MUHAMMAD’S REVELATIONS AND LIFE
The most important person in
Islam is the prophet Muhammad. He is considered to be the seal of prophets
(33:40) and he is valued above everybody else. Even though Muslims acknowledge
many other prophets including Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus, Muhammad is their
first. This is shown in the Muslim credo: “I bear witness that there is no god
but Allah, and that Muhammad is His prophet.”
Next, we will study the revelations of Muhammad and his life;
since the authority of Islam and the Koran mostly rests on the revelations
given through Muhammad and his personality, we cannot ignore him. Islam is
closely connected to the personality of Muhammad. The Islamic faith in its
current form would surely not even exist if it weren’t for him; this is why we
should study his life. We will use the Koran and other Islamic sources as aids
in this study because the Muslims themselves highly value them and because they
tell a lot about Muhammad.
DID GOD’S ANGEL
GABRIEL REALLY APPEAR TO MUHAMMAD? A general belief among Muslims is that Muhammad
got his revelations from Gabriel (Djibril), an angel of God. Muhammad himself
did not at first recognise the angel, however.
He did not think that the
revelations came from angel Gabriel until later. This is a very stable idea in
the Islamic world.
However, there is a Muslim tradition (recorded by Ibn Sa’d)
that an angel called Serafiel at first appeared to Muhammad and that Gabriel
did not come until three years later. Many learned men have wanted to deny this
tradition; they believe that the only angel that came to Muhammad was Gabriel.
Chapter 2 of the Koran refers to Gabriel:
Say O Muhammad:
"Whoever is the enemy of Jibra'el (Gabriel) should know that he
revealed this Qur'an to your heart by Allah’s command, which confirms
previous scriptures, and is a guidance and good news for the believers. Let them know that
whoever is an enemy to Allah, His angels, His Messengers, Jibra'el (Gabriel)
and Mika‘el (Michael); Allah is an enemy to such unbelievers. (2:97,98)
Contradiction
with the Bible. The Muslims believe that Muhammad was in contact with
an angel named Gabriel who brought the Koran to him. There is also an angel
named Gabriel in the Bible.
There is a clear difference
between the Gabriel of the Bible and the being who appeared to Muhammad,
however. The angel Gabriel in the Bible acknowledges Jesus as the Son of the
Most High, i.e. the Son of God, but the angel in the Koran does not. The
conclusion based on this is that it could not have been the same being. The
being who appeared to Muhammad must have been someone else, not the Gabriel
mentioned in the Bible:
Koran
O Prophet tell the Christians: "If the Compassionate
(Allah) had a son, I would be the first to worship him. (43:81)
O People of the Book! Do
not transgress the limits of your religion. Speak nothing but the Truth about
Allah. The Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary was no more than a Messenger
of Allah and His Word "Be" which He bestowed on Mary and a
Spirit from Him which took the shape of a child in her womb. So believe
in Allah and His Messengers and do not say: "Trinity"." Stop
saying that, it is better for you. Allah is only One Deity. He is far above
from the need of having a son! To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and in the
Earth. Allah Alone is sufficient for
protection. (4:171)
Such was Jesus the son
of Mary, and this is the True statement about him concerning which they are in
doubt. It is not befitting to the majesty of Allah that He Himself
should beget a son! He is far above this; for when He decrees a matter He
need only say: "Be" and it is. (19:34,35)
Bible
- (Luke 1:26-35) And in the sixth month the
angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man
whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in to her, and said, Hail, you
that are highly favored, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his
saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary: for you
have found favor with God.
31 And, behold, you shall conceive in your womb,
and bring forth a son, and shall call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the
Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give to him the throne of
his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob
for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34 Then said Mary to the angel, How shall this be,
seeing I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said to her, The
Holy Ghost shall come on you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow
you: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the
Son of God.
Muhammad had
doubts: he feared that he was possessed.
One reason to suspect that
the angel Gabriel was the one who gave Muhammad the revelations is that
Muhammad himself doubted the revelations and feared that he had gone crazy. The
Koran mentions his doubts a couple of times. The being who appeared to Muhammad
had to assure him that this was not the case.
