"Isra'iliyyat" and classical exegetes' comments on the "calf with a hollow sound": Qur'an-XX,83-98/VII,147-155 with special reference to ibn 'Atiyya (Examining discernible changes in Jewish and Christian source literature utilized throughout Muslim historical commentary)

Abstract

The term "Isra'iliyyat" usually refers to early literature of various types attributed by Muslim scholars to Jewish and Christian sources. Despite the continual and pervasive negative regard for "isra'iliyyat", however, a massive amount of this material has been utilised by Muslim commentators throughout Islamic history. In this article, we primarily focus on the verses from Surah Ta-Ha (20:83-98) and Surah A'raf (7:147-155) and then attempt to show how the major Muslim exegetes interpreted these verses; we will discuss the difficulties they encountered, their success in overcoming these challenges, their main hermeneutic devices, and most importantly, their attitudes towards the notion of "isra'iliyyat". The result or the value of our investigation lies in the discovery that even within the highly structured, repetitive confines of the classical Quranic commentaries certain discernible changes in presentation and understanding have taken place. We have seen that there are some commentators who, without using this technical term, clearly reduced the number of "isra'iliyyat" in their commentaries. Pride of place in this respect belongs to ibn 'Atiyya.