Posted: Mar 31, 2012 11:15 am
I still don't understand what the big issue is. The history of human ideas shows that each generation builds on and reinterprets the existing traditions. Although there is no proof that Muhammad was ever in Jerusalem, he was in charge of Khadija's camel caravan (she being the wealthy widow who eventually became his first wife) and would have travelled extensively. He certainly spent time in both Jewish and Christian communities and was influenced by them.
The first Guru in the Sikh tradition, Nanak Dev, grew up in a mixed Muslim/Hindu village. He was born into a Hindu family, but he 'tried out' Islam as well, eventually announcing "I am neither Hindu nor Muslim" when it seemed that neither really fit his own experiences.
As for Muhammad's night journey, well I don't see why he couldn't have actually had a dream where he met those figures who he'd probably been hearing about for years. I once dreamt I met the Buddha!
For thousands of years before it was incorporated into the Christian tradition about Jesus, there was a tradition of gods and goddesses dying, descending into the underworld and being reborn. One of the OT prophets, I forget which one, complains about the women weeping for Tammuz at the gates of Jerusalem, Tammuz being one of those gods who died and then was reborn.
As the OP himself points out, this article is from the newspaper of a Jewish settlement site, who will have their own reasons for wanting to undermine Muslim claims to Muslim sites in Jerusalem.
The first Guru in the Sikh tradition, Nanak Dev, grew up in a mixed Muslim/Hindu village. He was born into a Hindu family, but he 'tried out' Islam as well, eventually announcing "I am neither Hindu nor Muslim" when it seemed that neither really fit his own experiences.
As for Muhammad's night journey, well I don't see why he couldn't have actually had a dream where he met those figures who he'd probably been hearing about for years. I once dreamt I met the Buddha!
For thousands of years before it was incorporated into the Christian tradition about Jesus, there was a tradition of gods and goddesses dying, descending into the underworld and being reborn. One of the OT prophets, I forget which one, complains about the women weeping for Tammuz at the gates of Jerusalem, Tammuz being one of those gods who died and then was reborn.
As the OP himself points out, this article is from the newspaper of a Jewish settlement site, who will have their own reasons for wanting to undermine Muslim claims to Muslim sites in Jerusalem.