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| Tawrat | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tawrat |
| Language | Classical Arabic |
| Date | Antiquity (ascribed) |
| Genre | Scripture |
| Subject | Religious law, revelation |
| Preceded by | Zabur |
| Followed by | Injil |
Tawrat
The Tawrat is the Arabic term used in Abrahamic contexts to denote a revealed scripture associated with Moses and delivered to the Children of Israel. It appears in Quranic discourse and in early Islamic exegesis, where it functions as one of the scriptures alongside the Zabur and the Injil. Classical and modern scholars have debated its identification with the Torah, with particular attention to textual transmission, canonical formation, and interreligious reception in Judaism, Christianity, and Islamic theology.
In Islamic sources the Tawrat is invoked in passages addressing prophets such as Moses, Aaron, and collective obligations of the Israelites, and it is referenced in legal and ethical dialogue involving figures like Caliph Umar and exegetes such as Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari. Discussions of the Tawrat intersect with scholarship on the Hebrew Bible, the Masoretic Text, the Septuagint, and Second Temple literature represented by texts preserved among the Dead Sea Scrolls and cited by scholars like Josephus and commentators such as Saadia Gaon. The term is central to comparative studies undertaken at institutions like Al-Azhar University and research by academics at Oxford University and Harvard University.
The Arabic term derives from a Semitic root associated with "law" and "instruction" and has parallels in the Hebrew language term "Torah." Philologists compare renditions of the name across languages represented by scribes from Babylon and Alexandria, and trace usage through early exegetical works of Ibn Ishaq, Al-Tabari, and medieval jurists like Ibn Hazm. Lexicographers refer to classical dictionaries produced in Baghdad and Córdoba and analyze semantic fields alongside terms in Aramaic and Syriac corpora cataloged in repositories of the British Library and the Library of Congress.
Islamic narrative situates the Tawrat within the chronology of revelation involving prophets such as Abraham, Moses, and David, and links it to legislative directives cited in accounts of the Exodus and the Sinai narrative. Quranic suras mention the Tawrat in contexts that engage figures like Pharaoh, Miriam, and communities addressed by Prophet Muhammad. Classical tafsir literature by scholars including Al-Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir, and Al-Razi treats the Tawrat alongside discussions of hadith and the practices of the Sahabah; jurists from the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali schools examined its legal status when reconciling precedents with Islamic jurisprudence.
Scholars map correspondences between the Tawrat and the Pentateuch, especially the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Comparative philology engages texts from the Masoretic Text tradition, the Septuagint translation, and rabbinic commentaries such as the Talmud and Midrash literature. Historians reference interactions between Jewish authorities in cities like Jerusalem and Cairo and Muslim rulers during periods such as the Umayyad Caliphate and the Abbasid Caliphate to explain how manuscript circulation and legal pluralism affected perceptions of the Tawrat. Prominent Jewish figures like Maimonides and Rashi are often cited in dialogues about canonical content and legal interpretation that bear on Islamic references to the Tawrat.
Text-critical work examines claims about the Tawrat’s preservation and alteration, drawing on evidence from sources such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint variants, and early Christian citations by authors like Justin Martyr and Origen. Medieval Muslim historians including Ibn Khaldun and jurists such as Ibn Taymiyya debated concepts of textual corruption (tahrif) and authenticity in light of comparative readings of scriptural passages cited in the Quran and by other scriptures. Modern scholars at institutions including University of Cambridge, Princeton University, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem employ manuscript studies, paleography, and codicology to assess the transmission history associated with the Tawrat/Torah complex.
Interpretations of the Tawrat inform theological positions held by schools represented by theologians like Al-Ghazali, Ibn Arabi, and Averroes concerning revelation, prophecy, and legal continuity. Legal discourse in Islamic jurisprudence invokes the Tawrat when addressing prior scriptures in debates over abrogation and the scope of Sharia, with jurists such as Al-Shafi'i and Ibn al-Qayyim referencing its normative status relative to Quranic injunctions. Interfaith legal encounters under rulers like Saladin and legal pluralism in medieval cities such as Cordoba and Cairo illustrate practical implications of recognizing the Tawrat within Muslim-majority polities.
Contemporary debates involve researchers at centers like SOAS University of London, Yale University, and Tel Aviv University who investigate the Tawrat through interdisciplinary methods including textual criticism, historical linguistics, and interreligious studies. Topics include claims of textual alteration, comparative reception history among Rabbinic Judaism, Eastern Christianity, and Sunni Islam, and modern interfaith dialogue initiatives involving organizations such as the Interfaith Youth Core and the Parliament of the World’s Religions. Public intellectuals and theologians from communities in Istanbul, Riyadh, New York City, and Jerusalem continue to debate implications for contemporary law, identity, and scriptural authority.
Category:Islamic texts