Sections > Qur’an

Christian legends in the Qur’an

Muhammad saw himself as a crucial figure in world history and, like the Biblical prophets, felt his responsibility to be an observer and arbiter of his society. The Qur’an deals remarkably extensively with events that concerned him personally and, to a very small extent, with historical events in more remote areas that took place in his time. [1] Myths and legends are stories that serve to explain and describe the experienced world by making clear its ideal patterns. This is contrary to Scripture as a medium for the demythification of the world [2]. We must answer the question: does the writer of the Qur’an borrow content from Christian legends?

Cain and Abel

There is a story about Cain and Abel in Qur’an 5:27-30:

“Recite to them the truth of the story of the two sons of Adam. Behold! they each presented a sacrifice (to Allah): It was accepted from one, but not from the other. Said the latter: "Be sure I will slay thee." "Surely," said the former, "Allah doth accept of the sacrifice of those who are righteous. "If thou dost stretch thy hand against me, to slay me, it is not for me to stretch my hand against thee to slay thee: for I do fear Allah, the cherisher of the worlds. "For me, I intend to let thee draw on thyself my sin as well as thine, for thou wilt be among the companions of the fire, and that is the reward of those who do wrong." The (selfish) soul of the other led him to the murder of his brother: he murdered him, and became (himself) one of the lost ones.”

There are Christian sources with a Syriac background that are closely related to the Qur’an verses mentioned above. It are the Homily on Cain and Abel, written by Isaac of Antioch, Syriac Life of Abel, from writer Symmachus and from authour Ephraem Graecus, Homily on Cain and the Murder of Abel. These Christian texts have been dated by scholars to the 5 th or 6 th century, hunderds years earlier than the Qur’an.

The Seven Sleepers

The story of the Seven Sleepers has been published in a multiplication of sources, which made a possible overlap on written documents not easy. In the Qur’an, we can find the Seven Sleepers story in the following verses: The story of the Seven Sleepers was published in a multiplication of sources, which did not make possible overlap with written documents easy. In the Qur’an we can find this story in the following verses:

“Such (being their state), we raised them up (from sleep), that they might question each other. Said one of them, "How long have ye stayed (here)?" They said, "We have stayed (perhaps) a day, or part of a day." (At length) they (all) said, "Allah (alone) knows best how long ye have stayed here.... Now send ye then one of you with this money of yours to the town: let him find out which is the best food (to be had) and bring some to you, that (ye may) satisfy your hunger therewith: And let him behave with care and courtesy, and let him not inform any one about you. "For if they should come upon you, they would stone you or force you to return to their cult, and in that case ye would never attain prosperity." Thus did We make their case known to the people, that they might know that the promise of Allah is true, and that there can be no doubt about the Hour of Judgment. Behold, they dispute among themselves as to their affair. (Some) said, "Construct a building over them": Their Lord knows best about them: those who prevailed over their affair said, "Let us surely build a place of worship over them." (Some) say they were three, the dog being the fourth among them; (others) say they were five, the dog being the sixth,- doubtfully guessing at the unknown; (yet others) say they were seven, the dog being the eighth. Say thou: "My Lord knoweth best their number; It is but few that know their (real case)." Enter not, therefore, into controversies concerning them, except on a matter that is clear, nor consult any of them about (the affair of) the Sleepers. Nor say of anything, "I shall be sure to do so and so tomorrow"-Without adding, "So please Allah!" and call thy Lord to mind when thou forgettest, and say, "I hope that my Lord will guide me ever closer (even) than this to the right road." So they stayed in their Cave three hundred years, and (some) add nine (more).” (Qur’an 18:19-25)

That there is a connection with earlier Christian legends has long been believed. Recent research has established such a written connection. [3] Qur’an 18:19–25 refers to the legend of the Seven Sleepers, with the version published by Theodore of Tarsus in 7th century.

