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THE
INFLUENCE OF CHRISTIANITY AND |
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form in chapter xlvi. The reason of this is that
the latter part of the book is taken from the "Gospel
of Thomas the Israelite."
We notice here again that, while the legend is evidently
the same as that briefly referred to in the Qur'an,
yet the difference is sufficient to prove that Muhammad
was reproducing a shortened form of it from memory,
and was not consulting any written document. Hence he
mentions only one bird instead of twelve, and speaks
of life being given to it by the breath of Jesus and
not by a command of His. The brief reference made to
the tale in the Qur'an shows that the story had obtained
wide currency and was generally believed at the time.
This again proves how little knowledge of the New Testament
there then was in Medina; for not only are no such accounts
of miracles performed by our Saviour in His childhood
recorded in the canonical Gospels, but John ii. 11 shows
that none were wrought until after His Baptism at the
age of about thirty.
4. Story of the Table.
This supposed miracle of Christ is related in Surah
V., Al Maidah 112-15, and gives its name
to the Surah. Translated as literally as possible, the
tale runs thus:—
"When the Apostles
said, ‘O Jesus, Son of |
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Mary, can Thy lord cause a Table to descend upon
us from the heaven?’ He said, ‘Fear ye God, if ye be
believers.’ They said, ‘We desire to eat from it and
that our hearts be confirmed, and that we may know that
Thou hast told us truth and may be witnesses unto it
.’ Jesus,
Son of Mary, said, ‘O God, our Lord, cause a table to
descend unto us from the heaven which shall be a festival
unto us, to the first of us and to the last of us ,
and a sign from Thee, and feed Thou us: and Thou art
the best of feeders.’ God said, ‘Verily I cause it to
descend unto you: but whosoever among you thereafter
shall disbelieve, I shall assuredly punish him with
a punishment wherewith I shall not punish any other
creature.’"
Unless there be some Æthiopian legend on the subject
which the early Muslim refugees had brought back with
them from that country, we must trace this myth to a
misunderstanding of certain passages in the New Testament.
If there be some such legend found elsewhere, which
we have not traced, it must have had the same ultimate
source. One of the New Testament passages which doubtless
helped to give rise to it is the verse |
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