DOCSLIB.ORG

Note to Users

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Note to Users NOTE TO USERS Page(s) missing in number only; text follows. Microfilmed as received. This reproduction is the best copy available. UMI The Comparative Textual Study of the ''Abraham storyw in the Bible and the Quran A Thesis in The Department of Theological Studies Presented in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Masters in Arts at Concordia University Montreal, Quebec, Canada March 2000 National Library Bibliothèque nationale 1+1 of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographic Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. rue Wellingtori Ottawa ON KIA ON9 OMwaON KlAW Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence ailowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or se11 reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfonn, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/fiLm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or othedse de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without îhe author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Concordia University Faculty of Arts and Sciences Department of Theological Studies The Comparative Study of the "Abraham Story" in the Bible and the Quran M.A. Thesis Thesis supervisor: Professor Sean McEvenue Presented by Amira Elias Key words for the above thesis: Abraham, Bible, Christianity, Islam, Quran, and Religion. Abstract This study is based on a quest for the unity of faith. The paradip of unity is denved fiom a comparative textual study and the correlation between the Bible and the Quran. The cross- referencing of the relevant verses of the 'Abraham story' in two columns is to visually show their shared plot and at the same time the striking differences in their content. The thesis will discuss the common theological themes in each episode while it will examine the differences in the stories in reference to form, structure and style. This will Uiclude analysis of the massage in both teas related through the 'Abraham storyo. The two scnptures have common prophets and figures, yet Abraham holds a special significance since he is considered. in Christianity, the father of the patrïarchs, and in Islam, the founder of a monotheistic community on earth. And since Abraham holds a symbolic implication for both faiths, looking at his story would create a context in which to compare the two scnptures. The ambition of this stuay is to initiate a first step in starting a future project that will compare both texts fully, with the aim of creating a cooperative and mutuaily respectful discourse between the two communities. Endeavors, such as this will help future generations to better understand the relationship between the Bible and the Quran. These kinds of references will be indispensable to future researchers in the fields of comparative religion, theology, anthropology and sociology. These texmai compilations will offer easy and direct access to both scriptures whenever there is a need for religious referencing. It wili also provide a detaiied concordance of a particular subject in both texts. If this approach becomes a trend in religious communication, it would replace the old paradigm of cultural competition and hostility. The older approach in reviewing the other's scnpture has been rooted in politicai rivalry, which manifests itseff through religious competition. Contents The Comparative tertual Study of the 'Abraham story' in the Bible and the Quran introduction ........................................................................................................... 1 1)Abraham'sgenealogyintheBible ..................................................................... 11 Abraham has no gznealogy in the Quran .................................................................12 2) .4 braham's rnipition from Ur: Family migration with father Terah ............... Abraham's migration fiom Ur: Theological arguments with father Azar ............ 3) Migration: in the Bible-Unto a Promised Land ........................ ... ................. Mination: in the Quran-His religion causes persecution ...................................... 4j Dispute afier migration- in the Bible ............... ,. ...................... ..... a) Between Abraham's herdsmen and Lot's ......................................................... b) War with kin, OS............................................................................................. C)Conflict bebveen Sarah and Hagar ............................................................... 4)Dispute before migration- in the Quran ............................................................. Attac king tradition: Destroys idols ........................................................................ 5) Abraham is blessed: in the Bible- by God and by king Melchizedek ............... Abraham is blessed : in the Quran-by God's promise of a Garden of Bliss ......... 6) Abraham builds an altar- in the Bible ............................................................... Abraham builds an altar-in the Quran .................................................................. 7)Abraham's religion: In the Bible-"Shall keep the way of the Lord" ................... The significance of the words: Seed, Land and Covenant in the Bible ................. Abraham's religion in the Quran and id01 worship ............................................... Abraham's theological argument with king: In the Quran .................................... Abraham's itinerary is comected to his religion: In both texts ............................. God's ar+guments with Jews and Christians in the Quran-re-Abraham ................. 