THE

SOURCES OF ISLAM
A PERSIAN TREATISE

BY THE

REV. W. ST. CLAIR-TISDALL, M.A.

C.M.S. Missionary from Julfa
AUTHOR OF "THE RELIGION OF THE CRESCENT" Etc.

www.muhammadanism.org
May 16, 2006

TRANSLATED AND ABRIDGED BY

SIR WILLIAM MUIR, K.C.S.I.
D.C.L., LL.D., Ph. D. (Bologna)

PERMISSION FOR REPRINTING BY THE COURTESY OF

T. & T. CLARK, 38 GEORGE STREET,

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

ii

Published by:
The message for Muslims Trust
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
PREFACE
Sources of Islam vii
Translations recommended xiii
INTRODUCTION 1

CHAPTER I.
Sources according to Muslim Divines 2

CHAPTER II.
Arabian Customs maintained in Islam 4

CHAPTER III.
Sabaeans 11
Subjects taken from Jewish Commentators
Cain and Abel 11
Abraham 15
Queen of Sheba 17
Hârût and Mârût 24
Mount Sinai 33
The Preserved Table 38
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
CHAPTER IV.
Tales derived from Heretical Christian Sects —
The Seven Sleepers 47
Mariam and Virgin Mary 49
Childhood of Jesus 57
The Heavenly Table 59
The Paraclete 65
The Balance 67
Abraham's Ascent to Heaven 71

CHAPTER V.
Zoroastrian Subjects —
The Mirâj: Muhammad's Ascent to Heaven 76
Paradise and Houries 82
Azâzîl, the Evil Spirit 84
The Light of Muhammad 86
Bridge Sirat 88

CHAPTER VI.
The Hanefites 92
Zeid 94
Successive Orders of Muhammad for War 97
The Saviour promised by Abraham 101
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

v
TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE

As an Introduction to the Sources of Islam, the Translator prefixes an outline of the work
from that valuable Review, the Nineteenth Century, December 1900.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

vi

[The above picture is added, compare to the picture on page 70 of the original book]

[Blank Page]
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

PREFACE

THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

This remarkable book has been written by the Rev. W. St. Clair-Tisdall, Missionary,
C.M.S., Julfa, Persia. It takes up a subject never as yet brought properly under discussion
either by Muslims or Christians — namely, the origin of the Qur'an, and the Sources from
which both it and Tradition have been derived. By the teaching of Muhammad the Qur'an
is of divine origin, and was brought down, as Tradition tells us, word by word by Gabriel
to the Prophet's ear. The original is "written on a Tablet, kept in Heaven,"1 "sent down on
the night of al Cadr"2 by the Almighty. Thus the Qur'an comes from God alone, heavenly,
divine, and uncreate from all eternity. Now if it be shown that much of this grand book
can be traced to human Sources existing daily around the Prophet, then Islam falls to the
ground. And this is what the Author proves with marvelous power and erudition.
Such Sources as were derived from the Arabs them-

1
Surah lxxxv. 21; vi. 19.
2
Surah xcvii. 1. Sent down, the, as they say, to the lowest Heaven, and thence by Gabriel communicated to
the Prophet, bit by bit, as occasion required.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

viii SOURCES OF ISLAM

selves are treated first (chap. ii). The shadow of divine unity still subsisted among them.
There were a multitude of gods and idols, of which each tribe had its special ones, as Lât
and Ozza for the Coreish. The intercession of these was sought; but above and beyond
them all was the ancient memory of one great God, Allah — the Al ("the") a proof of
sovereign unity. Curious that the word occurs in the Prophet's family, his father and uncle
being called Abdallah and Obeidallah. There was thus a local Source to build upon. Then
we have the multitude of national habits and practices, as the Hajj, the Kaaba, etc.,
maintained in the new faith, though all of earthly origin. It was indeed the Prophet's
endeavor to pull down all purely idolatrous worship;1 and so he did, except the kissing of
the Black stone, too popular a practice to be abandoned. A curious example of a purely
local Source may be found in a number of verses of the Qur'an which are shown to be
taken from the Moallaqât, a plagiarism rather difficult for the Muslim to conjoin with the
heavenly origin of his Revelation.
Chapter iii. explains the influence of Judaism. And first we are told that the Five
times of prayer were borrowed from the Sabeans. The Jews were numerous and powerful
throughout Arabia, and Muhammad, having sought their conversion in vain, at last fought
against them and banished them from the country. But in the meantime he had taken
much of his teaching from their books, the Talmud, their Commentaries, etc. The

1
"What think ye of Allat and Al Uzza and Monât, the other third?...They are but empty names which ye
and your fathers have named Goddesses." Surah liii. 19.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

PREFACE ix

first Qibla was Jerusalem, and the marvellous tales thus derived cannot be read without
astonishment. Thus there is the story of Cain and Abel, and of their parents weeping
while the raven showed how to bury the dead; Abraham cast by Nimrod into the fire
unhurt;1 the Queen of Sheba uncovering her legs as she walked before Solomon over the
glass floor, which she takes for a sheet of water; the descent of Hârut and Mârut and other
spirits from above to tempt mankind; Sammâel the Angel of Death speaking out of the
Golden Calf — and other fictitious tales too numerous to mention. It is strange that
though the Jewish and Christian Scriptures are spoken of throughout the Qur'an with the
utmost devotion, only one passage is quoted from them, namely, "The meek shall inherit
the earth." In respect also of the Tables of the Testimony put by Moses into the Ark, the
Muslims, following the extravagant notions of the Jews who fancied that all their sacred
books with the Talmud were also in the Ark, place on the "Preserved Table" their own
Qur'an! A vast emerald mountain has also arisen out of the word Cau in the Talmudic
explanation of Thohu, Genesis i. 2; of which it takes 2000 years to make the circuit, and
500 the ascent. Such are the wild vagaries of Muslim tradition and the Sources whence
they come.
Chapter iv. next shows the apochryphal Christian sources from which Islam has
so largely borrowed. There were many Christian tribes in Arabia belonging to heretical
sects who had sought refuge

1
The story arises out of the strange mistake of Ur of the Chaldees (Gen. xv. 7) for the same word
signifying an oven or fire.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

x SOURCES OF ISLAM

there from persecution in Roman lands. Little versed in their own Scriptures, they spent
the time in imaginary and childish fables. The Prophet, longing for a universal faith,
listened gladly to such stories, which thus became the Source of much we find in the
Qur'an.
First we have the fairy tale of the Cave wherein the seven Sleepers slumbered for
ages, fearing persecution.1 Next we have endless stories of the Virgin Mary, both in the
Qur'an and with vast detail also in Tradition; her mother Hannah, her childhood as fed by
angels in the Temple; Joseph chosen by a miraculous rod, etc., much as in the Proto-
Evangelium and other Egyptian and Coptic writings.2 Then there are the tales of Jesus,
as of his speaking in the cradle, breathing life into birds of clay, etc.3 These the Prophet
learned probably from Mary his Coptic concubine, as they are all contained in such
Coptic books as the Gospel of St. Thomas.4 Thus we have the descent of the Table from
Heaven (derived no doubt from the table of the Lord's Supper); the promise by Jesus of a
prophet to come, called Ahmed, 5 which was apparently caused by the mistake of
περικλυτός [periklytos] for παράκλητος [paraklêtos]; the notion that the resemblance
only, and not the real person, of Christ was slain,6 derived from the heretic Basilides, etc.
Passing over much of interest, we may close our

1
It is worth the while of anyone not familiar with the Qur'an to read this at length, as given in Surah xviii. 8
24.
2
Aaron's sister Maryam is curiously confused with Mary of the Gospel.
3
S. iii. 41; v. 19.
4
S. v. 121.
5
S. lxi. 6.
6
S. iv. 156.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

PREFACE xi

review of Christian sources by notice of the Balance, briefly mentioned in the Qur'an,1
but surrounded by a vast variety of Coptic tales. Two Egyptian books (one of ancient date
placed in the tombs to be read by the dead) are quoted at length; a wonderful Egyptian
picture exhibits how the Balance weighs the spirits, good and bad; and strange sights are
given of Adam and Abraham in the Heavens beyond.
Chapter v. relates many things from ancient Zoroastrian and even Hindu
writings. Persia, far ahead of Arabia, had a sensible influence upon it, and much of what
is Oriental in the Qur'an and Tradition is evidently derived from Pehlavi and other
Eastern sources. Thus we have the marvels of the Seven heavens, seen by the Prophet on
his ascent from Jerusalem; the Houries; Azâzîl and other spirits coming up from Hades;
the Light of Muhammad, the bridge of Sirât, etc. — all illustrated by the author's
marvellous knowledge of Eastern literature, beliefs, and history. The Prophet must have
learned all these things from the foreigners who frequented Medina. Suspected of this, he
indignantly replied that his tongue was not foreign, but pure Arabic alone.2
The concluding chapter tells us of a few inquirers in Arabia, called Hanefites, just
before the time of Muhammad. There were four at Mecca, of whom one became a
Christian, another a Muslim, and a third joined

1
S. xlii. 16; ci. 5 and 6: "He whose balance is heavy shall live in pleasure; but whose balance is light, his
dwelling-place shall be hell fire."
2
S. xvi. 103: "They say a certain man teacheth him; but the tongue of him whom they mention is foreign,
while this is simple Arabic" — hardly an answer in point!
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

xii SOURCES OF ISLAM

Caesar. The fourth, Waraca, was first a Jew and then a Christian. One of these, a pious
devotee, worshipped yearly in a cave near Mecca, and no doubt influenced the Prophet,
who used to visit the same place for quiet and lonely contemplation.
The Sources of Islam, our Author in conclusion shows, have been altogether
human and misleading. They all passed through the Prophet's mind as he composed the
Qur'an, which thus bears throughout the impress of his own heart and character. One
good thing there is in it, namely, a thorough testimony to the Gospel and "Torah"; all true
Muslims are accordingly invited to study both, and thus through our Saviour Christ
obtain the true promises of their father Abraham.
The Sources is a noble work, and reflects high distinction on the writer. Hitherto
much labour has been spent in showing the falsity and errors of Islam, as has been ably
done by Pfander and others. It has remained for our Author not only to conceive a new,
and perhaps more thorough and effective, mode of treating the so-called divine and
eternal faith, but also in doing so to prove its Sources to be of purely human origin; and
that in so masterly and effective a way that it seems impossible for good Muslims to
resist the conclusion drawn. And for all this the thanks of the Christian world are
eminently due to the Rev. W. St. Clair-Tisdall.

W. MUIR.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

PREFACE xiii

TRANSLATIONS
RECOMMENDED BY

SIR W. MUIR

It appears to me of great importance that the Sources of Islam should be translated into
Arabic, Urdu, and other languages of the East, and so made accessible to Muslim readers
everywhere.
The Persian volume, of which the present forms but a partial and compressed
translation, is remarkable for giving, in their primitive tongues, all the Authorities quoted
by our Author, which are then followed by translations into Persian. Where the passages
are in Arabic or other language understood at the present time, it will no doubt be proper
in any new Edition's to continue printing them as they stand, with a translation into the
common tongue of the country for which the edition is intended. But where they consist
of quotations from primitive tongues (as Pehlavi, etc.) not now in use, the originals
should I think be left out, and simply the translation given as above proposed. The great
antiquity of some of the evidence which
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

xiv TRANSLATIONS RECOMMENDED

Mr. St. Clair-Tisdall has given in its ancient form, is no doubt a remarkable proof that
certain of the Sources of Islam have descended from time immemorial; and it may also be
thankfully added, of the wonderful learning and research of the Author. But in all new
Editions and Translations these antique passages should I think be omitted in their
original tongue, and the rendering alone given in the language of the day. 1
The Church Mission is to be congratulated on this memorable treatise — bringing
as it does so wonderfully to light, the earthly Sources of the Qur'an, in contradistinction
to the Muslim belief in its heavenly and eternal origin; and, in a very special manner, on
its having come from the hands of one of their own distinguished Missionaries. And the
hope may be warmly expressed that the work will be widely distributed throughout the
East, and lead many an earnest Reader in Muslim lands, to the faith of his Father
Abraham, and the living Sources of the Gospel of our Saviour.

W.M.

1
I learn, however, from the Author that he is not of this opinion, but thinks that the originals, in whatever
language, ancient or difficult to decipher and understand, should be printed in full, as otherwise the
Orientalist will suspect the translation as an invention of the Author; or if not in the text of the Work, they
might, he thinks, be lithographed and placed at the end of the volume.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

INTRODUCTION

Since every religion must have had a Source from which it sprung, so this last faith,
Islam, must like all others have had its originating cause. Accepted neither by Jews nor
Christians, many treatises have been written to convert it. These have been answered by
Muslims in such Works as the Mîzân ool Mavâzîn; but unfortunately the learning of the
Authors of these defenses of Islam has not been equal to their zeal. The Object of the
present work is to investigate the various theories which have been put forward as to the
origin of Islam. The Author first states briefly the Muslim view, and then examines the
claim of those who hold that Islam has a human and not a divine origin.
In this new endeavor, it has been the Author's object, by God's help, to show from
whence the Muslim faith has risen, its foundation and origin, in other words, its Source.
And he trusts that those who study the following pages, having learned the origin of the
Faith, may not lose sight of those Sources whence has arisen the vast stream which has
overflowed so many nations of the East.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

Chapter I.
VIEWS OF MUSLIMS DIVINES
AS TO THE SOURCES FROM WHICH ISLAM SPRANG.

Muslims hold that their Faith came direct from heaven. The Qur'an and all their tenets
were sent down by Gabriel from God himself to Muhammad. Much of their faith is also
built upon Tradition handed down by the Prophet's followers. But the Shi'ite differ from
the Sunni as to much that is told us by Tradition; and the Author, therefore, has based his
arguments mainly on the Qur'an which is accepted as divine by every Muslim, and on
such tradition as is comfortable thereto. As for the Qur'an, it is held to be of eternal
origin, recorded in heaven, and lying as it does there upon the "Preserved Table" (Surah
lxxxv. 21).1 Thus God alone is held to be the "Source" of Islam; and if so, then all effort
to find a human origin for any part of it must be in vain. Now, if we can trace the
teaching of any part of it, to an earthly Source, or to human systems existing previous to
the Prophet's age, then Islam at once falls to the ground.

1
See also Surah vi. 19 and xcvii. 1. Also Ibn Khaldun, i. 194 and ii. 458.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

VIEWS OF MUSLIM DIVINES 3

It therefore behooves every true and earnest Believer, with the utmost diligence to
test whether this claim be true or not. If their opponents can bring to light no human
Source, they may contend that by admission Islam is indeed divine; but if otherwise, they
cannot but perceive what fatal conclusion must be drawn. Let us then test the assertions
of those who hold to the existence of human Sources, and see whether any portion of the
doctrines and tenets of Islam can be traced to other Faiths or Sources preceding the
Prophet's age, or existing at the time.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

Chapter II.
CERTAIN DOCTRINES AND PRACTICES OF THE ARABS
IN THE "DAYS OF IGNORANCE" MAINTAINED IN ISLAM.

Some hold that these are its initial Source. When the desire arose in the mind of
Muhammad to draw his people from the worship of idols to that of God Almighty; and
when he remembered that their forefathers in the days of Abraham believed in the divine
Unity; and further that they inherited many of the beliefs and customs of their pious
forefathers; he was unwilling to force abandonment of them all, but desired rather to
purify their faith, and to maintain such ancient practices as he thought good and
reasonable. And so we find this passage in the Qur'an: Who is better than he that
resigneth himself to God, and worketh righteousness, and followeth the religion of
Abraham the faithful? and truly God took Abraham for his friend (Surah iv. 124). And
again: Say, The Lord speaketh truth; follow ye, therefore, the faith of-Abraham the
righteous; for he was no idolator (Surah iii. 89). And yet once more: Say, Verily my Lord
hath directed me into the right way, the true faith, the religion of righteous Abraham, and
he was no idolater (Surah vi. 89).
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

ARABIAN DOCTRINES AND PRACTICES 5

Hence it came to pass that (excepting the worship of idols, a plurality of gods, the
killing of daughters and other such evil practices), many of the ideas and customs
subsisting among the Arabs from the time of Abraham were retained by the Prophet, and
form part of his religion. Although some of the Southern and Eastern tribes became
mixed up with the children of Ham, yet we learn, as much from the Torah as from Ibn
Hisham, Tabari and others, that the North and West of the country was occupied by the
progeny of Shem. Some tribes were descended from Joktan, others from Hagar, Ketura,
and Ishmael. Among the latter was the tribe of the Coreish, itself among the descendants
of Abraham. Now, although the children of Shem had greatly lost the purity of their faith
from mixing with the tribes of Syria, yet when all the people of those parts, except the
Jews, had altogether forgotten the Unity of God, still the dwellers in the North and West
of the Peninsula retained a certain knowledge of the Unity divine. There is every reason
to believe that in the days of Job, the stars, sun, and moon were worshipped in those parts
of Arabia;1 and Herodotus, more than four centuries before Christ, tells us that the Arabs
of his day had only two gods, Orotal and Alitat, 2 evidently meaning Allah-taâlâ and
Allat, though as a foreigner he was not exactly acquainted with the local form of the
names. The term Allah itself is repeatedly found in the seven Moallaqât, whose authors
lived before the ministry of Muhammad, and also in the Dewan of Labid.
Still more, we know that the Kaaba was of old the

1
Job xxxi. 26-28.
2
Bk. iii. 8.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

6 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

holy Masjid of the Arab tribes at large; for we learn from Diodorus Siculus, sixty years
before the Christian era, that it then existed (Bk. iii.). From the use of al (or the) in Allâh
it is manifest that the Unity of God was never forgotten by the Arabs. The Qur'an, indeed,
calls them idolators for giving other gods the worship due to Him alone. But they never
held those other gods on an equality with the great God above, whom by their adoration
they sought specially to propitiate. The following story from early Muslim writers makes
this all the more clear: "Some of the Abyssinian Refugees returned to Mecca when Surah
liii. was being read. Coming to the verse: What think ye of Allât and Al Uzza and Manât
the other, the third? Satan cast these words into the reader's lips: 'These three noble ones
whose intercession is to be hoped for.' When the Surah ended, the whole company
bowed down in adoration; and the Idolators together with them, thinking that their gods
had been thus graciously acknowledged. The strange episode was spread abroad by
Satan, and the Refugees hastily returned to Mecca expecting to find the whole city
converted." Beidhawi and others are the more inclined to believe this tale from the words
in Surah xxii. 51: Truly we have sent no Apostle or Prophet before thee, but when he
read, Satan suggested some (error) in his reading; but God shall make void that which
Satan suggested.
Along with the early spread of idolatry, there still survived throughout Arabia the
consciousness of One true God. Shahristani tells us this, and gives a long list of the local
deities, and also of the customs
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

ARABIAN DOCTRINES AND PRACTICES 7

retained by the Prophet. Some denied a future life as well as a Creator, while others
admitted both.1 He then mentions a variety of tribal gods, and gives the name and place
of eleven, including Ozza of the Coreish, Hobal aloft on the Kaaba, etc.; also angels,
genii, and heavenly bodies adored by the Sabaeans. We are then informed of a variety of
local customs in vogue among the heathen Arabs, some retained in Islam, as family
restrictions in marriage, Hajj to the Kaaba with its various practices, visiting Safa and
Marwa, throwing stones in Wady Mina, ablution, and several minor matters. Very similar
is the testimony of Ibn Ishâc, and the Sîrat al Rasûl, that notwithstanding the idolatry into
which the Arabs fell when they lost the faith of Abraham and Isaac, yet throughout it all
they never forgot the great God above all other gods. Thus at the new moon, the Beni
Kinâna and Coreish would cry aloud "Labbeik, Allah Labbeik! Thou hast no
Companion, but rulest over all"; — acknowledging thus the oneness of Him they called
upon; and while joining their idols in worship with the Highest, they yet placed them all
under his hand. Then the Unity is thus expressed in the Qur'an: Verily your Lord is God
who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then ascended the throne to rule over
all things. There is no intercession but by his permission. God is your Lord, wherefore
serve him. Ah! will ye not consider? (Surah x. 3).
From all this we perceive that while the Arabs up to the Prophet's time
worshipped idols, they did so

