masorah, 195n.
Mas'udi, 170, 171.
Meat, 20, 33, 33n., 58, 121-24.
Mecca, xix, xx, xxiv, 90, 101, lOln., 110,

Muhammad.

xvi, xviii n., xix, xxiv, 4n.,

13, 17-18, 78, 89, 91, 105, 107.

Monotheism,

133.
Mortification, 52, 52n., 115, 115n.
Moses, xix, xx, xxiii, xxiv, 4n., 12, 28,
42n., 43, 45, 46, 49-51, 53, 53n., 54,
55, 55n., 56, 60-62, 63-64, 66, 71, 72,
74, 81, 81n., 82, 83, 88-89, 90, 90n.,
91, 97, llOn., 114, 121, 129n., 130n.,
161, 162, 164, 165, 168, 172, 173, 173n.,
174, 182, 185, 186, 19J, 191n., 198,
201.
Moses Haddarshan, 32n.
Moslem usages, xix, xx-xxv, 4-8, 10n.,
1 1-13. See Islam.
Moslems, 212.
Mosque(s), xxi, xxii, 111, 113, 132, 135,
145.

Muhammad,

xiv, xiyn., xvn.,

xviii
n., xix, xx, xxi,
xvi-xvii, xviii,
xxii, xxiv, xxv, 3-4, 3n., 5, 6, 7, 11, 14,

Mubarram,

xxiii.

Mufrrim, 138.

Murder, 127, 127n., 135.

Musaf, 5n.
Muzdalifah,

Melek, 18.
Menstruation, 36, 148^-49, 148n.

Nadab,

Messenger of God, xvii, xix, xx, 90.

Messiah, 179.
Michael, xx, 85, 85n., 86, 87, 89.
"Middle nation," 112.

xiii,

17n., 18, 20, 21, 37, 43, 49, 51, 51n.,

53n., 54n., 60, 66, 67, 67n., 68, 68n.,
71, 75, 76, 77, 82, 82n., 84, 85, 86, 89,
90-91, 90n., 97, 99, lOOn., lOln., 104,
107, 108, 109, 110-11, llOn., llln.,
115, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 127,
128, 128n., 129n., 130n., 132, 145,
146n., 148n., 152, 154n., 157, 159,
160, 161, 169, 172, 180, 183, 191, 191n.,
192, 199, 201, 209, 212, 215, 217, 224.

III, 135, 137, 138-39.

Medina, xx, 76, 85, 90, 108, 124.
Melchizedek, 100.

Midianites, 167.
Mibra', 3n., 195, 195n.
Milhemet mipwah, 135.
Milfremet reshut, 135.

See

Molech, 147.

Mu'adhdhin, xxi.
Muhaimin, al-, 4n.

24.

Martyr(s),

Mohammed.

Moon's phases,

3.

Last Day. See Judgment.

Law. See Torah.
Leah, 162.
Lent, xxiii, 128.' See Forty days.

Makam,

Miracle(s), xxiv, 42, 46, 47, 57-58, 61,

81, 81n., 172, 177, 178, 179-80, 198,
199-200, 205, 209.
Miriam, 64.
Misbelievers, xxiii, 14, 14n., 15, 15n., 16,
16n., 21, 63, 77n., 97, 114, 116, 117,
119, 135, 145, 147, 172, 184, 187, 197,
199, 203, 210, 211, 213, 222.
Mishael, 88n.
Jlftyr, 63n.

al-,

138.

54, 56.

Nahum

of Gamzu, 199-200.
Nebat, 117.
Nebuchadnezzar, 88n.

'Nephilim', 92n.

Nethinim, 147.
New Testament, xvi,

85n., 192. See

Bible, Christian influence, Jesus, Gos-

pel.

JUDAISM AND THE KORAN

264

Ni'mak, al~, 4n.

Nimrod, 88n., 164, 175, 175-76, 180n.
Ninth of Ab, 132.

ayyim, al-, 4n.

Hblah, 110-11, 113.

Noah,

)uails, xxiv, 57, 57n., 58n., 59.

xix,

66,

92,

142,

142n.,

165,

172.

N&r,

idr, al-, 130.

Ms,

al-,

4n.

18.

af, 127.

iraish, 199.

Oaths, vain, 152.

Og, 92n.
Ofl, 20.

Old Testament. See Bible.

Omar, 85-86.
Omnipotence, 99, 174, 176, 203.
Omnipresence, 98, 110, 111, 174.
Omniscience, 193, 206.
Original sin, xix.
'Ottyot

Mahkimot, 195.

