The Pan-Abrahamic Problem: A Philosophical Challenge to Islamic Identity

Introduction: A New Challenge to Islam

Islam has long been understood as a continuous, unbroken religious tradition that began with Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century and remains unchanged in its fundamental teachings today. However, recent scholarship in Islamic history has raised a new and significant challenge—one that questions whether the Islam of today is truly the same Islam that Muhammad originally established.

This argument, developed in a recent article by Dr. Joshua R. Sijuwade and drawing from the work of Fred Donner and other historians, is known as the Pan-Abrahamic Problem (PAP). It suggests that early Islam was not an exclusivist religion but was, in fact, an inclusive Abrahamic movement that welcomed Jews, Christians, and other monotheists into its community.

This revelation presents a major philosophical and theological dilemma for contemporary Islam:

If early Islam was inclusive of Jews and Christians as part of the community of "Believers"…
But modern Islam is exclusivist, requiring full adherence to the Quran and Prophet Muhammad as its final prophet…
Then, is modern Islam truly the same religion as the one founded by Muhammad?

This question cuts to the core of Islamic identity and raises serious implications for Muslim theology, history, and self-understanding.

The Historical Background: What Was Early Islam Really Like?

For centuries, the traditional Islamic narrative has held that Islam was always distinct and separate from other religions. According to this view, Prophet Muhammad established a purely Islamic movement that positioned itself against Judaism and Christianity, defining itself as the final revelation from God.

However, modern historical research—particularly by Fred Donner, Stephen Shoemaker, Juan Cole, and others—paints a different picture of early Islam. Their findings suggest that:

The Quran Distinguishes Between "Believers" and "Muslims"
- The Quran frequently uses the term Mu’minun (Believers) to refer to members of the early Islamic movement.
- It does not always use Muslimun (Muslims) in an exclusive sense.
- This suggests that early Islam was open to other monotheists, not just those who followed Muhammad specifically.
The Constitution of Medina Recognized Jews as Part of the Ummah
- The document, which is one of the earliest sources of Islamic governance, acknowledges Jewish tribes as part of the same religious community as Muslims.
- This contradicts later Islamic exclusivism, where non-Muslims were no longer considered full members of the Ummah (Islamic community).
Historical Accounts Indicate Cooperation Between Early Muslims, Jews, and Christians
- Early Islamic sources mention Jewish allies and Christian figures playing roles in the early Islamic community.
- This suggests that early Islam was not a strictly separate religious identity but rather a broad-based Abrahamic movement.
Early Islamic Inscriptions and Artifacts Reflect a Broader Identity
- Archaeological evidence from the 7th century shows that the term Mu’minun (Believers) was commonly used, while distinct Islamic identifiers emerged only in the late 7th century, during the reign of ‘Abd al-Malik.

This leads to a significant historical conclusion:

Early Islam was not originally an exclusivist religious movement. It evolved into one later.

The Pan-Abrahamic Problem: A Crisis of Identity

Using the philosophical framework of Richard Swinburne, Dr. Sijuwade applies the criteria of continuity and connectedness to the question of Islamic identity.

According to Swinburne’s model, for a religious community to be considered the same over time, it must maintain:

Doctrinal Continuity (consistent core beliefs and teachings)
Organizational Continuity (a structured leadership and communal framework that remains intact)

The problem for Islam is that modern Islam fails these tests:

Doctrinal Discontinuity
- Early Islam accepted Jews and Christians as part of the same religious community.
- Modern Islam excludes them entirely, teaching that only Muslims can be part of the Ummah.
Organizational Discontinuity
- Early Islam allowed non-Muslims full participation in the community.
- Modern Islam establishes strict boundaries, requiring explicit belief in Muhammad as the final prophet.

Because of these fundamental differences, the modern Islamic community cannot be considered identical to the original community of Muhammad.

This raises an unavoidable question for Muslims today:

If the Islam of today is so different from Muhammad’s Islam, can it still be considered the same religion?

The Five Possible Responses to the Problem

Dr. Sijuwade outlines five possible ways a Muslim might respond to this challenge:

1. Ignore the Issue

Some Muslims might dismiss the problem entirely, choosing to continue practicing Islam without addressing the historical evidence.

Why this fails: The Quran itself commands Muslims to follow the original teachings of Muhammad, so ignoring this issue contradicts Islamic teachings.

2. Reject the Criteria of Continuity and Connectedness

Some might argue that religions evolve over time, and that modern Islam is simply a development of early Islam.

Why this fails: If continuity and connectedness are abandoned, then any religion could claim to be the continuation of any other religion—which would destroy the foundations of Islamic theology.

3. Reject the Historical Evidence

A common response might be to deny the historical research, insisting that early Islam was always exclusivist.

Why this fails: The weight of historical evidence is overwhelming. Ignoring it would require rejecting the same historical methods that Muslims often use to critique Christianity and Judaism.

4. Attempt to Reform Islam

Some progressive Muslims might argue that Islam should return to its original inclusive form and embrace Jews and Christians once again.

Why this fails: Islam is built on centuries of theological tradition, including Hadith literature and scholarly consensus (Ijma’), making such a reform practically impossible.

5. Accept the Conclusion: Islam as Originally Conceived No Longer Exists

The final and most radical response is to accept that modern Islam is fundamentally different from Muhammad’s Islam—and therefore, the original Islamic religion ceased to exist after the 7th century.

Why this is the most logical response: If Islam has fundamentally changed, then Muslims today are not followers of Muhammad’s Islam, but of the later Islamic traditions shaped by rulers like ‘Abd al-Malik.

Conclusion: A Problem with No Easy Answers

The Pan-Abrahamic Problem is one of the most significant intellectual challenges to Islam in recent years. It raises difficult, unavoidable questions about Islamic identity, historical authenticity, and theological continuity.

If early Islam was truly inclusive and modern Islam is exclusivist, then what Muslims practice today is not the same religion that Muhammad originally founded.

This argument has only just begun circulating in public debates, but it has the potential to reshape how Islam is understood—both by Muslims themselves and by scholars studying Islamic history.

How will Muslim scholars respond?
Will they deny the historical evidence?
Will they redefine Islamic identity?
Or will they simply ignore the issue altogether?

Only time will tell. But one thing is certain: this new challenge to Islam is not going away anytime soon.

INVESTIGATING ISLAM

Sunday, January 19, 2025