Talk:Waraqah ibn Nawfal

Latest comment: 1 year ago by Petra MacDonald in topic Christian, Nestorian or not?

Citation needed

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There is citation needed for this hadith classified as weak to see who classified it and where it is from. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 119.152.77.33 (talk) 10:12, 12 December 2016 (UTC)Reply

Untitled

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Who said that Waraqah ibn Nawfal was Nestorian?! What is the reference? That claim has been deleted from the Arabic version since there is no proof of it. --Islami 00:51, 30 March 2006 (UTC)Reply

The Nestorians were the only group of Christians living in Arabia at that time, so people have assumed that Waraqa was a Nestorian. In fact the Islamic texts only say he was a "Nazarene" (Christian).Petra MacDonald 23:36, 24 July 2013 (UTC)

Someone said: "However, there is no evidence suggesting that Waraqah ibn Nawful became a muslim". That is not true. Waraqah declared that he accepted Muhammad as the prophet which means be became a Muslim. --Islamic 13:29, 21 May 2006 (UTC)Reply

Agree: there is indeed evidence that Waraqa was a Muslim.
However, this evidence is disputed because other evidence contradicts it.
Rather than claim there is "no evidence", it should be stated that the matter is controversial. There is evidence on both sides.Petra MacDonald 23:36, 24 July 2013 (UTC)

Non Sira

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Waraqah has only been mentioned in Sira books. There are no other references to him by any other historians. Hence, a "Non Sira" section is only a fiction and should not be added here.

According to the references given here, Waraka is also mentioned in Bukhari on the authority of Aisha.Petra MacDonald 22:40, 21 October 2014 (UTC)

Jewish or Christian ?

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The page is ambigu. Was he a Jewish or a Christian Ebionite ? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.176.120.156 (talk) 06:38, 12 February 2012 (UTC)Reply

Christian according to the source cited:

"Khadija told her cousin, Waraqa, who was a Christian well versed in sacred and profane literature,"...and..."And the four dispersed to various countries to seek the religion of Abraham. Waraqa decided on Christianity and followed the books of its teachers until he had obtained knowledge of the scripture."Life of M, pp. 13-19207.119.110.44 (talk) 01:08, 15 March 2012 (UTC)Reply

Waraka was a christian. He knew both Gospel and Tanakh. He translated Torah, Psalms and Gospel into Arabic language. He also knew Bible. - Avatar9n (talk) 18:18, 15 March 2012 (UTC)Reply

Ebionite??

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There is no refernece whatsoever for the claim that he was an Ebionite. Throw it out. Kipala (talk) 09:27, 16 June 2012 (UTC)Reply

Agree. This is a "fringe" theory, apparently propagated by Azzi. At most, it could be mentioned that the theory exists; but it should not be asserted as a fact.Petra MacDonald 23:36, 24 July 2013 (UTC)
Someone has now added a reference for this claim - Ibn Hisham!! But Ibn Hisham does not say any such thing. He is the source that asserts that Waraka was a Christian.Petra MacDonald 11:17, 3 April 2014 (UTC)
It is anachronistic to refer to him as an Ebionite, this was a particular group at a very ancient point in the life of the Church- they were ethnically Jewish and essentially a group of individuals who wished to maintain the continued importance of the Jewish law within early Christianity. You won't find the description of Ebionite attributed by anyone about anyone after the second century. There is no evidence of Ebionite Churches anywhere. The claim of Nestorian is more plausible given the fact that 1) the chaldean church which is centred in Iraq had Nestorian tendencies from the 4th century onwards 2) we know from archaelogy that the chaldean church had churches in the arabian peninsular in the 6th century. (MH) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.40.189.180 (talk) 08:37, 29 April 2014 (UTC)Reply
Agree, he was certainly in a Syriac tradition, and more than likely Nestorian, but in no way could he be considered Ebionite. Throw it out. 2.101.116.153 (talk) 16:37, 13 December 2014 (UTC)Reply
I have moved the claim that he was an Ebionite away from the lead paragraph and qualified it. Editors who find this inappropriate are welcome to present their evidence.Petra MacDonald (talk) 03:41, 14 June 2023 (UTC)Reply

Christian, Nestorian or not?

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Hello, This passage seems in need of clarification:

Waraka was a Nestorian priest and is revered in Islamic tradition for being one of the first hanifs to believe in the prophecy of Muhammad.[3]. Despite following the oneness of God, scriptures and teachings from those of the local minorities, Waraka was simply a monotheist imitating the faith and teachings of the forefathers Ibrahim and Ismail. He never referred to himself as a Christian or such; merely following the right path to the one and only God.

Which authorities state he was a Christian, a Nestorian, and which ones state otherwise? There is also the view that the distinction between a "Believer", a follower of Christ, a Hanif and a Muslim "one who surrenders to God" may not have even have existed yet in this period. Karen Armstrong's 'Muhammad' has material that supports this view, if memory serves.--183.89.30.73 (talk) 12:47, 30 April 2018 (UTC)Reply

See above. Authorities from Ibn Ishaq onwards state that he was a Christian; however, they do not specify whether he was Nestorian, Orthodox/Catholic, Coptic or something else.Petra MacDonald (talk) 03:44, 14 June 2023 (UTC)Reply