Moses in the Qur’an and Islamic Exegesis

236 Pages·2002·12.22 MB·English

by  Brannon M. Wheeler

MOSES IN THE QURAN AND
ISLAMIC EXEGESIS
RoutledgeCurzon studies in the Quran
This work draws upon a host oflate antique and medieval sources to examine
selected Muslim exegeses ofMoses inthe Quran. The Muslim exegetical image
ofMoses inthe Quran islinkedwith ancient Sumerian stories ofGilgamesh, var
ious versions of the Alexander Romance (Ethiopic, Syriac, Persian), Aramaic
translations ofthe Abraham story in Genesis, and rabbinic accounts ofthe Ten
Lost Tribes in the Talmud and the Midrash. Muslim exegetes associate Moses
with the Jacob story in Genesis, Dhu al-Qarnayn'svisit to the cities at the ends
ofthe Earth, and the Prophet Muhammad as caretaker inthe garden of Eden. In
doingso,theMuslimexegetesdonotconfuse andmistakeearlier sources,butthey
intentionallyuse non-Quranic elements thick in Biblical allusions to delineate a
particularimage ofMoses,theTorah,andthe Israelites. Itisan image ofMoses,
drawn in contrast to the Biblical and Jewish image ofMoses, which the Muslim
exegetes useto identify and authorize themselves aslinkedtothedifferent image
of the Prophet Muhammad. Using approaches from Biblical Studies, History
of Religions, Folklore Studies, and Judeo-Arabic Studies, this book suggests
howMuslim exegesis ofthe Quran ispurposeful initsappropriationand adapta
tion ofelements consonantwithJewish andChristian interpretationandtheology
ofthe Bible.
Brannon M. Wheeler is Associate Professor of Islamic Studies and Chair of
Comparative Religion at the University ofWashington, Seattle,where he isalso
Head ofComparativeIslamic Studies.Hisresearch andteaching focusonIslamic
Law,Quranic Studies and the History ofReligions.
ROUTLEDGECURZON STUDIES IN THE QURAN
Editor:Andrew Rippin
University ofVictoria
In its examination ofcritical issues in the scholarly study ofthe Quran and its
commentaries, this series targets the disciplines of archaeology, history, textual
history,anthropology,theologyandliterarycriticism.Thecontemporary relevance
ofthe Quran inthe Muslim world,itsrole inpoliticsandinlegaldebatesarealso
dealt with,as aredebates surrounding Quranic studies inthe Muslim world.
LITERARY STRUCTURES OF RELIGIOUS
MEANING IN THE QUR'AN
Edited byIssaJ.Boul/ata
THE DEVELOPMENT OF EXEGESIS IN EARLY ISLAM
The authenticityofMuslim literature fromthe formativeperiod
HerbertBerg
BIBLICAL PROPHETS IN THE QUR'AN AND
MUSLIM LITERATURE
Roberto Tottoli
MOSES IN THE QURAN AND ISLAMIC EXEGESIS
Brannon M. Wheeler
MOSES IN THE QURAN
AND ISLAMIC EXEGESIS
Brannon M Wheeler
Firstpublished2002
byRoutiedgeCurzon
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CONTENTS
Acknowledgments VI
Introduction
1 Q18:60-82 10
2 Q28:21-28 37
3 Sanctuary at Beersheba and Mecca 64
4 Cities at the ends ofthe Earth 93
Conclusion: Prophet Muhammad and the water oflife 118
Notes 128
Workscited 186
Index ofQuran citations 211
Index ofBible citations 215
General index 219
v
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book grows out ofa number ofcontexts which I look back upon now as
a series oflearning experiences that, with thecompletion ofthis book,haveonly
reached a temporary resting point. Itis myexpectation that readers will respond
to myarguments, and myhope that these will allow me to understand better the
rich variety andconstant wonders ofMuslim exegesis.
