Satanic Verses incident

 

Before Orthodoxy: The Satanic Verses in Early Islam, Author: Shahab Ahmed, Publication Year: 2017
ABSTRACT: Shahab Ahmed, Ph.D. 1999.
* One of the most controversial episodes in the life of the Prophet Muhammad concerns an incident in which he
allegedly mistook words suggested by Satan as divine revelation. Known as the Satanic verses, these praises to the
pagan deities contradict the Islamic belief that Allah is one and absolute. Muslims today—of all sects—deny that
the incident of the Satanic verses took place. But as Shahab Ahmed explains, Muslims did not always hold this view.
* Before Orthodoxy wrestles with the question of how religions establish truth—especially religions such as Islam that
lack a centralized authority to codify beliefs. Taking the now universally rejected incident of the Satanic verses as a
case study in the formation of Islamic orthodoxy, Ahmed shows that early Muslims, circa 632 to 800 CE, held the exact
opposite belief. For them, the Satanic verses were an established fact in the history of the Prophet. Ahmed offers a
detailed account of the attitudes of Muslims to the Satanic verses in the first two centuries of Islam and traces the
chains of transmission in the historical reports known as riwāyah.
* Touching directly on the nature of Muhammad’s prophetic visions, the interpretation of the Satanic verses
incident is a question of profound importance in Islam, one that plays a role in defining the limits of what
Muslims may legitimately say and do—issues crucial to understanding the contemporary Islamic world.
SOURCE: Princeton University, NES - Department of Near Eastern Studies.
SOURCE: https://nes.princeton.edu/publications/orthodoxy-satanic-verses-early-islam

The History of al-Tabari, Volume VI "Muhammad at Mecca", Page 107.
Subtitle: Satan Casts a False Revelation on the Messenger of God's Tongue
The Messenger of God was sitting in a large gathering of Quraysh, wishing that day that no revelation
would come to him from God which would cause them to turn away from him. Then God revealed:
By the Star when it sets, your comrade does not err, nor is he deceived ... (i.e Surah 53:1, 53:2, 53:3)
and the Messenger of God recited it until he came to:
Have you thought upon al-Lat and al-'Uzza and Manat, the third, the other? (i.e Surah 53:19 ,53:20)
when Satan cast on his tongue two phrases:
These are the high flying cranes; verily their intercession is to be desired. (i.e. Surah 53:20 cont...)
He uttered them and went on to complete the surah. When he prostrated himself at the end of the surah,
the whole company prostrated themselves with him. Al-Walid b. al-Mughirah raised some dust to his forehead
and bowed over that, since he was a very old man and could not prostrate himself. They were satisfied with what
Muhammad had uttered and said, "We recognize that it is God who gives life and death, who creates and who
provides sustenance, but if these gods of ours intercede for us with him, and if you give them a share, we are with
you." That evening Gabriel came to him and reviewed the surah with him, and when he reached the two phrases
which Satan had cast upon his tongue he said, "I did not bring you these two." Then the Messenger of God said,
"I have fabricated things against God and have imputed to Him words which He has not spoken."
SOURCE: https://www.muslim-library.com/english/the-history-of-al-tabari-volume-6-muhammad-at-mecca/
SOURCE: https://muslim-library.com/books/2019/05/en_Tabari_Volume_06.pdf
About Us: The Comprehensive Muslim e-Library is one of the web sites of the E-Da`wah Committee (EDC),
owned by the Al-Najat Charity Society, Kuwait. (https://www.muslim-library.com/about-us/?lang=English)

