Dare to Speak: Islam vs Free Democracy and Free Enterprise (II)
Section 12.
Muhammad’s reign: Church and State bound together in one Messenger
During Muhammad’s lifetime, leadership was clear because there was only one source of authority: Muhammad. While Muslims might claim that leadership came from Allah, Muhammad’s command was what Muslims actually followed. And while Muhammad may have consulted with others before making decisions, he always had the final say.
After Muhammad’s death, Muslims faced the challenge of determining Allah’s will in the absence of His Messenger. This is when efforts to compile the Koran and the Hadith began. The Hadith records how this process took place, beginning with Caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar, and culminating in the definitive Koran during the reign of Caliph Uthman. [1] For example: [2]
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 61, Number 509: Narrated Zaid bin Thabit:…Abu Bakr…said (to me), “Umar has come to me and said: ‘Casualties were heavy among the Qurra’ of the Qur’an (i.e. those who knew the Qur’an by heart) on the day of the Battle of Yalmama, and I am afraid that more heavy casualties may take place among the Qurra’ on other battlefields, whereby a large part of the Qur’an may be lost. Therefore, I suggest you (Abu Bakr) order that the Qur’an be collected. ’”…Then Abu Bakr said (to me). “You are a wise young man and we do not have any suspicion about you, and you used to write the Divine Inspiration for Allah’s Apostle. So you should search for (the fragmentary scripts of) the Qur’an and collect it in one book.”…So I started looking for the Qur’an and collecting it from…palmed stalks, thin white stones and also from the men who knew it by heart, till I found the last Verse of Surat At-Tauba (Repentance)…:
“Verily there has come unto you an Apostle…from amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty…(9.128-129).”
Then the complete manuscripts…of the Qur’an remained with Abu Bakr till he died, then with ‘Umar till the end of his life, and then with Hafsa, the daughter of ‘Umar.
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 61, Number 510:…Hudhaifa bin Al-Yaman came to Uthman at the time when the people of Sham and the people of Iraq were waging war to conquer Arminya and Adharbijan. Hudhaifa was afraid of their (the people of Sham and Iraq) differences in the recitation of the Qur’an, so he said to Uthman, “…Save this nation before they differ about the Book (Quran) as Jews and the Christians did before.” So Uthman sent a message to Hafsa saying, “Send us the manuscripts of the Qur’an so that we may compile the Qur’anic materials in perfect copies and return the manuscripts to you.” Hafsa sent it to Uthman. Uthman then ordered [four Qurra’] to rewrite the manuscripts in perfect copies. Uthman said to the three Quraishi men, “In case you disagree with Zaid bin Thabit on any point in the Qur’an, then write it in the dialect of Quraish, the Qur’an was revealed in their tongue.” They did so, and when they had written many copies, Uthman returned the original manuscripts to Hafsa. Uthman sent to every Muslim province one copy of what they had copied, and ordered that all the other Qur’anic materials, whether written in fragmentary manuscripts or whole copies, be burnt. Said bin Thabit added, “A Verse from Surat Ahzab was missed by me when we copied the Qur’an and I used to hear Allah’s Apostle reciting it. So we searched for it and found it with Khuzaima bin Thabit Al-Ansari…:
“Among the Believers are men who have been true in their covenant with Allah.’ (33.23).”
Though Muslims assert that this compilation is the literal and unaltered word of Allah, even a Muslim would have to admit that, in the Koran’s chain of communication, from Allah to Gabriel to Muhammad (who was allegedly illiterate and could therefore only claim to remember what was said to him) to Muhammad’s remembrancers (or Qurra’) to the Koran’s compilers to the interpreters who later added vowels to the text at their discretion, there is plenty of room for the errors of “whisper down the lane.” Moreover, how could an eternal book possibly result from a compilation of scraps collected by a group of Caliphs who never claimed to have any direct access to the mind of Allah?
There is also a strange Islamic tradition claiming that Muhammad was illiterate, and that his illiteracy is proof that he could not have written the Koran; therefore it must have come from Allah. However, the Hadith’s accounts of how the Koran was revealed show a fundamental flaw in this logic. Muhammad dictated his verses to remembrancers who recorded them. Therefore, Muhammad could compose without knowing how to write. Therefore, his alleged illiteracy was irrelevant to his ability to produce Koranic verses.
Furthermore, his alleged illiteracy did not prevent him from composing other written documents, such as letters to other rulers, as many hadiths confirm. For example: [3]
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 52, Number 189:… When the Prophet intended to write a letter to the ruler of the Byzantines, he was told that those people did not read any letter unless it was stamped with a seal. So, the Prophet got a silver ring…and stamped on it the expression “Muhammad, Apostle of Allah.
Apparently, it also did not prevent him from seeking to write a message from his deathbed: [4]
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 53, Number 393:…When the condition (i.e. health) of Allah’s Apostle deteriorated, he said, ‘Bring me a bone of scapula, so that I may write something for you after which you will never go astray.’
