Which Founding Fathers mentioned Muhammad or the Quran in their writings?
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Executive summary
Several well-documented Founders — most prominently Thomas Jefferson — handled or discussed Islamic texts and Islam in ways that entered the public record; Jefferson purchased an English translation of the Qur’an in 1765 and his interest is the subject of scholarly work [1][2]. Other founders debated Islam in political contexts (e.g., treaties, religious-freedom debates) and some contemporaries expressed hostile views; historians note both toleration and negative judgments in the Founders’ generation [3][4].
1. Thomas Jefferson: the clearest documented connection
Thomas Jefferson owned an English translation of the Qur’an (George Sale’s translation), bought in 1765 while he was a law student, and modern historians such as Denise Spellberg have built a case that Jefferson’s reading of that work informed his thinking about religious plurality and toleration [1][2]. Coverage in Smithsonian, History, and other outlets repeats Jefferson’s purchase and frames it as evidence of curiosity and a practical engagement with non‑Christian texts [2][5].
2. The Founders debated Islam in the service of religious freedom
Scholars argue that several leading framers treated the hypothetical inclusion of Muslims as a test-case for disestablishing a state church; the argument that religious freedom must extend beyond Protestant denominations to “Jews, Mehometans and Christians” appears in period debates and scholarship connects that to the final choice not to establish a Protestant nation [6][3]. Denise Spellberg’s book and reviews emphasize that Muslim inclusion was part of the practical foundation of early American religious liberty [6][1].
3. Evidence beyond Jefferson: library holdings and diplomatic exposure
Reporting and scholarship also point to other founders’ awareness of Islam through books, diplomacy, and legal encounters: John Adams is reported to have owned a Qur’an in later retellings, and diplomatic dealings with North African states made Islam part of policy calculations [7]. Scholars caution, however, that the depth of engagement varied by individual and that Jefferson is the most thoroughly documented case [8][7].
4. Competing views among founders and contemporaries
Primary-era attitudes were mixed: some evangelical and political figures denigrated “Mahomet” or portrayed Islam negatively, invoking common European tropes of the time; other Founders and leaders defended the legal rights of non‑Christians and insisted on secular guarantees for worship [3][4]. Apologetics and conservative critiques emphasize the negative portrayals, while Spellberg and others highlight the tolerant institutional choices; both perspectives are present in the secondary literature [9][6].
5. How historians interpret mentions of Muhammad and the Qur’an
Modern historians treat references to Muhammad and the Qur’an among the Founders as evidence of broader Enlightenment curiosity and legal pragmatism rather than wholesale admiration of Islamic theology. Spellberg’s work argues Jefferson’s Qur’an mattered for ideas about pluralism; other scholars stress that many Founders still relied on contemporary European prejudices when discussing Islam [1][4].
6. What the sources do and do not say about specific Founders
The available sources single out Jefferson as the Founding Father with direct, surviving evidence of Qur’anic ownership and study [1][2]. They report broader references to Islam in congressional and public debates and note instances of negative rhetoric from some figures, but they do not provide a comprehensive list of every Founder who explicitly named Muhammad in surviving writings in the materials given here (available sources do not mention a full roster beyond the individuals and episodes cited) [3][4].
7. Limitations, hidden agendas, and interpretive stakes
Different authors bring agendas: some advocacy sites frame Founders as deliberately pro‑Islam to promote modern pluralism, while some religiously conservative outlets emphasize the era’s anti‑Islamic rhetoric [10][9]. Academic historians such as Spellberg aim to situate Jefferson in intellectual context rather than to claim the Founders uniformly admired Islam; journalistic pieces likewise vary in emphasis between symbolism (Jefferson’s Qur’an) and documented policy outcomes (religious freedom debates) [6][5].
8. Bottom line for your question
Thomas Jefferson is the best‑documented Founding Father to have owned and read an English Qur’an and to have engaged with Islamic texts in ways scholars say influenced his thinking on pluralism [1][2]. Other founders discussed Islam in political and rhetorical contexts — sometimes as a test case for religious liberty, sometimes in hostile terms — but the sources provided do not offer a complete list of every Founder who named Muhammad or the Qur’an in their surviving writings [3][4].