There Was No Islam Before the Birth of Muhammad

There Was No Islam Before the Birth of Muhammad: A Scholarly Examination

By Dr. Maxwell Shimba, Shimba Theological Institute

Introduction

The claim that Islam existed since the time of Abraham or earlier is central to Islamic theology, where Muslims argue that all prophets were “Muslims” who submitted to Allah. However, this assertion lacks historical, linguistic, and manuscript evidence. A careful academic examination reveals that Islam, as a defined religion, originated with Muhammad in the 7th century CE. Before his birth, there is no textual or historical record of a religion called Islam, nor is the term found in any preserved manuscripts, inscriptions, or religious traditions predating Muhammad.

The Qur’anic Assertion

The Qur’an itself places Muhammad as the first to declare formal submission to Allah under the label of Muslim. For instance:

• Surah al-An‘am 6:14 – “Say: Verily, I am commanded to be the first of those who submit themselves (Muslims).” (Tafsir al-Qurtubi confirms this refers specifically to Muhammad).

• Surah az-Zumar 39:1–2 – introduces Muhammad’s revelation as the distinctive message of Islam, making him the inaugural bearer of the religion.

This presents an internal contradiction: while the Qur’an retrospectively calls Abraham, Moses, and Jesus “Muslims” (3:67, 3:52), the same text declares Muhammad as the first Muslim. This suggests that the label “Islam” as a defined religious system began with Muhammad, not with earlier prophets.

Absence of Pre-Muhammad Evidence

1. No Manuscripts – There are no extant manuscripts, scrolls, or inscriptions using the term Islam or Muslim prior to the 7th century. The Dead Sea Scrolls, the Septuagint, the Targums, the Mishnah, and Christian writings of the first centuries CE contain no reference to Islam.

2. No Archaeological Evidence – Pre-Islamic Arabia was polytheistic, with deities such as Hubal, al-Lat, al-Uzza, and Manat worshipped in the Kaaba (cf. Ibn Ishaq, Sirat Rasul Allah). Archaeological findings and inscriptions from Petra, Palmyra, and Mecca do not show Islam’s existence before Muhammad.

3. No Religious Texts – The Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and early Christian literature do not use the word “Islam” or describe a system resembling it. Even Jewish Midrash and early Patristic writings that engaged with Arabs or Ishmaelites never mention Islam.

4. Linguistic Emergence – The Arabic word Islam (submission) and Muslim (submitter) as religious identifiers are innovations of the Qur’an. While the root S-L-M existed in Semitic languages, it was never employed as the title of a global monotheistic religion before Muhammad.

Historical Perspective

Islam’s origin aligns with Muhammad’s prophetic career (610–632 CE) in Mecca and Medina. Scholars such as Patricia Crone, Michael Cook, and Fred Donner argue that Islam crystallized as a religious identity only during Muhammad’s lifetime and immediately after, not before.

Thus, the Islamic claim of continuity with Abrahamic faiths is theological, not historical. The historical record affirms that Islam is a 7th-century Arabian development, distinct from Judaism and Christianity, which have verifiable pre-Muhammad historical and manuscript traditions.

Conclusion

The conclusion is clear: Islam did not exist before Muhammad. While Islamic theology retroactively imposes the label “Islam” onto biblical figures, the Qur’an itself paradoxically designates Muhammad as the first Muslim. The absence of manuscripts, archaeological data, and religious texts using the word Islam before the 7th century reinforces this conclusion. Islam, therefore, is historically a product of Muhammad’s lifetime and Arabian context, rather than a continuation of an ancient faith tradition.

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References

• Al-Qurtubi, Tafsir al-Qurtubi, commentary on Surah al-An‘am 6:14.

• Crone, Patricia, and Michael Cook. Hagarism: The Making of the Islamic World. Cambridge University Press, 1977.

• Donner, Fred. Muhammad and the Believers: At the Origins of Islam. Harvard University Press, 2010.

• Ibn Ishaq. Sirat Rasul Allah (The Life of Muhammad), trans. A. Guillaume. Oxford University Press, 1955.

• Hoyland, Robert. Seeing Islam as Others Saw It. Darwin Press, 1997.

• Peters, F. E. Muhammad and the Origins of Islam. SUNY Press, 1994.

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