An enduring allegation against Islam is that the Qur’an “copies” other scriptures. The main case presented is nearly always the Talmud – the most important religious text of the Jews, alongside the Hebrew Bible.
This idea of the Qur’an taking inspiration from the Talmud originates from Abraham Geiger, a rabbi from Germany. He is one of the spiritual fathers of liberal Judaism. At the beginning of the 19th century, he also penned works about the “Jewish influence upon Islam.”
Other Orientalists followed suit in this regard, often Christian missionaries.
We will be taking a closer look at this claim, using their own standards.
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As part of this process, they look for datable “material proofs.”
However, they dismiss the sciences of ḥadīth transmission, and Islam’s entire oral tradition.
So, when it comes to Talmudic “influences” on the Qur’an, why not take a look at what we have as well?
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Richard Freund, a university professor who specializes in Biblical archaeology, laments in his Digging Through the Bible, p. 173:
Likewise we read on the Center for Online Judaic Studies that:
Basically, the oldest Talmudic fragments – we’re not even talking about complete manuscripts – date back to centuries after the death of the Prophet ﷺ.
For those interested, Shaykh Muṣṭafā al-A’ẓamī – the late India-born ḥadīth specialist from Saudi – contrasted the textual history of the Qur’an with those of the Jewish and Christian scriptures in his History of the Quranic Text, from Revelation to Compilation.
Why then, don’t Orientalists apply the same reasoning to the opposite scenario? The Qur’an has written evidence dating back to within the life of the Prophet ﷺ (see the Birmingham manuscript among others). This is far earlier than the oldest Talmudic fragments. So why do they not posit the “hypothesis” that it is in fact the Talmud which sought “inspiration” from the Qur’an, and not the reverse?
In fact, some scholars actually do believe this to be the case.
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This idea of the Qur’an taking inspiration from the Talmud originates from Abraham Geiger, a rabbi from Germany. He is one of the spiritual fathers of liberal Judaism. At the beginning of the 19th century, he also penned works about the “Jewish influence upon Islam.”
Other Orientalists followed suit in this regard, often Christian missionaries.
We will be taking a closer look at this claim, using their own standards.
RELATED: Jewish Embrace of Polytheism: Expect Confusion
The Oldest Talmudic Written Evidences are Post-Qur’anic
Orientalists and critics of Islam utilize the so-called “historical-critical method.” That is, they look for the oldest Qur’anic manuscripts and dive into textual criticism, manuscript evidences, etc., as a way to somehow dismiss it as merely being derivative.As part of this process, they look for datable “material proofs.”
However, they dismiss the sciences of ḥadīth transmission, and Islam’s entire oral tradition.
So, when it comes to Talmudic “influences” on the Qur’an, why not take a look at what we have as well?
RELATED: The Evil Depiction of Jesus (Peace be Upon Him) in Jewish Scripture
Richard Freund, a university professor who specializes in Biblical archaeology, laments in his Digging Through the Bible, p. 173:
Although internal evidence shows that the Babylonian Talmudic text was completed in the sixth century CE, the earliest complete copy of the Babylonian Talmud extant today is only from a fourteen-century manuscript (Munich, Codex 95). We do have some manuscript fragments of the Babylonian Talmud from the eight to ninth century CE, but they are just fragments.
Likewise we read on the Center for Online Judaic Studies that:
The earliest manuscripts of Rabbinic literature date to the middle ages, hundreds of years after many of the cardinal documents of the “Oral Torah” were initially promulgated.
Basically, the oldest Talmudic fragments – we’re not even talking about complete manuscripts – date back to centuries after the death of the Prophet ﷺ.
For those interested, Shaykh Muṣṭafā al-A’ẓamī – the late India-born ḥadīth specialist from Saudi – contrasted the textual history of the Qur’an with those of the Jewish and Christian scriptures in his History of the Quranic Text, from Revelation to Compilation.
Why then, don’t Orientalists apply the same reasoning to the opposite scenario? The Qur’an has written evidence dating back to within the life of the Prophet ﷺ (see the Birmingham manuscript among others). This is far earlier than the oldest Talmudic fragments. So why do they not posit the “hypothesis” that it is in fact the Talmud which sought “inspiration” from the Qur’an, and not the reverse?
In fact, some scholars actually do believe this to be the case.
RELATED: Trying to Trick God: Israel Works Around an Unusual Biblical Commandment