Prophet Abraham: A ‘Friend of God’ in Bible and Qur’an

Most people in the world have learned of Abraham the Hebrew (Genesis 14:13), who Jews regard as the first Jew, not by reading a book of Jewish history, but by listening to and reading from the Christian Bible or the Muslim Qur’an. This unique and amazing situation is a reflection of a promise made to Prophet Abraham more than 36 centuries ago, and recorded in both the Hebrew Torah and the Qur’an.

“I swear (says God) because you did this – not withholding your son, your favorite one, I will bestow My blessing on you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore; and your descendants shall seize the gates of their foes. All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants, because you have obeyed My command.” (Genesis 22:16-18)

And “Indeed, We chose him (Abraham) as one pure and most distinguished in the world, and he is surely among the righteous in the Hereafter.” (Qur’an 2:130) and “You have an excellent example to follow in Abraham.” (Qur’an 60:4) and “Follow the way of Abraham as people of pure faith.” (Qur’an 3:95)

What makes Prophet Abraham, “whom God chose to be His friend” (Qur’an 4:125 & Isaiah 41:8), so special? For Jews and Christians, Prophet Abraham is the first monotheist. But for Muslims, Adam was the first of many thousands of prophets of God (one Hadith says 124,000) called upon the people of their own tribe or nation to worship only the One imageless God. There have also been about 315 messengers, who brought a unique set of laws to their own tribe or nation. Thus God provided humans with Divine guidance and knowledge long before the birth of Abraham.

All prophets Divinely inspired by the one and only God are of course monotheists. Pious believers of any individual prophet should not “discriminate between any one of His prophets” (Qur’an 2:285 & 4:152) This is why Prophet Muhammad said, “Prophets are brothers in faith, having different mothers. Their religion is, however, one.” (Muslim, book #030, Hadith #5836)

However, each prophet has a different mother i.e. a mother tongue, a motherland, and a target audience that he speaks to at a specific time in history. Thus, prophets are brothers in ongoing faithfulness to the One God but their Divinely inspired message differs because it must be appropriate for their motherland, their mother tongue, their own ongoing people and the historical circumstances of the prophet’s lifetime.

Therefore, not all monotheistic prophets are the same. The Qur’an declares: “We have exalted some above others. To some (Moses) God spoke directly (4:164); others He raised high in rank (4:163-6); to “Jesus, Mary’s son, We gave clear signs and supported him with the Holy Spirit.” (2:253). Also, “We have exalted some prophets above others (see 38:41-48) and gave the Zaboor (Book of Psalms) to Prophet David.” (17:55) and Prophets Abraham (57:26), Moses, David, Jesus and Muhammad all received a Divine book.

Prophet Abraham was the first of those we know to receive a Sacred Scripture. All of the others were among his descendants. Is being ‘the first’ what makes Abraham so special that his name appears 69 times in the Qur’an, second only to Moses (136 times)? I do not think being ‘first’ is why Abraham plays such an important part in all three Abrahamic religions.

Prophet Abraham is famous for the numerous ways God tested him, especially the two terrible tests of banishing Hagar and his first born son Ishmael (Qur’an 2:124 & Genesis 9:9-21); and calling on Abraham to make his son an offering to God. (Qur’an 37:100-113 & Genesis 22:1-24)

Most Muslim commentators say the son, unnamed in the Qur’an, was Ishmael. Some Muslims assert it was Isaac. Perhaps both participated in the test at different times, so that each son could produce descendants who in time would become a blessing for other nations of the earth. (Genesis 22:16-18 & Qur’an 4:163)

The great French commentator Rashi notes that earlier rabbinic commentary states that one of the two young men who accompanied Abraham and Isaac was Ishmael. The Artscroll commentary states that Ishmael had come back to visit his father. Thus, both sons shared the test.

