Page 36 - History of The Quranic Text | Kalamullah.Com

16 THE HISTORY OF THE QUR'ANIC TEXT

Arabia who, more than any other group of people, have retained the
Semitic characteristics in their physical features, manners, customs,
habit of thought and language. The people of Arabia have remained
virtually the same throughout all the recorded ages.??

Most hypotheses regarding racial origins emanate from linguistic research
(and occasionally the information supplied by the OT),l0 and much of this
is neither scientific nor historically accurate. For example, the OT includes
among nations of Semitic stock many who are not Semites, such as the
Elamite and Ludim, whilst discarding many which are Semitic, such as
the Phoenicians and Cannanites.!' Given the myriad viewpoints, I subscribe
to the notion that the Semitic races emerged from within Arabia. As to the
question of who is or is not Semitic, Arabs and Israelites share a common
ancestry through Abraham. 12

ii. Ibrahim and Makkah

At a fixed time in history Allah bestowed on Ibrahim (Abraham) a son in
his old age, Isma'il (Ishmael), whose mother Hajar (Hagar) - supposedly
a slave - was a gift tendered by Pharos to Sarah. Isma'll's birth stirred
great jealousy in Sarah's heart, and she demanded that Ibrahim cast out
this 'bondwoman' and her son." Faced with this domestic squabble, he
brought Hajar and Isma'n to the barren land of Makkah, to a harsh sun-
beaten valley bereft of inhabitants, food, and even water. As he began the
trek home, Hajar gazed at the emptiness around her in bewilderment,
and asked him thrice whether he was deserting them. He made no reply.
Then she asked whether this was the command of Allah, and he replied:
yes. Hearing this she said, "Then He will not abandon us." And indeed
He did not abandon them, causing the waters of Zamzam to eventually
gush out of the sand at the infant Isma'Il's feet; this spring made possible
the first settlements in the area, with Jurhum being the earliest tribe to
settle there."

9 M. Mohar Ali, Sirat an-Nabt, vol. lA, pp. 30-31, quoting P.K.Hitti, History of the
Arabs, pp. 8-9.
lO Jawad 'Ali, al-Mufassal, i:223.
II ibid, i:224.
12 ibid, i:630. The OT declares that both Arabs andJews are descendants of Shem,
son of Noah.
13 KingJames Version, Genesis 21:10.
14 Al-Bukhari,$a)/iJ}, al-Anbiya', hadith nos. 3364-65(withIbn Hajar's commentary).