1
To these the Qur'an replies, Surah 1. 14: Is our power exhausted by the first creation; for these are in
perplexity as to a first creation.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

8 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

regarding them as intercessors with the great God whom they held supreme.1 The truth
was so well known in Muhammad's own household, that his father and uncle bore the
names Abd-Allah and Obeid-Allah, — "Al," as we have seen, signifying The One. Hence
we are sure that the Unity was acknowledged long before the Prophet's mission, as well
as the various Meccan customs still in current use. Circumcision also was practised from
of old, as we learn from the Epistle of Barnabas written about two centuries after Christ.
Multitudes of idols being all around Mecca,2 certainly little inspiration was needed to
shew how false the system was, and the task was well carried out by Muhammad. While
so many of the ancient places, rites, and customs were maintained, only one quasi-
idolatrous practice has been kept up, namely, the Kissing of the Black Stone, which was
then worshipped as of heavenly descent; the habit was so loved by the people, that it
could not be forbidden, and indeed is still observed.
In conclusion, then, we find that the first "Source" of the Qur'an and Tradition
consisted of the notions, customs, and religious beliefs, existing around Muhammad. And
we know of no other answer as to the adoption of these, than they were assumed to exist
in the time of Abraham, and therefore were continued by the Prophet. Now, although we
are told in the Torah that the doctrine of the Unity, as well as circumcision, were

1
Our Author pithily remarks that the Muslims of today who seek forgiveness through the intercession of
their holy men are as much polytheists as these old Arabs were.
2
Some say there were 360 around the Kaaba. But Ibn Ishâc gives authorities for only fifteen generations of
idolators before the Prophet's time.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

ARABIAN DOCTRINES AND PRACTICES 9

of Abraham's time, yet in the Holy Scriptures we find no mention of Mecca, procession
round the Kaaba, the Black Stone, the other Holy Places, etc.; nor can there be any doubt
that all these things were the gradual creation of idol worshippers, and had no connection
whatever with the faith and tenets of Father Abraham.
It is interesting also to note that some verses of the Qur'an have without doubt
been taken from poems anterior to Muhammad's assumption of the prophetic office, in
proof of which two passages in the Sabaa Moallaqât of Imra'ul Cays etc. are quoted, in
which several verses of the Qur'an occur, such as, "The hour has come, and shattered is
the moon." 1 It was the custom of the time for poets and orators to hang up their
compositions upon the Kaaba; and we know the Seven Moallaqât were so exposed. We
are told that Fatima, the Prophet's daughter, was one day repeating as she went along, the
above verse. Just then she met the daughter of Imra'ul Cays, who cried out: "O that's what
your father has taken from one of my father's poems, and calls it something that has come
down to him out of heaven"; and the story is commonly told amongst the Arabs until
now.
The connection between the poetry of Imra'ul Cays and the Qur'an is so obvious
that the Muslim cannot but hold that they existed with the latter in the Heavenly Table
from all eternity! What then will

1
The two passages given by our Author from the Sabaa Moallaqât contain several verses, more or less
similar to the Qur'an: — Surah liv. 1, xxix. 31 and 46, xxxvii. 59, xxi. 96, xciii. 1; this last, — By the
brightness of the morning; and by the night when it groweth dark. The passages noted are the same in both,
with occasionally a few verbal differences.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

10 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

he answer? That the words were taken from the Qur'an and entered in the poem, — an
impossibility. Or that their writer was not really Imra'ul Cays, but some other who, after
the appearance of the Qur'an, had the audacity to quote them there as they now appear; —
rather a difficult thing to prove![1]
In concluding this chapter we have no difficulty in asserting with every
confidence that the customs, rites, and beliefs of the ancient Arabs, formed one of the
most important Sources of the Qur'an.

[1]
[Rev. W. St. Clair-Tisdall changed his opinion on this matter after the publication of this book and saw
no longer adequate evidence to support the assertion that Muhammad used the poetry of Imrau'l Qais in the
Qur'an. Therefore this assertion was withdrawn in a later, more complete work by the same author. This
issue is discussed in detail in an article entitled, "Did Muhammad Plagiarize Imrau'l Qais?"]
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

11

Chapter III.
HOW FAR SOME OF THE DOCTRINES AND HISTORIES IN THE QUR'AN AND
TRADITION WERE TAKEN FROM JEWISH COMMENTATORS, AND SOME
RELIGIOUS CUSTOMS FROM THE SABAEANS.

At the period when Muhammad was using the utmost endeavour to turn his people from
idolatry to the Faith of Abraham, the Arabs had no religious writings acknowledged in
common by them all, so that it was a matter of extreme difficulty to make them see the
evils of their native faiths. There were three religions in the Peninsula — the Sabaean,
Jewish, and Christian — each of which, as we hope to shew, helped to nurse Islam, which
at the first lay like an infant in its cradle.
The SABAEANS have disappeared. No trace of them anywhere remains, and
even of their history but little is known. We are told by Eastern authorities1 that they were
the first of all peoples who inhabited Syria; that they derived their faith from Seth and
Idrîs; and that they possessed a book called Pages of Seth, in which were inculcated
righteousness, truth, bravery, care of the poor, and avoidance of evil. They had

1
What follows is from Abul Feda, who quotes from Abu Isa al Maghrabi.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

12 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

seven times for prayer, five of which were at the same hour as chosen by the Prophet.
They prayed also for the dead, but without prostration; fasted thirty days from night to
sunrise, and also if any new moon rose badly, for the remaining day of the month;
observed Eed from the setting of their five stars; and venerated the Kaaba. Hence we see
that the Sabaeans kept many observances still in force among the Muslims.
We turn to the JEWS. Of Course it is known to all how numerous and powerful
the race was in Arabia at the time of Muhammad, and especially before the Hegira.
Amongst their chief tribes were the Beni Coreitza, Cainucaa, and Nadhîr, having their
three villages in the vicinity of Medina.
When it became manifest that the Jews would in no wise recognise the prophetic
office of Muhammad, he fought several severe battles with them and, not without
difficulty, either took them prisoners and slew them with the sword, or at last expelled
them from the land. Now, although these Jews were an ignorant people, yet they
possessed and carefully preserved the Torah, the Psalms, etc., and were called (as also the
Christians) The People of the Book. Though the nation at large knew little or nothing of
Hebrew, yet (like the Jews we see in Persia at the present day) they were familiar with the
stories of the Talmud and the foolish tales which had come down from their ancestors,
and which, being ignorant of their own Sacred books, they regarded as holy and divine.
The ignorant Arabs of the day looked upon their neighbours the Jews with honour
and respect as being of
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

DOCTRINES AND HISTORIES OF JEWS 13

the seed of Abraham, and possessed of the Word of God. Hence when the Prophet turned
aside from idols as hateful to the Almighty, and sought to bring his people back to the
faith of Abraham, he betook himself with the utmost care to learn in what the teaching,
customs, and obligations of that Faith consisted. Comparing these with the Qur'an and
Tradition, we find the closest similarity between the two. Thus the Qur'an throughout
bears witness to the faith of Abraham, to the truth of the Jewish religion, and the
heavenly origin of their divine books. The following passages will be found to that
effect:— Dispute not with the People of the Book, but in the mildest way, excepting such
as behave injuriously; and say, We believe in that which hath been revealed unto us, and
in that which hath been revealed unto you; our God and your God is One, and to Him we
are resigned. And again:— Say, We believe in God, and in that which hath been sent
down unto us, and in that which was sent down unto Abraham and Ishmael, and Isaac
and Jacob, and the Tribes; and in that which was delivered unto Moses and Jesus, and in
that which was delivered to the Prophets from the Lord. We make no distinction between
any of them; and to Him we are resigned. At this period, also, Muhammad made the Holy
House (Jerusalem) the Qibla of his followers, being then, (as it has since remained) the
Qibla of the Jews.
To this it might be objected that Muhammad, as the "illiterate prophet," must have
been unable to read,1

1
Surah vii. 156. The word used for illiterate is Ummy. R. Geiger's view is that this word has an altogether
different meaning - viz. that Muhammad held he was of the Ummat or Arab people, and not an Ajemy or
non-Arab, as a Jew would be held to be. But seeing that the word has been universally held to mean
unlearned (and unable to read), I think we must accept that interpretation. It does not, however, much
matter in the present argument.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

14 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

and how then could he have gained all this knowledge from Jewish literature? But even
admitting it to have been so, it must still have been easy enough for him to have learned
all about their beliefs and customs and tales from his companions, such as Obeidallah,
Waraca, or even himself from his Jewish friends. For these people, though they had but
an imperfect knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures, yet well knew the foolish tales
current amongst the Jewish nation. And now, if we compare the Qur'an with the tales in
the Talmud and other books still current among the Jews, it becomes evident that
although the Qur'an speaks of Abraham and many others of whom we read in the Torah,
still all the wild stories it tells us are taken from Jewish traditional Sources. And we shall
now give a few specimens to prove that it is so.
First. Cain and Abel. — In Surah v. 30-35 we have the following passage:—

And tell them the story truly of the two sons of Adam. When they offered up their
sacrifice, and it was accepted from one of them, and not accepted from the other, Cain
said "I will kill thee." Abel answered, "God accepteth (offerings) of the pious alone. If
thou stretchest forth thine hand against me to kill me, I will not stretch forth my hand to
kill thee; for I fear God, the Lord of all worlds. I desire that thou shouldest bear my sin
and thine own sin, and become a dweller in the Fire, for that is the punishment of the
oppressor." But the soul of Cain inclined him to slay his brother, and he slew him; then
he became one of the destroyed. And God sent a raven which scratched the earth to shew
him how he should hide his brother's body. He said, "Woe is me! I am not able to be
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

CAIN AND ABEL 15

like the raven"; and he became one of those that repent (v. 35). For this cause we wrote
unto the children of Israel that he who slayeth a soul, — without having slain a soul or
committed wickedness in the earth, — shall be as if he had slain all mankind; and
whosoever saveth a soul alive, shall be as if he had saved all mankind.

Now this conversation and affair of Cain and Abel, as given above in the Qur'an,
has been told us in a variety of ways by the Jews. 1 Thus when Cain, according to them,
said there was no punishment for sin and no reward for virtue, Abel, holding just exactly
the reverse, was killed by Cain with a stone. So also in the book Pirkê Rabbi Eleazer, we
find the Source of the burying of Abel as described in the Qur'an, there being no
difference excepting that the raven indicates the mode to Adam instead of to Cain, as
follows: — Adam and Eve, sitting by the corpse, wept not knowing what to do, for they
had as yet no knowledge of burial. A raven coming up, took the dead body of its fellow,
and having scratched up the earth, buried it thus before their eyes. Adam said, Let us
follow the example of the raven, and so taking up Abel's body buried it at once.
If the Reader will look at the last verse (35) in the quotation above from Surah v.
of the Qur'an, he will see that it has no connection with the one preceding. The relation is
explained thus in the Mishnah Sanhedrîn, where in quoting from Genesis the verse, —
The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground,2 — the Commentator
writes as follows:— "As regards Cain who killed his brother, the Lord addressing

1
Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziah; also the Targum of Jerusalem. In Arabic Cain is called Cabîl.
2
Gen. iv. 10, "Bloods" in the margin for blood.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

16 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

him does not say, 'The voice of thy brother's blood crieth out,' but 'the voice of his
Bloods'; — meaning not his blood alone, but that of his descendants; and this to shew that
since Adam was created alone, so he that kills an Israelite is, by the plural here used,
counted as if he had killed the world at large; and he who saves a single Israelite is
counted as if he had saved the whole world." Now, if we look at the thirty-fifth verse of
the text above quoted, it will be found almost exactly the same as these last words of this
old Jewish commentary. But we see that only part is given in the Qur'an, and the other
part omitted. And this omitted part is the connecting link between the two passages in the
Qur'an, without which they are unintelligible.
Second. Abraham saved from Nimrod's fire.— The story is scattered over various
passages of the Qur'an, chiefly in those noted below.1 Now whoever will read these, as
well as the Traditional Records of the Muslims,2 will at once perceive that the tale as
there told has been taken from one of the ancient Jewish books called Midrâsh Rabbâh.
To bring this clearly to view, we must first shew the history as given in the Qur'an and
Muslim writings, and then compare it with the Jewish tale in the above book.
In a work of Abdul Feda we have the Muslim story as follows.3 Azar, Abraham's
father used to construct idols, and hand them over to his son to sell

1
Surah ii. 260, vi. 74-84, xxi. 52-72, xix. 42-50, xxvi. 69-79, xxix. 15, 16, xxxvii. 81-95, xliii. 25-27, lx. 4,
and other passages.
2
Such as the Qissas al Anbia and Arâish al Majâlis.
3
Ancient History from the Mukhtasar fi Akhbâr il Bashar.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

ABRAHAM 17

Abraham would go about crying, "Who will buy that which will hurt and not benefit
him?" Then when God Almighty commanded him to call his people to the Divine unity,
his father refused the call, and so did his people. Thus the matter spread abroad till it
reached Nimrod, son of Cush, king over the country . . . . who took Father Abraham, and
cast him into a fierce fire; but the fire grew cool and pleasant unto Abraham, who came
out of it after some days. And thereupon his people believed in him.
Again, in the Arâish al Majâlis we read: Before this, when Abraham one night
came up out of his cave and saw the stars before the moon arose, he said: This is my
Preserver.1 And when the night overshadowed him, he saw a star, and said, This is my
Lord; and when it set, he said, I love not those that set. And when he saw the moon rising,
he said, This is my Lord; but when it set, he said, Verily if my Lord direct me not, I shall
be of those that go astray. And when he saw the sun rising, he said, This is my Lord; this
is the greatest. But when it set, he said, O my people! Verily I am clear of that which ye
associate together with God. Verily I direct my face unto him who hath created the
heavens and the earth. I am orthodox, and not one of the idolators.
They say that Abraham's father used to make idol images and give them to
Abraham to sell. So Abraham taking them about would cry: "These will neither hurt nor
help him that buys," so that no one bought from him. And when it was not sold, he took
an

1
Surah vi. 76, etc.; all is from the Qur'an so far as in italics; and so also in the next two pages.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

18 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

image to the stream, and striking its head, would say, Drink, my poor one! in derision, —
for his people and the heathen around him to hear. So when his people objected, he said,
Ah! do ye dispute with me concerning God, and verily God hath directed me . . . . And
this is our argument wherewith we furnished Abraham for his people. We raise the
dignity of whom we wish, for thy Lord is wise and knowing.1 And so in the end Abraham
overcame his people by such arguments. Then he called his father Azar to the true faith,
and said: O my father, wherefore dost thou worship that which neither hears nor sees,
nor yet doth profit thee in any way, and so on to the end of the story. 2 But his father
refused that to which Abraham called him; whereupon Abraham cried aloud to his people
that he was free from what they worshipped, and thus made known his faith to them. He
said, What think ye? That which ye worship, and your forefathers also, are mine enemies,
excepting only the Lord of the worlds.3 They said, Whom then dost thou worship? He
answered, "The Lord of all worlds." "Dost thou mean Nimrod?" "Nay, but he that
created me and guideth me," and so on. The thing then spread abroad among the people,
till it reached the ears of the tyrant Nimrod, who sent for him, and said: "O Abraham!
Dost thou hold him to be thy god that hath sent thee; dost thou call to his worship and
speak of his power to those that worship other than him? Who is he?" A. "My Lord, he
that giveth life, and giveth death."4 N. "I give life, and cause to

1
Surah vi. 80-85.
2
Surah xix. 40.
3
Surah xxvi. 75-77.
4
Surah ii. 260.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

ABRAHAM 19

die." A. "How dost thou make alive, and cause to die?" N. "I take two men who at my
hands deserve death, one I kill, who thus dies; the other I forgive, who thus is made
alive." Whereupon Abraham answered, "Verily God bringeth the sun from the East, now
do thou bring him from the West." 1 Thereupon Nimrod was confounded, and returned
him no reply. The people then went away to celebrate their Eed, and Abraham, taking the
opportunity, broke all the idols but the biggest, and then the story proceeds as follows: —
When they had prepared food, they set it before their gods and said, "When the
time comes we shall return, and the gods having blessed the meat we shall eat thereof."
So when Abraham looked upon the gods, and what was set before them, he said
derisively. "Ah! ye are not eating"; and when no answer came, "What aileth you, that ye
do not speak?" and he turned upon them and smote them with his right hand.2 And he
kept striking them with a hatchet in his hand, until there remained none but the biggest of
them, and upon its neck he hung the axe.3 Now when the people returned from their Eed
to the house of their gods, and saw it in such a state, they said, Who hast done this to our
gods? Verily he is a wicked one. They answered, We heard a young man speaking of
them; They call him Abraham. He it is, we think, who hath done it. When this reached the
tyrant Nimrod and his chief men, They said, Bring him before the eyes of the people;
perhaps they will bear witness that he hath done

1
Surah ii. 260.
2
Surah xxxvii. 90.
3
Here the text is quoted: He brake them all in pieces except the biggest, that they might lay the blame on it
(Surah xxi. 59).
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

20 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

this thing. And they were afraid to seize him without evidence. 1 So they brought him and
said: Hast thou done this unto our gods, O Abraham? He answered, Nay but that big one
hath done it; he was angry that ye worshipped along with him these little idols, and he, so
much bigger than all; and he brake the whole of them in pieces. Now ask them if they can
speak.2 When he had said this, they turned their backs, and said (among themselves),
"Verily it is ye that are the transgressors. We have never seen him but telling us that we
transgress, having those little idols and this great one." So they broke the heads of them
all, and were amazed that they neither spake nor made any opposition. Then they said (to
Abraham), Certainly thou knowest that they speak not. Thus when the affair with
Abraham was ended, he said to them: Ah! do ye indeed worship, besides God, that which
cannot profit you at all, nor can it injure you. Fie on you, and on that which ye worship
besides God! Ah, do ye not understand?
When thus overthrown and unable to make any answer, they called out, Burn him,
and avenge your gods if ye do it. Abdallah tells us that the man who cried thus was a
Kurd called Zeinun; and the Lord caused the earth to open under him, and there he lies
buried till the day of Judgment. When Nimrod and his people were thus

1
Cotâda and Al Sidy are quoted here; and it is added from Al Dzahhâk, "Perhaps they may give evidence
as to what we should do, and punish him."
2
A note is here added to the following purport:— Muhammad on this remarked that Abraham in all told
three lies, all on behalf of the Lord, namely, "I am sick"; "the big one hath done this"; and what he said to
the King regarding Sarah, "She is my sister."
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

ABRAHAM 21

gathered together to burn Abraham, they imprisoned him in a house, and built for him a
great pile, as we read in Surah Saffat: They said, Build a pile for him and cast him into
the glowing fire. Then they gathered together quantities of wood and stuff to burn; and
so, by the grace of God, Abraham came out of the fire safe and sound, with the words on
his lips, — God is sufficient for me (Surah xxxix. 39); and He is the best Supporter
(Surah iii.37). For the Lord said, O Fire! be thou cool and pleasant unto Abraham. 1
Now, let us compare the story of Abraham as current amongst the Jews, with the
same story in Qur'an and Tradition as given above, and see how they differ or agree. The
following is from the Midrash Rabbah on Abraham brought out of Ur (Gen. xv. 7).
Terah used to make images. Going out one day, he told his son Abraham to sell
them. When a man came to buy, Abraham asked him how old he was. Fifty or sixty
years, he replied. Strange, said the other, that a man sixty years of age should worship
things hardly a few days old! On hearing which the man, ashamed, passed on. Then a
woman carrying in her hand a cup of wheaten flour said, Place this before the idols. On
which, Abraham, getting up, took his staff in his hand, and having broken the idols with
it, placed the staff in

1
In the last few pages the quotations from the Qur'an are all from Surahs xxi. and xxxvii., and the verses
being so numerous and detached are not numbered in detail; but they will be found in passages succeeding
verse 52 of the former, and verse 84 of the latter Surah. The Qur'an passages are throughout printed in
italics.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

22 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

the hand of the biggest. His father coming up, cried, "Who hath done all this?" Abraham
said, "What can be concealed from thee? A woman carrying a cup of wheaten flour asked
me to place it before the gods; I took and placed it before them; one said, I will eat it first,
and another, I will eat first. Then the big one took the staff, and broke them all in pieces."
His father: "Why do you tell such a foolish tale to me? Do these know anything?" He
answered, "Does thine ear hear what thy mouths speaks?" On this his father seized and
made him over to Nimrod, who bade him worship Fire. Abraham: "Rather worship Water
that putteth out Fire." N. "Then worship Water." A. "Rather worship that which bringeth
Water." N. "Then worship the Cloud." A. "In such case, let us worship Wind that drives
away the Cloud." N. "Then worship Wind." A. "Rather let us worship Man that standeth
against the wind." On this Nimrod closed: - "If thou arguest with me about things which I
am unable to worship other than Fire, into it I will cast thee; then, let the God thou
worshippest deliver thee there from." So Abraham went down into the flames, and
remained there safe and unhurt.
Comparing, now, this Jewish story with what we saw of it in the Qur'an, little
difference will be found; and what there is no doubt arose from Muhammad hearing of it
by the ear from the Jews. What makes this the more likely is that Abraham's father is in
the Qur'an called Azar,1 while both in the Midrash and Torah he is called Terah. But the
Prophet probably heard the name in Syria (where, as we learn from Eusebius, the name
had somewhat of a similar sound), and so remembered it.