Mary with Zechariah

We read in the Qur’an about the story of Mary with Zechariah: “Behold! a woman of ´Imran said: "O my Lord! I do dedicate unto Thee what is in my womb for Thy special service: So accept this of me: For Thou hearest and knowest all things." When she was delivered, she said: "O my Lord! Behold! I am delivered of a female child!"- and Allah knew best what she brought forth- "And no wise is the male Like the female. I have named her Mary, and I commend her and her offspring to Thy protection from the Evil One, the Rejected." Right graciously did her Lord accept her: He made her grow in purity and beauty: To the care of Zakariya was she assigned. Every time that he entered (Her) chamber to see her, He found her supplied with sustenance. He said: "O Mary! Whence (comes) this to you?" She said: "From Allah: for Allah Provides sustenance to whom He pleases without measure." There did Zakariya pray to his Lord, saying: "O my Lord! Grant unto me from Thee a progeny that is pure: for Thou art He that heareth prayer! While he was standing in prayer in the chamber, the angels called unto him: "Allah doth give thee glad tidings of Yahya, witnessing the truth of a Word from Allah, and (be besides) noble, chaste, and a prophet,- of the (goodly) company of the righteous." He said: "O my Lord! How shall I have son, seeing I am very old, and my wife is barren?" "Thus," was the answer, "Doth Allah accomplish what He willeth." He said: "O my Lord! Give me a Sign!" "Thy Sign," was the answer, "Shall be that thou shalt speak to no man for three days but with signals. Then celebrate the praises of thy Lord again and again, and glorify Him in the evening and in the morning." Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! Allah hath chosen thee and purified thee- chosen thee above the women of all nations. "O Mary! worship Thy Lord devoutly: Prostrate thyself, and bow down (in prayer) with those who bow down." This is part of the tidings of the things unseen, which We reveal unto thee (O Messenger!) by inspiration: Thou wast not with them when they cast lots with arrows, as to which of them should be charged with the care of Mary: Nor wast thou with them when they disputed (the point).” (Qur’an 3:35-44) Not in the Bible, but part of the Qur’an:

The unauthorized document Protoevangelium of James was written in the 2nd century. Therefore, it is likely that the Qur’an writer copied this story from a Christian legend [5].

Mary as part of the Trinity

The Quran calls Mary a god and part of the Trinity together with Jesus: “And behold! Allah will say: "O Jesus the son of Mary! Didst thou say unto men, worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of Allah´?" He will say: "Glory to Thee! never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, thou wouldst indeed have known it. Thou knowest what is in my heart, Thou I know not what is in Thine. For Thou knowest in full all that is hidden.” (Qur’an 5:116) It is possible that Mary was added to the Trinity and the Holy Spirit removed, due to earlier sources from the Arab Christian sect of the Collyridians, who lived in the fourth century up to the time of Muhammad. This sect had female priests and worshiped Mary as a goddess [6]. As a result, Mary is not described in the Qur'an as a suffering woman as in the Bible, because the Qur'an does not portray her as seeing her son suffer. The role of the suffering woman in Islam is Fatima. However, in Islam, Mary plays a role in salvation. [7]

Jesus with Mary at a palm tree

The Bible does not contain a story about Jesus and Mary together with a palm tree. The Qur’an mentions such a story: So she conceived him, and she retired with him to a remote place. And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree: She cried (in her anguish): "Ah! would that I had died before this! would that I had been a thing forgotten and out of sight!" But (a voice) cried to her from beneath the (palm-tree): "Grieve not! for thy Lord hath provided a rivulet beneath thee; "And shake towards thyself the trunk of the palm-tree: It will let fall fresh ripe dates upon thee. "So eat and drink and cool (thine) eye. And if thou dost see any man, say, ´I have vowed a fast to (Allah) Most Gracious, and this day will I enter into not talk with any human being´" (Qur’an 19:22-26) This story is also found in an earlier Christian legend, the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew [8]: “And it came to pass on the third day of their journey, while they were walking, that the blessed Mary was fatigued by the excessive heat of the sun in the desert; and seeing a palm tree, she said to Joseph: Let me rest a little under the shade of this tree. Joseph therefore made haste, and led her to the palm, and made her come down from her beast. And as the blessed Mary was sitting there, she looked up to the foliage of the palm, and saw it full of fruit, and said to Joseph: I wish it were possible to get some of the fruit of this palm. And Joseph said to her: I wonder that thou sayest this, when thou seest how high the palm tree is; and that thou thinkest of eating of its fruit. I am thinking more of the want of water, because the skins are now empty, and we have none wherewith to refresh ourselves and our cattle. Then the child Jesus, with a joyful countenance, reposing in the bosom of His mother, said to the palm: O tree, bend thy branches, and refresh my mother with thy fruit. And immediately at these words the palm bent its top down to the very feet of the blessed Mary; and they gathered from it fruit, with which they were all refreshed. And after they had gathered all its fruit, it remained bent down, waiting the order to rise from Him who bad commanded it to stoop. Then Jesus said to it: Raise thyself, O palm tree, and be strong, and be the companion of my trees, which are in the paradise of my Father; and open from thy roots a vein of water which has been hid in the earth, and let the waters flow, so that we may be satisfied from thee. And it rose up immediately, and at its root there began to come forth a spring of water exceedingly clear and cool and sparkling. And when they saw the spring of water, they rejoiced with great joy, and were satisfied, themselves and all their cattle and their beasts. Wherefore they gave thanks to God.” [9]