8) Abraham's dialogue with God .......................................................................... The story of anirnals in the Bible: A Covenant ..................................................... The story of animais in the Quran: "How thou give life to the dead!".................. 9) God's covenant with Abraham in the Bible ...................................................... God's covenant with Abraham in the Quran ......................................................... 10a)Abraham's attributes: Righteous- in the Bible and Quran ........................... ... 1Ob)Abraham's attributes: A Prophet- in the Bible and the Quran ....................... 10c)Abraharn's attributes: Blameless-in the Bible ................................................ 10c)Abraharn's attributes: Upribt-in the Quran ................... .. ............................ 11) Abraham & the Stars in the Bible .................................................................... Abraham & the Stars in the Quran ........................................................................ 12) Abraham and Hagar in the Bible ..................................................................... Abraham and Hagar in the Quran .......................................................................... 13)Covenant with Abraham's seeds in the Bible .................................................. Covenant with Abraham's seeds in the Quran....................................................... 14) Abraham's sons: bhrnael -Angel tell; Hagar to name son in the Bibie ......... Abraham in old age is gratefiil for his two sons................................................... 15) Abraham's prayer for Ishmael in the Bibie .................................................... Abraham's prayer for Ishmael in the Quran ............................................ 16) Abraham's sons: A father -son bonding in the Bible (Circumcision)............ Abraham and Ishmael's age in the Bible .............................................................. Abraham's sons: A father-son bonding in the Quran (Build Ka'ba) ................... 17) Abraham's sons: Sarah is blessed in the Bibie and the Quran ....................... Abraham and Sarah's beeinni;-gs in the Bible .................................................. Abraham and Sarah in the Quran .......................................................................... 1 8) Abraham's sons: Both sons promised to be great nations- in the Bible ......... Abraham's sons: Both sons are given Scripture and pidance- in the Quran ...... 19) Angels visit Abraham and Sarah -in the Bible ............................................... Angels visit Abraham and Sarah -in the Quran .................................................... 20) Angels visit .4braham. A roasted calf- in the Bible and the Quran ................ 2 1) Angels visit Abraham: Abraham & Sarah laugh-in the Bible ........ .. .............. Angels visit Abraham: Abraham wonders and Sarah laughs -in the Quran ........ Abraham and Sarah go to Egypt-in the Bible ....................................................... 22) Angels bring news about Sodom-in the Bible ................................................ Angels bring news about township- in the Quran ................................................. 23) Abraham pleads with God - in the Bible and the Quran.............................. The term "Bow down" in the Bible ..................................................................... 21)
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Michael Defeats the Dragon
    THE REVELATION OF JOHN Bible Study 31 Study by Lorin L Cranford Text: Rev. 12:7-12 All rights reserved © QUICK LINKS 1. What the text meant. Exegesis of the Text: Historical Aspects: A. War between Michael and Satan, vv. 7-9 External History B. Declaration of victory, vv. 10-12 Internal History Literary Aspects: Genre 2. What the text means. Literary Setting Literary Structure Michael Defeats the Dragon Greek NT Gute Nachricht Bibel NRSV NLT 7 Καὶ ἐγένετο πόλεμος ἐν 7 Dann brach im Himmel 7 And war broke out in 7 Then there was war τῷ οὐρανῷ, ὁ Μιχαὴλ καὶ οἱ ein Krieg aus. Michael mit heaven; Michael and his an- in heaven. Michael and the ἄγγελοι αὐτοῦ τοῦ πολεμῆσαι seinen Engeln kämpfte gegen gels fought against the drag- angels under his command μετὰ τοῦ δράκοντος. καὶ ὁ den Drachen. Der Drache mit on. The dragon and his angels fought the dragon and his δράκων ἐπολέμησεν καὶ οἱ seinen Engeln wehrte sich; 8 fought back, 8 but they were angels. 8 And the dragon ἄγγελοι αὐτοῦ, 8 καὶ οὐκ aber er konnte nicht stand- defeated, and there was no lost the battle and was forced ἴσχυσεν οὐδὲ τόπος εὑρέθη halten. Samt seinen Engeln longer any place for them in out of heaven. 9 This great αὐτῶν ἔτι ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ. musste er seinen Platz im heaven. 9 The great dragon dragon -- the ancient serpent 9 καὶ ἐβλήθη ὁ δράκων ὁ Himmel räumen. 9 Der große was thrown down, that ancient called the Devil, or Satan, μέγας, ὁ ὄφις ὁ ἀρχαῖος, ὁ Drache wurde hinunterg- serpent, who is called the the one deceiving the whole καλούμενος Διάβολος καὶ estürzt! Er ist die alte Sch- Devil and Satan, the deceiver world -- was thrown down to ὁ Σατανᾶς, ὁ πλανῶν τὴν lange, die auch Teufel oder of the whole world—he was the earth with all his angels.
