Was the Bible Available in Arabic at the Time of Muhammad?

The availability of the Bible in Arabic during the time of Muhammad is a topic of considerable scholarly interest. While no written translations survive from that era, indications point towards the existence of an oral tradition of biblical texts in Arabic. This article explores the evidence for both written and oral translations, the context of biblical texts in the Islamic world, and the likely influences on Muhammad's understanding of the Bible.

Oral Translations and Pre-Islamic Literature

Based on the scholarly research of scholars such as Griffith, the Bible was known and circulated orally in Arabic in liturgical settings in the lands where Islam was born. The liturgical languages of various communities included Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Syro-Aramaic among Christians. The Bible was particularly prevalent in synagogues, churches, and monasteries where written texts, if available, were in these languages. It is noteworthy that the existing evidence suggests that before the literary collection of the Qur'an in the seventh century, both literary and liturgical texts circulated in Arabic in an oral tradition. This oral tradition was likely among both Jews and Christians.

Notably, Griffith argues that pre-Islamic monolingual Arab Christian groups likely knew parts of the Bible in their own language, and this belief is supported by Qur'anic references. For example, the Quran supports this hypothesis through various references to the stories and characters found in the Bible.

Christianity in Arabia

Christianity had a significant presence in Arabia well before the rise of Islam. By the dawn of the seventh century, Christian enclaves were found in towns and villages across Arabia, including in South Arabia, Ethiopia, Egypt, Sinai, Palestine, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Iran. The majority of Arab Christians were from different denominations, including Nestorians, Melkites, and Jacobines.

Given this wide distribution, it is plausible that translations or adaptations of the Bible existed in Arabic. Some scholars, such as Anton Baumstark, Irfan Shahid, and Hikmat Kachouh, have hypothesized that Arabic Christians may have produced written translations of the Bible from the 6th to possibly the 4th century. However, the common opinion among academics is that the earliest written Arabic translations of the Bible date to the 7th or 8th century, following the Arab conquest of the Fertile Crescent.

Muhammad's Contact with the Bible

While Muhammad himself did not have a written Arabic translation of the Bible, he was familiar with many Biblical stories through his wife Khadija, who was Jewish. It is also documented that a cousin of Khadija was known to be a Nestorian Christian preacher, further indicating her family's exposure to Christian doctrine. Additionally, there is a well-known story of when he was a boy, Muhammad went to Syria with an uncle and met a Nestorian Christian monk who foretold that Muhammad would grow up to be a prophet.

These encounters, combined with the oral traditions and stories known within the communities around him, likely contributed to Muhammad's understanding of the Bible. The influence of Nestorian Christianity, in particular, is a subject of detailed study, especially regarding the transmission of stories and beliefs associated with the Bible.

To learn more about Nestorianism and its impact on early Islamic literature, please see the article on Nestorianism - Wikipedia.

Through the exploration of these historical and scholarly insights, we can appreciate the complex interplay of religious traditions and the foundation of Islam in early Arab society.