Jews and Christians in the Qur'an | Episode 09

The Be-Loving Imaginer

PODCAST #9: JEWS AND CHRISTIANS IN THE QUR’AN

by

Martin Bidney

The Be-loving Imaginer, seeking to be the scripture he sings, is delighted to discover ways that a love for already be-loved scriptures can be startlingly expanded. The Qur’an is chiefly a storybook, where you encounter participants in the stories of the Jewish and Christian scriptures. The Qur’an shows you these people in new episodes and adventures. I’ll focus on the new perspectives I love the most. I’ll be using as sourcebooks my A Unifying Light and East-West Poetry. Poem 1 UL shows an inclusive attitude: God offers three religions co-equally.

Adam and Eve (poems 6, 7 UL) are co-equal in their eating of the forbidden fruit (wheat seed?) and are soon forgiven. But one offense remains (poem 5 UL); Adam is a failure at stewardship.

Abraham is not only founder of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; for the Qur’an he pardons his father for trying to burn him alive (see Qur’an intro, poem 95 E-W P) and becomes a martyr hero who teaches forgiveness (poem 75 UL).

Joseph has no coat of many colors but acquires a miracle shirt. When the official’s wife at Pharaoh’s court tries to tempt him, she rips the back of his shirt, which turns into a miracle cure for the blindness of his grieving father Jacob. She accuses Joseph of the misdeed and he’s sent to jail (poem 44 UL, no intro). When the court ladies call her to account, she introduces Joseph, and in a comic scene they’re overcome by his beauty (intro to poem 42 UL).

Moses’ cordial welcome by Pharaoh’s wife may have engendered the love that later drew her to convert to the Jewish God and to condemn Pharaoh (poem 79 UL). Pharaoh’s wife Asiya is a wonderful new character in the Qur’anic story of Moses.

King Solomon – a bad steward? I raise the question, as the Qur’an does (poem 87 UL).

Virgin Mary receives miraculous nourishment to soothe her horrendous labor pains (poem 93 E-W P). According to Sufi poet Rumi, we are each a Mary who must bear a Jesus.

The Qur’anic Jesus offers a sermon while still in cradle (2nd half of intro plus poem 30 E-W P). He models a clay bird and it flies (poem 27 UL). This latter story is told in a Chrstian gospel, as the idol-smashing narrative occurs in a Jewish Midrash. But Torah, Gospel, and Qur’an are all Divinely created, as shown way back in Poem 1 UL.