Prophethood'sMuhammadAnalyticalView JamalA.badawi

8/14/2019 Prophethood'sMuhammadAnalyticalView JamalA.badawi

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MUHA MMAD 'S PROPHETHOOD

AN ANALYTI CAL VI EWby: DR. Jamal A. Badawi, Professor of Business Management St. Mary'sUniversity, Halifex, CANADA. Also, Chairman - Islamic Information

Foundation Ontario, CANADA.Publishing house: World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY), P.O.Box

10845 Riyadh 11443, Tel:(+966-1)4641669, Fax: (+966-1)4641710, [email protected].

Publishing date: 1990G.WAMY Series: ISLAMIC STUDIES ON ISLAM.

Revised by our Site via: Abdulaziz Addwesh.Note: Reprinted from AL-ITTIHAD, Vol.10, No.1, Spring 1973.

Introduction............................................................................................................................ 1Changing Attitudes of muhammad's Critics............................................................... 3

A Proposed Methodology................................................................................................... 5The Claim................................................................................................................................. 5

The Critique ............................................................................................................................ 5

Conscious Fabrication?....................................................................................................... 8Fabrication for Material Gains? ....................................................................................... 8

Fabrication for Worldly Glory and Power? .................................................................. 9Unconscious Fabrication?................................................................................................ 13

Judao-christian origins of islam? .................................................................................. 15Beyond The Surface .......................................................................................................... 20

A. The Biblical Concept Of God ..................................................................................... 20B. The Qur'anic Concept Of God................................................................................... 21

Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 24

Introduction


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A great deal has been said about theprophet of Islam by Muslims andnon-Muslims alike. What has been said, however,has been largely colored by

the writer's preconditioning; whether he is abeliever in or a critic of Islam.

For Muslims, the questionof Muhammad's true prophethood is indisputable.They firmly believe that he is atrue prophet and Messenger of God, through

whom God's divine revelationsthroughout history were culminated andperfected, thus forming the universaldivine message to mankind. For criticsof Islam, generally, it is Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allah be upon

him), rather than God, who is the founderof Islam, the author of itsteachings, and the composer of its holy book, theQur'an. How could a

sincere and "neutral" researcher examine both claims andarrive at his ownconclusions?

It is suggested that thesearch for an answer to this question is observed.The researcher should try torid himself of the predominance of emotions,

prejudices and preconceptions. Thisis a demanding requirement of thebeliever, the critic, and the neutralresearcher as well. It is demanding

because no man can free himself completelyof emotions, prejudices, andpreconceptions. Yet, an honest researcher couldstill try his best before any

objective and fair assessment of any issue can bereached.

This paper is a humble attempt in this direction.It brings into focus some ofthe main issues which relate to the question ofMuhammad's Prophethood,analyze them, and explore the conclusions to which suchanalysis may lead.

The approach which is followed throughout the paper ishopefully, a rationalone; one that does not start off with either anunquestioned acceptance of

Muhammad's Prophethood, or with a prejudicialrejection of the same.

Since it was the critics of Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allah be uponhim) who took the lead in raisingquestions and doubts about his

prophethood, a brief word about the changingnature of their critique may beenlightening.


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Changing Attitudes of muhammad's Critics

One simplified way of classifying theircritique is to divide it into threeslightly overlapping stages:

1. The Polemic Era:Writers in this group seem to have been motivatedby

religious prejudices. Their approach did not reflect and honest spiritofenquiry, perhaps because their writings were intended, at least partially,

toarouse the feeling of hatred and fury against Muslims. This feelingsucceeded ingenerating a poisonous atmosphere which was exploited to

satisfy the needs andaspiration of the secular and/or religiousestablishments. The crusades againstMuslims were perhaps one implication

of this attitude. With these mudslingingtendencies, there was hardly anyindecent character that was not attributed toIslam and the Prophet of Islam.With feverish and fanatical hatred, no room wasleft for fact-finding, open-

mindedness, or even logic. As such, the endsjustified the means; distortions,misrepresentations, half-truths, and at timessheer fabrications were freely

used[1].

2. Disguised Polemic:As the polemic era lost its momentum, a morecareful

and disguised Polemic was introduced. Writers in this group criticizedtheirpredecessors as extremists, refrained from indecent and open attacks

onIslam and Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Yet,theirmotives were not significantly different from their predecessors'. Most ofthemapparently realized that due to the forces of history, the masses

became moreeducated, at least to the extent of ruling out sheer fabricationsas effectiveoffensive weapons against Islam. Their approach, however, still

reflected anearnest endeavor to develop more effective weapons to destroyIslam or at leastto belittle it. It is not a coincidence that such motives were

often connectedwith the writers' colonial and/or missionary affiliation andorientation.

3. The Inevitable Inconsistency:A more tolerant yet perplexingattitude thencame into being. Some writers began even to give credit to Islamas apowerful and viable ideology and to Muhammad (peace and blessings of

Allahbe upon him) as a man with positive and moral qualities. Hissincerity,sacrifices, and the instrumental role he played in bringing about

spiritual,moral, and material upliftment to humanity were all admitted. One

thing,however, was not admitted as readily: Was Muhammad (peace andblessings of Allahbe upon him) a true prophet who received divine revelationfrom God, and was theQur'an really a divine book or was it of Muhammad's

own making?

No matter how courteous mild or apparently objective thesewriters mayseem to be, a serious question of consistency would inevitably arisehere:How consistent is it to admit the sincerity and high moral character


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ofMuhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), while implyingthat he wasnot truthful when he claimed to be a prophet of God, or when he

claimed that theQur'an was not of his own making, or when he claimed thathe did not derive histeachings from any human source? It is this latter

question that will beexplored in some detail in this paper. To do thisexploration, however, it wouldbe helpful to clarify the methodology that will

be followed.

[1]For some examples of this type of plemic, see Ahmad, Khurshid, Islamand the West, Islamic Publications Ltd., Lahore, Pakistan, 2nd ed., 1967.


