Arain Christian influence on Islam

[macmaster at RISEUP.NET]

Your right in that there's an undeniably strong Christian influence on
early Islam and it is likely to be from one of the heterodox traditions
rather than the "orthodox" position of the Emperor.
Muhammad (570-632) traveled widely before the beginning of Islam (the
first revelation of the Quran was in 610) and definitely visited Damascus
and other Christian cities.
Even in Mecca and Medina at this time there were large numbers of
Christians and Jews.  In Najran, near the modern Yemeni border, there had
been major persecutions of Arab Christians by Arab Jews while, in the year
of Muhammad's birth, a Christian army led by the Ethiopian general Abraha
had advanced on Mecca itself.
It even looks like there were Christians in Muhammad's family.  A relative
of his, Waraqah ibn Nawfal ibn Asad, was a Christian priest and is said to
have officiated over Muhammad's first marriage (to Khadija).  When
Muhammad began to have visions of the angel Gabriel, he consulted with
Waraqah who told him that his revelations were from God.
The biggest question is what sort of Christianity Waraqah and other
Christians around Muhammad were.  Most scholars nowadays think that they
were likely of the rather insignificant sect of the Ebionites, a group
that had split from the 'mainstream' very early on as they insisted on
keeping the Law (regarding foods, ritual cleanliness, circumcision, etc). 
They also seem to have used an Aramaic version of the New Testament and
are attested in western Saudi Arabia into the eleventh century.
Their Christology was probably some sort of adoptionist or other unitarian
type, if they didn't see Jesus as simply a prophet. They did, however,
certainly see him as born of the Virgin, crucified under Pontius Pilate
and ascended to Heaven.
Looking at the Quran, you'll notice that many biblical stories are not
told but are simply referred to in a way that suggests that the hearers
have a strong background in them ...

Le Bateman wrote:
> I am just thinking about the similarity in the belief Jesus was born of a
>  virgin, but not divine. This was the teaching of Arius. All of the
> Church
> fathers including Ireneus, who was the disciple of Polycarp, who is said
> to be John The Beloved Disciple. All of them taught that Arianism was a
> heretical sect.  Muhammad lived in the 6th Century, and died at the time
> that Redwald King of East Anglia died in 632 A.D. So he would have
> encountered the Monks who live in the Sinai. They have a monastery on
> Mount Sinia. Or somewhere on the Sinai or Arabian
> Peninsula. I am thinking of the Greek Orthodox monks. I also believe the
> Coptic Christians of Egypt were around as well. So they were around. It is
>  possible he did come incontact with him. The Quran does call these and
> the Jews Unbelievers. So he was aware of them. I will have to reread the
> Quran.
> Le
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Baira" <baira_bear at yahoo.com>
> To: <gothic-l at yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Friday, March 30, 2007 6:07 AM
> Subject: [gothic-l] Re: Arain Christian influence on Islam
>
>
>
> --- In gothic-l at yahoogroups.com, "Le Bateman" <LeBateman at ...> wrote:
>
>>
>> Does anyone know if there was a strong Arian influence on Islam.
>>
> They both
>
>> seemed to view Jesus as important, but not devine as the Orthodox
> faith.
>> Could Mohammed have known the followers of Ulfius.I probably have the
>> Bishop's name spelled wrong.
>> Le
>>
>>
>
>
> It is very, very doubtful. Many historians of the Islamic religion
> believe that Mohammad was personally acquainted with the Jewish religion
> but not with the Christian one, which he knew just by hearsay. If so, it
> was highly unlikely that he knew the beliefs of a 'heretical' sect.
>
>
> In Islamic religion Jesus is a prophet, just like Moses and Abraham.
> The greatest of the prophets before Mohammed, but a prophet, nothing
> more and nothing less.
>
> Besides, if you are not a Christian you will not only never accept the
> divine nature of Jesus, but you will not even pose yourself the question.
>
>
>
> You are a member of the Gothic-L list.  To unsubscribe, send a blank
> email to <gothic-l-unsubscribe at egroups.com>. Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>


+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

"It is not enough to hate and believe in the past to make a revolution. 
Hatred and belief in the past are sufficient prods for the rebellion
phase. We must love and be future-oriented if we wish to carry out the
revolution."   Ghassan Kanafani

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/gothic-l/attachments/20070331/d7ba0cb3/attachment.htm>