Ahmad Al-Jallad [II]: What Pre-Islamic Arabia was Like Based on the Epigraphic Evidence

In this interview, I sit down a second time with Professor Ahmad Al-Jallad of The Ohio State University. Professor Al-Jallad is the Sophia Chair in Arabic studies and his work focuses on epigraphy, philology, the history of language. Professor Al-Jallad has been on the cutting edge of many new studies and discoveries in the history of Arabic and the Arabian Peninsula.
In this video we discuss what epigraphy tells us about the peoples of Pre-Islamic Arabia. We discuss the question of literacy raised by Professor Stephen Shoemaker as well as the nature of Pre-Islamic Arabian religion(s). Ahmad Al-Jallad guides us through the vast number of inscriptions which have been recently studied and will soon be published, shedding light on many important details which until now were left to speculation.
I hope that you enjoyed this video, if you did, please remember to subscribe to the channel, like this video, and leave a comment with your thoughts!
First interview with Professor Ahmad Al-Jallad: • Ahmad Al-Jallad: Ancie...
The article mentioned in the video ("A Paleo-Arabic inscription on a route north of Ṭāʾif"): onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/1...
Professor Ahmad Al-Jallad's academia page: leidenuniv.academia.edu/Ahmad...

[@BenM61]

It is always great listening to a hands on scholar like Dr Ahmed Aljallad. You learn something new each time. After listening to those theoretical ‘scholars’ like shoemaker it feels like a waste of time. All they do is put forward conjectures, speculations and opinions and present them as facts.

[@thepennydreadful95]

Quite a contrast isn't it, this Corpus of rock inscriptions is so important.

[@StuckNoLuck]

I'm liking this video before even watching it because I'm a big fan of Dr. Al Jallad. I've noticed that he hasn't made as many public appearances, such as lectures and interviews, in the past year as he has before. I would love to see more of him.

[@valipunctro]

Yeah, likewise. the previous discussion they had left a really good impression on me.

[@miscgar9663]

Muhammad copied books of Bible and made Quran. He married many to help them. He killed many as they were bad. So he added polygamy and jihad and made Quran. You will get many women on earth and in heaven. Beware in the last days many logical men will make many to fall. Pray nonstop till you know God Jesus is the only way ,truth and life.

[@LeftHandSupremacist]

Ahmad al jallad is one impressive guy!! respect from malta 🇲🇹

[@StuckNoLuck]

I think the inscriptions spelling Allah as A-L-L-H being specific to the Mecca area, could be of huge significance to the whole early Islamic history revisionism trend.

[@pheeel17]

Yeah, that's a big blow to the "Islam actually began outside the Hijaz" theories

[@MBiernat0711]

The mystery deepens :) … now it seems the writers of the Quran originate from Mecca, and yet the Quran is written in the urban setting - but, as far as we know - Mecca was a small, rather insignificant settlement before the actual rise of Islam - so Islam rose from Hijaz, went to develop up north - and “returned” back to Hijaz. These recent discoveries are more puzzling and yet more revealing as to the nature of the Quran writers. And the inscriptions had crosses on them? Awesome ….. and yet it will be the Christians who are the “associators …” well, yes, Christians are the “pagans of Mecca”.

[@StuckNoLuck]

@@MBiernat0711 I am not sure how familiar are you with the quran. But from his description, the beliefs of the 6th century are approaching very closely what is described in the quran (the dieties Manat, Al Lat, Al Auzza) and the revarance of Allah as the main god while these smaller dieties are intermediaries. The lack of belief in the afterlife. It just feels everything is falling in place, but I guess if someone has prior beliefs about what happened they will always find ways around the evidence.

[@MBiernat0711]

@@StuckNoLuck as far as I understand- the Quranic descriptions of pagan gods put them in the past and are not contemporary to the 7th century religious realities of Arabia - although the traces of the ancient gods could survive in forms of “intermediaries” - like spirits or angels … the overall point is that beginning 9th century and on, the Quran commentaries thought that “prophet Muhammad fought with the pagan polytheists” while what emerges from the archaeological evidence is that Arabia was monotheistic for around 200 years before “Muhammad.” This is excellent news for the revisionists - because it shows that the 9th century scholars already had forgotten about the 7th century realities- including who “Muhammad” was and where Islam originated. It is all fascinating

[@ilanbouwmeester6838]

Finding attestations of ا-ل-ه (a-l-h) in the south-Hijaz is hardly evidence that Islam originated there. It only proves that the use of the equivalent of the Syriac ܐܠܗ (a-l-h) - G'd, had spread to the South-Hijaz region. What's more, I've found clues to why the Islamic narrative places Abraham, Ishmael, and Hagar in the Hijaz to begin with, in the Targum Onkelos. Hagar and Ishmael were at one time on the road to Shur Gen. 16:7. In Hebrew this reads, בדרך שור (b-derkh shur), in the Aramaic of Targum Onkelos it reads באורחא דחגרא (b-orHa di-Hagara) The Aramaic באורחא (b-orHa) - on the road, has the exact same meaning as the Hebrew בדרך (b-derkh). The Aramaic דחגרא (di-Hagara) is composed of the ד- (di-) prefix meaning of, that, which, etc + the stem חגר (Hagar) which is the noun for wall + א (a) the definite article. So the Targum Onkelos reads "on the road of the wall" . Which is a misreading of the Hebrew שור (shur) meaning Syria/Assyria, as an Aramaic noun meaning wall. The Aramaic synonym for wall חגר (Hagara) has the Arabic cognate حجر (Hajara). The city of Al-Hijr (الحجر), could have been identified initially, since it is spelled equivalent to חגר or حجر. And that city is in the North-Hijaz.

[@celestialknight2339]

The discussion on “death” (mowt) and how the pre-Islamic gods seemed to play little to no role in that, interestingly reminds me of the following Qur’anic verse: *Say, “O people! If you are in doubt about my religion-then I do not serve those you worship apart from God. But I serve God, the one who will cause you to die! And I have been commanded to be a believer!”* _(Qur’an 10:104)_

[@MrHazz111]

That was brilliant. Thank you for putting this out there!

