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gathered together to burn Abraham, they imprisoned him in a house, and built for
him a great pile, as we read in Surah Saffat: They said, Build a pile for him
and cast him into the glowing fire. Then they gathered together quantities of
wood and stuff to burn; and so, by the grace of God, Abraham came out of the
fire safe and sound, with the words on his lips, God is sufficient for me
(Surah xxxix. 39); and He is the best Supporter (Surah iii. 173). For the
Lord said, O Fire! be thou cool and pleasant unto Abraham.1
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Now, let us compare the story of Abraham as current amongst the Jews, with
the same story in Qur'an and Tradition as given above, and see how they differ or
agree. The following is from the Midrash Rabbah on Abraham brought out of Ur
(Gen. xv. 7).
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Terah used to make images. Going out one day, he told his son Abraham to sell
them. When a man came to buy, Abraham asked him how old he was. Fifty or sixty
years, he replied. Strange, said the other, that a man sixty years of age should
worship things hardly a few days old! On hearing which the man, ashamed, passed
on. Then a woman carrying in her hand a cup of wheaten flour said, Place this
before the idols. On which, Abraham, getting up, took his staff in his hand, and
having broken the idols with it, placed the staff in
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the hand of the biggest. His father coming up, cried, "Who hath done all
this?" Abraham said, "What can be concealed from thee? A woman
carrying a cup of wheaten flour asked me to place it before the gods; I took and
placed it before them; one said, I will eat it first, and another, I will eat
first. Then the big one took the staff, and broke them all in pieces."
His father: "Why do you tell such a foolish tale to me? Do these know
anything?" He answered, "Does thine ear hear what thy mouths speaks?"
On this his father seized and made him over to Nimrod, who bade him worship Fire.
Abraham: "Rather worship Water that putteth out Fire." N. "Then
worship Water." A. "Rather worship that which bringeth Water."
N. "Then worship the Cloud." A. "In such case,
let us worship Wind that drives away the Cloud." N. "Then
worship Wind." A. "Rather let us worship Man that standeth against
the wind." On this Nimrod closed: "If thou arguest with me about
things which I am unable to worship other than Fire, into it I will cast thee; then,
let the God thou worshippest deliver thee there from." So Abraham went down
into the flames, and remained there safe and unhurt.
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Comparing, now, this Jewish story with what we saw of it in the Qur'an, little
difference will be found; and what there is no doubt arose from Muhammad hearing
of it by the ear from the Jews. What makes this the more likely is that
Abraham's father is in the Qur'an called Azar,1 while both in the Midrash and
Torah he is called Terah. But the Prophet probably heard the name in Syria
(where, as we learn from Eusebius, the name had somewhat of a similar sound),
and so remembered it.
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