1
Surah vi. 74.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

ABRAHAM AND UR OF THE CHALDEES 23

The Muslims, of course, hold that their Prophet gained the tale of Abraham's
being cast into the fire neither from Jews nor Christians, but through Gabriel from on
high; and as the Jews, being children of Abraham, so accepted it, the Qur'an, they say,
must be right. But it could only have been the common folk among the Jews who
believed it so; for those who had any knowledge of its origin must have known its
puerility.
The origin of the whole story will be found in Genesis xv. 7: I am the Lord that
brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees. Now Ur in Babylonish means a "city", as in Ur-
Shalim (Jerusalem), "the City of Peace." And the Chaldaean Ur1 was the residence of
Abraham. This name Ur closely resembles in speech another word, Or, signifying light or
fire. And so ages after, a Jewish Commentator,2 ignorant of Babylonish, when translating
the Scripture into Chaldean, put the above verse from Genesis; as follows: I am the Lord
that delivered thee out of the Chaldean fiery oven. The same ignorant writer has also the
following comment on Genesis xi. 27: "Now this happened at the time when Nimrod cast
Abraham into the oven of fire, because he would not worship the idols, that leave was
withheld from the fire to hurt him," — a strange confusion of words, — Ur the city, for
Or light and fire. It is as if a Persian seeing notice of the departure of the English post,
should put in his diary that an Englishman had lost his skin, — not knowing that the same
word for skin in Persian means the Post in English.
No wonder then that an ignorant Jew should have

1
Same as the present town, Mugheyr.
2
Jonathan ben Uzziel.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

24 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

mistaken a word like this, and made it the foundation whereon to build the grand tale of
Abraham's fiery Oven. But it is somewhat difficult to understand how a Prophet like
Muhammad could have given credence to such a fable, and entered it in a revelation held
to have come down from heaven. And yet the evidence of it all is complete, as quoted
above from the Jewish writer. Apart from this we know from Genesis that Nimrod lived
not in the days of Abraham but ages before his birth. The name indeed is not in the
Qur'an, though freely given in the Muslim Commentaries arid Tradition. As if a historian
should tell us that Alexander the Great cast Nadir Shah into the fire, not knowing the ages
that elapsed between the two, or that Nadir never was so thrown.
Third. Visit of the Queen of Saba (Sheba) to Solomon. — The story of Balkis,
Queen of Saba, as told at length in the Qur'an, corresponds so closely with what we find
in the II. Targum of the Book of Esther, that it was evidently taken from it, as heard by
Muhammad from some Jewish source. The following is from the Surah of the Ant (xxvii.
17 et seq):—

His armies were gathered together unto Solomon, consisting of Genii, men and birds,
and they were kept back...Solomon smiled at the ant and said: O Lord! may I do that
which is right and well pleasing unto thee, so that thou introduce me amongst thy
servants the righteous. And he viewed the birds and said, Why is it that I see not the
Hudhud (Lapwing)? Is she among the absent ones? Truly I will chastise her with a severe
chastisement, or will put her to death unless she bring a just excuse. But she did not wait
long, and said, I have viewed a country that thou hast not seen: and I come unto thee from
Saba with certain news. I found a female ruling
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

QUEEN OF SHEBA 25

over them, surrounded with every kind of possession, and having a magnificent Throne. I
found her and her people worshipping the Sun apart from God. Satan hath made their
deeds pleasant unto them, and hath turned them aside from the right way, and they are not
rightly directed, - lest they should worship God who manifesteth that which is in heaven
and earth, and knoweth what they conceal and what they discover. God! there is no God
but he, the Lord of the great Throne! Solomon said: We shall see whether thou tellest the
truth or art amongst the liars. Go with this my letter, and having delivered it to them turn
aside, and see what answer they return. The Queen having received it, said: O ye Nobles!
verily an honourable letter hath been delivered unto me. It is from Solomon. It is in the
name of the Most Merciful God; -"Rise not up against me; but come ye submissive unto
me." She said: O ye Nobles! advise me in the affair; I will not resolve upon it, until ye be
witnesses thereof. They said: We are men of strength and of great prowess; but the matter
belongeth unto thee; see therefore what thou wilt command. She said: Verily kings when
they enter a city waste it, and abuse its most powerful inhabitants; and so will they do.
But I will send gifts unto them, and wait to see what the messengers will return with. So
when they went to Solomon, he said: Ah! do ye present me with wealth? Verily that
which God hath given unto me is better than that which he hath given you, but ye do
rejoice in your gifts. Return unto them; we will surely come unto them with an army
which they cannot withstand, and we shall drive them thence humbled and contemptible.
O ye Nobles (he continued), which of you will bring me her Throne, before they come
submissive unto me? A giant of the Genii cried, I will bring it unto thee before thou
gettest up from thy place, for I am strong in this, and to be trusted. And one who had
knowledge of the Scriptures: I will bring it unto thee before the twinkling of thine eye.
Now when (Solomon) saw it placed before him he said: This is a favour of my Lord, that
he may try me whether I am grateful or ungrateful; he that is grateful is grateful for his
own benefit; but he that is ungrateful, verily the, Lord is rich and beneficent. And
(Solomon) said: Alter her throne, that we may see whether she be
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

26 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

rightly directed, or be amongst those who are not rightly directed. And when she came, it
was said, Is this thy throne? She said, It is as if it were; and knowledge hath been
bestowed upon us before this, and we are resigned (unto God). But that which she
worshipped besides had turned her aside, for she was of an unbelieving people. It was
said to her, Enter the Palace. And when she saw it, she imagined that it was a great
surface of water, and she uncovered her legs, when (Solomon) said, Verily it is a palace
floored with glass. And she said, Truly I have done injury to my own soul, and I resign
myself, along with Solomon, unto God, the Lord of all creatures.1

Such is the account the Qur'an gives us of Queen of Saba. What it tells us of the
Throne differs but little from the Targum, where it is said to have belonged to Solomon,
and to have had no other like it in any land. There were six steps of gold to ascend, and
on each twelve golden Lions, while twelve eagles of gold were perched around. Four-
and-twenty other eagles cast their shadow from above upon the King, and when he
wished to move anywhere, these powerful eagles descending would lift the Throne and
carry it wherever he wished. Thus they performed, according to the Targum, the same
duty the Qur'an tells us the Genii did. But otherwise in respect of Queen of Saba, her visit
to Solomon, the letter sent by him to her, etc., there is a marvellous resemblance between
the two, excepting this, indeed, that in place of the Lapwing of the Qur'an, the Targum
speaks of a Red-cock, — not a very vital difference after all! The whole story is told in
the Targum as follows:—

At another time, when the heart of Solomon was gladdened with wine, he gave orders
for the beasts of the land, the birds

1
Surah xxvii. 20-45.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

QUEEN OF SHEBA 27

of the air, the creeping things of the earth, the demons from above and the Genii, to be
brought, that they might dance around him, in order that all the kings waiting upon him
might behold his grandeur. And all the royal scribes summoned by their names before
him; in fact, all were there except the captives and prisoners and those in charge of them.
Just then the Red-cock, enjoying itself, could not be found; and King Solomon said that
they should seize and bring it by force, and indeed he sought to kill it. But just then the
cock appeared in presence of the King, and said: O Lord, King of the earth! having
applied thine ear, listen to my words. It is hardly three months since I made a firm
resolution within me that I would not eat a crumb of bread, nor drink a drop of water until
I had seen the whole world, and over it make my flight, saying to myself, I must know
the city and the kingdom which is not subject to thee, my Lord King. Then I found the
fortified city Qîtôr in the Eastern lands, and around it are stones of gold and silver in the
streets plentiful as rubbish, and trees planted from the beginning of the world, and rivers
to water it, flowing out of the garden of Eden. Many men are there wearing garlands from
the garden close by. They shoot arrows, but cannot use the bow. They are ruled by a
woman, called Queen of Sheba. Now if it please my Lord King, thy servant, having
bound up my girdle, will set out for the fort Qîtôr in Sheba; and having "bound their
Kings with chains and their Nobles with links of iron," will bring them into thy presence.
The proposal pleased the King, and the scribes prepared a despatch, which was placed
under the bird's wing, and away it flew high up in the sky. It grew strong surrounded by a
crowd of birds, and reached the Fort of Sheba. By chance the Queen of Sheba was out in
the morning worshipping the sea; and the air being darkened by the multitude of birds,
she became so alarmed as to rend her clothes in trouble and distress. Just then the Cock
alighted by her, and she seeing the letter under its wing opened and read it as follows:
"King Solomon sendeth to thee his salaam, and saith, The high and holy One hath set me
over the beasts of the field, etc.; and the kings of the four Quarters send to ask after my
welfare. Now if it please thee to come and ask after my welfare, I will
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

28 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

set thee high above them all. But if it please thee not, I will send kings and armies against
thee; — the beasts of the field are my people, the birds of the air my riders, the demons
and genii thine enemies, — to imprison you, to slay and to feed upon you." When the
Queen of Sheba heard it, she again rent her garments, and sending for her Nobles asked
their advice. They knew not Solomon, but advised her to send vessels by the sea, full of
beautiful ornaments and gems, together with 6000 boys and girls in purple garments, who
had all been born at the same moment; also to send a letter promising to visit him by the
end of the year. It was a journey of seven years but she promised to come in three. When
at last she came, Solomon sent a messenger shining in brilliant attire, like the morning
dawn, to meet her. As they came together, she stepped from her carriage. "Why dost thou
thus?" he asked. "Art thou not Solomon?" she said. "Nay, I am but a servant that standeth
in his presence." The queen at once addressed a parable to her followers in compliment to
him, and then was led by him to the Court. Solomon hearing she had come, arose and sat
down in the Palace of glass. When the Queen of Sheba saw it, she thought that the glass
floor was water, and so in crossing over lifted up her garments. When Solomon seeing
the hair about her legs, cried out to her: Thy beauty is the beauty of women, but thy hair
is as the hair of men; hair is good in man, but in woman it is not becoming. On this she
said: My Lord, I have three enigmas to put to thee. If thou canst answer them, I shall
know that thou art a wise man: but if not thou art like all around thee. When he had
answered all three, she replied, astonished: Blessed be the Lord thy God, who hath placed
thee on the throne that thou mightest rule with right and justice. And she gave to
Solomon much gold and silver; and he to her whatsoever she desired.

In the Jewish statement, we see that the Queen put several enigmas for Solomon
to solve; and though this is not mentioned in the Qur'an, it is in the Muslim traditions.
And so with the story of her legs; for in the Arâish al
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

QUEEN OF SHEBA 29

Majâlis we find the following: — When the Queen was about to enter the Palace, she
fancied the glass floor to be a sheet of water, and so She uncovered her legs, that is, to
pass over to Solomon; and lo her legs and feet were covered with hair; which when
Solomon saw, he turned his sight from her, and called out, The floor is plain glass.
Here we would ask whether there is any reality whatever in all this story. There is
indeed so much as we find in the First Book of Kings, x. 1-11,1 which is as follows:—

And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of
the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions. And she came to Jerusalem with a
very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones:
and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which
he told her not. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the
house that he had built, and the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the
attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which
he went up unto the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her. And she said to
the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.
Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold,
the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.
Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee,
and that hear thy wisdom. Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set
thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made he

1
See also 2 Chronicles ix. 1-9.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

30 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

thee king, to do judgment and justice. And she gave the king an hundred and twenty
talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more
such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

Now these are the facts of the Queen's visit, and all beyond mere fiction. The
Jews themselves admit it to be so, — excepting, indeed, Solomon's magnificent Throne,
though not its being carried aloft. The Qur'an account of Solomon ruling over Demons,
Genii, etc., is in entire accord with what we have cited from the Targum; and it is curious
to find, as learned Jews tell us, that the origin of the notion lay in the similarity of two
Hebrew words,1 with two kindred words signifying demons and genii, and the ignorant
Commentator confounding them together led to the strange error.
In concluding our notice of the fanciful tale which we have given from the Jewish
Targum, we might say that it reminds one of such stories as we find in the "Arabian
Nights." But strange that the Prophet could not have seen it so. Having heard it from his
Jewish friends, he evidently fancied that it had been read by them in their inspired
Scriptures, and as such introduced it, as we find, into the Qur'an.
Fourth. Hârût and Mârût. — There are many other stories in the Qur'an taken
from the fanciful details of Jewish writers; but we shall content ourselves with this one
other before entering on more general questions. We shall first recite the tale of those two
Spirits as given in the Qur'an and Tradition, and then compare it
1
(Meaning "a lady and ladies," in Ecclesiastes ii. 8.)
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

HÂRÛT MÂRÛT, AND AZRAEL 31

with the same as told by Jewish writers. The passage in the Qur'an is this:— Solomon was
not an unbeliever; but the Devils believed not. They taught men sorcery, and that which
was sent down to the two angels at Babel, — Hârût and Mârût Yet these taught no man
until they had said, — Verily we are a temptation, therefore be not an unbeliever.1
The following is from the Arâish al Majâlis:—

The Commentators say that when the angels saw the evil doings of mankind
ascending up to heaven (and that was in the days of Idrîs), they were distressed and
complained thus against them: Thou hast chosen these to be the rulers upon earth, and to
they sin against thee. Then said the Almighty: If I should send you upon the earth, and
treat you as I have treated them, ye would do just as they do. They said, O our Lord, it
would not become us to sin against thee. Then said the Lord, Choose two angels from the
best of you, and I will send them down unto the earth. So they chose Hârût and Mârût;
who were among the best and most pious amongst them.
Al Kalby's version:- The Almighty said: Choose ye three: so they chose (Azz, i.e)
Hârût, and (Azabi, i.e.) Mârût and Azrael; and the Lord changed the names of the two
when they fell into sin, as he changed the name of the Devil, which was Azâzîl And God
placed in their heart the same fleshly lust as in the sons of Adam; and sending them down
to the earth, bade them to rule righteously amongst mankind, to avoid idolatry, not to kill
but for a just cause, and to keep free from fornication and strong drink. Now when Azrael
felt lust in his heart, he prayed the Lord to relieve him, and was taken up to heaven, and
for fortv years was unable to raise his head for shame before his Maker. But the other two
remained steadfast, judging the people during the day, and when night came ascending to
the heavens, worshipping the name of the Almighty. Catâda tells us that before a month
had passed

1
Surah ii. 96.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

32 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

they fell into temptation; for Zohra, one of the most beautiful of women (whom Aly tells
us was queen of a city in Persia), had a suit before them, and when they saw her they fell
in love with her, and sought to have her, but she refused and went away. The second day
she came again, and they did the same; but she said, Nay, unless ye worship what I
worship, and bow down to this idol, or kill a soul, or drink wine. They replied, It is
impossible for us to do these things, which God hath forbidden; and she departed. The
third day again she came holding a cup of wine, and her heart inclined towards them; so
when they desired her, she said the same as yesterday, but they replied, To pray to other
than God is a serious thing, and so is the killing of anyone; the easiest of the three is to
drink wine: so they drank the wine, and becoming intoxicated fell upon her and
committed adultery: and one saw it, and they slew him. And it is said that they
worshipped an idol, and the Lord changed Zohra into a star. Aly and others tell us that
she said, Come not near me till you teach me that by which ye can ascend to the heavens.
They said, We ascend by the name of the great God. Again she said, Come not near me
till ye teach me what that is. So they taught her; and forthwith she, repeating it, ascended
to the skies, and the Lord changed her into a star.

Turning now to the Jews, the same account is given in two or three places of the
Talmud, especially in this extract from the Midrash Yalkut:—1

Rabbi Joseph being asked by his disciples about Azael, told them as follows:— After
the Flood, idolatrous worship prevailing, the Holy One was angry. Then two angels,
Shamhazai and Azael arose and addressing him said, O Lord of the Universe, when thou
createdst the world, did we not say to thee, What is man that thou art mindful of him? and
now we are anxious about him. The Lord replied: I well know that if ye be sent to rule
over the earth, your evil passions will have possession of you, and ye will become tyrants
over mankind. They answered:

1
Cap 44.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

HÂRÛT AND MÂRÛT 33

If thou wilt give us leave, and we shall dwell amongst them, thou shalt see in what wise
we shall sanctify thy name. Go then, he said, and dwell amongst them.
Soon after, Shamhazai saw a beautiful maiden called Esther, and turning his eyes
upon her to come and be with him, she said, I cannot surrender myself to thee until thou
teach me that great name by which thou canst ascend to the heavens above. He told her,
and she having spoken it, ascended upwards undefiled. Then said the Holy One, — Since
she hath kept herself clear from defilement, she shall be raised aloft amid the Seven Stars,
there to give praise unto the Lord. Forthwith the two went forth and consorted with the
beautiful daughters of men, and children were born unto them. And Azael adorned the
women he was inclined to with all kinds of beautiful ornaments.
[Azrael is the same as in the Talmud is called Azael].

Now anyone comparing the two stories together, must see that they agree,
excepting that in the Muslim one the angels are called Hârût and Mârût, and in the
Jewish, Shamhazai and Azael. But if we search whence the names in the Qur'an and
Tradition came, it will be seen that Hârût and Mârût were two idols worshipped far back
in Armenia. For in writers of that country they are so spoken of, as in the following
passage from one of them:—

Certainly Horot and Morot, tutelary deities of mount Ararat, and Aminabegh, and
perhaps others now not known, were Assistants to the female goddess Aspandaramît.
These aided her, and were excellent on the earth.