[@iyadturkay3180]

So excited for this

[@bhaashatepe5234]

Thank you, a very interesting presentation and discussion!

[@user-sf8zw8wl3d]

Thank you for this amazing interview opportunity., truly appreciated.

[@noorahamid3376]

Love these conversations...very interesting and informative.

[@MBiernat0711]

Brilliant presentation- thank you professor Reynolds for bringing on this paradigm - shattering research!

[@IbnAlHimyari]

Great work from Dr. Al-Jallad. I feel like there is so much work to be done on Arabian archeology and so much to be discovered. I can’t wait to see new inscriptions be published

[@user-nl3hg7xy7m]

Most of these archaeological findings were stolen by someone called Philby and other theologians.

[@user-nl3hg7xy7m]

I have been reading about history for may years. I have found that scholars generally are not allowed to show everything they find. As an example, Qumran scrolls, which were stolen by the zionists in 1967.

[@ahmedshah7787]

Two amazing scholars. Thank you for bringing Ahmad Al-Jallad on!

[@1sweettime207]

A great conversation.

[@myhome9300]

An amazing discussion between two top notch scholars

[@manlike2323]

Extremely informative

[@petergrimshaw492]

Fantastically interesting !

[@aijazbhat9081]

Allhumdulliah whatever is being said confirms Qur'an. Which religion was Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on before revelation, Abu Bakr (RA), and some other companions ( including their parents) never did idol worship. We clearly know there were Christian, Jews and Pagans and others who didn't believe in life after death.

[@stevenv6463]

Awesome. I have seen everything by this professor and am excited to find more from him. I'm fascinated by the poem that the professor quoted. The connection between Baal Samim and Mawt reminds me of the Canaanite myth about Baal, and the destruction of mawt, etc.

[@StoicDescention]

This is epically beautiful ❤️‍🔥 thank you both very very much 🙏 I'll be waiting with eager ears and eyes for the next installment 🧿 thanks again Dr. Al-Jallad and Gabriel 🔥

[@celestialknight2339]

“Monotheism” is a funny word. If you worship only one God, or recognize one God to be Supreme-this does not disqualify you from believing in the existence of other deities or divine beings, even though you may not worship them, or only worship them as a “lesser” pantheon who sit “under” the main God of worship. This could still easily be construed as “monotheistic” (especially by the isolated traces of inscriptions you leave behind)-without actually being ‘Monotheistic’ the way we understand it today. This complex type of ‘henotheism’ is incidentally what the Qur’an describes the pre-Islamic pagans to have been engaged in-which is why these so-called “monotheistic” inscriptions don’t necessarily pose a problem at all, but fit neatly with the Qur’anic data. The pre-Islamic pagans saw their gods as “mediators” or “intercessors” between them and the Ultimate Supreme God-Allah-which the Qur’an came to establish as the only true One worthy of worship, to the exclusion of all others. *_Say, “To whom does the earth belong, and everyone in it, if you happen to know?”_* *_They will say, “To God.” Say, “Will you not reflect?”_* *_Say, “Who is the Lord of the seven heavens, and Lord of the Splendid Throne?”_* *_They will say, “To God.” Say, “Will you not be cautious?”_* *_Say, “In whose hand is the dominion of all things, and He protects and cannot be protected from, if you happen to know?”_* *_They will say, “To God.” Say, “Then how are you deceived?”_* _(Qur’an 23:84-89)_ • *_”And they worship, apart from God, what neither harms them nor benefits them. And they say, “These are our intercessors with God!” Say, “Are you informing God about what He does not know in the heavens or on earth?” Glorified be He, High above the associations they make!”_* _(Qur’an __10:18__)_

[@thepennydreadful95]

It's great to see Dr Al Jallad in fine form as usual, his work is really starting to pay dividends.

[@Kisensei]

Gabriel you are gold. Thank you for this

[@Haider08]

This will be a good one

[@omarrasman]

An excellent video Gabriel. Dr. Al-Jallad's explanation of Allah / Rahmanan and so forth was pretty much everything that you had already mentioned during our Book Café Podcast Episode last December. The new information that came out in this discussion with regards to Alif-Lam-Ha actually being pronounced as "Allah" due to the 'Rosetta Stone' analogous Greek letters Alpha-Lamda-Lamda-Alpha being present there was also very interesting to hear.

[@TohouBohou]

El LeMossa’ot 😳

[@mrtransmogrify]

Thank you for bringing scholarship to the masses... it can be a thankless job but kudos

[@michabienkowski8254]

Very enlightening

[@TheFaroosExplainsIslam]

This episode in particular and this channel in general is informative and enjoyable.

[@bornbranded29]

Very interesting stuff.

[@taptronics]

I am Learning a lot from Ahmad Al-Jallad and Maryn Van Putten. Getting better to identify proto-Arabic inscriptions and old Hijazi rasm arabic scripts.

[@mustaphamouhcine1584]

Dear Gabriel.... First thanks a lot of this wonderful channel. would it possible to have G. Dye on?? I would be very interested to hear what he has to say regarding Dr El Jallad statement on the literacy of pre Islamic hijaz

[@vaiyaktikasolarbeam1906]

this is informative

[@aomar1143]

Excellent and remarkable analyses 👍.The jahiliyya is indeed a folkloric construction in the image of the Hollywood epic film (peplum) on antiquity

[@MBiernat0711]

It is heartbreaking to realize that the pagan Arab city women from 2,000 years ago seemed to have more human rights that today’s woman of Afghanistan …

[@thepennydreadful95]

Isn't peplum Italian? I don't think it's unreasonable to say some of what ibn al kalbi wrote maybe kind of true, by that I mean, he sees as true these folkloric tales, even if we know they have been filtered by some 200 years of monotheist polemic. With of course the occasion added artistic license. Case in point been the legend of asaf and naila found in pg34 in the kitab of idols, the legend briefly tells of two lovers turned to stone. "They set out to perform the pilgrimage. Upon their arrival in Mecca they entered the Ka'bah. Taking advantage of the absence of anyone else and of the privacy of the Sacred House, Isaf committed adultery with her in the sanctuary. Thereupon they were transformed into stone, becoming two miskhs" were they not alone on the pilgrimage route? The purpose of there rondevous was seclusion, where they turned to stone because they defiled the house? or for adultery? There is some tell tale signs the story has 2 or 3 preexisting layers and by the time of al kalbi the legend has fused several elements of the legend together.