My first venture into Moses and the Quran was in a graduate seminar at
VanderbiltUniversity in 1994,reading IbnKathir's commentary on Q28:21-28.
A student asked me about the rock on the well and how it might possibly be
related to the story ofJacob and the well in Genesis. This question eventually
led me to what is now Chapter 2 ofthis book. An earlier version ofthis chapter
was presented at the annual meeting ofthe American Academy ofReligion in
1995where Ibenefited fromthecomments offellowpanelists andthe audience,
especially fromthose ofKhalid Blankenship and MahmoudAyoub.
Also in 1995, inmyWorldReligions course atPennsylvania StateUniversity,
astudent askedwhyDhu al-Qarnayn andAbraham appearedtogetherinthestory
ofal-Khidr,whichwewerereadinginEnglishtranslationfromal-Tabart'shistory.
At the same time I had been browsing through Ginzberg's Legends ofthe Jews
when I came upon the stories of the three men and the purse, and the story
ofElijah and Joshua b. Levi which seemed related to the Muslim exegesis on
Q 18:60-82.Workingthrough these interrelated issuesalso allowedmetospend
time learning about the many recensions ofthe Alexander Romance, something
Ihadwantedtodosincereading shortpassages inSyriacandEthiopic.Theresult
ofthisresearch isChapter I ofthisbook.Anearlierversionofthiswaspresented
at the Middle East Center of the University of Pennsylvania in 1995 where
Igainednewperspectives fromthecommentsofBarbaravonSchlegell,Margaret
Mills, and Everett Rowson. Earlier and different versions ofparts ofChapter I
were published in the Journal ofNear Eastern Studies 57 (1998): 191-215 and
Journal oftheAmerican Oriental Society 118(1998): 153-71.
VI
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Chapter 3 originated with my continued puzzlement over the relationship of
Dhu al-Qarnayn and Abraham, and with my growing interest in how Muslim
exegetes explain the revealed but non-canonical nature ofthe Bible.A seminar
with a brilliant group ofComparative Religion graduate students in 1996at the
University ofWashingtonallowedmetothinkthrough these issuesincomparison
with the Christian use of the Greek classics, and the complex layers of the
Mahayana Buddhist canon. Research at the College of Shariah and Islamic
Studies ofKuwait University in 1997provided me additional insights, especially
from my Kuwaiti colleagues. I was also fortunate to be invited to contribute to
a lecture series on Jerusalem inthe western religious traditions at the University
ofWashington in 1999,compellingme tothink inamore focused and organized
fashionabouttheinteractionofJewishandMuslimviewsofAbraham'ssanctuaries
and their relation to the history ofthe Israelites.
Researching Chapter4 wasthe most fun ofall, enabling me to return to some
ofthe fantastic and often ignored traditions which first sparkedmyinterest inthe
study ofIslam.The Prophet MuhammadasDhual-Qarnayn wassuggested tome
bythe work ofBasil Lourie onthe redemptive aspects ofAlexander the Great in
Ethiopic and Syriac legends, aconcept thatledtoanarticle inaspecialedition of
Byzantino-rossica devoted toAlexander the Great. The issue ofthe LostTribes,
Eldad ha-Dani, and the Children ofMoses came up in a graduate seminar on
Hebrew and Arabic stories ofMoses at the University ofWashington in 1999.
Tyingthese accounts withthe stories ofHud and Salih wasinspired byanearlier
graduateseminarin 1998onpre-IslamicArabprophets andNorthArabic inscrip
tions. My thoughts on the meaning ofAlexander's quest for immortality were
refinedwhileteaching, wih Eugene Vance,the MedievalColloquium for2000on
Legends ofAlexanderthe Great, a course which included students from adozen
disciplines and reading knowledge of26 languages.
Time and support to finish the writing ofthis book were in part provided by
a Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities through the
AmericanResearch Center inEgyptduring 2000.Thiswassupplementedbygen
erous support from the University ofWashington, both from the College ofArts
and Sciences,and from the WalterChapin Simpson Center forthe Humanities.
