reynolds-the-quran-in-its-historical-context-2

Recommendations

Info

374 Gerald Hcrwtinghas discussed a number of elements in the Qur'iin that possibly reflect aChristian background. 4There are also two scholars who have referred in some detail to somematerial to be touched on in this chapter. In his Mohammed, sein Leben undGlaube, Tor Andrae discusses "Mohammed's doctrine of revelation," sp
376 Gerald HawtingIt was indicated above that the opponents' contemptuous reference in Q 17:94. ·.'to the fact that the messenger was merely a human being elicited a response thatimplied that they expected a messenger to be an angel. There are several other ..passages where the same contrast is set up. At Q 6:50, following a verse that·assures him that "those who deny Our signs" will be punished, the messenger of ·the Qur' an is commanded to say, "I do not tell you that I have the treasures of Godwith me, that I know the unknown, or that I am an angel. I merely follow what has .been revealed to me (yii(la ilayya)." The implication is that his opponents ·rejected him because, as a mere human, he is unable to meet their demands formiraculous signs to support his claims to be a messenger of God, and that theyexpected God's jllessengers to be angels. Elsewhere, Noah responds to the objec~tion made by the council (al-ma/a') of the unbelievers among his people that "wedo not consider you anything but a human like us" (Q 11 :27) with exactly thesame formula: "I do not tell you that I have the treasures of God with me, that Iknow the unknown, or that I am an angel." (Q 11:31)It is notable that the phrase, "I do not tell you that I am an angel," never seemsto be a direct response to an explicit statement, "You are not an angel." That latterphrase is never attributed to the opponents, but that they do in fact think God'smessengers must be angels is implied in three verses that use related but slightlyvariant formulations. At Q 11:12, they are reported as saying, "If only a treasurehad been sent down upon him or an angel had come with him (ja 'a ma 'ahumalak)". 9 Again at Q 25:7, following their assertion of the Qur'anic messenger'smerely human status ("he eats food and walks in the markets"), the opponents say,"If only an angel had been sent down to him (unzila ilayhi malak) and he (the selfproclaimedQur'anic messenger) would be a warner with him (the angel)." AtQ 6:8 we are told that they said, "If only an angel had been sent down upon him(unzila 'alayhi malak)." 10Sometimes God or His messenger responds by explaining why an angel has notbeen sent. In response to the just cited words of the opponents at Q 6:8 God says,"If We had sent dov:n an angel, the matter would be decided and then no delaywould be granted them, and if We had made him an angel, We would have madehim a man and We would have confused them even more (law anzalna malakanla-qzu;liya l-amnt thumma !a yun:?ariina wa-law ja 'alnahu malakan la-ja 'alnahurajulan wa-la-labasna 'alayhim ma yalbisiina)." That appears to mean that the9 The verse continues with the phrase, "You are'only a warner (nadhfr)." This is generally understoodas God addressing the Prophet rather than as a continuation of the words of the opponents.The change of person in the pronoun might support that understanding, ·but comparison with Q25:7 would support the view that it is a continuation of the words of. the opponents, perhapssuggesting that they would be prepared to accept a human as a warner but not as a messenger.10 It is worth pointing out that the Qur'anic messenger does not respond by saying that an angel hadindeed come down to him. In view of the common understanding that Q 2:97 identifies Gabriel