My Criticism upon the book "Satanic Verses" by Salman Rushdie

[Alam_dar]

The incident of Satanic Verses is one of the most important incident, where one could clearly see that it was not Allah, but it was Muhammad who was creating the verses himself in name of revelation. It is not possible to not doubt the claims of Muhammad after reading the original incident of Satanic Verses. 

 

But the worst thing which happened to the "Seekers of Truth", was the Novel of Salman Rushdie. 

 

Salman Rushdie absolutely didn't explain the real incident, but he was writing a fantasy story with only some hints to this incident. Unfortunately, his novel also became very famous ... so much famous that people forgot the "real incident". 

 

Now everyone (the Truth Seekers), who want to know about Islam (or Incident of Satanic Verses), he tries to read the novel of Salman Rushdie, instead of reading the original incident. 

 

It is really a shame how this novel brought so much misguidance to the Truth Seekers, and helped Muslims so much to divert the attention from this one of the most important issue. 

 

All Muslim youth know only Novel of Salman Rushdie when it comes to the Satanic Verses. If only they could come to know the original incident, then many of them will start doubting Muhammad and the Revelation. 

 

In fact, Muslims have been using this book of Rushdie very successfully in order to incite hatred among the Muslim Youth against the non-Muslims. In Pakistani schools and colleges, Mullah type teachers are telling the youth that non-Muslims have nothing to criticise against Islam, but they only try to insult the holy Prophet by writing lies against him in their stories. 

I don't know Rushdie, so I cannot say any words about him or his intentions to write this book. But I curse this book, while it was the cause of misguidance of "millions" of people. 

Edited November 14, 2019 by Alam_dar

[Alam_dar]

Here is the original incident. Every person has to read about this original incident if he wants to study Islam. 

 

Background:

The people of Mecca (Quraysh) were illiterate and superstitious. They worshipped many gods. They were not against the introduction of new gods, but they didn't want anyone to blame their gods to be the false. Especially when their economy was also connected with the worship of those gods as people were visiting Mecca (Kaba) and taking vows and thus making them richer. 

Muhammad made this mistake that he started his new religion by blaming their gods to be the false deities. Muhammad wanted to have monopoly upon all the religious economy, which didn't go well with the people of Mecca. 

Prior to Muhammad, Jews and Christians also made such attempts of converting them, where they wanted to end up the worship of all Arab gods and wanted to introduce their single god. But they failed too. 

After sometime Muhammad realised his mistake. Therefore, he thought to reconcile with the Quraysh by praising their idols, so that Quraysh too accept him as the prophet of his newly invented Allah without problems as they had done in the past with other idol gods. 

Therefore, according to the new plan, Muhammad started to express his "desires" (Arabic: Tammana تمنی) in front of Quraysh that he desired/wished that Allah also accepts their idol of being high status gods too.  (Note: This word "desires" (Arabic: Tammana تمنی)  is important and will be used later on)

One day Muhammad went in a Quraysh's gathering, and started the Drama that Allah has been sending revelation upon him through Jibrael (angel). And then Muhammad recited the newly revealed Verses, which were praising and confirming the intercession of the gods of Quraysh:

"Have you thought upon al-Lat and al-Uzza and Manat, the third, the other? These are the high flying cranes; verily their intercession is accepted with approval."

Initially Quraysh liked it and they prostrated along with Muhammad when he was reciting these verse.

But later this plan of Muhammad failed miserably, while earlier he had constantly called those gods  of Quraysh to be the false deities. Thus people realised this clear contradictions in the Muhammad's Drama. Thus they started making fun of Muhammad and his newly invented Allah. 

Till evening, Muhammad became aware of the failure of his plan. Thus, in the evening, he was compelled to make up a new Drama of revelation, where he started telling the people that Allah didn't praise the pagan's idols, but it was Satan who misguided him in reciting those Satanic Verse.

