In
hadith studies
Hadith studies ( ar, علم الحديث ''ʻilm al-ḥadīth'' "science of hadith", also science of hadith, or science of hadith criticism or hadith criticism)
consists of several religious scholarly disciplines used by Muslim scholars in th ...
, Israiliyyat (in ar, اسرائیلیات "Israelisms") are narratives assumed to be of foreign import. Although indicating such stories develop from
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
sources, narratives designated as ''Isra'iliyyat'' might also derive from other religions such as
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
or
Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is an Iranian religions, Iranian religion and one of the world's History of religion, oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian peoples, Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. It has a Dualism in cosmology, du ...
. Isrā'īlīyāt were received varyingly by both early and later Muslim scholars, with early prophetic traditions criticising their details yet encouraging their transmission.
Many pre-modern scholars enthusiastically used them,
[Karen Bauer Gender ''Hierarchy in the Qur'an: Medieval Interpretations, Modern Responses'' Cambridge University Press 2015 p. 115.] while many Arab scholars in modern times have called them ''unislamic''.
These narratives appear frequently in
Qur'anic commentaries,
Sufi narratives and
history compilations. They are used to offer more detailed information regarding earlier prophets mentioned in the Bible and the Qur'an, stories about the ancient Israelites, and fables allegedly or actually taken from Jewish sources.
History
Often included under the designation ''Isra’iliyyat'' are ''
qisas al-anbiya'' ("tales of the prophets"). These tales have been divided into the following three categories by
Tilman Nagel
Tilman Nagel (born 19 April 1942, in Cottbus) is a German Orientalist and Professor Emeritus at the University of Göttingen. He is the author of books including ''The Koran'' and ''Timor the Conqueror''. His book, ''Mohammed: Life and Legend'', d ...
: first, legends about the creation; second, legends about the
prophets
In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the su ...
; third, stories of the “Israelite people and their rulers from the death of
Moses
Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu (Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pro ...
to their entry into the
Promised Land
The Promised Land ( he, הארץ המובטחת, translit.: ''ha'aretz hamuvtakhat''; ar, أرض الميعاد, translit.: ''ard al-mi'ad; also known as "The Land of Milk and Honey"'') is the land which, according to the Tanakh (the Hebrew ...
”.
The term ''Isra’iliyyat'' was originally a descriptive term without any larger tags indicating legitimacy or illegitimacy.
Marc Bernstein Marc or MARC may refer to:
People
* Marc (given name), people with the first name
* Marc (surname), people with the family name
Acronyms
* MARC standards, a data format used for library cataloging,
* MARC Train, a regional commuter rail system o ...
asserts that ''Isra’iliyyat'' was encouraged or at least condoned among Muslim scholars through the Umayyad and early Abbasid period. The acceptance of ''Isra’iliyyat'' traditions may have been strengthened by a widely known hadith cited by
al-Shafi’i stating that Muhammad said, “Narrate
raditionsfrom the Children of Israel for there is nothing objectionable in that.” Other hadith were however less positive, with
Bukhari Bukhari or Bokhari () means "from Bukhara (Uzbekistan)" in Persian, Arabic, Urdu and Hebrew, and may refer to:
People
* al-Bukhari (810–870), Islamic hadith scholar and author of the
* Bukhari Daud (1959–2021), Indonesian academician and re ...
reporting, "If the
People of the Book
People of the Book or Ahl al-kitāb ( ar, أهل الكتاب) is an Islamic term referring to those religions which Muslims regard as having been guided by previous revelations, generally in the form of a scripture. In the Quran they are ident ...
tell you something do not either accept it as true or reject it as false for they may tell you something which is false but you may accept it is true".
Despite the early acceptance of Isra’iliyyat stories and traditions, the term came to have a negative, even pejorative connotation. Toward the end of the eighth century and the period of canonization, “the ulama (religious scholars) began to forbid the transmission of traditions that were considered to be of foreign origin.” Despite such prohibition many of the stories held wide popular appeal. Because such stories were largely not relevant to
Islamic law
Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the ...