If you are in doubt
regarding what We have revealed to you,
ask those who have been reading the Book before you. In fact, the truth has indeed
come to you from your Lord: therefore, do not be of those who doubt, and
do not join those who deny the revelations of Allah; otherwise you will become
one of the losers. (10:94,95)
Nun. By the pen and what
they write. By the grace of your Lord you are not a Madman, and
you shall have a never ending reward. You are of the highest noble
character. Soon you will see - as they will see - which of you is
afflicted with madness. Surely it is your Lord Who knows those who have
strayed from His Way, as He knows best those who are rightly guided. So
do not yield to the unbelievers. They desire you to compromise
a little, so they too would compromise. (68:1-9)
Therefore, O Prophet,
keep up your mission of admonition. By the grace of your Lord you
are neither a soothsayer nor a madman. Do they say: "He is but
a poet! We are waiting for some misfortune to befall him. (52:29,30)
Not only Muhammad doubted
himself: others doubted him too. The Koran describes some people who thought
that Muhammad was crazy, a possessed poet, a lying magician or someone who made
it all up himself:
They say: "O you to whom the reminder (The Qur'an) is being
revealed! You are surely insane. (15:6)
But how can the
acceptance of Our Message at that time be beneficial to them? A Messenger (Muhammad),
who makes the things clear, has already come to them yet they deny him,
saying: "He is a madman, taught by others!" (44:13,14)
The unbelievers would almost trip you up with their eyes when they hear
Our revelations (The Qur’an), and say: "He (Muhammad) is
surely crazy." (68:51)
O people of Mecca! Your companion has
not gone mad; he (Muhammad) indeed saw him (Gabriel) in the
clear horizon and he is not stingy to withhold the knowledge of the unseen. This
(Qur’an) is not the word of an accursed Satan. (81:22-25)
for when they were told:
"There is no god except Allah," they used to puff themselves up with
pride and say: "What! Should we give up our gods for the sake of a
mad poet?" (37:35,36)
They wonder that a Warner has come to them from among themselves, and
the disbelievers say: "He is a sorcerer telling lies! (38:4)
Does it seem strange to the people that We revealed Our will to a man
from among themselves, saying: "Warn mankind and give the good news to the
Believers that they are on sound footing with their Lord?" The
disbelievers say: "This man is indeed an obvious magician!"
(10:2)
Do the people say:
"He (Muhammad) has forged it?" Nay! It is the Truth from your Lord, so that you may warn a
people to whom no Warner has come before you: so that they may receive
guidance. (32:3)
We have not heard such a thing from anyone of the people of latter days (Jews
and Christians): it is nothing but a fabrication. (38:7)
In addition to having doubts
and fearing that he had gone crazy, Muhammad feared that he had been overcome
by an evil spirit. The next quote is
about Muhammad’s experiences that are mentioned in Islamic sources. These
quotes may be very bothersome for Muslims, but what if they are true? Muhammad,
mentioning a dzhinna (an evil spirit), believed that he had seen the devil. He
did not think that the angel that came to him was a good angel:
Khadidzha took
Muhammad up to the mountain to live in isolation so that he would get a vision
from God. One day Muhammad came down from the mountain, crying. Something was
flowing from his mouth. His eyes were red.
Khadidzha asked him, “What happened to
you?” Muhammad said, “I saw the devil and was overcome by a dzhinni [an evil
spirit].”
Muhammad confessed this. This is also
included in his biography written by Al Halabi (Part 1, page 227).
But Khadidzha told Muhammad, “Don’t say
that. When you see again the being you called the devil, tell me and I will
test it.”
When Muhammad saw the being again, he told
his wife, “Hey, there it is.” Khadija revealed her left thigh and asked
Muhammad to sit on it. Khadija thought that if the being were an angel, it
would be ashamed at seeing a woman’s thigh and would fly away. She said: “Can
you see him?” Muhammad replied, “Yes, I can.”
She revealed her right thigh and asked,
“Can you see him?” “Yes, I can,” Muhammad replied. Khadija took Muhammad into
her arms and asked, “Can you see it?” “Yes, I can,” Muhammad replied.
The Khadija revealed her face and asked
again whether Muhammad can still see the being. Muhammad said, “No, I cannot,
it fled.” Khadija shouted, “Hey, this is an angel and not a devil!”
Why? Because the being was ashamed when
seeing Khadija’s face? I often ask Muslims on live TV what kind of an angel
would be ashamed when looking at the face of a woman but not when looking at
all the hidden parts.
This has been written in the Muslim books.
The evidence is there. And Muhammad said that it was the devil. (1)
A traditional Islamic tale
seems to suggest that Muhammad was under the influence of an evil spirit. In
that story we are told that Muhammad asked for forgiveness for his sins and to
be freed from the evil spirit. Such traditions prove that Muhammad was
imperfect like other people and he doubted his connection with the evil spirit.
Was the being who said he was Gabriel like this?
Al
Hadis, vol. 3, p. 786 Abu Azer al Anmari tells the following: When the prophet
went to bed, he said, In Allah’s name, I lie down in Allah’s name, oh Allah!
Forgive my sins and remove my evil spirit.
Another quote reveals that
Muhammad did not consider his revelations or meetings with the spirit to be a
positive experience. He felt that he was tormented by the devil, and he even
contemplated suicide. If it was God’s angel Gabriel, why was Muhammad’s
experience so much harder than that of, for example, Mary, who met an angel of
the same name? These experiences are completely different.