[@fadiljelin7297]

Of course 2000 yrs ago, an Arab pagan city women could attend school and university unlike the Afghan women today. Please, spare us your heart-ache for afghan women, which the Biden administration just threw to the wolves. The inscription only proves that Arab pagan women could own property and could attended pilgrimage. Even under the most twisted taliban version of sharia, Afghan women can own property and go on a pilgrimage but they can’t attend the University. This does not by any means makes taliban atrocities against women less severe, but it is indicative of your bias and motives. You are approaching a text of the late antiquity such as Quran, through the prism of the current and recent news headlines. Your posts definitely are indicative of your very much political rather than scholarly personal mission. It is obvious that you haven’t a slightest clue, yet alone, an understanding of the complexities of the ancient world or the current political affairs.

[@thepennydreadful95]

@IIOO are you making a case for the historical khadija?

[@thepennydreadful95]

@IIOO hmmm 🤔 well yes and no, even in the "narrative" 😂 things are a bit complicated regarding kadija, she was married twice before marring Muhammad, to important tribal leaders, as well as coming from a wealthy background. It's certainly the case I would say when Islam spread to areas outside of Arabia, that the Arabs there adopted the customs of women roles on society in occupied areas, which wasn't a very good situation generally. There is some horror stories in the pre Islamic period. How much is true is questionable really. We do know that men greatly outnumbered women in the middle east by grave inscriptions.

[@TheCinamanic]

Beautiful

[@zionisthindurepublican7989]

Gabriel you work so hard .. content shows it . The way you weave in at the right moments seems like a flowing river .. may Allah keep blessing you

[@rawdog8141]

How can ALLAH "bless " him,❓ Allah himself needs blessings

[@jojones4685]

@@rawdog8141 this is an academic channel. Why do polemicists from both sides feel the need to be edgy and start fights? They were just saying a nice thing to the professor, why try to provoke like this?

[@rawdog8141]

@@jojones4685 , Did I say something which is not " ACADEMIC"❓ 🤣🤣

[@LeftHandSupremacist]

@@rawdog8141 Calm down

[@xingyimaster1987]

​@@rawdog8141 you need help

[@user-nl3hg7xy7m]

Dr. Jallad, what do you say about the inscriptions found in southwest Arabia written in Musnad writing which mentioned the word Misr, Musri, Misraim.

[@danielshellaiah5068]

The truth is never die!!! The truth having life!! The life grows!!!

[@robertvandengraven8806]

Can anyone explain me the point of contention between Schumacher and Al-Jalllad. I got confused because they seem to agree in a telephone conversation?

[@mrtransmogrify]

15:53 LOL Incidentally the same thought came to my mind... and once earlier too...

[@pheeel17]

Fair point, but I'd point out the Nabataean kingdom, which lasted some 400-600 years and spanned from the Levant to southern Hijaz, left us zero papyri/parchment except one scroll found in a church built in the 400s. They were of course a literate society. But based on physical evidence, we'd assume otherwise.

[@mrtransmogrify]

@@pheeel17 ... Yes indeed!... I'm still hoping material evidences are uncovered though sometimes that seems too much to ask.... considering many material evidences are found totally by accident by unsuspecting 'commoners' who by chance happen to be at the right location doing their daily things/work... LOL

[@OmarAbdulMalikDHEdMPASPACPAPro]

Peace be to you all (Assalamualaikum)! I've been subscribed since 2022. This is such a refreshing channel, when it comes to discussion of the Quran and the Bible. I really enjoyed watching this. Jazakh'AllahKhair for sharing this with us!🙂👋🏽👨🏽‍⚕️

[@TohouBohou]

Keep your « peace » bro 🙌

[@paghal11]

@@TohouBohou You come across as rude, brutish and not very smart, "bro". But carry on making a fool of yourself, it it makes you happy.

[@hamadalkhalifa2323]

​@@TohouBohouThe Hellfire awaits you, Islamophobe.

[@shamounian]

What articles mentions Ahad as a god?

[@alonzoharris9049]

The trinity is three gods.

[@badgoy534]

Ahad means absolute oneness, that may not be composed nor divided

[@alonzoharris9049]

You are an embarrassment. You are trying to twist Al Jallad’s work. Yahweh is a moongod.

[@nurisunnah2871]

Did you find it yet or do you need help?

[@traveleurope5756]

The real question is why there is no contemporary inscription from the time of Muhammad in the Hijaz referring to him and the related events? eg why no one has written “I saw rasul Allah today “ ?

[@pheeel17]

The inscriptions are always prayers to the god(s). Muhammad wasn't worshipped, so I don't think you can draw any conclusions from that. And who knows, maybe his name is inscribed on some rock somewhere. Like Al-Jallad said, it will take generations to uncover all the inscriptions out there. The landscapes are vast, and the way from Mecca to Medina hasn't even been surveyed yet. But even if we were never to find an inscription from his lifetime with his name, I don't think it means much

[@bourbon4707]

The only one inscription about Muhammad is from 6 Century in Yemen, at the time Sadducces Jews king Yusuf Dzu Nuwas, Muhammad is messianic tittle made by Jews

[@MohamedMohamed-ws7mq]

@@bourbon4707 😂 lol in Arabic titles begin with Al

[@MohamedMohamed-ws7mq]

How do you expect to find an inscription from a 23 year span and only the last 5 years Islam became well established in hejaz.

