Israiliyyat
\r\nThe use of biblical material (Israiliyyat) to supplement the Quranic narratives of the Prophets was problematic on a number of levels. In the first place, not only biblical material but also extra-scriptural narratives were frequently cited. These stories most likely originated in Christian and Jewish oral traditions and midrashim, and the connection of these traditions to revealed knowledge is tenuous at best. Most of these stories have little probability of originating in revelation and, in many cases, clearly conflict with general Quranic principles, if not specific narratives.
\r\nFor example, in his tafsir, Tabari relates a story from "some people from the Companions of the Prophet" (an exceedingly vague reference that probably means no more than that it is an "old" story) that when Adam was first created, he wandered alone and lonely around Paradise. Then, one day, he awoke to find a woman standing by his head. He said, "Who are you?" The woman replied, "Your wife."
\r\nThis story, which could have originated in the Bible, in the oral tradition of the People of the Book, or even in ancient Arabian narratives, seems relatively harmless. However, what follows in Tabari's tafsir is a series of narratives that put the blame for sin on Adam's wife, and link the physical suffering of menstruation and childbirth to what is recharacterized as Eve's sin. This clearly contradicts the Quranic narrative, which shows that Adam and his wife both sinned, and both were forgiven by God for their transgressions. Indeed, the Israiliyyat that most undermine Quranic values are those related to women.
\r\nCompiled From:
\r\n \"The Story of The Quran: Its History and Place in Muslim Life\" - Ingrid Mattson, p. 194