In this extract, Aspandaramît is the name of the goddess worshipped of old in Iran
also; for we are told that the Zoroastrians regarded her as the Spirit of the Earth, and held
that all the good products of the earth arise from her. Aminabegh also was held by the
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

34 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

Armenians to be the god of vineyards, and they named Horot and Morot the assistants of
the Spirit of the Earth, seeing that they held them as spirits who had control over the wind
so as to make it bring rain. They sat on the top of the lofty mountain Ararat, and sent
down showers that fertilised the earth; the two were thus rulers of the wind. 1 The
Armenians, — fancying that Morot came from Mor, genitive of Mair, "Mother," - formed
Horot in the same way from Hair, "Father." When also it is said that the two angels came
down to propagate mankind, the meaning is that they caused the earth to bring forth its
produce for that end. Zohra in Hebrew reads as Ishtar or Esther, the same as of old was
worshipped in Babylon and Syria as the goddess over the birth of children and promoter
of passion and desire. In proof of all this, we find in the ruins between the Tigris and
Euphrates the name Ishtar on the primeval tiles. The story of one Gilgamish, with whom
Ishtar fell in love but was rejected, has been decyphered in ancient Babylonian character
upon these tiles. Ishtar came to him having the crown upon her head and asked him to
kiss her, and with many loving words and gifts to be her husband, when he would in her
Palace have a quiet and happy life. Gilgamish in derision rejected her offer, whereupon
she ascended to the sky and appeared before the God of the heavens.2 It is remarkable
that the idolators

1
The origin of the name is traced still further East to the ancient Sanskrit wind-gods the Maruts.
2
The original Babylonish text is here given, as indeed the Author does in most of the Oriental quotations.
A close translation is also given, but only the general purport is here attempted.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

HÂRÛT AND MÂRÛT 35

of Babylon are shown in this primeval story to have held that Ishtar, that is Zohra,
ascended on high, — exactly as is told us in Muslim tradition, as also in the Jewish
commentaries.
Now if we search for the Source of the above tale, we shall no doubt find it in
what the Talmud says of the angels associating with women, in its commentary on the
two verses in Genesis quoted below. 1 Speaking of the second verse, a Jewish
commentator gives us the following interpretation: — "It was Shamhazai and Uzziel who
in those days came down from heaven." Hence we see that the whole imaginative tale
has come out of the mistake of this and other ignorant commentators. For the word giant,
as shown below, was misconstrued by them to signify not those who tyrannically "fell"
on the poor people around them, but angels who "came down, or fell, from heaven."2 And
this unhappy mistake has led to the spread of the strange idol-worship just narrated. Nor
was there any apparent reason for the mistake; since in the Targum we find the name
(Nefîlîm) explained in its right and natural sense as

1
Genesis vi. 2 and 4: "The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair, and took them wives
of all which they chose...There were giants in those days,...when the sons of God came in unto the
daughters of men, and they bare children unto them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men
of renown." The "sons of God," according to our Author, mean righteous men of the seed of Seth. The
Commentator quoted is Jonathan son of Uzziel.
There is a Sanskrit story of the similar ascent of two angels, and a Houry like Zohra, from which the
Armenians may possibly have taken their tale; and from this idolatrous source the Jews no doubt received
it; and from them, the Muslims.
2
The term is Nefîlîm, i.e. persons who fell upon the helpless around them and committed violence and
oppression on the earth.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

36 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

"giants." But by and by the Jews came to love the wild tales that spread abroad; and so in
a counterfeit book ascribed to Enoch, we are told that 200 angels under Samyaza (i.e.
Shamhazai) came down from the heavens to commit adultery on the earth, as we read:—

The angels of heaven having seen the daughters of men, fell in love with them, and
said to one another, Let us take for ourselves these women, the daughters of mankind,
and beget children for ourselves. And Samyaza, who was their chief, said .... Azaziel
taught men to make swords, daggers, and shields, and taught them to wear breastplates.
And for the women they made ornaments of kinds, bracelets, jewels, collyrium to
beautify their eyelids, lovely stones of great price, dresses of beautiful colours, and
current money.

Let it be remembered also that we have mention of this in the Qur'an:— Men
learned from these two (Hârût and Mârût) that by which to cause a division between a
man and his wife; but they did not injure any one thereby excepting by leave of God; and
they learned that which would hurt them and not profit them.1 This is similar to what we
have seen above in the Midrash Yalkut, where we are told that Azael embellished the
daughters of men with ornaments to make them lovely and attractive.
But enough has been said to show that the story of Hârût and Mârût, as we find it
in the Qur'an and Muslim books, has been derived from Jewish sources.
Fifth. A few other things taken by Islam from the Jews. — If time permitted, we
could easily tell of many other narratives in the Qur'an, not in our Scripture

1
Surah ii. 96.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

SINAI OVERHEAD AND GOLDEN CALF 37

but taken from foolish tales of the Jews, about Joseph, David, Saul, etc.; but space will
not permit, excepting for a few. Here, for example, is the account of "Sinai overhead" as
we have it in Surah vii. 172: And when we raised the mountain over them, as though it
had been a canopy, and they imagined that it was falling upon them, (we said) Receive
that which we have sent unto you with reverence, and remember that which is therein, if
may be that ye take heed; and we have two other passages (vv. 60 and 87) in Surah Bekr
to the same effect; — the meaning being that when the Jews held back from accepting the
Torah, the Lord lifted Mount Sinai over their heads to force their reception of it. The
same tale is given by a Hebrew writer thus: "I raised the mount to be a covering over you,
as it were a lid."1 It need hardly be said that there is nothing of the kind in the Torah. The
tale, however, may have arisen (Exodus xxxii. 19) from the fact that when Moses
returning from Mount Sinai, saw his people worshipping the calf, "his anger waxed hot
and he cast the tables (of the Law) out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount."
The words "beneath the mount," simply mean that he cast the tables down at the foot of
Mount Sinai. And hence all this wild fiction of the mountain being lifted over their heads!
We can only compare it to a like Hindu tale of a mountain similarly lifted over the
people's heads, very much resembling what we have in the Qur'an.
Here are one or two other tales of Moses in the wilderness; and first, that of the
Golden Calf which came out of the fire kindled by the people at Sinai. The Qur'an

1
From the Jewish story in the Abodah Sârâh.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

38 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

tells us that Sameri also cast (what he had into the fire) and brought out unto them a
bodily calf which lowed. 1 The origin of this fiction we find in a Jewish writer.2 as follows:
"The calf having cried aloud, came forth, and the children of Israel saw it. Rabbi Yahuda
says that Sammâel from the inside of it made the cry of the calf in order to lead the
Israelites astray." No doubt the Prophet in this matter got his information from the Jews;
strange that he should have been led to adopt this baseless tale. But he has used the wrong
name Al Sâmeri. The name of the people, of course, occurs often in the Bible, and the
Jews regarded the Samaritans as their enemies; but as the city of Samaria did not arise till
some four hundred years after Moses, it is difficult to imagine how it came to be entered
in this story.3 We also note that in this matter the Qur'an is in opposition to the Torah,
which tells us that Aaron was the person who for fear of the Israelites around him, had
the molten calf set up. Another story, given us twice in the Qur'an,4 is that when the
Israelites insisted on seeing the Lord, they were punished by death, but eventually
restored to life again; and to add to the foolish tale we are told that it was the Torah
which appealed for help and thus obtained their revival.
Sixth. A few other Jewish matters. — In the Qur'an are a number of Chaldaean
and Syrian words which the Muslims have been unable rightly to explain,

1
Surah xx. 90.
2
Pirkê Rabbi Eleazer.
3
No doubt, the Prophet thought that the Jews said Sâmerî (Samaritan) when they said Sammael. They
regarded Sammâel as the angel of death.
4
Surah ii. 28; iv. 152.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

IDEAS COMMON TO JEWS & MUSLIMS 39

as Torât, Jehannam, and such like. 1 To know their meaning, it must be learnt from
Hebrew, Chaldaean, and Syriac, for they are not genuine Arabic words.
The following ideas are common to both Jews and Muslims:—

In the Qur'an we are told of there being Seven heavens, and seven storeys to Hell, —
which we also find in Jewish writings.2 Similar accounts of the heavens and the earth we
have also in Sanskrit sources, and also from Muslim tradition; and also from such stories
in Zoroastrian books as that there are seven climes, etc.
In Surah xi. 9, we are told of God's throne being above the waters; and similarly the
Jewish Râshi, commenting on Genesis i. 2, says: "the glorious throne stood in the
heavens and moved over the face of the waters." Again, Muslims tell us that the Lord
appointed an angel Mâlik ruler over Jehannam. Similarly the Jews speak of the Prince of
Hell; only the Muslims call him Mâlik, following the ancient idolators of Palestine, who
worshipped the Ruler of Fire as Molech.
In Surah vii. 44 there is mention of a wall or partition called Aaraf as separating
Paradise and Hell, thus:— And between the two a Veil, and upon Al Aarâf (stand) men.
So in the Jewish Midrash, when it is asked what the distance is between heaven and hell,
the answer of one Rabbi is "a wall," and of another "a span"; and again. "Our leaders tell
us that the two are so close that a mere ray glances from one to the other." And so we find
similar passages in the Avestic and Pehlavi writings, as, — "the distance is but as that
between light and darkness."
In three passages of the Qur'an,3 we are told of Satan listening stealthily, and being
driven away with stones; another idea taken from the Jews, in one of whose books we

1
Such as, Garden of Eden, Taghût, Forcan, Sakîna, Tabût, Hibr, etc.: all from one or other of the Hebrew,
Syriac, or Chaldaean tongues.
2
Surah xv. 44; xvii. 46. Jewish books, Hagîgah, and Zohar.
3
Surah xv. 17 and 34; xxxvii. 7; lxvii. 5.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

40 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

find it written of the Genii that "they listened behind the curtain" in order to gain
knowledge of things to come.
In Surah 1. 29, we read:— On the day we shall say unto hell, Art thou full? and it
shall reply, Is there yet any more? Similarly in a Jewish author:— "The Prince of Hell
shall say, day by day, Give me food that I may be full."
In Surahs xi. 42 and xxiii. 27, it is said of the Flood, — The oven boiled over; and in a
Jewish work we have this: "The people of the Flood were punished with boiling water."

These similarities are interesting as showing the close connection between the
Qur'an and Jewish remarks; but enough has been given of them.
Seventh. Religious usages of Islam taken from the Jews. There are many such, but
it will suffice to mention two or three. We have seen that keeping the fast of Ramazan has
been taken from the Sabaeans and not the Jews; still there is one point certainly coming
from the latter, and that regards eating and drinking at night during the month. In Surah
ii. 83, we read:— Eat and drink until ye can distinguish a white thread from a black
thread by the day-break, then fulfil the fast. In a Jewish book1 we find it similarly laid
down that "the beginning of the day is at the moment when one can but distinguish a blue
thread from a white thread," — a striking coincidence.
Again, Muslims of all lands, at the fixed time of their five prayers, wherever they
happen to be, whether in the house or in the street, perform their devotions on the spot, —
especially at places where people are passing by. This strange practice is entirely
confined to them, and would be seemly in no other religion. But in the days of the
Prophet there were Jews in

1
Mishnah Berâkhoth.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

A PSALM QUOTED IN THE QUR'AN 41

Arabia who used this habit; for many of them were descended from the Pharisees, of
whom our Saviour said:— "They love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the
corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men." 1 Thus the Companions of
Muhammad looking upon the Jews as the People of the Book and children of father
Abraham, regarded such practices as having descended from him, and so adopted, and
have continued them to the present day, as we see, unchanged, though they are no longer
kept up by the Jews themselves.
Does it not seem strange to the Reader, that although the Qur'an repeatedly attests
our Scriptures as the Word of God, yet but one quotation is taken from them; viz. Surah
xxi. 105, — Verily we have written in the Psalms after the mention (of the Law) that my
servants the righteous shall inherit the earth; an evident reference to Psalm xxxvii. 11;
— "But the meek shall inherit the earth."
Two other matters borrowed from the Jews. Every Muslim thinks the Qur'an to
have been on the heavenly Table (Lauh) from before the creation of the world, as is
mentioned in a passage already quoted:— Truly it is the glorious Qur'an, on a preserved
Table.2 Now before saying anything about this Table, one may ask, was the Book of the
Psalms in existence before the Qur'an or not? For we have given above a verse in which
is revealed the inheritance given by the Lord to his servants, as mentioned in the Psalms
before the Qur'an was revealed. The Qur'an quotes from the Psalms: is it not clear,
therefore, that the Psalms were before

1
Matth. vi. 5.
2
Surah lxxxv. 21 and 22.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

42 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

the Qur'an? How then could the Qur'an, produced so late in the world, have been placed
on the heavenly Table?
Now let us hear what Tradition tells us about this Table:—

One tells us that the Throne is made out of a pearl, as is also the Preserved Table, the
height of which is 700 years' journey, and its breadth 300. All around it is adorned with
rubies. The Lord commanded that there should be written upon it what he had wrought in
Creation, and onwards till the Day of Judgment:- "In the name of the Lord, the
Compassionate and Merciful. I am God and there is none else beside me. He that accepts
my decree, is patient at my punishment, and thankful at my mercies, I will write and
place him along with the righteous; he that doth not accept my decree, let him go forth
from beneath my heaven," etc. 1

The Source of this tale is to be found in Jewish books, but vastly exaggerated by
the Muslims. We find in the Tourât that when God desired to give forth the Ten
commandments, he thus addressed Moses, who has himself given the account in Deut. x.
1-5:—

At that time the Lord said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first,
and come up unto me into the mount, and make thee an ark of wood. And I will write on
the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put
them in the ark. And I made an ark of shittim wood, and hewed two tables of stone like
unto the first, and went up into the mount, having the two tables in mine hand. And he
wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the Lord
spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and
the Lord gave them unto me. And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and
put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the Lord commanded me.

1
Qissas al Anbia.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

THE QUR'AN ON PRESERVED TABLE 43

Elsewhere also we are told that the two Tables were preserved in the Ark of the
Covenant, made by Moses at the Lord's command. 1 But in course of time the Jews
imagined that all the books of the Old Testament, nay the Talmud itself, were deposited
in the Ark on the Tables, Muhammad hearing this of the Jewish Law and Scriptures,
imagined the same of his own, and said (as we are told above) that the Qur'an also was
placed on the Preserved Table; and his followers not understanding of what heavenly
Table he spoke, swelled out the whole matter into the story given above.
The following is from a Jewish writer, Rabbi Simeon:—

What is that which is written that the Lord said to Moses: Come up to me into the
mount, and be there; and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments
which I have written; that thou mayest teach them (Exodus xxiv. 12). The tables are the
Ten Commandments; and the Torah the Law which is read; and the Commandments also
mean the Mishnâh; and "that which I have written" means the Prophets, and the Holy
Writings; and "that thou mayest teach them" points to the Gemâra. And from this we
learn that all these were delivered to Moses on Mount Sinai.

No intelligent Muslim would for a moment credit this foolish story, knowing that
the Mishna was not written till about the year 220 of the Christian era; the Gemâra of
Jerusalem in 430 A.D.; and the Gemâra of Babylon about 530 A.D. But ignorant Muslims
believing it all, added their own Qur'an to the rest, and so comes this wretched story. The
Reader will not think it necessary, we are sure, that anything more of the above

1
Exodus xxiv. 12; 1 Kings viii. 9; Hebrews ix. 3.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

44 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

kind be added, excepting this, perhaps, that the Jews themselves hold the Tables to be of
date beyond time; for one tells us they were made "at the creation of the world at the
sunset before the Sabbath day."1
The Mount Câf.— The origin of what the Muslims tell us about this mountain
clearly originated from the Jews. Here is what the Tradition of the Muslims tell us:2 —

The Lord Almighty formed a great mountain from green chrysolite, — the greenness
of the sky is from it, — called Mount Câf, and surrounded the entire earth therewith, and
it is that by which the Almighty swore, and called it Câf (see Surah 1 .1).

And again: —

One day Abdallah asked the Prophet what formed the highest point of the earth.
"Mount Câf,'' he said. "And what is Mount Câf made of?" "Of green emeralds," was the
reply; "and from hence is the greenness of the sky." "Thou hast said the truth, O Prophet;
and what is the height of Mount Câf?" "A journey of five hundred years." "And round
about it how far is it?" "Two thousand years' journey."

Now all these strange ideas are founded on the Jewish writing called Hagîgâh,
where we meet with the following comment on the word thohu in Genesis i. 2: "Thohû is
a green line (Cav or Câf) which surrounds the whole world, and hence comes darkness."
And so the Companions of the Prophet hearing this explanation of the word Cav, and not
understanding what was meant, fancied it must be a mountain, or succession of great
mountains, surrounding the world and making it dark.

1
From Pirkê Aboth, v. 6.
2
Arâish al Majâlis.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

THE MOUNT CÂF 45

From all that has now been said, it must be clear to the Reader that the Jewish
writings, and specially the fanciful tales of the Talmud, formed one of the chief Sources
of Islam. And now we must turn our attention to the similar influence on Islam exercised
by the Christian religion, and especially by those foolish stories which in the Prophet's
day the heretical sects, with their forged and got-up tales, spread abroad.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

46

Chapter IV.
ON THE BELIEF THAT MUCH OF THE QUR'AN IS DERIVED
FROM THE TALES OF HERETICAL CHRISTIAN SECTS.

In the Prophet's day, numbers of Christians in Arabia were not only an ignorant people,
but belonged to heretical Sects, which, on account of their dangerous influence, had been
expelled from the Roman Empire, and thus had taken refuge beyond the border land.
They had hardly any acquaintance with the Gospel or Apostolic writings, but were
conversant with heretical books and the extravagant tales they contained. Now our
argument is that Muhammad having but an imperfect knowledge of the Gospel, learned
from these people, who were all around him, what he believed to be the purport of the
New Testament. It was his object to establish a faith which should embrace and unite all
races of the Peninsula, and the Christians among the rest. He therefore entered in the
Qur'an very much of the teaching and vain imaginations of these ignorant sects. It is our
object carefully to test whether this proposition is true, — that is, whether it be the case
that such stories form one of the Sources of the Qur'an or not; and that we propose to
make the subject of the present chapter.
I. The Seven Sleepers, or Companions of the Cave.—
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

THE SEVEN SLEEPERS 47

The tale as given in the Qur'an is quoted in full below. 1 It is one of Greek origin to be
found in a

1
Surah xviii. 8-26. Dost thou consider that the Companions of the Cave, and al Rakim, were one of our
signs and a great miracle? When the young men took refuge in the Cave, they said, O Lord, grant us mercy
from before Thee, and dispose our business for us to a right issue. Wherefore we struck their ears so that
they slept in the Cave for a great number of years: then we awakened them ....We will relate unto thee their
history with truth. They were young men who had believed in their Lord; and we had abundantly directed
them; and we fortified their hearts with constancy when they stood before the judge; and they said Our
Lord is the Lord of heaven and earth; we will by no means call on any god besides him; for then we should
surely utter an extravagance ....And they said to one another, When ye shall separate yourselves from them,
and from that which they worship besides God, then fly into the Cave: your Lord will pour his mercy upon
you abundantly and dispose your business to advantage. And thou mightest have seen the sun, when it had
risen to decline from their Cave to the right hand, and when it went down, to leave them on the left hand:
and they were in the spacious part of the Cave. This was one of the signs of God ....And thou wouldest have
judged them to have been awake, while they were sleeping; and we caused them to turn themselves to the
right hand and to the left. And their dog stretched forth his fore-legs in the mouth of the Cave; if thou hadst
come suddenly upon them, verily thou wouldst have turners thy back and fled from them, and thou wouldst
have been filled with fear at the sight of them. And so we awaked them out of their sleep, that they might
ask questions of one another. One of them said, How long have ye tarried here? They answered, We have
tarried a day, or part of a day. Others said: Your Lord best knoweth the time ye have tarried. And now send
one of you with this your money into the City, and let him see which of its people hath the best and
cheapest food, and let him bring you provision from him; and let him behave circumspectly, and not
discover you to anyone. Verily, if they come up against you, they will stone you, or force you to return to
their religion; and then shall you not prosper for ever. And so we made their people acquainted with what
had happened to them ....And they said, Erect a Chapel over them; their Lord best knoweth their condition
.... Some say the Sleepers were three, and their dog was the fourth; others say they were five, and their dog
the sixth, guessing at a secret matter; and others say they were Seven, and their dog the eighth. Say, My
Lord best knoweth their numbers; none shall know them except a few. Wherefore dispute not concerning
them, unless with a clear disputation, and ask not any (of the Christians) concerning them ....And they
remained in their Cave 300 years and 9 years over.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

48 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

Latin work of Gregory of Tours,1 and may be described in brief as referring to the age of
the Emperor Decius (249-251 A.D.), when Christians were terribly persecuted, and every
endeavour made to destroy the Faith. To escape with their lives, seven men of Ephesus
took refuge in a Cave near their city, and fell asleep for two hundred years, till the reign
of Theodorus II. (447 A.D.). On awaking, one of them ventured into the City to see what
in the interval had happened, and was overcome with amazement to find the Christian
faith triumphant over all other religions. The Cross, once the sign of shame and disgrace,
now the crown of the Emperor, and the mark of Empire; and nearly the whole people of
the land turned Christians. All this is of course a mere story, composed no doubt to
illustrate the rapidity with which, by the grace of the Holy Spirit and shedding of Martyrs'
blood, the Faith had gained ascendency at the last. No Christian ever dreamt that the tale
was true; but such as the nurse tells her children of "the cat and the mouse," etc. But the
Prophet has entered it with all gravity in the Qur'an for the instruction of his followers. Is
it needful for us to add that such a tale could never have been placed by the Most High
upon the heavenly Table, and from thence sent down to the Prophet; but was learned by
him from some of the ignorant Christians around him?