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A Proposed Methodology

In an honest pursuit of an answer to theabove question, it is logical tostart off by finding out what was Muhammad'sclaim. Having done this, it

would be fair to evaluate and discuss such a claimwithout accepting it orrejecting if offhand. Such an acceptance of or rejectionof Muhammad's

truthfulness should only follow the analysis and over-allevaluation of thesalient arguments, facts, and questions pertaining to theissue.

The Claim

Reference to the Qur'an, to the sayings ofMuhammad (peace andblessings of Allah be upon him), and to historical material,consistently

indicate that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)claimedto be God's Prophet and Messenger to mankind, that the Qur'an was not

ofhis own making, and that what he preached (Islam) was divinely and nothumanlyinspired[2].

The Critique

In evaluating the above claim, there seemto be two possibilities; first,that this claim was a truthful one; second, thatthis claim was not a truthful

one, i.e., a fabrication. If the first possibilityis accepted, whether by faith orby reason or by combination there-of, then thequestion of Muhammad's trueprophethood is settled. If, however, the secondpossibility is still open, how

could it be objectively verified or refuted?

Only Two Possibilities:It is important to emphasizeat this point thatMuhammad's claim of prophethood is subject to only twopossibilities;

truthfulness or fabrication. It may be contended that manycritics of Islam donot use the term fabrication to refer to Muhammad's claim ofprophethood. It

may be added also that they talk and write about Muhammad (peaceandblessings of Allah be upon him) with considerable respect andadmiration(like many other great men and heroes!) Is the mere fact that

they say or implythat Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be uponhim) was a great socialreformers and a remarkable composer of an

influential book, the Qur'an - is thissufficient to infer that they do in factaccuse Muhammad (peace and blessings ofAllah be upon him) of not being a

truthful man, i.e., that they imputedishonesty on him?

Without "beating around the bush", itshould be said, in all candidness thatis doesn't matter how "nicely","diplomatically", or "courteously" are the

ideas stated. What really matter arethe logical implications of thesestatements. If an apparently fair andobjective writer does not dispute the


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fact that Muhammad (peace and blessings ofAllah be upon him) did claimthat what he taught was neither of his own makingnor was it derived from

any human source, and if the same writers says orimplies later on thatMuhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wasthe Composer or

Compiler of the Qur'an, then what he is really saying is thatMuhammad(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was not truthful (or sane)when

he claimed the divine origin of Islam. This questioning ofMuhammad'spersonal integrity and truthfulness can still be done in the most"nice","courteous", yet misleading manner. It is this courteous inconsistency,

and insome cases hypocrisy that is likely to mislead the reader, Muslim andnon-Muslimalike. "Diplomacy" or "Public Relations" type of statements are no

substitutefor candid, objective, and rigorous research in an importantsubject as thepresent one.

But Why Fabricate?:If the researcherwas to avoid the above "courteousinconsistency", he would then assume either ofthe two possibilities

(truthfulness or dishonesty) and seek all evidence thatmay verify or refutehis assumption. Since these two possibilities are contraryto each other, it

makes a little difference which one may be assumed to initiatethe analysis.For the convenience of presentation it may be useful to see if theassumption

of possible fabrication can be substantiated.

Ifit were true that Muhammad's claim of prophethood was a merefabrication, thentwo sub-possibilities may present themselves; a) that hemight have fabricatedthis claim deliberately and knowingly, or b) that he

might have done sounconsciously.

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[2] The Qur'an is God's divine message: So I do ca ll t o w i tness w ha t

you see. And w hat you see not , That t h is is ver i ly th e w ord o f an honou red apost le . I t i s no t th e w ord o f a poet : l i t t le i t i s you be lieve.Nor is i t a w ord o f a soothsayer : l i t t le adm oni t ion i t i s you r ece ive.

( Th is i s) a Message sen t dow n f rom the Lo rd o f th e Wor lds (Qur'an69:38-43).

The Qur'an is not produced by anyone save God: This Qur 'an is not such

as can be produced by o ther t han God; on the cont r ary i t i s the con f i rm a t ion o f ( r evela t ions) tha t w en t be fo re i t , and a fu l le r

exp lana t ion o f the Book - w here in the re is no doub t - f rom the Lo rd o f th e w or lds . Or do they say : (he fo rged i t ) ? Say : (B r ing t hen a Sura

l ike un to i t , and Cal l ( t o your a id) anyone you can, besides God, i f i t be you speak t he t ru t h (Qur'an 10:37-38).

It is not upt to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to getit together: I f you b r ing them no t a revelat ion , they say : (w hy has


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you no t go t i t t oge the r?) Say : I bu t fo l l ow w ha t i s revealed to one f rom m y Lord : Th is is (no th ing bu t ) Ligh ts f rom your Lo rd , and

Guidance, and Mercy , fo r any w ho have fa i th (Qur'an 7:203).

Nor is it up to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) tochange any of the contents of the Qur'an: But w hen Our Clear Signs are

rehearsed un t o them m , those w ho res t no t th e i r hope on the i r m eet ing w i th Us, say : ( b r ing us a Read ing Other t han th is , o r changeth is ,) Say: ( i t i s no t fo r m e, o f m y ow n accord , to change i t : I fo l low

on ly w ha t i s revealed yn to m e: if I w ere to d i sobey m y Lord , I shou ld m y sel f fea r the pena l t y o f a Grea t Day ( t o com e) (Qur'an 10:15, see

also 10:16).

For nothing is more wicked that inventing a lie against God or making falseclaim of receiving revelations from Him: Wh o c an b e m o re w i ck e d t h a n one w ho invent s a l ie agains t God, or says , ( I have received

inspi ra t ion ,) w hen he rece ived none , or ( again ) w ho says : ( I can revea l the l i ke o f w hat God has revea led? I f you cou ld but see how

the w icked ( do fa re ) i n t he f l ood o f con fus ion a t dea th ! - t he angels s t re tch fo r t h th e i r hands, ( say ing) , (Y ield up your sou ls: th is day

shal l you receive your rew ard ,- - a pena lt y o f shame, fo r t ha t you used to te l l l ies against God, and scornfu l ly t o re j ect of His Signs!