In this newly made story, Muhammad told Quraysh that:

• Jibrael came to me (i.e. Muhammad) in the evening and asked me to revise the verses which he brought earlier on that day. 
• I (i.e. Muhammad) thus revised those verses which were praising the gods of Quraysh. 
• Thereupon Jibrael told me that these were not the verses which he brought from Allah, but these were the Satanic verses, which Satan caused him to recite. 
• And then immediately Allah sent more verses as revelation through Jibrael to me that I am not alone, but other prophets before me were also misguided by Satan due to their "desires" (Arabic: Tammana تمنی):
   

  (Surah Hajj 22:52-53) وَمَا أَرْ‌سَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّ‌سُولٍ وَلَا نَبِيٍّ إِلَّا إِذَا تَمَنَّىٰ أَلْقَى الشَّيْطَانُ فِي أُمْنِيَّتِهِ فَيَنسَخُ اللَّـهُ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ ثُمَّ يُحْكِمُ اللَّـهُ آيَاتِهِ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ۔ لِيَجْعَلَ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ فِتْنَةً لِّلَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ وَالْقَاسِيَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ لَفِي شِقَاقٍ بَعِيدٍ
  
  Translation: And We did not send from before you from a messenger, and nor a prophet, except when he "desires" (Arabic: Tammana تمنی), the devil threw in his desire, so God erases what the devil throws in ...So that Allah make what the devil throws (as) a TEST to those who have disease in their hearts.

  
  Note:  
  The word "desires" (Arabic: Tammana تمنی) in it, confirms that this verse was revealed at the time of incident of Satanic Verses, but later the Muslims put it at another place (Surah al-Hajj, instead of Surah al-Najm) in Quran. It was either done due to their dishonesty while they try hard to hide this incident, or due to their ineptness. 
  
  Secondly, whenever Allah (/Muhammad) made a mistake in any matter, later Muhammad defended in name of "TEST" from Allah. You will see this pattern of "Mistake=Test" many times in Quran and Muhammad's life. For example "Change of Qibla" was also called a Test later on (please see our article "History of Mecca"). 
   
• Muhammad also claimed that Allah had also erased the Satanic Verses, and replaced them with new Verses, which were condemning the gods of the Qurash:
  
  (Quran 53:19-26)  أَفَرَأَيْتُمُ اللَّاتَ وَالْعُزَّىٰ ﴿١٩﴾ وَمَنَاةَ الثَّالِثَةَ الْأُخْرَىٰ ﴿٢٠﴾ أَلَكُمُ الذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ الْأُنثَىٰ ﴿٢١﴾ تِلْكَ إِذًا قِسْمَةٌ ضِيزَىٰ ﴿٢٢﴾ إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُم مَّا أَنزَلَ اللَّـهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَانٍ ۚ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى الْأَنفُسُ ۖ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُم مِّن رَّبِّهِمُ الْهُدَىٰ ﴿٢٣﴾ أَمْ لِلْإِنسَانِ مَا تَمَنَّىٰ ﴿٢٤﴾فَلِلَّـهِ الْآخِرَةُ وَالْأُولَىٰ ﴿٢٥﴾ وَكَم مِّن مَّلَكٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ لَا تُغْنِي شَفَاعَتُهُمْ شَيْئًا إِلَّا مِن بَعْدِ أَن يَأْذَنَ اللَّـهُ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَيَرْضَىٰ ﴿٢٦﴾
  Translation:

  Have you considered al-Lat and al-Uzza? And Manat, the third one, the other? Are you to have the males, and He the females? What a bizarre distribution. These are nothing but names, which you have devised, you and your ancestors, for which God sent down no authority. They follow nothing but assumptions, and what the ego desires, even though guidance has come to them from their Lord. Or shall man have whatever he "desires" (Arabic: Tammana تمنی) . To God belong the Last and the First. How many an angel is there in the heavens whose intercession avails nothing, except after God gives permission to whomever He wills, and approves?

