The incident of the so-called “Satanic Verses” is one of the most debated and contentious events in the early history of Islam. This episode, where Prophet Muhammad is said to have momentarily accepted words from Satan as divine revelation, challenges several core tenets of Islamic theology, including the infallibility of the Prophet and the purity of the Quranic text. Here, we explore this event based on historical and religious references.
The Account of the Event as Narrated by Al-Tabari:
History of Al-Tabari Volume 6 “Muhammad At Mecca” page 108:
Ibn Humayd—Salamah—Muhammad b. Ishaq—Yazid b. Ziyad al-Madani—Muhammad b. Ka’‘b al-Qurazi: When the Messenger of God saw how his tribe turned their backs on him and was grieved to see them shunning the message he had brought to them from God, he longed in his soul that something would come to him from God which would reconcile him with his tribe. With his love for his tribe and his eagerness for their welfare it would have delighted him if some of the difficulties which they made for him could have been smoothed out, and he debated with himself and fervently desired such an outcome. Then God revealed:!”!
By the Star when it sets, your comrade does not err, nor is he deceived; nor does he speak out of (his own) desire …
and when he came to the words:
Have you thought upon al-Lat and al-‘Uzza and Manat, the third, the other?
Satan cast on his tongue, because of his inner debates and what he desired to bring to his people, the words:
These are the high-flying cranes; verily their intercession is accepted with approval.’”
When Quraysh heard this, they rejoiced and were happy and delighted at the way in which he spoke of their gods, and they listened to him, while the Muslims, having complete trust in their Prophet in respect of the messages which he brought from God, did not suspect him of error, illusion, -or mistake. When he came to the prostration, having completed the surah, he prostrated himself and the Muslims did likewise, following their Prophet, trusting in the message which he had brought and following his example. Those polytheists of the Quraysh and others who were in the mosque likewise prostrated themselves because of the reference to their gods which they had heard, so that there was no one in the mosque, believer or unbeliever, who did not prostrate himself. The one exception was al-Walid b. al-Mughirah, who was a very old man and could not prostrate himself; but he took a handful of soil from the valley in his hand and bowed over that. Then they all dispersed from the mosque. The Quraysh left delighted by the mention of their gods which they had heard, saying, “Muhammad has mentioned our gods in the most favorable way possible, stating in his recitation that they are the high-flying cranes and that their intercession is received with approval.”
The news of this prostration reached those of the Messenger of God’s Companions who were in Abyssinia and people said, “The Quraysh have accepted Islam.” Some rose up to return, while others remained behind. Then Gabriel came to the Messenger of God and said, “Muhammad, what have you done? You have recited to the people that which I did not bring to you from God, and you have said that which was not said to you.” Then the Messenger of God was much grieved and feared God greatly, but God sent down a revelation to him, for He was merciful to him, consoling him and making the matter light for him, informing him that there had never been a prophet or a messenger before him who desired as he desired and wished as he wished but that Satan had cast words into his recitation, as he had cast words on Muhammad’s tongue. Then God cancelled what Satan had thus cast, and established his verses by telling him that he was like other prophets and messengers, and revealed:
Never did we send a messenger or a prophet before you but that when he recited (the Message} Satan cast words into his recitation (umniyyah).God abrogates what Satan casts. Then God established his verses. God is knower, wise.’” (Quran 22:52)
Thus God removed the sorrow from his Messenger, reassured him about that which he had feared and cancelled the words which Satan had cast on his tongue, that their gods were the high- flying cranes whose intercession was accepted with approval. He now revealed, following the mention of “al-Lat, al-‘Uzza and Manat, the third, the other,” the words:
Are yours the males and his the females? That indeed were an unfair division! They are but names which you have named, you and your fathers …
to the words: to whom he wills and accepts.’”°
This means, how can the intercession of their gods avail with God?
When Muhammad brought a revelation from God cancelling what Satan had cast on the tongue of His Prophet, the Quraysh said, “Muhammad has repented of what he said concerning the position of your gods with God, and has altered it and brought something else.” Those two phrases which Satan had cast on the tongue of the Messenger of God were in the mouth of every polytheists, and they became even more ill-disposed and more violent in their persecution of those of them who had accepted Islam and followed the Messenger of God.