    [Show full text]
  • Lesson 8.Key
    Revelation Chapter 7 Lesson 8 Revelation 7:1-2 1 After this I saw four angels standing upon the four corners of the earth, grasping the four winds of the earth in order that no wind might blow upon the earth, nor upon the sea, nor upon any tree. 2 And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun having the seal of the living God, and he cried out with a great voice to the four angels who had been given permission to harm the earth and the sea, Revelation 7:3 3 saying do not harm the earth nor the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed the slaves of our God upon their foreheads. Revelation 7:4-6 4 And I heard the number of the ones having been sealed, one hundred forty four thousand, being sealed out of all the tribes of the sons of Israel. 5 out of the tribe of Ruben, twelve thousand, out of the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand, 6 out of the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand, out of the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand, out of the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand, Revelation 7:7-8 7 out of the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand, out of the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand, out of the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand, 8 out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand, out of the tribe Joseph, twelve thousand, out of the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand, having been sealed. Genesis 49 Num.1:20-4312 Tribes Deut.
    [Show full text]
  • Gog and Magog and Ethnic Difference in the Catalan Atlas (1375) Thomas Franke
    University of New Mexico UNM Digital Repository History ETDs Electronic Theses and Dissertations 9-12-2014 Monsters at the End of Time: Gog and Magog and Ethnic Difference in the Catalan Atlas (1375) Thomas Franke Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/hist_etds Recommended Citation Franke, Thomas. "Monsters at the End of Time: Gog and Magog and Ethnic Difference in the Catalan Atlas (1375)." (2014). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/hist_etds/30 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Electronic Theses and Dissertations at UNM Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in History ETDs by an authorized administrator of UNM Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Thomas Samuel Franke Candidate History Department This thesis is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication: Approved by the Thesis Committee: Michael A. Ryan , Chairperson Timothy C. Graham Sarah Davis-Secord Franke i MONSTERS AT THE END OF TIME: GOG AND MAGOG AND ETHNIC DIFFERENCE IN THE CATALAN ATLAS (1375) by THOMAS FRANKE BACHELOR OF ARTS, UC IRVINE 2012 THESIS Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS HISTORY The University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico JULY 2014 Franke ii Abstract Franke, Thomas. Monsters at the End of Time: Gog and Magog and Ethnic Difference in the Catalan Atlas (1375). University of New Mexico, 2014. Although they are only mentioned briefly in Revelation, the destructive Gog and Magog formed an important component of apocalyptic thought for medieval European Christians, who associated Gog and Magog with a number of non-Christian peoples.
    [Show full text]
  • Mistranslations of the Prophets' Names in the Holy Quran: a Critical Evaluation of Two Translations
    Journal of Education and Practice www.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online) Vol.8, No.2, 2017 Mistranslations of the Prophets' Names in the Holy Quran: A Critical Evaluation of Two Translations Izzeddin M. I. Issa Dept. of English & Translation, Jadara University, PO box 733, Irbid, Jordan Abstract This study is devoted to discuss the renditions of the prophets' names in the Holy Quran due to the authority of the religious text where they reappear, the significance of the figures who carry them, the fact that they exist in many languages, and the fact that the Holy Quran addresses all mankind. The data are drawn from two translations of the Holy Quran by Ali (1964), and Al-Hilali and Khan (1993). It examines the renditions of the twenty five prophets' names with reference to translation strategies in this respect, showing that Ali confused the conveyance of six names whereas Al-Hilali and Khan confused the conveyance of four names. Discussion has been raised thereupon to present the correct rendition according to English dictionaries and encyclopedias in addition to versions of the Bible which add a historical perspective to the study. Keywords: Mistranslation, Prophets, Religious, Al-Hilali, Khan. 1. Introduction In Prophets’ names comprise a significant part of people's names which in turn constitutes a main subdivision of proper nouns which include in addition to people's names the names of countries, places, months, days, holidays etc. In terms of translation, many translators opt for transliterating proper names thinking that transliteration is a straightforward process depending on an idea deeply rooted in many people's minds that proper nouns are never translated or that the translation of proper names is as Vermes (2003:17) states "a simple automatic process of transference from one language to another." However, in the real world the issue is different viz.
