Christian
Churches of God
No. 274z
Summary:
The Sabbath in the Qur’an
(Edition 1.1
19981212-19990921)
This
paper looks at the placement of the Sabbath in the texts of the Qur’an [or
Koran].
Christian
Churches of God
E-mail: secretary@ccg.org
(Copyright © 1998, 1999 Dr. Thomas
McElwain, Wade Cox)
(Summary by Diane Flanagan ed. Wade Cox)
This paper may be freely copied and distributed provided it
is copied in total with no alterations or deletions. The publisher’s name and
address and the copyright notice must be included. No charge may be levied on recipients of
distributed copies. Brief quotations may
be embodied in critical articles and reviews without breaching copyright.
This paper is available from the World Wide Web page:
http://www.logon.org and http://www.ccg.org
Summary: The Sabbath in the Qur’an
Introduction
The following is a short summary of Sabbath in the Qur’an. The Qur’an is a Middle Eastern text that came from the same geographic area as the Hebrew Torah. The Qur’an is also divided into "chapters" though they are referred to as Surahs. The Surahs typically carry a name such as The Cow and a number such as 2. Therefore a reference in the Qur’an would appear as Q2:67. This would be a reference to the second Surah verse 67.
There is every reason to expect both sacred texts to refer to the same topics in similar cultural contexts. The Qur’an references the Bible in various texts. In the second Surah, The Cow, which is named from the story of the golden heifer in verses 67-71 is a poetic reference to the red heifer of the Bible.
Over time canonical authority has been affected by interpretation; traditions of rabbinical Judaism based on methods of the Pharisees and condemned by Christ. So too have the councils of Christianity attempted to change God’s word and Law. This same process occurred in the Hadith (record of tradition) in Islam. The Bible is very clear that if a prophet does not speak according to the Law and the Testimony there is no light in him (Isa. 8:20). The revelation of the NT must stand and confirm the OT and not contradict it. The Qur’an (Koran) was also stated by the prophet to be an inspired text. He said it is an interpretation of the Bible both the Torah and the Gospel. Therefore it must not contradict the Bible. Each of the latter texts, NT and the Qur’an, help explain biblical texts to the population of the time that the text was written.
The Qur’an bore witness of Jesus to the Jews and to
Christians of the authority of Jesus. When the Qur’an was written the apostasy
of the Trinity had already set in and the Christians had distorted the concept
of the One True God, Allah’ in Arabic, and Eloah in Hebrew.
The first reference to the Sabbath is found in the second Surah of the Qur’an.
"and ye know of those of you who broke the Sabbath, how We said unto them: Be ye apes despised and hated! And We make it an example to their own and to the succeeding generations, and an admonition to the God fearing" Q2:65.66 Pickthall
The above-mentioned text is generally thought to be the same one described in Q7:163, which describes breaking the Sabbath by fishing and getting food. Both texts parallel Exodus 16 prohibition on gathering food/ manna on the Sabbath.
The punishment for disobedience was a curse in which people were proclaimed apes. Q5:60 enlarges the curse.
"Shall I tell thee of a worse (case) than theirs for retribution with Allah? Worse (is the case of him) whom Allah hath cursed, him on whom His wrath hath fallen! Worse is he of whose sort Allah hath turned some to apes and swine, and who sereth idols. Such are in worse plight and further astray from the plain road"
Here we see the curse enlarged from those who broke the Sabbath, to those who also worshipped idols.
The next reference to the Sabbath is in Surah 4.
"O ye unto whom the Scripture hath been given! Believe in what We have revealed confirming that which you posses, before we destroy countenances so as to confound them or curse them as We cursed the Sabbathbreakers (of old time), The commandment of Allah is always executed. Lo! Allah forgiveth not that a partner should be ascribed unto Him. He forgiveth (all) save that to whom He will. Whose ascribeth partners to Allah, he hath indeed invented a tremendous sin." Q4:47.48.
Here we see the unitariatan structure of God or Allah’ stressed and the doctrine of the trinity or partners with God is viewed as a tremendous sin.
The third mention of the Sabbath is also in Surah 4.
"And we caused the Mount to tower above them at (the taking of) their covenant: and We bade them: Enter the gate, prostrate! And we bade them: Transgress not the Sabbath! And We took from them a firm covenant." Q4:154.
Here we see a reference to only prostrating oneself to the One True God and not transgressing the Sabbath in any form. By worshiping the One True God and keeping His Laws and commanded assemblies we grow in understanding and are blessed. This Surah in no way seeks to change the Commandments but explains them.
We see another reference to the Sabbath in Surah 7.
"ask them (O Muhammad) of the township that was by the sea, how they did break the Sabbath, how their big fish came unto them visibly upon their Sabbath day and on a day when they did not keep Sabbath came they not unto them. Thus did We try them for that they were evil-livers"
Here we see a case of the people of the day breaking the Sabbath and then not being able to be blessed by God because of their disobedience.
The last mention of the Sabbath is in Surah 16.
" The Sabbath was appointed only for those who differed concerning it and lo! They Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that wherein they used to differ." Q 16:124.
Here we see the Qur’an explaining the biblical punishment carried out for Sabbath breaking. If one does not repent and keep the Sabbath, New Moons, and Feasts, that individual will be in the Second Resurrection or Second Garden. This is consistent with the NT, which identifies the saints of the First Resurrection as those who keep the commandments of God and testimony of Jesus (Rev. 12:17; 14:12; 22:14).
In the Qur’an the sixth day of the week is precisely what
it is in the Torah, the preparation day preceding the Sabbath.