robert spencer-did muhammad exist__ an inquiry into islams obscure origins-intercollegiate studies institute (2012) (1)
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
<strong>an</strong>d, ab<strong>an</strong>doning vain cults, returned to the living God who had revealed Himself to their father Abraham. Mahmet forbade them to eat<br />
the flesh of <strong>an</strong>y dead <strong>an</strong>imal, to drink wine, to lie or to fornicate. He added: “God has promised this l<strong>an</strong>d to Abraham <strong>an</strong>d his posterity<br />
after him forever; he acted according to His promise while he loved Israel. Now you, you are the sons of Abraham <strong>an</strong>d God fulfills in<br />
you the promise made to Abraham <strong>an</strong>d his posterity. Only love the God of Abraham, go <strong>an</strong>d take possession of your country which God<br />
gave to your father Abraham, <strong>an</strong>d none will be able to resist you in the struggle, for God is with you.”<br />
Then they all gathered together from Havilah unto Shur <strong>an</strong>d before Egypt [Genesis 25:18]; they came out of the desert of Phar<strong>an</strong><br />
divided <strong>into</strong> twelve tribes according to the lineages of their patriarchs. They divided among their tribes the twelve thous<strong>an</strong>d Israelites, a<br />
thous<strong>an</strong>d per tribe, to guide them <strong>into</strong> the l<strong>an</strong>d of Israel. They set out, camp by camp, in the order of their patriarchs: Nebajoth, Kedar,<br />
Abdeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadar, Tema, Jetur, Naphish <strong>an</strong>d Kedemah [Genesis 25:13-15]. These are the tribes of<br />
Ishmael…. All that remained of the peoples of the children of Israel came to join them, <strong>an</strong>d they constituted a mighty army. Then they<br />
sent <strong>an</strong> embassy to the emperor of the Greeks, saying: “God has given this l<strong>an</strong>d as a heritage to our father Abraham <strong>an</strong>d his posterity<br />
after him; we are the children of Abraham; you have held our country long enough; give it up peacefully, <strong>an</strong>d we will not invade your<br />
territory; otherwise we will retake with interest what you have taken.” 25<br />
It is extraordinary that one of the earliest accounts of Muhammad as a prophet that contains <strong>an</strong>y detail at<br />
all depicts him as insisting on the Jews' right to the Holy L<strong>an</strong>d—even if in the context of claiming that<br />
l<strong>an</strong>d for the Ishmaelites, acting in conjunction with the Jews. M<strong>an</strong>y elements in Islamic tradition do show<br />
Muhammad proclaiming himself as a prophet in the line of the Jewish prophets <strong>an</strong>d enjoining various<br />
observ<strong>an</strong>ces adapted from Jewish law upon his new community. He even originally had the Muslims<br />
praying toward the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, before the revelation came from Allah that they should<br />
face Mecca instead. It is odd, however, that this account gives no hint of <strong>an</strong>y of the <strong>an</strong>tagonism toward the<br />
Jews that came to characterize Muhammad <strong>an</strong>d the Muslims' posture toward them; the Qur'<strong>an</strong><br />
characterizes Jews as the worst enemies of the Muslims (5:82).<br />
Of course, Sebeos's account here is wildly unhistorical. There is no record of twelve thous<strong>an</strong>d Jews<br />
partnering with Arabi<strong>an</strong>s to invade Byz<strong>an</strong>tine holdings. Nonetheless, the mention of Muhammad is one of<br />
the earliest on record, <strong>an</strong>d it corresponds with Islamic tradition both in depicting Muhammad as a<br />
merch<strong>an</strong>t <strong>an</strong>d in recording that, at least at one point in his career, he fostered <strong>an</strong> alli<strong>an</strong>ce with the Jews.<br />
Yet from Sebeos's account, one gets the impression that as late as the 660s, the Muslims <strong>an</strong>d the Jews<br />
were spiritual kin <strong>an</strong>d political allies. This doesn't correspond to <strong>an</strong>ything in Islamic tradition or the<br />
conventional account.<br />
If this does reflect, even in a radically distorted way, <strong>an</strong> actual historical incident, it is certain that the<br />
Jews who entered <strong>into</strong> this alli<strong>an</strong>ce <strong>did</strong> not think of it as what modern-day ecumenists term “Muslim-<br />
Jewish engagement.” There is still no mention of Muslims or Islam. As we have seen, the contemporary<br />
chroniclers from the l<strong>an</strong>ds they invaded called them “Hagari<strong>an</strong>s,” “Saracens,” or “Taiyaye.” The invaders<br />
referred to themselves as Muhajirun, “emigr<strong>an</strong>ts”—a term that would eventually take on a particular<br />
signific<strong>an</strong>ce within Islam but that at this time preceded <strong>an</strong>y clear mention of Islam as such. Greekspeaking<br />
writers would sometimes term the invaders “Magaritai,” which appears to be derived from<br />
Muhajirun. But conspicuously absent from the stock of terms that invaded <strong>an</strong>d conquered people used to<br />
name the conquering Arabi<strong>an</strong>s was “Muslims.” 26<br />
Sebeos also records that Muawiya, governor of Syria <strong>an</strong>d later caliph, sent a letter to the Byz<strong>an</strong>tine<br />
emperor Const<strong>an</strong>tine “the Bearded” in 651. The letter calls on Const<strong>an</strong>tine to renounce Christi<strong>an</strong>ity—in<br />
favor not of Islam but of a much vaguer Abrahamic monotheism:<br />
If you wish to live in peace…renounce your vain religion, in which you have been brought up since inf<strong>an</strong>cy. Renounce this Jesus<br />
<strong>an</strong>d convert to the great God whom I serve, the God of our father Abraham…. If not, how will this Jesus whom you call Christ, who