Early Muslims, Jews and Christians were called BELIEVERS in The Quran

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Uploaded: 03 Apr 2019 (7 years ago) · Shared: 21 Jul 2026

Video Description (from Youtube)

The traditional narrative of Islam’s origins centers on the career of the prophet Muhammad (d. 632 CE) in Arabia and the rapid spread of his movement throughout the Near East immediately after his

death. Over the past half-century, however, scholars have come to realize that this picture is the product of the Islamic community of the eighth, ninth, and later centuries and that its goal of providing a satisfying narrative may not accurately reflect how Islam actually began and grew into the major world religion we know today. In this lecture, Fred M. Donner argues that a more historically accurate view of Islam’s origins has been hindered by the scarcity of documentary evidence from the seventh century and considers some of the key sources that may help us understand these momentous events in Islamic history.

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Overview & Key Concepts

Who is Fred Donner?

Fred McGraw Donner (born 1945) is a scholar of Islam and Professor of Near Eastern History at the University of Chicago. He has published several

books about early Islamic history. Donner received his PhD in Near Eastern Studies from Princeton in 1975. He taught Middle Eastern history in the History Department at Yale University from 1975-1982 before taking his position at the University of Chicago in 1982. Donner's main argument is that what came to be called Islam began as a monotheistic "Believers' movement" inaugurated by Muhammad which included righteous Christians and Jews as well as those monotheists who followed the teachings of the Quran.

What is The Quran?

Quran, literally meaning "the recitation" is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims believe to be a revelation from God (Allah). It is

widely regarded as the finest work in classical Arabic literature. The Quran is divided into chapters (surah in Arabic), which are then divided into verses (ayah). Muslims believe that the Quran was verbally revealed by God to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel (Jibril), gradually over a period of approximately 23 years, beginning on 22 December 609 CE, when Muhammad was 40, and concluding in 632, the year of his death. Muslims regard the Quran as the most important miracle of Muhammad, a proof of his prophethood, and the culmination of a series of divine messages that started with the messages revealed to Adam and ended with Muhammad.

What is Christian?

Christianity is a global religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, who followers believe is the Son of God. It's a monotheistic

faith, meaning Christians believe in one God who exists in three co-equal persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. Christianity is based on the Bible, with the Old Testament and New Testament serving as sacred texts.

What is Muslim?

Early Islam or the history of Islam is believed, by most historians to have originated with Muhammad's mission in Mecca and Medina at the start of the

7th century CE. Although Muslims regard this time as a return to the original faith passed down by the Abrahamic prophets, such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, and Jesus, with the submission (Islam) to the will of God. According to the traditional account, the Islamic prophet Muhammad began receiving what Muslims consider to be divine revelations in 610 CE, calling for submission to the one God, preparation for the imminent Last Judgement, and charity for the poor and needy.

What is Jews?

Judaism is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jewish people

Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of observing the Mosaic covenant, which they believe was established between God and the Jewish people. The religion is considered one of the earliest monotheistic religions. Jewish religious doctrine encompasses a wide body of texts, practices, theological positions, and forms of organization. Among Judaism's core texts is the Torah - the first five books of the Hebrew Bible - and a collection of ancient Hebrew scriptures. The Tanakh, known in English as the Hebrew Bible, has the same books as Protestant Christianity's Old Testament, with some differences in order and content.

Frequently Asked Questions

1.Why should we believe the Quran if it comes 600 years after Jesus?

The Quran may have come 600 years after Jesus, but does that make it false? Jesus came 1600 years after Moses, does that make Jesus false? The underlying or main argument here is the time between one person and another, but as we can see, if time is a problem then Christians should reject the other Prophets and Messengers since they have a greater number of years between them.

The complete manuscript collections of the New Testament and Old Testament date to the 4th and 5th century, within 100 years of the Qur'an, if Christians want to reject the Qur'an because it is 600 years after Jesus then they must be consistent and also reject the New Testament.

It should be noted that the Church itself did not ordain or make it canon (law) that the New Testament should be scripture until 393 and 397 CE in the Carthaginian councils. With all of these evidences, and centuries between Jesus and the New Testament, then they must reject the New Testament first.

2.What is the Quran?