    [Show full text]
  • Jonah and Becoming a Prophet for Worker Justice
    1 Trinity United Methodist Church, Sarah Smoot guest preaching from ICWJ, 01-25-2015 Scripture Reading: Jonah 2:10-3:10 (New Revised Standard Version) Responsive Prayer, adapted from Jonah 2: I called to the Lord in my distress, and he answered. I cried from the belly of Sheol, and you heard my voice. You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the sea, And the flood surrounded me. All your waves passed over me. Then I said, "I am driven from your sight. How will I return to see your holy temple?" The waters closed over me. The deep surrounded me. I was cut off forever. Yet, O Lord my God, You lifted my life from the pit. While my life slipped away I remembered the Lord, and my prayer rose to your holy temple. With cries of thanksgiving i will sacrifice to you. Deliverance belongs to the Lord! Amen Song for Reflection: Wonderful Things, Ryan Corn, played & sung by Tyler Smoot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac9mRT9aoLA Disclaimers before preaching: ICWJ = Interfaith Coalition for Worker Justice When I use the word “enemy,” I am remembering Jesus’ call that we love our enemies 2 ICWJ is a non-partisan organization. The issues of worker justice are bigger than any one politician or political party. When I mention the government in this sermon, I am not advocating or disparaging any particular party. Sermon: Jonah What did God say to the fish? God spoke to the fish, and the fish spewed Jonah out upon the dry land. If the fish is anything like Jonah we can suppose that God said to the fish, “Look, fish, whatever you do, do not let Jonah go.
    [Show full text]
  • Prophet Mohammed's (Pbuh)
    1 2 3 4 ﷽ In the name Allah (SWT( the most beneficent Merciful INDEX Serial # Topic Page # 1 Forward 6 2 Names of Holy Qur’an 13 3 What Qur’an says to us 15 4 Purpose of Reading Qur’an in Arabic 16 5 Alphabetical Order of key words in Qura’nic Verses 18 6 Index of Surahs in Qur’an 19 7 Listing of Prophets referred in Qur’an 91 8 Categories of Allah’s Messengers 94 9 A Few Women mentioned in Qur’an 94 10 Daughter of Prophet Mohammed - Fatima 94 11 Mention of Pairs in Qur’an 94 12 Chapters named after Individuals in Qur’an 95 13 Prayers before Sleep 96 14 Arabic signs to be followed while reciting Qur’an 97 15 Significance of Surah Al Hamd 98 16 Short Stories about personalities mentioned in Qur’an 102 17 Prophet Daoud (David) 102 18 Prophet Hud (Hud) 103 19 Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) 103 20 Prophet Idris (Enoch) 107 21 Prophet Isa (Jesus) 107 22 Prophet Jacob & Joseph (Ya’qub & Yusuf) 108 23 Prophet Khidr 124 24 Prophet Lut (Lot) 125 25 Luqman (Luqman) 125 26 Prophet Musa’s (Moses) Story 126 27 People of the Caves 136 28 Lady Mariam 138 29 Prophet Nuh (Noah) 139 30 Prophet Sho’ayb (Jethro) 141 31 Prophet Saleh (Salih) 143 32 Prophet Sulayman Solomon 143 33 Prophet Yahya 145 34 Yajuj & Majuj 145 5 35 Prophet Yunus (Jonah) 146 36 Prophet Zulqarnain 146 37 Supplications of Prophets in Qur’an 147 38 Those cursed in Qur’an 148 39 Prophet Mohammed’s hadees a Criteria for Paradise 148 Al-Swaidan on Qur’an 149۔Interesting Discoveries of T 40 41 Important Facts about Qur’an 151 42 Important sayings of Qura’n in daily life 151 January Muharram February Safar March Rabi-I April Rabi-II May Jamadi-I June Jamadi-II July Rajab August Sh’aban September Ramazan October Shawwal November Ziqad December Zilhaj 6 ﷽ In the name of Allah, the most Merciful Beneficent Foreword I had not been born in a household where Arabic was spoken, and nor had I ever taken a class which would teach me the language.
