Koranic sources : pre-Islamic, Christian and Qumranian influences

This title provides an insightful and enlightening exploration of the various early influences on the text of the Koran.

Scholars have long known that the text of the Koran shows evidence of many influences from religions outside Islam.

The influence of the Jewish Torah and Christian Gospels is obvious from the stories in the Koran about Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other figures from the Old and New Testaments.

But there is also evidence of borrowing in the Koran from more obscure sources.

In this anthology, acclaimed author Ibn Warraq has assembled scholarly articles that delve into these unusual, little-known sources - from similarities between various Muslim doctrines and ideas found in the writings of 3rd century Jewish Christian sects, to the thematic parallels between Muslim literature and the Dead Sea Scrolls found at Qumran.