The ill-treatment Muhammad received

The Quraysh had called Muhammad Mudhamman to revile him. He used to say: "Aren't you surprised at the injuries of the Quraysh which God turns away from me? They curse me and satirize Mudhammam [reprobate] whereas I am Muhammad [the laudable]." The Sirat, al-Tabari and the Quran are full of similar exchanges during the Meccan years. No doubt Muhammad was fond of praise and hated being mocked. [Another referred to in the Quran] is Umayya b. Khalaf. Whenever he saw Muhammad, he slandered and reviled him, so Allah sent down concerning him: Sura 104: Woe to every slanderer and backbiter. Who has gathered wealth and counted it. He thinks that his wealth will make him last forever! Nay! Verily, he will be thrown into the crushing Fire. And what will make you know what the crushing Fire is? The fire of Allâh kindled, Which leaps up over the hearts, Verily, it shall be closed upon them, In pillars stretched forth. As in other situations, we see the Quran being given as responses to specific situations. It is somewhat unsettling that Allah kindles the fires of Hell personally. Abu Jahl met Muhammad, and said to him: "By God, Muhammad, you will either stop cursing our gods or we will curse the God you serve." It appears that Muhammad was a bit less polite than the Meccans. Muhammad had cursed their gods for a decade, yet only this late does one of the top Meccans threaten to curse the god of Muhammad. Actually, this is doubly weird. Not only are we seeing Muhammad curse the gods of the Meccans, which includes Allah. We also see the Meccans threatening to curse the god Muhammad serves, implying it's a different deity. The best candidate for this would be Ar-Rahman of Yemenite origin, to whom an entire sura (55) is dedicated. So God revealed concerning that: Quran 6:108: And insult not those whom they (disbelievers) worship besides Allâh, lest they insult Allâh wrongfully without knowledge. Clear enough. The disbelievers do worship Allah beside other gods. Disbelief seems to be more on the issue of Muhammad's status as messenger and prophet. I have been told that Muhammad refrained from cursing their gods and began calling them to Allah. After a decade of mockery, a more lenient Muhammad steps down a bit. That those who already worship Allah have any need to be called to Allah is not logical. Al-Nadr b. al-Harith, whenever Muhammad sat in an assembly and invited people to God, and recited the Quran, and warned the Quraysh of what had happened to former peoples, followed him when he got up and spoke to them about Rustum the Hero and Isfandiyar and the kings of Persia, saying: "By Allah, Muhammad cannot tell a better story than I, and his talk is only of old fables which he has copied as I have." Al-Nadr is precise here. The Quran contains many tales copied from the Talmud (Jewish folk tales) Midrash, Targum or apocryphical Christian scriptures. Quran 18:9-25 is a copy of The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus. The various Cain and Abel stories in the Quran (like Quran 5:30) are similar Targum of Jonathan-ben-Uzziah, The Targum of Jerusalem etc. These Jewish tales are odd variants of the Old Testament stories. In a similar vein, Quran 5:32, quoted by George W. Bush as proof that Islam is peaceful, runs: Because of that, We ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or to spread mischief in the land – it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind. It is amazing that one of the most peace-loving verses of the Quran is copied from Jewish scripture, Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5. But there's a kicker here, often skipped: "To spread mischief in the land" is an idiom for non-Islamic behaviour or disobedience to Muhammad. This is effectively a license to kill infidels and disobedient Muslims. Also, many quote 5:32 without the natural context of the following verse: Quran 5:33: The recompense of those who wage war against Allâh and His Messenger and do mischief in the land is only that they shall be killed or crucified or their hands and their feet be cut off from opposite sides, or be exiled from the land. That is their disgrace in this world, and a great torment is theirs in the Hereafter. Proving Islam to be a religion of peace is not the easiest of jobs. Taking quotes out of context helps, but in a dishonest way. Back in the hadith: So Allah revealed concerning him: "And they say: "Stories of the ancients which he has copied down, and they are read to him morning and night."" Say: "He who knows the secrets of heaven