Palestine, xxy, 41, 112, 112n., 213.

Paradise, xxiii, xxiv, 19-20, 23, 34, 35, 61,
66,84,89,136, 141, 202, 211, 214, 218.
Passover, 123, 123n.
Patriarchs, xxiv, 107. See Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob.
Pentateuch, xxv, 9, 47, 67n., 116, 123,
191-92, 191n.
Pentecost, 19, 77n.
Peor, 50.
Perafcim, 51.
Persian influence, xx, 5.
Pharaoh, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 81, 89, 97.

Pharaoh's daughter, 88-89.

Philistine(s), 166, 169.
Philo, 105n.

Pilgrimage. See Hajj, Mecca.

Pillar of cloud, xxiv, 57, 57n., 58.
Pillar of fire, 57, 57n., 58.
Pillars of IslSm, xviii, xix ff., 129, 136.
Pinbas ben 'AzurS, 159.
Pirtte Aboth, 51.
Pirfcin, 51.

Plagues of Egypt, 198.

Prayer(s), xvn., xix, xx-xxi, xxii, xxiv,
3, 4-11, 4n., 5, 6, 6n., 6-11, 7n., 11, 69,
78, 79n., 88, 101, 102, 108, 113, 114,
123, 125, 131, 140n., 146, 156, 156n.,
157, 157n., 196.
Prayer Book, 9, 25n., 118n.

Prayer shawl

(Talllt), 8.

Pre-Islamic period. See Jahillyah.

Processions, 103.
Procreation, 21.
Promised Land. See Palestine.
Prophet(s), xvii, xix, xx, xxiv, 42, 53,
55, 63, 64, 76, 90, 90n., 106, 125, 135,
142, 161, 162, 163, 164, 172, 173, 173n.,
191, 207, 209, 217, 223.
Proverbs, xvii n., 4, 160.

Psalms, xxv, 51, 51n., 114, 119, 125, 183,

188, 191.

Punishment

for crime, 127, 127n., 135,

188.
Purification, 157, 157n., 158n.

Rabb, 18.

Rabb al-'&lamln,
Rahim, 18.
Rahmah, al-, 4n.
Rahman, 18.
Rain,

7, 17,
1

17n., 53, 118, 143n.

24.

Rakia
Ramadan,
,

18.

xix,

xxii-xxiii,

6n.,

128-29,

129n., 130, 130n.

Ransom, 127, 127n., 197, 211.
Rasul, 90. See Muhammad.
Reader, 9, 140.
Rebecca, 164, 165.
Red Sea, xxiv, 45-48, 69, 81, 81n., 89.
Repentance, 13, 39, 40, 41n., 52, 128,
204, 210.
Resurrection, xxiv, 17, 21, 21n., 53, 55,
115, 118, 158, 177-78, I77n., 179-80,
203, 208, 209, 224.
Retaliation, 127, 127n.
Revelation, Islamic, xv, xvi, xx, 13, 51,
91, 124, 130, 191, 192.

Riba, 184n.
Ribbon ha-'Olamin, 18.
Rivers of Paradise, 19-20, 20n.
Rock, Moses', xxiv, 60-62, 60n., 61n.,
74, 81n.
Rod, Moses', 60, 61, 62, 81, 81n., 165.

Rosh Hashanah, 128.

Rub, al-, 4n.
Sa'adia Gaon, 15, 34, 53, 127, 141, 179.
Sabbath, xvii n., xxi-xxii, 62, 66, 67-70,
68n., 145, 150, 152n., 218.
Sabbath-breakers, xxiv, 67, 67n.
Sabt, 67, 68n.
$adaqah. See Charity.
$afa, al-, 138.
Saints, xix.
Sajada, 32, 32n.
?alah, 156.
Sal&m, 18, 104.
Saliva, 58n.

Samaw'al, al-, xvii n.

Samuel, xxiv, 73, 161, 161-62, 163.
Sarah, 102, 107, 205.
Satan, xxiv, 33n., 34, 49, 65, 92n., 184.
Saul, xix, xxiv, 161, 162-63, 164, 167,
169, 170.
Sa'y, 138.
"Sayings of the Fathers." See PerSklm,

Aboth.
Schools xxv.
"Sealofallthe Prophets, "xvii, 76,90, 110.
Seal of Prophecy, 90n.

265

INDICES
Second Commandment, 17, 53,
Second Commonwealth, 8n., 9.
"Second Passover," 129n.

79.

Sedition, 135, 145.

Serpent, 33, 34-36, 37, 38, 38n., 185, 198.
Seven, 24, 24n.
Seven heavens, 23, 24-25, 193.