More to the point, Muhammad’s alleged illiteracy did not prevent him from improvising the Koran’s contents on the spot: [5]
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Number 118:…When the Verse: – “Not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home),” (4.95) was revealed, the Prophet said, “Call so-and-so.” That person came to him with an ink-pot and a wooden board…The Prophet said (to him), “Write: ‘Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) and those who strive and fight in the Cause of Allah.” Ibn Um Maktum who was sitting behind the Prophet then said, “O Allah’s Apostle! I am a blind man.” So there was revealed in the place of that Verse, the Verse: – “Not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home) except those who are disabled (by injury, or are blind or lame etc.) and those who strive and fight in the Cause of Allah.” (4.95)
Regardless of the actual source of the Koran, a quick review reveals that, for all practical purposes, its messages emanated from Muhammad and definitely served his interests. According to the accounts of eye-witnesses, the typical process through which Muhammad received a revelation amounted to what others might call “thinking” or “dreaming,” or even “having a conversation with someone.” This is how The Koran for Dummies describes the process: [6]
Muhammad told his companions that divine inspiration came to him in two primary ways through Angel Gabriel:
Revelation came “like the ringing of a bell” until he grasped all that was revealed.
Revelation came through Angel Gabriel taking the form of a man who would then impart divine inspiration to Muhammad.
After trying to picture what these encounters looked like, one is left with more questions than answers. Fortunately, hadiths from Muhammad’s teen-aged wife, A’isha, provided some insight into how the verses of the Koran were composed, although she seems as confused as we are:
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 53, Number 400: [7] Narrated [by] Aisha: Once the Prophet was bewitched so that he began to imagine that he had done a thing which in fact he had not done.
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 54, Number 440: [8]…‘Aisha said that the Prophet said to her “O ‘Aisha, This is Gabriel and he sends his (greetings) salutations to you.” ‘Aisha said, “Salutations (Greetings) to him, and Allah’s Mercy and Blessings be on him,” and addressing the Prophet she said, “You see what I don’t see.”
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62, Number 48:…Khaula bint Hakim was one of those ladies who presented themselves to the Prophet for marriage. ‘Aisha said, “Doesn’t a lady feel ashamed for presenting herself to a man?” But when the Verse: “(O Muhammad) You may postpone (the turn of) any of them (your wives) that you please,’ (33.51) [9] was revealed,” ‘Aisha said, ‘O Allah’s Apostle! I do not see, but, that your Lord hurries in pleasing you.’ ”
The clearest indicator of the Koran’s actual source is the Koran itself. It reveals its true author in numerous places, but particularly Surahs 1 and 55, respectively entitled The Opening and The Beneficent. These beautiful surahs, which qualify as poetry and are from the early Meccan period, begin with the following verses:
The Opening:
[1.1] PICKTHAL: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
[1.2] Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds,
[1.3] The Beneficent, the Merciful.
[1.4] Master of the Day of Judgment,
[1.5] Thee (alone) we worship; Thee (alone) we ask for help.
[1.6] Show us the straight path,
[1.7] The path of those whom Thou hast favoured; Not the (path) of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who go astray.
The Beneficent:
[55.1] YUSUF ALI: (Allah) Most Gracious!
[55.2] It is He Who has taught the Qur’an.
[55.3] He has created man:
[55.4] He has taught him speech (and intelligence).
[55.5] The sun and the moon follow courses (exactly) computed;
[55.6] And the herbs and the trees – both (alike) prostrate in adoration.
[55.7] And the Firmament has He raised high, and He has set up the Balance (of Justice),
[55.8] In order that ye may not transgress (due) balance.
[55.9] So establish weight with justice and fall not short in the balance.
[55.10] It is He Who has spread out the earth for (His) creatures…
Throughout The Opening and The Beneficent, Allah is referred to in the third person. Unless someone claims that Gabriel wrote portions of the Koran independently of Allah, these two surahs indicate that the author was Muhammad himself.
Islamic commentators try to rebut this conclusion by explaining that these prayers were given by Allah to Muhammad so that they could be taught to Muslims, just as the Lord’s Prayer was given by Jesus to Christians. This explanation is unsatisfactory, though, because the Koran has many verses where Allah tells Mohammad to relay messages to the Muslims and others, and they all begin with instructions for Muhammad, such as “Say” or “This is a message from Allah…to…”
For example, in the following verse, Allah tells Muhammad how to respond to an argument with a particular set of Hypocrites:
[2.80] PICKTHAL: And they say: The Fire (of punishment) will not touch us save for a certain number of days. Say: Have ye received a covenant from Allah – truly Allah will not break His covenant – or tell ye concerning Allah that which ye know not?
Even more to the point, Surah 9, entitled Repentance, begins with:
[9.01] YUSUF ALI: A (declaration) of immunity from Allah and His Messenger, to those of the Pagans with whom ye have contracted mutual alliances:-
[9.02] Go ye, then, for four months, backwards and forwards, (as ye will), throughout the land, but know ye that ye cannot frustrate Allah (by your falsehood) but that Allah will cover with shame those who reject Him.
