Satanic Verses is an expression coined by the historian Sir William Muir in reference to several verses delivered by Muhammad as part of the Qur'an and later retracted. Muslims refer to the delivery and retraction of the two verses as the Gharaniq incident. Narratives involving these verses can be read in, among other places, the biographies of Muhammad by al-Wāqidī, Ibn Sa'd, al-Tabarī, and Ibn Ishaq (the latter as reconstructed by Alfred Guillaume.) For the verses known as Satanic Verses, see Satanic Verses. ... This article is about the controversy over the novel by Salman Rushdie. ... Sir William Muir (April 27, 1819–1905), was a Scottish Orientalist. ... Ayah is the Arabic word for sign or miracle. ... Muhammad in a new genre of Islamic calligraphy started in the 17th century by Hafiz Osman. ... The Qur’ān [1] (Arabic: , literally the recitation; also sometimes transliterated as Quran, Koran, or Al-Quran) is the central religious text of Islam. ... Muhammad in a new genre of Islamic calligraphy started in the 17th century by Hafiz Osman. ... Abu `Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Omar Ibn Waqid al-Aslami (Arabic ) (c. ... Ibn Sad (Arabic: ) (d 230 AH) [1] OR (168/784-230/845)[2] OR (died 852 CE [3]) was a Sunni Muslim scholar of Islam. ... Balamis 14th century Persian version of Universal History by al-Tabari Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Jarir at-Tabari 838–923 (father of Jafar, named Muhammad, son of Jarir from the province of Tabaristan, Arabic الطبري), was an author from Persia, one of the earliest, most prominent and famous Persian... Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasar, or simply Ibn Ishaq (Arabic: , meaning the son of Isaac) (died 767, or 761 (Robinson 2003, p. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Basic narrative

There are numerous reports on the incident, which differ in the construction and detail of the narrative, but they may be broadly collated to produce a basic account.^[1] In its essential form, the story reports that Muhammad longed to convert his kinsmen and neighbors of Mecca to Islam. As he was reciting Sūra Al-Najm^[2], considered a revelation by the angel Gabriel, Satan tempted him to utter the following lines after verses 19 and 20 ("Have you thought of Allāt and al-'Uzzā and Manāt the third, the other?"): For the novel by Salman Rushdie, see The Satanic Verses. ... Quraish (sura) is also the name of a Surah in the Quran. ... This article is about the city in Saudi Arabia. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... Surat An-Najm (The Star) is the 53rd sura of the Quran with 62 ayat. ... This article is about the archangel Gabriel. ... At its simplest, Shayṭān is the Arabic word for “Satan”. In Islam, Shayṭān (Arabic: شيطان) is an entity analogous to Satan in Christianity. ... Mentioned in the Quran (Sura 53:20), Allāt (a contraction of pre-Arabic *al-ilāhat the Goddess) was a pre-Islamic Arabian goddess who was one of the three chief goddesses of Mecca. ...

These are the exalted Gharaniq, whose intercession is hoped for.

Allāt, al-'Uzzā and Manāt were three goddesses worshiped by the Meccans. Discerning the meaning of "Gharaniq" is difficult as it is a word found only in this one place. Commentators say that it means Numidian cranes, which fly at a great height^{[citation needed]}. The subtext to this allegation is that Muhammad was backing away from his otherwise uncompromising monotheism by saying that these goddesses were real and their intercession effective. Intercession in Islam (Arabic: Tawassul) is a hotly debated topic between Shia and Salafis. ... A hapax legomenon (pl. ... Numidia was an ancient Berber kingdom in North Africa that later alternated between a Roman province and a Roman client state, and is no longer in existence today. ... Genera Grus Anthropoides Balearica Bugeranus Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds of the order Gruiformes, and family Gruidae. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The Meccans were overjoyed to hear this and joined Muhammad in ritual prostration at the end of the sūra. The Muslim refugees who had fled to Abyssinia heard of the end of persecution and started to return home. Islamic tradition holds that Gabriel chastised Muhammad for adulterating the revelation, at which point ^{[Qur'an 22:52]} is revealed to comfort him, "Never did We send a messenger or a prophet before thee, but, when he framed a desire, Satan threw some (vanity) into his desire: but Allah will cancel anything (vain) that Satan throws in, and Allah will confirm (and establish) His Signs: for Allah is full of Knowledge and Wisdom." Muhammad took back his words and the persecution by the Meccans resumed. Verses ^{[Qur'an 53:21]} were given, in which the goddesses are belittled. So the passage including verses 19-26 reads: Bold text sajud is da muslims fingy bt i dnt no coz i aint one so i dnt no wat im tlkin bout bt im suposed to learn 4 an r. ... In 615 CE a number of Sahaba, the Muslims who originally converted in Mecca, migrated to Ethiopia, seeking refuge from persecution. ... This article needs cleanup. ... The Qur’ān [1] (Arabic: , literally the recitation; also sometimes transliterated as Quran, Koran, or Al-Quran) is the central religious text of Islam. ... Allah is the Arabic language word for God. ... The Qur’ān [1] (Arabic: , literally the recitation; also sometimes transliterated as Quran, Koran, or Al-Quran) is the central religious text of Islam. ...

