The role of abraham in qur'ānic historiography

Abstract

The Qur'ān has established itself as one in the sequence of sacred scriptures that have been revealed throughout human history. Judaism and Christianity both play a crucial role in the Qur'ān because the Qur'ān aims to prove its continuity with the sacred history of these two religious traditions. The present paper explains the text found in Q 3:63-67. The paper offers an explanation of the expressions hanīf and ummī, based on recent scholars' study of the Qur'an in its historical context. It stresses the importance of these terms for the understanding of qur'ānic historiography and its polemical foundations. The primary purpose of the paper is to show that the Qur'ān demonstrates awareness of the disagreements between Christians and Jews regarding the figure of Abraham and that the Qur'ān aims to prove its superiority by providing a new answer to an old question. Consequently, this means that familiarity with the Bible and its reception in Late Antiquity is crucial for elucidating the context of the Qur'ān.