The Satanic Verses: The Original Incident Challenging Muhammad & Revelation

Summary:

Differentiating between the real incident of the Satanic Verses and the fictitious novel by Salman Rushdie is of utmost importance. The authentic incident sheds light on the fallibility within the claimed divine revelation, challenging the existence of a heavenly Allah and suggesting that Muhammad himself was responsible for the revelation, resulting in human errors within it.

No other event exposes the human errors within the alleged divine revelation as clearly as the original incident of the Satanic Verses. Unfortunately, a vast majority of people, including Muslims, are unaware of this significant event.

The lack of awareness can be attributed to the confusion caused by Mr. Rushdie's fictional novel, also titled "Satanic Verses," which bears little resemblance to the actual incident. Regrettably, this misunderstanding has prevented the true incident of the Satanic Verses from reaching the masses. Presently, people struggle to distinguish between reality and fiction.

Islamic apologists have capitalized on this situation, exploiting it to incite hatred among Muslim youth against the West.

While Mr. Rushdie cannot be held responsible for this situation, as he is an intelligent writer who observed contradictions within the purported divine revelation, he was neither an Islamic scholar nor equipped to withstand the ensuing life-threatening attacks. The responsibility to make the world aware of the original incident primarily lies with scholars of Islamic studies and perhaps ex-Muslims as well.

In the realm of Islamic Studies, significant scholarly research on the incident of the Satanic Verses emerged in 2017 with the publication of Mr. Shahab Ahmed's book titled "Before Orthodoxy: The Satanic Verses in Early Islam." This groundbreaking work encompasses a collection of 50 traditions related to the incident.

Mr. Shahab Ahmed, a brilliant individual, authored an extraordinary book. However, it remains incomplete as he intended to write the second and third volumes before his untimely death in 2015 at the age of 48 due to leukemia. His passing was a profound loss. Nevertheless, we are fortunate that the first volume of his remarkable work was published in 2017 even after his demise. We express gratitude to all those involved in making the publication of this book possible.

Let us now present the actual incident of the Satanic Verses, highlighting its importance and emphasizing why it is crucial for the entire world to be aware of it.

Table of Contents:

 

Background and Summary of 50 Traditions on the Incident of Satanic Verses

In ancient Mecca, the pagan society was characterized by illiteracy and superstition. They worshipped multiple gods and were open to the introduction of new deities, as evidenced by the presence of 360 idols in the Ka'ba, each representing different tribes. However, they fiercely opposed anyone who questioned the authenticity of their gods, particularly because their economy was intertwined with the worship of these deities. The annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca brought wealth and prosperity to the city.

When Muhammad established his new religion, he made the mistake of challenging the pagan gods, asserting that they were false. This threatened the Meccans' religious and economic interests, as they feared losing the significance of their gods. Prior to Muhammad, both Jews and Christians had made similar attempts to disprove pagan gods, but they had failed.

Consequently, the people of Mecca vehemently reacted against Muhammad and his followers. The situation became so hostile that many of his followers were forced to flee Mecca and seek refuge in Abyssinia to save their lives.

Realizing his error, Muhammad devised a new plan to reconcile with the Meccans. He aimed to convince them to accept Allah as a new god and himself as a prophet by praising their pagan gods. As part of this plan, Muhammad began expressing his "desire" for Allah to acknowledge the high status of the Meccan gods.

During a gathering of the Quraysh, Muhammad claimed that Allah had started revealing messages to him through the angel Gabriel. It was on this occasion that he recited Surah an-Najm.

Within Surah an-Najm, Muhammad also acknowledged the pagan goddesses and praised their elevated status and ability to intercede. This praise consisted of a total of four verses.

وَاللاتِ وَالْعُزَّى وَمَنَاةَ الثَّالِثَةِ الأُخْرَى، فَإِنَّهُنَّ الْغَرَانِيقُ الْعُلَى وَإِنَّ شفاعتهن لَتُرْتَجَى

Verse 1: Have you pondered upon al-Lat and al-Uzza, the goddesses?

Verse 2: And Manat, the third goddess?

Verse 3: These (3 goddesses) are like high flying cranes (i.e. they are of high status);

Verse 4: Verily their intercession is accepted.

Upon completing Surah an-Najm, Muhammad prostrated himself, and the Quraysh also followed suit, accepting the elevated status of their goddesses.

The pagan goddesses were given a resemblance to high-flying cranes while 'high flying', metaphorically meant flying high close to the heavens where Allah is physically present, to act as intercessors.

However, Muhammad's plan ultimately failed, as people observed clear contradictions in the divine revelation. Previous revelations had consistently denounced pagan gods as false deities, while this new revelation affirmed their authenticity, high status, and ability to intercede.

Consequently, the Meccan pagans easily concluded that Allah did not exist in the heavens and that Muhammad himself was fabricating these revelations. They ridiculed Muhammad even more after this incident.

Faced with the failure of his plan, Muhammad resorted to a new narrative. He claimed that Allah had not revealed anything about the elevated status of the pagan gods, but rather, it was his own mistake. He asserted that Satan had led him astray, resulting in the utterance of the two Satanic Verses.

In this newly made story, Muhammad told Quraysh that:

  • Muhammad received a visit from Gabriel in the evening, who requested him to repeat the verses previously revealed to him.
  • Consequently, Muhammad recited before Gabriel the verses that praised the gods worshipped by the Quraysh, unaware that these were the Satanic verses.
  • Upon hearing this, Gabriel informed Muhammad that those verses were not the ones originally conveyed by Allah, but were in fact the Satanic verses that Satan had caused him to recite.

In any case, despite this story, Muhammad faced extreme humiliation after the incident of the Satanic Verses. To remove his shame, he claimed the revelation of additional verses on three occasions, through which he attempted to defend Allah and his new religion against the Satanic Verses incident.

The first occasion was when Muhammad claimed the revelation of these verses in Surah Al-Isra:

(Quran 17:73-75) And indeed, they were about to tempt you away from that which We revealed to you in order to [make] you INVENT about Us something else (i.e. the Satanic Verses); and then they would have taken you as a friend. And if We had not strengthened you, you would have almost inclined to them a little (i.e. Muhammad's DESIRE to reconciliate with them). Then [if you had], We would have made you taste double [punishment in] life and double [after] death. 

The purpose of claiming the revelation of these verses was that Muhammad tried to shift the blame for the Satanic Verses from Allah onto himself. It was crucial for him to absolve Allah of any responsibility, to maintain that Satan had no power over Allah and that Allah never errs. If this had not been done, the foundation of Muhammad’s new religion could have been jeopardized. To strengthen his position, Muhammad later added that Allah was displeased with him for this mistake and even threatened him with double punishment.

The second occasion was when Muhammad claimed the revelation of verses 52–53 of Surah Al-Hajj.

(Surah Hajj 22:52-53):

 وَمَا أَرْ‌سَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّ‌سُولٍ وَلَا نَبِيٍّ إِلَّا إِذَا تَمَنَّىٰ أَلْقَى الشَّيْطَانُ فِي أُمْنِيَّتِهِ فَيَنسَخُ اللَّـهُ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ ثُمَّ يُحْكِمُ اللَّـهُ آيَاتِهِ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ۔ لِيَجْعَلَ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ فِتْنَةً لِّلَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ وَالْقَاسِيَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ لَفِي شِقَاقٍ بَعِيدٍ

And We did not send from before you from a messenger, and nor a prophet, except when he 'desires' (Arabic: tamannā تمنی), the devil threw (Satanic Verses) in his desire (Arabic: um'niyyatihi أُمْنِيَّتِهِ), so God 'abrogates' what the devil throws in. Then Allah makes His verses precise again (by deleting the abrogated Satanic verses). And Allah is Knowing and Wise. He (Allah) makes, what is thrown in by Shaitan (Satan), a Test for those in whose hearts is a disease (of hypocrisy and disbelief) and whose hearts are hardened. 

The two new verses of Surah al-Hajj served multiple purposes, which can be summarized as follows:

  • The First Purpose: One objection raised by the pagans was why Muhammad, being the chosen prophet of Allah, could be misled by Satan. To address this objection, Muhammad clarified through these verses that his momentary misguidance did not undermine the divine nature of his religion. He explained that all previous prophets had also experienced similar temptations from Satan due to their human desires.
  • The Second Purpose: Muhammad needed to eliminate the presence of the Satanic Verses, which praised the pagan goddesses, from the Quran. To achieve this objective, the new verses revealed that Allah had abrogated and rectified what the devil had inserted. This emphasized that Allah's true verses were made precise again, nullifying any influence from Satan.
  • The Third Purpose: The pagans questioned why Allah had allowed Satan to misguide Muhammad and why any mistakes in the verses were not corrected immediately. In response, Muhammad offered an explanation that Allah had permitted Satan's interference as a "test" for those whose hearts harbored diseases or weaknesses. This excuse presented it as an opportunity for individuals to demonstrate their steadfastness and faithfulness. 

