Affectability of Quran from Torah and the Bible

 

I: Usage of Torah and the Bible Concepts in the Holy Quran:

As some Jews and Christians lived in Medina at the time of the Prophet PBUH, It was thought that the Prophet and Quran was influenced by his Arab’s culture of contemporary religious books.
For the first time, Geiger in the year 1863 introduced theory of affectability of Quran from Jewish culture and became the pioneer theory relating to the Holy Quran references in nineteenth century and was continued by Lammens, Lestrinski, Hanna Zakria and Youssef Dorreh Ḥaddād.
Ḥaddād believed that “Quran indicates that its reference is the Holy Book.” He claimed that “the Holy Quran is Arabic version of the Bible, as the same method, Quran is an explanation and interpretation of the Bible for Arabs and indication among them as well as their environmental situation requirement. He introduced twelve groups of verses of Quran as evidence.
His confession to the different view about trinity in Quran and alike, alongside with known Jewish and Christian interpretation, criticized affectability of Quran only from Jewish or Christianity or both and believed that Quran was influenced by “Nazarene “. He writes: “Quran is an interpretation of Nazarene way.”
To Ḥaddād’s idea, Christianity includes Hijāz Christians and Non- Hijāz, but Nazarene includes a group of Christ’s followers that were among Banī Isrā’l and accepted Moses and Christ as Divine prophet and Torah and Bible as two holy books.

II-Common Rules at the Time:

According to this view, Islamic Emḍhāyī rules (rules before Islam) which were common in the past and in Ignorance Age different from now and Islamic legislator has introduced it with a change in other way in the Holy Quran, such as Ḥajj that is an Abraham rite and in Islam was introduced by additions and insufficiencies. Also ‘īlā’, Ẓihār and Li’ān can be added to it.
It is good to note that the final result of the view is removing Quranic rules. Some supporter of this view have come to this conclusion: “Maybe Quranic Emḍhāyī rules which were considered as an approval to the function of Arabs in those days and were on the verge of change situations of time and place and so forth and even in the eye of believers to Quran that deeply are honest to it, will lose practical issue in that form. For example: To whip and to Stone the sinners, guardianship of men over woman, number of wives, covering and Ḥijāb and its special form and interest and unlikely, if Quran had revealed today, it would have supposed that it approved contemporary rites and costumes and useful rules.
Suggesting to the point that, Quran followers should not force the appearance and form of Quranic rules upon contemporary and todays’ world. He writes: “It is recommended that Quran followers should try to solve their own problems by intelligence and put away the face, appearance and surface of Quran and should achieve into depth of religion and divine guidance.”
He emphasizes elsewhere to the point that the holy Books were not revealed for the goal of scientific concepts such as: Physics and Chemistry, he continues: “It is not logical to expect the holy Books whether Quran or other holy Books to explain and give details of the creatures” and in this case, it proceeds to the point that explains scientific Quranic concepts as: “It is no more clear, Quranic phrases in the presence of scholars and human in todays’ new and general knowledge and is incompatible to the norms of science and somehow seems strange .”

Orientalists’ Opinions:

Some orientalists have referred to the affectability instances of Quran from Jewish and Christians including, One: Goldziher believs that the concept of monotheism which refused Arab’s idolatry, associates with essence and nature of monotheism in Old Testament.
Two: He adds: “Prayer, which is a combination of standing, recitation and bowing down and is associated with ablution is related to Eastern Christianity.
Three; He continues: “Fasting was in tenth of every lunar month, then it was delivered to the month of Ramadan which represents Fast of the Great Jews.”
Fourth: Noldke believes: “ Every phrase in the beginning of every Surah except Surah Towbeh, is caught from common language of the Holy Bible.”
Five: Horowitz thought that: Quran is stories and rules which Mohammad PBUH used from Torah and in different places were used without reminding reference of it.
Six: Jovian Boll believes that Friday prayer and citation of it in the city of Medina has been under the effect of Jew’s culture.
Seven: Kara Dari Vow thinks that the Prophet’s knowledge about Gabriel was rooted in the Holy Bible.
Eight: “Ḥaddād believes that Surah Maryam is the highest effect of Christianity on the Prophet and the Holy Quran. He thinks that “Qul Ḥuwa al-Allāho aḥad” is a translation of Jewish prayer and Moses’ story in Quran is affected by Moses in Torah. He considers verses 23-39 in Surah ‘srā as tenfold words that were revealed to Moses in Torah too. Also, alms and donation to miseries which is in the verse 19 Dhāriāt, he knows common among worshippers of Christian Nestorian.
Nine: Vensink thinks that saying prayer in three times of morning, noon and evening represents Jewish beliefs and familiarity of Islam’s Prophet to intercession in hereafter, was affected by Jewish and Christian teachings.