[@abuukarata9653]

Give time. We didnt know this before.

[@TohouBohou]

One More .. Sorry 🙏 what is the meaning of « Ibrahim » ? Thank You

[@robertvandengraven8806]

Could it be that the double lamba has it is origin in Greek! Can anyone explain ? Do not understand.

[@BenM61]

The verse you mentioned in Surah 29 reads: 29:61 If you ask them who it is that has created the heavens and the earth and subjugated the sun and the moon, they will say, God. How then are they turned away. Contrast that with this: 39:45 When God alone is named, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter shrink with aversion, but when others are named instead of Him, they are filled with joy. And this about Jesus. 43:57 When the son of Mary is held up as an example, your people raise an outcry on this 43:58 saying, Are our gods better or him?they cite him only to challenge you: they are a contentious people 43:59 but he was only a servant We favoured and made an example for the Children of Israel. Does that sound like those people are monotheists? Of course not. They were Mushrikun.

[@jamieammar6131]

Very informative, thank you. The concept of afterlife in a broader term where you would get rewarded or punished, stemmed from the apocalyptic Judaism right around the time of jesus, as far as I know. Judgement of the soul is something that entered apocalyptic Judaism from Zoroastrianism. Before that, divinity to people revolved around this life. That is at least what we see from the ancient Akkadian, Sumerian etc faiths. Asking the gods for good health, good harvest, protection etc but never a cozy eternal life after deadge.

[@midrorunniam8594]

I very like

[@dodgysmum8340]

I've read a little bit about women in pre-Islamic Arabia and a good number of societies were actually matrilineal. Even amongst nomads who did no farming whatsoever some tribes were both matrilineal and patrilineal. In these societies it was the women who controlled access to sex, divorce and large amounts of property. So take the improvements made by Islam with a pinch of salt... its advent made it better for some, but certainly not for all.

[@BenM61]

Great work Dr Aljallad. Gabriel is not as antagonist today. Great host.

[@abdullahalrai]

I don’t think Maail script (Hejazi) script was influenced by Nabatean script (Nabatean arabic) uses Aramaic script to write Nabatean dialect of Arabic while the Syriac script could be influenced by Hejazi script, or it might be an offshoot of it.

[@thinfeelings]

No The Hijazi script was derived from the Arabic Jazm script, which was used by Arab Christians in Najran, Dumat al-Jandal and central Syria.

[@abdullahalrai]

@@thinfeelings Jazm is another name for Hegazi script and it’s not patent to Arab Christians only but rather all Arabs who knew how to read and write used this script in 6th century wether that Arab is Christian or Jew, Zoroastrian or pagan all have known to use this script. Until it was patent and employed by Arab Muslims to Write Holy Qur’an.

[@thinfeelings]

@@abdullahalrai The hijazi script doesn't come from Syriac script, or vice versa as you claimed, according to studies, they are due to the same origin

[@abdullahalrai]

@@thinfeelings I 100% agree, Hejazi script does not come from Syriac script as western orientalist try to impose, but I can certainly believe Syriac script can be an offshoot or influenced by Hejazi Script, just as Mongolian, Uyghur, Persian, Urdu are influenced by Hejazi script with the advent of Islam in 7th Century

[@radwanabu-issa4350]

Again, I am interested in the hereafter, the believe in the afterlife is the most important in religion. Islam made the belief in the after life a cornerstone of everything!

[@scaryjoker]

A great confirmation of the Qur'an. They worship Allah but associate partners with him, and only claim they are intercessors.

[@pheeel17]

More accurate to say the findings are not inconsistent with the Quran.

[@unhingedconnoisseur164]

@@pheeel17why is that “more accurate”? if anything, your way of looking at it is more vague; if it is merely “not inconsistent” with the Qur’an then this could mean any of the following a priori: not finding any inscriptions at all in Arabia (since then there truly would be no inscriptions to cause conflict in the first place) it could mean that we havent got a large enough sample size it could also mean confirmation. if you say it is a “confirmation”, then it limits these possibilities to the last one and is thus more precise, so no, it is not “more accurate” to change the positive statement to a negative one as you did. ScaryJoker was fully justified.

[@pheeel17]

Well it's definitely not a confirmation. A confirmation would be inscriptions that mention Allah as main creator, but mention others gods and goddesses as intercessors. That's not what the inscriptions show. They're the monotheistic. No mention of any of the "intercessors" Allat, Al-Uza, and Manat. So it's definitely not a confirmation. But it's not inconsistent either. It could simply be that it was not the custom to mention the intercessors in prayers on rocks. Or it could be that one of them may show up in an inscription some day. So while it's not a confirmation, it's also not inconsistent with the Quran. Or in other words, it doesn't disprove anything in the Quran (which some would claim)

[@gavinjames1145]

Super interesting and informative! I would like to know more about the spread of monotheism across Arabia, a whole century or more before the supposed spread of Islam. The traditional narrative has Muhammad uniting Arabia through a belief in the One God, but it seems that this trend began long before his time.

[@dom3073]

Monotheism being before Arabia is not new information. Look up "Hanif".

[@gavinjames1145]

@@dom3073 Thanks! I am aware of both Judaism and Christianity being well established in Southern Arabia, from Ethiopia via 'Yemen' (Sabean). I am also aware of Christian Arabs in Northern Arabia, because of Byzantine influence. But it is the spread of monotheism across Central Arabia in the 5th and 6th Centuries which seems so intriguing: who was responsible and how did it occur? Questions to answer for another time.

[@dom3073]

@@gavinjames1145 Long before paganism, Arabia was strictly monothiestic originating from Abraham whom the Arabian Hanifs take their belief and influence from, until an Arab named Amr ibn Luhay (L.A.) who travelled up north and interacted with pagan influenced nations and brought back idolatry. It seems like a group of Arabs wanted to go back to their puritanical roots and there was a revitalisation/revival to the old Abrahamic traditions.

