L’auteur

Harris Birkeland a été nommé professeur de langues sémitiques à l’Université d’Oslo en 1948.

Presentation (Preface p. 5)

The following study on five old surahs of the Koran does not pretend to be more than an introduction to the problem of the first preaching of Muhammed. I do not hold the view that I have solved the problem. But I hope that I have demonstrated two facts

1. The Problem is more complicated than is usually assumed.

2. That the fundamental religious experience of Muhammad was not that of monotheism is generally recognized by Western scholars today. I think I have demonstrated that it was not the approaching day of judgement either, which became decisive for Muhammad ’s whole future activity must have been the recognition of God’s merciful guidance in the life of himself and his people, that means in history (...) the Surahs treated in this paper reveal a stage in which Muhammed had not yet severed from Arab paganism, but had only experienced the divine power as a historic force (...)

Harris Birkeland

Table des matières

I. Introduction

A. Fundamental Religious Experiences of Muhammad

B. Tradition and Exegesis

II. Surah 93

III. Surah 94

IV. Surah 108

V. Surah 105

VI. Surah 106

VII. Conclusions