(al-shari’ah), they were not subjected to focused elimination by authorities, and thus remained ubiquitous in folk culture.
There is no clear evidence regarding the exact manner by which biblical and Talmudic themes entered Islamic literature. Muslim sources indicate a number of individuals who converted to Islam from Judaism among the first generations of Muslims and were transmitters of Isra’iliyyat. These include such names as
Ka’b al-Ahbar
Kaʿb al-Aḥbār ( ar, كعب الأحبار, full name Abū Isḥāq Kaʿb ibn Maniʿ al-Ḥimyarī ( ar, ابو اسحاق كعب بن مانع الحميري) was a 7th-century Yemenite Jew from the Arab tribe of "Dhī Raʿīn" ( ar, ذي ر ...
and
Abd Allah b. Salam
Abdullah ibn Salam ( ar, عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَلَامٍ, translit=ʿAbdullāh ibn Salām, lit=God's servant, the Son of Peace, links=), born Al-Husayn ibn Salam, was a sahaba, companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and was ...
. Some sources also suggest that “Muslims studied with practicing Jews,” though the nature and extent of such coeducation is not clear. Biblical events and exegetical commentaries of Jewish origin may also have entered Islamic tradition via educated Christians of
Eastern churches
Eastern Christianity comprises Christian traditions and church families that originally developed during classical and late antiquity in Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Northeast Africa, the Fertile Crescent and ...
such as those of Abyssinia and/or through various local populations of
Jews in the Yemen and
the Arabian Peninsula.
Historically, the ''Isra'iliyyat'' were well received by the ''
mufassirun'' (Quranic exegists) and historians, with
at-Tabari being a prominent example. Conversely they were mainly criticised by the
Hadith
Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval ...
scholars and the
theologians
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the s ...
such as
Al-Nawawi
Abū Zakariyyā Yaḥyā ibn Sharaf al-Nawawī ( ar, أبو زكريا يحيى بن شرف النووي; (631A.H-676A.H) (October 1230–21 December 1277), popularly known as al-Nawawī or Imam Nawawī, was a Sunni Shafi'ite jurist and ...
,
Al-Dhahabi
Shams ad-Dīn adh-Dhahabī (), also known as Shams ad-Dīn Abū ʿAbdillāh Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn ʿUthmān ibn Qāymāẓ ibn ʿAbdillāh at-Turkumānī al-Fāriqī ad-Dimashqī (5 October 1274 – 3 February 1348) was an Islamic historia ...
and
Al-Ghazali
Al-Ghazali ( – 19 December 1111; ), full name (), and known in Persian-speaking countries as Imam Muhammad-i Ghazali (Persian: امام محمد غزالی) or in Medieval Europe by the Latinized as Algazelus or Algazel, was a Persian polymat ...
. There were some exceptions to this - medieval exegete
Ibn Kathir
Abū al-Fiḍā’ ‘Imād ad-Dīn Ismā‘īl ibn ‘Umar ibn Kathīr al-Qurashī al-Damishqī (Arabic: إسماعيل بن عمر بن كثير القرشي الدمشقي أبو الفداء عماد; – 1373), known as Ibn Kathīr (, was ...
was in particular quite critical of ''Isra'iliyyat'', foregoing their use in his ''
Tafsir
Tafsir ( ar, تفسير, tafsīr ) refers to exegesis, usually of the Quran. An author of a ''tafsir'' is a ' ( ar, مُفسّر; plural: ar, مفسّرون, mufassirūn). A Quranic ''tafsir'' attempts to provide elucidation, explanation, in ...
''.
Many contemporary scholars have followed suit, purging Isra'iliyyat from Quran commentaries and Islamic traditions.