This narrative continues to describe how the Quraysh rejoiced at this apparent acceptance of their deities, leading to a collective prostration in the mosque, except for al-Walid b. al-Mughirah. However, Gabriel later rebuked Muhammad for these words, leading to their retraction and the revelation of Quran 22:52 to clarify the matter.
Corroborating Narrations:
Other Islamic sources provide similar accounts:
Ibn Sa’d’s “Kitab al Tabaqat al Kabir” Vol. 1 Pg. 236-238:
Muhammad Ibn ‘Umar informed us; he said: Yonus Ibn Muhammad Ibn Fudalah al-Zafari related to me on the authority of his father; (second chain) he (Ibn Sa‘d) said: Kathir Ibn Zayd related to me on the authority of al-Muttalib Ibn ‘Abd Allah Ibn Hantab; they said: the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him, had seen his people departing from him. He was one day sitting alone when he expressed a desire:
I wish, Allah had not revealed to me anything distasteful to them. Then the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him, approached them (Quraysh) and got close to them, and they also came near to him. One day he was sitting in their assembly near the Ka‘bah, and he recited:
“By the Star when it setteth’,! till he reached, “Have ye thought upon Al-Uzzi and Manat, the third, the other’. Qur’an, 53: 19-20
Satan made him repeat these two phrases:
These idols are high and their intercession is expected.
The Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him, repeated them, and he went on reciting the whole surah and then fell in prostration, and the people also fell in prostration with him.
Al-Walid Ibn al-Mughirah, who was an old man and could not prostrate, took a handful of dust to his forehead and prostrated on it. Some people say: It was al-Walid who took the dust; others say: It was Aba Uhayhah ; while others say: Both did it.
They were pleased with what the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him, had uttered.
They said: We know that Allah’ gives life and causes death. He creates and gives us provisions, but our deities will intercede with Him, and in what you have assigned to them, we are with you. These words pricked the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him. He was sitting in his house and when it was evening, Gabriel, may peace be on him, came to him ‘and revised the sarah. Then Gabriel said: Did I bring these two phrases. The Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him, said: I ascribed to Allah, what He had not said. Then Allah revealed to him: “And they indeed strove hard to beguile thee (Muhammad) away from that wherewith We have inspired thee, that thou shouldst invent other than it against Us ; and then would they have accepted thee as a friend.
And if We had not made thee wholly firm thou mightest almost have inclined unto them a little,
Then had We made thee taste a double (punishment) of living and a double (punishment) of dying then hadst thou found to helper against Us.!
Now the apostle was anxious for the welfare of his people, wishing to attract them as far as he could.
It has been mentioned that he longed for a way to attract them, and the method he adopted is what Ibn Hamid told me that Salama said M. b. Ishaq told him from Yazld b. Ziyad of Medina from M b. Ka’b al-Qurazi:
When the apostle saw that his people turned their backs on him and he was pained by their estrangement from what he brought them from God he longed that there should come to him from God a message that would reconcile his people to him. Because of his love for his people and his anxiety over them it would delight him if the obstacle that made his task so difficult could be removed; so that he meditated on the project and longed for it and it was dear to him. Then God sent down ‘By the star when it sets your comrade errs not and is not deceived, he speaks not from his own desire,’ and when he reached His words Have you thought of al-Lat and al-‘Uzza and Manat the third, the other , Satan, when he was meditating upon it, and desiring to bring reconciliation to his people, put upon his tongue ‘these are the exalted Gharaniq whose intercession is approved‘
When Quraysh heard that, they were delighted and greatly pleased at the way in which he spoke of their gods and they listened to him; while the believers were holding that what their prophet brought them from their Lord was true, not suspecting a mistake or a vain desire or a slip, and when he reached the prostration and the end of the Sura in which he prostrated himself the Muslims prostrated themselves when their prophet prostrated confirming what he brought and obeying his command, and the polytheists of Quraysh and others who were in the mosque prostrated when they heard the mention of their gods, so that everyone in the mosque believer and unbeliever prostrated, except al-Walid b. al-Mughira who was an old man who could not do so, so he took a handful of dirt from the valley and bent over it. Then the people dispersed and Quraysh went out, delighted at what had been said about their gods, saying, ‘Muhammad has spoken of our gods in splendid fashion. He alleged in what he read that they are the exalted Gharinlq whose intercession is approved.’