(Qur'an 6:93).

It would be highly illogical to say that Muhammad (peace and blessings of

Allah be upon him) composed the Qur'an whose very verses severelycondemn such composition as a shameful act which is not surpassed in its

wickedness!


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Conscious Fabrication?

Deliberate fabrication, like other patternsof human behavior is likelyto have a goal: the satisfaction of certain humanneeds. Arrogation of

prophethood may thus be motivated either by some materialbenefit or bythe aspiration to status, glory, and power. We may as well lookinto these

two possibilities.

Fabrication for Material Gains?

It is reasonable to assert that Muhammad(peace and blessings of

Allah be upon him) might have claimed prophethood inorder to attain somematerial gains? This question may be answered by lookinginto his financial

status before and after prophethood. Before his mission as aprophet,Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had no

financialworries. His loving and rich wife, Khadija, has had made available tohim allwhat he needed. As a successful and reputed merchant. Muhammad(peace andblessings of Allah be upon him) drew a satisfactory and

comfortable income. Itis ironic that the same man, after his mission as aprophet and because of it,became worse off materially.

Describing their life, hiswife, Aa'Isha narrated that a month or two might

have elapsed before fire waslit in the prophet's house (to cook a meal),while the household subsisted onmilk and dates[3]. After eighteen years of

hismission, when Muslims were the victorious, we still find a kind of revoltinMuhammad's household in protest of the difficult life characterized by

aconsiderable self-imposed material deprivation. This incident took place atthetime when the Muslim treasury was under his disposal[4]. Asked aboutMuhammad's bedding, Hafsah answered, "Itcomprised of a piece of canvas

which I spread double folded under him. Once Idid it fourfold in an effort tomake it more comfortable. The next morning heasked me: 'What did you

spread under me last night'. I replied: 'the samecanvas, but I had fourfolded it instead of the customary double fold'. He said:'keep it as it was

before. The additional softness stands in the way of Tahajjud(nightprayer)'"[5]. Wh e n Om a r I b n -Kh a t t a b w e n t t o s ee Mu h a mm a d (p e ace and b less ings o f A l lah be upon h im ) henot iced t ha t : t he content s o f

h is room compr ised o f on ly th ree p ieces o f tannedsk in and a handfu l o f bar ley ly ing in a corner . I looked about bu t I fa i led to f ind anyth ing

e lse . I began to w eep. He sa id : Why are you w eep ing? I rep l ied : OProphe t o f A l lah w hy shou ld I no t w eep? I can see the m at ' s

pa t te rn im pr in t ed onyour body and I am a lso beho ld ing a l l tha t youhave got in th is room. O propheto f A l lah ! Pray th a t A l lah m ay grant

amp le prov is ions fo r us . The Pers ians andthe Rom ans w ho have not r ue fa ith and w ho w orsh ip not A llah but the i r k ings - t he Kaisers and

t he Caesars - shou ld l i ve in gardens w i th s t reams ru nn ing in the i r


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m idst but th e chosen Proph et and th e accept ed slave of Al la h shouldl ive in such a d i re povert y! The Proph et ( peace and b lessings of Al lah

be upon h im) w as rest ing against h i s p i ll ow, bu t w hen he heard m eta lk l ike th is , he satagainst h is p i l low and said: O, Om ar! Are you st i l l

i n doub t abou t t h i s ma t t e r?Ease and com fo r t i n t he he rea f te r a re m uch bet t e r than ease and com fo r t i n t h i sw or ld [6]. In a long

narrative by Bilalabout what Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah beupon him) did with thegifts and provisions he received, Bilal reported thatthe Prophet never keptback anything for future use, that he spent what he

had on the poor and needy,and that on one occasion Muhammad received agift of four loaded camels, yet hetook nothing for himself and he further

insisted that he would not go home untilthe whole lot is given away to theneedy[7]. Atthe time of his death, and in spite of all his victories and

achievements,Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was indebt, and his shieldwas in the hands of a Jewish citizen of Madina as acollateral for that debt![8].

One may inquire: Arethere any indications of materialistic motives behind

Muhammad's claim ofprophethood?

Fabrication for Worldly Glory and Pow er?

Is it possible that Muhammad (peace andblessings of Allah be upon

him) might have claimed prophethood in order toattain status, worldlygreatness, and power? The desire to enjoy status andpower is usually

associated with good food, fancy clothing, monumental palaces,colorful

guards, and the indisputable authority.

Do any ofthese indicators apply of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah

be upon him)?Following are a few glimpses of his life that may help answerthis question.

Despite of his responsibilities as a prophet, a teacher, astatesman, and aJudge, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) usedto milk

his goat, mend his clothes, repair his shoes, and help with thehouseholdwork. His life was an amazing model of simplicity and humbleness[9]. He sat

on the floor, went to the market toshop with no guards or procession; hetalked and listen patiently and politelyto anyone who stopped him, and he

accepted invitation to dine with the poor andate graciously whatever isserved to him. Once he was traveling with some of hiscompanions who

began to prepare to cook some food by dividing the work amongthemselves.Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) suggested to beincharge of collecting some wood. His companions told him that they could do

itfor him. Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)answeredback: I k n o w y o u co u ld d o i t f o r me b u t I h a te t o h av e an y


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pr iv i lege overyou[10]. A stranger once came to himalmost trembling outof respect. Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be uponhim) asked the

man to come closer to him and with a compassionate pat on theman'sshoulder, he told him: Re lax b ro th e r , I am on ly t he son o f a

w o ma n w h o u s ed t o e a t d r i e d b rea d [11].

