The Biblical Adam in Islamic traditions (original) (raw)
Related papers
Chapter 2 Intertextuality of Adamic Narratives in the Qur'ān and the Bible
Prophets in the Qur'an and the Bible, 2022
This paper is to compare the Qur’ānic narratives of Adam with the biblical narratives in order to uncover in what manner Adam is considered as a prophet in Islam and to create a ground for further dialogue. For this purpose, the qualifications for a prophet is reviewed from both the Qur’ān and the Bible. Then the Adamic narratives from the Qur’ān and the book of Genesis are examined for content analysis. Next, using the guidelines for a prophet, the narratives in the Qur’ān and the Bible is examined to uncover how Adam satisfies the criteria for prophethood. Finally, the nature of Adam’s prophecy will be discussed along with possible findings that may be used to encourage the Christian and Muslim dialogue.
Some Explorations of the Intertwining of Bible and Qur'an
John C. Reeves, ed., Bible and Qur'an: Essays in Scriptural Intertextuality (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2003), 43-60, 2003
… a palimpsest, layer upon layer, tradition upon tradition, intertwined to the extent that one cannot really grasp one without the other, certainly not the later without the earlier, but often also not the earlier without considering the shapes it took later." 2 Many contemporary biblical scholars are aware that Bible and Qur'ān share and exploit a common layer of discourse consisting of a number of stories and themes featuring and drawing on certain paradigmatic characters such as Noah, Abraham, and Moses. Most however do not pursue the literary ramifications of this nexus, and hence they remain remarkably oblivious to the rich reservoirs of traditional lore tapped and channeled by the Qur'ān and its expounders. 3 The intent of the present essay is to suggest that a careful reading of the Qur'ān in tandem with the interpretive traditions available in ancillary Muslim literature such as ḥadīth, classical commentaries, antiquarian histories, and the collections of so-called "prophetic legends" (qiṣaṣ al-anbiyā') 4 can shed a startling light on the structure and content of certain stories found in Bible and its associated literatures (such as Jewish pseudepigrapha and rabbinic midrash).
Introduction to the Old Testament
2014
This volume introduces ancient Israel's Scriptures, or the Hebrew Bible, commonly called the Old Testament. It also traces the legacy of monotheism first found in the pages of the Old Testament. Where pertinent to the message of the Old Testament, the book explores issues of history, comparative religions, and sociology, while striking a balance among these topics by focusing primarily on literary features of the text. In addition, frequent sidebar discussions introduce the reader to contemporary scholarship, especially the results of historical-critical research and archaeology. Along the way, the book explores how the Old Testament conceptualized and gave rise to monotheism, one of the most significant developments in history. • Pays unique attention to the origins of monotheism, the common heritage of Jews, Christians, and Muslims • Includes generous number of illustrations, 20 freshly created maps, and frequent sidebar discussions in each chapter, as well as concise chapter summaries and glossary of terms • Has a web component that includes study guides, flashcards, PowerPoint lecture slides and a test bank Pays unique attention to the origins of monotheism, the common heritage of Jews, Christians and Muslims Includes a generous number of illustrations, twenty freshly created maps, and frequent sidebar discussions in each chapter, as well as concise chapter summaries and glossary of terms Has a web component that includes study guides, flashcards, PowerPoint lecture slides and a test bank
The Hebrew Bible does not describe how Abraham, the common patriarch of the three monotheistic faiths, came to know the one God. However, literature from the Second Temple period, texts of Rabbinic Judaism, targumim (Aramaic translations of the Hebrew Bible), the Quran, and other documents abound with narratives based on a common plot that recount how Abraham came to know the one God, confronted the idolatry that had continued until the generation of his father, and broke down the practice through various schemes. This paper presents translations of passages taken from the Book of Jubilees, the Apocalypse of Abraham, Genesis Rabba, Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, and the Quran that relate the tradition of "Abraham the iconoclast, " believed to have been highly popular at the time of the writing of the respective texts. The passages are then analyzed to extract a common plot, identify different focal points, and compare in terms of Abraham's relationship with his father, Terah. From this comparative reading, the following observations can be made: the focus is placed on the importance of knowing one God in the Book of Jubilees, and on confrontation with idolatry in the Apocalypse of Abraham; various narrative components appear evenly with similar frequency in Genesis Rabba and Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, possibly to maintain conformity as exegeses; in the Quran, the focus is on Abraham's role of introducing the monotheistic notion to local residents.