Have you thought of Allāt and al-'Uzzā and Manāt, the third, the other?

For you males and for Him females? That would be unfair sharing.

They are but names which you have named, you and your fathers; Allah revealed no authority for them; they [the worshippers of idols] follow only opinion and their soul’s fancies, though from their Lord there has come to them guidance.

In early Islam

The Satanic Verses incident is reported in the tafsir and the sira-maghazi literature dating from the first two centuries of Islam, and is reported in the respective tafsīr corpuses transmitted from almost every Qur'anic commentator of note in the first two centuries of the hijra.^[3] It seems to have constituted a standard element in the memory of the early Muslim community about the life of Muhammad, Shahab Ahmed concludes.^[4] The earliest biography of Muhammad, Ibn Ishaq (761-767) is lost but his collection of traditions survives mainly in two sources: Ibn Hisham (833) and al-Tabari (915). The story appears in al-Tabari, who includes Ibn Ishaq in the chain of transmission, but not in Ibn Hisham. Ibn Sa'd and Al-Waqidi, two other early biographers of Muhammad relate the story.^[5] Scholars such as Uri Rubin and Shahab Ahmed and Guillaume hold that the report was in Ibn Ishaq, while Alford T. Welch holds the report has not been presumably present in the Ibn Ishaq.^[6] Ibn Ishaq also circulated versions of the story.^[7] A tafsir ( (Arabic: تفسير) tafsÄ«r, Arabic explanation) is Quranic exegesis or commentary. ... Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasar, or simply Ibn Ishaq (Arabic: , meaning the son of Isaac) (died 767, or 761 (Robinson 2003, p. ... Ibn Hisham, Abu Muhammad Abd al-Malik (d. ... The name al-Tabari means simply from Tabaristan, thus more than one Muslim scholar is known by this designation: Ali ibn Sahl Rabban al-Tabari, Ali the scholar from Tabiristan (838-870 A.D.) was the writer of a medical encyclopedia and the teacher of the scholar physician Zakariya al... The name al-Tabari means simply from Tabaristan, thus more than one Muslim scholar is known by this designation: Ali ibn Sahl Rabban al-Tabari, Ali the scholar from Tabiristan (838-870 A.D.) was the writer of a medical encyclopedia and the teacher of the scholar physician Zakariya al... Ibn Hisham, Abu Muhammad Abd al-Malik (d. ... Ibn Sad (Arabic: ) (d 230 AH) [1] OR (168/784-230/845)[2] OR (died 852 CE [3]) was a Sunni Muslim scholar of Islam. ... Abu `Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Omar Ibn Waqid al-Aslami (Arabic ) (c. ... Alford T. Welch is a Professor of Religious Studies at Michigan State University. ...

