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The
orientalists allege that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon
him, was worried about the enmity of the non-believers in Makkah. In
such a state of mind one day went to Ka`bah where he recited to the
gathering of believers and non-believers Surah An-Najm 53 which is
said to have been revealed at that time.
The
allegation is that in the course of its recitation and when he
uttered the verse 19-20 “Do you see al Lat and al `Uzza and the
other third Manat?” Satan threw in the couplet “Those are the
swans exalted; verily their intercession is to be expected”.
The
Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, then completed the Surah
and at the end of it went into prostration in accordance with the
last verse. All those present there, the believers and non-believers
also did so except an old Quraishite leader (Umayyah Ibn Khalaf or
Al-Walid Ibn Al-Mughirah or Abu Umayyah) who raised a handful of
dust and touched it with his forehead saying that would suffice for
him. The Quraishite leaders are said to have given out as reason for
their prostration themselves, by saying that now that the Prophet
had recognized the position of their goddesses as intercessors with
Allah, there was in fact no point of quarrel with him.
Afterwards,
in the evening (some versions do not specify any time) Jibril came
to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and asked him to
recite the Surah, which he did, still reciting the “satanic
verses”. Jibril protested, saying that those were not what had
been revealed. At this, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon
him, became very sad and apprehensive of Allah’s wrath. Thereupon
two separate passages, 17:73-75 and 22-52 were revealed in
reassuring the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and the
“satanic verses” were repealed. The Quraishite leaders became
angry and renewed their enmity and opposition with increased
vehemence. Meanwhile the news of non-believers’ prostration
reached
Abyssinia
in the form of rumor of their compromise with the Prophet, peace and
blessings be upon him, and the Muslims returned to Makkah.
Reply
The
story is so manifestly absurd and untrue that it ought to have been
rejected outright as such and not recorded by the chroniclers and
traditionalists. But since some of them have recorded it has often
been cited as ground for its genuineness, rather than the obviously
discrediting features of the story itself.
Imam
Fakhr Ad-Din Ar-Razi correctly points out that those who have
critically looked at the story have all rejected it as spurious on
the grounds of its conflict with the clear testimony of the Qur’an,
the rules governing the genuineness of traditions and the dictates
of reason.
The
Qur’anic evidence against the genuineness of the story is of three
kinds.
There
are a number of statements in the Qur’an that show that neither
Satan nor anyone else could interfere in the process of coming of
the revelation. Nor did the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon
him, ever entertain any intention of making compromise with the
unbelieving leaders, nor did he ever interpolate in the text of the
revelation.
The
passages cited as having been revealed as a sequel to the incident
and for reassuring the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him,
prove to the contrary, showing that he had not made even the
slightest move towards making a compromise with the unbelieving
leaders.
The
internal evidence of Surah An-Najm (53), in connection with the
revelation of which the story has been foisted, goes against its
spirit and purpose.
THE
PASSAGES FROM THE QUR’AN THAT DIRECTLY BELIE THE STORY ARE AS
FOLLOWS:
“If
he (Messenger) were to invent any saying in Our Name, We should
certainly have seized him by the right hand and We should then have
surely cut off the artery of his heart"
[Qur’an 60:44-46]
“Say;
It is not for me, of my own accord, to change it (the revelation). I
follow naught but what is revealed unto me"
[Qur'an
10:15
]
“No
falsehood can approach it from the front, nor from the rear (i.e.
neither directly nor indirectly). It is sent-down from Allah the
All-Wise, the All-Praiseworthy.”
[Qur'an 41:42]
“We
indeed have sent down the recital (the Qur’an) and indeed are its
Protectors (from any interference).”
[Qur'an 15:9]
“In
what way (We have revealed it), that We may make your heart firm
thereby; and We have dictated it in stages.”
[Qur'an 25:32]
It
is seen from the above that the Qur’an repeatedly assures that
Allah has protected it against any possibility of being tampered
with directly or indirectly, that it is not for the Prophet to
change it or add to it anything. If he had done so, Allah’s severe
punishment would inevitably and irresistibly have befallen him.
These clear and positive statements directly contradict the story,
which says that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, of his
own accord or being deceived by Satan introduced something into the
text of revelation. Not only that. The alleged interpolation
violated the fundamental teaching of the Qur’an – monotheism (Tauhid)
and thus constituted the offence of shirk which Allah warns
elsewhere in the Qur’an that He shall under no circumstances
forgive.
The
story is thus quite contrary to the specific statements of the
Qur’an and also to the tenor and purport of its entire text. As
such the story is totally unworthy of any credence. This is not
simply from a Muslim’s point of view, but also from true
historian’s point of view.
The
two passages of the Qur’an that are said to have been revealed as
a sequel to the story are as follows:
“Indeed
they were about to divert you from what We revealed to you, in order
that you forge against Us something else, and in that case they
would certainly have taken you as a friend. And had We not made you
firm, you would almost have inclined towards them a little; and in
that case we would have made you taste the double (punishment) in
death; and then you would not have found for you as against Us any
helper.”
[Qur'an 17:73-75]
These
verses were revealed 11 or 12 years after the call to Prophethood.
“Never
did We send a Messenger nor a Prophet before you, but that when he
formed an intention Satan threw something in his intention; but
Allah cancels what Satan throws in and then makes His sign prevail.
Allah is All-knowing, All-Wise.
[Qur'an 22:52]
This
verse was revealed during the 1st year of Hijrah.
A
little careful look at them would at once show that their texts, far
from supporting the story, do in fact contradict it.