1
"Story of Martyrs," i. 95.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

HISTORY OF MARY 49

II. The History of Mary. — In Surah Mariam we are told that after the birth of the
Holy Child, the people came to her and said, O Mary, now hast thou done a strange
thing; O sister of Aaron, thy father was not a bad man, neither was thy mother a wicked
woman.1 According to Muhammad, therefore, Mary (Miriam) was the sister of Aaron,
Moses' brother; which is all the plainer as elsewhere she is named Mary daughter of
Imrân2; and again, We gave unto Moses the Book, and appointed him his brother Aaron
as Vizier.3
Hence it is clear that Imran, Moses, Aaron, and Mary (Mariam) are the same
persons as are so named in the Torah — excepting only that in the Hebrew the name of
the first is Amram; and in Numbers (xxvi. 59) we are told that "the name of Amram's
wife was Jochebed the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt, and she bare
unto Amram, Aaron and Moses and Miriam their sister"; and also in Exodus (xv. 20) we
read of "Miriam (Mary) the prophetess, the sister of Aaron." Now looking to the words in
the Qur'an above quoted: O Mary! O sister of Aaron, it is quite evident that Muhammad
is speaking of Mary the sister of Aaron." and daughter of Imran, as the same Mary who,
some 1570 years after, became the mother of our blessed Saviour! The Commentators
have in vain endeavoured to explain this marvelous confusion of time and space. One
attempt may be set down to the fabulous Jewish story regarding Mary the sister of Aaron,
that "the angel of death had no power over her, that she passed away with the kiss of the
Lord, and that no insect

1
Surah xix. 28, 29.
2
Surah xxv. 37.
3
Surah lxvi. 12 and iii. 31.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

50 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

or worm could touch her person" — A strange conceit this: nor have any of the Jews ever
said that she survived to the Christian era.
As regards Mary the mother of Jesus, we find many passages in the Qur'an
opposed to the Four Gospels, and taken evidently from the Apocryphal writings of the
heretical sects. For example, the following is from Surah iii. vv. 31 and 32: —

Then the wife of Imran said, O Lord, I have presented unto Thee that which is in my
womb as dedicated to thy service. Accept it, therefore, from me; for thou art he that both
heareth and knoweth. So when she was delivered of the child, she said, O Lord, truly I
have brought forth a female (and God knoweth what she had brought forth), and a male is
not as a female. I have called her Mary; and I commend her unto thee, and her issue,
against Satan the stoned one. Whereupon the Lord accepted her with a gracious
acceptance, and caused her to bear an excellent offspring. And Zacharias took care of the
child; and as often as Zacharias entered the chamber unto her, he found provisions laid
beside her, and he said, O Mary, whence hast thou this? She answered, This is from God;
for the Lord provideth for whom he pleaseth without measure.

We read also in Beidhawi and other Commentators that Imran's wife, who was
aged and barren, one day saw a bird feeding its little ones, and at once longed for a child
herself, and cried: — O Lord, if thou wilt give me either a son or a daughter, I will
present it unto Thee in the Temple, thy Holy House. The Lord heard her prayer; she
conceived and bore a daughter, whom she called Mary. Jelal ood Deen also tells us that
some years after, Mary's mother, called Hanna, taking the child to the Temple, made her
over to the priests, who in their turn made her over to Zacharias
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

MARY MOTHER OF JESUS 51

to take care of; and he placed her in a chamber shut off from anyone else to enter. But the
angels came there to tend and nourish her.
Again, we read in the same Surah, vv. 37-42: —

Now when the angels said, O Mary, verily God hath chosen thee, and purified thee,
and hath chosen thee over all the women of the world: O Mary, be devout towards thy
Lord, and worship, and bow down with those who bow down. This is a secret history. We
reveal it unto thee, although thou wast not present with them when they cast their rods as
to which of them should have the education of Mary; nor wast thou with them when they
strove among themselves. When the angels said, O Mary, verily God sendeth thee good
tidings regarding the Word from himself; his name is Jesus the Messiah son of Mary
honourable, in this world and in that to come, and one of those that approach nigh to the
Almighty. And he shall speak unto men in the cradle, and when he is grown up, and he
shall be one of the righteous. She said, Lord, how shall I have a son, since no man hath
touched me. He said:- Thus the Lord createth that which he pleaseth. When he decreeth a
thing, he but saith unto it, — Be, and it is.

The notice here given of the "casting of rods" is thus explained by Beidhawi and
Jelal ood Deen. Zacharias with six and twenty other priests who sought to have the
charge of Mary, went to the river, in order to choose which should be the favoured one,
and cast their rods into it. All sank but that of Zacharias, who thus became Mary's
guardian. Regarding all this we read in Surah xix. 16-31, as follows: —

And in the Book make mention of Mary, when she retired from her people to a place
towards the East, and took a veil, apart from them. And we sent unto her our Spirit, who
appeared unto her as a real man. She said, I flee for refuge from thee unto the Merciful, if
thou fearest the Lord. He answered:
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

52 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

Verily I am the Messenger of thy Lord that I may give unto thee a holy Son. She said,
How shall I have a son, for no man hath touched me, and I am no harlot. He said, So shall
it be. Thy Lord saith, This is easy with me, and we shall make him a sign unto mankind,
and a mercy from us; for it is a thing decreed. Whereupon she conceived him, and retired
with him (in her womb) to a distant place; and the pains of childbirth came upon her by
the trunk of a palm-tree. She said, Would to God I had died before this, and had become a
thing forgotten, lost in oblivion! And one from beneath her called out:—Grieve not:
verily thy Lord hath provided a rivulet under thee; and do thou shake the body of the
palm-tree, and it shall let fall upon thee ripe dates ready gathered; so do thou eat and
drink, and comfort thine eyes. Moreover, if thou seest any man, say, I have vowed a fast
unto the Merciful, and I will speak to no man this day. So she came to her people,
carrying the child in her arms. They said, O Mary, thou hast done a strange thing: O sister
of Aaron, thy father was not a bad man, neither was thy mother a harlot. Then she made
signs to the child. They said, — How shall we speak to an infant in the cradle?
Whereupon the child said, Verily I am the servant of God: He hath given me the Book
and hath made me a prophet.

Such, then, are the tales regarding the Virgin Mary which we find in the Qur'an
and ancient Muslim Commentators. From whence did such strange fictions come?
Clearly not from the true Gospel; but nearly all of them from the schismatic writings of
ignorant men, spread abroad in ancient times amongst a people given to wild fictitious
stories. To prove this, we now give full and satisfactory evidence. In the Protevangelium
of James the Less, written in Hellenic Greek, we have the following: —

Anna looking upwards to the heavens, saw a sparrow in its nest, and sighed saying, O
me! O me! Would it were the same with me. O me! to what thing am I alike? Not like
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

MARY MOTHER OF JESUS 53

unto the birds of heaven, for the birds of heaven are fruitful before thee, O Lord....And lo!
an angel of the Lord from above spake thus unto her: Anna, Anna! the Lord God hath
heard thy cry, and thy seed shall be spoken of over the whole earth. Anna said, As the
Lord my God liveth, if a child, either male or female, be born unto me, I will offer it as a
gift to the Lord my God, and it will be in his service all the days of its life....And when
her full time had come in the ninth month, Anna was delivered....And she gave the breast
to the child and called its name Mary.

In an Arabic apocryphal book, called the History of our holy Father the Aged, the
Carpenter (Joseph), there is given the following account of Mary as a child. Her parents
took her to the Temple when three years old, and she remained there nine years. Then
when the Priests saw that the Holy Virgin had grown up, they spoke among themselves,
— Let us call a righteous man, one that fears the Lord, to take charge of Mary till the
time of her marriage, that she may not remain in the Temple. But before that time when
her parents brought her, a new occasion had arisen, of which we read as follows in the
Protevangelium: —

The Priest accepted the child, and having kissed and blessed her, spake thus to her:—
May the Lord glorify thy name over all the races on the face of the earth. The Lord God
will in the latter days manifest to thee the ransom of the house of Israel. And Mary
remained like a dove in the Temple of the Lord, and received food at an angel's hand.
And when she was twelve years of age, the Priests came together saying: — See now,
Mary is twelve years old, and still in the Temple of the Lord; what then shall we do with
her?....And behold an angel of the Lord stood beside him and said: — Zacharias;
Zacharias! come forth, and bring together all the widowers of thy people, and let each
carry his rod, and whom the Lord God
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

54 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

will signify, his wife shall she be. And the criers went over the whole land of Judea, and
proclaimed it by the trumpet of the Lord, and all flocked together; and Joseph also
carrying his rod hurried to the Synagogue. So having come together, they went to the
Priest, who, gathering all their rods, went into the Temple and prayed. Having finished
the prayer, he came forth, and gave to each man his rod, but upon none of them was there
any mark. Joseph's rod came to him last of all. And lo! a dove came out of the rod, and
sat upon Joseph's head. Then the Priest said to him: - Thou hast been chosen to take the
Virgin of the Lord; take her therefore under thy protection ....
And Mary, taking a pitcher went forth to fill it with water; and lo! a voice saying, —
"Hail thou highly favoured one: the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women."
And she looked to the right and to the left to see whence the voice came; trembling she
returned to her house, and putting down the pitcher, sat upon her seat ....And lo, the angel
of the Lord from over her cried, "Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with the
Lord and shalt conceive by his word." Mary hearing it, became anxious in her soul,
saying, Am I to conceive, as every woman doth, and bring forth? And the angel said unto
her: - "Not thus, Mary, for the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore that
Holy Child shall be called the Son of the Highest, and thou shalt call his name JESUS."

Anyone reading the above will see that it gives a close account of Mary's
residence in the Holy Temple. We have pretty much the same in other books, such as the
following from the Coptic book on the Virgin Mary:—

When placed by Hanna in the Temple, Mary was fed there like the doves, as the
angels of the Lord brought her food from the heavens. When she worshipped the Lord in
the Temple, they did reverence to her, and often brought her fruit from the Tree of Life,
which she did eat with cheerfulness.1 .... Mary

1
Coptic History of the Virgin.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

MARY MOTHER OF JESUS 55

lived in the Temple, a pure and holy worshipper, till twelve years of age. She had been
her first three years in her parents' home, and nine years in the Temple. Then the Priests
seeing that she was growing up a virtuous and God-fearing maiden, consulted together,
saying:— "We must seek for a righteous God-fearing man to whom she may be given in
marriage." And so having summoned the tribe of Judah together, they chose twelve men
according to the names of each of the twelve tribes of Israel, and the lot came out upon
that good old man Joseph. 1
Then when she became with child, Mary was summoned with Joseph before the High
priest, who thus addressed her: — O Mary, what is this thou hast done, and debased thy
soul: thou who in the Holy of holies feddest from the hand of an angel, and heardest their
hymns, ....what is this thou hast done? Weeping bitterly she answered:— By the living
God I swear that I am pure before him and have known no man.2

After that we have the account of Joseph and Mary leaving Nazareth for
Bethlehem, where they rested in a cave, and there Jesus was born: —

And Joseph having found a cavern, brought Mary into it .... And he tells us: — I
looked up to the heavens, and saw the heavenly vault standing still, and the birds of the
air trembling; then looking down upon the earth, I beheld a dish laid, and the workers
sitting at meat around it, their hands therein, yet not taking out anything, or putting a
morsel to their mouths, but their faces all looking upwards. And I saw sheep being
driven, but they stood still, and the shepherd raised his crook to strike them, but his hand
remained raised. And by the bed of the river I saw kids with their mouths as it were
touching the water, but stopped from drinking. All things in fear and alarm.3

1
Story of Joseph's dream.
2
Protevangelium.
3
It is remarkable that we have the same story repeated in the Rauzat al Ahbab regarding the birth of
Muhammad himself!
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

56 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

Referring now to what is told us in a quotation from the Qur'an given above,
regarding Mary, the Palm-tree, etc., we give an extract from an apocryphal book called
the History of the Nativity of Mary and the Saviour's Infancy:—

Now on the third day after she had set out, Mary was wearied in the desert by the heat,
and asked Joseph to rest for a little under the shade of a palm-tree. So he made haste and
made her sit down beneath it. Then Mary looking up and seeing its branches laden with
fruit, said, — I desire if it were possible to have some of that fruit. Joseph answered:— I
wonder at what thou sayest, since thou must see how lofty the branches of the palm-tree
are; and besides, I am anxious to get water, for all in my vessel is done, and there is none
anywhere about to fill it with. Just then the child Jesus, looking up with a cheerful smile
from his mother's bosom, said to the palm-tree:— Send down thy branches here below,
that my Mother may eat fresh fruit of thee. Forthwith it bent itself at Mary's feet, and so
they all ate of its fruit. When they had gathered all the fruit, it still remained bent, waiting
for orders to arise. Then Jesus said:— O palm-tree, arise with cheerfulness, be one of my
Father's trees in Paradise; but with thy roots open the fountain beneath thee; and bring me
here for my refreshment some of the water flowing from that fount. At once the tree
became erect, and began to pour from its roots water beautifully clear and sweet before
them. So when they saw the water, they were all filled with delight, and drank of it with
their cattle and servants, till they were satisfied and praised the Lord.

Between this story, as told here and in the Qur'an, there is just this divergence,
that with the latter the Palm-tree appears at the time of the Messiah's birth, whereas this
ancient Christian tale belongs to a somewhat later period, namely, after the journey of
Joseph and Mary into Egypt.
III. The childhood of Jesus. - In the Qur'an we
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

CHILDHOOD OF JESUS 57

are told that the angels, before the infant's birth, thus addressed Mary:— And he shall
speak to men in the cradle ....And he shall say, Verily I come unto you with a sign from
your Lord, for 1 shall make unto you of clay the figure as it were of a bird; then I will
blow thereon and it shall become a bird, by permission of God.1 And again in another
Surah:—

When God said, O Jesus son of Mary! remember my favour towards thee, and towards
thy Mother; when I strengthened thee by the Holy Spirit, that thou shouldest speak unto
men in the cradle, and when grown up; and when I taught thee the Book and wisdom, and
the Torah, and the Gospel; and when thou createdst of clay as it were the figure of a bird
by my permission, and didst breathe thereon, and by my permission it became a bird. And
when thou didst heal one born blind, and the leper, by my permission; and didst raise up
the dead by my permission; and when I held back the children of Israel from thee at the
time thou camest unto them with evident miracles; and when such of them as believed
not said, This is nothing but manifest sorcery. 2

It need not be repeated that tales of our Saviour's childhood such as these have
nothing to do with the Gospel, but like those before of the cradle, palm-tree, etc., have
been taken from imaginary and fabulous Christian writings, such as the following from a
Greek story-book called The Gospel of Thomas the Israelite: —

The child Jesus, when five years of age, was playing on the road by a dirty stream of
running water; and having brought it all together into ditches, immediately made it pure
and clean; and all this by a single word. Then having moistened some earth, he made of it
twelve sparrows. And it was the Sabbath day when he did these things. There were many
other children playing with him. Now a Jew, seeing what Jesus did, that he

1
Surah iii. 41 and 43.
2
Surah v. 119.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

58 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

was playing on the Sabbath day, forthwith went his way to his father Joseph; Behold, he
said, thy son is at the stream of dirty water, and having taken up some mud, hath made of
it twelve sparrows, and hath thus desecrated the Sabbath. On this Joseph went to the spot,
and cried out:— Why dost thou do these things on the Sabbath day which it is not lawful
to do? Whereupon Jesus, clapping his hands at the sparrows, cried aloud to them, — Go
off! So they, clucking, flew away. The Jews seeing it, were astonished, and went and told
their Rulers what they had seen Jesus do.

In the Arabic Gospel of the Infancy, the whole story is found twice over, in
Chapter 36, and again in a different form in Chapter 46, because the latter part of the
book is taken from The Gospel of Thomas the Israelite.
In reference to the supposed fact that Jesus spoke when an infant in the cradle, we
find it said in the Qur'an (Surah xix. 29-31) that when the Virgin Mary's people
reproached her, she pointed to Jesus, implying that they should ask him about the matter.
And when they asked her, How can we speak to a child in the cradle? then Jesus
answered them and said, Verily I am the servant of God, who hath given the Book, and
made me a Prophet.
So also in the Gospel of the Infancy, Chapter 1, it is thus written: —

In the Book of Josephus, High Priest, who lived in the time of the Messiah (and men
say he was Caiaphas), we find it said that Jesus spake when he was in the cradle, and
called out to his mother Mary:— "Verily I am Jesus, the Son of God, the Word, whom
thou hast given birth to according to the good tidings given thee by the Angel Gabriel,
and my Father hath sent me for the Salvation of the World."

Now if we compare the above, taken from this

 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

THE TABLE FROM HEAVEN 59

ancient Arabic work on the Infancy of our Saviour, with the Qur'an, it will be at once
apparent that Muhammad has adopted the story, with its very words, changed only so far
as to bring them into accord with his own belief and teaching; and doubtless it was all
taken from this ancient apocryphal treatise. Should anyone ask, How could this have
been? - the answer is that this book of the Childhood was translated into Arabic from the
Coptic original, and must have been known to the Prophet's Coptic hand-maiden, Mary.
From her he must have heard the tale, and believing it to have come from the Gospel,
adopted it with some little change, and so entered it in the Qur'an. Now it is clear that
such stories of infantile miracles are altogether opposed to what is written in the Gospel
of St. John (ii.) regarding the turning of water into wine, where it is recorded that "This
beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee and manifested forth his glory." Jesus
was then over thirty years of age; and it is clear that before this no miracle had been done
by him. But all the miracles noted in the Qur'an, beyond what have been mentioned
above, and that of the Table to be spoken of below, were undoubtedly true and beyond
question, as they correspond with what we read of in the four Gospels.
Now as to the Table, the following is the account given in the Qur'an (Surah v.
112-115):—

When the Apostles said, O Jesus Son of Mary! is thy Lord able to cause a Table to
descend unto us from heaven? He said, Fear God if ye be true believers. They answered,
We desire to eat therefrom, and that our hearts may rest at ease, and may know that thou
hast told us the truth, and that we may
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

60 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

be witnesses thereof. Jesus Son of Mary said, O God our Lord! Cause a Table to descend
unto us from heaven, that it may become an Eed (day of festival) to the first of us and
unto the last; and a sign from thee; and do thou provide food for us, for thou art the best
Provider. God said, I will send it down unto you.

