By Dr. Maxwell Shimba, Shimba Theological Institute
Abstract
A brief summary of the thesis: Islam did not exist prior to Muhammad. No textual, manuscript, archaeological, or linguistic evidence demonstrates the presence of a religion called Islam before the 7th century CE. The Qur’an itself paradoxically identifies Muhammad as the first Muslim , even while retrospectively labeling Abraham and other prophets as Muslims. This paper critically evaluates the historical, theological, and linguistic claims surrounding Islam’s origins and demonstrates that Islam is a distinct 7th-century Arabian development.
Introduction
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State the Islamic theological claim: all prophets were Muslims.
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Contrast with historical scholarship: no pre-Muhammad Islam is attested.
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Outline methodology: Qur’anic exegesis, historical-critical analysis, manuscript evidence, archaeology, linguistics.
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Research question: Did Islam exist before Muhammad, or is it a product of his prophetic career?
Qur’anic Self-Contradiction
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Surah al-An‘am 6:14 – Muhammad as the first Muslim.
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Surah az-Zumar 39:1–2 – Islam revealed to Muhammad.
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Qur’an’s retroactive labeling of Abraham (3:67) and Jesus’ disciples (3:52) as Muslims.
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Tafsir tradition (Al-Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir) admits Muhammad is “the first” in his era, raising theological contradictions.
Absence of Manuscript Evidence
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Survey of ancient texts: Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint, Targums, Mishnah, early Christian Fathers.
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None mention Islam or “Muslims.”
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Christian, Jewish, and pagan writers discussing Arabs never describe Islam before 610 CE.
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Quranic codification only began after Muhammad’s death (Uthman’s recension c. 650 CE).
Archaeological Silence
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Pre-Islamic Arabia dominated by polytheism (Hubal, al-Lat, al-Uzza, Manat).
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Kaaba housed 360 idols (Ibn Ishaq, Sirat Rasul Allah).
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Petra inscriptions and Nabataean traditions reflect Arab paganism, not Islam.
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No inscriptions or coins referencing Islam before Muhammad.
Linguistic Analysis of Islam and Muslim
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Root S-L-M existed in Semitic languages (Hebrew shalom , Aramaic shlama).
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But as a religious identifier, Islam is novel to the Qur’an.
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Comparative linguistics: Christianity (Christianoi) and Judaism (Ioudaios) appear in external sources before their consolidation—Islam does not.
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First external references to Islam appear only in Greek and Syriac sources after Muhammad’s death.
Comparative Abrahamic Traditions
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Judaism: historically verifiable as a covenantal religion of Israel.
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Christianity: rooted in the historical Jesus, early manuscripts from the 1st–2nd century.
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Islam: lacks pre-7th century evidence, relies on retroactive theological projection.
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The attempt to “Islamize” Abraham, Moses, and Jesus is doctrinal—not historical.
Review of Critical Scholarship
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Patricia Crone & Michael Cook (Hagarism): Islam emerged from Arab monotheist reform, not from Abraham.
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Fred Donner (Muhammad and the Believers): early movement was broader and only later crystallized as “Islam.”
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Robert Hoyland (Seeing Islam as Others Saw It): non-Muslim sources of the 7th century never mention Islam as a religion until decades after Muhammad.
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Conclusion from scholarship: Islam originated in Muhammad’s lifetime, not before.
Theological and Historical Implications
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Islam’s claim of continuity is theological fiction, not historical fact.
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If Muhammad is the first Muslim, then pre-Islamic prophets cannot be Muslims.
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Christianity and Judaism maintain historically verifiable roots predating their founders.
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Islam stands alone as a 7th-century innovation, contradicting its own claim of eternal continuity.
Conclusion
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Restate thesis: Islam did not exist before Muhammad.
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Evidence: Qur’anic contradiction, absence of manuscripts, archaeological silence, linguistic novelty, critical scholarship.
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Final statement: Islam must be recognized as a uniquely 7th-century Arabian religion, born from Muhammad’s teachings, rather than a timeless Abrahamic faith.
References / Bibliography
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Al-Qurtubi. Tafsir al-Qurtubi. Cairo: Dar al-Kutub al-Misriyyah.
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Cook, Michael, and Patricia Crone. Hagarism: The Making of the Islamic World. Cambridge University Press, 1977.
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Donner, Fred. Muhammad and the Believers: At the Origins of Islam. Harvard University Press, 2010.
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Guillaume, A. (trans.). The Life of Muhammad: A Translation of Ibn Ishaq's Sirat Rasul Allah. Oxford University Press, 1955.
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Hoyland, Robert. Seeing Islam as Others Saw It: A Survey and Evaluation of Christian, Jewish and Zoroastrian Writings on Early Islam. Darwin Press, 1997.
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Peters, F. E. Muhammad and the Origins of Islam. SUNY Press, 1994.
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Watt, W. Montgomery. Muhammad at Mecca. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1953.
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Watt, W. Montgomery. Muhammad at Medina. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1956.
📌 Dr. Shimba,