The Quran is the sacred scripture of Islam, which was revealed to Prophet Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel.

3.How was the Quran revealed?

The Quran was verbally delivered to Prophet Muhammad through the Archangel Gabriel; the Prophet would then repeat the precise words, which were simultaneously memorised and recorded by scribes.

4.What does the Quran say about Jews and Christians?

The Quran recognizes Jews and Christians as 'People of the Book' (Ahl al-Kitab), acknowledging that they were given previous divine revelations through prophets like Moses and Jesus. While it praises the righteous among them, it also critiques their theological developments, specifically rejecting the Christian doctrine of the Trinity and the divine sonship of Jesus.

5.How authentic is the Quran historically?

Islamic tradition holds that the text of the Quran has been preserved perfectly since its 7th-century revelation, with oral memorisation and scribal dictation acting as dual tracking methods. Mainstream secular historians and academic textual critics confirm that early surviving fragments (such as the Birmingham Quran manuscript) demonstrate remarkable textual stability, verifying its core compilation dates to within a few decades of the Prophet Muhammad's lifetime.

6.How was the Quran text kept authentic?

According to historical records, whenever a passage was revealed, the Prophet Muhammad immediately dictated the verses to literate scribes while simultaneously instructing the community to commit them to memory. This dual tracking framework where oral recitation by thousands of companions double-checked the physical parchment, leather, and palm leaves prevented textual isolation and provided a robust system of communal validation before the definitive text was standardized.

7.How was the Quran preserved?

Whenever a fragment of the Quran was revealed, Prophet Muhammad would immediately call one of his literate companions to dictate the exact verses and specify their precise placement in the text. To ensure perfect accuracy, the Prophet had the scribe repeat the verses back to correct any errors. Additionally, every year during Ramadan, he would recite the compiled revelation to the Archangel Gabriel. Verses were written down on highly diverse materials such as parchment, leather, and wooden tablets. While thousands of companions simultaneously committed the entire text to memory, creating a dual preservation system that kept the message authentic.

8.After the death of Muhammad, the Quran was changed?

This is false. The first three Caliphs, especially Uthman completed a critical analysis of the entire Quran text.

This was due to the rapid expansion of Islam in the first decade amongst people whose native language was not Arabic. So it was deemed essential the text retained its original purity.

Uthman sent copies of the standardized Quran text to the centre of the Islamic Empire. Today, copies attributed to Uthman exist can be found in Tashkent and Istanbul.

Apart from a few dialect variations in copying, the oldest documents known to the present day found throughout the Islamic world are identical; the same is true for documents preserved in Europe (fragments in the Biblioth�que Nationale in Paris which, according to the experts date from the 8th Century AD).

The minor dialect variations do not change the general meaning of the text. For example, the absence of diacritical marks could make a verb either active or passive and in some instances, masculine or feminine. This is a minor issue since the context indicated the meaning in many instances.

Therefore the Quran has been fully preserved since its revelation.

9.Is Muhammad mentioned in the Quran?

Yes, the name Muhammad is explicitly mentioned by name four distinct times in the text of the Quran (Surah Al-Imran 3:144, Surah Al-Ahzab 33:40, Surah Muhammad 47:2, and Surah Al-Fath 48:29), where he is formally designated as the Messenger of God and the 'Seal of the Prophets.' Additionally, he is addressed once by the name Ahmad in Surah As-Saff (61:6), inside a narrative where Jesus prophesies the future arrival of a messenger coming after him.

10.Does the Quran tell Jews and Christians to refer to their Scriptures (Torah and Bible)?

Yes, the Quran references previous scriptures in passages like Surah Al-Ma'idah (5:47), which tells the followers of the Gospel to judge by what God has revealed in it. From an academic perspective, this reflects the historical context of 7th-century Medina, where Jews and Christians were recognized as 'People of the Book' who possessed divine laws. While Islamic theology holds that modern biblical texts have suffered from textual corruption (tahrif), the Quran historically appeals to the core monotheistic truths remaining in those scriptures to validate Muhammad's message.

11.Does the Quran encourage violence against the disbelievers (non-Muslims)?