The news reached the prophet’s companions who were in Abyssinia, it being reported that Quraysh had accepted Islam, so some men started to return while others remained behind. Then Gabriel came to the apostle and said, ‘What have you done, Muhammad? You have read to these people something I did not bring you from God and you have said what He did not say to you. The apostle was bitterly grieved and was greatly in fear of God. So God sent down (a revelation), for He was merciful to him, comforting him and making light of the affair and telling him. that every prophet and apostle before him desired as he desired and wanted what he wanted and Satan interjected something into his desires as he had on his tongue. So God annulled what Satan had suggested and God established His verses i.e. you are just like the prophets and apostles. Then God sent down: ‘We have not sent a prophet or apostle before you but when he longed Satan cast suggestions into his longing. But God will annul what Satan has suggested. Then God will establish his verses, God being knowing and Wise .’ (Quran 22:52)
Thus God relieved his prophet’s grief, and made him feel safe from his fears and annulled what Satan had suggested in the words used above about their gods by his revelation ‘Are yours the males and His the females? That were indeed an unfair division’ (i.e. most unjust); ‘they are nothing but names which your fathers gave them! as far as the words ‘to whom he pleases and accepts’ (Quran 53:21-23), i.e. how can the intercession of their gods avail with Him ?
Quran 22:52 Tafsir Al-Jalalayn
And We did not send before you any messenger rasūl — this is a prophet who has been commanded to deliver a Message — or prophet nabī — one who has not been commanded to deliver anything — but that when he recited the scripture Satan cast into his recitation what is not from the Qur’ān but which those to whom he the prophet had been sent would find pleasing. The Prophet s had during an assembly of the men of Quraysh after reciting the following verses from sūrat al-Najm Have you considered Lāt and ‘Uzzā? And Manāt the third one? 53:19-20 added as a result of Satan casting them onto his tongue without his the Prophet’s being aware of it the following words ‘those are the high-flying cranes al-gharānīq al-‘ulā and indeed their intercession is to be hoped for’ and so they the men of Quraysh were thereby delighted. Gabriel however later informed him the Prophet of this that Satan had cast onto his tongue and he was grieved by it; but was subsequently comforted with this following verse that he might be reassured of God’s pleasure thereat God abrogates nullifies whatever Satan had cast then God confirms His revelations. And God is Knower of Satan’s casting of that which has been mentioned Wise in His enabling him Satan to do such things for He does whatever He will.
Quran 22:52 Tafsir Al-Qurtubi:
روى الليث ، عن يونس ، عن الزهري ، عن أبي بكر بن عبد الرحمن بن الحارث بن هشام قال : قرأ رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم – والنجم إذا هوى فلما بلغ أفرأيتم اللات والعزى ومناة الثالثة الأخرى سها فقال : ( إن شفاعتهم ترتجى ) ، فلقيه المشركون والذين في قلوبهم مرض فسلموا عليه وفرحوا ؛ فقال : إن ذلك من الشيطان ، فأنزل الله تعالى : وما أرسلنا من قبلك من رسول ولا نبي الآية .
Translation: Al-Laith narrated, from Yunus, from al-Zuhri, from Abu Bakr ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Harith ibn Hisham, who said: The Messenger of Allah – may Allah bless him and grant him peace – recited al-Najm when he reached al-Lat, al-‘Uzza and the other third manna and he slipped and said, “Their intercession is desired.” The polytheists and those whose hearts are sick met him and greeted him and rejoiced; he said, “That is from Satan,” so Allah revealed, “We sent no messenger before you, no prophet before you.