I. Emḍhāyī (Common rules before Islam) Rules in the Holy Quran:

Existence of Emḍhāyī rules cannot be ignored as well as T’sīisī (rules after Islam) but, it does not mean to accept Arabs’ superstitious beliefs as it was mentioned before, choice and free selection are positive and correct Arab’s culture that are often inherited by predecessor prophets and monotheism religions, such as Hajj.
Also the effect of time and place on subjects and issues of rules that was introduced by the Great Ᾱyatullāh Khomeynī, is a true case. A congress was held in this issue and many books and articles were written. But it does not mean that anyone can claim in case of Quran rules practicality even though, discrimination of this issue is based upon experts, that is to say great jurisprudents and it needs reliable reasons.
It is wondered that in todays’ world everything is based on expert, while everyone lets himself to express his/her idea about Quran and Islam and this brings about interesting results.
For example, the writer (16) considers “To stone the sinners” are among Quran Emḍhāyī rules, while there is not the concept in Quran, apart from this, it is surprising that the writer (16) starts cautiously in the beginning the issue by the sentence “It possible” and “It is supposed that” but, at the end of the article, he comes to a absolute conclusion from these probabilities and supposition and invites everyone to “wisdom” to go beyond the surface and shell of the Book and religion and achieve to depth of religion and divine guidance” But it does not explain what means “Surface and shell of the Book and religion”? Does it mean apparent rules, such as Ḥijāb, Rajm and usury …? Obviously, he means so.
Additionally, he does not say what is his aim to say “guidance and depth of religion”. Is not divine guidance by Quran? And criminal, social and family laws that are mentioned more than five hundred cases (verses of rules) in the Holy Quran, aren’t they divine guidance?!
It seems that some astutely try to remove Quran from social scene and imprison it in the corner of the mosques.
Losing Quran’s practical rules and absence in politics, economics and society and even family, that is what the Prophet complains against its loneliness:
«يَا رَبِّ إِنَّ قَوْمِي اتَّخَذُوا هذَا الْقُرْآنَ مَهْجُوراً»(Furqān: 30)
On the other hand as it was mentioned earlier, there are frequent scientific pointes in Quran and it shows scientific miraculous of Quran. It is not clear for ignorant of this reality, by what justification do they arise for more than 2000 verses of Quran that refer to the nature, where the movement of the sun is considered (Yās 38) and also movement of mountains (Naml 88).

II. Affectability of Quran from the Holy Book (Torah, Bible and their additions) and Jewish and Christian culture: There are some important points to be mentioned:

First, divine religions are rooted from a divine reference so that, they have common factors in beliefs, morals and rules. God has revealed this common factors to any prophet and addition to their books, they have expressed their own orders (traditions) to the people.
Similarity in teachings of Quran with the prior Holy Books does not mean accompaniment to affectability from them or getting concepts from earlier religion’s culture.
And now, let’s survey the most important similarities:

A: Common factors in the field of beliefs:

Monotheism is a common point in whole prophets’ teachings. The Holy Quran tells the aim of Noah’s story as:
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسْلْنَا نُوحاً إِلَى‏ قَوْمِهِ إِنِّي لَكُمْ نَذِيرٌ مُبِينٌ * أَن لاَ تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا اللَّهَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ أَلِيمٍ؛
(Hūd: 25-26)

 

And then quoted from prophet Hūd and invited the people to monotheism:

وَإِلَى‏ عَادٍ أَخَاهُمْ هُوداً قَالَ يَاقَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِنْ إِلهٍ غَيْرُهُ إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا مُفْتَرُونَ؛ (Hūd: 50)
And then quoted from Sālih prophet and invited the people to monotheism:

وَإِلَى‏ ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمْ صَالِحاً قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِنْ إِلهٍ غَيْرُهُ هُوَ أَنشَأَكُم مِنَ الْأَرْضِ وَاسْتَعْمَرَكُمْ فِيَها فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ إِنَّ رَبِّي قَرِيبٌ مُجِيبٌ؛ (Hūd: 61)

And also quoted about Abraham that invited the people and Nimrud to the Lord of the creature prophet and talked back to them:

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِي حَاجَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي رَبِّهِ أَنْ آتَاهُ اللّهُ الْمُلْكَ إِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّيَ الَّذِى يُحْيِيْ وَيُمِيتُ قَالَ أَنَا أُحْيِي وَأُمِيتُ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ يَأْتِي بِالشَّمْسِ مِنَ الْمَشْرِقِ فَأْتِ بِهَا مِنَ الْمَغْرِبِ فَبُهِتَ الَّذِي كَفَرَ وَاللّهُ لاَ يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ؛ (Baqareh: 258)

And quoted from Shu’ibn that invited to monotheism. (Hūd: 84)

And quoted from Moses and Aaron that invited Pharoh to the Lord of creature.

قَالَ فَمَن رَبُّكُمَا يَا مُوسَى‏ * قَالَ رَبُّنَا الَّذِي أَعْطَى‏ كُلَّ شَيْ‏ءٍ خَلْقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدَى؛ (Ṭāhā: 49-50)
And also quoted from Jesus that was divine servant and prophet.

قَالَ إِنِّي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ آتَانِيَ الْكِتَابَ وَجَعَلَنِي نَبِيّاً؛ (Maryam: 30)

And the Holy Quran in a summing up wants all divine prophets and divine books to become a believer, as we became a believer to God and the Holy Quran and not believe in different from each other.

قُولُوا آمَنَّا بِاللّهِ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَى‏ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالْأَسْبَاطِ وَمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَى‏ وَعِيسَى‏ وَمَا أُوتِيَ النَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَبِّهِمْ لاَ نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ؛ (Baqareh: 136)

It is good to mention that Quran concepts in the field of beliefs are different from Torah and Bible which will be stated.

 

B: Common Factors in the field of Rules and Morals:

 

 

The Holy Quran states accepts many morals and religious laws that were in prior religions. Because, they were revealed to them from God.

As the Holy Quran states and accepts Abraham Hajj and calls remoteness from monotheism stupidity.

Conclusion:

Concluding the last lines, it can be resulted that for the first view there is no reason to prove it and some examples do not suffice. At the end of this view is a polite denial of Quran, that is to say to remove Quran from scientific and practical life but, the second view is moderate and correct. That means positive factors of Arab culture which is rooted in Abraham religions are revived and is seeking to improve it. Even though, it does not mean that the Holy Quran in influenced or got something from Arab society, but this is reviving divine traditions such as Hajj.

Also The Holy Quran denies some Arabs’ ignorance culture factors which are irrational, unjust and against religion, to which Quran fights and denies them.

The Holy Quran applies some allegories, proverbs and common words which are used to convey its aims, although this kind of usage does not mean that science and literary styles have proven it, but they are used as reference.
This does not prove that the Holy Quran is related to a specific culture, tribe or land but, Quran is an eternal and worldwide Book and if it refers to the culture and tribe of Ḥijāz, it can be generalized.