Note: It is worth noting that Muhammad utilized this tactic of declaring "mistakes" of Allah as "TEST" from Allah on various occasions throughout his life. For example:

The third occasion was when Muhammad claimed the revelation of Surah An-Najm, Verses 21 to 26, through which he once again attempted to defend against the incident of the Satanic Verses.

The need for this arose because in the two previous sets of verses, he had already made these claims:

  1. That the mistake in the incident of the Satanic Verses was not Allah's but entirely the Prophet's.

  2. And second, that Allah had "abrogated" the Satanic Verses and established His own verses.

However, one question still remained, and that was whether the goddesses of the disbelievers could truly offer "intercession" (shafa'at) or not. Therefore, to deny this intercession, Muhammad claimed the revelation of the verses of Surah An-Najm on the third occasion, where he repeated the excuse of the "desire" (or "tamanna") and simultaneously denied the "intercession" of the goddesses.

Therefore, after all these modifications and deletion of verses in the name of “abrogation” (نسخ) and deletion, today Surah an-Najm is present in this form in the Quran:

Suarh
An-Najm		 Verses Commentary
19 Have you considered al-Lat and al-Uzza?  
20 And Manat, the third one, the other? 
Abrogated 
& Deleted Satanic Verses		 These are the beautiful goddesses like high flying cranes; These 2 verses are known as "Satanic Verses". Muhammad later abrogated and removed them from Surah An-Najm. 
Verily their intercession is accepted
21 Are you to have the males, and He (Allah) the females? Later Muhammad claimed the revelations of these verses, which were put in Surah an-Najm instead of the Satanic Verses. Their aim was to refute Satanic Verses (i.e. to deny that Pagan goddesses have any high Ranks with Allah and their intercession). 
22 What a bizarre distribution. 
23 These are nothing but names, which you have devised, you and your ancestors, for which God sent down no authority. They follow nothing but assumptions, and what the ego desires, even though guidance has come to them from their Lord.
24 Or shall man have whatever he 'desires' (Arabic: tamannā تمنی)   Muhammad introduced an additional verse to Surah an-Najm, aiming to provide him with protection regarding his previous 'DESIRE' where he expressed a wish for Allah to reveal something favorable about the pagan gods.
25 To God belong the Last and the First. Muhammad included more new verses in Surah an-Najm to negate the 'INTERCESSION' of the exalted pagan goddesses he had acknowledged in the Satanic Verses. These new verses suggested that although angels also reside/fly high in the heavens near Allah (similar to the high-flying pagan goddesses), their intercession is not granted unless permitted by Allah.
26 How many an angel is there in the heavens whose intercession avails nothing, except after God gives permission to whomever He wills, and approves? 

The early Salaf (pious predecessors) among the scholars of Hadith (Muhaddithin), Historians (Mu'arrikhin), and Exegetes (Mufassirin) themselves transmitted the incident of the Satanic Verses (also known as the Waqi'a al-Gharaniq) with 'sound' chains of transmission (sanad) and through multiple paths (turuq). In his book, “Before Orthodoxy: The Satanic Verses in Early Islam,” the late Mr. Shahab Ahmed collected 50 narrations concerning this incident.

Imam Ibn Jarir al-Tabari recorded the following tradition (link): 

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 desired from 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:

(Surah an-Najm, verses 1 to 3)'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:

(Surah an-Najm, verses 19 and 20) Have you thought of al-Lat and al-Uzza and Manat, the third, the other?

then Satan cast on his tongue, because of his inner debates and what he desired to bring to his people, the words:

(Satanic Verse 1) 'These are the high-flying cranes;

(Satanic Verse 2) 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 an-Najm, 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 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.'

...  Then (later) 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 canceled what Satan had thus cast, and established his verses by telling him that he was like other prophets and messengers, and revealed:

(Surah al-Hajj, verses 52 and 53) And We did not send from before you from a messenger, and nor a prophet, except when he 'desires' (Arabic: tamannā تمنی), the devil threw (Satanic Verses) in his desire (Arabic: um'niyyatihi أُمْنِيَّتِهِ), so God 'abrogates' what the devil throws in، then Allah makes His verses precise again. And Allah is Knowing and Wise. 

Thus, God removed the sorrow from his messenger, reassured him about that which he had feared and canceled 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:

(Surah an-Najm, verses 21 to 26) 'Are yours the males and his the females? That indeed was an unfair division! They are but names which you have named, you and your fathers ...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 canceling 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 polytheist, 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.

 

The Satanic Verses and the concept of “infallibility of prophethood (عِصْمَةُ الأَنْبِيَاءِ)”

The problem was that Muhammad, when claiming prophethood, told the people that he had seen the angel Gabriel who brought revelation to him. But the polytheists of Mecca mocked this story, saying that it was actually Satan who had deceived and misled Muhammad.

To make his story more convincing, Muhammad began his recitation of Surah al-Najm in front of the Meccan leaders with a claim of prophetic infallibility (عِصْمَةُ الأَنْبِيَاءِ), denying that Satan had any influence over him:

(Surah al-Najm, verses 1–5): 
وَالنَّجْمِ إِذَا هَوَى مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمْ وَمَا غَوَى وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىإِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَى عَلَّمَہٗ شَدِیۡدُ الۡقُوٰی ۔۔۔
By the star when it descends—your companion (the Prophet) has neither gone astray nor been deceived. Nor does he speak from his wish or desire. This is nothing but revelation sent down to him, taught by one of mighty power. Then he stood firm, being at the highest horizon. Then he drew near and came closer (to Allah), until he was at a distance of two bow-lengths or even nearer. Then He (Allah) revealed to His servant what He revealed. The heart did not deny what it saw. Will you then dispute with him about what he saw?

Thus, in that gathering with the Meccan leaders, Muhammad began with the assertion of prophetic infallibility, insisting that Satan can neither deceived nor misled him. After that, he reaffirmed his claim of prophethood and divine revelation.

But unfortunately for him, regarding this very same gathering, Muhammad later admitted himself that during the incident of the Satanic Verses, Satan had indeed deceived him, misled him, and interfered with the revelation.

To contain the damage, Muhammad presented an excuse: that although Satan generally had no power over him or the revelation, there was one exceptional situation, i.e. when he experienced a strong “desire” or “wish.” In such moments, Satan could temporarily overpower him and his revelation. Muhammad then reinforced his excuse by claiming that all previous prophets had also been deceived by Satan due to their own “wishes.”

His next justification was that people should not worry about the Satanic Verses, because although Satan managed to interfere with the revelation due to his desire, Allah later “abrogated” those satanic insertions and made his verses firm again. 

All Muslims today believe in this doctrine of “prophetic infallibility.” Ibn Taymiyyah, for example, explains this belief clearly (source):

“Whatever the Prophet informs about Allah cannot be false, neither intentionally nor unintentionally. He must be truthful in all that he conveys from Allah. His report must correspond exactly to the reality of what he reports, without any contradiction, whether deliberate or by mistake. This is the meaning of the statement: the prophets are infallible in conveying the message from Allah.” (Al-Nubuwwat, p. 333)

Mr. Ahmed Shahab also made this concept clear, and how it affected Muslims after 200-300 years. 

Among the doctrines that emerged from the mid-2nd/8th century onwards was that of `ismat al-anbiya', literally the protection of the Prophets', meaning God's Protection of them from sin and error. The idea of the `ismah of the Prophets, which seems to have originated among the Shia Muslims, was embraced as a doctrinal principle in some form or another by almost every Muslim sect and theological or legal school. With the spread of the concept that Muhammad constituted the model personality whose normative conduct (sunnah), as recorded in the klactith, was to be imitated by every Muslim, the idea that he should not sin must have appeared both logical and persuasive. Also, with the establishment of the legal principle that the Muslim community itself was protected from agreement upon error in the interpretation of Di-vine Law, it was hardly possible for the exemplar of the Law to be allowed to err himself. 