    [Show full text]
  • Heavenly Priesthood in the Apocalypse of Abraham
    HEAVENLY PRIESTHOOD IN THE APOCALYPSE OF ABRAHAM The Apocalypse of Abraham is a vital source for understanding both Jewish apocalypticism and mysticism. Written anonymously soon after the destruction of the Second Jerusalem Temple, the text envisions heaven as the true place of worship and depicts Abraham as an initiate of the celestial priesthood. Andrei A. Orlov focuses on the central rite of the Abraham story – the scapegoat ritual that receives a striking eschatological reinterpretation in the text. He demonstrates that the development of the sacerdotal traditions in the Apocalypse of Abraham, along with a cluster of Jewish mystical motifs, represents an important transition from Jewish apocalypticism to the symbols of early Jewish mysticism. In this way, Orlov offers unique insight into the complex world of the Jewish sacerdotal debates in the early centuries of the Common Era. The book will be of interest to scholars of early Judaism and Christianity, Old Testament studies, and Jewish mysticism and magic. ANDREI A. ORLOV is Professor of Judaism and Christianity in Antiquity at Marquette University. His recent publications include Divine Manifestations in the Slavonic Pseudepigrapha (2009), Selected Studies in the Slavonic Pseudepigrapha (2009), Concealed Writings: Jewish Mysticism in the Slavonic Pseudepigrapha (2011), and Dark Mirrors: Azazel and Satanael in Early Jewish Demonology (2011). Downloaded from Cambridge Books Online by IP 130.209.6.50 on Thu Aug 08 23:36:19 WEST 2013. http://ebooks.cambridge.org/ebook.jsf?bid=CBO9781139856430 Cambridge Books Online © Cambridge University Press, 2013 HEAVENLY PRIESTHOOD IN THE APOCALYPSE OF ABRAHAM ANDREI A. ORLOV Downloaded from Cambridge Books Online by IP 130.209.6.50 on Thu Aug 08 23:36:19 WEST 2013.
    [Show full text]
  • Novena to St. Joachim and St. Anne
    Saints Anne & Joachim ach year the Church venerates the memory of Saints Anne & Joachim Eon July 26th. An ancient story dating to the first centuries of the Church’s life recalls how Saints Anne & Joachim, like Abraham and Sarah, were scorned by their neighbors because they had no children. Years of longing did not weaken their trust in God, but grief eventually drove Saint Joachim into the wilderness to fast and pray. Saint Anne, remaining at home, dressed in mourning clothes and wept because she had no child of her own. Seeing her mistress distressed, a servant girl reminded Anne to put her trust in God. Saint Anne washed her face, put on her bridal clothes and went to a garden to plead with God for a child. Angels appeared to Saint Anne in her garden and Saint Joachim in the desert, promis- ing that, despite their old age, they would give birth to a child who would be known throughout the world. The new parents ran to meet one another at Jerusalem’s Golden Gate, and with a kiss rejoiced in the new life which God had promised would be theirs. Saints Anne and Joachim are powerful intercessors for all married couples, expectant mothers and married couples who are having difficulty conceiving, as well as all who have grown old. About the Mosaic The art of mosaic dates back some five thousand years to ancient Babylon. The mosaic of Saints Anne and Joachim, depicted on the cover of this novena, was made of an Italian glass called smalti. Its intentionally uneven surface makes it highly reflective.
    [Show full text]
  • ANGELS in ISLAM a Commentary with Selected Translations of Jalāl
    ANGELS IN ISLAM A Commentary with Selected Translations of Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī’s Al-Ḥabā’ik fī akhbār al- malā’ik (The Arrangement of the Traditions about Angels) S. R. Burge Doctor of Philosophy The University of Edinburgh 2009 A loose-leaf from a MS of al-Qazwīnī’s, cAjā’ib fī makhlūqāt (British Library) Source: Du Ry, Carel J., Art of Islam (New York: Abrams, 1971), p. 188 0.1 Abstract This thesis presents a commentary with selected translations of Jalāl al-Dīn cAbd al- Raḥmān al-Suyūṭī’s Al-Ḥabā’ik fī akhbār al-malā’ik (The Arrangement of the Traditions about Angels). The work is a collection of around 750 ḥadīth about angels, followed by a postscript (khātima) that discusses theological questions regarding their status in Islam. The first section of this thesis looks at the state of the study of angels in Islam, which has tended to focus on specific issues or narratives. However, there has been little study of the angels in Islamic tradition outside studies of angels in the Qur’an and eschatological literature. This thesis hopes to present some of this more general material about angels. The following two sections of the thesis present an analysis of the whole work. The first of these two sections looks at the origin of Muslim beliefs about angels, focusing on angelic nomenclature and angelic iconography. The second attempts to understand the message of al-Suyūṭī’s collection and the work’s purpose, through a consideration of the roles of angels in everyday life and ritual.
