Page:Jewish Encyclopedia Volume 1.pdf/134

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THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

Abraham

wlmt Mobamineil had lit-nrd about the nii'iition of Abniliam in tlu'Sjicrcd l)oi>ks(if tlif Jews and Christians (Kufuen, "National and I'niviTstd Riliirimis." 1. and p]). ;31T-:«3. Ni'w York. 1SS2). of
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Jleccan period (NiMdeke. "Geseli. des Korans." p. 7'J) he speaks of Abraham as of one that had fulfilled his word, givinjr as his reference the same Holls of Abraham (Hirschfeld, "Beitrilge zur KrkliUiinir des Korans," To this later Mecean 12; compare Gen. xxii. Ki). J). period nmy also belong what Mohammed has to say of Abraham as one who was oppressed for preaching the true religion and f(U' championing his God. This part of Abraham's career appealed very strongly to Mohammed; for he saw in it a certain prototype of his own early and severe struggles with the iAs Jlohamined is the tricians of his native city. last of the projihets. so Abraham is among the first. Abraham is evidently though this is not directly stated oneof the seven liearers of Jlatani. the messages repeated from out of the heavenlj- book (sura XV. 81; compare xx.i.. 24). The other six are the prophets of Ad, Thamud, and Jlidian, and Noah. Abraham is a righteous man (pns) Lot, and Jloses. okli-r thiin the

tin- first

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and iirophet (sura

xix. 42).

Mohammed seems to have learned more about Abrahaiu. In sura vi. 75 he relates how the prophet came to worshiji God by watching physical phenomena: "Thus did we show Abraham the kingdom of heaven and of the earth, that In the later suras

And when he should be of those who are sure. the night overshadowed him he saw a " Great, star and Sitid, This is my Lord '; but Gi-eater, when it set he said, I love not those Greatest." that set.' And when he saw the moon beginning to rise he said, This is my Lord '; but when it set he said, If my Lord guides me not I shall surely be of the peo]ile who err.' And when he siiw the sun beginning to rise he said.' This but when it is my Lord, this is the greatest of all set he said, <) my people, verily, I am clear of what ye associate with God verily, I have turned my face " to Ilim who created the heaven and the earth.' The name of Abraham's father is said to have been Azar, though some of the later Arab writers give the name correctly as Terah. Others claim that Azar was his real name, while Terah was his surname '

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(Nawawi,

"Biograjiliieal Diet, of Illustrious Jlen," " Al-Muarrab." ed. Sachau, p. 128; but see Jawaliki, Still a third class p. 21; "Z. I). M. G." xxxiii. 214). of authorities say that Azar means either " the old man" or "the perverse one. " Modern scholars have suggested that the word is a luistake for 'niTSn (B^ B. l"w(see Paulz. "^Mohammed's Lehre von der

Ofl'enbarung," p. 242). This Azar was a great worshiper of idols, and Abraham had hard work in dissuading him from worshiping them. The story is "And we gave Abraham told in sura xxi. 53 ct mq. a right direction before; for about him we knew. "When he sjiid to his father and to his jjcople. 'What are these images to which ye ]iay devotion'? sjiid they, 'We found our fathers serving them.' Said he, Both ye and your fatlnrs have been in obvious error.' They Siuil, Post thou come to us with the truth, or art thou of those that sport'? He said, 'Nay, but j'Our Lord is Lord of the heavens and of the earth, which He created; and I am of those who testify to this, and, by God, I will plot against your idols after j-c have turned and shown me your backs. So he brake them all in pieces, except a large one that haply they might refer it to [la_v the blame upon] him. Said they, AYlio has done this with our gods'? Verily, he is of the wrong-doers. They said,"'

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heard n youth speak of them, who is called Abraham. Said they. Then bring him before the eyes of men Said they, Was ii hai)ly they will bear witness.' thou who did this to our gods, O Abraham'?' Said he. Nay. it was this largest of Ihem; but ask them .' Said they. Burn him and if they can speak. help your gods if ye are going to do so.' We .siud, 'O tire! be thou cool and a sjifety for Abraham. " In suras xxvii. and xxxix. Mohammed returns to this story, and ad<ls the account of the messengers that came to Abraham, of the luoniise of a son named '



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Isaac, and of the coming destruction of Sndom and Gomorrah. " We turned theseeitiesupsiile down and rained on them stones of baked clay " (compare sura

The destruction of the two cities served JIo34). liammed as a warning, taken from history, which he desired to im|)ress upon his oi)ponents in Mecca. The 'Akeiliih. or sacrifice of Isjjac, is mentioned Ii.

The following acin several places in the Koran. coiuit is foiMid in sura xxxvii. KM) niii.: "Anil when he reached the a.ire to work with him he sidd;

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my

boy

!

verily

I

have

.seen in

a

dream

that

I

should saeritice thee; look, then, that thou seest right.' Said he, my sire! do what thou art bidden; thou wilt find me. if it plea.sc God, one of the patient.' And when they were resigned and Abra'

ham had thrown him down upon

his forehead, we called to him. 'O Abraham! thou hast verified the vision verily, thus do we reward those who do g(M)d.

surely an obvious trial.' And we rewarded victim." Mohammed, however, went further than this, and, to strengthen his iiosition against his Jewin order ish opponents in Medina, made out of Abraham the most prondnent figure in ]iremoliamProminence medan n'ligious history. He alleges Given to that .braliam was the real founder of Abraham, the religion that hi' himself was preaching; that Islam was merely a restatement of the old religion of Abraham and not a new Abraham is faith now preached for the first time. the " friend of God " (suraiv. r24). an appellation that the followers of Islam now usually apply to him. and on account of which to-day the city of Hebron is called Al-Halil (compare IsTi. xli. .S;"Ab. H. X. Ob;). He is also said to have been an imam, or religious leader (comjiare suras ii. UH. xvi. 121). and perhaps alsoa "hanif " "he wasnot oneof theidolaters. [God] chose him, and He ginded him unto the right way. Then we ins]ured thee. Follow the faith of Abraham, a hanif, for he was not of the idolaters." The exact meaning of "hanif" is inicerlaiu; but it seems in general to designate a man who searched after the truth and des|)isid idolatry (Kuenen, l.r. note 2. pp. 323-326; Wellhausen, "Skizzen," iii. '207). Characteristic is the following saying: "Abraham was not a Jew nor yet a Christian, but he was a hanif resigned, and not of tiie idolaters. Verily, the people most worthy of Abraham are those that follow him and his jirophets. and those that believe " (sura iii. •!). With the same theological intent Mohammed makes various references to the yfilhit Ihrahim ("l{eligion of Abraham") as the one he dosires his people to follow (suras xvi. 124, ii. 134,

This

is

him with a mighty



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xxii. 77).

During the

Jlohammed's activity bolder, and, in developing regard to Abraham, left entirely the beaten track of Jewish and Christian Midrash, It had become necessary for him to break entirely with the Jews, who refused to acknowledge him as ]u-ophet. The kibla/i, or direction of pra3-er, was still toward Jerusalem. As the Jews had refused to follow Mohammed it was necessary to dissociate in Jledina he his theory in

latest period of

became

still