Page:Judaism and Islam, a prize essay - Geiger - 1898.pdf/124

 106 JUDAISM AND ISLAM.

very righteous man, 1 to include him in the ranks of the patriarchs and prophets, 2 to mention him as the righteous son of Abraham, 3 and to make out that he laid the founda- tion stone of the Ka'bah in connection with his father. 4

people). This fact prevented many from giving to the text of the Quran sufficiently impartial consideration, and hence led them to abandon Muhammad's real view. The method by which, these attempted to weaken the proof for the opposite opinion is clear from Elpherar's com- ment on Sura XXXVII. 112 :



" He who takes it that Ishmael was the one sacrificed explains that it was after this event that Isaac a prophet was promised to Abraham aa a reward for his obedience ; he who takes it that Isaac was the one sacrificed explains that it was only the prophetic gift of Isaac which waa announced to Abraham. Akhrama in the name of Ibu 'Abbas explains tiiat Isaac was announced to his father twice, once before his birth and again at the attainment of the prophetic gift." In the following verse, however, which upholds our view still more strongly, Elpherar givea an erroneous explanation of one part of the verse, and about the rest maintains a significant silence. Thus he explains &Jic as follows :

" That is to say, to Abraham in his children ; "

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but the word U^jh o, which is inexplicable on this interpretation of &^s. } he does not explain at all. In the legends of Islam, as Elpherar has already remarked in his comment on the word ,$, Isaac is almost without an exception spoken of as the one led to sacrifice. So also in Elpherar on Sura XII. 36, where Joseph relates his history to his fellow- prisoners, and on Sura XII. 86, where mention is made of a letter written by Jacob to the king who was keeping his son in prison. Here Isaac ia always called <5Ji5\ ^.oo " The sacrificed of God." And when Jacob in the course of the letter (quite according to the version of Sepher Hayyashar) alludes to the special protection of God enjoyed by his family he says :

"As for my father, both his hands and his feet were bound, and the knife was put to his throat, but God ransomed him." Compare also Abulfeda Hist. Anteisl4mica, page 22.

1 Suras XIX. 65, 56, XXI. 85, 86. 3 Sura XIV. 41.

2 Suras II, 130, 134,, III. 7T, VI. 86, XXXVIII, 48. 4 Sura II. 119.