[@thepennydreadful95]

This has been deduced from Quranic content long before the rock inscriptions, they do however pretty much prove this was the Arabian context, the only question was how monotheist were the Arabs? what did this look like? Is Muhammad such a suprise in a recently post pagan world, where old deities may have been repurposed into intersessionaries.

[@dom3073]

@@thepennydreadful95 You answered the question in the very last statement. They had a monotheistic belief, a corrupted one however, not free from pagan belief in lesser idols, which is what Islam came to clear up.

[@TohouBohou]

« Islam » & « Muslim » have been created « lately » after the « book » and Finaly did not reflected their « believer » ! Pleaz when « Islam » & « Muslim » appeared precisely ? Thank You

[@afifkhaja]

Enjoyable talk

[@gk-qf9hv]

But in the Quran there is an extensive use of the mandaeans Aramaic dialect. Writing Allah with two LL cannot overshadow all that!?

[@MajidMustafa]

It's simple & clear & also mentioned in Quran: - The Torah was sent down to the illiterate prophet Moses and his illiterate people. 👉(Q:62:2) 👉 (Q7:158). - This simply led to a litterecy among the people since then. What could be not so known & familiar that the Torah's original text is written in Arabic due to: - Noticing that many root words in Torah are listed as Arabic loanwords in Strong's concordance. - In addition to the ability to read significant number of original phonetical toratic words in Arabic. Words that correspond PRECISELY to Arabic pronunciation, despite their complex morphological structure that integrates verbs, nouns, and adpositions together with the subject and the object.

[@MBiernat0711]

57:09: the “resurrection deniers” does not have to refer to pagans - but to the Sadducean Jews who, unlike the Pharisees, did not believe in resurrection. Quran was written in religiously rich environment: seems to be familiar with the Jewish Oral Law and the writing of the Talmud (criticizing those who “write the book with their hands and “twist their tongues” while interpreting the Torah).

[@tjbergren]

Are you suggesting that the origins of Islam emerged from a more Pharisaical Jewish sect? Perhaps even a Messianic sect as Jesus is included in the Quran and the Arabic term for Christian is absent from the text-assuming that the recipients are Masihiun?

[@MBiernat0711]

@@tjbergren I think that the writers of the Quran took some from the Pharisees and Christians (after life, last Judgment, resurrection) and also rejected some of their ideas (Mishna), or perhaps- rejected putting the Oral Law into WRITING, but accepted the oral law. The Quran reflects a precise and local belief of peoples whom we do not know much about. The terms “mushrikun” is highly derogatory and includes all and any associators : the pagans of the past and those who worship Mesih as God and as equal to God. The Quran writers are hateful toward the “Christian associators” but agree with the “Nasara” or the Judeo-Christians, Ebionite-like folk who are “in between” the Jews and the Christians. In fact, the Quran writers think of themselves as the “nation in-between” or “nation in balance” between the Christians and the Jews. The term “nasara” does not mean “Christians” in today’s sense of the word, but Judeo-Christianity, a Messianic movement that does not worship Jesus as God, but venerates him as the “Muhammad” or the “praised messenger” of Allah. The “prophet Muhammad” is simply a follower of the “Mesih Muhammad”, and both of them are indistinguishable in the Quran. This could be a sign of later editing of the Quran where traces of the “Muhammad Jesus” were removed. This is a speculation on my part and I don’t have the scholarly authority to assert that - I would have to be an expert in languages, language patterns and recognition of editing. Overall - yes, I suppose the writers of the Quran were messianic Ishmaelis who have sympathized with the Jewish worship and the Jerusalem Temple but who also had links with Christianity (via Ethiopia), but ultimately rejected Christianity and Judaism and identified themselves as “monotheists, followers of Abraham” but also led by “Muhammad/Jesus” in expectation of the Last Judgment. Eventually - by the 9th century- it was forgotten that the original “Muhammad” was Jesus, and the idea of “prophet Muhammad” was invented, together with the ideas of “noble sahaba” and “chain of transmitters” and “mutawatir Quran/ Hadith”. All of that comes from the 9th century, where the religion of “Islam proper” originated As far as I see now - the idea of “prophet Muhammad” from the Hadith is a composite persona of Jesus, the early teachers of monotheism in Arabia and Omar ibn Al Khattab. All those folk became one “prophet Muhammad”, and Jesus was “de-throned” from sitting next to the throne of Allah into “Second heaven” - as per the legends of “Muhammad’s nigh journey” legends ;)

[@julietabraham476]

​@@MBiernat0711 I enjoyed reading your thought provoking post.I agree to agree with you that over a period of time Jesus the praised one was replaced by the prophet.Just a stray thought on my mind that Abu Baqer Sadiq must have been a Sadduccee.

[@ilanbouwmeester6838]

There is the Yes 1028 Himyaritic inscription, dated to 633CE, that ends in "... rb-Hd b-mḥmd". Which translates to "... by Lord of the Jews, by the praised one". Which is as far as I'm aware the first attestation of Muhammad, as a singular. If anyone knows of an earlier attestation, I would like a reference. The plural often sighted as proof of Muhammad in the Bible of Sng. 5:16 מחמדים (maḥmādîm), which is clearly the anthropomorphized temple of Jerusalem, and has no relation to an Arabian prophet. So even the title of 'the praised one' originates from a Jewish context, as far as the epigraphic record shows. Some of the beliefs of the Jews of Himyar seem to have spread ...here follows speculation... by Himyaritic refugees, after the Abyssinian (aksumite) military campaigns in Himyar. It also would explain (partly) South-Arabian loans in Quranic Arabic, where they could have used a Nabatean or a Safaitic word.