Reference: Ahmed, Shahab. “Ibn Taymiyyah and the Satanic Verses.” Studia Islamica, no. 87, 1998, pp. 67–124. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1595926. Accessed 8 June 2021.

Questions Raised by the Incident of the Satanic Verses

The following points address the inconsistencies and theological challenges that arise from the narrative of the Satanic Verses (or Waqi'a al-Gharaniq), which, according to the accounts, occurred five years into Muhammad's prophetic mission.

  • The incident occurred five years after Muhammad claimed prophethood. If he was truly a sincere Prophet, why did he not immediately recognize the error in the verses praising the pagan idols as "exalted cranes" that could intercede? This raises a fundamental question: Why did Muhammad not recognize the contradiction and reject this "revelation" himself? He didn't need Jibrael for doing that, as Satanic Verses were against the very BASICS of Islamic doctrine. 

Secondly, the verses were allegedly recited during the direct descent of revelation (Wahy) in the presence of the Angel Gabriel. This leads to profound theological problems:

  • How could Satan overpower Muhammad at the exact moment Gabriel was present and delivering a message from Allah?

  • Is Satan more powerful than Gabriel?

  • Islamic theology holds that angels can see Satan, even if humans cannot. If Gabriel saw Satan influencing Muhammad and heard the false verses being recited, why did Gabriel not intervene immediately to correct Muhammad and stop him from reciting the verses to the public? Gabriel should have ensured Muhammad corrected the error before the assembly dispersed.

Thirdly, the narrative states that when Gabriel returned later to address the issue, he was completely unaware of the day's events, as he did not know Satan had interfered or that Muhammad had recited the false verses.

  • How is it possible that the messenger of God was ignorant of such a critical failure that corrupted the divine message?

  • According to the account, Gabriel only learned of the error after Muhammad repeated the verses to him.

 

The Donkey's Perception vs. Muhammad's & Gabriel's Awareness

A central tenet of Islamic belief is that even a humble creature like a donkey is able to perceive Satan's presence and signals this with its braying. This stands in contrast to the narrative of the Satanic Verses where both Prophet Muhammad and the Angel Gabriel, who hold immense spiritual stature, apparently failed to detect Satan's influence. The logical inference drawn from this is that, during the incident, Satan effectively exerted dominance over the moment of revelation, influencing both the Prophet and the angel responsible for the divine message.

Sahih Bukhari, Beginning of Creation (Link):

The Prophet said, "When you hear the crowing of cocks, ask for Allah's Blessings for (their crowing indicates that) they have seen an angel. And when you hear the braying of donkeys, seek refuge with Allah from Satan for (their braying indicates) that they have seen a Satan."

In other narrations, Muhammad is portrayed as having the spiritual strength to perceive and physically overpower Satan. He claims to have literally choked Satan to near-death, demonstrating clear physical and spiritual dominance over the Devil during prayer. This image of overwhelming strength clashes sharply with the vulnerability shown during the Satanic Verses incident.

Sahih Bukhari, Beginning of Creation (Link):

The Prophet once offered the prayer and said, "Satan came in front of me and tried to interrupt my prayer, but Allah gave me an upper hand on him and I choked him. No doubt, I thought of tying him to one of the pillars of the mosque till you get up in the morning and see him."

A further contradiction is highlighted by the concept of spiritual protection in dreams. Muhammad holds such a high status that merely appearing in someone's dream provides a shield: Satan is unable to imitate his form, making the dream a guarantee of authenticity. This suggests a powerful, defensive spiritual barrier. However, this high degree of infallibility seems to **fail when he is awake** and receiving the most critical divine message, where he himself was reportedly vulnerable to Satan's deception.

Sahih Bukhari, Book of Interpretations of Dreams (Link):

The Prophet said, "Whoever has seen me in a dream, then no doubt, he has seen me, for Satan cannot imitate my shape."

Conversely, some narrations speak of the Prophet explicitly granting immunity from Satan to others, suggesting this protection is a transferable gift he possessed. The contrast is that while Muhammad could ensure the **protection of his companions from Satan**, he could not maintain his own immunity from Satan's deception during the core act of receiving revelation.

Sahih Bukhari, Book of Creation (Link):

I went to Sham (and asked, "Who is here?"). The people said, "Abu Ad-Darda." Abu Darda said, "Is the person whom Allah has protected against Satan (as Allah's Messenger said) among you?" The sub-narrator, Mughira, said that the person who was given Allah's refuge through the tongue of the Prophet was `Ammar (bin Yasir).

These narrations raise questions about the consistency of the Prophet's immunity from Satan and the theological logic behind Satan being able to mislead him while humans and even angels are theoretically able to see or resist Satan.

 

Part Two: Why Modern Muslim Scholars Deny the Satanic Verses Incident

The early generations of Muslims, i.e. the companions, Tabi‘un, and Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in, all of them universally accepted the Satanic Verses incident as true. For the first 200–300 years, all Muslim scholars and commentators recognized the event; none denied it.

However, around 300 years later, Muslim scholars split into two groups.

One group continued to acknowledge the incident but tried to soften its impact through reinterpretations (ta’wil), offering excuses to downplay the Prophet’s apparent human error.

The other group concluded that no reinterpretation (ta’wil) could protect the Prophet’s image or defend his infallibility. Thus, for the first time, they began to outright deny that the incident ever occurred.

Over time, denial became widespread. Today, virtually all Muslim scholars reject the event completely, a total reversal from the early centuries.

Why did this happen?

  1. The incident exposed human error in the Prophet’s actions, which is something early Muslim apologists could not hide despite repeated attempts.

  2. It challenged the concept of Prophetic infallibility, a core Islamic belief.

Unable to reconcile the historical reports with their theological need to protect the Prophet’s infallibility, later Muslim scholars were forced to deny the incident altogether.

 

Analysis of the Muslim Scholars Who Accepted the Satanic Verses but Attempted to Defend Them Through Interpretation (Ta’wil)

Previously, we discussed the group of later Muslim scholars who, due to the overwhelming evidence from the Qur’an and numerous authentic hadiths, could not deny the Satanic Verses incident. These scholars acknowledged the historical reality of the event but faced a serious theological challenge: the apparent contradiction it posed to the concept of Prophetic infallibility (ʿIsmah).

To resolve this dilemma, they adopted a method of reinterpretation (ta’wil). This approach involved taking the verses and narrations related to the Satanic Verses and assigning alternative meanings to them, so that the story could be reconciled with the idea of a sinless Prophet. In other words, while the historical incident was accepted, its content was “softened” by claiming that the words attributed to Satan were not to be understood literally but metaphorically or allegorically.

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, in his famous commentary Fath al-Bari (link), addresses this approach as follows:

"When the chains of narration increase and vary, it indicates that the story has an original basis. As mentioned, three of its chains meet the conditions of authenticity. Once this is established, it becomes necessary to interpret what appears objectionable in it, namely the statement: ‘Satan cast upon his tongue: These are the exalted cranes and their intercession is hoped for.’ This cannot be taken at its apparent meaning because it is impossible for the Prophet – whether deliberately or inadvertently – to add to the Qur’an something that does not belong to it."

According to Ibn Hajar, the very existence of multiple chains of transmission proves the authenticity of the story. Yet, since the literal wording appears problematic in light of the Prophet’s claimed infallibility, the solution—he argues—is reinterpretation, which allows scholars to claim a non-literal meaning for the troubling statement. In this case, the words supposedly inserted by Satan are reframed so that the Prophet could not have committed any mistake in the Qur’an.

Our critique:

We fundamentally disagree with this approach. The idea that evidence should be reinterpreted simply to protect the “honor of religion” is deeply flawed. True intellectual honesty and justice require that if evidence contradicts the religion or Allah, the evidence must take precedence, and conclusions must be drawn accordingly, rather than altering the evidence to fit preconceived beliefs.

The method of ta’wil, as applied here, does not depend on the evidence itself but rather on personal reasoning and constructed assumptions. These assumptions are then imposed on the evidence in order to distort or manipulate its meaning to match desired outcomes.

In essence, the use of ta’wil in this context functions as nothing more than a form of deception and a suppression of truth and justice. It allows scholars to preserve a particular theological narrative while denying the actual content of the historical record.

First Reinterpretation: The Prophet recited these Satanic verses to mock the disbelievers and ridicule their idols

Ibn Hajar Asqalani presents the "first reinterpretation" as follows (link):

وقد رد ذلك عياض فأجاد . وقيل لعله قالها توبيخا للكفار
Translation:
... Qadi ‘Iyad gave a fine rebuttal, saying: it is possible that the Prophet recited the Satanic verses merely to mock and ridicule the pagans and their gods.