Quran 22:52 Tafsir Al-Jalalayn
And We did not send before you any messenger rasūl — this is a prophet who has been commanded to deliver a Message — or prophet nabī — one who has not been commanded to deliver anything — but that when he recited the scripture Satan cast into his recitation what is not from the Qur’ān but which those to whom he the prophet had been sent would find pleasing. The Prophet s had during an assembly of the men of Quraysh after reciting the following verses from sūrat al-Najm Have you considered Lāt and ‘Uzzā? And Manāt the third one? 53:19-20 added as a result of Satan casting them onto his tongue without his the Prophet’s being aware of it the following words ‘those are the high-flying cranes (al-gharānīq al-‘ulā) and indeed their intercession is to be hoped for’ and so they the men of Quraysh were thereby delighted. Gabriel however later informed him the Prophet of this that Satan had cast onto his tongue and he was grieved by it; but was subsequently comforted with this following verse that he might be reassured of God’s pleasure thereat God abrogates nullifies whatever Satan had cast then God confirms His revelations. And God is Knower of Satan’s casting of that which has been mentioned Wise in His enabling him Satan to do such things for He does whatever He will.
Quran 22:52 Tafsir – Wahidi – Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi
(Never sent We a messenger or a prophet before thee…) [22:52]. The commentators of the Qur’an said: “When the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, saw that his people were shunning him, he was aggrieved by their rejection of the message he brought them and he secretly wished that Allah, exalted is He, reveals something to him which would bring him and his people closer to each other, keen as he was to see them accept faith. One day, he sat in one of the congregations of Quraysh which attracted a huge number of its members, and he wished that Allah, exalted is He, does not reveal to him on that day anything that might repel them from him. Allah, exalted is He, revealed to him then Surah al-Najm (By the star when it stetteth…) [Surah 53]. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, recited it but when he reached (Have ye thought upon al-Lat and al-‘Uzza, and Manat, the third, the other) [53:19-20], the devil put on his tongue what he had secretly wished and hoped for and said: ‘These are the mighty cranes (gharaniq) and their intercession is hoped for’. When the Quraysh heard this, they were very pleased. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, carried on reciting until the end of the Surah and then prostrated. All the Muslims followed suit and prostrated, and all the idolaters who were present prostrated too. All those who were present, whether Muslim or disbeliever, prostrated except al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah and Abu Uhyahah Sa’id ibn al-‘As who were too advanced in age and could not prostrate, but they both grabbed a handful of dust and put their foreheads on it. The Quraysh then dispersed, happy with what they heard. They said: ‘Muhammad has mentioned our idols with complimentary terms. We know that Allah gives life and takes it away, He creates and provides sustenance, but these idols of ours will intercede for us with Him. Now that Muhammad has associated them, we are all with him’. That evening, Gabriel, peace be upon him, went to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, and said: ‘What have you done? You recited to people that which I did not bring from Allah, glorified is He, and you said what I did not say to you’. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, felt very saddened and was greatly scared of Allah. And so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse, upon which the Quraysh said: ‘Muhammad has regretted what he has mentioned regarding the status of our idols vis-à-vis Allah’. And they became even more antagonistic than before”. Abu Bakr al-Harithi informed us> Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Hayyan> Abu Yahya al-Razi> Sahl al-‘Askari> Yahya> ‘Uthman ibn al-Aswad> Sa’id ibn Jubayr who said: “The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, recited (Have ye thought upon al-Lat and al-‘Uzza, and Manat, the third, the other) upon which the devil projected on his tongue: ‘These are the mighty cranes and their intercession is hoped for’. The idolaters were pleased. They said: ‘He has mentioned our idols’. Then Gabriel, peace be upon him, came to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, and said: ‘Read back to me the speech of Allah’. When he read it to him, Gabriel said: ‘As for this I did not bring; this is from the devil’. And so Allah, exalted is He, revealed (Never sent We a messenger or a prophet before thee but when He recited (the message) Satan proposed (opposition) in respect of that which he recited thereof. But Allah abolishes that which Satan proposeth. Then Allah established His revelations…)”
Sahih Al-Bukhari – Hadith 4862 partially mentions:
Narrated Ibn `Abbas:
The Prophet (ﷺ) performed a prostration when he finished reciting Surat-an-Najm, and all the Muslims and pagans and Jinns and human beings prostrated along with him.
Sahih Al-Bukhari – Hadith 1067 also hints at this event:
Narrated `Abdullah bin Mas`ud:
The Prophet (ﷺ) recited Suratan-Najm (103) at Mecca and prostrated while reciting it and those who were with him did the same except an old man who took a handful of small stones or earth and lifted it to his forehead and said, “This is sufficient for me.” Later on, I saw him killed as a non-believer.