Devout Muslims believe that every word of the Koran is the word of Allah, as spoken by Allah himself, and relayed by the angel Gabriel to Muhammad. Verses 2.80 and 9.01 are consistent with this belief. But why would a perfect Allah break this sensible pattern for surahs 1 and 55? It makes no sense. The most obvious author of these prayer surahs is Muhammad.
Other indications of Muhammad’s authorship abound throughout the Koran. One of the clearest examples is the following verse from Surah 42, entitled Counsel or Consultation:
[42.10] YUSUF ALI: Whatever it be wherein ye differ, the decision thereof is with Allah: such is Allah my Lord: In Him I trust, and to Him I turn.
It is astounding that anyone could claim that these are Allah’s words instead of Muhammad’s.
A dramatic example of Muhammad’s personal authorship comes from Surah 111, known alternatively as either Palm Fiber or The Flame:
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
[111.1] YUSUF ALI: Perish the hands of the Father of Flame [Abu Lahab]! Perish he!
[111.2] No profit to him from all his wealth, and all his gains!
[111.3] Burnt soon will he be in a Fire of Blazing Flame!
[111.4] His wife shall carry the (crackling) wood – As fuel! –
[111.5] A twisted rope of palm-leaf fibre round her (own) neck!
Abu Lahab was an uncle of Muhammad who, according to Maududi’s commentary on this surah, was “was the only person to join with the enemies [of Muhammad] against his own relatives [Muhammad and his followers].” [10] This surah’s jarring change in tone, as it moves from introduction to content, betrays its true author. These are not the words of a “compassionate” “merciful” Allah, who is all-powerful and all-knowing. Instead, they are the words of a furious man lashing out at a close relative who betrayed him.
Shifts in the speaker’s identity, from Allah, to Muhammad, and sometimes even to a third party, are so frequent in the Koran that it makes one wonder how Muslims could possibly think that the Koran’s sole speaker is Allah. To answer this quandary, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Koran provides a convenient explanation:
…Notice…that the names Allah applies to Himself (those beginning with capital letters, such as We, God, He, and so on) – shift constantly. Allah, in other words, refers to himself from different angles of perception – because he encompasses all possible angles of perception! This is a phenomenon that repeats itself again and again in the Koran.
With this explanation, a Muslim apologist spins evidence that the Koran is a badly-written forgery of God’s word into a demonstration of Allah’s all-encompassing nature. In doing so, he also demonstrates that a person who decides that the Koran is the Word of Allah will always find a way to explain away any evidence to the contrary.
Why would Muhammad choose to speak with Allah’s voice? Because doing so gave his commands incredible power. Imagine being able to claim that God said, “I am as My servant thinks I am,” [11] or declare that “He who obeys me, obeys Allah, and he who disobeys me, disobeys Allah.” [12] These are actual quotes from the Hadith, and they unveil the power that Muhammad enjoyed.
There are so many Koranic verses where Muhammad joins his will to Allah’s (over 70) that only a small sampling is shown here (see Appendix C for complete list). What follows are example cases where Muhammad used Allah’s authority to win arguments, commandeer war spoils, and generally make his own directives unquestionable:
[4.13] PICKTHAL: …Whoso obeyeth Allah and His messenger, He will make him enter Gardens underneath which rivers flow, where such will dwell for ever…
[4.14] And whoso disobeyeth Allah and His messenger and transgresseth His limits, He will make him enter Fire, where he will dwell for ever; his will be a shameful doom.
[4.80] YUSUF ALI: He who obeys the Messenger, obeys Allah: But if any turn away, We have not sent thee to watch over their (evil deeds).
[5.33] PICKTHAL: The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land. Such will be their degradation in the world, and in the Hereafter theirs will be an awful doom;
[8.1] PICKTHAL: …Say: The spoils of war belong to Allah and the messenger, so keep your duty to Allah, and adjust the matter of your difference, and obey Allah and His messenger…
[8.13] PICKTHAL: That is because they opposed Allah and His messenger. Whoso opposeth Allah and His messenger, (for him) lo! Allah is severe in punishment.
[9.3] YUSUF ALI: And an announcement from Allah and His Messenger, to the people (assembled) on the day of the Great Pilgrimage, that Allah and His Messenger dissolve (treaty) obligations with the Pagans…
[9.59] YUSUF ALI: If only they had been content with what Allah and His Messenger gave them, and had said, “Sufficient unto us is Allah! Allah and His Messenger will soon give us of His bounty…”
[9.61] PICKTHAL: And of them are those who vex the Prophet and say: He is only a hearer…Those who vex the messenger of Allah, for them there is a painful doom.
The next verse is particularly interesting because, when the speaker said “Allah and His messenger,” the reference could only mean Muhammad. This is because Muhammad was the only being who held court, heard disputants, and judged between them. If Allah truly knew all, there would be no need for disputants to be summoned before Him.