Comment:

Reinterpretation, in essence, is just another name for "fabricating excuses".

If Muhammad had really recited those Satanic verses to mock the disbelievers and their deities, then the pagans would never have fallen in prostration along with him and the Muslims.

Moreover, if Muhammad was merely mocking the pagans, then why did Allah threaten him with "double punishment" in Surah Al-Isra (17:73–75)?

Second Reinterpretation: It was the disbelievers themselves who uttered these Satanic verses

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani then presents the second interpretation (link):

وقيل إنه لما وصل إلى قوله : ومناة الثالثة الأخرى خشي المشركون أن يأتي بعدها بشيء يذم آلهتهم به فبادروا إلى ذلك الكلام فخلطوه في تلاوة النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - على عادتهم في قولهم . لا تسمعوا لهذا القرآن والغوا فيه ونسب ذلك للشيطان لكونه الحامل لهم على ذلك ، أو المراد بالشيطان شيطان الإنس
Translation:
It is also said that when the Prophet reached the words (Have you seen al-Lat and al-‘Uzza, and the third one Manat?), the pagans feared that he might speak ill of their gods, so they hastily inserted those (Satanic) words into his recitation to mix it up. This act was attributed to Satan, as he was the one who incited them to do it, or it may mean that a human devil did so.

Comment:

  • If the disbelievers had recited those verses themselves, and Muhammad had no role in it, then why did Allah say that Satan deceived the Prophet because of his “desire”? That element of the Prophet’s desire cannot be explained away through this reinterpretation.

  • The Quran’s author also mentions the “desire” of all prophets as a cause of their being misled, which aligns with this same idea.

  • If the pagans had merely inserted those words, they wouldn’t have become part of the Quran, nor would the author of the Quran have claimed that Allah abrogated what Satan had cast and then cleared His own verses.

  • And if the pagans alone had done this, then why did Allah threaten Muhammad with “double punishment” in Surah Al-Isra (17:73–75)?

Third Reinterpretation: Satan himself uttered those words in the Prophet’s voice during a pause in his recitation

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani presents the third reinterpretation (link):

وقيل : كان النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - يرتل القرآن فارتصده الشيطان في سكتة من السكتات ونطق بتلك الكلمات محاكيا نغمته بحيث سمعه من دنا إليه فظنها من قوله وأشاعها . قال : وهذا أحسن الوجوه .
Translation:
It is said that the Prophet used to recite the Quran slowly and clearly, so Satan waited for a pause in his recitation and spoke those (Satanic) words in the Prophet’s tone. Those near him heard the words and thought the Prophet himself had said them, and they spread it. This, it is said, is the best interpretation.

Comment:

  • The same issue remains: if Satan merely uttered those words himself, then why does the Quran say that the Prophet’s desire played a role and that because of that desire, Satan succeeded in casting those verses?

  • Couldn’t the Quran’s author have made it simpler by saying directly that Satan spoke in the Prophet’s voice during a pause, instead of mentioning “desire” and then "double punishment" for the prophet, making the matter unnecessarily confusing?

  • The author of the Quran repeatedly claims that the Quran is easy to understand, but here he contradicts his own claim by making the matter so obscure that even early Muslims misunderstood it and believed the Prophet had been deceived by Satan due to his desire. A ten-year-old could have expressed the story more clearly than this.

  • If Satan had truly spoken those words independently, they would never have been included in the Quran, nor would Allah have said that He “abrogated” what Satan cast and “confirmed” His verses afterward.

  • And if Muslims, through this interpretation, are giving Satan such immense new power, i.e. the ability to perfectly imitate a prophet’s voice and deceive people, then why did Satan use this extraordinary power only once? Why did he not continue to deceive people in this way again and again? If Satan had such a gift, no Muslim or companion could ever be sure they were not being deceived by him.

Please differentiate between these two concepts:

  1. Temptation: Satan tempts through whispering into the human mind. The person has the choice to reject or accept it, and is rewarded or punished accordingly.

  2. Deception: Deception is not a whisper in the mind, and the person has no control over it. He is fooled into believing something false as true. This reinterpretation gives Satan not the power to tempt, but the power to deceive, an enormous new power indeed.

The question is: if Satan had such immense success once, why did he stop there? If he could speak directly into people’s ears in different voices and deceive them perfectly, he should have been doing it constantly, leaving no chance for anyone to escape his deception.

 

Fourth Reinterpretation: The word “Tamanna” here means “recitation,” not “desire”

Ibn Hajar also mentions another excuse that “Tamanna” does not only mean “desiring” but can also mean “reciting” (link):

قال : ومعنى قوله : في أمنيته أي في تلاوته ...
Translation:
In this verse (Surah al-Hajj 22:52), the word “Umniyyati” means “in his recitation.” Thus Allah stated that His way with all His messengers is that whenever they recite, Satan adds something of his own into it. This clearly indicates that Satan added to the Prophet’s (Muhammad’s) recitation, not that the Prophet himself said it out of his own desire.

Our Response:

Islamic apologists soon realized that as long as the word “Tamanna” (meaning the Prophet erred out of his own desire) remained in the Quran, they could not defend him through any interpretation.

So, in the next stage, they completely changed its meaning, turning it from “desire” into “recitation.”

After this change, their new translation became:

Surah al-Hajj 22:52 وَمَا أَرْ‌سَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّ‌سُولٍ وَلَا نَبِيٍّ إِلَّا إِذَا تَمَنَّىٰ أَلْقَى الشَّيْطَانُ فِي أُمْنِيَّتِهِ فَيَنسَخُ اللَّـهُ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ
Correct Translation We did not send before you any messenger or prophet but when he desired (Arabic: Tamanna), Satan cast something into his desire (Arabic: Umniyyati), but Allah abrogates what Satan casts.
Altered Translation We did not send before you any messenger or prophet but when he recited (Arabic: Tamanna), Satan cast something into his recitation (Arabic: Umniyyati), but Allah abrogates what Satan casts. [See the translations here]

Note: The word Tamanna is a verb, while Umniyyatihi is a noun, and both mean “to desire.” But apologists altered both to mean “recitation.”

Dear readers!

  • The correct meaning of “Tamanni” is indeed “desire.”
  • Translating it as “recitation” is false, an invention by later scholars to defend the Prophet against the Satanic Verses incident. Sadly, many scholars spread this falsehood and this is dishonesty.

Argument 1:

All 50 narrations about the Satanic Verses agree that the Prophet was misled due to his “desire.” How can one ignore all those narrations and change the meaning of Tamanna purely based on own fabricated reinterpretation?

The word “Tamanna” (and its variations) occurs 14 times in the Quran, and nowhere does it mean “recitation.” In every instance, it clearly means “desire” (link).

Argument 2:

Throughout the Arabic language literature, i.e. pre-Islamic, Quranic, Hadith and post-Islamic, the word “Tamanna” has never been used to mean “recitation.”

There is only one single weakly attributed example in old Arabic poetry, allegedly from Hassan ibn Thabit, where some people claim it might mean “recite.”

But first, even that report is weak.

Famous Muslim scholar Ibn Ashur, in his book al-Tahrir wal-Tanweer, writes (link):

وقَدْ فَسَّرَ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ المُفَسِّرِينَ (تَمَنّى) بِمَعْنى قَرَأ. وتَبِعَهم أصْحابُ كُتُبِ اللُّغَةِ وذَكَرُوا بَيْتًا نَسَبُوهُ إلى حَسّانَ بْنِ ثابِتٍ وذَكَرُوا قِصَّةً بِرِواياتٍ ضَعِيفَةٍ سَنَذْكُرُها ... وعِنْدِي في صِحَّةِ إطْلاقِ لَفْظِ الأُمْنِيَّةِ عَلى القِراءَةِ شَكٌّ عَظِيمٌ، فَإنَّهُ وإنْ كانَ قَدْ ورَدَ تَمَنّى بِمَعْنى قَرَأ في بَيْتٍ نُسِبَ إلى حَسّانَ بْنِ ثابِتٍ إنْ صَحَّتْ رِوايَةُ البَيْتِ عَنْ حَسّانَ ... فَلا أظُنُّ أنَّ القِراءَةَ يُقالُ لَها أُمْنِيَّةٌ.

