The Naming of the Animals (The Cow vs30-33)

This looks on the surface like the same Naming of the Animals story in the Bible. However, though the end result is the same, the stories accord the honor in different ways, leading to completely different lessons to learn.

The Koran claims that Allah taught man the names of the animals to prove his superiority to the angels, who doubted Allah's wisdom in putting a 'ruler' (man) on the earth. He then brought man before the angels and had man recite the names back to them, showing them that he had chosen to give man knowledge that they did not have. There is a notable lack of fellowship between man and Allah here, when compared to the Biblical story. Man is given the information in order to prove the the angels that he is superior, not apparently through any ability or work of his own, but because Allah chose to give him information that they lacked.

The Bible paints a very different picture. The angels are not even a part of the story. Yahweh (so called in this 'article' to distinguish Him from Allah) brings the animals to man to see what names man would give them. Yahweh had a couple reasons for doing this. One reason was to confirm man's authority over the animals. The other was to show man that there was no fit companion for him among them. This set the stage for the introduction of Woman, "flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone," above the beasts, recognized as the same race of man. She has equal intelligence and basic human dignity, recognized as an indispensable part of the human race.

The Koran apparently does not cover the origin of women at all, according to the web search I did when this part of The Cow failed to turn up any extra information. I will see in time whether this is true, or whether it is listed in a different chapter.

I find it interesting that The Cow vs 1-30 continue to emphasize Allah's superiority, the same simple theme carried onto the Naming of the Animals. Meanwhile, the Bible is already branching out to the purpose of man and woman, allowing man a greater measure of creativity and setting woman's place within creation. In the Biblical account, we are already seeing Yahweh's willingness to fellowship with His created man, giving man the honor of naming His creation the way a parent might ask his child to label his painted picture or sculpted model.

Granted, this part of the Koran seems so far to be merely a summary of the Old Testament. I also have seen a lack of complexity such that I am accustomed to from the Bible, but I am still pretty early in the book. Maybe it will change further in.

I would accept the notion that the Koran is merely meant to be a continuation of the Old and New Testament, therefore needing much less complexity in it's history lessons, but what I have read already shows a very different interpretation of the old stories summarized within.

Next Time: The Garden of Eden and Man's Sin