[24.48] YUSUF ALI: When they are summoned to Allah and His messenger, in order that He may judge between them, behold some of them decline (to come) …
[24.50] Is it that there is a disease in their hearts? Or do they doubt, or are they in fear, that Allah and His Messenger will deal unjustly with them? Nay, it is they themselves who do wrong.
[24.51] The answer of the Believers, when summoned to Allah and His Messenger, in order that He may judge between them, is no other than this: they say, “We hear and we obey” …
In verse 24.51, who is “He”? Is it Allah, His Messenger, or “Allah and His Messenger”? The obvious answer is Muhammad.
The next verse is another case where “Allah and His messenger” clearly meant Muhammad, although it should now be evident that Muhammad had difficulty distinguishing between himself and Allah. The verse discusses times when believers were with Muhammad, performing common errands for him. Muhammad was telling his errand runners not to leave until he had dismissed them.
[24.62] PICKTHAL: They only are the true believers who believe in Allah and His Messenger and, when they are with him on some common errand, go not away until they have asked leave of him…
This verse again raises the question: Who is “him”? Is it Allah, His Messenger, or “Allah and His Messenger”? Once again, the clear answer is Muhammad.
[49.3] YUSUF ALI: Those that lower their voices in the presence of Allah’s Messenger, – their hearts has Allah tested for piety: for them is Forgiveness and a great Reward.
[33.36] PICKTHAL: And it becometh not a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His messenger have decided an affair (for them), that they should (after that) claim any say in their affair…
The next verse shows how Muhammad’s absolute power gave him the ability to transform “God damn you” into “God damns you” – a devastating curse upon anyone who annoyed Allah’s Messenger.
[33.57] YUSUF ALI: Those who annoy Allah and His Messenge – Allah has cursed them in this World and in the Hereafter, and has prepared for them a humiliating Punishment.
[33.53] YUSUF ALI: …Enter not the Prophet’s houses until leave is given you…but when ye are invited, enter; and when ye have taken your meal, disperse, without seeking familiar talk. Such (behaviour) annoys the Prophet: he is ashamed to dismiss you, but Allah is not ashamed (to tell you) the truth…Nor is it right for you that ye should annoy Allah’s Messenger, or that ye should marry his widows after him at any time. Truly such a thing is in Allah’s sight an enormity.
The above verse clearly serves Muhammad’s wishes, not Allah’s. In it, Muhammad exempts himself from the laws that apply to everyone else: In verse 2.234, the Koran declares that all widows are allowed to remarry after 4 months and 10 days. But Muhammad wants none of his wives to ever remarry. This is quite a commandment, considering that he had 11 wives after Khadijah’s death: Sawda Bint Zam‘a, A’isha Bint Abu Bakr, Hafsa Bint ‘Umar, Zainab Bint Khuzaima, Ummu Salama, Zainab Bint Jahsh, Juwairiyya Bint al-Harith, Safiyya Bint Huyay, Ummu Habiba, Maria the Copt, and Maimuna Bint al-Harith.
[33.50] YUSUF ALI: O Prophet! We have made lawful to thee thy wives to whom thou hast paid their dowers; and those whom thy right hand possesses out of the prisoners of war whom Allah has assigned to thee; and daughters of thy…uncles and aunts, who migrated (from Makka) with thee; and any believing woman who dedicates her soul to the Prophet if the Prophet wishes to wed her; – this only for thee, and not for the Believers (at large) …in order that there should be no difficulty for thee…
[33. 51] Thou mayest defer (the turn of) any of them that thou pleasest, and thou mayest receive any thou pleasest: and there is no blame on thee if thou invite one whose (turn) thou hadst set aside…
These are the verses whose revelation led Aisha to say that “your Lord hurries in pleasing you.” A more cynical observer might have said that Muhammad hurried in pleasing himself.
Islamic scholars go through great effort to put a positive spin the above verses, which give Muhammad the status of Allah-sanctioned “sex-god.” For example, Syed Abul Ala Maududi, in his introduction to Surah 33, explains the verses this way: [13]
“…an important thing that needed to be reformed was the question of the adoption of a son. Whoever was adopted by the Arabs as a son was regarded as one of their own offspring: he got share in inheritance; he was treated like a real son and real brother by the adopted mother and the adopted sister…And the same was the case if the adopted son died or divorced a wife. The adopted father regarded the woman as his real daughter-in-law.
This custom clashed in every detail with the laws of marriage and divorce and inheritance enjoined by Allah in Surahs Al-Baqarah and An-Nisa. It made a person who could get no share in inheritance entitled to it at the expense of those who were really entitled to it. It prohibited marriage between the men and the women who could contract marriage perfectly lawfully. And, above all, it helped spread the immoralities which the Islamic Law wanted to eradicate…When the artificial relations endued with customary sanctity are allowed to mix freely like the real relations, it cannot but produce evil results.