Many commentators interpreted “Tamanna” as “recitation.” Lexicographers followed them, citing a poem attributed to Hassan ibn Thabit with weak chains. ... In my view, applying the word Umniyyah to “recitation” is highly doubtful. Even if that poem truly belongs to Hassan ibn Thabit, I do not think that “recitation” can rightly be called “Umniyyah.”

And then Ibn Ashur further writes (link):

عَمُوا أنَّ (تَمَنّى) بِمَعْنى: قَرَأ، والأُمْنِيَّةُ: القِراءَةُ، وهو ادِّعاءٌ لا يُوثَقُ بِهِ ولا يُوجَدُ لَهُ شاهِدٌ صَرِيحٌ في كَلامِ العَرَبِ. وأنْشَدُوا بَيْتًا لِحَسّانَ بْنِ ثابِتٍ في رِثاءِ عُثْمانَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ:

تَمَنّى كِتابَ اللَّهِ أوَّلَ لَيْلِهِ ∗∗∗ وآخِرَهُ لاقى حِمامَ المَقادِرِ

They blindly claimed that (تَمَنّى) means ‘قَرَأ’ (to read or recite), and that ‘أُمْنِيَّة’ also means ‘recitation’. But this is a claim that cannot be trusted, nor does it have any clear proof or precedent in the Arabic language. And they cited a verse of poetry by Hassan ibn Thabit in his elegy for Uthman (as evidence):

تَمَنّى كِتابَ اللَّهِ أوَّلَ لَيْلِهِ ∗∗∗ وآخِرَهُ لاقى حِمامَ المَقادِرِ

(It means:) He wished to recite the Book of Allah at the beginning of the night, but by the end of the night he met the decree of death.

Then Ibn Ashur continues:

وهُوَ مُحْتَمَلٌ أنَّ مَعْناهُ تَمَنّى أنْ يَقْرَأ القُرْآنَ في أوَّلِ اللَّيْلِ عَلى عادَتِهِ فَلَمْ يَتَمَكَّنْ مِن ذَلِكَ بِتَشْغِيبِ أهْلِ الحِصارِ عَلَيْهِ وقَتَلُوهُ آخِرَ اللَّيْلِ. ولِهَذا جَعَلَهُ تَمَنِّيًا لِأنَّهُ أحَبَّ ذَلِكَ فَلَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ.

And it is possible that its meaning is that he wished to recite the Quran at the beginning of the night, as was his habit, but because of the uproar and disturbance caused by those besieging him, he could not do so, and he was killed by the end of the night. Therefore, it was called a wish because he desired it but was unable to fulfill it. (Thus, even in this poem, the meaning of "تمنى" is clearly 'wish,' not 'recitation.')

Can you see the double standards of Islamic apologists?

They rejected the entire Arabic tradition that unanimously defines “Tamanna” as “desire.”

They ignored 50 narrations unanimously confirming that the early Muslims i.e. companions, successors, and early scholars for 300 years, all understood “Tamanna” to mean “desire.”

And in exchange, they based their defense on one weak poem with no credible basis, fabricated only to protect a theological position.

Rejecting 50 authentic reports and inventing a new meaning through baseless interpretation is not scholarship, but it is dishonesty.

 

Analysis of the Arguments Presented by the Muslim Group that Completely Denied the Incident of the Satanic Verses

Let us now carefully examine the reasoning of the Muslim group that appeared around 300 years later and completely denied the occurrence of the incident known as the Satanic Verses.

First Claim: The Qur'an Does Not Mention or Indicate the Incident of the Satanic Verses

This group argued that there is not a single verse in the Qur'an that mentions or even alludes to the incident of the Satanic Verses.

The issue with this claim, however, is that it directly contradicts the understanding of the early generations of Muslims — the companions, the successors, and the earliest scholars — who lived during the first three centuries of Islam. Those early Muslims actually based their affirmation of the incident on specific verses from the Qur'an itself.

Even Ibn Taymiyyah, known for his strict and uncompromising religious views, wrote the following regarding this incident:

Majmū‘ al-Fatāwā Ibn Taymiyyah
والمأثور عن السلف يوافق القرآن بذلك ... وأما الذين قرروا ما نقل عن السلف فقالوا هذا منقول نقلا ثابتا لا يمكن القدح فيه والقرآن يدل عليه بقوله ۔۔۔

Translation:
The collective view of the early scholars (Salaf) was that these reports (about the Satanic Verses) are consistent with the Qur'an … and those who upheld the reports transmitted from the Salaf said that these accounts have been authentically transmitted and cannot be rejected, for the Qur'an itself provides evidence supporting them.

Therefore, according to the early Muslims (the Salaf):

  1. The reports about the incident of the Satanic Verses are fully consistent with the Qur'an.
  2. These reports were authentically transmitted through reliable chains of narration.
  3. And the Qur'an itself serves as evidence confirming the incident.

We will discuss the detailed reports later. For now, let us focus on the Qur'anic verses that, according to the early Muslims, directly point toward this incident.

 

Three Separate Occasions of Revelation That Serve as Evidence for the Satanic Verses Incident

After the incident of the Satanic Verses, Muhammad faced severe embarrassment. To remove that embarrassment and defend his prophetic claim:

  • He declared that new revelations were sent down to him on three separate occasions following the incident.

  • Each of these revelations served to create excuses and to defend both Allah and Islam from the damaging implications of what had occurred.

 

First Occasion: Analysis of Verses from Surah al-Isra

The first of these occasions was when Muhammad claimed revelation of the following verses from Surah al-Isra, aiming to erase the humiliation caused by the Satanic Verses episode.

(Quran 17:73-75) And indeed, they were about to tempt you away from that which We revealed to you in order to [make] you INVENT about Us something else (i.e. the Satanic Verses); and then they would have taken you as a friend. And if We had not strengthened you, you would have almost inclined to them a little (i.e. Muhammad's DESIRE to reconciliate with them). Then [if you had], We would have made you taste double [punishment in] life and double [after] death. 

These verses themselves bear clear testimony to an event in which:

  1. Muhammad was nearly “tempted” or influenced away from what was being “revealed” to him.

  2. As a result, he falsely attributed something to Allah, namely, that the pagan goddesses were exalted and could intercede.

  3. It is also significant that verses 73–75 have no connection to the verses before or after them; they describe an entirely separate event.

Hence, these verses align perfectly with the accounts describing their revelation in connection with the incident of the Satanic Verses.

When Muslims are asked, “If these verses are not referring to that incident, then what are they referring to?” they usually cite this alternative explanation (link):

Ibn Abi Hatim narrates from Jubayr ibn Nufayr that some of the Quraysh leaders came to Muhammad and said: “If you are truly sent to us, then dismiss from your company those poor and humble people who sit with you, for sitting with them is beneath our dignity. Then we shall accompany you.” Muhammad considered their offer, hoping they might embrace Islam, and at that moment this verse was revealed.

However, this explanation clearly does not fit the content of these verses, because:

  • There is no mention of revelation being altered or influenced in that story, whereas the verses explicitly speak of revelation being distorted.

  • Nor does that account involve Muhammad falsely attributing anything to Allah — yet the verses explicitly describe such an act.

Therefore, one must inevitably conclude that these verses from Surah al-Isra refer directly to the incident of the Satanic Verses.

Other early reports also connect these verses to that same event. For instance, in (Tafsir al-Durr al-Manthur, verse 17:73):

وأخرج ابن أبي حاتم عن محمد بن كعب القرظي رضي الله عنه قال: ... فأنزل الله { وإن كادوا ليفتنونك عن الذي أوحينا إليك... } الآية. ... فما زال مغموماً مهموماً حتى أنزل الله تعالى{ وما أرسلنا من قبلك من رسول ولا نبي... } [الحج: 52] الآية.

Translation: Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from Muhammad ibn Ka‘b al-Qurazi that when the verse “By the star when it descends” was revealed, the Prophet recited “Have you considered al-Lat and al-‘Uzza?” Then Satan cast upon his tongue the words: “These are the exalted cranes, whose intercession is to be hoped for.” … Afterwards Allah revealed, “And indeed they were about to tempt you away from what We revealed to you…” (al-Isra 17:73), and later, “We did not send before you any messenger or prophet except that when he desired something, Satan would cast into his desire;…” (al-Hajj 22:52).