Ibn Taymiyyah
Ibn Taymiyyah (January 22, 1263 – September 26, 1328; ar, ابن تيمية), birth name Taqī ad-Dīn ʾAḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥalīm ibn ʿAbd al-Salām al-Numayrī al-Ḥarrānī ( ar, تقي الدين أحمد بن عبد الحليم ...
classified the narratives of the ''Isra'iliyyat'' into three categories:
* Those considered to be true because the revelation to Muhammad confirms them.
* Those considered to be false because the revelation to Muhammad rejects them.
* Those not known to be either true or false.
Transmitters of ''Isra’iliyyat''
Among the best known transmitters of ''Isra’iliyyat'' traditions is
Wahb b. Munabbih (655-732 CE), who lived in the generation after the ''
Sahaba
The Companions of the Prophet ( ar, اَلصَّحَابَةُ; ''aṣ-ṣaḥāba'' meaning "the companions", from the verb meaning "accompany", "keep company with", "associate with") were the disciples and followers of Muhammad who saw or m ...
'' (companions of Muhammad), and who is cited as a trustworthy source for many oral accounts linked to Jewish and Christian traditions. Another well-known transmitter of Isra’iliyyat is
Kaʽb al-Akhbār (d. 652 CE), a Yemenite Jew who converted to Islam shortly after the death of Muhammad. He is credited with many oral and written traditions from the Bible and Jewish sources. Yet another is
Abdullah ibn Salam
Abdullah ibn Salam ( ar, عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَلَامٍ, translit=ʿAbdullāh ibn Salām, lit=God's servant, the Son of Peace, links=), born Al-Husayn ibn Salam, was a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and was a Jew ...
, who is described as a
rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
before his conversion to Islam.
Ibn ‘Abbas (619-687 CE), was a cousin and young companion of Muhammad. He is regarded as one of the greatest authorities on the Qur’an in general and especially the place of Isra’iliyyat traditions in its interpretation. Ibn Abbas was only thirteen years old at the time of Muhammad’s death. "Ibn ‘Abbas is reported to have been responsible for the transmission of large amounts of exegetical traditions to later Qur’an commentaries. A broad amount of Isra’iliyyat traditions were attributed to him.
Ibn Ishaq
Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq ibn Yasār ibn Khiyār (; according to some sources, ibn Khabbār, or Kūmān, or Kūtān, ar, محمد بن إسحاق بن يسار بن خيار, or simply ibn Isḥaq, , meaning "the son of Isaac"; died 767) was an 8 ...
(85-150 AH) is known as a historian and was responsible for writing one of the earliest biographies of Muhammad. The first section of his biography, which does not exist anymore but is still cited is an account of the prophets and other figures from Adam leading up to Muhammad.
Israeliyyat regarding prophets
Adam
Tabari writes, “God created
Adam
Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as " ...
with his own hands so that God could say to
Iblis
Iblis ( ar, إِبْلِيس, translit=Iblīs), alternatively known as Eblīs, is the leader of the devils () in Islam. According to the Quran, Iblis was thrown out of heaven, after he refused to prostrate himself before Adam. Regarding the o ...
(
Satan
Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as Devil in Christianity, the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an non-physical entity, entity in the Abrahamic religions ...
) that he was exalting himself over that which God formed with his own hands. So God created Adam as a human and his body was from clay. God breathed his spirit into Adam. Then when God’s spirit entered his eyes he saw the fruits of
Paradise
In religion, paradise is a place of exceptional happiness and delight. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both, often compared to the miseries of human civilization: in paradis ...
and when it entered his stomach he was hungry, so before the spirit reached his feet he tried to get up in haste to have the fruits of Paradise. This is the meaning of God’s word: “Man was created in haste” (21:37) In regards to the testing of Adam and Eve, Ibn Ishaq writes, “Iblis started off by crying for Adam and Eve, and they became sad when they heard him. They asked him why he was crying and he said, “I am crying for you because you will die and be forced to give up the luxury and plenty you are enjoying.” Then Iblis went to them and whispered saying, “Adam, may I lead you to the
Tree of Immortality and to a kingdom that does not decline?” (20:120) Meaning that they might become angels or live forever in Paradise. In the Qur'an it states, “When we took from the prophets their covenant from you,
Noah
Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5– ...