  Note:  
  You could see clearly how Muhammad was making excuses in this drama of new verses in order to reverse the effect of Satanic Verse by denying the intercession of the idols of Quraysh, and telling that Allah denied his "desires" (Arabic: Tammana تمنی). Also remember that earlier Muhammad accepted the "intercession" of the gods of Quraysh, but here he had to bring the drama of new revelation in order to deny their intercession. 

 

Imam Suyuti says that Ibn Jarir recorded this incident from "authentic" chain of narration (link):

وأخرج ابن جرير وابن المنذر وابن أبي حاتم وابن مردويه بسند صحيح، عن سعيد بن جبير قال: قرأ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بمكة النجم، فلما بلغ هذا الموضع { أفرأيتم اللات والعزى ومناة الثالثة الأخرى } ألقى الشيطان على لسانه تلك الغرانيق العلى وإن شفاعتهن لترتجى. قالوا: ما ذكر آلهتنا بخير قبل اليوم، فسجد وسجدوا، ثم جاءه جبريل بعد ذلك قال: اعرض عليَّ ما جئتك به. فلما بلغ: تلك الغرانيق العلى وإن شفاعتهن لترتجى. قال له جبريل: لم آتك بهذا؛ هذا من الشيطان فأنزل الله { وما أرسلنا من قبلك من رسول ولا نبي }.

Translation:

Imam Ibn Jarir and others recorded from 'Sahih' (authentic) chain of narration from Saeed Ibn Jubayr that prophet started reciting Surah Najam in Mecca. When he came to to verse  (Have you thought upon al-Lat and al-Uzza and Manat, the third, the other?), then the devil interjected (alqa) into his recitation: “Those are the elevated cranes: truly their intercession is dearly hoped!”
Upon that the pagans said to Muhammad that he never before praised their idols. Prophet prostrated and also the pagans too prostrated along with him. 
In the evening, Jibrael came and asked Muhammad to recite that which he earlier brought to him. When Muhammad recited the satanic verse, then Jibrael told him that he didn't bring that verse to him, but it was from the Satan. Thus Allah revealed at that time: (Quran 22:52: And We did not send from before you from a messenger, and nor a prophet, except when he "desires" (Arabic: Tammana تمنی), the devil threw in his desire, so God erases what the devil throws in ...).

Al-Baghwi recorded the incident in his Tafsir (Link):

Ibn `Abbas, Muhammad ibn Ka`b al-Qurazi and others of the commentators of Qur’an said that when the Prophet – Allah bless and greet him – saw the turning away of his people from him and it bore heavily on him to see the distance grow between them and what he brought them on Allah’s part, he desired in his soul (tamanna fi nafsihi) that there come from Allah something that would bridge the gap between him and his people, for he was deeply concerned that they should have faith. As he was in a gathering of the Quraysh one day, Allah revealed Sura al-Najm  (through Jibrael), whereupon Allah’s Messenger – Allah bless and greet him — began to recite it:
 

1.  'By the star when it sets! Your companion has not erred or gone astray, and does not speak from mere fancy…'

....  until he reached His saying:

19. Have ye thought upon Al Lat and Al Uzza?

20. And Manat, the third, the other?
 

whereupon the devil interjected upon his tongue (alqa al-shaytan `ala lisanihi) in connection with that of which he spoke to himself and was hoping for:

“Those are the elevated cranes:
truly their intercession is dearly hoped!”
 

When the Quraysh heard this, they rejoiced greatly. Allah’s Messenger proceeded with his recitation until the end of the Sura, at which point he prostrated, and the Muslims prostrated with him as well as all those of the pagans that were in the mosque ...  When evening came, Jibrael came to Allah’s Messenger – Allah bless and greet him – and said: “O Muhammad! What have you done? You have recited to the people something which I never brought you from Allah Exalted and Almighty.” Hearing this, the Prophet – Allah bless and greet him – was deeply grieved and feared much from Allah (swt). So Allah revealed to him the following verse in which he consoled him , as He was ever merciful towards him:
 

{ Never sent We a messenger or a Prophet before thee but when He recited (the message) Satan proposed (opposition) in respect of that which he recited thereof. But Allah abolisheth that which Satan proposeth. Then Allah establisheth His revelations. Allah is Knower, Wise} (22:52)

When this verse was revealed, then pagans of Mecca said that Muhammad was ashamed of praising our gods, and thus he changed his statement. 