Jesus speaking as a baby

Unlike the Bible, the Qur’an has a story about a speaking Jesus from the cradle: But she pointed to the babe. They said: "How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?" He said: "I am indeed a servant of Allah: He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet; (Qur’an 19:29-30) See also Qur’an 3:46 and 5:110. This story was previously available in the Arabic Children's Gospel: ...when He was lying in His cradle said to Mary His mother: I am Jesus, the Son of God, the Logos, whom thou hast brought forth, as the Angel Gabriel announced to thee; and my Father has sent me for the salvation of the world.” [10]

Jesus creates birds from clay

The Bible doesn’t contain a story in which Jesus creates from clay birds. Such a story can be found in the Qur’an: "And (appoint him) a messenger to the Children of Israel, (with this message): "´I have come to you, with a Sign from your Lord, in that I make for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allah´s leave: And I heal those born blind, and the lepers, and I quicken the dead, by Allah´s leave; and I declare to you what ye eat, and what ye store in your houses. Surely therein is a Sign for you if ye did believe; “ (Qur’an 3:49) This story of Jesus who made birds from clay was available in earlier Christian legends: “ And having made some soft clay, He fashioned out of it twelve sparrows. And it was the Sabbath when He did these things. And there were also many other children playing with Him.” [11]

Denial that Jesus was crucified

The denial of crucifixion comes from the following Qur’an verse: “and for boasting, “We killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of Allah.” But they neither killed nor crucified him—it was only made to appear so. Even those who argue for this crucifixion are in doubt. They have no knowledge whatsoever—only making assumptions. They certainly did not kill him.” (Qur’an 4:157) It is possible that the writer of the Qur’an used Gnostic manuscripts. One of them comes from the Gnosis sect in an unauthorized document: “He did not himself suffer death, but Simon, a certain man of Cyrene, being compelled, bore the cross in his stead; so that this latter being transfigured by him, that he might be thought to be Jesus, was crucified, through ignorance and error, while Jesus himself received the form of Simon, and, standing by, laughed at them.” [12] That Jesus was not crucified is contrary to Biblical testimony and secular research. More in: Influence of the Gnostics on crucifixion in the Qur’an.

Muslim response

The copies from Christian legends in the Qur’an have not been refuted by Muslim apologists. They only have tried to claim that the Bible is corrupt. Their assumption is that the original Bible had the apocryphal story of Jesus making and animating clay birds. According to them, the Quran only corrected the corrupt Bible. The Qur'an only corrected the corrupted Bible.[13] However, according to secular scholars, the Bible is reliable and not corrupted. More at: Has the Bible been changed?

Conclusion

Notes

  1. Franz Rosenthal, History and the Qur’an, in: Jane Dammen McAuliffe (ed.), Encyclopaedia of the Qur’an, Volume Two, Brill, Leiden, 2002, 438.
  2. Angelika Neuwirth, Myths and Legends in the Qur’an, in: Jane Dammen McAuliffe (ed.), Encyclopaedia of the Qur’an, Volume Three, Brill, Leiden, 2003, 478.
  3. Thomas Eich, Muḥammad und Cædmon und die Siebenschläferlegende. Zur Verbindung zwischen Palästina und Canterbury im 7. Jahrhundert, Der Islam, Vol. 100, no. 1, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, 2023, 7-39.
  4. Infancy Gospel of James, Earlychristianwritings.Com, Chapter 8.
  5. Gabriel Said Reynolds, The Qur'an and the Bible: Text and Commentary, Yale University Press, 2018, 116.
  6. Ibid, 218.
  7. Angelika Neuwirth, Myths and Legends in the Qur’an, in: Jane Dammen McAuliffe (ed.), Encyclopaedia of the Qur’an, Volume Three, Brill, Leiden, 2003, 493.
  8. Oddbjørn Leirvik, Images of Jesus Christ in Islam, Bloomsbury, London, 2010, 33–34.
  9. Christian Apocrypha and Early Christian Literature, The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, Gnosis.Org.
  10. The Arabic Infancy Gospel of the Savior, Alexander Roberts, Sir James Donaldson, Arthur Cleveland Coxe, Ante-Nicene Fathers Vol 8, T. & T. Clark, Edinburgh, 1886.
  11. Infancy Gospel of Thomas, EarlyChristianWritings.Com, Chapter 2, verse 2.
  12. Irenaus of Lyons, Against the Heresies, Book I, Ch. Sect. 24, 40, in: James A. Kelhoffer, Conceptions of "Gospel" and Legitimacy in Early Christianity. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament, Vol. 324, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, 2014.
  13. Is The Bible In Our Hands The Same As During The Time Of Muhammad(P)?, IslamicAwareness.Org, 2005.