Muhammad 's use of authority is quite revealing. Hisfollowers loved him,respected him, and trusted him to an amazing extent. Yet,he continued toemphasize that obedience and devotion should be directed to Godand not to

him personally. As a matter of fact, he made a clear distinctionbetween thespecific revelations he received from God and other areas left tohuman

discretion. In the latter category, evidence of Muhammad'sconsultativeattitudes is ample. In planning for the defense of Madinah

(before the battle ofthe Trench), Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allahbe upon him) asked for theadvise of his companions and decided in favor ofSalman's proposal to dig atrench around Madinah. Furthermore, he started

working with his hands like anyother man in his company. A similar behaviorwas demonstrated in the battle ofBadr[12].

In addition tothe simple, humble, and altruistic life of Muhammad (peace

and blessings ofAllah be upon him) one may also ask: Was there anyindication in his early lifethat demonstrates his aspiration for leadership and

fame? Critics of Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) failto provide evidence that heplanned or aspired to leadership and fame. Evena writer who goes into a greatlength to support his guess that Muhammad

(peace and blessings of Allah be uponhim) probably had some "secretdesires" to be famous cannot help but admit thatMuhammad (peace and

blessings of Allah be upon him) was not guilty of planningfor his role as aprophet[13]. Not only wasMuhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon

him) an ordinary and a quiet,person but he even trembled and rushed homein terror when he received the firstrevelation as a prophet of God. If he were

planning or aspiring for fame, hewould have come down happy and jubilantthat his "secret desires" are finallycoming true[14]. Andrae's theory of"secretdesires" and similar theories are perhaps modern versions of the

pagan Arab'sinitial interpretation of Muhammad's motives. Long before therewas any prospectof success of the new faith and at the outset of a long

painful era of torture,suffering, and persecution of Muhammad (peace and

blessings of Allah be uponhim) and his followers, he received an interestingoffer. An envoy of the paganleaders, Okba, came to him saying " if youwant money, we will collect enoughmoney for you so that you will be the

richest one of us. If you want leadershipwe will take you as our leader andnever decide on any matter without yourapproval. If your want kingship we

will crown your king over us. And if youcan't resist the visions that come toyou we will spend all that is needed toseek a cure for you "[15]. Onlyoneconcession was required from Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah

be upon him)in return for that, to stop "dividing the people" and to give up


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this new claimthat there is not god but the One Universal God of All. Thiswas not a highprice if Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon

him) were pursuing hisown benefit. Was Muhammad (peace and blessings ofAllah be upon him) hesitantwhen the offer was made? Did he turn it down as

a bargaining strategy leavingthe door open for a better offer? The followingwas his answer: I n t heName of God, Most Gracious, Most Merc ifu l ,

Ha-Meem. A r eve lat ion f rom ( God) ,Most Gracious, Most Merc i fu l ; ABook w hereof t he verses are exp la ined in deta i l ;A Qur ' an in Arab ic ,fo r peop le w ho und ers tand. Giv ing good new s and adm oni t ion :Yet

m o st o f t h e m t u rn a w a y an d s o t h ey h e ar n o t [16].

In another occasion and in response tohis uncle's plea for compromise,Muhammad's answer was as decisive andsincere: I sw e ar b y t h e n am e of

God, O Uncle ! , tha t i f they p lace thesun in m y r igh t -h and and th e m oon in m y lef t -hand in re tu rn fo r g i v ing up th i sm at te r ( I slam ) , I w i l l never desist u n t i l e i ther God m akes i t t r ium ph or I w ou ldper ish

defend ing i t [17].

History tells us that not only did Muhammad (peace andblessings of Allah beupon him) and his few followers suffer all kinds oftorture and sacrifice for

thirteen years, but that Muhammad (peace and blessingsof Allah be uponhim) was about to physically perish several times because ofhis

steadfastness.

Are these the characteristics of apower-hungry or a self-centered man?

What could justify such a life of sufferingand sacrifice, even after he wasfully triumphant over his adversaries? Whatcould explain the humbleness

and nobility which he demonstrated in his mostglorious moments when heinsisted that success is due only to God's help and notto his own genius?

------

[3] Cited in M. Al-Nawawi Riyadh al-Saliheen Min Kalam Sayyidil-Mursaleen,

Hadeeth #492 (several Printings of this source were published. The printingcited above is published by Shirkat-al-Shimirley, Cairo, Egypt, no date.).

[4] This incident is referred to in the Qur'an (33:28-29). It is alsodocumented in Al-Bukhari and Muslim.

[5] Idara Ishaat-E-Diniyat, The Teachings of Islam, New Delhi, no date,P.50.

[6] Ibid., pp.49-50. A similar narrative is also cited in AL-Tirmithi andreproduced in Riyadh al-Saliheen, op.cit., Hadeeth #486.

[7] The Teachings of Islam, op.cit., P.P. 55-57, see also Riyadh al-Saliheen,op.cit, Hadeeths No. 465 and 466.

[8] Riyadh al-Saliheen, op.cit., Hadeeth No. 504. The Study of the history ofIslam shows that Muhammad's example of sacrifice was followed by many of


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his companions and their successors until this day.For further documentation on Muhammad's self-imposed deprivation, one

may refer to a large number of narratives reported by his contemporaries.All these narratives show consistently his sacrificial life and the extent of

hunger which he chose to undergo from the beginning of his mission until hisdeath. See for example Riyadh Al-Saliheen, Ibid., Ahadeeth Nos. 474, 491

and 507 (narrated by his wife A'isha), No. 475 (narrated by his brother-in-law, Amr Ibn-al-Harith), No. 473 (narrated by Omar), Nos. 493, 497(narrated by Abu Hurairah), Nos. 494 and 421 (narrated by Anas), No. 495

(narrated by No'man Ibn-Basheer), No. 496 (narrated by Sahl Ibn-Sa'ad),No. 500 (narrated by Sa'ad ibn-Abi-Waqqas), No. 520 (narrated by Gaber),

and No. 499 (narrated by Abu-Musa Al-Asha'ari). Further narratives may befound in standard books of Hadeeth.