asthe one who brought the revelation, and of the prominence in Muslim tradition of the idea ofGabriel as the intermediary who brought the Qur'iin to Mul;tammad, it is remarkable that he doesnot do so.Messengers and angels in the Qur 'an 377· sending down of angels indicates the imminence of the Last Judgment, and that if... angels were to walk on earth they would be indistinguishable from men. Similar· ··ideas and phrases occur in other places. At Q 2:210 it is asked if the unbelieverswill wait (yaniunlna) until God comes to them in dark clouds with angels(wa-qurjiya 1-amr); at Q 15:8, responding to the opponents' demand that themessenger should bring them angels as proof of his authentiCity, God says that Hedoes not send the angels unless with the truth (ilia bi-1-baqq) and in that case the. unbelievers would have no respite (wa-ma kaml idhan mun:?ar'ina). 11· • At Q 17:95, however, in response to the demand of the unbelievers that he bring. them God and .the angels as proof of his claims (aw ta 'tiya billahi wa-1-mala 'ika•. qabrlan), the Qur'anic messenger is commanded by God to say, "If there were·angels walking on earth in security, then We should have sent down upon themfrom the heavens an angel as a messenger (law kana fi 1-arf/i mala 'ikatunyamshiina mutma 'inn'ina la-nazzalna 'alayhim mina l-sama 'i malakan raszllan)."In other words, God has sent a human being as His messenger and not an angelbecause angels do not routinely inhabit this world.In such passages referring to the words of the opponents it seems possible todistinguish two different, although related, motives for their demand for angels tocome down. In some cases tliey are saying that the self-proclaimed messenger ofGod should produce angels (together with God himself according to Q 17:92) asone of the miraculous signs that would convince them that his claims to be amessenger (and for them, therefore, also to be an angel) were authentic (although,of course, the Qur' an insists that nothing would in fact convince them of that). 12In others they are stipulating that an angel should come down with, to or upon himand without that he is merely an ordinary man. The sense is not obvious, but whatseems to be implied is that the coming of the angel to him would transform him.On the face of it, then, the passages referred to reflect a situation in which theQur'anic messenger is rejected by his opponents because of his merely humanstatus: he cannot be a messenger of God because he is clearly only a human being.His replies both indicate a positive assertion of his humanity - that being ahuman is not merely no obstacle to being a messenger of God, but it is a necessarycondition 13 - and imply that the opponents expect a messenger to be an angel.Before discussing the sorl of historical and intellectual context in which such anargument would make sense we need to consider further the Qur'anic materialpertaining to angels, including the ideas of the opponents of its messenger. Muchof what we are told about angels in the Qur'an seems familiar and traditional.11 Cf. also Q 25:22-25: "The day when they see the angels ... the day when the heavens shall be tornasunder and the angels shall be sent' down."12 E.g., Qur'an 15:14--15: "Even if We were to open for them a gate of the heavens and they wouldnot cease to go up through it, they would say, 'Our eyes have been intoxicated- indeed we are apeople bewitched.' "13 The explanations given of why God had not sent an angel as His messenger (e.g. that the comingdown of angels portends the end of the world) suggest that the Qur'anic argument is that amessenger must be a human.
Page 1 and 2:
New Perspectives on the Qur'anIn th