and earth has sent it down. Verily, he is merciful, forgiving."" This is a paraphrase of: Quran 83:13-83:18: When Our Verses (of the Qur'ân) are recited to him, he says: "Tales of the ancients!" Nay! But on their hearts is the Rân (covering of sins and evil deeds) which they used to earn. Nay! Surely, they (evildoers) will be veiled from seeing their Lord that Day. Then verily, they will indeed enter (and taste) the burning flame of Hell. Then, it will be said to them: "This is what you used to deny!" Nay! Verily, the Record (writing of the deeds) of Al-Abrâr (the pious believers of Islamic Monotheism) is (preserved) in 'Illiyyûn. This is also an example of how the translator adds comments to clarify the meaning. Without the comment, the verses are closer to the Arab original, and read: Quran 83:13-83:18: When Our Verses are recited to him, he says: "Tales of the ancients!" Nay! But on their hearts is the Rân which they used to earn. Nay! Surely, they will be veiled from seeing their Lord that Day. Then verily, they will indeed enter the burning flame of Hell. Then, it will be said to them: "This is what you used to deny!" Nay! Verily, the Record of Al-Abrâr is in 'Illiyyûn. The Quran can be quite opaque without the comments inserted by the translators. Since many of the tales in the Quran are indeed old fables, this diatribe seems a bit over the edge. It is appropriate that we are reminded by the Quran itself that the revelation is inscribed in the eternal tablet in heaven, rooting out any suspicion that this verse is simply situational.

Religious discussions

Muhammad sat one day with al-Wali in the mosque, and al-Nadr b. al-Harith came and sat with them in the assembly where some of the Quraysh were. When Muhammad spoke, al-Nadr interrupted him, and Muhammad spoke to him until he silenced him. Then he read to them and to the others: Quran 21:98-100: Certainly you (disbelievers) and that which you are worshipping now besides Allâh, are (but) fuel for Hell! (Surely) you will enter it. Had these (idols) been âlihah (gods), they would not have entered there (Hell), and all of them will abide therein forever. Therein they will be breathing out with deep sighs and roaring and therein they will hear not. Here we see Muhammad reviling the gods of the Quraysh at full power, threatening them with punishment they had never imagined before. An interesting detail is the clear distinction between 'gods' ('alihah') and 'Allah'. Allah is one specific god, the greatest of the Ka'aba (as in Allah-u-Akbar). The translator is quite busy filling in the text with extra words, which seems unnessecary. The verse without the inserted words fits nicely into the conversation in the mosque. Then Muhammad rose and Abdullah b. al-Zibara came and sat down. Al-Walid said to him: "By Allah, al-Nadr could not stand up to the grandson of Abdul-Muttalib just now, and Muhammad alleged that we and our gods are fuel for hell." Abdullah said: "If I had found him, I would have refuted him. Ask Muhammad: "Is everthing which is worshipped besides God in Gehenna with those who worship it?" We worship the angels; the Jews worship Uzayr (Ezra); and the Christians worship Jesus, Son of Mary." Al-Walid and those with him in the assembly marvelled at Abdullahs words and thought that he had argued convincingly. It's getting complicated, but since we have a real religious debate, it's worth following. Muhammad alleges that the Arabs will end up in Hell for their religion. That's unsettling for the Arabs, who for generations have lived quite decently with the Ka'aba, Allah and the lesser gods therein, dutifully overseeing the pilgrimage (Hajj and Umra) and caring for the pilgrims by means of the pilgrimage tax instituted by Qusayy. Being rewarded with a one way ticket to Hell probably isn't what they expected. The variant interpretations of Jewish and Christian religions are interesting. Both are understood as worshipping of humans, not of gods. When Muhammad was told of this, he said: "Everyone who wishes to be worshipped to the exclusion of God will be with those who worship him. They worship only satans and those they have ordered to be worshipped." Muhammad follows this variant interpretation and condemns worshipping humans, even calling them 'satans'. This is interesting. So God revealed concerning that: Quran 21:101-102: Verily, those for whom the good has preceded from Us, they will be removed far therefrom (Hell). They shall not hear the slightest sound of it (Hell), while they abide in that which their own selves desire. i.e. Jesus Son