[9] A large number of Ahadeeth (sayings of Muhammad peace and blessingsof Allah be upon him) call for simplicity and humbleness and warn againstexcess indulgence in worldly pleasures. It was Muhammad's Practice of what

he Preached that provided a living examples for his followers andcommanded their trust. See for example Ibid., Nos. 457, 458, 459, 461,

463, 464, 467, 468, 471, 472, 477, 481, and 516.[10] Khalid, khalid m., insanniyat muhammad, maktabat wahbah, cairo,

egypt, 2nd printing, 1963, p.67.[11] Ibid., p.65.

[12] Joma'a, muhammad l., Thawrat-ul-Islam Wabatalul-Anbi'a, Maktabat-ul-Nahdhah, Cairo, Egypt, 1959, P.P. 302 and 401. In the Battle of Badr, itwas the proposal of Al-Habbab Ibn Al-Manthir that substituted Muhammad's

own proposal, see Sirat Ibn-Hisham, under Ghazwat Badr al-Kobra (availablein several printings, one of which is Tahtheeb Sirat Ibn. Hisham, compiled by

Abdussalam Harun, Dar Al-Fikr, 1954, vol.1, p.146.[13] Andrae, Tor, Mohammed: The Man and His Faith (Translated by

Theophil Menzel, Harper and Row, N.Y.: U.S.A., 1995 ( Revised ed.,) p.94.[14] See Joma'a, op. cit., p.557.

[15] Tahtheeb Sirat Ibn Hisham, op. cit., p. 65.[16] Ibid., p.65. Muhammad's answer was the recitation of Qur'an 41:1-38,of which the translation of the first four verses, is cited above.

[17] Ibid., p.59.


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Unconscious Fabrication?

So far, an impartial researcher would failto find any ground to doubtMuhammad's truthfulness. Ironically, someorientalists and missionaries

agree with this result. Yet, through "diplomacy",romanticism, and possibledeception, they continue to search for new ways ofdenying the divine origin

of Islam and of attributing the Qur'an to Muhammad'sown thinking. Someclaim that under the influence of repeated "visions", andwith his

disenchantment with idol-worship, Muhammad (peace and blessings ofAllahbe upon him), because of his pure and upright nature, graduallyconvincedhimself that he was the reformer or savior of his people! What is

overlooked inthis type of theories is that Muhammad's claim of prophethoodwas continuouslyand consistently made throughout the full twenty-three

years of his mission, andthat it was not something that gradually developedor felt. It was rather aclaim that came up unexpectedly at the age of forty.

Whatkind of a person is he who "convinces himself" for twenty-three years

that hisfabricated claim of receiving revelation from God is only an outcomeof hissincere desire to help his people? A person like this would have tobenotoriously dishonest or notoriously sick mentally. As it became too

difficultto show objectively any proof of dishonesty, fishing in the troubledwaterscontinued by seeking explanation in epilepsy.

EPILEPSY?:

It was contended, and still is, perhaps to alesser extent, that Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asincere but epileptic person

who, during his epileptic seizures recited whatbecame later on, the Qur'an.

What is overlooked in thisargument is that during the epileptic seizure, the

functioning of the brain isdisturbed. As such, sensible speech is not possiblesince the patient usuallymumbles confusing words which he forgets after he

is recovered. From allavailable accounts on Muhammad 's life, weconsistently find a man withexcellent physical and mental health throughout

his life, a man who never hadepileptic seizures, or the "falling-down" diseasethat was known to hiscontemporaries, and a man who faced many critical

moments in his life withoutcollapsing, even once, under tension or strain, nomatter how great.

Are these the characteristics of an epileptic man? How couldhis followersincluding the most wise and intelligent[18], believe in him rather than seek a

cure for him? Did thebelievers in this "epilepsy" school of thought bother toopen the Qur'an, readit, and see if it looks like a product of epileptic

convulsive seizures?

The Logical Conclusion:If noreasonable argument can be made to support the imputation of


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dishonesty andfabrication on Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah beupon him), and if theimplicit assumption of fabrication, while seeking

psychological explanations forhis claim, is only self-contradictory, what otherreasons may justify the denialof divine origin of his message, or to doubt his

truthfulness?[19].

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[18] FOR EXAMPLE, ABU-BAKR, OMAR, OSMAN, ALI, TALHA, AL-ZUBAIR,IBN-AL-AWWAM, SAAD IBN Abi-Waqqas, and Abul-Rahman Ibn Auf.

[19] Unless one rejects all religions based on diving revelations, which is notthe typical attitudes of Muhammad's critics, some of whom are missionaries!


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Judao-christian origins of islam?

In orientalist and missionary literature onIslam, there is often someexplicit mention or implicit implication that Islamis compiled from Judaism,

Christianity or both. This is done by pointing out toobvious parallels betweenIslam and either or both Judaism and Christianity. Itis also contended,

without sufficient evidence, that it was through Muhammad'scontact withJews and Christians, especially during his travels, that he learnedabout

religious beliefs and theology. It was this background, they claim, thatledMuhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to formulate hisownreligion. The clear implication of statements of this kind is to

imputedishonesty on him when he claimed that he did not compile Islamfrom any sourcewhatsoever except for the revelation he received from God.

The soundness of thisassumption was discussed at some length in thepreceding pages. It would beinteresting, however, to look further into this

issue. None of those whosubscribe to the theory of "Judaeo-Christianorigins" of Islam could present anyconclusive historical evidence about the

alleged teacher (s) of Muhammad (peaceand blessings of Allah be uponhim). Their claim thus qualifies only as anassertion or an assumption but notas a factual statement. By sheer repetitionand wide circulation, however,

this mere assertion and the far-reachingjudgments based on it were"elevated to the dignity of facts"[20]; a settled issue.