At first, Muhammad
was very restless about his supernatural meeting with the spirit. He “suffered
a lot of pain and his face became ashen” (2). He wondered whether he was
possessed by the devil, and he even contemplated suicide:
I will go to the
top of the mountain and throw myself down so that I would die and thus get
peace. So I went ahead with it but when I was halfway up the mountain, I heard
a voice from heaven saying, “O Muhammad. You are an apostle of God and I am
Gabriel.” I raised my head to the skies to see (who was talking) and behold, it
was Gabriel in the form of a man – a man whose legs spread beyond the horizon.
And he said, ”O Muhammad. You are an apostle of God and I am Gabriel.” (3)
Muhammad went back
to Khadija feeling indescribable anxiety. According to Aisha, “Then Allah’s
apostle came back with it (the revelation). His heart fluttered, (and) the
muscles between his shoulders and neck shuddered until he came to Khadija (his
wife) and said, “O Khadija, what is wrong with me? I was afraid that something
bad were to happen to me.” Then he told Khadija everything that happened (4),
and recounted his original fears to her, “Poor me, I am either a poet or
possessed.” (5) By poet he meant in
this case a person who gets ecstatic and possibly demonic visions. (6)
The Islamic sources tell a
lot about Muhammad’s life and also mention something about his childhood. One
of the most highly valued ones is the Biography of Muhammad by Ibn Ishaq. The
biography also refers to evil spirits. This time, Muhammad’s wet-nurse Halima
suspected that young Muhammad was possessed.
Such mentions prove that Muhammad might have been under the same
supernatural influence since his childhood.
This went on for
two years, and we thanked God for our success. Then I weaned him; he was
already an active boy, like much older boys. He was already strong at the age
of two. (...)
So we brought him back. A couple of months
later he was in the backyard with his foster brother and our sheep. Suddenly
his brother came running and shouted at us, “Two men in white took my Quraysh
brother, laid him down and opened up his abdomen! They were looking for
something!”
Me and my husband started running. We found
the boy standing there, pale. We took him in our arms and asked, “What is
wrong, dear child?” He replied, “Two men in white came, laid me down and opened
up my abdomen. They were looking for something but I do not know what.” We took
him back inside.
My husband said to me, “Halima, I’m afraid that the boy is
possessed. Take him back to his family before the disease breaks out.” We took
him back to his mother, and she asked, “What brings you back, wet-nurse? You
just wanted to take the boy with you.” I replied, “God has allowed my foster
son to grow up and I have done my duty. Now I’m afraid that he might be faced
with a calamity, and thus I return him to you as you wished.” (7)
How
did Gabriel appear to Muhammad? The Islamic tradition tells different things
about the time when Muhammad was in contact with the angel who said he was
Gabriel. Muslims describe the peculiar behaviour of Gabriel and how Muhammad often
found him distressing. Such peculiar stories makes one ask whether Muhammad
really was in contact with an angel of God. We can all think about it.
- Gabriel used to recite the
Koran once a year; this took place twice during the year he died (Muslim, Book 31, no. 6005).
- Gabriel's head was covered
with dust after a fight (Bukhari, vol.4,
book, 56, no. 2813).
- Gabriel came to the
messenger of God wearing a silk turban on his head and riding a mule (Ibn Hisham: Profeetta Muhammadin elämäkerta
[Sirat Rasul Allah], p. 313)
- In connection with
Muhammad's trip to heaven, Gabriel pushed him three times on the heel (Ibn Hisham: Profeetta Muhammadin elämäkerta
[Sirat Rasul Allah], p. 130) Muslims believe that a winged being, an
intermediate of a mule and a donkey, took Muhammad to the mosque in Jerusalem
during the same trip (Al-Aqsa).
This reference to the mosque in Jerusalem cannot be true,
however, because the mosque in question was not built until between the years
710 and 720, around 80 years after Muhammad died. This is why Muhammad must
have gone somewhere else during this peculiar trip, or his otherworldly trip
never took place in reality.
- The traditions tell that
when Muhammad first met the being calling himself the angel Gabriel, the angel
strangled him and forced him to read some sentences from the current Koran out
loud. This experience was distressing for Muhammad because he feared that he
would die. Such coercions are common among people who are recurrently in
contact with the spirit world. The longer their experiences continue, the more
such coercions occur. This is very common in experiences with UFOs that many
people find distressing.
The messenger of God has told the following himself:
Gabriel came to me when I was sleeping. He carried a
silk blanket with writing on it. He said: “Read!” I asked, “What?” Then Gabriel
pressed the blanket on me until I thought I was going to die. Then he released
me and said again, “Read!”
I asked,
“What?” Then Gabriel pressed the blanket on me until I thought I was going to
die. Then he released me and said again, “Read!” I asked, “What?” Then Gabriel
pressed the blanket on me until I thought I was going to die. Then he released
me and said again, “Read!” I asked, “What should I read?”