This miracle is not mentioned in any Christian book. So strange an imagination

never could have had reality. but its origin is no doubt to be found in the Supper which
Jesus partook of with his disciples the night before his death. This Lord's Supper, which
has ever since been observed by Christians as a sacred ordinance according to Christ's
command, is described in each of the four Gospels. 1 It is also mentioned in Luke (xxii.
30), where Jesus promises his disciples "that ye may eat and drink at my table in my
kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."2
We pass on to other notices in the Qur'an regarding Jesus and his Mother, that we
may observe the Sources from which they were derived. Thus, in Surah v. 116: When
God shall say unto Jesus at the last day, O Jesus Son of Mary! hast thou said unto men,
Take me and my Mother for two gods, besides God? And again, in Surah iv. 169:—

O ye people of the Book! Exceed not the Just bounds in your religion; neither say of
God other then the truth. Verily the Messiah Jesus Son of Mary is the apostle of God, and
his Word which he placed in Mary, and a Spirit, from him.

1
Matthew xxvi. 20 29; Mark xiv. 17-25; Luke xxvi. 14-17; John xiii. 1-30.
2
It is also possible that the dream of Peter in which food was sent down to him in a sheet may have
originated the idea of the Table descending from heaven. It was, however, but a dream. Acts x. 9-16.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

THE TRINITY, THREE OR ONE 61

Believe, therefore, in God and his apostles, and say not there are three (Gods); forbear
this; it will be better for you. Verily God is one God. Far be it from him that he should
have a son. To him belongeth whatever is, in heaven and earth; and he is a sufficient
advocate.

And once more, Surah v. 77:—

They are very unbelievers who say, God is the third of three; for there is no God but the
one God. And if they refrain not from what they say, a dreadful torment shall surely be
inflicted on such of them as disbelieve.

From these verses it is evident, as Jelal ood Deen and Yahya say, that the Prophet
must have heard from some of the heretical Christian sects, that they held the Almighty to
be three, namely, God, and Mary and Jesus; and to oppose this evil teaching, it is over
and again repeated in the Qur'an that God is one. Whoever may read the Torah and the
Gospel must know that Unity of the Almighty is at the foundation of the Christian
faith;— as we read in Deut. vi. 4: — "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord"; a
text quoted and enforced by Jesus himself, Mark xii. 29. The godhead of Mary is held by
no real Christian. It is, alas, true that several Churches do worship her, — which is
nothing short of idolatry, and altogether opposed to the teaching of the Holy Scriptures;
yet it is in accordance with what many of the heretical works contained regarding Mary;
and from them no doubt Muhammad learned the strange story he has put in the Qur'an.
In Surah iv. 156 we find it written that the Jews said: We have slain Jesus son of
Mary, the Apostle of God. Yet they slew him not, neither crucified him, but a likeness was
given unto them They did not really
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

62 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

kill him; but God took him up unto himself; and God is mighty and wise. It need hardly be
said that this doctrine of the Qur'an is entirely opposed to the writings of the Prophets and
Apostles, but it is in agreement with the teaching of some of the early heretics. Thus the
ancient writer Irenaeus tells us that Basilides, one of their chief men, held this view, for
he wrote of Jesus as follows:—

He suffered not; but Simon a Cyrenian was compelled to carry the cross for him; and
he through error and ignorance was crucified, being transfigured by him, that it might be
thought he was Jesus himself.

It is evident then that Muhammad learned this story as propagated by the disciples
of Basilides; — a story every one must know to be opposed to the writings of the
Prophets, who said that the Messiah would come as a sacrifice for the redemption of
mankind; and to the testimony of the Apostles, who with their own eyes saw our blessed
Redeemer on the cross. Muhammad, however, failed to see that the object of this heretic
was to hold up the vain imagination that Jesus was not clothed with manhood proper, but
had only the semblance and not the reality of it. If so, it was not possible that he could
have been born of the Virgin, and suffered on the cross; but that men were deceived into
thinking that these things happened to him. Now all this heretical teaching is entirely
opposed not only to the Gospel, but to the Qur'an itself. Accordingly, it did not become
Muhammad to accept part of the wild imaginations of Basilides, and reject a part; for if
the basis of a heretic's teaching is false, how can the notions and doctrines derived
therefrom be true? And
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

"AHMED" MISTAKEN FOR PARACLETE 63

yet we see that the Prophet did so, in accepting the vain imagination of the heretic as
given in the verse of the Qur'an quoted above.
The Muslims hold that Christ announced to his followers that they were to expect
a Prophet named Ahmed; and in proof they adduce the following verse from the Qur'an,
Surah lxi. 6:— And when Jesus Son of Mary said, 0 children of Israel, I am the apostle of
God unto you, confirming that which was delivered unto me in the Torah and bringing
good tidings of an apostle who shall come after me, named Ahmed. This passage no
doubt refers to the Comforter, the Paraclete promised in the Gospel of John.1 But anyone
who attentively reads what is said in the passages on the subject, will perceive that they
make no promise of any prophet's advent, but of the coming of the Holy Ghost;— a
promise fulfilled shortly after our Saviour's ascent to heaven, by the descent of the Holy
Spirit, as described in Acts ii. 1-11.
The origin of the misapprehension in the Qur'an came from the Arabs not
knowing the meaning of Paraclete (Faraclete), and fancying it to signify Ahmed, or "the
praised one"; while the real sense of the name is the Comforter. But there is in Greek
another word which to the ear of a foreigner would have a nearly similar sound, namely,
Periclete (praised or celebrated); and it is extremely probable that the people of Arabia,
not familiar with Greek, mistook its meaning thus and named the promised one Ahmed,
or "the praised."2

1
John xiv. 16, 26, xv. 26, xvi. 7. Called also the Faraclete.
2
Our Author exemplifies this by words begun with two Arabic letters sounding very similar, and liable to
be mistaken one for the other.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

64 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

We read in ancient times of one Mani1 in Iran, who fancied himself a prophet, and
claimed to be the Paraklete promised by the Messiah. But he was rejected by the
Christians of Persia, who, being well acquainted with the gospel, knew that our Saviour
made no promise of any prophet to come.
We have it in tradition that Muhammad said Jesus would descend upon earth,
there live forty years, and become married. 2 Anyone acquainted with the Bible will
understand how this strange imagination arose; for in Rev. xix. 7-9, we read as
follows:—

Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is
come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be
arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And
he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the
Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

And if it be asked, Who is the Bride spoken of here? the answer is in ch. xxi. 2:
"And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." We see then that the Bride spoken of here
is the Christian Church which will be on earth at the second coming of Jesus; and their
"marriage" is simply the symbol of the perfect union, love and devotion that will subsist
between the two, as between a husband and his wife. The whole story of the
Commentators is but a foolish myth.3

1
Manês, and hence the Manichaeans.
2
Arâish al Majalis.
3
The argument might have been strengthened by a reference to Ephesians v. concerning the marriage of
Christ the Church.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

DEATH OF JESUS 65

Again we read in Surah iii. 48:— O Jesus! I will cause thee to die, — the meaning
being that after his return to this earth Jesus will die. This is entirely opposed to the
Scriptures, for in Revelation i. 17, 18 Jesus says, "I am the first and the last: I am he that
liveth, and was dead: and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of
hell and of death." The story has arisen from a passage in a traditional book1 regarding
Enoch and Elias, who ascended without dying to the heavens and of whom we are told:
"It will happen to them that they will return to the world in the last time, in the day of
grief and fear and distress, and then will die." And in the Coptic tale of the Falling asleep
of Mary, it is said of Enoch and Elias, — "Of necessity both of these will at the last taste
of death." So when the Companions of the Prophet had such foolish notions in their
heads, they no doubt concluded that Jesus too, like Enoch and Elias, would eventually be
made to taste of death; and moreover, knowing that he had ascended up to heaven, they
thought that his death would follow his return at the Second coming. Hence the way in
which they tried to illustrate the above text. It may be noticed also that in other Surahs we
find it written that "Every soul shall taste of death."2
IV. Some other stories from Christian or heretical writers. — When God would
create Adam he sent angels and archangels, one after another, to bring a handful of earth.
At last Azrael, having descended, brought a

1
History of Joseph the Carpenter.
2
Surah xxix. 57, and iii. 182.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

66 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

handful gathered from every quarter, and said, "O Lord, thou knowest whence I have
brought it."1 Abul Feda, quoting from Ibn Athîr, gives us this account:—

The Prophet said that God created Adam from a handful of earth gathered from all
round the world ...and that he was called Adam as formed out of the earth below (i.e.
adîm).

The following is also taken from the heretic Marcion, who is quoted by an old
Armenian writer as follows: —

The God of the Law seeing the earth fair to look upon, desired to make man out of it,
and having descended to Matter, Hylê (υλη) on the earth, he said, Give me some of thy
soil, and I will from myself impart to it a soul.....So when Matter had given to him some
of the earth, he created man and breathed into him a soul; and for this reason he was
called Adam, because he was made out of the earth.

According to the heretic Marcion, he whom they name "the God of the Law," who
got earth for the creation of man, was only an angel; for they say that the Law came down
from one of the angels hostile to the great God. And that Angel they call Lord of the
universe, Creator of all things, and Prince of this world. This last is taken from the
Gospel of John, where the devil is so called.2 Marcion tells us that this angel was an
inhabitant of the Second heaven, and at first knew nothing of the great God; but when he
came to know of his existence, then he turned out to be an enemy of "the Unknown God,"
and sought that mankind should neither know nor worship him.
This imaginative story of the creation is in entire

1
Qissas al Anbia.
2
John xiv. 30. The Muslims apply the name "Prince of the World" to their Prophet, not understanding its
true meaning.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

THE PRINCE OF THE WORLD 67

accord with what the Muslims say regarding Azâzîl, who came to dwell in the Second
heaven. But the rest of the tale about him belongs to the Zoroastrian books, which will be
noticed in our Fifth chapter.
In Surah xix. vv. 69-73 we have the following passage:—

By the Lord! we shall surely assemble them round about Hell on their knees. Then
will we draw forth from every Sect such of them as shall have been most rebellious
against the Merciful; and we best know which of them are the more deserving to be
burned therein. There are none of you but shall descend into the same. It is an established
decree with thy Lord. Then we will deliver the pious ones; but will leave the wicked ones
therein upon their knees.

In explaining this passage Tradition varies. Some say that all believers will
descend into Hell, but will not be touched by the flames; others that it refers to the Bridge
Sirât, over which all must pass, and which is over Jehannam. It is just possible that the
words, "There are none of you but shall descend into it," may be borrowed from the way
in which some ignorant Christians interpreted the "Trying with fire," mentioned in the
Gospel,1 as if it meant that they were thus to be purified of their sins. But if the Qur'an
here refers to the Bridge Sirât, the idea cannot be from any of them, but from the
Zoroastrian books, to be noticed below.
The BALANCE is mentioned in two passages of the Qur'an, Surah xlii. 16:— It is
God who hath sent down the Scripture with truth, and the Balance; and what shall inform
thee whether the time be near at hand?

1
Mark ix. 49; 1 Corinthians iii. 13.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

68 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

And Surah ci. 5, 6:— Moreover, he whose Balance shall be heavy will lead a pleasing
life; but he whose Balance shall be light, his dwelling-place shall be Hell.
We need not enter into the vast store of Tradition devoted to this great Balance,
but simply enquire whence the notion arose. There is a fictitious work called "The
Testament of Abraham," written originally in Egypt, and thence translated into Greek and
Arabic; and what is there said of the weighing of deeds, good and bad, we shall compare
with what is in the Qur'an. In this book we are told that when the Angel of Death wished
to seize the soul of Abraham, the patriarch desired that before his death he might see the
wonders of the heavens and of the earth. Having obtained permission, he ascended and
beheld all the scenes around him. After a time he ascended the Second heaven, and there
saw the Balance by which angels try the deeds of mankind. The following is an extract
from this work:—

Betwixt the two doors there stood a throne...and upon it was seated a wonderful
Man...Before him stood a Table, like as of crystal, all covered with gold and linen. And
upon the Table a book lay, its length six fingers, and breadth ten fingers. On the right
hand of it and on the left, stood two angels having paper and ink and pen. In front of the
Table sat a brilliant angel holding in his hand a Balance. On the left sat an angel, as it
were all of fire, merciless and stern, having in his hand a trumpet, in which was flaming
fire, the touchstone of sinful men. The wonderful Man seated on the throne was judging
the souls and passing sentence upon them. And the two angels on the right and on the left
were writing down, the one on the right, righteous deeds, and he on the left, sinful ones.
And he that stood before the Table holding the Balance was weighing the souls, and the
angel holding the fire,
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

THE BALANCE 69

passing judgement upon them. And so Abraham asked Michael, the Captain of the Host,
What is all this that we see? He answered, That which thou seest, holy Abraham, is the
Judgment and Retribution.

Thereafter we are told that every soul whose good deeds equalled its evil ones
was reckoned neither as one of the saved nor as one of the condemned, but put in a
position between the two, like what is told us in the Qur'an already quoted, "Between the
two a veil, and men upon al Arâf."
From the above it is clear that what Muhammad mentions about the Balance in
the Qur'an was derived from this fictitious "Testament of Abraham," written in Egypt
some four hundred years before the Hegira, and of which an account was probably given
him by his Coptic concubine Mary.
But what there is mentioned about the Balance belongs to a far earlier source,
namely, to a book called "The Book of the Dead." Many copies of this primeval work
have been found in the sepulchres of the ancient idolatrous Egyptians, placed there
because supposed to have been written by one of their gods called Thoth, and with the
notion that they would be read by the dead buried there. In it is a strange picture
illustrating the Judgment hall of Osiris, of which our Author has given an interesting
copy. There are in it two deities on opposite sides of a Balance. One of these is weighing
the heart of a good man placed in a vessel on the scale, and in the corresponding scale
opposite is an idol called Mâ or truth. The great god is recording in ancient Egyptian the
fate of the departed:— "Osiris the justified is alive; his Balance is equal in the midst of
God's
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

70 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

palace; the heart of Osiris the justified is to enter into its place. Let the great god, Lord of
Hermopolis, say so." Over some of the idols are their names; and above a savage figure,
the words, "Conqueror of his enemies, god of Amenti (Hades)"; several times also are
repeated the words, "Life and peace to Osiris." Below we have reproduced a sketch of the
"Balance" which stands at one side of this most remarkable picture.

(1) Image of the Goddess of Truth

(2) Vessel with the heart of the deceased

From all this it is clear that what we have in the Qur'an about the "Balance" was
learned by the Prophet from such Sources as the above.
As regards the Ascent to heaven, Tradition tells us that Muhammad there saw
Father Adam, at times weeping
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

ABRAHAM'S ASCENT TO HEAVEN 71

and groaning, at times happy and rejoicing; of which in the Mishkât we have this
account: —

When he opened, we went up to the lower heaven. Lo! a man seated, on his right hand
were dark figures, and on his left dark figures. When he looked to his right, he laughed;
when to the left, he wept. And he said, Welcome to the righteous Prophet, and to the
excellent Son. I then asked Gabriel, Who is this? It is Adam, he said, and these dark
figures on his right, and on his left, are the spirits of his sons. The people on his right
hand are the inhabitants of Paradise; and the dark figures on his left are those of the Fire;
when he looks to his right, he smiles; and when he looks to the left, he weeps.

The same tale we find in the ancient "Testament of Abraham," as follows: —

So Michael turned the chariot, and took Abraham towards the east through the first
gate of heaven. There Abraham saw two roads; one strait and difficult, the other wide and
easy. He beheld also two gates, one wide like its road, and another narrow like the other
road. Outside the two gates they beheld a Man sitting on a golden throne, his aspect
terrible like unto the Lord. They saw a multitude of souls driven by the angels through
the wide gate, but few souls led by the angels through the narrow one. And when the
great Man seated on the golden throne saw but few passing through the narrow gate, and
so many through the wide gate, forthwith he grasped the hair of his head and his beard on
either side, and cast himself weeping and groaning from his throne upon the ground. But
when he saw many souls entering in by the narrow gate, he arose from the ground, and
with joy and rejoicing seated himself again upon the throne.
Then Abraham asked the Captain of the Host:— My Lord Commander! Who is that
great Man adorned with so much grandeur, who sometimes weeps in great distress, and
sometimes rejoices and is glad? Then the Spirit (Michael) answered:— This is Adam, the
first created man, adorned with so
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

72 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

much glory; and here he beholds the world and the multitudes who derive their existence
from himself. When he beholds many souls passing the narrow gate, then rising up he
seats himself upon his throne in joy and gladness, because the narrow gate is for the
righteous and leadeth unto life eternal. Those passing through it are on the way to
Paradise, and hence the first created Adam rejoiceth, because he seeth souls that are
saved. But when he beholds many passing through the wide gate, then he seizes the hair
of his head, beats and casts himself to the ground crying bitterly. For the wide gate
leadeth the wicked to everlasting destruction.

It were easy to shew that many other passages in the Qur'an are in close accord
with the tales of ignorant Christians, or of heretical writers, anterior to the Prophet; but
the examples given above may amply suffice . Before closing the chapter, however, it
seems proper to ask whether Muhammad, having borrowed so much from fictitious
works, has taken anything at all from the Gospel, or Apostolic writings. In answer to this
serious question; we reply that throughout the Qur'an only one verse is quoted from the
Gospel; and by a well-known Traditionist possibly one verse from St. Paul.
First. In Surah vii. 38 it is written:- They that charge our signs with falsehood and
proudly reject them, the gates of heaven shall not be opened to them, nor shall they enter
Paradise until a camel pass through the eye of a needle:— compared with this in three of
the Gospels:— "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich
man to enter into the kingdom of God." 1
Second. Abu Hureira tells in the Mishkât of the Prophet having stated that God
Almighty had said as

1
Matthew xix. 24; Mark x. 25; Luke xviii. 25.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

THE GOSPEL ONE OF THE SOURCES 73

follows:— "I have prepared for the righteous what eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor
hath entered into the heart of man." See similar words in I Cor. ii. 9.
But this absence of actual quotation does not detract from the second-hand, and in
many respects fictitious, knowledge of the Christian past. And we conclude that the
Gospel, and especially some of the ancient heretical works, were clearly among the
Sources of Muslim teaching,— a conclusion altogether beyond question.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

74

Chapter V.
SOME THINGS IN THE QUR'AN AND TRADITION DERIVED
FROM ANCIENT ZOROASTRIAN AND HINDU BELIEFS.