In addition to the many useful insights I have gained from students and col
leaguesoverthecourseofmythinking,severalcolleaguesreadthecompletedman
uscript ofthis book and haveoffereduseful advice.Thanks to MillerSherling for
hercarefulreading,andthemuchappreciatedexpertiseofBaruchHalpern,Gordon
Newby, Fred Astren, and Andrew Rippin. Not all oftheir comments have been
incorporatedhere,butanyomissionsmerelyleavethedooropenforfutureattempts
tofurthermyunderstandingofsometimesdifficulttextsanddisciplines.Ialsothank
mylovingwife DeborahWheeler whonotonlyhasthoughtthroughmyworkwith
meeach stepoftheway,buthasalsoinspiredmewithherowninnovativework.
VB
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Itshouldbe notedthat transliteration ofArabic words isaccordingto the stan
dard usage inthe InternationalJournal ofMiddle East Studies, except that the tii
marbutais indicatedwith "ah" inthe final, nonconstructposition. Foreign words
in squarebrackets are not italicizedbut are intendedto indicate for specialists in
certaincases the word beingtranslated.Certainforeign words commonlyused in
English, such as"Quran"and"Torah,"are used without transliterationthroughout
exceptwhen cited in titles. All citations in Quran commentaries are to surah and
verse ofQuran, and Quran citationsaregiven accordingtothe standardEgyptian
edition.All citationsinBiblicalexegesis istochapterandverse ofthetheBiblical
bookindicated.Referencestothe originaltext oftheBiblical exegesisofIbnEzra
Rashi, Rashbam, and Ramban are to the texts as printed in the edition ofthe
Miqra'otGedolotcitedbelow.Citationsfrom Bukhari,Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nasa'I,
IbnMajah,Abu Dawud, andDarimiaremade accordingtothe system established
byA.I.Wensinck.
Vlll
INTRODUCTION
Inhis1941article"KoranandAgada:TheEventsatMountSinai,"JulianObermann
makes the astute observation that many ofthe Quranic references to Moses par
allelthe Bibleastheyareintended tobedirectcriticisms oftheJewswhorejected
the Prophet Muhammad.
In rebuking the Jewsofhis day for their failure to recognize him asthe
prophetofGod,Mohammedoftenreminds them oftheir similar attitude
ofunbeliefandrebellion against theprophets offormer days,especially
againstMoses.Thesehomiliesofrebuke,addressedtotheJewsandbased
onevidencefromtheirownScripture,formaliteraryfeatureoftheKoran,
particularly characteristic ofthe Medina suras.Tobe sure, Mohammed
considers himselfnot the founder ofa new religion but rather aprotag
onist ofthe age-old religion ofthe Book, the religion ofAbraham and
Moses.'
Obermann makes anumber ofassumptions andclaimsherewhichrequire further
discussion,but most remarkable is his tying ofBiblical parallels in the Quran to
theobjectionsofthe Medinan Jewsandthe Prophet Muhammad'sclaimtorevive
the religion ofAbrahamand Moses.
Obermann goes further in contending that the Quranic passages addressed
to the Jews ofMedina are not only references to the Bible, but are redolent of
specific interpretations ofthe Bible as found inJewish exegesis.'Asanexample
ofthis, Obermann cites a phrase attributed to the Israelites in Q 2:93 and to the
Jews inQ 4:46.3
Q 2:93 When we took your covenant and raised the mountain above
you:"Take firmly what youaregiven.Listen!"They said:"Wehearand
disobey."Theirhearts had drunk ofthe calfintheir disbelief...
Q4:46 Ofthose who follow the Jews are those who alter words from
their places, saying: "We hear and disobey," and "Hear without being
heard,"and"Ourevilone!"twistingtheirtonguesandslanderingreligion.