The Qur'an and its Biblical Subtext (Routledge Studies in the Qur'an)
Gabriel Said Reynolds
Language: English
Pages: 320
ISBN: 0415524245
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
This book challenges the dominant scholarly notion that the Qur’ān must be interpreted through the medieval commentaries shaped by the biography of the prophet Muhammad, arguing instead that the text is best read in light of Christian and Jewish scripture. The Qur’ān, in its use of allusions, depends on the Biblical knowledge of its audience. However, medieval Muslim commentators, working in a context of religious rivalry, developed stories that separate Qur’ān and Bible, which this book brings back together.
In a series of studies involving the devil, Adam, Abraham, Jonah, Mary, and Muhammad among others, Reynolds shows how modern translators of the Qur’ān have followed medieval Muslim commentary and demonstrates how an appreciation of the Qur’ān’s Biblical subtext uncovers the richness of the Qur’ān’s discourse. Presenting unique interpretations of 13 different sections of the Qur’ān based on studies of earlier Jewish and Christian literature, the author substantially re-evaluates Muslim exegetical literature. Thus The Qur’ān and Its Biblical Subtext, a work based on a profound regard for the Qur’ān’s literary structure and rhetorical strategy, poses a substantial challenge to the standard scholarship of Qur’ānic Studies. With an approach that bridges early Christian history and Islamic origins, the book will appeal not only to students of the Qur’an but of the Bible, religious studies and Islamic history.
narrative, Zamakhsharc remarks (2:711– 2), has them meet instead a shepherd accompanied by a dog. 614 “God knows better,” he concludes. Ibn Kathcr 3:72, on Q 18.18. Ibn Kathcr also notes two versions of the dog’s name: S.m.r.A.n ( Ibn Kathcr, 3:70, on Q 18.9 –12.) and (on the authority of al-7asan al-Ba1rc) Qivmcr (3:72, on Q 18.18). In this tradition al-7asan names a number of animals that appear in the Qur’an: Abraham’s ram he names jarCr (the ram itself does not appear in the Qur’an, but
the Arabic alphabet is represented at least once by these letters, while no form is used for more than one letter.68 Meanwhile, Seras that begin with the same or similar letters are grouped together, even when that grouping means violating the larger ordering principle of the Qur’an (from longer to shorter Seras).69 Yet the classical mufassirEn do not know any of this. They do not demonstrate any memory of the role these letters played in the Qur’an’s organization. Instead their commentary
Vrin, 1958), 151– 61; F. Denny, “Some religio-communal terms and concepts in the Qur’an,” Numen 24, 1977, (26 – 59) 26 – 34; S. Bashear, Studies in Early Islamic Tradition, Jerusalem: The Hebrew University Press, 2004, ch. xiv. 201 Sprenger, Leben, 1:67 – 71; H. Hirschfeld, Beiträge zur Erklärung des 0orAns, Leipzig: Schulze, 1886, 46; Beeston, “The religions of pre-Islamic Yemen”; idem, “Himyarite monotheism.” Wellhausen argues that the SanCfs were instead some sort of Christian penitential
later, when the Qur’an reports that “Pharaoh, Haman and their soldiers were sinners” (Q 28.8). Thus if Haman shared in Pharaoh’s power, he also shared in Pharaoh’s sin (28.4). Elsewhere (Q 29.39; 40.24) the Qur’an adds a third gure, Qaren, to this pair, condemning the arrogance of all three (Q 29.39) and noting how they rejected the divine message of Moses (Q 40.23 – 4). In another place (Q 28.76) the Qur’an relates that Qaren abused Moses’ people, even though he was one of them. In the same
cursed 303 Regarding Islamic commentary on this episode see especially M. Cook, “Ibn Qutayba and the monkeys,” SI 89, 1999, (43 – 74) esp. 51ff. 304 Pickthall: “Be ye apes, despised and hated!”; Yusuf Ali: “Be ye apes, despised and rejected”; Blachère: “Soyez des singes abjects!”; Arberry: “Be you apes, miserably slinking!”; Paret: “Werdet zu abgestoßenen Affen!” 305 Although his translation of Q 5.60 (“transformed them into monkeys and swine”) suggests a literal reading. 306 Abdel Haleem,