That is why the…concept and custom of regarding the adopted son as the real son should be eradicated completely…Therefore, it was inevitable that the custom should be eradicated…through the Holy Prophet himself. For no Muslim could ever conceive that a thing done by the Holy Prophet himself…could be detestable. Therefore…the Holy Prophet was inspired by Allah that he should marry the divorced wife of his adopted son, Zaid bin Harithah…
It should now be evident that Muhammad portrayed the will of Allah as essentially indistinguishable from his own.
This method of legitimizing power, by joining a ruler’s will with that of a god, is a venerable maneuver. It has been repeated throughout history, ever since the days of Hammurabi and Pharaoh, and it persisted into modern times, in the form of Ethiopia’s King Haile Sellassie, who was considered by Rastafarians to be a prophet of God. Leaders of religious cults often claim the same God-given authority even today.
One of the benefits that Muhammad enjoyed from this union was nearly absolute power over his true believers. This is the kind of power that could corrupt even the wisest of men.
Muhammad’s submission to power abuse stands out in the last two sets of verses. In these passages, Muhammad declares for himself almost unlimited sexual rights that no one else could have (33.50). He then goes on to declare that his wives must never marry another man after his death (33.53). Both declarations violate the laws of Shari’ah that apply to everyone else. They also set precedents that directly violate some of the most fundamental tenets of democracy:
Equal protection under the law. Muhammad violated this tenet by subjecting his wives to special laws that prevented them from marrying anyone else (33.53), even though Shari’ah declared that widows may remarry after a four-month mourning period.
Rulers are not above the law. Muhammad violated this tenet by exempting himself from Shari’ah’s laws on marriage, so that he could marry a multitude of women and impose his sexual desires on others against their will (33.50). Muhammad went even further, seeking exemption from any constraints, as the Hadith reveals in quotes such as “O Allah!…Please forgive me my previous and future sins.” [14] The Hadith also shows that
Muhammad claimed that this prayer was granted: [15]
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Number 3:…The Prophet said, “On the Day of Resurrection the Believers will assemble and say, ‘Let us ask somebody to intercede for us with our Lord.’…Jesus will say, ‘I am not fit for this undertaking, go to Muhammad, the Slave of Allah, whose past and future sins were forgiven by Allah.’ …”
Moreover, in granting himself special privileges, Muhammad set a dangerous example for all Islamic rulers, who, in their adoration, seek to imitate Muhammad’s ways. While today’s Islamic rulers may adhere to the Shari’ah that Muhammad violated, they can still claim that rulers are exempt from other laws that are followed by everyone else, just as Muhammad did.
In other words, verses 33.50 and 33.53 set the stage for not just corruption, but tyranny.
This is not to say that Free Democracies are free from corruption, nor can anyone claim that the leaders of Free Democracies do not try to grant themselves special privileges. What we can say, however, is that the principles of Free Democracy declare that corruption and special privileges are wrong and punishable by law, and that Free Democracies give citizens both moral and legal frameworks for combating such abuses.
What was it like to live under the reign of Muhammad? Before seeking answers to this question, recall these words from the Koran:
[33.21] YUSUF ALI: Ye have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day…
The following hadiths provide snapshots of Muhammad’s reign:
If you talked badly about Allah and His Messenger in some way, Muhammad might call on your friends to deceive you with kind words and then kill you: [16]
** Sahih Muslim, Book 19, Number 4436:… the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Who will kill Ka’b bin Ashraf? He has maligned Allah, the Exalted, and His Messenger. Muhammad bin Maslama said: Messenger of Allah, do you wish that I should kill him? He said: Yes. He said: Permit me to talk (to him in the way I deem fit). He said: Talk (as you like).
So, Muhammad b. Maslama came to Ka’b and talked to him, referred to the old friendship between them and said: This man (i. e. the Holy Prophet) has made up his mind to collect charity (from us) and this has put us to a great hardship. When be heard this, Ka’b said: By God, you will be put to more trouble by him. Muhammad b. Maslama said: No doubt, now we have become his followers and we do not like to forsake him until we see what turn his affairs will take. I want that you should give me a loan. He said: What will you mortgage?…we can pledge you (our) weapons. He said: All right. Then Muhammad bin Maslama promised that he would come to him with Harith, Abu ‘Abs bin Jabr and Abbad bin Bishr.
So they came and called upon him at night. He came down to them…his wife said: I hear a voice which sounds like the voice of murder. He said: It is only Muhammad bin Maslama and his foster-brother, Abu Na’ila. When a gentleman is called at night even it to be pierced with a spear, he should respond to the call. Muhammad said to his companions: As he comes down, I will extend my hands towards his head and when I hold him fast, you should do your job.
So when he came down and he was holding his cloak under his arm, they said to him: We sense from you a very fine smell. He said: Yes, I have with me a mistress who is the most scented of the women of Arabia. He said: Allow me to smell (the scent on your head). He said: Yes, you may smell. So he caught it and smelt. Then he said: Allow me to do so (once again). He then held his head fast and said to his companions: Do your job. And they killed him.
