A WORK OF FICTION
Salman Rushdie’s ‘The Satanic Verses’ was reviewed in the New York Weekly, TIME (February 13, 1989). Commentator Paul Gray expresses the view that the protests from the Muslim public against the book were unnecessary and undesirable.
However, I cannot fully agree with the commentator’s perspective. Gray states that the book merely reflects on history, implying that since it is based on historical events, there should be no uproar about it. However, this assumption that the book is grounded in historical events is unfounded. The reality is that this book is a work of fiction, both in its style and its historical references.
The reviewer goes on to say, “The Gibreel-Mahound exchanges are based, in a distorted and hallucinatory manner, on an episode in the life of Muhammad—the Prophet’s early willingness to include in the Quran an acknowledgement of three female deities and his later repudiation of these verses as satanically inspired. If Muhammad was willing to admit that he had been deceived, it is difficult to see why a tangential, fictional version of this long-ago event should cause such contemporary uproar.” (TIME, February 13, 1989, p.42)
The “incident” referred to in this passage is related to Chapter An-Najm of the Quran. The relevant verses are as follows:
“Have you considered al-Lat and al-’Uzza, and the third one, Manat? ‘What! For you the males and for Him the females?’ That, indeed, is an unfair division.” (53:19-22)
During ancient times in Arabia, three idols—Lat, Uzza, and Manat—held significant reverence among the people. These idols were attributed with various qualities and regarded as symbols of greatness. Yaqut al-Hamwi, in Mu’jam Al-Buldan, mentions that the Quraysh used to recite the following words while circumambulating the Kabah:
“By Al-Lat and Al-Uzza, and Manat, the third one. Indeed, they are the exalted ones, and their intercession is to be hoped for.” (Mu’jam al-Buldan by Yaqut al-Hamawi, Vol. 4, p. 116)
When the verses mentioned above from Chapter An-Najm were revealed to the Prophet in Makkah, he recited them as usual in a gathering that included both polytheists and Muslims. As the Prophet uttered, “Have you considered al- Lat and al-’Uzza, and the third one, Manat?” (53:19-20), some polytheists added their own words. Upon hearing the names of their idols, they immediately recited in unison, following their preexisting practice, expressing the greatness and anticipated intercession of these idols. These words were: “They (idols) are revered, and their intercession is anticipated.”
It is important to note that the Prophet had no association with these additional words. The polytheists simultaneously spoke these words, akin to a chorus. Some commentators suggest that Satan influenced the polytheists by whispering these words into their ears. Thus, the polytheists mistakenly believed that the Prophet had spoken those words. However, this was not the case. It was, actually, the word of Satan and not the word of the Prophet. Satan had manipulated the polytheists, not the Prophet, causing their voices to blend with his.
This kind of synchronized chanting or slogans in the chorus is not uncommon. Similar incidents occur during meetings and events in various forms. For instance, let us consider a scenario where the leader of the ruling party is delivering a speech. The audience consists of members from the ruling party and the opposition. During the speech, if the leader mentions the name of the opposition party leader to criticize him, it is not unusual for the opposition party members to start chanting slogans in support of their leader, such as “Zindabad, Zindabad” (Long live, Long live). However, it would be incorrect to claim that the leader of the ruling party raised slogans in praise of the opposition party leader. The mention of the name was solely for the purpose of criticism.
The incident described above is similar in nature. However, some opponents of Islam have distorted the story and falsely attributed the words of the polytheists to the Prophet. They have presented a twisted version of events. On this basis, the opponents want that instead of considering the entire Quran as the word of God, God forbid, attempts should be made to declare it as the word of Satan.
The fact that the opponents of the Quran fail to provide any objective evidence to disprove its authenticity serves as sufficient proof of its truthfulness. It is unethical to grant historical significance to a fabricated and false story to create doubt about the veracity of the Quran.