I only said
that so that he would not do again the thing he did before. Then Gabriel said [Kor 96:1-5]:
Recite! (or read!) In the name of your Lord Who created
- created man from clots of blood.
Recite! Your Lord is the Most Gracious,
Who taught by the pen,
taught man what he knew not.
I
read this and he released me and left. I woke up from the dream; it was like
the words had been written in my heart! (8)
Another quote describes how
Muhammad was so afraid of angel Gabriel’s coming that he wanted others to cover
him with a blanket. Since there are many such mentions of Gabriel, one must ask
whether it could really be an angel from God. Muhammad himself explained:
Divine inspiration was gone for a short while but
suddenly while walking I heard a voice from the heaven, and when I looked up, I
was surprised to see the same angel that came to me in the Cave of Hira, and he
was sitting on a chair between heaven and earth. I was so startled by his
appearance that I fell down and then I came to my family and said, “Cover me!
(with a blanket) Cover me!” ” (9)
How
did Muhammad receive his revelations? There are several mentions
on how Muhammad received his revelations in Islamic sources. The biography by
Ibn Hisham describes how Muhammad was wrapped in a cloth and a pillow was
placed under his head when a revelation came. It took some time for Muhammad to
recuperate from this state. Furthermore, drops of perspiration were running on
his forehead even though it was cold. One can note that the experience was not
physically very pleasant:
By God, the
emissary of God did not have time to leave his seat before he was overcome by
the thing from God that used to overcome him. He was wrapped in a cloth and a
leather pillow was placed under his head. When I saw this I was not, by God,
fearful or worried because I knew that he was innocent and I knew that God
would not do wrong me, but by Him in whose hands Aisha's life is, my parents
almost died before the emissary of God recuperated because they feared that God
would give a revelation that would prove what people said.
Then the emissary of God recuperated. Drops of perspiration were
running on his forehead even though it was a cold day. He wiped the sweat off
his forehead and said, “Rejoice, Aisha, for God has announced you innocent!”
“Praise God!” I replied. Then he went out, talked to people and read the verse
of the Koran about me that was given to him. (10)
Other sources describe the
revelations given to Muhammad in more detail. One of them describes how “a divine revelation came to him (...) the
prophet’s face was red and he breathed heavily for a while and then he felt
better” (Bukhari, vol. 6, book 66, no. 4985.0).
Below is some more information about this. What is important
about these examples, as those examples above, is that Muhammad felt anxious.
He was restless and confused and his face distorted. He nodded his head and his
followers did the same. Such examples – of which there are many – suggest that
the revelations were often trying on Muhammad.
Aisha once asked
Muhammad what kind of an experience receiving a revelation is, and he replied,
“Sometimes it feels like a bell tolling, this form of inspiration is the
hardest, and then the state passes once I understand what has been announced to
me. Sometimes an angel comes in the form of a man and talks to me, and I
understand him whatever he says.” (11) He explained another time: “A revelation
comes to me in two ways – Gabriel brings it to me and mediates it to me like a
man gives information to another, and it makes me restless. And it is revealed
to me like the tolling of a bell until it penetrates my heart, and this does
not make me restless.” (12) Aisha noted, “When a revelation came to the
emissary of Allah (peace be upon him), his forehead was damp with sweat even if
it was a cold day.” (13) Also, when the inspiration came to him “he felt like a
burden was bringing him down and thus his face changed colour” and “he lowered
his head and his companions also lowered their heads and when (this state) passed,
he raised his head back up”. (14)
Al Hadis, vol 4. s. 360 Obadab-b-Swamet told that when
the prophet received a revelation, he became very confused and his face
changed. When he was preaching a revelation, he nodded his head and his
followers did the same.
Why
did Muhammad start to receive revelations? Many Muslims sincerely
believe that God chose Muhammad and this is why he started to receive
revelations. They believe that he was a prophet authorised by God and no other
explanation is necessary. They do not consider it possible that Muhammad could
have received the revelations from any other party than Gabriel, an angel of
God.
However, there is one thing that is in common to Muhammad’s life
and the lives of many mediums: passive reflection, i.e. meditation. They
regularly practiced some form of meditation until an angel or spirit came to
them. For Muhammad, it was the angel who called himself Gabriel, but beings by
other names have come to other people. This can be observed in many of the Japanese
religions, for example: they started when a person meditated for a long time.
After this long meditation they saw a spiritual being. The person started to
listen to what the spiritual being or angel said, thus starting a new religious
movement. The Christian sect of Mormons started in such a way, when an angel
called Moroni came to Joseph Smith.
The next quotes refer to this subject. The first of them (from a book defending the Islamic faith)
notes that Muhammad was in a deep meditative state when the angel came to him.
