Scrolls of Abraham

The Scrolls of Abraham ( ar, صحف إبراهيم, ''Ṣuḥuf ʾIbrāhīm'') ''Ṣuḥufi ʾIbrāhīm'' and/or ''Aṣ-Ṣuḥufi 'l-Ūlā'' - "Books of the Earliest Revelation", name= are a part of the religious scriptures of Islam. These scriptures are believed to have contained the revelations of Abraham received from God, which were written down by him as well as his scribes and followers.

The scrolls are believed to have been one of the earliest bodies of scripture, which were given to Abraham, and later used by Ishmael ( ''Ismā‘īl'') and Isaac ( ''Isḥāq''). Although usually referred to as "scrolls", many translators have translated the Arabic ''suhuf'' as "books". The verse mentioning the "Scriptures" is in Quran 87:18-19 where they are referred to, alongside the Scrolls of Moses, to have been "Books of Earlier Revelation".

Background

In two ''surah'' (chapters), which are dated from the first Meccan period, there is a reference to the 'Leaves, Scrolls, Journals' (''Suhuf'') of Abraham (and the '' Scrolls of Moses''), by which presumably certain divinely inspired texts handwritten by the patriarchs are meant. These passages say that the truth of God's message is present in the earliest revelations, of Abraham and Moses. Although ''Suhuf'' is generally understood to mean 'Scrolls', many translators - including Abdullah Yusuf Ali and Marmaduke Pickthall - have translated the verse as "The Books of Abraham and Moses".

Qur'anic mention

The Quran refers to certain Scrolls of Abraham, which have alternatively been translated as the ''Books of Abraham''. The Scrolls of Abraham are understood by Muslims to refer to certain revelations Abraham received, which he would have then transmitted to writing. The exact contents of the revelation are not described in the Quran.

The 87th chapter of the Quran, Surah Al-Ala, concludes saying the subject matter of the surah has been in the earlier scriptures of Abraham and Moses. It is slightly indicative of what were in the previous scriptures, according to Islam:

Chapter 53 of the Quran, surah An-Najm mentions some more subject matters of the earlier scriptures of Abraham and Moses.

Identification

Some scholars suggest the Scrolls of Abraham to be a reference to the Sefer Yetzirah, as its appendix (vi. 15) and Jewish tradition generally ascribe the reception of its revelation to Abraham.

Other scholars, however, suggest it refers to the Testament of Abraham, which was also available at the time of Muhammad ( Muḥammad ibn ʿAbdullāh).''Tafsir'' and Commentary on 87: 18-19 & 53: 36-37, Abdullah Yusuf Ali and Muhammad Asad

The Quran contains numerous references to Abraham, his life, prayers and traditions and has a dedicated chapter named Ibrahim (14). On a relevant note, surah Al-Kahf (18) was revealed as an answer from God to the Jews who asked Muhammad about past events. Here God directly instructed Muhammad in surah Al-Kahf (18:22), not to consult the Jews for verifying the three stories about which they inquired.

The reason being God declaring He Himself is relating what needs to be verified in another verse of surah Al-Kahf (18:13)

Regarding consultation with the People of the Book, it is also narrated by Abu Hureyrah in hadith literature:

Therefore, in this view, Muslims would not be required to ascribe to the Sefer Yetzirah, even were it to be identified as the Scrolls of Abraham. However, Muslim theology already accepts Jewish sources such as the Torah (Tawrat) or the Psalms (Zabur) as revealed to David ( Dawud).

See also

* Book of Abraham
* Testaments of the Three Patriarchs
* Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs

Notes

References

Further reading

Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography

*Editions and translations:
**''Editio princeps'':
***Mantua, 1562
HebrewBooks.org Sefer Detail: ספר יצירה -- מיוחס לאברהם אבינו
**other important editions:
***Amsterdam, 1642;
*** Zolkiev, 1745;
*** Korzec, 1779;
***Constantinople, 1791;
***Grodno, 1806 (five commentaries)
Sefer Detail: ספר יצירה -- ספר יצירה. תקס"ו. הורדנה.
***Warsaw, 1884 (nine commentaries);
***Goldschmidt
''Das Buch der Schöpfung . . . Kritisch Redigirter Text''
Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1894 (the edition, however, by no means represents a critical text).
**Translations:
***Latin:
****Postell, ''Abraham Patriarchœ Liber Iezirah'', Paris, 1552;
****Pistor, ''Liber Iezirah'', in ''Ars Cabalistica'', Basel, 1557;
**** Rittangel in the Amsterdam edition of 1642;
***German:
****Johann F. von Meyer, ''Das Buch Yezira'', Leipsic, 1830;
***English:
**** I. Kalisch, ''A Sketch of the Talmud'', New York City, 1877;
**** W. W. Westcott
''Sepher Yezirah''
London, 1893;
***French:
****Karppe, ''Etude sur les Origines . . . du Zohar'', pp. 139–158, Paris, 1901.
*Literature:
**Castelli, ''Il Commento di Sabbatai Donnolo'', Florence, 1880;
**Epstein, ''Studien zum Jezira-Buche'', in '' Monatsschrift'', xxxvii.;
**idem, ''Pseudo-Saadia'', ib.;
**idem, ''Recherches sur le Sefer Yeçira'', in ''R. E. J.'' xxviii.-xxix. (both articles also published separately);
**idem, in ''Monatsschrift'', xxxix. 46–48, 134–136;
** Grätz, ''Gnosticismus und Judenthum'', pp. 102–132, Breslau, 1846;
**Franck, ''La Kabbale'', pp. 53–66, 102–118, Paris, 1843 (German translation by Jellinek, pp. 57–65, Leipsic, 1844);
**Hamburger, ''R. B. T.'' Supplement, iii. 98-102;
**Jellinek, ''Beiträge'', i. 3-16;
** Rosenthal, in ''Keneset Yisrael'', ii. 29–68;
**Steinschneider, in Berliner's ''Magazin'', xix. 79–85;
**idem, ''Cat. Bodl. cols.'' 552–554;
** Zedner, ''Cat. Hebr. Books Brit. Mus.'' p. 13;
**Fürst, ''Bibl. Jud.'' i. 27–28;
** Bacher, ''Die Anfänge der Hebräischen Grammatik'', pp. 20–23, Leipsic, 1895.

{{Characters and names in the Quran

Islamic texts
Abraham in Islam