, Abraham, and
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
son of
Mary
Mary may refer to:
People
* Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name)
Religious contexts
* New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below
* Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
. We took from them a solemn covenant” (Q 33:7) That covenant was, as quoted by Ibn Abbas “The Prophet Muhammad said, “God took a covenant from the back of Adam on the day of ‘Arafat. He caused all of his offspring to come out of him, and spread them out in front of him. In regards to Adam’s death, Tabari writes, “When Adam died it was Friday. The angels came to him, sent by God from Paradise, to embalm and wrap him, and they honored his son and heir Seth. Ibn Ishaq says: The sun and the moon were eclipsed for seven days and nights.
Abraham
Reuven Firestone states that, “In the case of the Abraham story... Islamic interpretative literature traces his journeys to
Haran
Haran or Aran ( he, הָרָן ''Hārān'') is a man in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. He died in Ur of the Chaldees, was a son of Terah, and brother of Abraham. Through his son Lot, Haran was the ancestor of the Moabites and Ammonite ...
, the land of
Canaan
Canaan (; Phoenician: 𐤊𐤍𐤏𐤍 – ; he, כְּנַעַן – , in pausa – ; grc-bib, Χανααν – ;The current scholarly edition of the Greek Old Testament spells the word without any accents, cf. Septuaginta : id est Vetus T ...
, Egypt and back again to Canaan in a manner that parallels the basic route and chronology of the biblical story found in
Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Bible
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
.” However, in the Quran, Abraham's journey also leads him to
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red ...
. Firestone states, “Abraham’s prayer in Quran 14:37 serves as proof text in the exegetical literature for his Meccan experience: “Our Lord! I have made some of my offspring dwell in an uncultivated wadi by your sacred house, in order o Lord, which they may establish, regular prayer. There are other Quranic verses such as: “2:125-127, 3:97, and 22:26” that locate Abraham in Mecca. Firestone continues through his article to discuss how Islamic hadith and Quranic scripture were passed down orally. He also discusses how during this time, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam were all influencing one another in relation to the scriptural stories. Ibn Abbas, as discussed above, also recounts the story of Abraham's journey from Syria to Mecca. This story was told by Ali b. Abi Talib, by Mujahid, and by Ibn Abbas. The version of this story told by Ibn Abbas can be found nineteen times among the sources, “it is the most popular and most complete explanation of Abraham’s transfer from Syria to Mecca”. To summarize the Ibn Abbas’ account, Abraham's wife, Sarah, becomes jealous of Hagar because of the birth of Ishmael. Hagar leaves the house that she is staying in with Abraham and Sarah and hides her track so no one can follow her. Abraham takes Ishmael and Hagar to Mecca. After leaving both of them there, he returns to Syria. Hagar is weary of being left in this place and Abraham then recites the Quran 14:37-38: “O Lord! I have made some of my offspring live in an uncultivated wadi by your sacred house, in order, O Lord, that they establish regular prayer. So fill the hearts of some with love toward them, and feed them with fruits so that they may give thanks. O Lord! You know what we conceal and what we reveal, for nothing on Earth or in Heaven is hidden from God.” Both Ishmael and Hagar run out of water and Hagar can no longer feed Ishmael by nursing him. “She climbs Safa and Marwa and runs between them seven times.” Ibn Abbas notes that either Gabriel, another angel, or Ishmael struck the ground with their heel and caused water to flow out of it. “The angel tells Hagar not to worry about perishing, for the boy and his father will someday build the House of God there in Mecca. This version of the legend follows the biblical account of Genesis 21:19-21 in almost perfect order.” The many versions of this legend attribute the importance and provide explanation for this religious building in Mecca. Reuven Firestone writes that this interpretation of the story, “serves in effect as an Islamic midrash on Genesis 21:10-21, and indeed, contains motifs with clear parallels in post-biblical Jewish exegetical literature.” Many different versions that have been written serve different purposes in the Islamic tradition. Ali's version includes more supernatural events that may be added for the purpose of making the Ka’ba seen as more of an important religious shrine to the Islamic people. Whereas, Ibn Abbas’ version perfectly aligns with the biblical narration in Genesis.