If you neglected morning prayers at the local mosque, Muhammad might punish your disobedience by burning down your house, with you in it: [17]
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 11, Number 617:…Allah’s Apostle said,…I was about to order for collecting fire-wood (fuel), and then order Someone to pronounce the Adhan for the prayer, and then order someone to lead the prayer. Then I would go from behind and burn the houses of men who did not present themselves for the (compulsory congregational) prayer.
Sahih Muslim, Book 4, Number 1373: ‘Abdullah reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying about people who are absent from Jumu’a prayer: I intend that I should command a person to lead people in prayer, and then burn those persons who absent themselves from Jumu’a prayer in their houses.
If you were a six year old girl, Muhammad might command your father to give you to him in marriage, and then consummate the marriage when you reach your ninth birthday:
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62, Number 18:… The Prophet asked Abu Bakr for ‘Aisha’s hand in marriage. Abu Bakr said “But I am your brother.” The Prophet said, “You are my brother in Allah’s religion and His Book, but she (Aisha) is lawful for me to marry.”
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 58, Number 234: [18] Narrated [by] Aisha: The Prophet engaged me when I was a girl of six (years) …Later on…my mother…came to me while I was playing in a swing with some of my girl friends. She called me, and I went to her, not knowing what she wanted to do to me. She caught me by the hand and made me stand at the door of the house…There in the house I saw some Ansari women who said, “Best wishes and Allah’s Blessing and a good luck.” Then she entrusted me to them and they prepared me (for the marriage). Unexpectedly Allah’s Apostle came to me in the forenoon and my mother handed me over to him, and at that time I was a girl of nine years of age.
While Muhammad may have been morally self-indulgent, he was very strict about the morality of others. For example, if you and your spouse were once wet nursed by the same woman, he might force you to divorce:
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 48, Number 827: [19]…“A black slave-lady came and said, ‘I suckled you both [she happened to have wet-nursed two children, who, much later, had married].’…“I went to the other side and told the Prophet about it. He said, ‘How can you (keep her as your wife) when the lady has said that she suckled both of you (i.e. you and your wife?)’ So, the Prophet ordered him to divorce her.”
Because religion, morality, and law were all under Muhammad’s direct control, he was able to generalize the above morality into law, granting himself leniency while applying an Allah-reinforced iron rule over his subjects:
Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 88, Number 176: [20]…The Prophet said, “Whoever disapproves of something done by his ruler,…he should be patient, for whoever disobeys the ruler even a little …will die as those who died in the Pre-lslamic Period of Ignorance. (i.e. as rebellious Sinners).”
Despite Muhammad’s attraction to young girls, he could be relied on for strict morality regarding women he found unattractive. For example, if you were a woman who asked Muhammad to marry you, but he did not want you, then he would refuse your offer. Your disappointment would soon be forgotten, however, when replaced by the horror of finding your nuptials transferred to a destitute stranger: [21]
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62, Number 24:…A woman came to Allah’s Apostle and said, “O Allah’s Apostle! I have come to give you myself in marriage (without Mahr).” Allah’s Apostle looked at her. He looked at her carefully and fixed his glance on her and then lowered his head…A man from his companions got up and said, “O Allah’s Apostle! If you are not in need of her, then marry her to me.” The Prophet said, “Have you got anything to offer?” … “No, by Allah, O Allah’s Apostle! I could not find even an iron ring” …the Prophet said, “How much of the Quran do you know?” He said, “I know such Sura and such Sura,” … The Prophet said, “Go, I marry her to you for that much of the Quran which you have.”
If you were a Jew, or other non-Muslim, Muhammad might take your land from you, in accordance with his belief that all the earth belongs to Allah and His Apostle: [22]
** Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 53, Number 392:…While we were in the Mosque, the Prophet came out and said, “Let us go to the Jews.” We went out till we reached Bait-ul-Midras. He said to them, “If you embrace Islam, you will be safe. You should know that the Earth belongs to Allah and His Apostle, and I want to expel you from this land. So, if anyone amongst you owns some property, he is permitted to sell it, otherwise, you should know that the Earth belongs to Allah and His Apostle.”
If you were a non-Muslim living in another nation, Muhammad felt that he had the Allah-given right to terrorize and conquer your land, and then plunder it, and keep whatever portion of the booty he desired for himself. Also, you would not want to oppose his attack, because Muhammad claimed to have the power to personally redeem or damn you for eternity:
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 8, Number 429: [23]…Allah’s Apostle said, “I have been given five things which were not given to any amongst the Prophets before me. These are:
1. Allah made me victorious by awe (by His frightening my enemies) for a distance of one month’s journey.
2. …The booty has been made Halal (lawful) for me (and was not made so for anyone else).
3. Every Prophet used to be sent to his nation exclusively but I have been sent to all mankind.
4. I have been given the right of intercession (on the Day of Resurrection.)
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 38, Number 503: [24]…When the delegates of the tribe of Hawazin, after embracing Islam, came to Allah’s Apostle, he got up. They appealed to him to return their properties and their captives.
Allah’s Apostle said to them, “…you have the option of restoring your properties or your captives, for I have delayed distributing them.”… When they realized that Allah’s Apostle would return to them only one of two things, they said, “We choose our captives.”