Ibn Jarir al-Tabari narrates in his historical work (link) the following account:

Muhammad bin Ka’b and Muhammad bin Qais narrate that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was once sitting in a gathering of the Quraysh, where numerous people were present. He sincerely wished that Allah would not reveal anything that might cause hostility or resentment from those present. At that moment, Allah revealed a passage from the Quran:

(By the stars when they fall, your companion [Muhammad] has neither gone astray nor been misled... Surah An-Najm, verses 1–2)

The Prophet recited this passage in front of the Quraysh. When he reached the part mentioning the idols Al-Lat, Al-‘Uzza, and the third deity, Manat, then Satan inspired him with additional words: “These are the exalted cranes, and their intercession will be accepted.” The Prophet recited these words as well. After completing the Surah, he prostrated, and everyone present followed his example in prostration. Walid bin al-Mughira, because of his old age, could not lower his head fully, so he lifted some dust and placed it on his forehead as a form of prostration. The Quraysh were greatly pleased by the words and remarked, “Indeed, we know that Allah gives life and causes death, creates and provides sustenance. Yet these idols intercede on our behalf. Now that you have associated them with your Lord, we stand with you.”

Later, Angel Gabriel came to the Prophet, who then recited the Surah to him. Upon reaching the words inspired by Satan, Gabriel said, “I did not convey these words to you.” The Prophet said, “This means I have attributed false statements to Allah.” Following this, Allah revealed the following verse:

“And indeed they were close to misleading you from that which We revealed to you [O Muhammad], so that you would fabricate against Us something else; and they would have taken you as a friend. But if you had done so, We would have punished you with a double punishment in this world and the Hereafter, and you would have found no helper against Us.” (Surah Al-Isra, verses 73–75)

The Prophet was deeply troubled by this. Allah then revealed another verse:

“And We did not send any messenger or prophet before you except that when he desired something, Satan would cast something into his desire. But Allah nullifies what Satan casts, then Allah makes firm His verses. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.” (Surah Al-Hajj, verses 52–53)

The purpose of these revelations was to clarify that the Prophet took responsibility for the satanic words himself, absolving Allah of any involvement. It emphasized that Satan has no authority over Allah and cannot cause Allah to err. This was crucial for maintaining the integrity of Muhammad’s new religious movement. To solidify this position, the Prophet also later emphasized that Allah was displeased with this error and even warned of double punishment.

 

Second Occasion: Analysis of Surah Al-Hajj, verses 52–53

The second occasion involves the Prophet claiming that these verses were revealed after the satanic incident, serving to defend Allah and his emerging religion.

(Surah Hajj 22:52-53):

 وَمَا أَرْ‌سَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّ‌سُولٍ وَلَا نَبِيٍّ إِلَّا إِذَا تَمَنَّىٰ أَلْقَى الشَّيْطَانُ فِي أُمْنِيَّتِهِ فَيَنسَخُ اللَّـهُ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ ثُمَّ يُحْكِمُ اللَّـهُ آيَاتِهِ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ۔ لِيَجْعَلَ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ فِتْنَةً لِّلَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ وَالْقَاسِيَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ لَفِي شِقَاقٍ بَعِيدٍ

And We did not send from before you from a messenger, and nor a prophet, except when he 'desires' (Arabic: tamannā تمنی), the devil threw (Satanic Verses) in his desire (Arabic: um'niyyatihi أُمْنِيَّتِهِ), so God 'abrogates' what the devil throws in. Then Allah makes His verses precise again (by deleting the abrogated Satanic verses). And Allah is Knowing and Wise. He (Allah) makes, what is thrown in by Shaitan (Satan), a Test for those in whose hearts is a disease (of hypocrisy and disbelief) and whose hearts are hardened. 

Key points:

  • The verses mention prophets having desires and Satan attempting to mislead them, but the surrounding context does not directly relate to this incident.
  • The preceding verses discuss the rulings of Hajj.
  • The following verses describe righteous deeds and the rewards of Paradise.
  • This suggests that these verses were inserted into the Quran separately, distinct from the main discussion of Hajj.

These verses indicate a major event where:

  • The Prophet had a personal desire, and Satan misled him by inserting words into that desire.
  • The incident was significant enough that Allah reassured Muhammad that all previous prophets had experienced similar interference by Satan.
  • The satanic words had to be nullified from the Quran to maintain the integrity of Allah’s message.
  • The event was also made a test for those with hypocritical or hardened hearts.

Modern Muslims, when asked which event these verses refer to if not the satanic verses, are totally unable to provide an explanation.

In Surah Al-Isra verses 73–75, apologetics were at least able to offer an event, even if it was based on weak justification. But in Surah Al-Hajj, they are unable to even present any alternative weak event.

However, these verses fit perfectly with the narrations regarding the satanic verses incident.

 

Third Occasion: Analysis of Surah An-Najm, verses 21–26

After Surah Al-Hajj verse 52, the Prophet claimed the revelation of Surah An-Najm verses 21–26, again using them to defend Allah and his new religion.

{Surah An-Najm, verses 19–26}
أَفَرَأَيْتُمُ اللَّاتَ وَالْعُزَّىٰ ﴿١٩﴾ وَمَنَاةَ الثَّالِثَةَ الْأُخْرَىٰ  فَإِنَّهُنَّ الْغَرَانِيقُ الْعُلَى وَإِنَّ شفاعتهن لَتُرْتَجَى﴿٢٠﴾ أَلَكُمُ الذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ الْأُنثَىٰ ﴿٢١﴾ تِلْكَ إِذًا قِسْمَةٌ ضِيزَىٰ ﴿٢٢﴾ إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُم مَّا أَنزَلَ اللَّـهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَانٍ ۚ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى الْأَنفُسُ ۖ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُم مِّن رَّبِّهِمُ الْهُدَىٰ ﴿٢٣﴾ أَمْ لِلْإِنسَانِ مَا تَمَنَّىٰ ﴿٢٤﴾فَلِلَّـهِ الْآخِرَةُ وَالْأُولَىٰ ﴿٢٥﴾ وَكَم مِّن مَّلَكٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ لَا تُغْنِي شَفَاعَتُهُمْ شَيْئًا إِلَّا مِن بَعْدِ أَن يَأْذَنَ اللَّـهُ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَيَرْضَىٰ ﴿٢٦﴾

Translation:
19 Have you considered al-Lāt and al-ʿUzzá, 20 And Manāt, the third, the other? Indeed, they are the exalted cranes, and their intercession is certainly hoped for. 21 Is the male for you and the female for Him? 22 That, then, is an unfair division. 23 They are but names you have named, you and your fathers, for which Allāh has sent down no authority. They follow nothing but conjecture and what the souls desire. And certainly, the guidance has come to them from their Lord. 24 Or shall man have what he desired for? 25 But to Allāh belongs the Last [life] and the First [life]. 26 And how many angels in the heavens are there whose intercession does not avail at all, except after Allāh permits for whom He wills and approves.

Focus on verse 24, which discusses desire. Its placement in the middle of criticism of the idols and the subsequent denial of intercession seems illogical unless it is part of the same incident as the satanic verses.

Likewise, verse 26 about intercession makes sense only when viewed as a corrective response to the false claims of intercession associated with the satanic verses. This context explains why early Muslims for 300 years accepted this incident, as the Quran itself alludes to it.

 

Second Claim: All Narrations About the Satanic Verses Incident Are Weak and False

This same group also claim that all narrations related to the Satanic Verses incident are weak and fabricated. They reject all the approximately 50 narrations regarding this event.

However, the truth is that not only is there an authentic narration about the Satanic Verses incident, but these 50 narrations also corroborate one another and have been transmitted through multiple chains of narration.

This claim by the denying group is itself refuted by Salaf Muslims (early Muslims of the first 300 years):

  • They not only accept the narrations regarding the Satanic Verses incident as "authentic",
  • but also regard them as "consistent" with the Quran.

Scholars such as Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, and Zamakhshari not only accepted the narrations about this event as authentic, but also used the science of hadith against those who denied it (this highlights the nature of hadith scholarship in which one can classify narrations as authentic or weak based on preference).

Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti states that Al-Bazzar, Al-Tabarani, and Ibn Mardawayh transmitted this incident from Ibn Abbas with an authentic chain of narration (link):

Al-Bazzar, Al-Tabarani, Ibn Mardawayh, and Al-Dhiya in Al-Mukhtar reported from Sa’id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn Abbas, that the Prophet Muhammad recited the verse: "Have you seen Al-Lat, Al-Uzza, and the other third?" Then, unintentionally, the words "These are the exalted cranes, and their intercession is hoped for" came out of his mouth. The polytheists were pleased and said, "He has mentioned our gods." Then Gabriel came and said, "Recite to me what you were commanded," and the Prophet recited it, including the words influenced by Satan. Gabriel told him, "These words were not revealed to you; they are from Satan." Allah then revealed the verse: "And We did not send any messenger or prophet before you except that when he desired something, Satan would cast into his desire..." (Surah Al-Hajj, verses 52–53)

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani holds a high rank in hadith scholarship and is respected by all Muslims. In his book Fath al-Bari, he writes (link):

أخرج ابن أبي حاتم والطبري وابن المنذر من طرق عن شعبة عن أبي بشر عنه قال : " قرأ رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - بمكة والنجم ، فلما بلغ أفرأيتم اللات والعزى ومناة الثالثة الأخرى ألقى الشيطان على لسانه : تلك الغرانيق العلى وإن شفاعتهن لترتجى ، فقال المشركون : ما ذكر آلهتنا بخير قبل اليوم ، فسجد وسجدوا ، فنزلت هذه الآية " وأخرجه البزار وابن مردويه من طريق أمية بن خالد عن شعبة فقال في إسناده : " عن سعيد بن جبير عن ابن عباس " فيما أحسب ، ثم ساق الحديث ، وقال البزار : لا يروى متصلا إلا بهذا الإسناد ، ۔۔۔وكلها سوى طريق سعيد بن جبير إما ضعيف وإلا منقطع ، لكن كثرة الطرق تدل على أن للقصة أصلا ، مع أن لها طريقين آخرين مرسلين رجالهما على شرط الصحيحين أحدهما ما أخرجه الطبري من طريق يونس بن يزيد عن ابن شهاب حدثني أبو بكر بن عبد الرحمن بن الحارث بن هشام فذكر نحوه، والثاني ما أخرجه أيضا من طريق المعتمر بن سليمان وحماد بن سلمة فرقهما عن داود بن أبي هند عن أبي العالية ۔۔۔ فإن الطرق إذا كثرت وتباينت مخارجها دل ذلك على أن لها أصلا ، وقد ذكرت أن ثلاثة أسانيد منها على شرط الصحيح 

Ibn Abi Hatim, Al-Tabari, and Ibn Al-Mundhir narrated through multiple chains from Shu’bah from Abu Bishr that he said: "The Prophet recited Surah An-Najm in Mecca. When he reached the verse 'Have you seen Al-Lat, Al-Uzza, and the other third?', Satan placed on his tongue: 'These are the exalted cranes, and their intercession is hoped for.' The polytheists said, 'He has never mentioned our gods in such praise before today.' Then the Prophet prostrated, and all the polytheists also prostrated. Subsequently, this verse was revealed." Al-Bazzar and Ibn Mardawayh also transmitted this via Umyah ibn Khalid from Shu’bah from Sa’id ibn Jubayr from Ibn Abbas. Al-Bazzar notes that only this chain is connected; other chains apart from Sa’id ibn Jubayr’s are weak or broken. However, the numerous routes indicate that the incident has a basis. Moreover, there are two other routes with narrators meeting the standards of Sahih (Bukhari and Muslim). One is reported by Al-Tabari via Yunus ibn Yazid from Ibn Shihab, and the other via Mu’tamir ibn Sulayman and Hammad ibn Salamah from Dawud ibn Abi Hind from Abu Aliah. When multiple routes exist and they vary in origin, it confirms that the incident indeed has a foundation. Three of these chains even meet the standard of authenticity.

After the Quran itself testifies to this incident, other narrations and Ibn Hajar’s testimony were not strictly necessary. They are presented here to demonstrate the reality of hadith scholarship, where Muslims can classify the same narration as weak or authentic based on preference.

 

Occurrence in Sahih Bukhari

The incident is also recorded in Sahih Bukhari from the companion Ibn Abbas (link) with an authentic chain:

Ibn Abbas reported that when the Prophet prostrated during Surah An-Najm, Muslims, polytheists, and jinn alike all prostrated with him. This narration was also reported by Ibrahim ibn Tahman from Ayub.

In Sahih Bukhari, the incident is also narrated from Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (link):

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported that the Prophet recited Surah An-Najm and prostrated. At that time, no one, Muslim or non-Muslim, failed to prostrate except for one person, Umyah ibn Khalaf, who raised a pebble or dust to his face saying, “This is sufficient for me.” Abdullah ibn Mas’ud later noted that he was killed in a state of disbelief.

Some Islamic apologists argue that these Bukhari narrations only mention that the polytheists prostrated with the Prophet and Muslims, but do not mention Satan influencing the Prophet to recite the Satanic Verses.

However, a question arises: if Surah An-Najm did not praise the idols, why did the polytheists prostrate with Muhammad and the Muslims?

Apologists claim:

It was the beauty and eloquence of the Quran, or fear of punishment that compelled the polytheists of Mecca to fall prostrate automatically. (Surah An-Najm 53:62: "So prostrate to Allah and worship Him")

The reality, contrary to this apologist claim, is:

  • Neither narration mentions that the polytheists prostrated due to the Quran’s beauty or fear of punishment.
  • The Quran mentions prostration elsewhere; does that mean the rest of the Quran was not beautiful enough to prompt prostration?
  • The Quran repeatedly mentions punishment for disbelievers elsewhere, yet no one ever prostrated there.
  • Earlier verses explicitly state that the polytheists mocked and ridiculed the Quran; they did not regard it as beautiful. How then could they prostrate here alongside Muhammad and the Muslims?

(Surah 53, verses 59–62)
So do you wonder at this speech? And you laugh at it, when you should weep? And you play with it? So prostrate to Allah and worship Him.

It is therefore clear that the polytheists could only have prostrated with Muhammad and the Muslims if the verses praised their idols, which is precisely what happened in the Satanic Verses. That is why they prostrated alongside him.

Note:

Muhammad himself only prostrated during Surah An-Najm to ensure that the polytheists would also prostrate. Otherwise, he recited the Surah later without prostration (i.e. according to apologist's logic, without being compelled by its beauty or eloquence to prostrate). This is confirmed in Sahih Bukhari:

Sahih Bukhari, on the eclipse prayer (link):
Zaid ibn Thabit reported that he recited Surah An-Najm before the Prophet, but the Prophet did not prostrate.

Today, millions of non-Muslims read Surah An-Najm without perceiving any beauty or eloquence, nor are they compelled by fear of punishment to prostrate. Hence, the apologists’ argument is merely a fabricated excuse to deny the connection of these prostrations in Sahih Bukhari to the Satanic Verses incident.

 

Conclusion

The historical narrations, multiple independent chains, and rational analysis all converge to confirm the authenticity of the Satanic Verses incident. Attempts to deny it by claiming that all narrations are weak ignore the overwhelming evidence provided by authentic chains and respected scholars like Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani and Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti.

Moreover, the reasoning behind the polytheists’ prostration makes sense only in the context of the Satanic Verses: they would have had no reason to prostrate if the verse did not praise their idols. The detailed records in Sahih Bukhari further corroborate the specific situational context of the prostration.

Thus, both textual and rational evidence affirm that the Satanic Verses incident occurred and was recorded in authentic Islamic sources, and the denials based on weak or fabricated claims do not hold against the scholarly and logical evidence.

