Introduction by: Lewis Loflin
Excerpt by: Will Durant (1950)
I have long admired Will Durant’s historical works, and his analysis in The Age of Faith (1950, pp. 162-186) offers a compelling exploration of the Koran’s origins. Durant highlights how the Koran weaves together influences from Jewish, Christian, and Zoroastrian traditions, presenting it as a synthesis rather than a wholly original revelation. He connects its style to the Hebrew prophets, its foundational ideas to Judaism, and its distinctive elements to Persian influences, demonstrating the interconnectedness of these religious traditions.
I’d like to add a perspective to Durant’s analysis: Muhammad himself did not write the Koran or any other text. Some scholars suggest that the Koran was compiled 70 to 100 years after his death in 632 CE, likely by others rather than directly from his dictation. Despite this timeline, Durant’s observations about its origins remain relevant, reflecting the cultural and religious milieu of the time. Below, Durant’s own words delve deeper into these influences.
Acknowledgment: I’d like to thank Grok, an AI by xAI, for assisting with drafting and refining this introduction. The final edits and perspective are my own. March 17, 2025.
Excerpt from The Age of Faith (1950, pp. 162-186)
The style of the Koran draws heavily on the Hebrew prophets, and its contents reflect a significant adaptation of Judaic doctrines, tales, and themes. Despite its criticisms of the Jews, the Koran offers a profound, albeit indirect, tribute to their tradition. Its core concepts—monotheism, prophecy, faith, repentance, the Last Judgment, heaven, and hell—appear rooted in Jewish thought, both in form and expression. The Koran diverges from Judaism primarily in its claim that the Messiah had already come.
Muhammad acknowledges contemporary accusations that his revelations were “nothing but a fraud which he hath fabricated, and other people have helped him therein, . . . dictating to him morning and evening” (Koran 25:4, 16:105). He openly accepts the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures as divinely revealed (3:48), stating that God provided humanity with 104 revelations, of which only four remain: the Pentateuch to Moses, the Psalms to David, the Gospel to Jesus, and the Koran to Muhammad. In his view, rejecting any of these renders one an infidel. However, he argues that the first three have been corrupted over time, necessitating the Koran as their replacement.
Muhammad recognizes a lineage of inspired prophets—Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Enoch, and Christ—culminating in himself as the final and greatest prophet. From Adam to Christ, he accepts the Biblical narratives but occasionally adjusts them to align with divine honor, such as asserting that Jesus did not die on the cross (4:157). He cites the agreement between the Koran and the Bible as evidence of his divine mission, interpreting certain Biblical passages as prophecies of his own birth and role.
At its theological core, the Koran mirrors Jewish concepts. Allah closely resembles Yahweh; the name “Allah” derives from an older Kaaba deity, with related terms for divinity appearing across Semitic languages—such as the Jewish “Elohim” or Christ’s cry to “Eli” on the cross. Both Allah and Yahweh are depicted as compassionate yet stern, warlike deities, fiercely monotheistic. The Jewish Shema Yisrael, affirming God’s unity, echoes in Islam’s first article of belief: “There is no god but Allah.” The Koranic phrase describing Allah as “gracious and compassionate” parallels a frequent Talmudic expression.
The designation of Allah as “Rahman” (the merciful) recalls the Talmudic use of “Rahmana” for Yahweh. The Talmudic phrase “The Holy One, Blessed be He” finds a counterpart in Muslim literature’s frequent “Allah (or Muhammad), Blessed be he.” It appears that Jews familiar with the Bible also introduced Muhammad to Talmudic elements, as over a hundred Koranic passages reflect the Mishna and Gemaras. The Koran’s teachings on angels, resurrection, and heaven align more closely with the Talmud than the Old Testament, and roughly a quarter of its stories trace back to Talmudic haggadic (illustrative) narratives, often following pre-Islamic Jewish variations when diverging from Biblical accounts, such as in the story of Joseph.
Muhammad also adopted elements of Jewish ritual from the Mishna and Halakah, including ceremonial purification before prayer—allowing sand if water is unavailable, mirroring rabbinical practice. The Sabbath inspired him, though he designated Friday as Islam’s day of prayer. Like the Mosaic Law, the Koran prohibits consuming blood, pork, dog meat, or animals that died naturally, were killed by another animal, or were offered to idols (5:3, 6:146), but permits camel flesh, which Moses forbade, reflecting desert necessities. Islamic fasting practices also follow a Hebrew model. Jewish prayer customs—praying thrice daily facing Jerusalem, prostrating with forehead to the ground—were adapted for Islam, as was the Judaic essence of the Koran’s first chapter, Islam’s foundational prayer. The Hebrew greeting “Shalom aleichem” parallels Islam’s “Peace be with you,” and the Talmudic vision of a heaven with physical and spiritual delights mirrors the Koranic paradise.
Some of these beliefs—angels, devils, Satan, heaven, hell, resurrection, the Last Judgment—may reflect a shared Semitic heritage or direct influences from Babylonia or Persia, possibly reaching Islam via Persia. Zoroastrian eschatology, like the Koranic vision, features a perilous bridge over an abyss that the resurrected must cross: the wicked fall into hell, while the righteous enter a paradise with eternal delights, including the companionship of beautiful, everlasting houris (spiritual beings).
Christian influences are less pronounced. Based on the Koran, Muhammad’s understanding of Christianity appears limited, likely derived secondhand and shaped by Persian Nestorian theology. His emphasis on repentance and the coming Judgment carries a Christian tone. However, he conflates Mary (Miriam), mother of Jesus, with Miriam, sister of Moses, and misinterprets the rising veneration of Mary in Christianity as a belief in her divinity, forming a trinity with God and Christ (5:116). He accepts apocryphal legends about the Virgin Birth and Jesus’ miracles (3:47, 21:91, 5:110), while denying Jesus’ crucifixion, aligning with Docetist beliefs that a phantom replaced him on the cross (4:157). Muhammad firmly rejects Jesus as the Son of God, stating, “Far is it removed from Allah’s transcendent majesty that He should have a son” (4:171), and urges Christians to worship only Allah (3:64).
Despite these differences, Muhammad shows a generally positive disposition toward Christians, advising, “Consort in the world kindly with Christians” (31:15). Even after disputes with Jews, he advocates tolerance for the “People of the Book”—Jews and Christians, a policy later extended to Persians for their sacred Avesta. Islam, though steadfast in its beliefs, allows that non-Muslims may attain salvation (5:69) and honors the Old Testament, Gospel, and Koran as “the Word of God,” encouraging Jews and Christians to follow their scriptures while inviting them to accept the Koran as God’s final revelation (5:72).
Muhammad blended Jewish theology, ethics, and ritual with Persian eschatology, adding Arab elements like demonology, pilgrimage, and Kaaba ceremonies to create Islam. While acknowledging earlier scriptures, he positions the Koran as a unifying, purifying force for humanity, aiming to offer an integrative faith that transcends the perceived corruptions of prior revelations.
Excerpt from Will Durant’s The Age of Faith, pp. 162-186, published 1950.
Excerpts from Will Durant's The Age of Faith Pages 162-186 Pub. 1950