Transmission of the narrative

The tradition of the Satanic Verses never made it into any of the canonical hadith compilations (though see below for possible truncated versions of the incident that did^[8]). The temporary control taken by Satan over Muhammad made such traditions unacceptable to the compilers.^[9] This is a unique case in which a group of traditions are rejected only after being subject to Qur'anic models, and as a direct result of this adjustment.^[10] The reference and exegesis about the Verses appear in early histories.^[11] In addition to appearing in Tabarī's tafsīr, it is used in the tafsīrs of Muqātil, 'Abd al-Razzāq, and Ibn Kathir, as well as the naskh work of Nahhās, the asbāb collection of Wāhidī, and even the late-medieval al-Suyūtī's compilation al-Durr al-Manthūr fī'l-Tafsīr bi'l-Mathūr. Musannaf hadÄ«th collections are defined by their arrangement of content according to topic and constitute a major category within the class of all such works. ... Hadith ( transliteration: ) are oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of Prophet Muhammad. ... Exegesis (from the Greek to lead out) involves an extensive and critical interpretation of an authoritative text, especially of a holy scripture, such as of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, the Talmud, the Midrash, the Quran, etc. ... Muqatil ibn Sulayman (d. ... Ibn Kathir (Arabic : بن كثير ) was an Islamic scholar born in Busra, Syria in 1301 CE. He was taught by the Islamic scholar Ibn Taymiyya in Damascus, Syria. ... Naskh, an Arabic word meaning abrogation, is a technical term for a major genre of Islamic exegesis dealing with the problem of seemingly contradictory verses in the Quran. ... Asbāb al-nuzÅ«l, an Arabic term meaning occasions of revelation, is a a secondary genre of Qurānic exegesis (tafsir) directed at establishing the context in which specific verses of the Qurān were revealed. ... Imam Al-Suyuti (c. ...

Objections to the incident were raised as early as the fourth Islamic century, such as in the work of Abu Ja'far am-Nahhas (d. AD 952), and continued to be raised throughout later generations by scholars such as Abu Bakr ibn al-`Arabi (d. 1157), Fakhr ad-Din Razi (1220), as well as al-Qurtubi (1285). The most comprehensive argument presented against the factuality of the incident came in Qadi Iyad's "al-Shifa`".^[12] The incident was discounted on two main bases. The first was that the incident contradicted the doctrine of isma, divine protection of Muhammad from mistakes. The second was that the descriptions of the chain of transmission extant since that period are not complete and sound (sahih).^[13] Ibn Kathir in his commentary points out that the various isnads available to him by which the story was transmitted were almost all mursal, or without a companion of Muhammad in their chain.^[14] There exists a complete version of the isnad continuing to the Companion Ibn 'Abbas, but this only survives in a few sources.^[15] A Jewish scholar, Uri Rubin states that the name of Ibn 'Abbas must have been part of the original isnad, and was removed so that the incident could be deprived of its sahih isnad and discredited.^[16] To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... For other uses, see Razi. ... Imam Abu Abdullah Al-Qurtubi was a famous classical Sunni scholar. ... Qadi Iyad, Imam and Hafidh, Abul-Fadl Iyad ibn Musa ibn Iyad al-Yahsubi (d. ... The isnad (Arabic اسناد or in Quranic era Arabic اسند) are the citations or backings that establish the legitimacy of the hadith, which are the sayings of Muhammad, Prophet of Islam. ... Sahih is a Islamic term that means authentic. ... Ibn Kathir (Arabic : بن كثير ) was an Islamic scholar born in Busra, Syria in 1301 CE. He was taught by the Islamic scholar Ibn Taymiyya in Damascus, Syria. ... The isnad (Arabic اسناد or in Quranic era Arabic اسند) are the citations or backings that establish the legitimacy of the hadith, which are the sayings of Muhammad, Prophet of Islam. ... Mursal (lit. ... In Islam, the SÌ£aḥābah (Arabic: ‎ companions) were the companions of Muhammad. ... Muttasil (is a Islamic term used in the Hadith evaluation process. ...

Those scholars who acknowledged the historicity of the incident apparently had a different method for the assessment of reports than that which has become standard Islamic methodology. For example, Ibn Taymiyya took the position that since tafsir and sira-maghazi reports were commonly transmitted by incomplete isnads, these reports should not be assessed according to the completeness of the chains but rather on the basis of recurrent transmission of common meaning between reports.^[17]

Qurtubī (al-Jāmi' li ahkām al-Qur'ān) dismisses all these variants in favor of the explanation that once Sūra al-Najm was safely revealed the basic events of the incident (or rumors of them) "were now permitted to occur to identify those of his followers who would accept Muhammad's explanation of the blasphemous imposture" (JSS 15, pp. 254-255). Surat An-Najm (The Star) is the 53rd sura of the Quran with 62 ayat. ...

By the time of Qurtubī (d. 1272), a series of ever more elaborate exculpations had accrued to the basic narrative. These variously claimed that: Imam Abu Abdullah Al-Qurtubi was a famous classical Sunni scholar. ...