 

50 Traditions in Islamic sources regarding the Incident of Satanic Verses:

As we mentioned above, the late Mr. Shahab Ahmed wrote an amazing book 'Before Orthodoxy: The Satanic Verses in Early Islam', in which he collected 50 traditions from many Sahaba (i.e. the 1st generation of Muslims) and tābi‘īn اَلتَّابِعِينَ (i.e. 2nd generation of Muslims) about the incident of Satanic Verses. You can buy this book if you want to read all these 50 traditions in English. Here, we are giving only a short list of those 50 traditions along with the name of Sahaba and tābi‘īn اَلتَّابِعِينَ who narrated it:

  • Riwāyahs 1 to 7: From Muḥammad b. Ka‘b al-Quraẓī
  • Riwāyah 1: From the Rayy Recension of the Sīrah of Muḥammad Ibn Isḥāq
  • Riwāyah 2: Abū Ma‘shar’s Report from Muḥammad b. Ka‘b and Muḥammad b. Qays
  • Riwāyah 3: al-Wāqidī’s Report from al-Muṭṭalib b. Ḥanṭab and the Banū Ẓafar
  • Riwāyahs 4 to 6: Summary Reports from Muḥammad b. Ka‘b al-Quraẓī
  • Riwāyah 4: A Summary Report from Muḥammad b. Ka‘b in the Tafsīr of Abū al-Layth al-Samarqandī
  • Riwāyah 5: A Summary Report from Muḥammad b. Ka‘b in the Tafsīr of Ibn Abī Ḥātim al-Rāzī
  • Riwāyah 6: A Summary Report from Muḥammad b. Ka‘b in the Tafsīr of Abū al-Shaykh al-Iṣbahānī
  • Riwāyah 7: From the Maghāzī of Yūnus b. Bukayr
  • Riwāyahs 8 to 13: From ‘Urwah b. al-Zubayr
  • Riwāyah 8: From Abū al-Aswad’s Egyptian Recension of ‘Urwah’s Maghāzī
  • Riwāyah 9: al-Bayhaqī’s Citation of the Maghāzī of Mūsā b. ‘Uqbah, and Ibn Kathīr’s Citation from Ibn Abī Ḥātim of the Maghāzī of Mūsā b. ‘Uqbah
  • Riwāyah 10: al-Dhahabī’s Citation of the Maghāzī of Mūsā b. ‘Uqbah
  • Riwāyah 11: Abū Nu‘aym al-Iṣbahānī’s Citation of the Maghāzī of Mūsā b. ‘Uqbah
  • Riwāyah 12: al-Suyūṭī’s Citation from Ibn Abī Ḥātim’s Tafsīr of the Maghāzī of Mūsā b. ‘Uqbah
  • Riwāyah 13: al-Kilā‘ī’s Citation of the Maghāzī of Mūsā b. ‘Uqbah
  • Riwāyahs 8 to 13: Conclusions
  • Riwāyahs 14 and 15: al-Zuhrī from Abū Bakr ‘Abd al-Raḥmān b. al-Ḥārith
  • Riwāyah 14: Probably from al-Zuhrī’s Tafsīr with a ṣaḥīḥ mursal isnād
  • Riwāyah 15: Probably from al-Zuhrī’s Kitāb al-maghāzī
  • Riwāyahs 14 and 15: Conclusions
  • Riwāyahs 16 to 20: From Abū al-‘Āliyah al-Baṣrī
  • Riwāyah 16: Cited by al-Ṭabarī with a ṣaḥīḥ mursal Basran isnād
  • Riwāyah 17: Also Cited by al-Ṭabarī with a ṣaḥīḥ mursal Basran isnād
  • Riwāyah 18: Cited by al-Suyūṭī in the Durr from the Tafsīrs of al-Ṭabarī, Ibn al-Mundhir and Ibn Abī Ḥātim by an Unspecified ṣaḥīḥ isnād
  • Riwāyah 19: Cited by al-Suyūṭī in the Durr from the Tafsīrs of al-Ṭabarī, Ibn al-Mundhir and Ibn Abī Ḥātim al-Rāzī
  • Riwāyah 20: Cited by Yaḥyā b. Sallām al-Baṣrī in his Tafsīr
  • Riwāyahs 16 to 20: Conclusions
  • Riwāyahs 21 and 22: From al-Suddī
  • Riwāyah 21: In the Tafsīr of ‘Abd b. Ḥumayd al-Samarqandī
  • Riwāyah 22: In the Tafsīr of Ibn Abī Ḥātim al-Rāzī
  • Riwāyah 23: From Muḥammad b. al-Sā’ib al-Kalbī
  • Riwāyahs 24 to 26: From Qatādah b. Di‘āmah
  • Riwāyah 24: Cited by Yaḥyā b. Sallām al-Baṣrī in His Tafsīr
  • Riwāyah 25: al-Ṭabarī’s Citation of Tafsīr Muḥammad ibn Thawr ‘an Ma‘mar ‘an Qatādah, and of al-Ḥasan b. Yaḥyā’s Citation of Qatādah in the Baghdādī Transmission of the Tafsīr of ‘Abd al-Razzāq al-Ṣan‘ānī
  • Riwāyah 26: From the Tafsīr of ‘Abd al-Razzāq al-Ṣan‘ānī
  • Riwāyahs 24 to 26: Conclusions
  • Riwāyahs 27 to 30: From Muqātil b. Sulaymān
  • Riwāyah 27: Muqātil’s Commentary on Qur’ān 22:52 al-Ḥajj
  • Riwāyah 28: Muqātil’s Commentary on Qur’ān 53:19–26 al-Najm
  • Riwāyah 29: Muqātil’s Commentary on Qur’ān 109 al-Kāfirūn
  • Riwāyah 30: Muqātil’s Commentary on Qur’ān 39:43–45 al-Zumar
  • Riwāyahs 27 to 30: Conclusions
  • Riwāyahs 31 to 33: From Mujāhid b. Jabr
  • Riwāyah 31: From Mujāhid’s Commentary on Qur’ān 22:52 al-Ḥajj Cited by Ibn ‘Aqīlah
  • Riwāyah 32: From Mujāhid’s Commentary on Qur’ān 39:45 al-Zumar Cited by al-Wāḥidī
  • Riwāyah 33: From Mujāhid’s Commentary on Qur’ān 17:73 al-Isrā’ Cited by al-Tha‘labī
  • Riwāyah 34: From al-Ḍaḥḥāk b. Muzāḥim al-Balkhī
  • Riwāyahs 35 to 44: Attributed to ‘Abd Allāh b. ‘Abbās
  • Riwāyah 35: From ‘Aṭiyyah b. Sa‘d al-‘Awfī
  • Riwāyah 36: From Abū Ṣāliḥ
  • Riwāyah 37: From ‘Aṭā’ b. Abī Rabāḥ al-Makkī
  • Riwāyah 38: Cited Directly from Ibn ‘Abbās in the Gharā’ib al-Qur’ān of Niẓām al-Dīn al-Naysābūrī
  • Riwāyah 39: From Abū Sāliḥ; from ‘Ikrimah the mawlā of Ibn ‘Abbās; and from an Unnamed Source
  • Riwāyahs 40 to 44: Sa‘īd b. Jubayr from Ibn ‘Abbās
  • Riwāyahs 40, 41 and 42: ‘Uthmān b. al-Aswad ← Sa‘īd b. Jubayr
  • Riwāyah 40: In the Mukhtārah of al-Ḍiyā’ al-Maqdisī with a Deficient isnād
  • Riwāyah 41: In the Tafsīr of Abū al-Layth al-Samarqandī with an Unacknowledged ṣaḥīḥ isnād
  • Riwāyah 42: In the Asbāb al-nuzūl of al-Wāḥidī with an isnād Stopping at Sa‘īd b. Jubayr
  • Riwāyahs 43 and 44: Shu‘bah ← Abū Bishr ← Sa‘īd b. Jubayr ← Ibn ‘Abbās
  • Riwāyah 43: Cited from Yūsuf b. Ḥammād al-Baṣrī in the Musnad of al-Bazzār with Two Cautionary Remarks
  • Riwāyah 44: Cited from Yūsuf b. Ḥammād al-Baṣrī in the Mu‘jam al-Kabīr of al-Ṭabarānī and in the Tafsīr of Ibn Mardawayh, with an Interesting Remark
  • Riwāyahs 35 to 44: Conclusions
  • Riwāyahs 45 to 47: From Sa‘īd b. Jubayr without Attribution to Ibn ‘Abbās
  • Riwāyah 45: Cited by al-Ṭabarī from Sa‘īd b. Jubayr via Shu‘bah and Abū Bishr Ja‘far b. Abī Waḥshiyyah
  • Riwāyah 46: Cited by Ibn Abī Ḥātim al-Rāzī from Sa‘īd b. Jubayr via Shu‘bah and Abū Bishr Ja‘far b. Abī Waḥshiyyah
  • Riwāyah 47: Cited by al-Suyūṭī in the Durr without an isnād
  • Riwāyahs 40 to 47: Conclusions
  • Riwāyah 48: From ‘Ikrimah, the mawlā of Ibn ‘Abbās
  • Riwāyahs 49 and 50: From al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī
  • Riwāyah 49: Cited from al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī in al-Nukat wa-al-‘uyūn of al-Māwardī
  • Riwāyah 50: Cited from al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī in Aḥkām al-Qur’ān of al-Jaṣṣāṣ

 

Details
Parent Category: en
Category: Divine Revelation OR a Human Drama?

Latest Articles

Most Read Articles

Important Websites

Categories