of Mary and Uzayr (Ezra) and those rabbis and monks who have lived in obedience to God, whom the erring people worship as lords beside God. And He revealed concerning their assertion that they worship angels and that they are the daughters of God: Quran 21:26-29: And they say: "The Most Gracious has begotten a son." Glory to Him! They are but honoured slaves. They speak not until He has spoken, and they act on His Command. He knows what is before them, and what is behind them, and they cannot intercede except for him with whom He is pleased. And they stand in awe for fear of Him. And if any of them should say: "Verily, I am an ilâh besides Him," such a one We should recompense with Hell. The god of Muhammad (whom interestingly is not named - or named Ar-Rahman if "The Most Gracious" is left untranslated) seems to be more dicatorial than other gods around. Note the distinction between 'ilah', which means 'god', and 'Allah', the name of the most important god of the Ka'aba. One might think that having the fear of Hell being the main reason to worship any god is thin. And He revealed concerning what he mentioned about Jesus, Son of Mary, that he was worshipped besides God, and the astonishment of al-Walid and those who were present, at his argument and disputation: Quran 43:57: And when the son of Maryam is quoted as an example, behold, your people cry aloud. i.e. they rejected your attitude to what they say. OK, this is a tough act to follow. Even Guillaume has a footnote here trying to untangle what is going on. The debate certainly does not follow what we in the west, more or less versed in the Greek tradition, consider stringent and logical. Guillaume states: "The Sura is perfectly consistent in showing how prophets were sent to erring people and were laughed at." In other words: "Don't discount me just because you think my revelation is silly." Then He mentions Jesus, Son of Mary, and says: Quran 43:59-61: He (Jesus) was not more than a slave. We granted Our Favour to him, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel. And if it were Our Will, We would have made angels to replace you on the earth. And he shall be a known sign for the Hour. Therefore have no doubt concerning it. And follow Me! This is the Straight Path. Taking out the translators' comments sometimes makes the Quranic texts more, rather than less, comprehensible. Reducing Jesus to merely a slave to Allah is a deep mockery of Christianity. It is faulty, too, because Jesus never handed down scriptures of Allah, Jahveh or any other god. Instead, scripture was written about him. The threat to replace all humans with (will-less) angels is not a sign of a god with deep love for humankind. A final point of confusion is the strange use of 'We', 'Our', 'Me' without making clear who this refers to, be it either Allah and/or Muhammad. Al-Akhnas b. Shariq was one of the leaders of his people who was listened to with respect, and he used to give Muhammad much trouble and contradict him, so God sent down about him: Quran 68:10-15: And obey you not everyone Hallâf Mahîn. A slanderer, going about with calumnies, Hinderer of the good, transgressor, sinful, Cruel, and moreover baseborn. Because he had wealth and children. When Our Verses are recited to him, he says: "Tales of the men of old!" When Allah can't beat Al-Akhnas on the ground of scripture and logic, he can at least slander them, with gusto. The 'Tales of the men of old!' bit probably refers to the extensive use Muhammad made of apocryphical (non-canonic) stories of Jewish and Christian origin. Al-Walid said: "Does Allah send down revelations to Muhammad and ignore me, the greatest chief of Quraysh, to say nothing of Abu Masud Amr, the chief of Thaqif, we being the great ones of Taif and Mecca? So Allah sent down concerning him: Quran 43:31-32: Why is not this Qur'ân sent down to some great man of the two towns? Is it they who would portion out the Mercy of your Lord? It is We Who portion out between them their livelihood in this world, and We raised some of them above others in ranks, so that some may employ others in their work. But the mercy of your Lord is better than what they amass. The confusing use of 'we' continues. The unnamed 'Lord' is singularis. Might Muhammad be counted along with his god? Ubayy b. Khalaf and Uqba b. Abu were very close friends. Now Uqba had sat and listened to Muhammad and when Ubayy knew of that, he came to him and said: "Do I hear that you have sat with Muhammad and listened to him? I swear I will never see you or speak to you again if you do the