The Seed of Abraham Gentile Ethnicity in Early Christian Texts and The Quran

Abstract

In this article, I discuss the reception and espousal of Gentile ethnicity in late antique Arabia and the Quran. I suggest that the Prophet Muhammad and many of his followers identified as Gentile (ummī or ḥanīf) believers, which they portrayed as carrying positive significations. I discuss various ancient and late ancient Christian texts that appear to be in the background of this development. I argue that the Quran recategorizes Jewish, Christian, and Gentile believers (here: those who believed in the Prophet Muhammad’s mission and accepted it) as belonging to the same community of believers. The figure of Abraham is of utmost importance in the ethnic reasoning of the Quran.