re: #313 zombie

Just arrived moments ago in the MoMail in-box — a strange email challenging the basis of Christianity but using only bizarre distorted Islamic sacred texts as the basis of the criticism:

“From: FAZAL BISMIL
Subject: very important
Date: Sat, 16 May 2009 15:50:43 -0700
…
fazal ullah bismil
Karachi-Pakistan”

The claim that Mary was pledged to serve in the Temple comes from sura 3; also, the Mubtada of Ibn Ishaq translated Newby, “The Making of the Last Prophet”, 207-8. I’m interested that this mail didn’t bring up sura 19 (Nativity under a palm tree, not in a barn).

There is no record of Joseph’s polygamy in the Qur’an and I don’t see it in the Mubtada. So if there was such a tradition it has got to be post-Umayyad.

Mubtada has also nothing about when Joseph married Mary. (The Bible doesn’t say much either.) Fornication is against Torah but I would be very surprised to find that “making an honest woman of ‘er” would be considered a sin rather than a good deed.

I do expect that question “when did Joseph marry Mary” was asked in Islam and I wouldn’t be surprised to find it in post-Umayyad literature…

Anyway, part of the source texts are legit, but it looks like he’s reliant on some late and dubious hadith to supplement them.