The
first passage shows that it was the unbelievers who attempted to
induce the Prophet to making a compromise with them, not that he
ever wanted it. The passage further states that Allah made the
Prophet’s heart firm against such attempts of the unbelievers. The
emphasis here is on the intensity of the unbelievers’ attempts,
and Allah’s special favor upon the Prophet making him immune
against such efforts and because of such special favor, the Prophet,
peace and blessings be upon him, did not incline towards the
unbelievers even a little. Finally the above verse warns that, had
the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, been guilty of slight
inclination towards the unbelievers’ proposals, he would have been
doubly punished by Allah.
It
is strange that the orientalists mention the above verses revealed
about 8 or 9 years after the alleged incident as assurance from
Allah, because during this period so many major events had taken
place, including the Hijrah.
The
Internal Evidence of Surah An-Najm (53)
The
Surah starts emphasizing that,
“He
(the Prophet) does not speak out of his desire. It is naught but
Wahy (revelation) communicated to him.” In verses 3-4. The Surah
declares that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, has not
gone astray, nor erred, nor does he speak out of his own desire, but
what he gives out is only revelation communicated to him. It is
impossible to think that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon
him, would immediately add the alleged two verse within this Surah
itself, thus contradicting the very essence of the Surah. Though
there are over 15 versions of the allegation, all the versions agree
that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, recited the whole
of Surah An-Najm on this occasion and prostrated himself at the end
of it.
The
alleged verses as follows:
“Those
are swans exalted. Whose intercession is to be expected.”
These
alleged two verses do not fit in any place in the Surah. If we
simply insert them after verse 19 and 20 they will read as follows:
“Have
you then considered Al-Lat and Al-Uzza (two idols of the pagan
Arabs)
[v.19]
And Manat (another idol of the pagan Arabs), the third?
[v.20]
Those are swans exalted. Whose intercession is to be expected.
[???]
Is it for you the males and for Him the females?
[v. 21]
That indeed is a division most unfair
[v.22]
They are but names, which you have named, - you and your fathers-
for which Allah has sent down no authority. They follow but a guess
and that which they themselves desire, whereas there has surely come
to the Guidance from their Lord.
[v.23]
Or shall man have what he wishes?
[v.24]
But to Allah belongs the last (hereafter) and the first (the
world)”
[v.25]
A
simple glance shows that the alleged satanic verses shown in bold
above do not fit in any place in the Surah An-Najm. The whole text
from verses 19 to the end of the Surah has a unity and continuity on
both theme and sequence. There is no giving-in on the question of
intercession by anyone; no relaxation of the principle of individual
and personal responsibility, no softening down of denunciation of
the conduct of the unbelieving leaders and no room given to
accommodating their attitudes.
The
following additional information should be noted on this
insinuation.
The
story has come down in about a dozen varying versions and does not
have a strong chain of narrators (Isnad). It is technically regarded
as Mursal – i.e. its Isnad does not go up beyond the second
generation (Tabi`un) after the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon
him. One of the versions traces back to `Abd Allah Ibn `Abbas as
eye-witness, who was born some five years after the alleged event
was said to have taken place. Apart from this, all the persons in
the Isnad have names who are considered weak, unreliable or unknown.
The
report itself suffer from grave differences and disagreements in all
the four essential respects, namely:
*
The occasion of the incident;
*
Nature of the Prophet’s alleged act;
*
The wording of the alleged “satanic verses”- as many as 15
different texts;
*
The effect or sequel of the alleged incident.
There
are reports that say, more significantly, that while the unbelievers
heard the alleged “satanic verses”, the believers did not at all
hear them. All the versions unanimously show that no objection or
uneasiness was expressed by any of the believers at the Prophet,
peace and blessings be upon him, alleged utterance of the verses,
nor to his alleged dropping of them subsequently. If such an unusual
incident as the giving out of some compromising verses and their
subsequent withdrawal had at all taken place, it would have been
narrated by some of the many Companions of the Prophet, peace and
blessings be upon him.
`Abdallah
Ibn Mas`ud says that Surah An-Najm was the first Surah, which the
Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, recited in front of a
gathering of believers and non-believers at the Ka`bah compound.
When he finished it and went into prostration, all those who were
present, believers and non-believers also prostrated themselves. It
is an acknowledged fact that the Prophet, peace and blessings be
upon him, and the Muslims could not publicly and in a body perform
prayer or recite the Qur’an at the Ka`bah before the conversion of
`Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, and the revelation of Sura An-Najm
took place after his conversion. Conversion of `Umar, may Allah be
pleased with him, was a great gain to Islam.
The
Qur’an has the stunning effect on every non-believing Quraishite
who heard it and their leaders such as `Utbah Ibn Rabi`ah themselves
had confessed to this. As such, the non-believers without realizing
what they were doing would have gone to prostration as commanded in
the last verse of the Surah, together with the Muslims. Since the
Quraishite leaders prostrated themselves or made a show of
prostration, they must have been pressed by their followers to
explain their act. When they realized what they have done, they
would have tried to find a justification for their unintentional act
of abiding by the Qur’anic command.
The
other fact that needs emphasizing in this connection is that the
text of the so-called “satanic verses” was no new composition
made on the occasion. It was an old couplet that the Quraishite
pagans used to recite in praise of their goddess while
circumambulating the Ka`bah. It is also to be remembered that the
unbelievers used to create noise and disturbances whenever the
Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, or Muslims recited the
Qur’an publicly. Therefore, it is very likely that when the
Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, recited the Surah and
mentioned al-Lat and al-`Uzza in the course of his recitation and in
a denunciatory strain, some of the Quraishite unbelievers instantly
interrupted and protested by shouting out the couplets.
Significantly enough, some versions of the story clearly state that
the “satanic verses” were uttered not by the Prophet, peace and
blessings be upon him, but by Satan or some unbelievers, and they
specifically state that the Muslims did not hear it. Excerpted
with slight modifications from:WWW.prophetmuhammed.org |