• The entire incident is nothing more than a rumor started by Meccans.^{[citation needed]}
• Muhammad uttered the Satanic Verses unaware.^{[citation needed]}
• Satan deceived Muhammad into reciting the verses by delivering them in the guise of the angel Gabriel; this would cast all other revelations from Gabriel in doubt.^{[citation needed]}
• Satan, while invisible, projected his voice so that the verses seemed to emanate from Muhammad.^{[citation needed]}
• Some enemy of Muhammad (either satanic or human) recited the verses in Muhammad's voice to discredit him.^{[citation needed]}

For the Batman villain, see Ventriloquist (comics). ...

Views

The verses are seen as problematic to many Muslims^{[weasel words]} as they are "profoundly heretical because, by allowing for the intercession of the three pagan female deities, they eroded the authority and omnipotence of Allah. But they also hold... damaging implications in regard to the revelation as a whole, for Muhammad’s revelation appears to have been based on his desire to soften the threat to the deities of the people."^[18] Different responses have developed concerning the account.

Academic views

Since William Muir the historicity of this episode (whether as an actual discrete event, or as a dramatization of a longer process of accommodation and then confrontation with Meccan polytheism) has been largely accepted by non-Muslim scholars of Islam.^[19] William Montgomery Watt and Alfred Guillaume argued for its authenticity based upon the implausibility of Muslims fabricating a story so unflattering to their prophet: "Muhammad must have publicly recited the satanic verses as part of the Qur'ān; it is unthinkable that the story could have been invented by Muslims, or foisted upon them by non-Muslims."^[20] William Montgomery Watt is a English Islamic scholar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Regarding the argument of implausibility of Muslims fabricating this story, Shahab Ahmed in the Encyclopedia of the Qur'an states that "the widespread acceptance of the incident by early Muslims suggests, however, that they did not view the incident as inauspicious and that they would presumably not have, on this basis at least, been adverse to inventing it."^[21] Alford T. Welch, in the Encyclopedia of Islam, also agrees that this reason alone would be insufficient to assert its authenticity.^[22] He says that the story in its present form is certainly a later, exegetical fabrication although there could be some historical basis for the story. Welch states that the story falsely claims that the chapter 53:1-20 and the end of the chapter are a unity; Furthermore the date for the verse 22:52 is later than 53:21-7, and almost certainly belongs to the Medinan period. Further several details in the setting of the story such as the mosque, the sad̲j̲da do not belong to the Meccan phase of Muhammad's career. ^[23] Welch also thinks that the story is more likely to have not been mentioned in the Ibn Ishaq's biography of Muhammad. He says that the above analysis does not rule out "the possibility of some historical kernel behind the story." One such possibility, Welch says, is that the story is of a historical telescoping nature: "that a situation that was known by Muhammad's contemporaries to have lasted for a long period of time later came to be encapsulated in a story that restricts his acceptance of intercession through these goddesses to a brief period of time and places the responsibility for this departure from a strict monotheism on Satan."^[22] Encyclopedia of Quran (EQ) is an scholarly work published by Brill Academic Publishers. ... Alford T. Welch is a Professor of Religious Studies at Michigan State University. ... The Encyclopedia of Islam (EI) is a scholarly encyclopedia covering all aspects of Islamic civilization and history. ... Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasar, or simply Ibn Ishaq (Arabic: , meaning the son of Isaac) (died 767, or 761 (Robinson 2003, p. ...

John Burton argued for its fictitiousness based upon a demonstration of its actual utility to certain elements of the Muslim community – namely, those legal exegetes seeking an "occasion of revelation" for eradicative modes of abrogation. Burton supports his theory by the fact that Tabari does not discuss the story in his exegesis of the verse 53:20, but rather in 22:52. Burton further notes that different versions of the story are all tracable to one single narrator Muhammad b. Ka'b, two generations removed from Ibn Ishaq, but not contemporary with the event. ^[24] Burton's solution to the problem has not been widely accepted. G.R. Hawting writes that this is partly due to the complexity of his argument, but mainly to the fact that the satanic verses incident does not serve to justify or exemplify a theory that God reveals something and later replaces it himself with another true revelation.^[25] Burton, in his rejection of the authenticity of the story, sided with L. Caetani, who wrote that the story was to be rejected not only on the basis of isnad, but because of the fact that "had these hadiths even a degree of historical basis, Muhammad's reported conduct on this occasion would have given the lie to the whole of his previous prophetic activity."^[26] Asbāb al-nuzÅ«l, an Arabic term meaning occasions of revelation, is a a secondary genre of Qurānic exegesis (tafsir) directed at establishing the context in which specific verses of the Qurān were revealed. ... Naskh, an Arabic word meaning abrogation, is a technical term for a major genre of Islamic exegesis dealing with the problem of seemingly contradictory verses in the Quran. ... Naskh, an Arabic word meaning abrogation, is a technical term for a major genre of Islamic exegesis dealing with the problem of seemingly contradictory verses in the Quran. ...