The second quote, however, is about how Kenneth R. Wade noticed that almost
every medium he met had first been contacted by the spirit world or a spirit
guide while practicing some form of Oriental meditation. These quotes are clearly
congruent. Muhammad’s experiences are not very different from the experiences
of mediums.
At this point,
Muhammad was almost 40 years of age. He saw conflicts, illegal acts, desire for
pleasure, cruelty and moral degradation around him, and this made him more and
more horrified. He started to regularly visit the Cave of Hira that is located
around a mile from Mecca to meditate. He usually went there alone but sometimes
Khadija or Zaid accompanied him. He sat in the cave all night without moving,
in a deep meditative state.
(...) After experiencing his first
revelation, Muhammad was, according to his biographies and commentaries, very
anxious. He still continued to visit the Cave of Hira, however, and he was in a
deep state of meditation and melancholy when he experienced his second
revelation. (15)
"Almost every
one of the channels and mediums whom I have examined had their initial
connection with the guiding spirit when they practiced some form of Oriental
meditation. The shamans also use some spell or mantra in order to get into trances,
whereby they get connected to the spirit world." (16)
MUHAMMAD'S
LIFE. One could assume that the fruit of the prophet Muhammad’s life would
have been, above all else, because he is considered to be the seal of the
prophets and even greater and holier than Jesus. This should be obvious if his
task was more important than anyone else's on earth.
There is a contradiction here, however: one cannot say that
Muhammad led an exemplary life. This is proven by the following words and
actions:
He killed several of
his opponents and people who mocked him.
This goes against what Jesus
said because Jesus taught us to love our enemies. In addition, he taught that
if we only love those who love us back, it is nothing special. Muhammad did the
opposite. (Matt 5:44-48): But I
say to you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that
hate you, and pray for them which spitefully use you, and persecute you; That
you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain
on the just and on the unjust. For if you love them which love you, what
reward have you? do not even the publicans the same? And if you salute your brothers only, what do you more than others? do
not even the publicans so? Be you therefore perfect, even as your
Father which is in heaven is perfect."
Furthermore, the
messenger of God ordered Abdallah ibn Khatal, who also used to be a Muslim, to
be killed. God’s messenger had sent him to collect doles with a trapper...
Ibn Khatal had two slave girls, Fartana and
another. They used to sing mocking songs about the emissary of God. The
emissary of God ordered to kill them as well.
He also ordered them to kill al-Huwairith
ibn Nuqaidh who tormented him in Mecca. (…) The emissary of God also ordered
them to kill Miquas ibn Subaba because he killed a trapper in revenge of his
brother who was accidentally killed and then went back to the Quraysh to
worship many gods.
He also ordered them to kill Sara, a female maula who was part
of the clan of a man called Abdalmuttalib, and Ikrima ibn Abi Jahl. Sara was
one of the people who tormented the emissary of God in Mecca. (Ibn Hisham: Profeetta Muhammadin elämäkerta, p. 390)
Ibn Habanm Sahih vol.14 p. 529 Muhammad said, I swear
by Him who holds my soul in His hands that I have not come to you other than to
butcher.
Musnad. vol. 2 p. 50 The prophet said, I was sent
towards the Day of Judgement with a sword, and my living is shadowed by a
spear, humiliation and subordination shall be the part of those who fail to
obey me.
He told his
followers to lie so that they could kill their adversaries.
Revelation tells us, however,
that liars and murderers will not get into the kingdom of God: Blessed are they that do his commandments,
that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the
gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and
murderers, and idolaters, and whoever loves and makes a lie. (Rev 22:14,15).
He finally went
back to Medina and harassed Muslim women with his love poems. The emissary of
God asked, “Who will take care of Ibn al-Ashraf on my behalf?” Muhammad ibn
Maslama replied, “I will do it, emissary of God, I will kill him.” “Do that if
you can,” the emissary of God said.
Muhammad ibn Maslama left. He did not eat
or drink for three days other than to keep himself alive. When the emissary of
God heard about this, he asked Muhammad ibn Maslama, “Why have you stopped
eating and drinking?” Muhammad ibn Maslama replied, “Emissary of God, I
promised something to you and I do not know whether I can do it!” The emissary
of God replied, “You must at least try!” Muhammad ibn Maslama elaborated,
“Emissary of God, we must at least lie!” “Say what you will,” replied the
emissary of God, “you are given the permission to do so!”
Then Muhammad ibn Maslama made a deal on
killing Ka’bi with some men. The men were Abu Na’ila Silkan ibn Salama, Abbad
ibn Bishr, al-Harith ibn Aus and Abu Abs ibn Jabr. (Ibn Hisham:
Profeetta Muhammadin elämäkerta, p. 250)
He cursed people and
prayed for God to turn against them.
This goes against what Paul
taught and how he lived, for example. He wrote: … being reviled, we bless…(1 Cor 4:12) and: Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.… Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good
(Rom 12:14,21).
