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Pre-Islamic Bismillah
Ahmad Al-Jallad is an academic and specializing in pre-Islamic Arabia and in the study and collection of paleographic and epigraphic evidences and inscriptions. This inscription was found in Yemen and predates Islam (supposedly). What does it pose for the traditional Islamic narrative? How do Muslim academics respond to this? Academics like Al Jallad and others, through the Historical Critical Method supposedly challenge our traditional narratives from many aspects. Have their been responses to stuff like this? Many apologetics would use it against Islam in an unsurprising way. How to respond to them? Any scholarly work on this?
“The editio princeps interpreted the inscription as follows:[2]
بسم للاه الرحمن الرحيم ربه السمواته الرزاق ) الذيه( مفضلك ) أيها االنسان( والمردف نعمهه عليكه ) بأنه( أعطاك االيمانه بسم للاه الرحمن الرحيم ربه السمواته (أسألكه( الرزق من فضلك وأن تمنحه عقله ) قبلهه( قوة)حالوة( االيمان
Later study[2] reinterpreted this as follows:
بسم الله الرحمن
ارحمنا رب السموات
ارزقنا من فضلك
و آترنا مخّه سكمت ايامنا
And in English:[2]
In the name of Allāh, the Raḥmān
have mercy upon us, O lord of the heavens
satisfy us by means of your favor
and grant us the essence of it at the end/gift of our days
The author may have been Jewish.[3] Significantly, this inscription contains a pre-Islamic Arabian reference to the Basmala, invoking the monotheistic deity Rahmanan.[4] However, while this inscription is apparently the first attested case where “In the name of Allāh/God” is combined with “the Merciful,” the Qur’anic form of the Basmalah contains a phraseological expansion into a tripartite form to include the final adjective al-raḥīm.[2] It is possible that this expansion was made to facilitate the common Qur’anic rhyme ī/ū + m/n.[5]
The request, “have mercy upon us, O lord of the heavens” resembles the biblical phrase “Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us” in Psalm 123:3. Likewise, the request to “grant us the essence of it at the end of our days” may also be a reference to another Psalmic passage, where the reader asks “So teach us to number our days, that we may obtain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). The particular phrasing of rabb al-samāwāt is also known from the Quran (rabbu s-samāwāti wa-l-ʾarḍi, Q 19:65). In its use of both the terms “Allāh,” which was the proper name of the one monotheistic God in pre-Islamic North Arabia, and “Rahmān,” the proper name of the one South Arabian monotheistic God, this inscription may reflect a syncretism that resulted from an alliance between multiple Arabian tribes to symbolize their political unity.[2]
academia.edu
This paper presents a new edition of the Jabal Dabūb ASA inscription containing the earliest attestation of the Basmala. I attempt to refine our understanding of the text, discuss its language, dating, and its significance for our interpretation of
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Pre-Islamic Bismillah
updated 2 weeks, 3 days ago
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The Quran tells us that the Arabs were following a distorted form of Islam inherited from Hazrat Ismael. Additionally, the religion revealed by Allah has always been Islam, so it’s natural for similarities to exist. I don’t see any issue with this.
Since the name refers to a monotheistic deity, it seems reasonable to accept the above statement.
You will find this link more helpful for your query where Al Jallad has analayzed this discovery
https://almuslih.org/wp-content/uploads/Library/Jallad%2C%20A%20-%20The%20pre-Islamic%20Basmala.pdfI will suggest you to watch this videos for interesting information.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjNODB0_9I4
https://islamresearchgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/who-wrote-the-quran-6.-inscriptions.pdf
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Thank you this was really helpful.
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Please also see:
ask.ghamidi.org
Allah In Pre-Islamic Era (The Concept And The Name) - Ask Ghamidi
Is it true that Allah was worshipped in Arab world even before the Prophet peace be upon him started his mission. If so what was the basis for people to
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