We learn from Arabian and Greek historians that previous to Muhammad's birth, and
during his life, many parts of the Peninsula were ruled over by Persian kings. For
example, Kesra Nousherwan having sent an army to Hîra, put down Hârith the king, and
in his room placed the subservient Mandzar on the throne. He also sent an army to
Yemen, and having expelled the Abyssinian invaders, restored the old king, whose
progeny followed him in the government of the land. Abulfeda tells us that "the family of
Mandzar, and race of Nasr son of Rabia, were the Kesra's governors over the Arabs of
Iraq"; also that after the Himyarites, "there were four Abyssinian governors of Yemen,
and eight Persians, and then it became ruled over by Islam." It is clear, then, that both in
the time of Muhammad and previously, the Persians had constant intercourse with
Arabia; and being incomparably more learned than its ignorant people, must have had an
important influence on their religion, on their customs, and on their knowledge at large.
Both history and Qur’anic commentaries shew that the tales and
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

PERSIAN TALES IN THE QUR'AN 75

songs of Iran were spread abroad among the tribes of Arabia. Thus Ibn Hisham tells us
that in the days of the Prophet, stories of Rustem, Isfandiyâr, and the ancient kings of
Persia, were not only current at Medina, but that some of the Coreish used delightedly to
compare them with the similar tales in the Qur'an. He adds as follows:—

The Prophet of the Lord, when he sat in the assembly, used to pray there to the
Almighty, read to them from the Qur'an, and warn the Coreish of what in times past had
happened to the unbelieving nations. It so came to pass that one day after he had left,
Nadhr son of Al Hârith came in and told them stories of the great Rustem and of
Isfandiyâr and the kings of Persia. Then he said, "I swear by the Lord, that the stories of
Muhammad are not better than my own; they are nothing but tales of the past which he
hath written out, just as I have written mine out." Then descended this passage: —They
say these are fables of the ancients which he hath caused to be written down, dictated by
him morning and evening. Say, He hath revealed the same who knoweth the sacred things
in heaven and earth; verily he is gracious and merciful.1 ...When our verses are recited
unto him, he saith, - Fables of the ancients.2 Woe unto every lying and wicked one that
heareth the verses of God read unto him, then proudly resisteth, as if he heard them not;
wherefore denounce unto him a fearful punishment.3

These stories of Rustem, Isfandiyâr, and other ancient kings of Persia, are similar to what
Ferdosi, some centuries after the Prophet, turned into song in his Shahnâma. Certainly as
the Arabs used to read of the ancient sovereigns, they could not have been ignorant of
stories such as those of Jamshid, the ascent of Ahriman out of darkness, Artâ Vîrâf, the
bridge Chinavad, and such like. Our object is by careful

1
Surah xxv. 6, 7.
2
Surah lxviii. 15
3
Surah xlv. 6,7.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

76 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

search to ascertain whether these stories and the like had any effect on the Qur'an and
Tradition. We are sure that they had; and that Persian tales and doctrines form one of the
Sources of Muslim faith. Many also of the stories, literary, imaginative, and religious,
were not confined to Iran, but were current among the Hindus in India, and spread abroad
amongst the people travelling by Herat and Merve, and so westward. It will be asked
what our proof of all this is; and we propose accordingly to quote some passages from the
Qur'an and Tradition, and then to compare these with what may be found in ancient
Zoroastrian and Hindu writings.
We begin with the ascent,— Mirâj—of the Prophet. The following account of it is
in Surah xvii. 1:- Praise be to him who transported his servant by night from the Sacred
temple (of Mecca) to the farther Temple (Jerusalem) the surroundings of which we have
blessed, that we might shew him some of our signs, for he is both the hearing and the
seeing One. In the interpretation of this verse the greatest difference has prevailed. Thus
Ibn Ishac gives this account from Ayesha:— "The body of the Prophet did not disappear,
but the Lord carried off his soul by night." Tradition also tells us that the Prophet himself
said:— "Mine eyes slept, but my heart was awake."1 Mohee ood Deen is of the same
opinion;— writing of the Ascent and Night Journey, he says, in explanation of the above
passage:—
Praised be he that transported his servant; that is, released him from material
surroundings, and caused a spiritual separation

1
Sirat al Rasul
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

MUHAMMAD'S ASCENT TO HEAVEN 77

without any change of the body. By night, i.e. in darkness surrounding the physical frame;
for the ascent could only be carried out spiritually through the inner senses of the body.
From the holy Masjid; that is, from the centre of a sacred heart, free from bodily
corruption and sensual coverings. To the further Masjid; that is, the fountain of the spirit,
far removed from the corporeal world, and close to the manifestation of the Almighty's
glory, in order that he might the better understand that which, We might shew him some of
our signs, even if they be within the heart, which can only be done in all their glory and
grandeur by spiritual discernment within the soul; namely, that we can shew him of our
Nature and perfection.

Hence, if we accept the above, together with the witness of Ayesha, and what the
Prophet himself is reported to have said, — the ascent was not in body, but in spirit. But
the view of others is altogether different. Thus Ibn Ishac tells us that, according to what
Muhammad said, Gabriel awoke him twice; but he went to sleep again:—

And he came to me the third time, and made me stand up and go with him to the gate
of the Mosque, where, lo! there was a white steed, in appearance between a pony and an
ass . Then with his hand he helped me upon it, neither of us preceding the other. (Then
follows a quotation from Cotâda.) The Prophet said: When I tried to mount on Burâc he
became refractory; then Gabriel touched his mane and said: Burac, "knowest thou what
thou art doing? for, by the Lord! no servant of the God hath ever mounted thee more
blessed from heaven than Muhammad." Whereupon Burac became so ashamed that sweat
poured like water from him. Then he stood still, and I mounted him. After that (Hasan
tells us) the Prophet went forward and Gabriel with him, till they reached the Holy temple
at Jerusalem, and there found Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, with a company of
Prophets, — whom the Prophet led in prayer. Then were brought two vases, in one was
wine and in the other milk. So the blessed Prophet took that with milk, and
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

78 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

drank of it, and left the vase of wine alone. Then Gabriel said:— Guide unto temperance,
and teach thy people so, O Muhammad, for wine is forbidden unto you. Then the Prophet
returned to Mecca; and in the morning, meeting the Coreish, he told them all that
happened. "By the Lord!" said the people, "what a marvellous thing. It takes our caravans
a whole month to reach Syria from this, and a whole month to return; yet Muhammad has
gone it all in a single night, and in the same returned!"1

The following is another account given by the Prophet of his night Journey, as
heard by Cotâda:—

While I was asleep, to one came to me, close as the hair is to the skin, and took out my
heart. He then brought a golden vase filled with Faith, in which my heart was placed, and
my stomach cleansed in the water of Zemzem, so that I was filled with Faith and
Wisdom. Thereupon Gabriel mounted me upon Burâc (as in the previous account), and
having carried me upwards to the Lowest heaven called out to open the gate. "Who is
this?" one cried. — It is Gabriel. And who is with thee? — It is Muhammad. Was he
summoned? — O yes! was Gabriel's answer. Then welcome to him; how good it is that
he hath come. And so he opened the gate. Entering, Gabriel said, Here is thy father
Adam, make thy salutation to him. So I made to him my salaam, and he returned it to me;
on which he said, Welcome to an excellent son and to an excellent Prophet. Then Gabriel
took me up to the Second heaven, and to there were John (the Baptist) and Jesus.2 In the
Third heaven there was Joseph; in the Fourth ldrees; in the Fifth Aaron; and in the Sixth
Moses. As he returned the salutation of the Prophet, Moses wept, and on being asked the
reason said: "I mourn because more of the people of him that was sent after me do enter
Paradise than of mine." Then we ascended the Seventh heaven;— This is thy father
Abraham, said Gabriel, and salutation was made as before. At the last we made the final
ascent, where there were

1
Sirat Ibn Hishâm.
2
At each ascent the same salutation is repeated, but it has been left out here in all but the first.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

THE MIRÂJ OR HEAVENLY ASCENT 79

beautiful fruits and leaves like the ears of an elephant. This, said Gabriel, is the last heaven; and
lo! four rivers, two within, and two without. What are these, O Gabriel, I asked? — Those within,
he said, are the rivers of Paradise; and those seen without, are the Nile and the Euphrates. Then a
dwelling-place was prepared for me; and then they brought me vessels of wine and milk and
honey. So I took the milk, and he said, This is food for thee and thy people.1

Much more of the same kind of Muslim stories, as of Adam wailing, etc., might
be given; but enough and to spare has been quoted for comparison with the Sources
which follow, from which it has all been derived.
I. And First as to Muhammad's Mirâj or Ascent to heaven. We begin with a
Pehlavi book called Artâ Vîrâf nâmak, written in the days of Ardashîr, some four hundred
years before the Hegira. We are there told that, the Zoroastrian faith fading away, the
Magi of Persia sought to revive it in the people's hears, by sending a Zoroastrian of the
above name up to heaven, with the view of bringing down tidings of what was going on
there. This messenger ascended from one heaven to another, and having seen it all, was
commanded by Ormazd to return to the earth, and tell it to his people. The result is
contained in the above named book, of which we shall briefly quote a few passages,
freely translated, to shew how far the Muslim account corresponds with the imaginary
details below: —

Our first advance upwards was to the Lower heaven; ..... and there we saw the Angel of those
Holy ones, giving

1
Mishkât al Masâbih.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

80 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

forth a flaming light, brilliant and lofty. And I asked Sarosh the holy and Âzar the
angel:— "What is this place; and these, who are they?" We are then told that Artâ
ascended similarly to the Second and Third heavens, and to many others beyond. 1
Rising from a gold-covered throne, Bahman the Archangel led me on, till he and I met
Ormazd with a company of angels and heavenly leaders, all adorned so brightly that I had
never seen the like before. My leader said: This is Ormazd. I sought to salaam to him, and
he said he was glad to welcome me from the passing world to that bright and undefiled
place. Then he bade Sarosh and the Fire-angel to shew me the blessed place prepared for
the holy, and that also for the punishment of the wicked. After which they carried me
along till I beheld the Archangels and the other Angels.
At the last, says Artâ, my Guide and the Fire-angel having shewed me Paradise, took
me down to Hell; and from that dark and dreadful place, carried me upward to a beautiful
spot where were Ormazd and his company of angels. I desired to salute him, on which he
graciously said:— "Artâ Vîrâf, go thou to the material world; thou hast seen and now
knowest Ormazd, for I am he; whosoever is true and righteous, him I know." When
Ormazd began thus to speak, I became confused in mind, because I saw a brilliant light
but no appearance of a body, and forthwith I perceived the unseen must be Ormazd
himself.

There is no doubt a singular resemblance between the ascent of this Magian

messenger, and that also told of Muhammad, to the heaven above. In the fabulous
Zerdashtnama there is also an account of Zoroaster having ages before ascended to the
heavens, after having received permission to visit hell, where he found Ahriman (the
devil). It is remarkable that similar tales are not confined to Persia, but extend to India,
where they are recorded in the Sanskrit poems.

1
One of the angels noticed above is said to have led Artâ aloft, just as we are told that Gabriel guided
Muhammad upwards.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

THE HEAVENLY ASCENT 81

Thus Arjuna was shewn over the heavens, and there saw Indra's palace, its garden with
rivers and fruits, and a tree of which if one eats, he never dies, but lives in delight and
enjoys all his heart desires.1
Many such tales are to be found not only in Zoroastrian books, but also in works
of heretical Christian sects, such as "The Testament of Abraham" already noticed. The
Apostle is there said to have ascended, at the bidding of one of the Cherubim, to the
heavens, and there to have seen all the sights around him. Of Abraham also we have the
following account:—

The Archangel Michael having descended to the earth, took Abraham in a Cherub's
car, raised him aloft on the cloud, with sixty angels; and from the same car shewed him
the whole world beneath.

This is no doubt the origin of the Burâc (ethereal horse) tradition;— something like
which is to be found in the book of Enoch, where also is notice of the heavenly tree, and
the four rivers of Paradise. The Jews hold that the Tree of Life in Eden is so high as to
take five hundred years to reach its top,2 and tell us numberless other stories of a similar
kind.
The Muslims believe that the Garden of Eden was in the heavens above, an idea
taken from many of these fictitious writings, specially that called "Visio Pauli." Perhaps
also such stories may have been derived from Zoroastrian or Hindu sources, or these
from them; at any rate they are altogether imaginary. If it be asked whether there is any
foundation for

1
This resembles a tree called by the Arabs Tûbâ, as well as a marvellous tree of the Zoroastrians, similarly
named as if from it flowed sweet water
2
The Targum of Jonathan.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

82 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

such tales, the answer must be that there is none whatever, They may have arisen from
ignorant and imaginative people seeking to amplify what we find in the Bible of the
ascent of Enoch and Elias, and also of our Saviour Christ, and also what Paul saw in his
sleep, or Peter in his vision at Caesarea. But anyone reading these in our Scriptures will
see that to compare them with the wild and fanciful tales of the East would be as sensible
as to compare heaven with earth, or the fabulous Shahnameh with the history of the great
Nadir. The origin of the Jewish and Christian fancy about the heavenly tree, the four
rivers, etc., has evidently been the passage in Genesis about the Garden of Eden, 1 which
the wild imagination of these people pictured as if in Heaven, not knowing that the spot
lay near to Babylon and Baghdad; and thus they changed the truth of God into a lie, and
the divine history into childish, foolish fancies of their own.
II. What the Qur'an and Tradition tell us regarding Paradise, with its Houries and
youths, the King of Death, etc. As our Muslim friends know well about all such matters,
it is unnecessary to go into any detail about them here. Their origin is to be found
altogether in Zoroastrian Sources. Not a syllable is mentioned about them in the Bible,
which tells us simply of the rest and peace provided for the true believer on the breast of
Abraham, and the blessed place named Paradise in heaven; but not a word have we in the
pages of any Jewish Prophet, or New Testament writer, of Houries or Youths of pleasure
there. The books of the Zoroastrians

1
Genesis ii. 8-17.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

PARADISE AND HOURIES 83

and Hindus, however, are full of them; and these bear the most extraordinary likeness to
what we find in the Qur'an and Tradition. Thus in Paradise we are told of "Houries
having fine black eyes," and again of "Houries with large black eyes, resembling pearls
hidden in their shells."1 And just so the Zoroastrians speak of Fairies, "Paries" (Pairikan)
— spirits in bright array and beautiful, to captivate the heart of man. The name Houry too
is derived from an Avesta or Pehlavi Source, as well as Jinn for Genii, and Bihisht
(Paradise), signifying in Avestic "the better land."2 We have also very similar tales in the
old Hindu writings, of heavenly regions with their boys and girls resembling the Houries
and Ghilmân of the Qur'an. The account before given of the Prophet when he beheld
Adam rejoicing at the righteous entering Paradise, and weeping at the destruction of the
wicked is also given in "The Testament of Abraham"; but with this difference that it
relates to the spirits of the dead, and in the other to the spirits of those not yet born. The
latter are called by 'the Muslims "existent ants or motes";3 and though the term is Arabic,
the idea is no doubt Zoroastrian, and may possibly have been taken by them from the
Egyptians; but in any case the Arabs must have gained it from Persia.

1
Surahs lv. 72; lvi. 22.
2
The Author gives an interesting passage on the derivation of the name Houry or Hûry, from the Pehlavi
word Hûr, or Sun, the same as Khur, still used in Persia with a similar meaning. The Arabs not knowing
this, trace the word to hur, or blackeyed.
3
Zarrât i Kâinât: called in the Avesta Fravashiyo.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

84 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

We have already seen that the "Angel of Death" is a name that must have been
borrowed by the Muslims from the Jews, that being his title in Hebrew. There is,
however, this difference, that the Jews name him Sammâel, and the Muslims Azrâel:1
neither word is Arabic, but Hebrew. Since, however, the idea nowhere occurs in the
Bible, the Jews must have got it elsewhere, and a possible origin we may find in the
Avesta, where we are told that if any one falls into the water or fire, his death is not from
the fire or water, but it is the Angel of Death that destroys him.
III. Story of Azâzîl coming forth from hell. — Muslims take this name from the
Jews, who call the evil Spirit by the same name; but the Arabs have received the story
from the Zoroastrians. According to Muslim tradition, God created Azâzîl, who in the
Seventh hell worshipped the Almighty for a thousand years; he then ascended, spending a
similar term at each stage, till he reached the earth. Elsewhere we read that the Devil (i.e.
Azâzîl stayed three thousand years close by the gate of Paradise, with hostile intentions
against Adam and Eve, of whom he entertained the utmost jealousy.
In a Zoroastrian book 2 we have the following account of the Devil, by name
Ahriman: —

He remained in the abyss, dark and ignorant, there to commit hurt and injury, and
such mischief and darkness is the place that they term the dark region. Ormazd, who
knew all things, was aware of Ahriman's existence and designs....Both remained thus for
3000 years, without change or action. The evil spirit was ignorant of Ormazd's existence;
but eventually rising out of the pit, at last beheld the light of Ormazd ....Then, filled with
hostility and envy, he set to work to destroy.

1
I.e. Victory of God.
2
The Bûndahishnîh, capp. I. and II.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

AZÂZÎL, THE EVIL SPIRIT 85

There is no doubt some difference between the two accounts: the Muslims
holding that Azâzîl worshipped the Almighty, while the Zoroastrians say he knew him
not. Still the similarity is obvious, for according to both, he came forth from the pit to
destroy God's creation.
Before leaving Azâzîl, there is another tale of which comparison may be made
between the Muslims and Zoroastrians, namely, the story of the Peacock. The following
is the Muslim tradition: —

Azâzîl kept sitting at the gate of Paradise, anxious to enter. The Peacock also was
there seated on a Pinnacle, when he saw one repeating the mighty Names of God. Who
art thou? asked the Peacock. "I am one of the angels of the Almighty"; — "But why art
thou sitting here?" "I am looking at Paradise and wish to enter." The Peacock said, "I
have no command to let any one enter as long as Adam is there." — "If thou wilt let me
in," said the other, "I will teach them a prayer which if any one repeat, three things will
be his — he will never grow old; never be rebellious; nor will any one ever turn him out
of Paradise." Then Iblîs (the devil) repeated the prayer. The peacock also from his
pinnacle did the same, and forthwith flew up to the Serpent and told him what he had
heard from Iblîs. We also learn that when God cast down Adam and Eve with the devil
(Iblîs) from Paradise, the Peacock also was expelled along with them. 1

The old Persian account of the Peacock differs from the above; but they too
associate him with Ahriman, for Eznik in his book "Against Heresies" writes as follows:
—

The Zoroastrians tell us that Ahriman spake as follows:— It is not the case that I am
unable to do anything good myself, but that I do not wish it; and to make this thing
certain, I have produced the Peacock.

1
Qissas al Anbia.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

86 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

So the Peacock having been the creation of Azâzîl, it is quite consistent with the
Muslim tradition that he should be his assistant, and with him have been cast down from
Paradise.
IV. The Light of Muhammad.— Muhammad is reputed by Tradition to have
said:— The first thing created by the Almighty was my Light.1 Again:— When Adam
was created, the Lord having placed that light upon his forehead, said, O Adam, this light
which I place upon thy forehead is that of the greatest and best of thy descendants, the
light of the Chief of Prophets that shall be sent. This light descended from Adam to Seth,
and then in successive generations to Abdullah, and from him to Amina at the time of
Muhammad's conception. We are further told by the Traditionists that the Prophet is
reputed to have spoken thus:—

The Almighty parted that light into four sections, from which he made the heavens,
the pen, Paradise, and believers; each of these four he again divided into four: from the
first he formed me, who am the Prophet; from the second he formed reason placed in the
Believer's head; from the third modesty within the Believer's eye; and from the fourth
love within his heart.2

Let us compare this with the Zoroastrian views:—

In a very ancient book, Ormazd is represented as having created the world and the
universe, angels and archangels, and the heavenly intellect, all out of his own light, with
the praise of Boundless Time. 3

Again, from a still much older work, we quote as follows:—

1
Rouzat al Ahbab.
2
Qissas al Anbia.
3
The Mînûkhirad, as old as the Sâsânides.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

THE LIGHT OF MUHAMMAD 87

A grand and royal Halo long attached itself to Jamshîd, Lord of the good flock, while
he ruled over the Seven climes — Demons, men, fairies, wizards, sorcerers, and evil-
doers... Then when he approved of that false and baseless word, the visible halo departed
from him in the form of a flying bird ....When Jamshîd, Lord of the good flock, no longer
saw that halo, he became devoid of joy, and in distress gave himself up to making enmity
upon earth. The first time that halo was removed from Jamshîd, it departed from Jam son
of Vîvaghân (the Sun) in the form of a Varâgh bird, and Mithra seized the halo When a
second time the halo was removed from Jamshîd, it departed as before in the form of a
bird; then Faridûn the brave took that halo ....When that halo departed the third time from
Jamshîd, it was taken by Keresâspa (Garshâsp), that great and powerful man.1

Now if we bring these two accounts together, and remember that according to the
Avesta, Jamshîd was the first man created by God upon earth, and therefore the same as
Adam the father of mankind, we see at once that the light from Jamshîd descended on the
best of his posterity agrees with what Tradition speaks of as the Light of Muhammad,—
which Muslims appear thus to have borrowed from the Zoroastrians. We also gather that
what appears in the Zoroastrian book about Jamshîd ruling over men, genii, giants, etc., is
very similar to what the Jews write of Solomon, evidently from the same Source, and
taken from them by the Muslims, as indeed has been seen in our Third Chapter. Also
what the Muslims write about the division of the Prophet's light, coincides closely with
what appears in a Zoroastrian book,2 and was evidently taken from that Source.