same again, or if you do not go and spit in his face." Islam has caused much division inside clans and between friends. This is but one example. Uqba, the enemy of God, actually did this, God curse him. We note that the Islamic God curses, rather than forgives, his enemies. So God sent down concerning the pair of them: Quran 25:27-29: And the Day when the Zâlim (wrong doer) will bite at his hands, he will say: "Oh! Would that I had taken a path with the Messenger "Ah! Woe to me! Would that I had never taken so-and-so as a Khalîl (an intimate friend)! "He indeed led me astray from the Reminder (this Qur'ân) after it had come to me. And Shaitân (Satan) is to man ever a deserter in the hour of need." One may wonder: "Why so much emphasis on these squabbles?" Point is, they make up much of the Meccan activity of Muhammad, and much of the Quran from this period was given as responses to the people questioning and doubting Muhammad. Exchanges like this are so plentiful it would be unjust to skip them. But just at the point where it gets boring, something profoundly interesting takes place:

An offer from the Quraysh

There met Muhammad, as he was going round the Ka'aba, Al-Aswad b. al-Muttalib and al-Walid b. al-Mughira nad Umayya b. Khalaf and al-As b. Wail al-Sahmi, men of reputation among their people. They said: "Muhammad, come let us worship what you worship, and you worship what we worship. You and we will combine in the matter. If what you worship is better than what we worship, we will take a share of it, and if what we worship is better than what you worship, you can take a share of that." The Quraysh, trying to resolve the conflict between them and Muhammad, comes up with an offer: Combine the gods being worshipped, share responsibility and resources. Let us see how this is worded in Tabari: Tabari VI p. 106: Quraysh promised Muhammad that they would give him so much wealth that he would become the richest man in Mecca, would give him as many girls as he wanted in marriage, and would submit to his commands. This is quite a deal. Sex, power and money enough to satisfy all worldly desires one can imagine. More details follow: They said: "This is what we will give you, Muhammad, so desist from reviling our gods and do not speak evilly of them. If you will not do so, we offer you one means which will be to your advantage and to ours." "What is it?" he asked. They said: "You will worship our gods, al-Lat and al-Uzza, for a year, and we shall worship your god for a year." Curiously, the god of Muhammad is not named. Since the Meccans were already worshipping Allah along with the minor gods, does this imply that Muhammad was bringing a foreign god into the mix? Let us see how he responds to the proposal: "Let me see what revelation comes to me from my Lord," he replied. This is astonishing. Not only does he not name his god 'Allah'. He even considers the suggestion seriously, ignoring that a change of god would make him a very illoyal prophet. Then, the following inspiration came from the preserved tablet: Sura 109: Say: "O Al-Kâfirûn! I worship not that which you worship, Nor will you worship that which I worship. And I shall not worship that which you are worshipping. Nor will you worship that which I worship. To you be your religion, and to me my religion. This passage, which is much clearer without the translator's comments, is not new revelation. It is one of the earlier Meccan suras being brought up again. After having so many revelations that looked situational, it is a relief to get a reminder that these are quotes from the preserved tablets in Heaven. One might easily forget that. Muhammad was eager for the welfare of his people, and wished to effect a reconciliation with them in whatever ways he could. Of course the offer of power, sex and money has absolutely no influence on his decisions, we are to assume. When Muhammad saw how his tribe turned their backs on him and was grieved to see them shunning the message he had brougth to them from God, he longed in his soul that something would come to them from God which would reconcile him with his tribe. With his love for his tribe and his eagerness for their welfare, it would have delighted him if some of the difficulties which they made for him could have been smoothed out, and he debated with himself and fervently desired such an outcome. It is not frequent, but here we have Muhammad sincerely wishing good for his clan, who for a decade have rejected his message. His possible personal gains should not be considered significant in the matter.