In any case, Prophet Abraham’s test with his son became an iconic sign of faith and trust in God’s will, for Jews, Christians and Muslims. In addition to the test of his two sons, Abraham is unique in the numerous prophets God chose from among his descendants, whose names are recorded in the Bible and the Qur’an. With the exception of Balaam (and perhaps Melchizedek in Genesis 14:18), all Biblical prophets and most of the 25 prophets named in the Qur’an, are descendants of Abraham. “We did grant the Family of Abraham the Book, the Wisdom and a mighty (spiritual) kingdom.” (Qur’an 57:26)

One of the most insightful verses relating the special virtue of Abraham states, “Abraham was a community.” (Qur’an 16:120) How can one person be an umma, an ongoing people/community?

Muslim commentators offer many different clarifications of this verse, and one medieval commentator, Fakhr al-Din Razi (1149-1209) offers four different insights. His fourth insight is that Abraham reached a unique level of faith and religion above the many prophets that preceded him. A similar view was also propounded by a Hassidic Rabbi; Levi Yitzkhok of Birditchev,  (1740-1809). Levi Yitzkhok and Razi lived in totally different worlds in terms of time, space and culture; yet spiritually they seem very connected.

I am not a Muslim; I am a Reform Rabbi who first became interested in Islam when I studied it at a university (UCLA) 65 years ago. I have continued my study of Islam off and on for over 6 decades and for some time I have considered myself to be a Reform Rabbi and an Islamic Jew. Actually, I am an Islamic Jew i.e. a faithful Jew submitting to the will of God, because I am a Reform Rabbi.

As a Rabbi I am faithful to the covenant that God made with Abraham the Hebrew (Genesis 14:13), the first Islamic Jew, and I submit to the commandments that God made with the people of Israel at Mount Sinai.

I also believe Jewish spiritual leaders should modify Jewish tradition as historical circumstances change and develop. I also believe religion should not be difficult for people to practice.

These are lessons that Prophet Muhammad taught 12 centuries before the rise of Reform Judaism in early 19th century Germany.

In many ways, statements in the Qur’an about Orthodox Jewish beliefs and Ahadith relating Prophet Muhammad’s comments about Orthodox Judaism, and religion in general, prefigure the thinking of Reform Rabbis some 12-13 centuries later. Had the Jews of Medina been more open to his teachings, Reform Judaism would have started almost 14 centuries ago. Of the 16 million Jews in the world today the majority, both in Israel and throughout the world, are no longer Orthodox. The largest denomination of non-Orthodox Jews in the US and Canada, where 6 million Jews live, is the Reform movement.

Before Prophet Abraham people simply received benefits and felt grateful to the Gods who bestowed them. They felt they had real spiritual experiences even though they worshiped multiple Gods and idols. When their Gods failed to deliver what they wanted, they begged, bribed and propitiated other Gods.

This kind of functional religion is universal and helps account for the failure of 99.9% of the (124,000 or 224,000) prophets sent by God to establish ongoing communities of ethical monotheists. Few people remained loyal to the teachings of their religious leaders when, in later decades or generations, things turned against them. The few individuals who in their own life did remain faithful to the teachings of their prophet saw their children or grandchildren turn away.

As literalists they could not interpret the hidden ways of God’s guidance when they suffered continual defeat or disappointment. This is why even the descendants of prophets like Noah and Ishmael did not remain an ongoing monotheistic community; and after several generations reverted to idolatry and polytheism.

Abraham reached a higher level of religious self conscious. Abraham realized that everything comes from God; both what we think is good and what we think is bad. We should not judge life from our very limited personal perspective. In the words of another Hassidic Rabbi, Moses of Kobryn, “A suffering person should not say: ‘That’s bad. That’s bad.’ Nothing God imposes on a human is bad. But it is all right to say: ‘That’s bitter!’ For there are some medicines that are made with bitter herbs.”

The ability of religious scholars and leaders to find hidden meanings in revealed texts in order to explain gaps between the literal statement in revealed texts and subsequent different outcomes, expanded in the centuries after Abraham’s assent to a higher level of religious self consciousness.