One example of suchinaccuracy, which disregards the ABC of scientific spirit

of inquiry, is astatement by Montgomery Watt in his Islam and Integration ofSociety: " Islamwould have to admit the fact of its origin the historical

influence ofJudaeo-Christian religious traditions"[21].Commenting on this an

historian says: " Here the question of (origins) is takenas settled andreferred to as a (fact) without any qualification ordiscussion"[22]. If the

question ofMuhammad's truthfulness was subjected to such a criticalinvestigation, then itis only logical to critically and fairly look at the assertion

of theJudaeo-Christian origins of Islam.

At least three questionsmay shed light on this issue:

1. What was Muhammad's background and education before he started hismissionat the age of forty, and to what extent could such background have

resulted inwhat he brought forth?2. What was the extent of his 'contacts" with Jews and Christians, and to

whatextent could such contacts have resulted in the faith he proclaimed?3. Analytically speaking, how far can the Judaeo-Christian thought be traced

inwhat Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught? Andif there isany similarities between both teachings, how could that beexplained?


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(1)The Question of Background: Historicallyspeaking, Muhammad (peaceand blessings of Allah be upon him) was an illiterateman. There is no

evidence that he knew how to read or write. Even the Qur'anwhich he statedwas the Word of God was not written down by him but he dictatedit to the

"scribes of revelation" who wrote it down and committed it tomemory.Another historical document that is still available is the letter sent

byMuhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to the ruler ofEgyptinviting him to accept Islam[23]. This letterwritten for Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) carries his sealrather than his

signature. Besides the lack of significant education, formal orotherwise,religious or secular, there is no account in his life, until the ageof forty, that

shows his scholarly tendencies or achievements in any of thespectrum ofsubjects with which the Qur'an deals. How could such an illiterateman,

suddenly, at the age of forty, bring about an ideological andreligiousrevolution that changed the face of history?

(2)TheQuestion of Environment: As we looked into the man'sbackground, we may aswell look into the type of environment in which he

was reared in order to seethe extent of his possible exposure to Judaeo-Christian thought. Unlike Moses(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)

who was reared in a center oflearning and civilization , and unlike Jesus(peace and blessings of Allah beupon him) and other Israelite prophets who

emerged in the center of Judaism, ifnot in the religioushierarchy[24]itself,Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)was raised in apredominantly pagan society with no significant Jewish tribes

lived, was too farto be considered as part of Muhammad's immediateenvironment, especially whenthe seventh century means of transportation

and communication are considered.

Some may assert, however, that through his travels with thecaravans,Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) might have

learnedabout Judaism and Christianity. The danger in a statement like this isnot inits theoretical possibility. The danger lies instead in the hastyandsuperficial conclusions that are often based on it. Assuming that

Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) met some Jews andChristians duringhis travels, or when the latter visited Mecca, which is a fair

assumption, whatwas the extent of his exposure to their teachings? Was

such as exposuresufficient to raise reasonable doubts that he copied orcompiled the Qur'an fromtheir scriptures?

Historically speaking, and in spite of thereasonable details aboutMuhammad's life, there is evidence of two travels thatMuhammad (peace

and blessings of Allah be upon him) made, both to Syria. In onetrip, heaccompanied his uncle as a twelve-year old boy. Would it be reasonabletoassume that during such a trip, a twelve-year old boy would learn all thehigh

concepts of theology which were at that time the exclusive knowledge ofhigh


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priests? In the second trip, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah beuponhim) was twenty-five years old, and he was leading Khadija's

caravan[25]. It would be highly imaginary to say thatthrough his occasionalchats with Jews and Christians, while busy with hiscaravan, Muhammad

(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) learned enoughabout either orboth religions to formulate a new powerful and viable religion,a task that

defies the collective efforts of scholars for centuries.Furthermore, the aboveassertion does not provide answers to the followingquestions:

1. Why is it, that in spite of the abundance of historical materialonMuhammad's life, and in spite of the extensive research on his life

forcenturies by his severe critics, why was it not possible to discoverthatmysterious teacher (s) through whom Muhammad (peace and blessings

of Allah beupon him) might have learned all that?

2. It is known that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)

wasopposed, ridiculed and persecuted for nearly thirteen years by his

owncontemporaries. With this magnitude of severe enemies, was it notpossible forthem to prove to the masses that Muhammad's claim ofrevelation was sheerfabrication ? Was it not possible for them to reveal andname what they allegedto be the human source or sources of his

teachings?[26]. Even some of his adversaries who made thisassertionchanged their minds later on and accused him, instead, of magic or

of beingpossessed by eviletc.

3. Muhammad was raised among his people and every aspect of his life

wasexposed to them, especially by the openness that characterizes tribal life

inthe desert [27]. How could the multitudes ofhis contemporaries, includingmany of his close relatives who knew him so well,-- how could they believein his truthfulness if they had any doubt that he wasclaiming credit for ideastaught to him by some other teachers without botheringto give them credit?

4. What kind of teacher might have taught Muhammad (peace and blessingsofAllah be upon him) a coherent and complete religion that changed the face

ofhistory? Why didn't he claim the credit for himself? Why couldn't he orthey (ifany) speak against the alleged student who continued learning from

them, whileignoring them and claiming some other divine source for histeachings?

5. How could many Jews and Christians amongst his contemporaries becomeMuslimsand believe in his truthfulness if they knew that he was copying fromtheirscriptures or learning from their priests or rabbis?

6. It is known that some Qur'anic revelations came to Muhammad (peaceandblessings of Allah be upon him) in the presence of people. The Qur'an

wasrevealed on the span of twenty-three years, where then was thatmysterious,perhaps invisible human teacher of Muhammad? How could he


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have hidden himselffor so long? Or how could Muhammad (peace andblessings of Allah be upon him)who was constantly surrounded by his

followers, how was he able to make frequentsecret visits to that mysteriousteacher or teachers for twenty-three yearswithout being caught even once?