Maxime Rodinson finds that it may reasonably be accepted as true "because the makers of Muslim tradition would never have invented a story with such damaging implications for the revelation as a whole."^[27] He writes the following on the genesis of the verses: "Obviously (Tabari's account as good as says so in fairly clear words) Muhammad's unconscious had suggested to him a formula which provided a practical road to unanimity." Rodinson writes that this concession, however, diminished the threat of the Last Judgement by enabling the daughters of Allah to intercede for sinners and save them from eternal damnation. Further, it diminished Muhammad's own authority by giving the priests of Uzza, Manat, and Allat the ability to pronounce oracles contradicting his message. Disparagement from Christians and Jews who pointed out that he was reverting to his pagan beginnings and rebelliousness and indignation from among his own followers influenced him to go back on his revelation. However, in doing so he denounced the gods of Mecca as lesser spirits or mere names, cast off everything related to the traditional religion as the work of pagans and unbelievers, and consigned the Meccan's pious ancestors and relatives to Hell. This was the final break with the Quraysh.^[28] Maxime Rodinson (26 January 1915–23 May 2004) was a French Marxist historian, sociologist and orientalist. ... Yawm al-Qīyāmah (Arabic: literally: Day of the Resurrection) is the Last Judgement in Islam. ...

Since John Wansbrough's contributions to the field in the early 1970s, though, scholars have become much more attentive to the emergent nature of early Islam, and less willing to accept back-projected claims of continuity: John Edward Wansbrough (19 February 1928, Peoria Illinois - 10 June 2002, Montaigu-de-Quercy France) was a historian of Islam who taught at SOAS in London. ...

To those who see the tradition as constantly evolving and supplying answers to question that it itself has raised, the argument that there would be no reason to develop and transmit material which seems derogatory of the Prophet or of Islam is too simple. For one thing, ideas about what is derogatory may change over time. We know that the doctrine of the Prophet's infallibility and impeccability (the doctrine regarding his 'isma) emerged only slowly. For another, material which we now find in the biography of the Prophet originated in various circumstances to meet various needs and one has to understand why material exists before one can make a judgment about its basis in fact...

G. R. Hawting, The Idea of Idolatry and the Emergence of Islam: From Polemic to History, pp. 134-135

In Rubin's recent contribution to the debate, questions of historicity are completely eschewed in favor of an examination of internal textual dynamics and what they reveal about early medieval Islam. Rubin locates the genesis of many prophetic traditions in the early Muslim desire to prove to other scriptuaries "that Muhammad did indeed belong to the same exclusive predestined chain of prophets in whom the Jews and the Christians believed. In order to do so, the Muslims had to establish the story of Muhammad's life on the same literary patterns as were used in the vitae of the other prophets".^[29] The incident of the Satanic Verses, according to him, conforms to the common theme of persecution followed by isolation of the prophet-figure. For the river and also village in Norway named Sira, see Sira, Norway. ... The People of the Book or ahl al Kitâb, (Arabic: اهل الكتاب) is a term in Islam for peoples who, according to the Quran, have received divine scriptures —referring to the Taurat (the Torah) and Injeel (the New Testament), as well as the Quran. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ...

As the story was adapted to include Qur'ānic material (Q.22:50, Q.53, Q.17:73-74) the idea of satanic temptation was added, heightening its inherent drama as well as incorporating additional biblical motifs (c.f. the Temptation of Christ). Rubin gives his attention to the narratological exigencies which may have shaped early sīra material as opposed to the more commonly considered ones of dogma, sect, or political/dynastic faction. Given the consensus that "the most archaic layer of the biography, [is] that of the stories of the kussās [i.e. popular story-tellers]" (Sīra, EI²), this may prove a fruitful line of inquiry. The temptation of Christ in Christianity, refers to the temptation of Jesus by the devil as detailed in each of the Synoptic Gospels, at Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, and Luke 4:1-13. ... Narratology, a term coined by Professor Edward Maloney from Georgetown University, is the theory and study of narrative and narrative structure and ([1]) the way they affect our perception. ... The religion of Islam has many divisions, sects, schools, traditions, and related faiths. ... This is an incomplete list of Muslim Dynasties. ... The Encyclopaedia of Islam (EI) is the standard encyclopaedia of the academic discipline of Islamic studies. ...

