According to Mohammed, the Qur’an is Allah’s revelation to the Arabic speaking populations of his day. It’s intended to provide for the Arabs what the Old Testament did for the Jews and the New Testament for the Christians. Perhaps to our surprise, it has little to say about Ishmael, father of the Arabs, and nothing good to say about the Arabs. Further we’ll note that Mohammed has a reasonably correct approach to the Jews but a very brief and sketchy one to Christians. This was no doubt because his travels and mercantile occupation brought him in closer contact with Jews than it did with Christians.
We also recall that Mohammed does not present Islam as a new religion. He actually felt the disciples of Jesus were Muslims: “Jesus said, ‘Who will be my helpers to (the work of) Allah?’ Said the Disciples: ‘We are Allah’s helpers: we believe in Allah, and you bear witness that we are Muslims’ ” (3:52). And he considered himself as being in the line of Biblical prophets:
“Say, ‘We believe in Allah, and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Isma’il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in (the Books) given to Moses, Jesus and the Prophets, from their Lord: we make no distinction between one and another among them, and to Allah do we bow our will (in Islam).’ If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah), never will it be accepted of him…” (3:84-85).
The chosen people
While we may expect Mohammed to allude to the Arabs as God’s chosen people, he does not. Instead, the Qur’an speaks of the Jews as the favored people of all nations because to them was given the word of Allah: “We [Mohammed’s we are the angels working at Allah’s bidding] did aforetime grant to the Children of Israel the Book, the Power of Command, and Prophethood; We gave them for Sustenance, things good and pure; and We favored them above the nations” (45:16; 98:5). In fact the Jews are referred as “My servants” when they are delivered from Egypt: “We sent an inspiration to Moses: ‘Travel by night with My servants…’ ” (20:77).
Part of the favor shown Israel is said to be that Allah “settled the children of Israel in a beautiful dwelling-place, and provided for them sustenance of the best…” (10:93). What we may find surprising is that there is no mention of any special area being given to the descendants of Ishmael.
Of course, Mohammed makes quite a point of saying that the Jews did not respond to these blessings:
“(They have incurred divine displeasure): in that they broke their Covenant; that they rejected the Signs of Allah; that they slew the Messengers in defiance of right…That they rejected Faith…that they said (in boast), ‘We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah’ ” (4:155-157).
Mohammed further notes that Israel was warned they would be severely punished for disobedience:
“And We gave clear warning to the Children of Israel in the Book, that twice would they do mischief on the earth and be elated with mighty arrogance (and twice would they be punished)! When the first of the warnings came to pass, We sent against you Our servants given to terrible warfare…Then We granted you the Return as against them…when the second of the warnings came to pass, (We permitted your enemies) to disfigure your faces and to enter your Temple as they had entered it before…” (17:4-7).
This is evidently a reference to the Babylonian captivity, the return to the land under Cyrus and then the dispersion of the Jews by the Romans.
Mohammed and the Jews of his day
When considering Mohammed’s approach to the Jews of his own time [610-632 A.D.], one is faced with the problems encountered several times with the Qur’an: There are conflicting messages and no clue as to the chronological sequence. On the one hand, Jews and Christians are to be approached gently and on the other hand they are to be physically subdued if they don’t convert to Islam.
First the gentle approach: “Do not dispute with the People of the Book [Jews and Christians]…but say, ‘We believe in the Revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; our God (Allah) and your God (Allah) is One; and it is to Him We bow (in Islam)’ ” (29:46).
Then the threatening approach: “Fight those who do not believe in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the Religion of Truth (even if they are) of the People of the Book [Jews and Christians] until they pay the Jizya [a special tax on non-Muslims] with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. The Jews call ‘Uzair [?] a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ the Son of Allah…Allah’s curse be on them…” (9:29-30).
Writing on the history of the Jews, Solomon Grayzel offers a reasonable solution to these contradictory approaches:
“Mohammed fully expected to find among the Jews greater appreciation than he did among the pagan Arabs. It seemed to him that he had taken over so many elements of Judaism that the Jews ought to hail him as their leader and recognize in him the great prophet and redeemer of mankind for whose coming they were hoping. But the Jews from among the Jewish tribes that lived in or near Medina [Mohammed’s base of operations] would have nothing to do with him…They were horrified by his claim of being superior to Moses. Soon Mohammed realized that, with very few exceptions, the Jews would not follow him. He became angry, filled his new revelations with accusations against the Jews…and decided to destroy them”1
In the last years of his life, Mohammed did destroy the surrounding Jewish settlements. Yet as Islam spread throughout a vast area, Muslims became more reasonable masters than Christians for the scattered Jewish population, so long as the Jews paid the Jizya tax. This same author notes that it was relative toleration in the Islamic world that made possible a preservation of Jewish culture while Europe languished in the dark ages for many centuries (op.cit. pg. 254 ff.). So long as the Jews paid the special tax, they were allowed to practice their religion and maintain their schools.