Peter also taught the same as
Paul:
Not rendering evil for evil, or
railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that
you are thereunto called, that you should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his
tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it (1 Peter 3:9-11).
The emissary of
God stayed in Tabuk for around a dozen days and then returned to Medina.
On the way, there was a place on the bed of
River Mushaqqaq in which enough water trickled from the rock for a couple of
riders to drink. Before the Muslims arrived there, the emissary of God said,
“If someone gets to the riverbed before us, he may not be allowed to drink even
a single drop before we have arrived.”
A group of pretenders reached the river
before him. They drank all the water, and there was no water left in the rock
when the emissary of God arrived. The emissary of God said, “Did I not forbid
them from drinking before I arrived!” He cursed them and prayed God to turn
against them. (Ibn Hisham: Profeetta
Muhammadin elämäkerta, p. 425)
He pillaged caravans
and sold people. He used the money he got to buy horses and weapons.
Paul wrote: Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is
good, that he may have to give to him that needs (Eph 4:28).
The Bible also teaches that
thieves will not inherit the kingdom of God: Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of
themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor
revilers, nor extortionists, shall inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor 6:9.10).
Then the emissary
of God heard that Abu Sufyan ibn Harb was coming from Syria with a large
Quraysh caravan. The caravan carried plenty of Quraysh property and their
trading goods, and it was escorted by three or four dozen Quraysh.
The messenger of God called the Muslims to
him and said, “The Quraysh caravan is wealthy. Let us meet them; maybe God will
give it to us as loot.” The Muslims answered his call, some eagerly and others
reluctantly because they did not believe that the messenger of God would end up
in war.
(...) The emissary of God shared the loot from the Quraysh and
their women and children with the Muslims. That day he declared the shares of
the cavalrymen and infantry and took a fifth of the loot. (...) Then the
emissary of God sent the Quraysh prisoners with Sa’d ibn Zaid to Najd to be
sold. With the money thus obtained, Sa’d bought horses and weaponry. (Ibn Hisham: Profeetta Muhammadin elämäkerta, p. 209, 324)
He bribed people into turning into Muslims. 9:60 of the Koran
refers to this: In fact the sadaqat (Zakah) collection is for the poor,
the helpless, those employed to administer the funds, those whose hearts need
to be won over to the truth…
The emissary of
God gave a share of the loot to people whose hearts needed to be bent to Islam.
He made them and through them their peoples favourable. He gave up to a hundred
camels to some people of Mecca, such as Abu Sufyan, and to others he gave less.
(Ibn Hisham: Profeetta Muhammadin elämäkerta, p. 413)
He married Aisha
when she was nine years old. At that time, Muhammad was around 52 years of age.
Such a relationship is usually considered paedophilic in the Western countries.
The next interview tells us more about the life of Muhammad:
You have pointed to a Hadith that instructs women to
breastfeed men. What exactly is going on here
and what do the ulema (prominent Muslim theologians past and present) have to
say?
– This is a perfect example of what I just said.
After I revealed the Islamic notion that
women must “breastfeed” strange men in order to be in their presence, which is
in conflict with their other holy writings, the ulema attacked me. Why? Because they have no answer. It is much easier for
them to turn the matter around and slander me, instead of simply addressing
their own texts.
Why
should women do this?
– Because Muhammad said so. Who created such a practice? Muhammad.
Why? Who knows; the texts say he laughed after commanding the woman to
breastfeed men. Maybe he was joking around, trying to see how far people will
believe in him as a prophet? The Hadith compilers wrote it down, preserving it
for later generations. As for what purpose does it serve, one can ask that
question about any number of things Muhammad said: what purpose does drinking
camel urine serve? What purpose does banning music serve? What purpose does
cursing dogs serve? What purpose does commanding people to eat only with their
right hands, never their left, serve? What purpose does commanding Muslims to
lick all their fingers after eating serve? Simple: sharia law’s totalitarian
approach serves to brainwash Muslims, making them automatons that never
question their religion, or, in the words of their own Koran, “Do not ask
questions that may prove harmful to you.”
Tell
us a bit about Muhammad’s life as documented by Islamic sources.
– This is a very embarrassing topic for me
to discuss; and I only do so out of my love for Muslims – though I know it is
painful for them to hear. Yet such is how healing begins, through initial pain
and suffering. In short, according to
Islam’s scriptures, Muhammad was, well, a pervert: he used to
suck on the tongues of young boys and girls; he dressed in women’s clothing
(and received “revelations” in this state); he had at least 66 “wives”; Allah
supposedly sent him special “revelations” allowing him to have sex with his
step-daughter-in-law, Zainab, and to have more wives than the rest of Muslims;
he constantly spoke and was obsessed by sex – his first question to a “talking
donkey” was if the latter “liked sex”— (...) and he had sex with a dead woman.