    [Show full text]
  • "In the Land of the Chaldeans": the Search for Abraham's Homeland Revisited
    BYU Studies Quarterly Volume 56 Issue 3 Article 3 2017 "In the Land of the Chaldeans": The Search for Abraham's Homeland Revisited Stephen O. Smoot University of Toronto Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq Part of the Mormon Studies Commons, and the Religious Education Commons Recommended Citation Smoot, Stephen O. (2017) ""In the Land of the Chaldeans": The Search for Abraham's Homeland Revisited," BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 56 : Iss. 3 , Article 3. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol56/iss3/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in BYU Studies Quarterly by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Smoot: "In the Land of the Chaldeans" The Ziggurat of Ur and the surrounding excavation field from an aerial photograph taken in 1927. Initially constructed at the end of the third millennium BC by the king Ur-Nammu, the ziggurat eventually fell into disrepair and was restored by the Neo-Babylonian king Nabonidus in the sixth century BC. The ziggurat was dedicated to the moon god Sîn, who also had a cult center at Haran in the north. The idolatry of Abraham’s father Terah (Josh. 24:2, 14) has been connected to the worship of the moon deity at Ur and Haran. Published by BYU ScholarsArchive, 2017 1 BYU Studies Quarterly, Vol. 56, Iss. 3 [2017], Art. 3 “In the Land of the Chaldeans” The Search for Abraham’s Homeland Revisited Stephen O.
    [Show full text]
  • The Unknown Abraham
    6 The Unknown Abraham Neglected Evidence Until now, all discussions of the authenticity of the Book of Abraham have been based on the assumption that we have to deal with only two really important sources of infor- mation: the Book of Abraham and the papyri.1 Everyone, it would seem, has taken for granted that if we know what the papyri really say, we are in a position to pass judgment on the authenticity of the Book of Abraham—a proposition dili- gently cultivated by some who have assumed that a knowl- edge of Egyptian qualifies one to pass judgment on matters that lie completely outside the field. Such a case might stand up if Joseph Smith had specifically designated particular papyri as the source of his information, but he never did so. Professor Klaus Baer begins and ends his exceedingly valu- able study with the assertion that Joseph Smith thought he was actually translating the so-called “Breathing Permit.” 2 Such testimony would not hold up for three minutes in any “Part 7: The Unknown Abraham” originally appeared in the series “A New Look at the Pearl of Great Price” in IE 72 (January 1969): 26–33; (February 1969): 64– 67; (March 1969): 76, 79–80, 82, 84; (April 1969): 66–72; May 1969): 87–89. 1. See above, in this volume, CWHN 18:49–68. 2. Klaus Baer, “The Breathing Permit of Hôr,” Dialogue 3/3 (1968): 111, 133. 375 376 AN APPROACH TO THE BOOK OF ABRAHAM court of law. The only evidence for what the Prophet thought is the arrangement side by side of very brief Egyptian sym- bols and some lengthy sections of the Book of Abraham, which has led some to the hasty conclusion that the one col- umn is a would-be translation of the other.
    [Show full text]
  • Stories of the Prophets
    Stories of the Prophets Written by Al-Imam ibn Kathir Translated by Muhammad Mustapha Geme’ah, Al-Azhar Stories of the Prophets Al-Imam ibn Kathir Contents 1. Prophet Adam 2. Prophet Idris (Enoch) 3. Prophet Nuh (Noah) 4. Prophet Hud 5. Prophet Salih 6. Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) 7. Prophet Isma'il (Ishmael) 8. Prophet Ishaq (Isaac) 9. Prophet Yaqub (Jacob) 10. Prophet Lot (Lot) 11. Prophet Shuaib 12. Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) 13. Prophet Ayoub (Job) 14 . Prophet Dhul-Kifl 15. Prophet Yunus (Jonah) 16. Prophet Musa (Moses) & Harun (Aaron) 17. Prophet Hizqeel (Ezekiel) 18. Prophet Elyas (Elisha) 19. Prophet Shammil (Samuel) 20. Prophet Dawud (David) 21. Prophet Sulaiman (Soloman) 22. Prophet Shia (Isaiah) 23. Prophet Aramaya (Jeremiah) 24. Prophet Daniel 25. Prophet Uzair (Ezra) 26. Prophet Zakariyah (Zechariah) 27. Prophet Yahya (John) 28. Prophet Isa (Jesus) 29. Prophet Muhammad Prophet Adam Informing the Angels About Adam Allah the Almighty revealed: "Remember when your Lord said to the angels: 'Verily, I am going to place mankind generations after generations on earth.' They said: 'Will You place therein those who will make mischief therein and shed blood, while we glorify You with praises and thanks (exalted be You above all that they associate with You as partners) and sanctify You.' Allah said: 'I know that which you do not know.' Allah taught Adam all the names of everything, then He showed them to the angels and said: "Tell Me the names of these if you are truthful." They (angels) said: "Glory be to You, we have no knowledge except what You have taught us.
    [Show full text]