The Life of Muhammad (A translation of [Ibn] Ishaq's "Sirat Rasul Allah") by A Guillaume.(Oxford University Press)
Subtitle: The ill treatment the apostle received from his people.(Pages 161, 165 to 166)
Now the apostle was anxious for the welfare of his people , wishing to attract them as far as he could. It had been
mentioned that he longed for a way to attract them, and the method he adopted is what Ibn Hamid told me that
Salama said M. b. Ishaq told him from Yazid b. Ziyad of Medina from M. b. Ka'b al-Qurazi: When the apostle saw
that his people had turned their backs on him and his pained by their estrangement from what he brought them
from God he longed that there should come to him from God a message that would reconcile his people to him.
Because of his love for his people and his anxiety over them it would delight him if the obstacle that made his
task so difficult could be removed; so that he meditated on the project and longed for it and it was dear to him.
Then God sent down 'By the star when it gets your comrade errs not and is not deceived, he speaks not from his
own desire, 'and when he reached His words 'Have you thought of al-Lat and al-Uzza and Manat the third, other',(5)
Satan, when he was meditating upon it, and desiring to bring it (sc, reconcilliation) to his people, but upon his
tongue 'these are the exalted Gharaniq(6) whose intercession is approved(7). When the Quraish heard that, they
where delighted and greatly pleased at the way in which he spoke of their gods and they listened to him; while
the believers were holding that what their prophet brought from their Lord was true, not suspecting a mistake or
a vain desire or a slip, and when it reached the prostration(8) and the end of the Sura in which he prostrated
himself the Muslims prostrated themselves when their prophet prostrated confirming what he had brought and
obeying his command, and the polytheists of Quraysh and others who were in the mosque prostrated when they
heard the mention of their gods, so that everyone in the mosque believer and unbeliever prostrated, except
al-Walid b. al-Mughira who was an old man who could not do so, so he took a handful of dirt from the valley and
bent over it. Then the people dispersed and Quraysh went out, delighted ‎at what had been said about their gods,
saying, 'Muhammad has spoken of our gods in splendid ‎fashion. He alleged in what he read that they are the exalted
Gharaniq whose intercession is ‎approved.'‎ The news reached the prophet's companions who were in Abyssinia, it being
reported that ‎Quraysh had accepted Islam, so some men started to return while others remained behind. Then ‎Gabriel
came to the apostle and said, 'What have you done, Muhammad? You have read to these ‎people something I did not
bring you from God and you have said what He did not say to you. ‎The apostle was bitterly grieved and was greatly in
fear of God. So God sent down (a revelation), ‎for He was merciful to him, comforting him and making light of the affair
and telling him that ‎every prophet and apostle before him desired as he desired and wanted what he wanted and Satan ‎interjected something into his desires as he had on his tongue. So God annulled what Satan had ‎suggested and God
established His verses i.e. you are just like the prophets and apostles. Then ‎God sent down: 'We have not sent a prophet
or apostle before you but when he longed Satan cast ‎suggestions into his longing. But God will annul what Satan has
suggested. Then God will ‎establish his verses, God being knowing and wise.' ‎(4) Thus God relieved his prophet's grief,
and ‎made him feel safe from his fears and annulled what Satan had suggested in the words used ‎above about their gods
by his revelation 'Are yours the males and His the females? That were ‎indeed an unfair division' (i.e. most unjust);
'they are nothing but names which your fathers gave ‎them as far as the words 'to whom he pleases and accepts', (‎5)‎
i.e. how can the intercession of their ‎gods avail with Him?‎ When the annulment of what Satan had put upon the prophet's
tongue came from God, ‎Quraysh said: 'Muhammad has repented of what he said about the position of your gods with ‎Allah, altered it and brought something else.' Now those two words which Satan had put upon ‎the apostle's tongue were in the
mouth of every polytheist and they became more violently ‎hostile to the Muslims and the apostle's followers. Meanwhile
those of his companions who had ‎left Abyssinia when they heard that the people of Mecca had accepted Islam when they ‎prostrated themselves with the apostle, heard when they approached Mecca that the report was ‎false and none came
into the town without the promise of protection or secretly. Of those who ‎did come into Mecca and stayed there until he migrated to Medina and were present at Badr with ‎him was 'Uthman b. 'Affan . . . with his wife Ruqayya d. of the apostle
and Abu Hudhayfa b. ‎‎'Utba with his wife Sahla d. of Suhayl, and a number of others, in all thirty-three men.‎ ‎1
1) The word is said to mean 'Numidian cranes' which fly at a great height.‎
2‎) Another reading is turtaja 'to be hoped for'.‎
3‎) Mentioned in the last verse of the Sura.‎‎
4‎) Sura 22. 51. The following verse is not without relevance in this context: 'that He may make what Satan suggested
a temptation to those whose hearts are diseased and hardened'.‎
5) Sura 53. 1-20.
6) Sura 53. 19-27.
1‎ A parallel tradition from M. b. Ka'b al-Qurazi and M. b. Qays is given by T. 1195-6.
SOURCE: http://www.muhammadanism.org/Quran/SatanicVerses.htm
SOURCE: https://www.justislam.co.uk/images/Ibn%20Ishaq%20-%20Sirat%20Rasul%20Allah.pdf
https://www.justislam.co.uk/images/Ibn%20Ishaq%20-%20Sirat%20Rasul%20Allah.pdf#page=106

