The Quranic Noah and the Making of the Islamic Prophet : A Study of Intertextuality and Religious Identity Formation in Late Antiquity

Still in its infancy because of the overly conservative views and methods assumed by the majority of scholars working in it since the mid-19th century, the field of early Islamic and quranic studies is one in which the very basic questions must nowadays be addressed with decision. Accordingly, this book tries to resituate the Qur'ān at the crossroads of the conversations of old, to which its parabiblical narratives witness, and explores how Muhammad’s image – which was apparently modelled after that of the anonymous prophet repeatedly alluded to in the Qur'ān – originally matched that of other prophets and/or charismatic figures distinctive in the late-antique sectarian milieu out of which Islam gradually emerged. Moreover, it contends that the Quranic Noah narratives provide a first-hand window into the making of Muhammad as an eschatological prophet and further examines their form, content, purpose, and sources as a means of deciphering the scribal and intertextual nature of the Qur'ān as well as the Jewish-Christian background of the messianic controversy that gave birth to the new Arab religion. The previously neglected view that Muhammad was once tentatively thought of as a new Messiah challenges our common understanding of Islam’s origins.

Still in its infancy because of the overly conservative views and methods assumed by the majority of scholars working in it since the mid-19th century, the field of early Islamic and quranic studies is one in which the very basic questions must nowadays be addressed with decision. Accordingly, this book tries to resituate the Qur'ān at the crossroads of the conversations of old, to which its parabiblical narratives witness, and explores how Muhammad’s image – which was apparently modelled after that of the anonymous prophet repeatedly alluded to in the Qur'ān – originally matched that of other prophets and/or charismatic figures distinctive in the late-antique sectarian milieu out of which Islam gradually emerged. Moreover, it contends that the Quranic Noah narratives provide a first-hand window into the making of Muhammad as an eschatological prophet and further examines their form, content, purpose, and sources as a means of deciphering the scribal and intertextual nature of the Qur'ān as well as the Jewish-Christian background of the messianic controversy that gave birth to the new Arab religion. The previously neglected view that Muhammad was once tentatively thought of as a new Messiah challenges our common understanding of Islam’s origins.

The Quranic Noah And The Re-mapping Of Early Islamic Studies -- Tracing The Apocalyptic Noah In Pre-islamic, Jewish And Christian Literature -- Noah In The Qurʼan: An Overview -- The Quranic Noah Narratives: Form, Content, Context, And Primary Meaning -- Reading Between The Lines: The Quranic Noah Narratives As Witnesses To The Life Of The Quranic Prophet? -- Reading Backwards: Sources And Precedents Of The Quranic Noah -- Reading Forward: From The Quranic Noah To The Muhammadan Evangelium 104 -- Afterword: Reading Otherwise, Or Re-imagining Muḥammad As A New Messiah. Carlos A. Segovia. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 124-137) And Index. Includes Text In Arabic, With English Translations. The Quranic Noah narratives provide a fascinating window into the making of Muhammad as an eschatological prophet. This book examines their form, content, and sources as a means of deciphering the scribal and intertextual nature of the Qur'ān and the Jewish-Christian background of the messianic controversy out of which Islam emerged. The view that Muhammad was once tentatively thought of as a new Messiah challenges our picture of Islam's origins.