Admittedly, despite his great power, Muhammad displayed some restraint. For example, in the interest of peace, Muhammad forbade others from fighting in Mecca, and only allowed himself to fight for a few hours per day: [25]
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 34, Number 303:…Allah’s Apostle said, “Allah made Mecca a sanctuary and it was neither permitted for anyone before, nor will it be permitted for anyone after me (to fight in it). And fighting in it was made legal for me for a few hours of a day only.
Besides providing a snapshot of Muhammad’s reign, two of these hadiths (marked with **) show again how Muhammad combined himself with Allah into a single entity, known as “Allah and His Apostle” or “Allah and His Messenger.” How else could Muhammad claim that the Earth belonged to him?
Muhammad was also skillful in the way he positioned himself in relation to Allah, for while he attached Allah’s will to his own, he also claimed to be only a messenger, making it impossible for opponents to argue or negotiate with him. Among negotiators, this is known as the “higher authority” gambit, and Muhammad wisely chose the ultimate “higher authority.”
Muhammad’s position as messenger also provided him with another benefit: He used Allah’s authority in a way that permitted him to have human failings. This allowed him and his followers to claim that his mistakes were glorious revelations of Muhammad’s humanity instead of evidence that he was a fraud.
Another case where Muhammad’s indiscretions were spun into something glorious comes from Surah 66, entitled The Prohibition. According to N.J. Dawood’s introduction to this Surah,
Mohammed, we are told, was once found by his wife Hafsah with a Coptic slave, from whom he had promised her to separate. Of this Hafsah secretly informed A’isha, another wife of his. To free Mohammed from his promise to Hafsah was the object of this chapter. [26]
What follows are the opening verses of Yusuf Ali’s translation of The Prohibition:
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
[66.1] O Prophet! Why holdest thou to be forbidden that which Allah has made lawful to thee? Thou seekest to please thy consorts (wives)…
[66.2] Allah has already ordained for you, (O men), the dissolution of your oaths (in some cases)…
[66.3] When the Prophet disclosed a matter in confidence to one of his consorts, and she then divulged it (to another), and Allah made it known to him, he confirmed part thereof and repudiated a part. Then when he told her thereof, she said, “Who told thee this?” He said, “He told me Who knows and is well-acquainted (with all things).”
[66.4] If ye two[27] turn in repentance to Him, your hearts are indeed so inclined; But if ye back up each other against him, truly Allah is his Protector, and Gabriel, and (every) righteous one among those who believe, – and furthermore, the angels – will back (him) up.
[66.5] It may be, if he divorced you (all), that Allah will give him in exchange consorts better than you, – who submit (their wills) , who believe, who are devout, who turn to Allah in repentance, who worship (in humility), who travel (for Faith) and fast…
[66.6] O ye who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is Men and Stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who flinch not (from executing) the commands they receive from Allah, but do (precisely) what they are commanded.
In this Surah, Allah chastised Muhammad, not for breaking a promise to his wife and having intercourse with a slave, but for making a promise to his wife when no such promise was required. Furthermore, Allah sent a message to the wives: Lay off Muhammad and be submissive to him, or you and your family might be sent to Hell. This Surah also verifies that Islamic theology does not give control of Hell to Satan, but to Allah.
Syed Abul Ala Maududi’s explanation of these self-serving verses[28] spins them about as gloriously and creatively as one can imagine:
…[Allah’s] criticism of the Prophet and the…warning to the wives…has not been made secretly but included in the Book, which the entire Ummah has to read and recite forever. Obviously, neither the intention of making mention of it in the Book of Allah was, nor could it be, that Allah wanted to degrade His Messenger and the mothers of the faithful in the eyes of the believers; and [it] is obvious that no Muslim has lost respect for them…after reading this Surah of the Qur’an.
Now, there cannot be any other reason of mentioning this thing in the Qur’an than that Allah wants to acquaint the believers with the correct manner of reverence for their great personalities. The Prophet is a Prophet, not God, that he may commit no error. Respect of the Prophet has not been enjoined because he is infallible, but because he is a perfect representative of Divine Will, and Allah has not permitted any of his errors to pass by unnoticed. This gives us the satisfaction that the noble pattern of life left by the Prophet wholly and fully represents the will of Allah.
Likewise…the holy wives of the Prophet were human, not angels or super men. They could commit mistakes. Whatever ranks they achieved became possible only because the guidance given by Allah and the training imparted by Allah’s Messenger had molded them into the finest models. Whatever esteem and reverence they deserve is on this very basis and not on the presumption that they were infallible.
For this reason, whenever in the sacred lifetime of the Prophet…the Companions or holy wives happened to commit an error due to human weakness, they were checked…some…errors were mentioned in the Qur’an and Allah Himself corrected them so that the Muslims might not form any exaggerated notion of the respect and reverence of their elders and great men, which might raise them from humanity to the position of gods and goddesses.
During Muhammad’s lifetime, his presence made the moral life of Muslims simple: Any alleged command of Allah was, by definition, right, righteous, and instructive.
