Islam - Midrashic perspectives on a quranic term

Abstract

The article examines several Quranic passages which contain the verb aslama and the noun islam in light of Jewish parallels. It is argued that these passages (Q 2:124-33; Q 37:84, 101-3; Q 27:29-44; Q 6:125) reflect midrashic traditions, and that the Arabic aslama and islam in these passages parallel the Hebrew be-lev shalem or hishlim. The latter term accrued two meanings: (1) to worship the Lord wholeheartedly (i.e., exclusively), and (2) to deliver one's soul (to God) while accepting his authority and surrendering to him. The article also examines the Hebrew terms mentioned above and their antonyms haluq, mahaloqet (denoting monotheistic versus polytheistic worship), and the implications of these terms for the textual history of the Palestinian Targums.