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 Islamic holy books, religious scriptures of Islam. These scriptures are believed to have contained the revelations of Abraham in Islam, 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 in Islam, Ishmael (Ishmael in Islam, ''Ismā‘īl'') and Isaac in Islam, Isaac (Isaac in Islam, ''Isḥāq''). Although usually referred to as "scrolls", many translators have translated the Arabic language, 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 surah, 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 Judaism, 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 (Muhammad in Islam, 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 (sura), 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 (Torah in Islam, Tawrat) or the Psalms (Zabur) as revealed to David (David in Islam, 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;
***Istanbul, Constantinople, 1791;
***Grodno, 1806 (five commentaries)
Sefer Detail: ספר יצירה -- ספר יצירה. תקס"ו. הורדנה.***Warsaw, 1884 (nine commentaries);
***Lazarus Goldschmidt, 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;
****Johann Stephan Rittangel, Rittangel in the Amsterdam edition of 1642;
***German language, German:
****Johann F. von Meyer, ''Das Buch Yezira'', Leipzig, Leipsic, 1830;
***English:
****Isidor Kalisch, I. Kalisch, ''A Sketch of the Talmud'', New York City, 1877;
****William Wynn Westcott, W. W. Westcott
''Sepher Yezirah'' London, 1893;
***French language, French:
****Karppe, ''Etude sur les Origines . . . du Zohar'', pp. 139–158, Paris, 1901.
*Literature:
**David Castelli, Castelli, ''Il Commento di Sabbatai Donnolo'', Florence, 1880;
**Abraham Epstein, Epstein, ''Studien zum Jezira-Buche'', in ''Monatsschrift für die Geschichte und Wissenschaft des Judenthums, 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;
**Heinrich Graetz, Grätz, ''Gnosticismus und Judenthum'', pp. 102–132, Breslau, 1846;
**Adolphe Franck, Franck, ''La Kabbale'', pp. 53–66, 102–118, Paris, 1843 (German translation by Adolf Jellinek, Jellinek, pp. 57–65, Leipsic, 1844);
**Hamburger, ''R. B. T.'' Supplement, iii. 98-102;
**Jellinek, ''Beiträge'', i. 3-16;
**S:Jewish Encyclopedia/Rosenthal, Joseph, Rosenthal, in ''Keneset Yisrael'', ii. 29–68;
**Moritz Steinschneider, Steinschneider, in Abraham Berliner, Berliner's ''Magazin'', xix. 79–85;
**idem, ''Cat. Bodl. cols.'' 552–554;
**Joseph Zedner, Zedner, ''Cat. Hebr. Books Brit. Mus.'' p. 13;
**Julius Fürst, Fürst, ''Bibl. Jud.'' i. 27–28;
**Wilhelm Bacher, Bacher, ''Die Anfänge der Hebräischen Grammatik'', pp. 20–23, Leipsic, 1895.
{{Characters and names in the Quran
Islamic texts
Abraham in Islam