Again, I stress, it is not I who maintains this but rather Islam’s own books –
many, of course, not known to non-Arabic readers, as they have never been
translated. (...) According to the Koran alone (33:37), Allah made it
legitimate for Muhammad to marry his own daughter-in-law, whom he lusted after.
A few verses later (33:50), Allah made it legitimate for Muhammad to have sex
with any woman who “offered” herself to him— a privilege, which was allowed for
Muhammad alone. Indeed, these “revelations” which granted Muhammad all his
sexual desires were so frequent (...) (17)
He received
revelations that guaranteed him the fulfilment of all his desires. There are a
couple of such cases in chapter 33 of the Koran. In one of the cases, Allah
gave him permission to marry Zainab, the wife of his adopted son. He met his
daughter-in-law when she was almost naked and this awakened his desire. Such an
act, marrying one’s own daughter-in-law, was considered wrong by most people
living in Arabic areas at that time.
Another section of the same chapter relates that Allah allowed
Muhammad to take more wives than other Muslim brothers who were only allowed
four wives. Thus, Muhammad had more wives than other Muslim men. Traditions say
that Muhammad’s young wife Aisha once said in a bitterly sarcastic tone, “Boy, how busy God is fulfilling your
wishes!” This statement is considered to have arisen from the fact that
Muhammad received the revelation that allowed him to take more wives. Aisha
felt that Muhammad received opportune revelations that allowed him to justify
what he wanted to do.
O Prophet, remember when you said to the one (Zaid, Prophet's
adopted son) whom Allah as well as you had favored: "Keep your wife in
wedlock and fear Allah." You sought to hide in your heart what Allah
intended to reveal; you were afraid of the people whereas it would have been
more appropriate to fear Allah. So when Zaid divorced his wife, We gave her
to you in marriage, so that there remains no hindrance for the believers to wed
the wives of their adopted sons if they divorced them. And Allah’s Command
had to be carried out. There can be no blame attached to the Prophet for
doing what is sanctioned for him by Allah. Such has been the way of Allah with
those who have gone before; and the decrees of Allah are preordained. Those
who are charged with the mission of conveying the message of Allah are to fear
Him, they are supposed to fear none but Allah; for Allah is sufficient to
settle their account. Muhammad is not the father of any of your men (he
is not going to leave any male heirs). He is the Messenger of Allah and the
Seal of the Prophets. Allah has the knowledge of all things. (33:37-40)
O Prophet! We have made
lawful to you the wives to whom you have given their dowers; and those ladies
whom your right hands possess (from the prisoners of war) whom Allah has
assigned to you; and the daughters of your paternal uncles and aunts, and the
daughters of your maternal uncles and aunts, who have migrated with you; and
the believing woman who gave herself to the Prophet if the Prophet desires to
marry her - this permission is only for you and not for the other believers;
We know what restrictions We have imposed on the other believers concerning
their wives and those whom their right hands possess. We have granted
you this privilege as an exception so that no blame may be
attached to you. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. (33:50)
He praised himself and was
proud.
Paul wrote (Phil 2:3): Let
nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each
esteem other better than themselves. The Bible also says (James
4:6) that "God
resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble".
Al
Hadis, vol 4. p. 323 as told by Abbas. “The holy prophet got onto the pulpit
and asked his listeners, Who am I? They replied, You are the messenger of
Allah. Muhammad replied, I am Muhammad, son of Abdullah, the son of Abdullah
Muttalib. Allah made his creations and made me the best of them. He divided
them into two groups and placed me in the best of the two. Then He divided them
into tribes and made my tribe the best. Then He divided them into families and
put me in the best one. I am the best family member and my family is the best
family.
Sahih
Muslim. Book 004, no. 1062,1063,1066 and 1067. As told by Abu Huraira: The
emissary of Allah said, I have been made supreme over other prophets in six
venerable issues (respect): I have been given words that are understandable and
versatile if brief; I have been assisted with terror in the hearts of
adversaries, pillages have been made legal to me, the land has been made pure
for me and a place of worship, I have been sent to all people and the chain of
prophets is locked in me.
FRUIT OF
MUHAMMAD’S LIFE. Muslims believe that Muhammad is a prophet sent by
God, more important than, for example, Jesus or any other person who ever lived
on the earth. They believe that he was important even though there is plenty of
information proving that his life was morally low. Such could naturally not be
expected of the most important prophet of them all.
What about the Bible’s
teachings about true and false prophets? Jesus has said that there is one
criterion upon which one can assess the lives of people and prophets: "You shall know them by their fruits." Jesus
taught this and Paul wrote about the same subject:
- (Matt 7:15-20) Beware of false prophets,
which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 You shall
know them by their fruits. Do men gather
grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit;
but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither
can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn
down, and cast into the fire.
20 Why
by their fruits you shall know them.