Although there could be some historical basis for the story, in its present form it is certainly a later, exegetical fabrication. Sūra LIII, 1-20 and the end of the sūra are not a unity, as is claimed by the story; XXII, 52, is later than LIII, 21-7, and is almost certainly Medinan (see Bell, Trans., 316, 322); and several details of the story- the mosque, the sajda, and others not mentioned in the short summary above- do not belong to a Meccan setting.

Kur'ān, Encyclopaedia of Islam (EI)²

This article is about the city in Saudi Arabia. ... Bold text sajud is da muslims fingy bt i dnt no coz i aint one so i dnt no wat im tlkin bout bt im suposed to learn 4 an r. ... The Encyclopaedia of Islam (EI) is the standard encyclopaedia of the academic discipline of Islamic studies. ...

Modern Muslim scholars' views

Almost all modern Muslim scholars have rejected the story. Proposed arguments against the historicity of the incident can be found in Muhammad Abduh's article “Masʾalat al-gharānīq wa-tafsīr al-āyāt”, Muhammad Husayn Haykal's "Hayat Muhammad", Sayyid Qutb's "Fi Zilal al-Quran", Abul Ala Maududi's "Tafhim al-Quran" and Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani's "Nasb al-majānīq li-nasf al-gharānīq".^[21] Haykal points out the many forms and versions of the story and their inconsistencies and argues that "the contextual flow of Surah 'al Najm' does not allow at all the inclusion of such verses as the story claims". Haykal quotes Muhammad Abduh who pointed out that the "Arabs have nowhere described their gods in such terms as 'al gharaniq'. Neither in their poetry nor in their speeches or traditions do we find their gods or goddesses described in such terms. Rather, the word 'al ghurnuq' or 'al gharniq' was the name of a black or white water bird, sometimes given figuratively to the handsome blond youth." Lastly, Haykal argues that the story is inconsistent with Muhammad's personal life and is completely against the spirit of the Islamic message. ^[30] Mohammed Abduh Muhammad Abduh (or Muhammad Abduh) (Arabic: محمد عبده ) (Nile Delta, 1849 - Alexandria, July 11, 1905, ) was an Egyptian jurist, religious scholar and liberal reformer known as the founder of Islamic Modernism. ... Muhammad Husayn Haykal (Arabic: ) ) was an Egyptian writer, journalist, politician and a former minister of Education in Egypt. ... Sayyid Qutb Sayyid Qutb (IPA pronunciation: []) (also Syed, Seyyid, Sayid, or Sayed; last name also Koteb or Kutb) (Arabic: ; born October 9, 1906[1] – executed August 29, 1966) was an Egyptian author, Islamist, and the leading intellectual of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood in the 1950s and 60s. ... Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi (Urdu: ابو الاعلى مودودی, Arabic: أبو الأعلى المودودي; alternative spellings of last name Maudoodi, and Mawdudi) (September 25, 1903) - September 22, 1979),[1] also known as Mawlana (Maulana) Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi, is considered an influential Islamic thinker of the 20th century. ... Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani, Arabic, محمد ناصر الدين الألباني (also al-Albani, Albani and other variants) (1914 - 1999) was an important and influential Islamic scholar of the 20th Century; he specialised in the fields of hadith and fiqh and was a prodigious writer and speaker. ... Mohammed Abduh Muhammad Abduh (or Muhammad Abduh) (Arabic: محمد عبده ) (Nile Delta, 1849 - Alexandria, July 11, 1905, ) was an Egyptian jurist, religious scholar and liberal reformer known as the founder of Islamic Modernism. ...