Jesus
All the prophets prior to Muhammad were important, however the three Prophets mentioned here made a vast difference in Isra’iliyyat traditions. Many sources comment on the relevance that Jesus had as a prophet to the Israelite people. “There are differences between Islamic and Christian thinking about Jesus that are important to note. Islamic beliefs and Christian beliefs both accept the virgin birth, Jesus’ miracles that are remembered by the Muslim people are the revival of the dead and the creation of a bird from clay. They believe however, that all these miracles have only come to be through the permission of Allah. They believe that because he came into this world through divine inspiration and a human mother, that the miracles he performed were also human actions with divine permission." “With respect to form, the references in the Qur’an can be divided into four groups: birth and infancy stories, miracles, conversations between Jesus and God or between Jesus and the Israelites, and divine pronouncements on his humanity, servanthood, and place in the prophetic line which stipulate that fanatical opinions about him must be abandoned. "His sinless birth- which in the Qur’an takes place under a palm tree- and the words he speaks as an infant in the cradle are all signs, manifestations of divine favor shown to him and his mother." Unlike the canonical Gospels, the Qur'an pays more attention to his miraculous birth rather than to his Passion.
“According to Muhammad b. Sahl b. Askar al-Bukari Ismail b. Abd al-Karim- ‘Abd al-Samad b. Maquil, the son of the brother of Wahb, Wahb: When God sent Gabriel to Mary he appeared to her as a shapely man. She then said, “I take refuge in the All Merciful from you, if you fear God!” Then he breathed into the opening of her garment, the breath reached her womb, and she conceived Jesus. A relative of hers was with her, Joseph the carpenter by name. Mary and Joseph were then serving at that Temple, and service there was a great honor.
"Qisas al-anbiya, ‘Stories of the Prophets’, is the title of widespread books relating to the lives of pre-Islamic prophets and heroes, and emerging in the eleventh century." These collections were attributed to Abu Ishaq Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Tha’labi. "The main focus of the Qisas-genre as regards Jesus are as follows: Mary’s pregnancy, the birth of Jesus and the flight to Egypt, the infancy miracles of Jesus, the disciples of Jesus, the virtues of the adult Jesus with emphasis on his miracles, the end of his life and his descent from heaven seven days after he had been raised up, the death of Mary and the king of Rome, and the second descent of Jesus in the last days." Due to having already discussed his birth and his miracles, it would be interesting to discuss Muslim thought on his death. With reference to Wahb, many details from the passion story of the New Testament Gospels are referred to in a somewhat altered fashion. For example, Jesus washes the hands of his disciples as a symbol of humility and sacrifice, the disciples fall asleep, Simon denies him, and Judas betrays him. In this version, the likeness of Jesus is said to be cast upon Judas, and he is sacrificed in place of Jesus. With reference to the qur’anic expression in 3.55, it said that Jesus himself was told to die by Allah for three hours, before he was raised to heaven. "According to other theories for substitution reported in the Qisas, the likeness of Jesus is cast either on the jailer, or on a voluntary friend of Jesus." The crucifixion of Jesus is mentioned only once in the Qur'an and only takes up two verses: one directly (4:157) and the other by inference (4:158).
These sources provide relevant information on how Islamic traditions can be better understood through biblical and Quranic narratives.
References
{{reflist, 30em
Arabic words and phrases
Hadith studies
Islamic terminology