- (Gal 5:19-23) Now the works of the flesh are
manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, jealousies,
wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Contentions, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and
such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have
also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit
the kingdom of God.
22 But the
fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against
such there is no law.
- (1 John 4:1-3) Beloved, believe not every
spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false
prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know you the Spirit of God: Every spirit that
confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus
Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of
antichrist, whereof you have heard that it should come; and even now already is
it in the world.
Finally, let’s study research into the life of Muhammad done by an
extremist Muslim. He reports that Muhammad’s life was lacking and that Muhammad
was far from perfect. Such findings question Muhammad’s infallibility as the
most important prophet.
We will compare this quote
with Paul’s life: a person who was an apostle to heathens. If we compare the
fruit of Paul’s life to the fruit of Muhammad’s life, we can see that Paul was
better than Muhammad at least when it comes to love:
I then started to study
the infallibility of Muhammad. There are such biographies as Al-Seera AI-Halabija, AI-Tabakaat
AI-Kubra, and Seraat Ibn Hisham that talk about this, and also commentaries
from where you can read the comments on Sura 16:67, “Likewise in the fruits
of the date-palm and the grapes, from which you derive intoxicants and
wholesome food.” Many reliable
traditions clearly say that Muhammad drank wine and advised his friends to
dilute wine with water if it was very strong. He used
to eat meat that the Kuraish tribe had sacrificed to heathen gods on the stone
of Caba. He accepted things forbidden by God and forbade
things allowed by God. He made eyes at his friends’
wives, and took them as his wives without hesitating if someone pleased him. On the day of Kheibar (a bloody fight near Mecca),
Safiya, Yehia Ibn Akhtabin's daughter, was given to Abdallah Ibn Umar to be his
wife but Muhammad took her to be his own wife. Muhammad
also took as his wife Gahsh’s daughter Zainab, who was the wife of Muhammad’
foster-child, Zaid.
All of these events disgraced that holy picture which
was given of Muhammad and destroyed his holy position, which I had in my mind
connected with prophet Muhammad. Honestly said, all of these findings were very painful
to me.
Even
though I found out a lot about Muhammad, I still hoped that I could find such
virtues from Islam to which I could cling onto and continue to be a Muslim. It was very
difficult for me to give up the religion of my childhood. Odd feelings of
fear, confusion, and embarrassment filled my mind when I played with the
thought of abandoning Islam. (18)
References to the
life of Apostle Paul
- (2 Cor 12:14-15) Behold,
the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not
yours but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents
for the children.
15 And I
will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love
you, the less I be loved.
- (2 Cor 2:3-4) And
I wrote this same to you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of
whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy
of you all.
4 For out of much affliction and anguish of
heart I wrote to you with many tears; not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which
I have more abundantly to you.
- (Rom 9:1-3) I say
the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the
Holy Ghost,
2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from
Christ for my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh
- (2 Tim 3:10-11) But you have fully known my doctrine,
manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, charity, patience,
11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came to me at Antioch, at
Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the
Lord delivered me.
- (Phil 3:17) Brothers, be followers together of me, and mark
them which walk so as you have us for an ensample.
REFERENCES:
1. The interview of Father Zakarias
2. Ibn Sa’d, vol. l. 489
3. Ibn Ishaq, 106
4. Bukhari, vol. 6, book 65,
no. 4953
5. Ibn Ishaq, 106
6. Robert Spencer: Totuus
Muhammedista (The Truth About Muhammad), p. 56,57
7. Ibn Hisham:
Profeetta Muhammadin elämäkerta (Sirat Rasul Allah), p. 39
8. Ibn Hisham: Profeetta Muhammadin
elämäkerta (Sirat Rasul Allah), p. 70,71
9. Bukhari, vol. 4, book 59, no. 3238
10. Ibn Hisham:
Profeetta Muhammadin elämäkerta (Sirat Rasul Allah), p. 343
11. Bukhari, vol. 1, book 1,
no. 2
12. Ibn Sa’d, vol. l, 228
13. Imam Muslim, Sahih Muslim,
Abdul Hamid Siddiqi, trans., Kitab Bhavan, revised edition 2000, book 30,
no. 5764.
14. Muslim, book 30, nos. 5766 and 5767.
15. Ziauddin Sardar: Mihin uskovat muslimit? (What Do Muslims Believe?), p. 34,36
16. Kenneth R. Wade: "Uuden aikakauden
salaisuudet: new age", p. 137
17. The interview of Father Zakarias
18. Ismaelin
lapset, p. 93,94
SOURCES:
Koraani
Ibn Hisham: Profeetta Muhammadin elämäkerta
(Sirat Rasul Allah)
Ismaelin lapset (THE CHILDREN OF ISMAEL)
Pekka Sartola: Islam, ystävä vai vihollinen?
Robert Spencer:
Totuus Muhammedista (The Truth
About Muhammad)
