Page:Judaism and Islam, a prize essay - Geiger - 1898.pdf/132

 114 JUDAISM AND ISL^M.

who was present at what occurred between Joseph and the woman, and some of the commentators quoted in Elpherar express themselves quite in harmony with the Sepher Hayyashar as follows : * " Sa'id Ben Jubair and Dhuhak say it was a child in the cradle which Grod permitted to speak. This is the tradition of the Uphite commentator according to 'Abbas." In the Sepher Hayyashar it is also asserted that there was present a child of eleven months who till then could not talk, but then attained to speech. But there is a difference in that the Jewish book makes the child confirm the utterance of Joseph, while the Arabic commentator puts into its mouth the decision about the rent clothing, which other Arabic writers reject as highly unsuitable. Many commentators say that this was no child, 2 but rather a wise man full of penetration. It follows from this that Muhammad either mixed the two legends inappropriately, or else that the second one came later into Arabic tradition and was read by the Arabs into the words of the Quran. The words 3 which Wahl translates: "But the devil would not allow it 4 that he (the cup-bearer) thought of him (Joseph)," are explained by the following passage : 5 " The talk of the lips tendeth only to penury> 6 because . although Joseph reminded the

3 Sfea XII. 42. &

4 Wahl does not explain what <fy means here.

5 n^??an nfe 1 ? $ IT

(Midr, Babbah on Genesis, para. 89.) 6 Proverbs, x\v, 23,