When the Prophet Praised Pagan Gods
The Satanic Verses incident is one of the most controversial and embarrassing episodes in early Islamic history. According to multiple early Islamic sources, Muhammad once recited verses praising three pagan goddesses worshipped in Mecca, only to later claim that Satan had deceived him into uttering them.
This incident raises profound questions about Muhammad's prophetic claims and the reliability of Quranic revelation. If Satan could place words in Muhammad's mouth that he believed were from Allah, how can Muslims be certain that other revelations weren't similarly compromised?
The Historical Account
The incident is recorded by multiple early Islamic historians, including al-Tabari (d. 923 CE), Ibn Sa'd (d. 845 CE), and references in Ibn Ishaq's biography of Muhammad. According to these sources, Muhammad was desperate to reconcile with the Quraysh tribe of Mecca, who opposed his message.
While reciting Surah 53 (An-Najm), after mentioning Allah, Muhammad recited verses praising the three primary goddesses of Mecca:
"Have you considered al-Lat and al-Uzza, and Manat, the third, the other? These are the exalted cranes whose intercession is approved."
The Quraysh were delighted. They prostrated alongside Muhammad and his followers, believing Muhammad had finally acknowledged their gods. This seemed to be the compromise they had hoped for.
The Retraction
Later, Muhammad claimed that the angel Gabriel appeared to him and revealed that those verses praising the goddesses were not from Allah but from Satan. The verses were then replaced with what now appears in Quran 53:19-23:
"Have you considered al-Lat and al-Uzza? And Manat, the third, the other? Is the male for you and for Him the female? That, then, is an unjust division! They are but names you and your fathers have named them – Allah has sent down no authority for them." — Quran 53:19-23
This retraction angered the Quraysh, who felt betrayed and deceived. The incident significantly worsened relations between Muhammad and the Meccan leadership.
The Quranic Reference
The Quran itself appears to reference this incident in Surah 22:52:
"And We did not send before you any messenger or prophet except that when he spoke [or recited], Satan threw into it [some misunderstanding]. But Allah abolishes that which Satan throws in; then Allah makes precise His verses. And Allah is Knowing and Wise." — Quran 22:52
This verse acknowledges that Satan can interfere with prophetic revelation, which creates a serious theological problem: how can any Quranic verse be trusted if Satan can insert false revelations that even Muhammad cannot distinguish from genuine ones?
Why This Matters
The Satanic Verses incident is devastating to Islamic claims for several reasons:
- Muhammad couldn't distinguish divine from satanic revelation: If the prophet himself was fooled, how can anyone trust that other verses aren't similarly compromised?
- Political convenience: The timing suggests Muhammad's "revelations" conveniently changed based on political circumstances.
- Compromises monotheism: Muhammad was willing to praise pagan gods to gain acceptance, contradicting Islam's central doctrine of absolute monotheism.
- Historical attestation: This incident is recorded by multiple early Islamic sources, making it difficult to dismiss as fabrication.
Modern Muslim Responses
Contemporary Muslim scholars typically respond in two ways:
Denial: Some claim the incident never happened and that the hadith are weak or fabricated. However, this contradicts the fact that multiple independent early sources record it.
Minimization: Others acknowledge it occurred but argue it demonstrates Muhammad's humanity and that Allah quickly corrected the error. This response doesn't address the fundamental problem: if Muhammad couldn't tell divine from satanic revelation even once, the entire Quran is called into question.
Biblical Contrast: Testing Prophets
The Bible provides clear criteria for testing prophets and their messages. Deuteronomy 18:20-22 states that any prophet who speaks presumptuously in God's name or whose predictions don't come true is a false prophet. Additionally, any teaching that contradicts previous revelation is to be rejected (Galatians 1:8).
True prophets in the Bible never confused satanic messages with divine revelation. When Satan tempted Jesus directly in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), Jesus immediately recognized and rejected Satan's words, quoting Scripture to refute him. There is no biblical precedent for a genuine prophet being deceived into proclaiming satanic revelation as God's word.
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." — 1 John 4:1
Questions to Consider
- If Muhammad couldn't distinguish between Allah's words and Satan's words, how can Muslims be certain any Quranic verse is actually from Allah?
- Why would Allah allow his prophet to publicly proclaim satanic verses, leading people astray even temporarily?
- Does the convenient timing of the "correction" suggest Muhammad changed his message based on political pressure rather than divine revelation?
- How does this incident compare to biblical prophets who consistently recognized and rejected satanic deception?
- If early Muslim historians recorded this incident, why do modern Muslims often deny it happened?
Conclusion
The Satanic Verses incident represents one of the most serious challenges to Muhammad's prophetic claims. The fact that he proclaimed verses praising pagan goddesses, believing them to be from Allah, only to later retract them as satanic, calls into question the reliability of all Quranic revelation.
Unlike biblical prophets who consistently recognized and rejected demonic deception, Muhammad was fooled into proclaiming satanic revelation as divine truth. This incident, attested in multiple early Islamic sources, undermines the foundational claim that the Quran is the pure, uncompromised word of God.
For those examining Islam's truth claims, this incident demands serious consideration: if Satan could deceive Muhammad once, how can anyone be certain he wasn't deceived multiple times?
Related articles: Muhammad's Night Journey, The Compilation of the Quran