(3)The Question ofParallels: Many orientalist, especially those with

missionary affiliation,have been busy comparing the Qur'an with the Bible,trying to "discover"parallels between both books to show the influence of the

Bible or the influenceof "Judaeo-Christian thought" on Islam. Those scholarsseem to ignore thatmethodologically speaking, the similarity between anytwo compositions is notsufficient to infer that one of them copied from the

other. Both composition maybe based on a third common source[28].AMuslim may state that all divine revelations came from the same source,

the OneUniversal God. No matter what human changes were introduced intosome of theserevelations that might have distorted their originality, there is

bound to besome areas that remained free from distortion and thus arecommon to manyreligions. It is true that there are some parallels between

the Qur'an and theBible, e.g., some basic moral laws. If these parallels aresufficient to accuseMuhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ofcompiling or copying fromthe Bible, then the same logic should be

impartially and consistently applied toall previous Scriptures as well. Forexample, there are similarities between theteachings of Christianity and

Judaism. Is this sufficient to infer that Jesus(peace and blessings of Allah beupon him) was not a genuine Prophet and that hesimply copied from the Old

Testament? Moreover, there are similarities betweenthe Judaic teachingsand other older religions such as Hinduism (e.g. in morallaws); is this

sufficient to infer that Moses (peace and blessings of Allah beupon him) and

all other Israelite prophets were false prophets and that theysimply compiledtheir teachings from Hindu and other sources, rather thanreceive genuine

revelations from God? These would be "heroic" inferences in thecases ofJudaism and Christianity, as they are in the case of Islam.

--------

[20] Tibawi, A.L. English Speaking Orientalist, The Islamic Centre, Geneva,Switzerland, 1965, p.17.[21] Watt, W. Montgomery, Islam and the Integration of Society, London,

1961, p.263 cited in Tibawi, Op. Cit, p.22. EMPHASIS IS mine.[22] Tabawi, op. cit., p.22.

[23] This document was reproduced in Newsletter, the Muslim Students'association of the U.S. and Canada, Vol.5. No.3, Jan.1971, p.10.

[24] These facts, however, do not justify the denial of the divine origin ofthe original revelations given to the Prophets Moses and Jesus (May peace

be upon them). Such denial is much less justified in the case of Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). See Joma'a, op. cit., pp.547-

549.


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[25] For an account of these two travels see thatheeb sirat ibn-hisham, op.

cit., p.p.42-46.[26] See Joma'a, op. cit. p.556.

[27] Addressing the disbelievers of Muhammad's contemporaries, the Qur'anstates: Or do t hey no t r ecogn ize the i r m essenger , tha t t hey deny

h im.[28] Tibawi, op.cit., P.20.


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Beyond The Surface

From the above discussion, it does not seemnecessary to argue thatthere are no similarities between Islam and otherreligions. It is certainly

unfair and inaccurate to say so. All divinerevelations proceeded from the OneUniversal God of all. Even with humandistortions throughout history, some

parallels are bound to exist.

It is important to point out, however, that there are manyessentialdifferences that further refute the "Judaeo-Christian origins" thesis.Such

differences cover a wide spectrum of topics including the concept of"originalsin", the necessity of blood sacrifice, atonement of one's sins bysomeoneelse, the question of intermediary between man and God, the necessityand

authority of a religious hierarchy. The concept of Sabbath, the conceptofprophethood, essential information about previous prophets, the presence

of orabsence of inherent conflict between material and spirit, body and soul,theconception of man's role on earth, and the meaning of "religion" and

whether itis basically a spiritual aspect of man's life or the totality of man'slife.Discussion of such differences could extend to almost any length. For

brevity,however, a few citations from the Bible and the Qur'an on oneessential topic,the Concept of God, may help shed some light on suchdifferences.

A. The Biblical Concept Of God

1. God is depicted in human form. In the book of Genesis we read: "And

Godsaid, Let us make a man in our image, after our likeness"[29].

2. He is described as one who gets tired of work and who needs to rest: "And

onthe seventh day God ended his work which he had made: and he restedon theseventh day from all his work which he had made"[30].

3. He is described as one who walks in the garden, one from whom one may

hide,and one who needs to search for what he is looking for. Narrating whathappenedafter Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree the Bible states:

"And they heardthe sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the coolof the day: and theman and his wife hid themselves from the presence of

the Lord God amongst thetrees of the garden. But the Lord God called to theman, and said to him, "Whereart you?" And he said, 'I heard the sound of

thee in the garden, and I wasafraid because I was naked, and hid myself'.


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He said, 'who told you that youwere naked? Have you eaten of the treewhich I commanded you not to eat?'"[31].

4. He is described as One who becomes sorry for making certain decisionswhichmay imply either that he was not aware of the future repercussions of

hisdecisions or that he is subject to different moods. In the Bible we read:

"Andthe Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth and it grievedhim to hisheart"[32].

5. He is described frequently as the God of Israel and as one who is jealous.Inthe Book of Exodus we read: "For you shall worship no other god, for

theLord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God"[33].

Although the Bible describes god asthe Creator of heavens and earth, thereis far less emphasis on Him as theUniversal god of all nations and more

emphasis on Him as the "God of Israel".Children of Israel are frequentlydepicted as "His people".

6. In general, He is depicted as one who is subject to human-like limitations,as

one who has nostrils and a mouth[34], thathe dwells in thickdarkness[35].He isdescribed as one who needs man's guidance as it is clear

in his instructions forthe Israelite's flight from Egypt[36]. He isdescribed asone who worries about man's power and unity. The following

citationdocument this latter point:"And the Lord came down to see the cityand thetower, which the sons of men had built. And the Lord said, 'Behold,

they are onepeople, and they have all one language; and this is only thebeginning of whatthey will do; and nothing that they propose to do will nowbe impossible forthe, Come, let us go down; and there confuse their

language, that they may notunderstand one another's speech'. So the Lordscattered them abroad from thereover the face of the earth, and they left off

building the city. Therefore itsname was called Babel, because there the Lordconfused the language of all theearth; and from there the Lord Scattered

them abroad over the face of all theearth"[37].