The Challenge of Interpretation
A common argument against using these hadiths to affirm the Satanic Verses incident is that they merely mention the act of prostration by both Muslims and polytheists, which could be interpreted in various ways without necessarily proving the incident. Critics might argue that these hadiths only indicate a shared ritual practice during the recitation of Surah An-Najm, not specifically the controversial verses.
However, this interpretation faces a significant challenge:
Contextual Incongruity: The current version of Quran 53:19-23 clearly rejects the deities of the Quraysh (al-Lat, al-‘Uzza, and Manat), stating:
“Have you then considered al-Lat and al-‘Uzza, And Manat, the third – the last? What! for you the males and for Him the females! This indeed is an unjust division! They are naught but names which you have named, you and your fathers; Allah has not sent for them any authority. They follow naught but conjecture and the low desires which (their) souls incline to; and certainly the guidance has come to them from their Lord.”
Given this rejection, why would the polytheists, who venerated these deities, prostrate in worship during the recitation of verses that explicitly deny the legitimacy of their gods? This behavior seems counterintuitive unless there was a moment when the verses did not reject but rather seemed to accept or at least not outright condemn their deities, as suggested by the narrative of the Satanic Verses.
Points to Strengthen the Argument:
- Unusual Collective Prostration: The collective prostration of both Muslims and polytheists, as described in the hadiths, is unusual in the context of the Quran’s clear monotheistic stance. This collective act suggests a moment of perceived unity or compromise, which aligns with the narrative where Muhammad initially uttered verses that appeared to honor the Quraysh’s gods.
- Consistency with Other Narratives: While the hadiths from Bukhari do not provide the full narrative, they are consistent with other early Islamic sources that describe the event in more detail. The consistency across different types of sources strengthens the argument that this was a known event in early Islamic history.
- Historical Consistency Across Sources: The consistency of this narrative across various early Islamic sources, including works by Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Sa’d, and Al-Tabari, suggests that it was a known and discussed event in early Islamic scholarship. The multiplicity of chains of narration (isnad) adds to the weight of this historical account.
- Quranic Response: The Quranic verse (22:52) revealed in response to this incident acknowledges that Satan can cast suggestions into the recitations of prophets, which God then abrogates. This admission in the Quran itself lends credence to the event, as it directly addresses the possibility of such an occurrence.
- Modern Apologetics: Modern Islamic apologetics often argue that these narrations are fabrications or misinterpretations, yet the challenge remains in explaining why such a potentially damaging narrative would be so widely reported if it were not rooted in some form of historical truth or widespread belief among early Muslims.
Scholarly Analysis:
Prof. Shahab Ahmed of Harvard University in his book “BEFORE ORTHODOXY: The Satanic Verses in Early Islam” has documented about 50 different narrations of this incident, making it challenging to dismiss entirely. While many modern scholars reject the historicity of this event, the sheer volume of references in authoritative Islamic texts complicates outright refutation.
Implications:
If this event is accepted as true, it has profound implications:
- Prophetic Infallibility: The concept of Muhammad being Masoom (infallible) is directly challenged. If Muhammad momentarily accepted Satan’s words as divine, it suggests he was capable of error, even a significant one like Shirk (associating partners with God), which is considered a major sin (Gunah-e-Kabira).
- Challenge to Quranic Inimitability: The Quran challenges in 2:23 to produce a surah like it, yet this incident suggests that Satan was able to insert verses that Muhammad initially could not distinguish from divine revelation, potentially undermining the claim of the Quran’s unique inimitability.
- Implications for the Integrity of Revelation: If true, this event raises questions about the process of divine revelation. It suggests that the mechanism by which revelations were received was not infallible, which challenges the notion of the Quran being perfectly preserved from the outset.
Conclusion:
The narrative of the Satanic Verses, supported by multiple early Islamic sources, presents a complex theological and historical issue. It raises questions about the nature of divine revelation, the infallibility of prophets, and the purity of the Quranic text. While modern Islamic scholarship often seeks to distance itself from this story, the historical records compel a deeper examination of these events, their implications, and how they fit within the broader framework of Islamic belief and history.