Pre-Islamic Arab Tradition vs Torah

According to established tradition, prior to the advent of Muhammad, the Arabs believed that their ancestor Abraham was on the verge of offering his son Ishmael as a sacrifice to God. It is believed that their pre-Islamic tradition about Ishmael predates the Torah given to Moses. How is their argument articulated?

Scholars argue that the oral traditions of the Arabs, including those surrounding Ishmael, predate the written texts of the Torah. This assertion is based on the notion that oral traditions can be older than their written counterparts, as they may have been passed down through generations long before being codified in scripture.

The argument that the pre-Islamic Arab tradition about Ishmael predates the Torah given to Moses is articulated through several points:

1. Historical Narratives: Early Arab traditions held that Ishmael, not Isaac, was the son Abraham was commanded to sacrifice. This belief is deeply rooted in the cultural and religious narratives of pre-Islamic Arabia.

2. Religious Significance: The story of Ishmael's near-sacrifice is significant in Islam, where it is believed that both Abraham and Ishmael willingly submitted to God's command. This act of submission is seen as a profound demonstration of faith and obedience.

3. Cultural Artifacts: Some early Muslim scholars argued that the horns of the ram, which was sacrificed in place of Ishmael, were once displayed in the Kaaba, suggesting a long-standing tradition that predates Islamic scripture.

4. Jealousy Argument: There is also an argument that Jews claimed Isaac was the intended sacrifice out of jealousy, as Ishmael is considered the ancestor of the Arabs.

These points collectively support the belief that the tradition of Ishmael's near-sacrifice has ancient roots, predating the Torah and reflecting the unique relationship between God and the Arab people.

Interestingly, before the rise of Islam, ancient Arabs in Mecca circumcised their children at the age of 13 or 14. Did they inherit this practice from the Torah, which requires circumcision at eight days, or was it a tradition tracing back to Abraham that predated the Torah?

It is plausible that the tradition of circumcision among ancient Arabs in Mecca traced back to Abraham, who is considered a common ancestor by both Jews and Arabs. It could be that this practice was passed down through generations independently of any direct influence from the Torah or Judaism.

Islam as the Restoration of Abraham’s Original Teachings

Islam is considered a restored religion of Abraham, based on the perspective that both Judaism and Christianity have deviated from his original teachings.
Adherents of Islam assert that Judaism has altered the command regarding the sacrifice of Abraham's son, holding that the son in question was Ishmael rather than Isaac.
Furthermore, they contend that Christianity has diverged from the tenet of monotheism by introducing the concept of the Trinity and modifying the practice of circumcision.
Therefore, from the Islamic viewpoint, Islam embodies the authentic restoration of the teachings of Abraham as presented in the Quran.

Antiquity of Pre-Islamic Arab Traditions Versus the Torah

It is believed that pre-Islamic Arab traditions concerning Hagar, sacrifice of Ishmael, and circumcision predate the Torah given to the children of Israel. How is this argument articulated?

The argument that pre-Islamic Arab traditions concerning Hagar, the sacrifice of Ishmael, and circumcision predate the Torah given to the children of Israel is often articulated by examining historical, religious, and cultural contexts. Here's how this argument is typically laid out:

1. Historical Context: Proponents of this argument suggest that the Arabian Peninsula had its own religious and cultural traditions long before the advent of Islam. These traditions were oral and transmitted through generations, which could predate the written texts of the Torah.

2. Hagar and Ishmael: In the Islamic tradition, Hagar and Ishmael are considered important figures. Hagar, a maidservant of Sarah (Abraham’s wife), and her son Ishmael were sent away to the desert. This narrative is similar but not identical to the one found in the Torah. The significance of Hagar and Ishmael in Arab tradition suggests that their story was well-established among Arabs before the advent of Islam and possibly before the Torah was written.

3. Sacrifice of Ishmael: Islamic tradition holds that Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son Ishmael, not Isaac as in the Torah. This narrative is central to the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha. The belief is that this tradition was already present among Arabs and was later formalized in Islamic texts. The argument is that since this tradition is integral to Arab culture and predates the Quran, it could also predate the Torah.

4. Circumcision: Circumcision is a practice shared by both Jewish and Islamic traditions. In Islam, it is considered a practice that predates the Quran, suggesting it was already a well-established ritual among pre-Islamic Arabs. The continuity of this practice in Arab culture supports the argument that it was part of their tradition before the Torah was given.

5. Cultural Transmission: The argument includes the idea that cultural and religious practices can be transmitted and preserved orally for generations. The Arabs, being a largely oral society, would have maintained their traditions independently of written texts. This oral transmission is posited to have preserved these traditions from a time predating the written Torah.

6. Comparative Religious Studies: Scholars who support this view often compare religious texts and traditions. They argue that similarities between the Jewish and Arab narratives do not necessarily indicate borrowing from the Torah but rather point to a shared or parallel development of traditions.

In summary, the argument is that these traditions were part of the pre-Islamic Arab cultural and religious fabric, transmitted orally over generations, and thus could predate the written accounts of the Torah. This perspective emphasizes the antiquity and independence of Arab traditions in relation to Jewish scripture.