Accepting the offer

Then God revealed: Quran 53:1-4: By the star when it goes down. Your companion (Muhammad) has neither gone astray nor has erred. Nor does he speak of desire. It is only a Revelation revealed. This settles one important issue: What follows is not driven by the personal desires of Muhammad, who does not make mistakes. This is pure revelation. Quran 53:19-20: Have you then considered Al-Lât, and Al-'Uzzâ And Manât, the other third? Satan cast on his tongue, because of his inner debates and what he desired to bring to his people, the words: These are the high-flying cranes; verily their intercession is accepted with approval. It is no wonder that this verse did not make it into the Quran. It destroys the concept of Islam being a monotheistic religion. Scriptural details aside, the revelation is accepted with delight: When Quraysh heard this, they rejoiced and were happy and delighted at the way in which he spoke of their gods, and they listened to him, while the Muslims, having complete trust in their prophet in respect of the messages which he brought from God, did not suspect him of error, illusion or mistake. When he came to the prostration, having completed the surah, he prostrated himself and the Muslims did likewise, following their Prophet, trusting in the message which he had brought and following his example. This is good Islamic behaviour, as described here: Quran 5:101-102: O you who believe! Ask not about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble. But if you ask about them while the Qur'ân is being revealed, they will be made plain to you. Allâh has forgiven that, and Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Forbearing. Before you, a community asked such questions, then on that account they became disbelievers. Those polytheists of the Quraysh and others who were in the mosque likewise prostrated themselves because of the reference to their gods which they had heard, so that there was no one in the mosque, believer or unbeliever, who did not prostrate himself. Worth remembering is that the prostration to the gods is a polytheist Arab tradition. The Quraysh left delighted by the mention of their gods which they had heard, saying: "Muhammad has mentioned our gods in the most favorable way possible, stating in his recitation [Quran] that they are high-flying cranes and that their intercession is received with approval." The Quraysh tribe finally got what they wanted: No more mockery of the gods, no prophet telling the pilgrims that the gods they worship are false and bound for Hell. After ten years of conflict, this is obviously very welcome. 'Intercession' means that the gods will ask forgiveness on the Day of Judgement - a recurring theme in Islam. The news of this prostration reached those Muslims who were in Abyssinia, and people said: "The Quraysh have accepted Islam." Some rose up to return, while others remained behind. Judging from the above, it's a bit of an exaggeration to say that the Quraysh accepted Islam, but that way of putting it increases the standing of Muhammad. The Quraysh had simply added the god of Muhammad to their collection, who on the other hand was forced to accept a whole lot of new gods. Since news traveled slow these days (by caravans, mainly), there must have passed quite some time here. Unfortunately, except from the travels to and from Abyssinia, we have little chronology available here. One indication was that the deal was to last one year, initially, and the reversal might be after this year. Another option, possibly the most solid, is that Muhammad married Aisha about this time (Khadija, his first wife, had just died), three years before the flight to Medina. Let us look a little closer at this: Sirat p. 191: Khadija and Abu Talib died in the same year, and with Khadija's death troubles followed fast on each other's heels, for she had been a faithful support to him in Islam, and he used to tell her of his troubles. This is all the Sirat reports of Kadija's death. It is somewhat puzzling that it is so briefly described. She was, after all, the person who initially suggested Muhammad that he was a prophet rather than possessed, the first person to accept his revelation, the one who provided material support for his preaching, and, as above, his confident in the problems he had. One would think she deserved more honorable mention after having supported Muhammad and his mission for a decade. It is a safe bet that without her moral and material support, Muhammad would have given up, and Islam would not have come into being. The timing of her death coincides loosely with Muhammads' bargain with the Quraysh. If she was still alive at the time it was suggested, she would most likely have an opinion about it. However, nothing is related to us. After an unspecified time (see above), yet in the same paragraph, the hadith continues:

A change of heart