Some Muslims argue that even if the story is to be accepted as authentic, it does not pose theological problems as the concept of ismah (Prophetic infallibility) does not imply that Muhammad could never make a mistake, only that no mistake made by Muhammad would be left uncorrected by God.^{[citation needed]} Other Muslims reject this excuse because it allows for an element of time between when the Prophet utters a false utterance, and when God corrects it.^{[citation needed]} Fazlur Rahman has argued that if we are to trust Ibn Ishaq on other matters, we must trust him on this one.^{[citation needed]} Ismah is the concept of infallibility in Islam. ... Fazlur Rahman Malik (Urdu: فضل الرحمان ملک) (September 21, 1919 – July 26, 1988) was a well-known scholar of Islam; M. Yahya Birt of the Association of Islam Researchers described him as probably the most learned of the major Muslim thinkers in the second-half of the twentieth century, in terms of both... Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasar, or simply Ibn Ishaq (Arabic: , meaning the son of Isaac) (died 767, or 761 (Robinson 2003, p. ...

This entire matter was a mere footnote to the back-and-forth of religious debate, and was rekindled only when Salman Rushdie's 1988 novel, The Satanic Verses, made headline news. The novel contains some fictionalized allusions to Islamic history, which provoked both controversy and outrage. Muslims around the world protested the book's publishing, and Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa sentencing Rushdie to death, saying that the book blasphemed Muhammad and his wives. Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie (born June 19, 1947) is an Indian-British novelist and essayist. ... For the verses known as Satanic Verses, see Satanic Verses. ... Book burning is the practice of ceremoniously destroying by fire one or more copies of a book or other written material. ... Ayatollah Khomeini founded the first modern Islamic republic Ayatollah Seyyed Ruhollah Khomeini (آیت‌الله روح‌الله خمینی in Persian) (May 17, 1900 – June 3, 1989) was an Iranian Shia cleric and the political and spiritual leader of the 1979 revolution that overthrew Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the then Shah of Iran. ... A fatwā (Arabic: ; plural fatāwā Arabic: ), is a considered opinion in Islam made by a mufti, a scholar capable of issuing judgments on Sharia (Islamic law). ... Apostasy in Islam (Arabic: ارتداد, irtidād or ridda) is commonly defined as the rejection of Islam in word or deed by a person who has been a Muslim. ...

Tabarī's account

An extensive account of the incident is found in al-Tabāri's history, the Ta'rīkh (Vol. I): Balamis 14th century Persian version of Universal History by al-Tabari Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Jarir at-Tabari 838–923 (father of Jafar, named Muhammad, son of Jarir from the province of Tabaristan, Arabic الطبري), was an author from Persia, one of the earliest, most prominent and famous Persian...

However in the introduction of his book he states:

See also

• Criticism of the Qur'an
• Hadith
• The Satanic Verses
• Sira

Muslims believe that the Quran is the literal word of God (Allah) as recited to Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel. ... Hadith ( transliteration: ) are oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of Prophet Muhammad. ... For the verses known as Satanic Verses, see Satanic Verses. ... For the river and also village in Norway named Sira, see Sira, Norway. ...

Notes

Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasar, or simply Ibn Ishaq (Arabic: , meaning the son of Isaac) (died 767, or 761 (Robinson 2003, p. ... Balamis 14th century Persian version of Universal History by al-Tabari Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Jarir at-Tabari 838–923 (father of Jafar, named Muhammad, son of Jarir from the province of Tabaristan, Arabic الطبري), was an author from Persia, one of the earliest, most prominent and famous Persian...

References

• Fazlur Rahman (1994). Major Themes in the Qur'an. Biblioteca Islamica. ISBN 0-88297-051-8. 
• John Burton (1970). "Those Are the High-Flying Cranes". Journal of Semitic Studies 15: 246-264. 
• Uri Rubin (1995). The Eye of the Beholder: The Life of Muhammad as Viewed by the Early Muslims: A Textual Analysis. The Darwin Press, Inc.. ISBN 0-87850-110-X. 
• G. R. Hawting (1999). The Idea of Idolatry and the Emergence of Islam: From Polemic to History. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-65165-4. 
• Nāsir al-Dīn al-Albānī (1952). Nasb al-majānīq li-nasfi qissat al-gharānīq (The Erection of Catapults for the Destruction of the Story of the Gharānīq). 

External links

Islamic commentators

• Muhammad: The man and the message
• Those are the High Flying Claims
• The "Satanic Verses": Did Muhammad (PBUH) Compromise Islam?
• STORY OF THE CRANES or "SATANIC VERSES"

Non-Islamic commentators

• The Satanic Verses in Qur'an