Seven Sleepers,

xiv.

xix, 4-5.
Shaharit, 5n., 8, 18, 18n.

Shahadah,

Shaitan, 33n. See Satan.

Shalom, 104, 105.

22, 70n., 137, 145, 153.

Shehakim, 24.
Shekinah, 22, 53, 107, 164, 183.

129n., 179.

Tithe(s), 12, 13, 79, 143, 143n.

Torah, xviii, xxiii, xxiv, 3, 9, 12, 17, 28,
41, 41n., 51n., 65, 65n., 75, 80, 82, 84,
109, 117, 119n., 124, 130, 130n., 135,
145, 166, 184-85, 191-92, 191n. 196,
201 synonyms of, 4n.
Transgression. See Sin.
Tree of knowledge, 34, 35, 36, 36n., 37,
37n., 39, 148.
Tur, 65.
Twelve tribes, 45.

100, 165.

4-5, 9, 10, 10n., 18, 119, 132.

Shemone 'Esre, 9, 10, 10n., 17n., 118n.
Sheol, 209.

Shema',

4,

Ship(s), 118.
Shofar, xxi.
Siddur. See Prayer Book.
Sidra, 3n.
'Sihon, 92n.
Simeon, 161, 162.

Virginity, 150.
134, 135-36, 136n., 145, 161.
Water, 20, 20n., 60-62, 60n., 61n., 62,

War,

74, 167-68.

Wealth,

Sinai, xxiii, xxiv, 49, 64, 65, 81n., 82,

89, 114, 130, 138, 209.
Sisera, 200.
Siwan, 130.
Slaves, 11, 127, 147.

Snake. See Serpent.

xix, 87, 174.

xix,

xxiv, 66, 92, 93, 94-95,

103, 218.

Solomon ben Adret, Rabbi,

Song -of Songs, 150.

xxii, 12, 80, 125, 184, 197, 201,

203, 211.
Well of Harod, 167.
Widows, 154.

Wilon, 24.

Wind(s),59, 118, 118n., 158.

Wine, 19, 20, 20n., 33, 121, 146, 146n.
Witnesses, xxiv, 107, 112, 187, 187n.
19, 19n., 150-51, 153, 154, 202.

Wives,

Women,
86.

xvii n., xxiv, 19, 19n., 36, 129,

138, 147, 150-51, 153, 154.
137,
134,

201.

Sorcery, 92-93.
Sotah, 83.

Wubuf,

138.

Sperm, 21.
Stone-throwing ceremony, 138-39.

Yemen,

xviii.

Suckling, 155, 155n.

Sunday. See Sabbath.
Swine, 121, 122n.
Synagogue(s) xxii, xxv, 10, 13, 51, 85,
,

103, 140, 156.

Taberah, 56.
Tabernacle, 56, 166.
Tablets of Moses, 130n., 165-66.
4n.
Tahannuth, 108.
TaUit, 8.
TalQt, See Saul.
Tamil, al-, 4n.

Tadhkira,

al-,

76.

Unetaneh tofref, 219.

Unity of God. See Monotheism.
Usury, xxiv, 125, 184-85, 184n., 186.
Vicegerent. See Creation of man.

222, 224.

Solomon,

Umml, 75-76.
Ummot ha'Olam,

Veil, xvii n.

Sin, 16, 16n., 37, 49, 50, 52, 60, 63, 66,
77n., 86, 86n., 110, 117, 122, 140, 145,
179, 188, 193, 198, 209, 210, 213, 216,

Sodom,

Tefillah, 4, 146, 156, 156n. See Prayer.

xxi, xxii, 9, 85, 85n., 103, 113,

Temple,

Shechinah. See Shekinah.

Shem,

129n.

24.

Shamhazai, 92, 92n., 93.

Shammai,

Wet,

Terah, 175-76.
Teshubah, xxiii.

Shabbat, 68.
Shabta, 68.

Shamayim,

Taranjabtn, 59.
Taurat, 65, 191-92. See Torah.
Tavaf, 138.

Yir'at Elohim, 105.

Yom Kippur, xx, xxii, xxiii, 5, 77n., 123,
128-29, 128n., 130n., 132, 218.

Zacharias, 205, 205n.

xix, 143. See Charity.
Zebul, 24.
Zechariah, 129n.
Zedafcah. See Charity.

Zabah,

Zelota, 156.
Zion, 23, 177.

Zion, Wilderness of, 61n.

Zisit, 9.
Zuhr, 5n., lOn.

Zur, 193.