Actually, the preceding statement oversimplifies the situation for ancient Muslims, because there were dissentions within Islam during Muhammad’s life. However, Muhammad always prevailed because he could conveniently produce a message from Allah tailored to the situation. And because the message came from Allah, it could not be questioned without risking the accusation of Hypocrisy or Apostasy. Thus, the scimitar of death hung over all critics and dissenters.
REFERENCES FOR SECTION 12:
[1] Also translated as ‘Uthman or Othman.
[2] Similar hadiths can be found in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Number 201, Book 61, Number 511, and Volume 9, Book 89, Number 301.
[3] Similar hadiths can be found in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 3, Number 65, Volume 7, Book 72, Numbers 761 & 764, Volume 9, Book 89, Number 276, and Sahih Muslim, Book 24, Numbers 5216, 5217, & 5218.
[4] Similar hadiths can be found in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 3, Number 114, Volume 5, Book 59, Numbers 716 & 717, Volume 7, Book 70, Number 573, Volume 9, Book 92, Number 468, Sahih Muslim, Book 13, Numbers 4014, 4015, & 4016, and Book 31, Number 5879.
[5] Similar hadiths can be found in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 61, Number 512, and Sahih Muslim, Book 20, Number 4676.
[6] The Koran for Dummies, by Sohaib Sultan, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2004, Chapter 2, section entitled The stages of revelation, page 24.
[7] Similar hadiths can be found in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 54, Number 490, and Volume 8, Book 75, Number 400.
[8] Similar hadiths can be found in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 73, Number 220, Book 74, Numbers 266 & 270, and Sahih Muslim, Book 31, Numbers 5994 – 5997.
[9] The full text of this verse, which will be discussed more fully in the next few pages, is:
[33.51] YUSUF ALI: Thou mayest defer (the turn of) any of them that thou pleasest, and thou mayest receive any thou pleasest: and there is no blame on thee if thou invite one whose (turn) thou hadst set aside. This were nigher to the cooling of their eyes, the prevention of their grief, and their satisfaction – that of all of them – with that which thou hast to give them: and Allah knows (all) that is in your hearts: and Allah is All-Knowing, Most Forbearing.
[10] The Meaning of the Qur’an, by Syed Abul Ala Maududi, Kazi Publications Inc, Revised edition, June, 1999, commentary on Surah 111.
[11] Hadith Qudsi, Number 15. The Hadith Qudsi is a collection of hadiths that are believed to be quotes of Allah (that were left out of the Koran) rather than quotes of Muhammad. They differ from Koranic verses in that they are Muhammad’s paraphrases of Allah rather than exact words attributed directly to Allah himself.
[12] Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 52, Number 204. Similar hadiths can be found in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 89, Number 251, Book 92, Numbers 384 & 385, and Sahih Muslim, Book 4, Number 1890, Book 20, Numbers 4518 – 4523.
[13] The Meaning of the Qur’an, by Syed Abul Ala Maududi, Kazi Publications Inc, Revised edition, June, 1999.
[14] Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 21, Number 221. Similar hadiths can be found in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Numbers 482, 534 & 590.
[15] Other attestations to the forgiveness of Muhammad’s future sins can be found in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 2, Number 19, Volume 7, Book 62, Number 1, Volume 8, Book 76, Number 570, and Volume 9, Book 93, Numbers 507 & 532v.
[16] Similar hadiths can be found in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 45, Number 687, Volume 4, Book 52, Numbers 270 & 271, and Volume 5, Book 59, Number 369.
[17] Hadiths similar to these two can be found in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 11, Number 626, Volume 3, Book 41, Number 602, Volume 9, Book 89, Number 330, Sahih Muslim, Book 4, Number 1370, and Malik’s Muwatta, Book 8, Number 8.1.3.
[18] Similar hadiths can be found in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 58, Number 236, Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62, Numbers 64, 65, & 88, and Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 41, Number 4915.
[19] A similar hadith can be found in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 3, Number 88.
[20] Similar hadiths can be found in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 88, Numbers 175, 177 – 179.
[21] A similar hadith can be found in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62, Number 65.
[22] Similar hadiths can be found in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 85, Number 77, and Sahih Muslim, Book 19, Number 4363.
[23] A similar hadith can be found in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 7, Number 331.
[24] Similar hadiths can be found in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 47, Number 778, and Volume 5, Book 59, Number 608.
[25] Similar hadiths can be found in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 3, Numbers 104 & 112, Volume 2, Book 23, Number 432, Volume 3, Book 29, Numbers 58 & 59, and Volume 4, Book 53, Number 412.
[26] The Koran, English Translation, with Notes Only, by N.J. Dawood, Penguin Classics, July 1, 2000
[27] Muhammad’s wives Hafsah and A’isha.
[28] The Meaning of the Qur’an, by Syed Abul Ala Maududi, Kazi Publications Inc, Revised edition, June, 1999, from introduction to The Prohibition (At-Tahrim) .
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