 

This incident of Satanic Verses totally exposed Muhammad. And later coming Muslims were neither able to swallow it nor spit it. 

 

Questions:

1. When Jibrael was revealing the verses, how Satan was able to take control of Muhammad?
Why didn't Jibrael block the Satan immediately?
Is Satan more powerful than Jibrael?
 

2.  How stupid was it that Jibrael appeared only in the evening. And still Jibrael didn't know what happened during the day time, although he was present there and revealing the verses? He came to know it only when Muhammad recited the satanic verses in front of him. 
So, why didn't Jibrael knew about interference by Satan?
Why was Jibrael unable to see Kuffar prostrating along with Muhammad? 
 

3. Muslim excuse is this that Allah wanted to take a "test", and therefore he let the Satan misguide Muhammad. 
Here question arises, test of whom?
When Muhammad himself got misguided, and failed in the test, and started thinking that gods of Pagans were of high status, then how could other people had any chance to pass this so called "test"?

4. First Allah gave full chance to Satan to play this game of misguiding Muhammad. And after the crime, when Muhammad becames sad, then Allah starts encouraging him by telling him not to weep as  all other previous prophets had also been  misguided by Satan. Then Allah gets busy in cleaning the filth of Satanic Verses. And after erasing them, Allah boasts about himself that people should look at His power that He has the ability to clean the filth. So people should believe in Him. 
 

Thus it is clear that Muhammad was trying to make these lame excuses in name of Allah in order to safe his face and face of his drama of revelation. 

 

Islamic Aqeedah: Even a "donkey" is able to see the Satan, but prophet could not

On one side Islam claims that even a "donkey" has the powers to see Satan and make people aware of his presence. But on the other side, Prophet Muhammad was not able to see the Satan and thus Satan overpowers both the prophet and the revelation.

Sahih Bukhari, Beginning of Creation (Link):

The Prophet said, "When you hear the crowing of cocks, ask for Allah's Blessings for (their crowing indicates that) they have seen an angel. And when you hear the braying of donkeys, seek Refuge with Allah from Satan for (their braying indicates) that they have seen a Satan."

And there is whole ocean of contradictions. 

At another place, Prophet boasts about himself that he was so powerful that he not only saw the Satan, but he also almost strangled him to death. 

Sahih Bukhari, Begging of Creation (Link):

The Prophet once offered the prayer and said, "Satan came in front of me and tried to interrupt my prayer, but Allah gave me an upper hand on him and I choked him. No doubt, I thought of tying him to one of the pillars of the mosque till you get up in the morning and see him. 

And on one side a prophet Muhammad has such high status that even a dream of normal person becomes immune of Satan, but on the other side prophet Muhammad was himself not immune to misguidance from Satan.

Sahih Bukhari, Book of Interpretations of Dreams (Link):

The Prophet said, "Whoever has seen me in a dream, then no doubt, he has seen me, for Satan cannot imitate my shape.

And on one side prophet was so great that he was able to make other people immune of Satan, but on the other side he was unable to protect himself from misguidance from Satan.

Sahih Bukhari, book of creation (Link):

I went to Sham (and asked. "Who is here?"), The people said, "Abu Ad-Darda." Abu Darda said, "Is the person whom Allah has protected against Satan, (as Allah's Messenger  said) amongst you". The subnarrator, Mughira said that the person who was given Allah's Refuge through the tongue of the Prophet was `Ammar (bin Yasir).

 

 Here you could see the "Human Element" in the revelations, which were full of contradictions during this whole incident. This proves that it was Muhammad himself, who was creating all these verses in name of Allah.