96 JUDAISM AND
He is represented as the friend of God, 1 and this is his name throughout the East. 2 Abraham's importance and the rich legendary material concerning him, which Judaism offered, lead us to expect much about him in the Qurdn, and our expectation is not disappointed. It is to him that the founding of the Ka'bah is traced back. 3 He is supposed to have lived in the Temple, 4 and to have composed books. 5 This opinion is also held by the Eabbis, many of whom attribute to Abraham the well-known cabalistic and undoubtedly very ancient Sepher Jazirah. Passing to the events of his life, we first come across the beautiful legend of his attaining to the true knowledge of Glod. We are told also how he tried to persuade his father and his people thereto. A special instance of this was when he destroyed the idols, and, putting the staff into the hand of the largest, attributed the action to him. He sought thus to convince the people, who quite perceived the impossibility of the idols having done it, since they could not move, but they were not thereby persuaded. 6 Abraham is represented as praying in vain that his father might be released from the punishment of hell. 7 We are told too that the people, embittered by Abraham's conduct towards the idols, wanted to have him burnt alive, but that he was rescued from that fate by divine intervention. 8 The whole story is taken from the Eabbinical writings, where we read as follows. 9 " Terah was an idolater : once
8 Sura IV. 124,
3 Sura II. 119 ff . 4 Sura XIV. 40. 5 LXXXVII. 19.
6 Saras VI. 74-82, XIX. 4251, XXI. 5269, XXII. 43, XXVI. 69 105, XXIX. 15-23, XXXVII. 81 95, XLIII. 25-28, LX. 4-6.
7 Suras IX. 115, XXVI. 86104, LX. 4. Sunna 395.
8 Suras II. 260, XXI. 69-74, XXIX. 2327, XXXVII. 9599.
9 Midrash B/abba on Genesis, para. 38,
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