[@MBiernat0711]

@@julietabraham476 all I can say about that is that I confirmed with rabbi Ben Abrahamson, who is a historian of early Islam and Islam’s connection with Judaism- that there were, indeed, remnants of Sadducees in the 7th century Arabia. I have never looked into the character of Abu Bakr - but let us think what the symbolism of the name can tell us: Abu Bakar spelled with ك would mean “father of the camel” and that would exclude him from the association with the temple because camels are “unclean” and can’t be sacrificed. I’m coming from the assumption that the names are symbols of person’s character and quality - so you may want to research the meaning and symbolism of camels (and cows) in the 7th century worship - why would the early Muslims be ok with sacrificing camels, what does the change symbolize. When you find out the reason for the importance of camels- that will be the clue of who Abu Bakar was. You can ask Ben Abrahamson - he is a treasure of info

[@abdulharis9390]

I am from mythvision

[@mabco19]

Counting/Accounting/Debt/Profit....etc use to be done with letters. You can't count without knowing how to read and write. Everyone misses this point! It's a 10 based system using the Arabic letters. Being illiterate must be a rare thing.

[@TohouBohou]

Some says that the « hajj » is the « Hagg » and that « Marwa » is Moryah 🤪 and that you go north to « Jerusalem » (UruSalimu) 😱😆😵‍💫🤔🤔🤔

[@hmansour89]

This put the last nail in the coffin of revisionists regarding Islam coming out from a geography foreign to Mecca or Arabia. The A-L-L-H inscriptions around Mecca and Taif & and it's relation to how A-L-L-H is spelled in Quran proves that Islam did come out from Mecca. Let's see where scholarship will go from here and how will the orientalists adjust their theories. Most likely they will work now on reversing previous understandings on the presence of Jews & Christians in Mecca and start looking for a larger presence.

[@MBiernat0711]

This does not prove that the Quran was composed in/near Mecca, but that the scribal tradition comes from that region. The scribe would come from there - but where and when the Quran was put together- we don’t know. Some, like Shoemaker-think it was put together as late as by Abd Al Malik. Also, the Quran addresses larger audiences and was written in an urban environment- and there are no signs of large urban settlement around Mecca PRIOR to the 7th century. There may have been a small settlement-with a small well - but that is it. Not enough to support pilgrimages However - when we know that the writer of the Quran had his home around Mecca - that would explain why, later - after the conquest of Jerusalem and the attempts to restore the Temple- the early Muslims returned to the area. They ventured out north and returned south.

[@pheeel17]

Define "orientalist"? Dr Al-Jallad is American, born in Utah, raised in Florida

[@maur_sault750]

The last nail? Are you under the assumption nothing else will be discovered? What we are dealing with is what the victors did not destroy and we can't even put an estimate of what has been destroyed. Come on now, ultimately you know who has been writing the history for the last 1400 years.

[@alonzoharris9049]

@@MBiernat0711 You should stop with your nonsense. Mohamed is not Jesus. There is no historical evidence for your nonsense.

[@MBiernat0711]

@@alonzoharris9049 “Muhammad” is a title or a descriptor meaning “the praised one” or the “cherished one.” There was not a real person named “Muhammad” in the 7th century Arabia - but they were several people called that, in addition to their proper names. So Jesus (Yeshoua ibn Mariam) is the proper name, but “Mesih” or “Muhammad” are his descriptions. Omar ibn Khattab is a real name, but “Muhammad” is also the description. Another description like that is “lord” or “master.” That is not a name - but people are being called that. If someone calls you a “sweetheart” your name will be stil Alonzo Harris. Unless that is another descriptor you gave yourself;)

[@Homehs]

Mauro Biglino, the most respected bible scholar discovered decades ago that ancient Semitic writings did not have vowels. So it's not a big secret that YHVH or ALH are not referring to a monotheistic god. Secondly, did he seriously refer to ancient Syrians and Yemenis as Arabs??

[@m1self01]

I do not understand, the scribe of Mohammed was from Medina, not Mecca (Zayd bin Thabit) I would expect the word for allah to be written in the Medinan way

[@pemikirulung30]

Does Nabitian mention ALLAH as a proper name?

[@omarmirza9957]

Around 41:00 , Dr. al-Jallad tells us that monotheistic traditions don't have a problem with personal names that are pagan, because these have been handed down by tradition. I think this only applies to pagan names whose meaning has not survived in everyday speech; no Christian will name themselves Dionysius-slave, since the meaning of that is well understood, but Dennis will pass for them, since only specialists are likely to know its origin as a reference to the god Dionysius.

[@gk-qf9hv]

In other lecture, you called the father of Allat for "Roofal" رفل Now you call him Ridaw and Ridal. What is happening?!

[@TohouBohou]

Nothing from « Mekka » (😆) … some said it did not « exist » ! Where could we find the word Mekka in the « Koran » ?!?

[@TohouBohou]

From « Hebrew To Jesus » is the « Monotheism » ! (Even if it’s False) !! The « Natsara » Gave The « Koran » To « Arab » (= Desert) !!!

[@salahhaddad4352]

If the Arabic writing was widespread in the north of the Arabian Peninsula to some extent since the sixth century, along with the monotheistic texts, then why were there no copies of the Bible in Arabic? Because if the Biblical stories were available in Arabic to the people of Mecca, the Quraysh accusation against Muhammad of learning the Qur’an from foreign sources, as in Surat Al-Nahl, would not have any meaning.

[@jaif7327]

didn’t they write the bible in aramaic ?

[@salahhaddad4352]

@@jaif7327 The question is, if translating the Bible from Aramaic into Arabic will help the missionaries to spread the teachings of Christ among its speakers in the Hijaz, then why has no inscriptions or traces of the Bible been found in Arabic? Does this mean that Muhammad relied on oral narration in transmitting the Biblical stories, which made the Quranic version in some events different from the Biblical version?

[@jaif7327]

@@salahhaddad4352 i believe there’s the zabad inscription which was written by arameans for arabs or so. i’m not sure

[@BIGGOODBOY]

@@salahhaddad4352 is it a verifiable fact that no Arabic traces of the Bible have been found? Also they haven’t been doing this type of archeological research in Saudi for too long so they could find one. Lastly Islam was not the tolerant toward other religions.. wherever they went they Arabized and islamized look at North Africa and the Middle East.. so it’s likely they destroyed anything that wasn’t Islamic. If Muhammad relies on oral narration of biblical stories that he heard while traveling or whatever then it could explain all the inconsistencies and twisted pieces taken from other religions which are found in the Quran.