Ishmael and the Arabs
One of the surprising aspects of the Qur’an is the infrequent reference to Ishmael and the consistently negative comments made of the Arabs. As noted in the above quote, Ishmael (spelled Isma’il in the Qur’an) is listed with the prophets of Allah. On three occasions he is cited as a righteous man doing good. The most complimentary description is: “Also mention in the Book (the story of) Isma’il: he was (strictly) true to what he promised, and he was a messenger (and) a prophet. He used to enjoin on his people Prayer and Charity, and he was most acceptable in the sight of his Lord” (19:54-55; also 21:85-86; 38:48). However, nothing is said about his descendants being anything special, or about Ishmael being the chosen of God instead of Isaac.
While it may be popularly accepted by Muslims that Ishmael rather than Isaac was the son of Abraham who submitted to his father, the Qur’an itself is very ambiguous on the matter. Following is the Qur’an’s only account of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son:
“Verily among those who followed his Way was Abraham…Then when (the son) [whose name is not given] reached (the age of) (serious) work with him, he said: ‘O my son! I see in vision that I offer you in sacrifice: now see what is your view!’ (The son) said: ‘O my father! Do as you are commanded: you will find me, if Allah so wills, one practicing patience and constancy!’ So when they had both submitted their wills (to Allah), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice), We called out to him, ‘O Abraham! You have already fulfilled the vision!’ – thus indeed do We reward those who do right. For this was obviously a trial – and We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice: and We left (this blessing) for him among generations (to come) in later times: ‘Peace and salutation to Abraham!’ Thus indeed do We reward those who do right. For he was one of Our believing Servants. And we gave him the good news of Isaac – a prophet, – one of the Righteous. We blessed him and Isaac: but of their progeny are (some) that do right, and (some) that obviously do wrong, to their own souls” (37:83, 102-113).
Ishmael is not mentioned by name and the good news regarding Isaac is not clear. Was the good news that Isaac would be born? Or was it that Isaac had been spared the sacrifice?
Considering the assertions that the Qur’an replaces Isaac with Ishmael, we find this a most unsatisfactory proof text. It’s evident that the elevation of Ishmael was a creation of Mohammed’s followers and not of Mohammed himself.
The Arabs
In respect to the Arabs, the Qur’an refers to them about a dozen times and always with a negative overtone. Sura 49 verse 14 is typical: “The desert Arabs say, ‘We believe.’ Say, ‘You have no faith, but you (only) say, ‘We have submitted our wills to Allah,’ for Faith has not yet entered your hearts.”
While Mohammed considered his special mission was to Arabs, he thought his message to be part of the universal appeal of Allah. His emphasis was that anyone of any nation had to correctly worship Allah and follow the faith of Abraham.
“Abraham was not a Jew nor yet a Christian; but he was true in Faith, and bowed his will to Allah’s, (which is Islam), and he did not join gods with Allah. Without doubt, among men, the nearest of kin to Abraham, are those who follow him, as are also this Messenger and those who believe: and Allah is the Protector of those who have faith” (3:67-68).
Jesus and Christians
Here is another area where Mohammed pronounces widely disparate “revelations,” no doubt at different times in his life. If a person wants to depict Islam as an accommodating, peace-seeking religion they could quote 2:62:
“Those who believe (in the Qur’an), and those who follow the Jewish (Scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians and who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord: on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.”
This passage is cited by leaders in countries such as the United States who want to maintain the policy of freedom of religion and want the public to believe Islam presents no danger to the established order.
But Muslim Militants endorse violence against Christians by citing the passage:
“Fight those who do not believe in Allah…the Christians call Christ the Son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the Unbelievers of old used to say. Allah’s curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth!” (9:29-30).
It is these conflicting positions on a number of issues that makes the mixed message of the Qur’an a disquieting and often dangerous element in today’s world. Militants can use it to stir up violence while humanists can cite its moderate statements to argue tolerating what may constitute a serious threat to society.
Further information on the Qur’an and Christians has been covered in the articles on “What the Qur’an says about Jesus” (Tidings 10/09) and “What the Qur’an says about Jihad” (Tidings 11/09).
This study is completed. For further information on contemporary Islam, Bro. J.
Thorpe has significantly expanded his work on “The Bible and Islam” which is now available from Printland Publishers in India.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One