1
Yesht xix. 31-37.
2
Dasâtîr-i Âsmanî
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

88 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

V. The Bridge Sirât.— Muslims tell us the Prophet held that at the last day after
the Judgment, all mankind will pass over this bridge, which is finer than a hair, and
sharper than a sword; and that the wicked will fall from it into hell. Now what is the
origin of the name Sirat? Though adopted into Arabic, it is of Persian origin, and called
by the ancient Zoroastrians Chînavad,1 and its history is also derived from them, as will
be seen from the following account taken from one of their ancient writings:—

I flee from much sin and I keep my conduct pure. The keeping pure of the six vital
powers, — conduct, speech, thought, intellect, reason, wisdom, — according to thy will,
O Author of the power to do good works, with justice do I perform it, that service of
thine, in thought, speech, and deed. It is good for me to abide in the Bright way, lest I
arrive at the severe punishment of Hell, that I may cross over Chînavad and may reach
that blest abode, full of odour, entirely delightful, always bright.2

The meaning of the Persian name is "the connecting link," the Bridge being that which
joins earth with Paradise.
VI. The Muslims say that each Prophet before his death gives notice of the next to
follow, as Abraham did of Moses, Moses of David, and so on. Nothing of this sort,
however, is in the Bible; on the contrary, the Prophets from first to last gave notice of the
coming of the Messiah, and nothing more. As they could not therefore have got this
notion from the Scriptures,

1
It is difficult to explain in English how Chînavad became Sirât; but it comes from the varied sound of the
letters — ch being turned into sharp s.
2
Dînkart, an ancient Zoroastrian book.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

ZOROASTRIAN SOURCES 89

from whence than could it have come? There is a work1 believed by the Zoroastrians to
have been written in the language of heaven, and, about the time of Khusru Parwez, to
have been translated in the Dari tongue. 2 It comprises fifteen books said to have
descended upon fifteen Prophets; last of all came the sixteenth, Zoroaster himself. At the
end of each book, the name is given of the Prophet that is next to follow. These books no
doubt are an ancient forgery, but apparently the Muslim Traditionists took their idea of
the anticipated coming of each Prophet from them. Again, the second verse in each of
these books open with:— In the name of God, the Giver of gifts, the Beneficent; similar to
the words at the opening of all the Surahs,3 — "In the name of God the Merciful and
Gracious." We also find the first words in another Zoroastrian book4 to be very similar,
namely, In the name of Ormazd the Creator. We have already noticed that the five times
of Muslim prayer are the same as five of the seven common to the Zoroastrians and
Sabaeans, no doubt taken from them.
Many other things might have been added common to the two systems; but it
would have swelled our pages beyond reasonable dimensions; and we must be content
with what has been given.
VII. Some may hold it difficult to understand how Muhammad could have
obtained such stories and matters

1
The Dasâtîr-i Âmânî.
2
It has been published both in the original and in the Dari translation.
3
Excepting only the Ninth.
4
Dînkart.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

90 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

as we find in the Qur'an and Tradition from Zoroastrian sources; and further, how it was
possible for the "unlearned" Prophet to have become informed of them. But Tradition1
tells us as follows: "It was his practice to converse in their own tongue (so we read) with
people of every nation who visited him; and hence the introduction of some Persian
words into the Arabic language." Again, as the Prophet introduced Jewish tales, and also
the stories and customs of Arabian heathen, into the Qur'an, what wonder that he should
do so likewise with Persian tales? Many of these, moreover, were current among the
Arabs, as Al Kindy tells us:— "Suppose we relate to thee such fables as those of Âd,
Thamud and the She-camel, the Companions of the Elephant, and such like, it would only
be the way of old women who spend their days and nights in such foolish talk."
In the Sirat al Rasûl,2 we learn that Muhammad had among the Companions a
Persian called Salmân, who at the siege of Medina advised him to surround the City with
a trench, and when fighting with the Thackîf helped the Muslims with a catapult. Now it
is said that some of the Prophet's opponents spoke of this person as having assisted him
in the composition of the Qur'an, an accusation noticed in Surah xvi. 105, as follows:—
And, verily, we know that they say, Truly a certain man teacheth him; but the tongue of
him unto whom they incline is a Foreign one, while this is the tongue of perspicuous
Arabic. Now if these objectors simply spoke of this Persian helping in the style of the
Prophet's composition, the answer would have been sufficient

1
Rouzat al Ahbâb.
2
Sirat al Rasûl, by Ibn Hisham and Ibn Ishac.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

ZOROASTRIAN SOURCES 91

But when we find that much of the Qur'an and Tradition has the closest resemblance to
the contents of Zoroastrian books, the answer is of no value whatever. On the contrary,
the above verse shews, by the admission of the Prophet himself, that he was assisted by
this Persian Salman. Hence even from this story it is clear that the Zoroastrian writings
formed one of the Sources of Islam.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

92

Chapter VI.
THE HANEFITES:
THEIR INFLUENCE ON MUHAMMAD AND ON HIS TEACHING.

Before the time of Muhammad, there were a few inquirers from amongst the Arabs who
had a strong aversion from idolatry, and who accordingly sought to find relief in a better
faith. Amongst the Jews, and possibly from ancient tradition still surviving, it was known
in Arabia that Abraham was a worshipper of the One true God. Hence both at Mecca and
Medina, and also at Tayif, we find that there were men who, seeking after the truth, had
abandoned the worship of idols; and these were called Hanefites.
City Person
Medina Abu Ameer The names of six of these are given in the margin, some having
Tayif [Ta'if] Ammeya also followers of their own. Now we hold that these inquirers,
Waraca and especially Zeid ibn Amr, had a very marked effect, by their
Obeidallah conceptions, conversation, and example, upon the Prophet, as we
Mecca
Othman
Zeid find from the contents of the Qur'an. Of all the authorities on the
subject, that of Ibn Ishac and Ibn Hisham as contained in the
1
Sirat, is by far the oldest, and being nearest the Hegira, the most

1
Sirat al Rasûl, or Life of the Prophet.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

ZEID THE HANEFITE 93

reliable that we have. The details of this work were learned from Zohry (d. A.H. 124),
who knew a succession of the Companions, and in especial Orva, a relation of Ayesha.
Zohry's book no longer exists, but much has been preserved in that of his pupil, Ibn Ishac
(d. A.H. 151), from which we have quotations in the Sirat of Ibn Hisham (d. A.H. 213).
No doubt in these writings there is a vast amount of the fanciful and exaggerated; but
much also is valuable as giving men's impressions, and memory of facts, as they existed
at the time. We take, therefore, from the Sirat the following account of the Hanefites:—

The Coreish were once gathered together during their Eed beside one of their idols,
slaying sacrifices, praying, and making circuits around it, as they used to do at this
festival every year. Just then four friends stood apart, and spoke secretly to one another in
righteous terms. These were Waraca, Obeidallah grandson of Abdal Mutalib, Othman and
Zeid ibn Amr. They said:— By the Lord! our people have nothing left of the faith of
Abraham. What is this stone that we should encircle it? It can neither hear nor speak,
neither hurt nor help. O our people! look out for your souls, for by the Lord ye are
altogether wanting. Then they separated, and departed into various lands to find out the
true faith of Abraham. Waraca embraced the Christian religion, and studying the books
of its people, became fixed in their faith. Obeidallah remained in his doubts, but at last
embraced Islam; then with a party of the Muslims he emigrated to Abyssinia along with
his wife Omm Habibah, daughter of Abu Sofian and also a believer. There, however, he
afterwards became a Christian, and perished. When he was converted to Christianity, he
said to his companions: —"We see, but ye are only blinking" — that is, cannot see
plainly, like a whelp trying to open its eyes. The Prophet himself married his widow,
Omm Habibah, sending over a follower for that purpose to the Najashy, who himself
concluded the
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

94 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

marriage ceremonial — the dower being 400 dinars, which formed a precedent for time
to come. Now as to Othman, he repaired to the Court of the Emperor of Byzantium,
where he obtained high rank and embraced the Christian faith .....
Last of all we come to Zeid, who stood fast, joining neither the Jewish nor the
Christian religion. He broke off from his own people's faith, and gave up idols, the eating
of carrion, blood, the slaughter of animals for the gods, and the putting of daughters to
death. He said:— I worship the God of Abraham; but he blamed his people for having
chosen evil ways. There is a tradition from Amina daughter of Abu Bekr that she once
saw Zeid, then very aged, leaning with his back on the Kaaba, and thus addressing the
people:— O Coreish! by Him in whose hand is the life of Zeid ibn Amr I swear, that not
one of you professeth the faith of Abraham, but me alone, Then he prayed:— O Lord! if I
but knew what way was most pleasing unto thee, I would worship thee in that manner;
but I know it not. Then putting the palms of his hands to the ground, he bent his body
down in worship. We are also told that Muhammad being asked by his relations to pray
that Zeid might be forgiven, consented, — "for he shall be raised up alone, like a
community." 1 Zeid wrote the following lines regarding his parting with his people's faith,
and what happened to him therefrom —

Am I to worship one or a thousand Are Divine affairs divided thus?

I have altogether forsaken Lat and Ozza, Thus should every brave and thoughtful man.
Hence I neither worship Ozza nor he two Nor the two idols of the Beni Amr, nor do
daughters, pilgrimage unto them.
Neither do I worship Ghanam, Though I did regard him my Lord, when I had
little understanding.
I was astonished, and had strange thoughts in And in the day-time the seeing will understand.
the night seasons. Because their works are evil;
Since the Lord destroyeth multitudes And cherisheth the little ones.
And many others he preserveth for their
goodness,

1
Ibn Ishac tells us that Muhammad, while believing himself forbidden to pray for his own mother, yet
when asked by a female relative of Zeid whether she might pray for him, said: "Yes, for he will be raised as
a separate religious community at the last day."
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

ZEID THE HANEFITE 95

Amongst us, one day man will stumble; And the next, he will be as the branch fed by
But I now worship my Lord Most Merciful; the rain.
Therefore observe the fear of the Lord your That the Compassionate Lord may pardon my
God; sin.
Thou shalt see the home of the pure in the So long as ye do so, ye shall not perish;
Gardens; But for the unbelievers, flaming hellfire;
During this life disgrace, And after death that which shall bitterly cramp
their breasts.

We further learn from Ibn Hisham that Zeid was expelled from Mecca; and being
forbidden to remain there, had to live on Mount Hirâ, opposite the city. The Prophet
himself in the summer-time used every year to retire, as the Arabs used to do, into a cave
in the Sacred Mount for solitary meditation; and so we believe that he must often have
met his relative Zeid there. For he used still to go after his call to be a Prophet, as we
learn from Ibn Ishac:— ".Gabriel by the mercy of the Lord came to him at Hirâ in
Ramazan... This he did every year, according to the custom of the Coreish in the days of
ignorance, to be alone and refresh their souls." Now everyone acquainted with the Qur'an
and Tradition cannot but perceive how alike is the teaching of both, and that they must
have had the greatest influence on each other, in their views about such things for
instance as idol-worship, the burying alive of infant girls, the Unity of God, Paradise and
Hell, and calling God "the Lord most Merciful and Compassionate." Again, Zeid and the
Hanefites, like the Prophet, followed Abraham, calling him by the same name (Hanîf) as
their own, — in illustration of which we may quote Surah iv. 126:— Who is of better
religion than he who resigneth himself unto God, and followeth the faith of Abraham the
Orthodox (Hanîf).
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

96 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

..... And again, Surah iii. 89:— Say, The Lord hath said truly, "Follow the faith of
Abraham the Orthodox (Hanîf), for he was not one of the idolaters." And again, Surah vi.
162:— Verily the Lord hath guided me into the right way, the true faith, the religion of
Abraham the Orthodox (Hanîf). And thus we see the Prophet calls himself and his people
by the name Hanîf. The word, indeed, originally signified "unclean" or "apostate," and
was so used by the idolatrous Arabs of Zeid, because he abandoned the worship of their
gods. The name pleased the Prophet and was used by him in a good sense. We must not
forget, however, that all the four Hanefites were themselves, as already said, nearly
related to the Prophet, — Obeidallah being nephew to Muhammad who took his widow
Omm Habîbah to wife; while Waraca and Othman were sons of two aunts of Khadîja.
Hence the views, sayings, and teaching of these Hanefites cannot but have had a decided
influence on the Prophet. We may also remember that though the Prophet is believed to
have said that he had no right even to pray for the salvation of his own mother, yet he did
so for Zeid and his blessedness hereafter. From all this we see that the Prophet recognised
his principles, and attested them as right.
But now some of our objectors may say, Suppose we accept as true all that you
have told us of the various Sources from which Islam is derived, then it would prove that
Muhammad himself had personally no influence on the Faith;— a thing hard to believe.
Certainly, we reply, it is impossible to imagine that as Muhammad himself was the
Author of the Faith, his own purpose
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

ORDERS COMMANDING WAR 97

and mind had no effect in the structure; just as in a building the use of stones, etc., in its
erection, does not detract from the skill and ability of the architect, without whom they
would be of no possible use. And in like manner, as the edifice of Islam has its own
established character, and differs from all other religions, it is clear that it is the work of
one possessed of the highest gifts and power; and, from the beauty of the composition of
the Qur'an we see that he was singularly wise and eloquent. Moreover, from his life as
given in Tradition, and the history of his time, the personality of the Prophet is manifest
in the Qur'an. Thus before his flight to Medina, being a mere ordinary citizen of Mecca,
he made no mention in the passages given forth there, of force or war for the extension of
the faith.
But, FIRST, after the Hegira, when he had gained the powerful body of the
Ansârs for his followers, he gave them leave to defend themselves and beat off their
opponents. Thus in Surah xxii. 40:— Permission is given to them to fight, because they
are persecuted those who have been turned out of their houses without just cause other
than that they say, Our Lord is God; and it is allowed by the Commentaries, that this was
the first revelation giving permission to fight.
SECOND, some time after, when Muhammad had gained victories over his
enemies, this simple permission was changed into command, as we find in Surah ii. 212,
214:— War is enjoined you, but it is hateful unto you... They will ask thee concerning the
Sacred Month, whether they may war therein. Say, — To war therein is grievous
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

98 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

but to obstruct the way of God, and infidelity towards him and the holy Maslid, and to
drive out his people from thence, is more grievous in the sight of God; and temptation (to
idolatry) is more grievous than to kill. The instruction in this passage being that the
Muslims should war against the Coreish even in the Sacred months, because they
prevented them from visiting the Kaaba.
THIRD, when in the sixth year of the Hegira, the Prophet had conquered the Beni
Coreitza and other tribes, he issued still sterner commands against his adversaries, as we
find in Surah v. 37:— The recompense of those who fight against God and his Apostle,
and study to act corruptly on the earth, is that they shall be slain or crucified, or have
their hands and their feet cut off on the opposite sides (of the body), or be banished from
the land. Such shall be their disgrace in this world, and in the next they shall suffer a
grievous punishment. The Commentators hold that this terrible command relates to
idolaters only, and not to Jews and Christians.
FOURTH, But towards these also, the attitude of the Prophet towards the end of
his life entirely changed; and so we read in the last revealed Surah (ix. 5, 29) that after the
four Sacred months had passed, they should again commence war, as follows:—
And when the Sacred months are ended, kill the idolaters wheresoever ye find
them, take them prisoners and besiege them, and lay wait for them in every convenient
place. But if they repent, and offer up the appointed Prayers, and pay the legal Alms, then
dismiss them freely, for God is gracious and merciful....Fight against
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

ORDERS COMMANDING WAR 99

those who believe not in God, nor in the last day, nor forbid that which God and his
Apostle have forbidden, and profess not the true religion, namely, of those to whom the
Scriptures have been given, until they pay tribute by the hand, and be reduced low.
And so we learn from these successive passages in the Qur'an, that the great and
unchanging Almighty God, step by step, allowed his Divine Law to be altered as the
Prophet and his followers gradually gained successive victories by the sword. Not only
so, but we see the same liberty of change permitted in respect of certain passages in the
Qur'an to be cancelled by other passages; thus in Surah ii. 100:— We abrogate no verse,
or cause it to be left out, but we bring in its place a better, or one like unto it. Ah! close
thou not know that God is over all things almighty?
Hence so long as Muhammad entertained the hope of bringing together both Jews
and Christians, and also the Arab tribes, by the retention of some of their national
practices, there seemed to him the possibility of uniting all Arabia in one Grand religion.
But when he found this to be impracticable, then it remained for him either to abandon
and eventually destroy the two former, or else lose the native Arabs as a whole. The
objects and the mind of the Prophet are manifest throughout his prophetic life. Thus, to
take an instance, the marriage with Zeinab wife of his adopted son Zeid, as justified in the
Qur'an,1 shews how much the revelation and whole system of the

1
Surah xxxiii. 37.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

100 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

day was permeated by the objects of his hourly life and personal surroundings; which
indeed is manifest in a multitude of other matters in the Qur'an itself and in Tradition.
And certainly, when we look at the variety of teaching and of interests embodied in these,
we gain a wide and extensive survey of the thousand rills which run along to form the
vast Muslim river;— Sources they all are of Islam, but every one affected by the intellect,
the nature, and the personal aims and objects, of the Prophet himself.
We readily admit the many precious truths and lessons taught in the Qur'an, above
all the Unity of Almighty God; and, among such stories as those about the Table,
Paradise, the tree Tûbâ, etc., we often find good and valuable teaching. But anyone who
has drunk of the pure and sparkling stream, will turn from all others, especially if turbid
anywhere, and seek refreshment in the Water of Life, so often borne testimony to in the
Qur'an itself; and what is that blessed Fountain but the writings of the Prophets and
Apostles, to which Muhammad in the following passages himself bears such remarkable
testimony: Verily we have sent down the Torah, in which are direction and Light. .... And
we caused Jesus, son of Mary, to follow in their footsteps, confirming that which was in
his hands of the Torah, and we gave him the Gospel in which is Guidance and Light and
Attestation of that which was revealed before it of the Torah, and a Direction and
Admonition to the pious.1

1
Surah v. 48, 50.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

THE SAVIOUR PROMISED BY ABRAHAM 101

Whosoever, then, desires to know what was the faith of Father Abraham, the
Friend of God, let him diligently read the Torah of Moses, so strongly borne testimony to
in the above verses of the Qur'an; and there he will find the blessed promise given him by
the Almighty, that the one Divine Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, was to come of the
descendants of Abraham and of his son Isaac. The Patriarch accepted the the promise,
and believed in the coming Messiah, as we see in a passage of the Torah where God
spoke thus to Abraham:— And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed;
and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an
everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.1 The same promise is repeated again in
the Book of Genesis to Abraham:— And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be
blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice.2 And Jesus himself refers to this promise
when he said to the Jews:— Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it
and was glad. 3 The Apostle Paul also makes mention of the same expectation:—To
Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, — And to seeds, as of
many; but as of One; And to thy seed, which is Christ; and again:— If ye be Christ's then
are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to promise.4
May the gracious and compassionate Lord, who hath in his infinite mercy fulfilled
this his eternal covenant, grant that the humble Writer and the Kind Reader

1
Genesis xvii. 19.
2
Genesis xxii. 18.
3
John viii. 56.
4
Galatians iii. 16 and 29.
 © Muhammadanism.org — All Rights Reserved.

102 THE SOURCES OF ISLAM

of these pages, may, along with the blessed Patriarch, be made partakers of the heavenly
inheritance thus promised through our Saviour Jesus Christ. And to his name be glory.

Amen, so let it be!