Academic Islamic scholarship clarifies that verses in the Quran addressing warfare against non-Muslims were historically revealed during active, state-level conflicts with the pagan tribes of Mecca and their military allies. Mainstream historians emphasize that these specific martial passages must be read within their situational context of self-defence and treaty violations, rather than as an open-ended command to attack peaceful non-Muslims.

The historical context is that this Quran verse was revealed at the Battle of Badr, a battle in which the pagans of Makkah traveled over 200 miles to destroy the Muslims of Madinah. The Pagans of Makkah had an army of about 1000 while the Muslims were only 300 followers. Muhammad and his followers had suffered severe persecutions and torture for 13 years in the city of Makkah. Having fled from Makkah to the safety of Madinah, they found that they were once again threatened.

From a historical and textual context this Quran verse does not promote the killing of innocents.

12.Are Muslims told to kill polytheists in the Quran?

Academic, context-based interpretations of the Quran indicate that verses regarding fighting (e.g., 9:5, 2:190) are historically situated within specific conflicts or treaty breaches rather than universal commands, emphasizing that the text generally prohibits indiscriminate violence, defends the sanctity of life (5:32), and allows for positive relations with peaceful non-Muslims (60:8).

13.Is their violence in the Quran?

Like many ancient religious scriptures, including the Hebrew Bible, the Quran contains passages dealing with warfare, military engagement, and state-level defense. Academic historians note that these specific verses were revealed chronologically during the 7th century to regulate battle conduct, enforce military discipline, and motivate the early Muslim community when they were heavily outnumbered by hostile pagan forces in Arabia.

14.Does the Quran encourage ill-treatment of non-Muslims?

No, orthodox Islamic theology strictly prohibits the unprovoked abuse, exploitation, or mistreatment of peaceful non-Muslims, explicitly warning in the Hadith literature that anyone who oppresses a religious minority will face divine complaints from the Prophet himself on the Day of Judgment. Scriptural texts command Muslims to uphold agreements, demonstrate broad compassion to all of creation, and engage in respectful theological dialogue.

15.Why does the Quran discourage the asking of questions?

This concept is rooted in Surah Al-Ma'idah (5:101), where the text advises believers not to ask about things that, if revealed to them, might cause them distress or unnecessary burden. Historical-critical and traditional scholars explain that this warning was directed at trivial, pedantic, or speculative inquiries that could over-complicate religious obligations, much like the extensive questioning regarding the sacrificial cow in the biblical and Quranic narrative of the Israelites, rather than discouraging sincere, honest questions aimed at seeking knowledge and spiritual clarity.

16.How did the Early Jewish-Christians practise their religion?

The earliest Jewish-Christians strictly followed traditional Hebrew practices, including daily prayers, circumcision, rituals for purity, fasting, dietary laws, and temple, according to the source material.

17.Did Jesus claim to be 'King of the Jews'?

A political placard accusing Jesus of making this claim was nailed to his cross, and this historical artifact can be found today at the Church of Santa Croce in Rome.

18.How was Jesus Jewish?

Jesus fully observed the laws of the Torah, maintained kosher dietary regulations, and never asked his followers to abandon Judaism, as they continued to meet at the Temple and practice circumcision rather than establishing a separate religion or attending a church.

19.What did early Jewish-Christians think of Apostle Paul?

Between 55 and 66 CE, early Jewish-Christian leaders in Jerusalem rejected Paul's teachings and challenged his authority, leading to a significant decline in his popularity.

20.Were the early Christians Jews?

Yes, Jesus and early followers were entirely Jewish, strictly observing traditional laws and customs.

21.Did Saul kill the early Jewish-Christians?

Before his conversion, Saul actively sought to imprison and execute early Jewish-Christians. Saul believed that he was serving God by finding Christians, throwing them into prison, and even executing them.

1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
[Acts 8:1-3]

22.How did the Jews view Apostle Paul?

Faithful Jews viewed Paul's salvation theory as blatant blasphemy because his theological teachings explicitly ridiculed all previous revelations from God, including the sacred Torah, while teaching a doctrine that went against the absolute oneness of God.

23.According to Apostle Paul, why did God give Jews the Torah?

Paul viewed the Torah as a temporary guide, claiming it was given to the Jews until they could be saved through faith in Jesus Christ.

24.How did Apostle Paul differ with the Jewish Rabbis?