Page 3 and 4:
New Perspectives onthe Qur)anThe Qu
Page 5 and 6:
ContentsAcknowledgementsContributor
Page 7 and 8:
Acknowledgements xiiiAcknowledgemen
Page 9 and 10:
xviContributorsCompanion to the Qur
Page 11 and 12:
xxForewordIf we were to leave thing
Page 13 and 14:
2 Gabriel Said ReynoldsIn the intro
Page 15 and 16:
6 Gabriel Said Reynoldscontribution
Page 17 and 18:
10 Gabriel Said ReynoldsA different
Page 19 and 20:
14 Gabriel Said ReynoldsAnd He sent
Page 21 and 22:
18 Gabriel Said Reynoldsnames and d
Page 23 and 24:
·Part I···Method in Qur)anic st
Page 25 and 26:
26 Fred M Donnerable to determine m
Page 27 and 28:
30 Fred M Donnerabout which the tra
Page 29 and 30:
34 Fred M Donnerhistorian cannot ac
Page 31 and 32:
Studies in Qur 'anic vocabulary 392
Page 33 and 34:
42 Andrew Rippinforeign is not clea
Page 35 and 36:
46 Andrew Rippinsuggestion could al
Page 37 and 38:
50 Nasr Abu Zaydfrom the perspectiv
Page 39 and 40:
54 Nasr Abu Zaydstudy (1968-72), Eg
Page 41 and 42:
58 Nasr Abu Zaydthe commencement (i
Page 43 and 44:
62 Nasr Abu ZaydThe second phenomen
Page 45 and 46:
66 Nasr Abu Zaydare intended to rea
Page 47 and 48:
70 Nasr Abu Zaydchapter shows that
Page 49 and 50:
74 Nasr Abu ZaydMuslim jurists,fitq
Page 51 and 52:
78 Nasr Abu ZaydFor the natures of
Page 53 and 54:
82 Nasr Abu Zaydcertain, whereas th
Page 55 and 56:
86 Nasr Abu Zaydyour lord?' They sa
Page 57 and 58:
The Jews of the Hijaz in theQur' an
Page 59 and 60:
94 Robert G. Hoylandit by hereditar
Page 61 and 62:
98 Robert G. HoylandScript/Lang.: L
Page 63 and 64:
102 Robert G. HoylandNo.24Place: al
Page 65 and 66:
106 Robert G. HoylandThough classed
Page 67 and 68:
110 Robert G. Hoyland"Akrabos ben S
Page 69 and 70:
114 Robert G. HoylandThe only probl
Page 71 and 72:
118 Hani HayajnehScattered hints ar
Page 73 and 74:
122 Hani Hayajnehand the situations
Page 75 and 76:
126 llanillayqinehthat can elucidat
Page 77 and 78:
130 Hani Hayajnehpreserved in the c
Page 79 and 80:
134 Hani Hayajneh3. al-UkhdiidQur'a
Page 81 and 82:
138 Hani Hayajneh"deliver, preserve
Page 83 and 84:
142 Hani Hayajnehits common tribal
Page 85 and 86:
146 Hani Hayajneh"l) 'mkrb son of ~
Page 87 and 88:
148 Gerd-R. PuinThe orthography oft
Page 89 and 90:
152 Gerd-R. PuinVowel letters and o
Page 91 and 92:
156 Gerd-R. Puinto be explained as
Page 93 and 94:
160 Gerd-R. Puinmade identical with
Page 95 and 96:
164 Gerd-R. Puin(66) fhJ( 67) \J.J
Page 97 and 98:
168 Gerd-R. Puin(Q 51 :47). Here, i
Page 99 and 100:
172 Gerd-R. Puin16:69 16:69 D =16:9
Page 101 and 102:
176 Gerd-R. Puinaccusative, but has
Page 103 and 104:
186 Gerd-R. PuinHowever, neither th
Page 105 and 106:
184 Gerd-R. PuinIn M.F. Malik's tra
Page 107 and 108:
188 Gerd-R. PuinAl-ntb' al-awwal mi
Page 109 and 110:
Hapaxes in the Qur'an:identifying a
Page 111 and 112:
196 Shawkat M Toorawathe works of M
Page 113 and 114:
200 Shawkat M ToorawaIn his 1966 Le
Page 115 and 116:
204 Shawkat M ToordWa"any biblical
Page 117 and 118:
208 Shawkat M Toorawa Hapaxes in th
Page 119 and 120:
Page 121 and 122:
Page 123 and 124:
Hapaxes in the Qur'an 221220 Shawka
Page 125 and 126:
224 Shawkat M Toorawa Hapax.es in t
Page 127 and 128:
Page 129 and 130:
232 Shawkat M Toorawa Hapax:es in t
Page 131 and 132:
Hapaxes in the Qur'an 237236 Shawka
Page 133 and 134:
240 Shawkat M Toorawafrom a shared
Page 135 and 136:
244 Shaw/cat M Toorawasix. And in a
Page 137 and 138:
248 Manfred KroppQur'anic corpus wh
Page 139 and 140:
252 Manfred Kroppobscurum per obscu
Page 141 and 142:
256 Manfred KroppNow the verb kana,
Page 143 and 144:
260 Manfred KroppHaving in mind now
Page 145 and 146:
264 Manfred KroppTo conclude this s
Page 147 and 148:
268 Munther YounesThe wordgharq vio
Page 149 and 150: 272 Mzmther Youneslater came to be
Page 151 and 152: 276 Munther YounesThe verb nashit,
Page 153 and 154: 280 Christoph LuxenbergEdessa, whic
Page 155 and 156: 284 Christoph Luxenberg14 He had be
Page 157 and 158: 288 Christoph Luxenbergvariants in
Page 159 and 160: 292 Christoph Luxenberg11. mil kadh
Page 161 and 162: 296 Christoph Luxenbergapplication
Page 163 and 164: Al-Nafilirii in the Qur' anA hermen
Page 165 and 166: 304 Sidney Griffithonly Persian pag
Page 167 and 168: 308 Sidney Griffithand al-na~ara as
Page 169 and 170: 312 Sidney Griffiththis manner the
Page 171 and 172: 316 Sidney Griffithpassages that eq
Page 173 and 174: 320 Sidney Griffithincluded Jews an
Page 175 and 176: 324 Devin J. StewartMore r~cently,
Page 177 and 178: 328 Devin J. Stewart(Q 101:9-11), t
Page 179 and 180: 332 Devin J. Stewartpagans assign t
Page 181 and 182: 336 Devin J. StewartOmen texts were
Page 183 and 184: 340 Devin J. StewartQur'an in the s
Page 185 and 186: 344 Devin J. StewartThi~ idea may t
Page 187 and 188: 348 Devin J. Stewartand so on, are
Page 189 and 190: 352 Su{eiman A. Mouraddid not come
Page 191 and 192: 356 Suleiman A. Mouradaccusation. T
Page 193 and 194: 360 Clare WildeJudea-Christian comm
Page 195 and 196: 364 Clare WildeBible was recognized
Page 197 and 198: 368 Clare WildeRecitation or codex-
Page 199: Messengers and angels in the Qur'an
Page 203 and 204: 380 Gerald Hawtingthird person (the
Page 205 and 206: 384 Gerald HawtingInherent in all o
Page 207 and 208: 388 Gerald HawtingChristianity that
Page 209 and 210: Is there a notion of "divineelectio
Page 211 and 212: 396 Reuven FirestoneThe New Testame
Page 213 and 214: 400 Reuven Firestonethrough. a fire
Page 215 and 216: 404 Reuven FirestoneMost of the ter
Page 217 and 218: 408 Reuven Firestoneof the religiou
Page 219 and 220: 412 Waleed Ahmedassess the early Mu
Page 221 and 222: 416 Waleed Ahmedabsent (mal;zdhz7f,
Page 223 and 224: 420 Waleed AhmedThe main problem wi
Page 225 and 226: 424 Waleed AhmedConclusionThe analy
Page 227 and 228: 428 Joseph Witztumhomily by Narsai.
Page 229 and 230: 432 Joseph Witztumin the story keep
Page 231 and 232: 436 Joseph Witztumexample,,when Jac
Page 233 and 234: 440 Joseph WitztumAnd again they sa
Page 235 and 236: 444 Joseph Witztum?ialect and might
Page 237 and 238: 448 Joseph Witztumnot that.the Syri
Page 239 and 240: 452 Emran El-BadawiOther scholars r
Page 241 and 242: 456 Emran El-BadawiCenturies of Ara
Page 243 and 244: 460 Emran El-Badawi!ewish scri~es.
Page 245 and 246: 464 Emran El-Badawistranger, clothi
Page 247 and 248: 468 Adam Silverstein"Egypt." 4 But
Page 249 and 250: 472 Adam Silversteinhoweve~, are la
Page 251 and 252:
476 Adam Silversteinto build a ~arb
Page 253 and 254:
480 BibliographyAbii al-Futiil;!, M
Page 255 and 256:
484 Bibliography--Homiliae Selectae
Page 257 and 258:
488 BibliographyBeyer, K. and A. Li
Page 259 and 260:
492 BibliographyGallez, E.-M. Le me
Page 261 and 262:
496 BibliographyKahle, P.E. "The Qu
Page 263 and 264:
500 BibliographyMcAuliffe, J.D. Qur
Page 265 and 266:
504 Bibliography--"Die Wissenschaft
Page 267 and 268:
508 BibliographySpitaler, A. "Die N
Page 269 and 270:
Index of Qur' anic citationsand ref
Page 271 and 272:
516 Index of Qur 'anic citations an
Page 273 and 274:
520 Index of Qur 'iinic citations a
Page 275 and 276:
524 Index of Qur 'anic citations an
Page 277 and 278:
Index of people, places and subject
Page 279 and 280:
532 Index of people, places and sub
Page 281 and 282:
536 Index of people, places and sub
show all

reynolds-the-quran-in-its-historical-context-2

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?