B. The Qur'anic Concept Of God

1. In contrast to the conception of God in a human form we read in theQur'an:

Say He is God, The One and Only God, t he Eter nal , Absolut e.Hebegets not , nor is He begot ten . And there is non l i ke unt o

Him[38]. Also: there is no th ing com parab leto Him ! [39].

2. In contrast to the conception of God as One who gets tired and needs

rest,we read in the Qur'an: God, there is no god except Him , the


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L iv ing , theEterna l . Slum ber does not over t ake Him , nor d oesSleep[40].

3. In contrast to the conception of God as One who walks, resides in thecloudsor in the temple of Solomon, the Qur'an indicates that God is not

subject to thelimitations of time and space. We read in the Qur'an: Th e

East and Westare God 's . Wh erever you m ay tu rn , th ere is God 's countenance. God is so Am ple ,Aw are [41]. And He is God int he

heavens and on ea r th . He know s w ha t you h ide , and w ha t you revea l [42].

4. In contrast to the conception of God as One who discovers theconsequencesof his decisions as time goes on, the Qur'an emphasizes that

God's knowledge areas eternal and as infinite as His Presence. We read inthe Qur'an: Heknow s w ha t i s be fo re them and w ha t i s beh ind them

and they encom pass noth ing o fHis know ledge except w hat Hep leases[43]. He ho lds the k eys to t he unseen; on ly He

know s them! He know s every th ing on land and a t sea ; no lea f d rops dow n un less He know si t , nor any seed in the darkness o f th e ear th ,nor any t ender shoot n or any dry ( s ta lk ) u n less i t i s in a p lain

book [44].

5. In contrast to the conception of god as the Jealous God of Israel, one failsto

find a single verse in the Qur'an in which God is described as the GodofQurashites, the God of Arabs, or the God of Muslims. On the contrary we

read inthe Qur'an: Pra ise be to God, Lord o f t he Un iver se.. . [45].We have sen t you [ O Muham m ad] asa messenger to m ank ind : God suf f ices as a w i tn ess[46].

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[29] Genesis 1:26, See also Gen.9:6.[30] Gen. 2:2, See also Gen. 2:3 and Exodus 20:11. For forgetfulness see

Gen. 8:1 and Exodus 2:24.[31] Gen. 3:8-11.

[32] Gen. 6:6, See also Judges 2:18 and Exodus 32:14.

[33] Exodus 34:14, See also Exodus 20:5.[34] 2nd Samuel 22:9-15.

[35] 1 Kings 8:12, See also Numbers 11:25.[36] Exodus 12:13.

[37] Gen.11:5-9, See also Gen.3:22-24.[38] Qur'an 112:1-4.

[39] Qur'an 42:11.[40] Qur'an 2:255.

[41] Qur'an 2:115.


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[42] Qur'an 6:3.

[43] Qur'an 2:255.[44] Qur'an 6:59.

[45] Qur'an 1:1.[46] Qur'an 4:79.


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Conclusion

This brief exposition is not intended toover-emphasize the differencebetween Islam and the "Judaeo-Christian"traditions. Nor does it imply that

there is nothing in common between Islam andother religions, Judaism,Christianity, or other religions. Such an inferencewould clearly contradict the

Islamic theory of the history of "religions". Sucha theory can be summarizedas follows: All authentic divine revelationsproceeded form the same

Universal God of all. As such, authentic and originalteachings of allmessengers of God must have been essentially the same. Slightdifferencesmight have existed but only in detailed rites and regulations. Astime went

on, authentic and original teachings of various prophets wee lost,changed, orintermingled with philosophical and theological interpretations tothe extent

that even the concept of God was given various contradictoryexplanationsranging from attributing divinity to trees, stars, animals,Spirits, or even

human beings (e.g. Buddha and Jesus "P"). It was by God's gracethat Hiseternal message to humanity was perfected and purified from all

alienelements, presented in its pristine from to humanity at large, not anymore tobe subject to any loss or change. Such is the universal, eternal,divine,purified, and perfected message that Muhammad (peace and

blessings of Allah beupon him) brought to humanity.

The fact that God has chosenan illiterate Arab, who was neither a Jew nor aChristian, to carry this noblemessage does, by no means, justify the

tremendous energies spent by Jewish orChristian orientalists or missionariesto belittle his mission by all means. Nordoes it justify the distortions,

unfairness, and lack of objectivity in whatamounts to be an attempt to

impute dishonesty on the noble characters ofMuhammad (peace andblessings of Allah be upon him) directly, or indirectly,openly or

"diplomatically".

Any fair and logical study ofMuhammad's history and characters wouldleave no room to doubt of any ulteriormotive to fabricate his claim of

prophethood and divine revelation. It does notstand to reason to say thatthe book (the Qur'an), that caused a far-reachingspiritual, moral, social,

economical, and political revolution that changed thecourse of history, was aproduct of convulsive epileptic seizures! Nor does itstand reason to say thatthis book was a product of a simple and illiteratedesert dweller! The brief

discussion of the so-called "Judaeo Origins","Christian Origins" or "Judaeo-Christian Origins" of Islam, even in one singletopic is only self-explanatory.

What then holds an honestand open-minded seeker for truth from admitting

the Divine source of Islam?

Does it seem too much for the "rational" and "scientific"mind to accept theconcept of divine revelation?


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It wouldperhaps be plausible if those who denied Muhammad's truthfulness

were allatheists, since divine revelation in their view is all superstition. Itishardly plausible to see devout Jewish or Christian orientalists

andmissionaries, whose own faith is based on divine revelation, trying by allmeansto dismiss the desert dweller's claim of prophethood, although his life

andcharacter leave no reason to doubt his sincerity and truthfulness.

Might it not be better for humanity to turn to its lovingCreator, receive his

universal message to humanity, with no prejudice orcynicism, to reflect onit, and implement it in man's life. Could that bringabout unity, happiness,

and peace to our conflict-torn world?

Prophethood'sMuhammadAnalyticalView JamalA.badawi

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