Religious self consciousness even penetrated dualistic and polytheistic systems which began to move toward monotheism. An increase understanding of loyalty to God in good times and bad times made people willing to undergo a lifetime of suffering and even martyrdom, without abandoning trust in God. This higher level of spiritual commitment enabled suffering or oppressed religious communities to prevail over pragmatism, and survive.

Thus Abraham was willing to sacrifice his own life in Nimrod’s fire (Qur’an 21:68-71 and oral tradition in both Jewish and Muslim sources) and to twice risk sacrifice of his sons, after waiting for so many years until he finally had two sons. Indeed, because Abraham had reached this level of religious consciousness he could be tested and would become an excellent example for all mankind.

For rising up above ‘functional benefits’ religion, Prophet Abraham became the first prophet to establish an ongoing religious community among his immediate descendants: Jews who were believers; then by spiritual adoption- Christians who were believers; and then by reversion and Muslims who were believers. As the Qur’an states: “God said I will surely make you the leader of humanity and Abraham asked ‘What about my offspring?’ God replied, ‘My pledge does not apply to those who do evil” (2:124} “This was the legacy that Abraham bequests to his sons as did Jacob when he said: “My sons, (who will become the Jewish community) God has chosen for you this way of life” (Qur’an 2:132)

All three religions believe they inherited the blessing of Abraham, (Qur’an 2:134-137) and for all three religions the blessing does not include those individuals who refuse to submit to the will of God as reflected in the prophet and book they were given. (2:124) Thus in all three communities there are some who do not attain a level of spiritual consciousness and awareness that transcends the basic ‘heavenly help’ of literal reward and punishment for orthodox dogma and rule keeping. Those who do reach the level of Abraham, the friend of God, need to keep the others from leading the community astray.

Since all prophets are brothers, religious leaders should openly and actively act against those in their own community who claim their religion or their prophet is superior to another prophet, as Muhammad did according to a Hadith reported byAbu Huraira: Two persons, a Muslim and a Jew, quarreled.

The Muslim said, “By Him Who gave Muhammad superiority over all the people! The Jew said, “By Him Who gave Moses superiority over all the people!” At that the Muslim raised his hand and slapped the Jew on the face. The Jew went to the Prophet and informed him of what had happened. The Prophet sent for the Muslim and asked him about it. The Muslim informed him of the event.”

“The Prophet said: Do not give me superiority over Moses, for on the Day of Resurrection all the people will fall unconscious and I will be one of them. I will be ‘the first’ to gain consciousness, and I will see Moses (already) standing and holding the side of the Throne (of Allah). I will not know whether (Moses) had also fallen unconscious and got up before me, or Allah has exempted him from that stroke.” (Bukhari book 76 #524).

Christian, Jewish and Muslim religious leaders should all learn humility from this teaching of Prophet Muhammad and we should all teach this humility to our followers. Then God’s blessing promise will be fulfilled: “I will make you (Abraham) an imam (religious leader) for all people”. (Qur’an 2:124 & Genesis 22:17-18)

Prophet Abraham, the Hebrew, was indeed an imam for all the peoples of the three Abrahamic religions.

Although Prophets Abraham, Jacob and Moses were rejected by the Egyptian leaders they met there is an Egyptian tribute called the Merneptah Stele, erected in Egypt in 1208 BCE, as an Egyptian victory stele erected by Pharaoh Merneptah that tells how he (and his army) defeated the Libyans, and then put down uprisings in Canaanite cities, followed by a claim about the destruction of a people called “Israel.”

The Egyptian inscription describes the Israelites as a stateless group of semi-nomadic men and women inhabiting Canaan at a time when Canaan was under Egyptian rule. Pharaoh Merneptah groups them together with several Egyptian-ruled city states in Canaan that were crushed. The Hebrew’s Exodus from Egypt occurred just a generation or two prior to this 1208 BCE victory stele.

The totally false claim that Israel had been destroyed is evidence that the Pharaohs were still angry that the Pharaoh of the Exodus had been defeated by the one invisible God of the Hebrews.