[@hamadalkhalifa2323]

Instead of believing in Islam, you make excuses in rejecting Islam and claiming that Prophet Muhammad SAW copied your fake book.

[@ibrohimh9976]

The Jews and Christians of Arabia were ethnic and genetic Arabians (ethnic Arabs) .

[@user-nl3hg7xy7m]

I believe Philby, Albright and others have left nothing behind them in Arabia.

[@ibrohimh9976]

The Jews of the Western part of Arabia and other parts are genetic and by race were Arabians and of Arabian origin.

[@omarmirza9957]

Dr. al-Jallad is arguing from the silence of the epigraphic record concerning Wadd in north Arabia to the conclusion that Ibn al-Kalbi's reports about Wadd are wrong. This argument from silence is weak and too hasty. We simply do not know enough about how epigraphic habits developed in connection with certain deities as opposed to others: it may well be that no epigraphic habit developed in connecito with wadd in north Arabia, or that we just do not know where epigraphs concerning him are to be found.

[@pheeel17]

It's not an argument for silence. We determine Wadd was worshiped by the Mineans in South Arabia because that's where we find evidence. If we did little surveying in the north, then we could wonder if wadd was worshipped there, but the north is extremely well surveyed. Wadd doesn't appear in any Safaitic, hismaic, or Nabataean inscription. We have tens of thousands of these inscriptions naming many gods, none are Wadd. You're grasping at straws. What do you care if Ibn Kalbi got it wrong anyways? It's not the Quran, so you don't need to protect it. Ibn' Al-Kalbi was doing his best with the information he had. All ancient historians make mistakes.

[@paghal11]

Correct, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

[@pacific5174]

Doesnt jallad mean exceutioner

[@ibrohimh9976]

those Jews of Western Arabia were ethnic Arabs

[@TohouBohou]

« Nabataean » have nothing to do with the « Arabian » from the « coran » 😆😵‍💫🤔🤔🤔

[@ibrohimh9976]

religion cannot change ethnic racial and racial affiliation

[@jawhardawood7667]

So what does this say about the Qur’an? We have not seen much conversation between these inscriptions and the Qur’an. The fact that these inscriptions do not make reference to an afterlife confirms what the Qur’an says about the Polytheists. Saying that Baal Samin is asleep but not dead echoes لا تأخذه سنة ولا نوم is rather far-fetched. This is a flimsy connection. One expects from such an extensive study of thousands of inscriptions some true insights into the Qur’an.

[@HO-be9fy]

Have you both heard of Dr. Bahgat Alqubaisi and Dr. Ahmed Daood theories about Middle East ancient history? Also is it possible that is a lack written document/scripts of the early Islamic tradition due that Islam came to illiterate prophet and people! And maybe Islam lost a lot of its written documents/ scripts during the Mongol invasion and destroying most of its libraries?

[@TohouBohou]

(We know that all came from « Hebrew To Jesus » .. then « Some » trying to « Convert » « Others » to the so called « LH » .. TheOneGod ( and the one god is False, we comprehended it now))

[@TohouBohou]

If We Need « Truth » … We Should « maybe » Go Closer To « Sumer » 😃😃😃

[@user-nl3hg7xy7m]

Are archaeologists allowed to show everything they find. The answer is no. It would defy especially Christianity and the true story of the beginning of Judaism which started in Yemen not in Palestine.

[@michaelart4878]

Our LORD, GOD and SAVIOUR did create the simplest fabric (H²O) to sustain all of life here on earth. Just as the Jordan and the Euphrates are made of this fabric, so to also are the Bow and the Elbow. 🌹LIFE IS BUT A VAPOUR (H²O)🌹 HOLY BIBLE Habakkuk 3:9 Thy bow was made quite naked (bare), according to the oaths of the tribes (oaths were sworn over your arrows), even thy word, Selah. Thou didst cleave (divided) the earth with rivers. 🙌ALLELUIA🙌 A-men' 🌿

[@user-yz1dl3eu8l]

14:50 Arabic Jews inscriptions in the Hijaz? What what what? There are nothing like that Ahmad...

[@ilanbouwmeester6838]

Actually there is epigraphical evidence for a Jewish presence in north-Hijaz / Southern Nabatea, or the historic Midian, described in the paper by Robert Hoyland: "Jews of the Hijaz in the Quran and their Inscriptions" . He identifies 31 Jewish inscriptions. Ranging from 3rd century BC to the 5th century CE. Jubbah (جبة), Tabuk (تبوك), Al-Hijr (الحجر), Al-Ula (العلا), and Tayma (تيماء). The inscriptions are in the following languages: Lihyanite (Dedanitic), Nabataean Aramaic, Hebrew/Aramaic, Hebrew, Hebrew/Arabic, Jewish Aramaic. And some cannot be determined in exactly which language they were written. Further more stories from the Sunnah, tell about the early 6th century Jewish Arabian poet and warrior Smuel ben Adiya שמואל בן עדיה in Hebrew and السموال بن عادياء in Arabic, who according to Islamic sources is the maternal grandfather of one of Muhammad's wifes, was from Tayma. A city for which we have evidence of Jewish presence.

[@user-yz1dl3eu8l]

@@ilanbouwmeester6838 I know (perfectly) well this paper. Unfortunately those (undated) sparse inscriptions do no attest of anything than Semitic names and no specific about Judaism. They does not attest of Jewish settlements but could attests of Jewish people travelling to Yemen where Jews are attested. There is no artefacts, no synagogues, no signs of the Jewish settlements in the Hijaz claimed by the Muslim narrative. Nothing, nada. Ahmad knows this very well...