 

Explanation, and confirmation of "Satanic Verse" error.
Quran 22:52 - And We did not send before you any messenger or prophet except that when he spoke
[or recited], Satan threw into it [some misunderstanding]. But Allah abolishes that which Satan throws in;...

 

Al Tafsir.Com - Ibn 'Abbas (Quran 22:52), trans. Mokrane Guezzou
(Never sent We a messenger or a Prophet before thee) O Muhammad (but when he) the Prophet (recited the
message) or spoke (Satan proposed opposition) about that which he recited thereof such that he does not act upon
it. (But Allah abolisheth) but Allah elucidates (that which Satan proposeth) on the tongue of His Prophet such that
he does not act upon it. (Then Allah establisheth) then He clarifies (His revelations) for His Prophet in order that
he acts upon them. (Allah is Knower) of that which Satan proposes, (Wise) He decrees to abolish it;
SOURCE: https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=0&tTafsirNo=73&tSoraNo=22&tAyahNo=52&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=2

 

Al Tafsir.Com - Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi (Quran 22:52), translated Mokrane Guezzou.
(Never sent We a messenger or a prophet before thee…) [22:52]. The commentators of the Qur'an said: “When the
Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, saw that his people were shunning him, he was aggrieved by
their rejection of the message he brought them and he secretly wished that Allah, exalted is He, reveals something
to him which would bring him and his people closer to each other, keen as he was to see them accept faith. One day,
he sat in one of the congregations of Quraysh which attracted a huge number of its members, and he wished that
Allah, exalted is He, does not reveal to him on that day anything that might repel them from him. Allah, exalted is He,
revealed to him then Surah al-Najm (By the star when it stetteth…) [Surah 53]. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him
and give him peace, recited it but when he reached (Have ye thought upon al-Lat and al-'Uzza, and Manat, the third, the
other) [53:19-20], the devil put on his tongue what he had secretly wished and hoped for and said: 'These are the mighty
cranes (gharaniq) and their intercession is hoped for'. When the Quraysh heard this, they were very pleased. The Messenger
of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, carried on reciting until the end of the Surah and then prostrated. All the
Muslims followed suit and prostrated, and all the idolaters who were present prostrated too. All those who were present,
whether Muslim or disbeliever, prostrated except al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah and Abu Uhyahah Sa'id ibn al-'As who were
too advanced in age and could not prostrate, but they both grabbed a handful of dust and put their foreheads on it. The
Quraysh then dispersed, happy with what they heard. They said: 'Muhammad has mentioned our idols with complimentary
terms. We know that Allah gives life and takes it away, He creates and provides sustenance, but these idols of ours will
intercede for us with Him. Now that Muhammad has associated them, we are all with him'. That evening, Gabriel, peace
be upon him, went to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and givehim peace, and said: 'What have you done?
You recited to people that which I did not bring from Allah, glorified is He, and you said what I did not say to you'.
SOURCE: https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=1&tTafsirNo=86&tSoraNo=22&tAyahNo=52&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=2

Alim.Org - How the Shaytan threw some Falsehood into the Words of the Messengers, and how Allah abolished it.
At this point many of the scholars of Tafsir mentioned the story of the Gharaniq and how many of those who had
migrated to Ethiopia came back when they thought that the idolators of the Quraysh had become Muslims, but
these reports all come through Mursal chains of narration and I do not think that any of them may be regarded
as Sahih. And Allah knows best. Al-Bukhari said, "Ibn `Abbas said, (in his recitation (of the revelation).)
"When he spoke, the Shaytan threw (some falsehood) into his speech, but Allah abolished that which the
Shaytan threw in.'' SOURCE: https://www.alim.org/quran/tafsir/ibn-kathir/surah/22/52/