While his wife Khadija was still alive, the delusion of the Prophet seemed under control and, as a hermit dwelling in a cavern, receiving messages, nothing yet could make us believe that Mohammad was verily insane. In the language of psychiatry his condition was stable, meaning he still could act almost like any normal person. The things though worsen a lot, regarding both Mohammad’s wealth and mental health, right after Khadija died in 619; about the same time died his protecting uncle, Abu Talib. Only in one more occasion, that of the ‘’Satanic Verses’’, would the Prophet doubt about his divinely mission. The abrogation of this compromise was said to rectify a ‘’Satanic’’ revelation, showing at least that the Prophet couldn’t differentiate them by himself… (165/239; 166/239; 191/278; Qu.109; 22.51-52; 53.19-23).  

Clearly, the Meccans thought that Muhammad suffered from some mental illness or ghost-possession. They call him a ‘’web of dreams’’, a ‘’fanciful poet’’, ‘’enchanted’’, like in Qu.21.5; 36.69 or 52.30).Then, the Prophet indulged on some Logical Fallacy as he brings some example of Biblical prophets likewise accused (Qu.51.52; 23.25; 26.26-27; 51.39). Of course, none of these allegations are found in the Bible. The one exception is Hos.9.7 that, with his small biblical knowledge, Mohammad ignored.

Dr. HERMAN SOMERS’ DIAGNOSIS.

This Flemish psychologist has given us the first technical diagnosis of Mohammed’s behaviour, in his Dutch book ‘’Een Andere Mohammed’’ (A Different Mohammad), published in 1993 by Hadewych, Antwerp . Dr. Koenraad Elst provides a general outline of it on his site.  

First, the many and detailed accounts on the life of the Prophet allowed the Flemish psychologist to establish a well documented basic for his diagnosis. Since, said he, these accounts are not very favourable to Muhammad, not much hagiography distorted them and, that joined with our modern psyche knowledge, ascertain a fair evaluation of the mental health about Mohammad. What we find out is that the facts passed to us by the tradition correspond with the symptoms and syndromes known to psychiatry.   

According to Dr. Somers, Mohammed was a classic case of paranoia, which is essentially characterized by a delusion about oneself nourished by recurring, pervasive hallucinations. These may be auditory, like hearing voices, or purely mental fabrications. The delusion typically puts the affected person in the center of events: either the target of ubiquitous conspiracy or as the privileged witness of a cosmic event, like a divine mission or the imminence of the world ending. The Final Judgment is one of the main recurring themes found in the Quran.  

Mohammad’s central delusion was that he had been selected for a unique mission of cosmic dimension. This delusion forms the core of the creed professed by all Muslims: ‘’There is no God but Allah and Mohammad is it’s only Prophet.’’ This uncompromising creed differs from other monotheisms as it implies the belief that the Quran is from divine origin. To obey the precepts of Islam are thus impossible to disavow from any believers. Sad to realize that these one billion followers are bowing to a paranoiac delusion with sensorial hallucinations...  

Mohammad belongs more to the field of psychiatry than to the religious world. The neuropathological bases of his hallucinations are amazingly easy to identify. His acute megalomania might come from his shattered childhood, in an overcompensating phenomena but this Freudian view cannot fully explain the infrastructure of his delusions. His explicit symptomatology, his own description of physical sensations while in trance leaves very little, if nothing to speculation. Mohammad’s paranoia is scripturally well attested and a diagnostically articulate fact.  

The ultimate core of Islam stands or falls with Mohammad’s prophethood. If the oneness of God can be conditionally accepted, there can be no compromise with Mohammad’s deluded belief, in his pretension to hold an exclusive red telephone line with God or Heaven. Here, there is no room for sweet-talk, even metaphorically: Islam cannot be put on parity with any other religion. To place a self-delusion on a par with heavenly wisdom is bloody absurd.

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