The Jewish Rabbis preached a person was saved so long as their intention was to remain within the covenant, and one truly repented and seek forgiveness for their sins.

Paul preached that every person was 'damned' until they was offered salvation. Mans problem was that he was 'in the flesh' in bondage to the Law, sold under Sin, enslaved by the fundamental spirits of the universe (ie. dead).

Paul preached the only cure was liberation from slavery and death by union with Christ, who had conquered death and sin.

25.How did the early Jewish-Christians view Jesus' resurrection?

The earliest Jewish-Christians did not believe that the resurrection meant Jesus was God, but rather that he was a righteous man approved by God through miracles, wonders, and signs. Based on texts like Acts 2:22-24, they maintained the theological view that Jesus had been raised by God, not that he was the Creator himself.

26.Who seperated Christianity from Judaism?

It was Apostle Paul's dramatic conversion and subsequent teachings that directly resulted in the permanent theological separation of Christianity from Judaism. Within mere months of Jesus' departure, the original human-centric and law-abiding message was fundamentally altered into an independent religious system.

27.Why Jews do not accept Jesus as the Messiah?

The Bible claims the Messiah will accomplish certain signs:

1. Build the Third Temple (Ezekiel 37:26-28).

2. Gather all Jews back to the Land of Israel (Isaiah 43:5-6).

3. Usher in an era of world peace, and end all hatred, oppression, suffering and disease. As it says: 'Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall man learn war anymore.' (Isaiah 2:4)

4. Spread universal knowledge of the God of Israel, which will unite humanity as one. As it says: 'God will be King over all the world�on that day, God will be One and His Name will be One' (Zechariah 14:9).

The historical fact is that Jesus fulfilled none of these messianic prophecies.

Christians counter that Jesus will fulfill these in the Second Coming, but Jewish sources show that the Messiah will fulfill the prophecies outright, and no concept of a second coming exists.

28.What does the Quran say about Jews and Christians?

29.How was Apostle Paul viewed by the Jews?

Paul was widely viewed by mainstream Jewish communities as a radical apostate and religious heretic because he preached that observance of the Mosaic Torah was no longer required for salvation. This fierce theological conflict frequently resulted in severe public opposition, legal charges before Roman authorities, and physical riots during his travel throughout ancient Mediterranean cities.

30.Does the Quran tell Jews and Christians to refer to their Scriptures (Torah and Bible)?

31.In the time of Jesus, what qualities would identify the Messiah, to the Jews?

First-century Jewish expectations, as discussed in this analysis of Trinity dogma, centered on a human leader, such as a prophet or king from David's line, rather than a divine figure.

A human empowered by God. Not a God-man, a person of the Godhead or part of a Triune God (Trinity)
From the lineage of Abraham (Gen. 22:18)
From the tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:10)
A descendant of David (2 Sam. 7:12)
A Lord under Yahweh, the God of Israel (Ps. 110:1)
From amongst their own people (Jer. 30:21)

32.How did the 1st century Jews view the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit was understood as God's active, divine power, rather than a distinct, third person of a Trinity.

First century Jews believed the Holy Spirit was another name for God, similar to Yahweh, Elohim or El Shaddai - not a separate Person in the Trinity!

There is no record of Jesus ever trying to correct the Jews and prove the Holy Spirit was a third Person in the Trinity.

33.Jesus claimed to be God. The Jews must have understood this, as they accused him of blasphemy and were ready to stone him?

The platform asserts that Jesus did not claim divinity in this instance, and that his mention of Psalm 82:6 in John 10:34 was a defense noting that human judges are called 'gods' in scripture, thus challenging the accusation of blasphemy.

34.Why do Jews let the hair grow on the sides of there head?

In the text of the Torah (Leviticus 19:27), God explicitly forbids cutting or rounding off the corners of the hair on the sides of the head and marring the edges of the beard.

35.How did Jews view the Greek Bible (Septuagint)?

The Jewish community regarded the Septuagint only as a translation of the original Hebrew, never as an independent or authoritative scripture.

36.In the time of Jesus, how were the Jews viewed by the Greeks?

The text suggests that the Greeks perceived Judaism as an insular tradition, weakened by long-term Roman occupation, economic decline, and emigration.

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