Then Gabriel came to Muhammad and said: "Muhammad, what have you done? You have recited to the people that which was not said to you." Then Muhammad was much grieved and feared Allah greatly, but Allah sent down a revelation to him, for He was merciful to him, consoling him and making the matter light for him, informing him that there had never been a prophet or a messenger before him who desired as he desired, and wished what he had wished, but that Satan had cast words into his recitation, as he had cast words on Muhammads tongue. Much stuff here. Gabriel, whom we do not see often, states that Muhammad had said something that was not said to him. Yet, we have been told that it was indeed told him, merely from another source. Contradiction aside, we have more to worry about. Muhammad, we were told, had done this for the welfare of his people, not unlike how the Jewish prophets would work for the good of their people. Yet, exactly when Muhammad wishes for benefit of others, Satan takes advantage of the situation. Worse yet, it is stated that all prophets who wished likewise had been reciting Satan's words. It is no wonder that Ibn Hisham took out this passage in his edition of Ibn Ishaq's original. Then God cancelled what Satan had thus cast, and established his verses by telling him that he was like other prophets and messengers, and revealed: Quran 22:52-54: Never did We send a Messenger or a Prophet before you but when he did recite the Revelation or narrated or spoke, Shaitân (Satan) threw (some falsehood) in it. But Allâh abolishes that which Shaitân throws in. Then Allâh establishes His Revelations. And Allâh is All-Knower, All-Wise: That He may make what is thrown in by Shaitân a trial for those in whose hearts is a disease (of hypocrisy and disbelief) and whose hearts are hardened. And certainly, the Zalimûn (polytheists and wrong doers) are in an opposition far-off. And that those who have been given knowledge may know that it (is the truth from your Lord, so that they may believe therein, and their hearts may submit to it with humility. And verily, Allâh is the Guide of those who believe, to a Straight Path. All told, this incident is nothing but a trial for the believers. But we are left with a problem: Not only are all prophets discredited by having given messages from Satan. How are we to know with confidence that no other verses from Satan remain, unabrogated, in the Quran? Some may think that it would be more appropriate that Satan, not Allah, would be the one condemning humans to the fires of Hell. There is no doubt that those accepting this as fine and trustworthy have deep confidence in Muhammad. Thus God removed the sorrow from his Messenger, reassured him about that which he had feared, and cancelled the words which Satan had cast on his tongue, that their gods were the high-flying cranes whose intercession was accepted with approval. He now revealed, following the mention of al-Lat, al-Uzza and Manat, the third, the other, the words: Quran 53:21-26: Is it for you the males and for Him the females? That indeed is a division most unfair! They are but names which you have named – you and your fathers – for which Allâh has sent down no authority. They follow but a guess and that which they themselves desire, whereas there has surely come to them the guidance from their Lord! Or shall man have what he wishes? But to Allâh belongs the last (Hereafter) and the first (the world). And there are many angels in the heavens, whose intercession will avail nothing except after Allâh has given leave for whom He wills and is pleased with. Actually a shame that the revelations are separated into different suras. The slightly sexist notion that it would be unfair that Allah has only daugthers probably fits well into Arab tradition. Again we see Allah being credited with all property and all power in the universe. This means: How can the intercession of their gods avail with God? When Muhammad brought a revelation from God cancelling what Satan had cast on the tongue of His Prophet, the Quraysh said: "Muhammad has repented of what he said concerning the position of your gods with God, and he has altered it and brought something else." Well, so it is. Those two phrases which Satan had cast on the tongue of Muhammad were in the mouth of every polytheist, and they became even more ill-disposed and more violent in their persecution of those of them who had accepted Islam and followed Muhammad. Not too surprising, actually. The Quraysh had given Muhammad quite a good deal for accepting their gods, and the deal caused peace and harmony to return to Mecca after almost a decade of strife and mutual mockery. After Muhammad discarded the deal, the town fell back to the state of strife the Quraysh had sought to end. The standing of Muhammad certainly has not improved. The Tabari rendention of this incident is more extensive than that of Ibn Ishaq, repeating central parts of it on the next pages. One may wonder, actually, why Islamic scholars hold this incident as the most difficult and incriminating for Muhammad. While changing one's deity certainly doesn't look appropriate for a genuine prophet, the pledges of al-Aqabah and the extensive period of violence (Nakhla, Battle of Badr onwards) that followed would to many modern observers seem significantly worse.