[@ibrohimh9976]

Modern Jews are not related to Jewish Arabs in the time of the Prophet Muhammad

[@ibrohimh9976]

​@@ilanbouwmeester6838 haha😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@ibrohimh9976]

​@@ilanbouwmeester6838 Modern Jews are not related to Jewish Arabs in the time of the Prophet Muhammad

[@user-nl3hg7xy7m]

Palestine Exploration Fund is an example of how history and geography can be forged to serve politics and zionism.

[@TohouBohou]

« Natsara » wrote the « Koran » … We know it Now ! Stop your « propaganda » !! « Koran » is Not « divin » !!! Sorry Guys

[@abuukarata9653]

Which one is devine? In what sence? And in what prove?

[@TohouBohou]

@@abuukarata9653 none … the truth is elsewhere 🥂 but the last one it’s so obvious if you think 🤔

[@TohouBohou]

Thank you, that show one more time that the littératures from « koran » it’s Fake and False 🙌

[@TohouBohou]

MayBe I will Learn Hebrew/Aramaic … To get closer to the « truth » ( but not Arabic .. Sorry)

[@hamadalkhalifa2323]

Yes the truth is the that the Hellfire awaits you, Islamophobe.

[@user-nl3hg7xy7m]

I always feel that these videos intend to get to one point which is Jews are the core of civilization and have the evry right to ask and get whatever they want.

[@brylle5822]

I'm not sure how Muslims are loving his discoveries. In fact this could destroy Islam in the near future.

[@SuperCodemeister]

I agree. They are praising these finds. However, they show that The God, El Ilah, was the one God being worshipped, with the symbol of the cross BEFORE Muhammad and Islam. There is no mention of Muhammad in the 6th and 7th centuries? Someone came along and distorted the scriptures. Then they renamed the god to Allah. It shows that the Quran and Hadiths are wrong about the people being polytheists.

[@omararain1730]

Because it matches Quranic and traditional accounts of the religious landscape of Arabia around the 630AD.

[@arabianknight0000]

@@SuperCodemeister stop embarrassing yourself. "However, they show that The God, El Ilah, was the one God being worshipped, with the symbol of the cross BEFORE Muhammad and Islam." Yes, exactly. The One God worshipped by Jesus, that was then distorted by the evolution of christianity and its departure from the true message of Jesus. So this is actually a confirmation that Muhammad was sent to bring back the worship of the One God. There was no "renaming", just reinstating. Jesus called Him Allahu. The word hallaluya is actually pronounced without the "H" and it is praising Allah. On top of that, Monotheism would have been prevalent in Arabia from the time of Ibrahim and Ismail, obviously. Then the association of other gods with Allah eventually evolved. This is obviously why the pagan Arabs still acknowledged Allah as the Creator. christians are so narrow minded they forget the millenia of history before Jesus and before Moses and the Israelites. And on top of THAT, we have nothing from before Noah and the flood. Turn to Allah now as Jesus did and all the prophets, and stop wasting your life in ignorance.

[@arabianknight0000]

Ummm, no. It only confirms Islam. Read my comment below to grateful christian living in ignorance.

[@SuperCodemeister]

@Arabianknight unfortunately, you have misunderstood. The Quran says that the people around Muhammad were polytheists. According to what was found, the people were already worshipping one God. So, Muhammad's version of the religion in his time is wrong. He was very careful with his words. He's trying not to upset Muslims because he won't be able to continue his research if he does. Have you watched any videos with Jay Smith on CIRA? Al Fadi and Jay go over all of this, plus the problems with the Quran and the lies about the "well" water of Zam Zam. The manuscripts found that are claimed as Islamic are pathetic and have many erasures and additions. There isn't one complete Quran from the 7th century. None of the manuscripts match what is in the Quran today. The perfectly preserved Quran doesn't exist. There are currently about 37 Qurans with thousands of differences. Muhammad thought Mary was the daughter of Imran, the sister of Aaron and Moses. He thought the Trinity was Allah, Mary, and Jesus. He spoke satanic verses, was "bewitched," and told ridiculous stories. He also stole writings from heretical books written hundreds of years after Jesus' death. Muhammad and Allah are the most fake god and prophet ever invented.

[@Noolano]

Sooooo islam is quiet fraudulent

[@MohamedMohamed-ws7mq]

How so ?

[@pheeel17]

I think he stressed that these findings don't contradict the Quran. As per Hawting, Crone, and others he mentioned, the Quran paints a picture of a monotheistic/henotheistic audience. What it contradicts are later Islamic sources like ibn Al-Kalbi's Book of Idols

[@pheeel17]

Though i would agree that there are some aspects of the Islamic tradition that seem less plausible given these findings, like that there were 360 idols in the Kaaba. That seems likely folklore

[@MohamedMohamed-ws7mq]

@@pheeel17 how can you say idols weren’t significant? I don’t see how the inscription contradict that

[@Noolano]

@@pheeel17 Islam is folklore, have u read islamic stories?

[@arabianknight0000]

Monotheism would have been prevalent in Arabia from the time of Ibrahim and Ismail, obviously. Then the association of other gods with Allah eventually evolved. This is obviously why the pagan Arabs still acknowledged Allah as the Creator.

[@pheeel17]

You're speaking of legends and folklore. History based on actual evidence shows Arabia was completely polytheistic until a wave of judeo-christian monotheism swept through in the 4th and 5th centuries. Please keep your fairy tales in religion class

[@arabianknight0000]

@@pheeel17 absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Please keep your narrow mind to yourself.

[@utkarshpandey5699]

Stop engaging in nonsense conjectures. Abraham and Ismail is the part of the imagination not history.

[@arabianknight0000]

@@utkarshpandey5699 stop embarrassing yourself with your ignorance. Or have you present throughout human history to make such an ignorant statement?

[@gamerword2350]

@@arabianknight0000 Lol you just admitted islam has no proof of its claim. So you can't claim your religion is true unless you have proof to back it up which you don't and in fact the real proof shows the opposite of what islam claims