Page:Judaism and Islam, a prize essay - Geiger - 1898.pdf/170

 152 JUDAISM AND

to the pious under the most varied forms, who visits the schools, and imparts to famous teachers. that which Grod communicates about this or that opinion expressed by them, The Muslims too know him in this capacity, and they recognize him in the servant of God who proposed himself as a travelling companion to Moses, 1 and in these actions they have the prototype of his ministry as one who appears in a miraculous manner, has intercourse with men in human fashion, and performs incomprehensible actions which only receive true significance through knowledge which is hidden from man.

Jonah is mentioned in several passages of the Quran. 2 His mission to Nineveh, his being swallowed by the fish, his rescue from it, and the story of the gourd which shaded him, are all given very briefly. 3 Job's 4 sufferings and healing are mentioned in two passages, 5 and in the latter passage Muhammad adds that Job produced a cooling and refreshing fountain for himself by stamping on the earth. We know of no parallel passage to this in the Eabbinical writings.

We come now to a passage 6 hitherto wroogly referred which translated runs thus :

" Slain were the men of the pit of the burning fire, When they sat around the same,

And were witnesses of what was done to the true believers, and they wished to punish them only because they believed in the mighty and Glorious God, " &c.

1 Sura XVIII. 59-82.

2 JJy, Suras VI. 86, X. 98, XXXVII. 139, XXI. 87 &$ y&, LXVIII.

48

3 Suras X. 98, XXI. 87-8, XXXVII. 139149, LXVIII. 48-51;
 * VJS 5 Suras XXI. 83-4, XXXVIII. 40-5.

6 84ra LXXXV. 4 ff.