Hello again, Doug.
You remind me of my days in school; of the time I had to complete a practical test for my engineering master. Again and again I presented what I thought was an acceptable piece, only to have him throw it away, with the words: ‘Try again’. On the eighth (or thereabouts) and final attempt he looked at my piece, turned it over a few time, and then said: ‘What I admire about you, Paul, is you perseverance.’ Then he threw the piece away!
‘So if you (Prophet) are in doubt about what We have revealed to you, ask those who have been reading the scriptures before you. The Truth has come to you from your Lord, so be in no doubt and do not deny Allāh’s signs - then you would become one of the losers.’ (Yunus: 94).
I wrote that the Prophet is being reassured by Allāh (Subḥānahu ūta'āla). He is not being reassured because of actual doubt; he is being reassured against potential doubt, arising out of his current circumstances. I ought to have made that clear.
Sayyid Qutb writes:
‘But the Prophet (peace be upon him) was not in doubt concerning his revelations. It is reported that when this verse was revealed, the Prophet said, “I do not doubt, and I am not going to ask.” Why is it, then, that he is told to ask if he is in doubt? And why is this followed by the statement that “it is surely the truth that has come to you from your Lord?” It is certainly more than enough for him to know that this statement is made by God.’
Qutb goes on to remind us that shortly before these verses were revealed the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) lost his wife, Khadījah, and his uncle, Abū Ţālib, both of whom had provided him with much-needed support. He writes: ‘They died within a short period of each other. Moreover, the unbelievers in Makkah increased their physical persecution of the Prophet and those who believed in his message. The new faith was practically confined to Makkah, as the Quraysh, the predominant tribe in Arabia, fought hard to stop it from spreading to other tribes. All these circumstances weighed heavily on the Prophet’s heart. Hence, he needed the reassurance that God gives him with this assertion, making it clear that his message is the message of truth.’ (‘In the Shade of the Quran’; Volume 9; pages 116-117).
As for the so-called ‘daughters’ of Allāh (Subḥānahu ūta'āla); I assume you are referring to this:
‘(Disbelievers), consider al-Lāt and al-ʿUzzā, and the third one, Manāt - are you to have the male and He the female? That would be a most unjust distribution! These are nothing but names you have invented yourselves, you and your forefathers. Allāh has sent no authority for them. These people merely follow guess-work and the whims of their souls, even though guidance has come to them from their Lord.’ (Al-Najm: 19-23).
Seyyed Hossein Nasr writes:
‘Al-Lāt, al-ʿUzzā and Manāt are the names of some of the idols worshipped by the pre-Islamic Arabs. Al-Lāt is said to have been a white stone with inscriptions in the city of Ṭāʾif, the sister city of Makkah, that was worshipped by the tribe of Thaqīf. Al-ʿUzzā (meaning “the Most Mighty” and referring to Venus or the morning star), worshipped by the tribe of Ghaṭafān, had a shrine consisting of three trees on which the idolaters placed a monument and curtains in the area of Nakhlah, between Makkah and Ṭāʾif; she is said to have been the most venerated idol among the Quraysh. Manāt, worshipped by the tribes of ‘Khuzā‘ah, Aws and Khazraj, was said to be the goddess of destiny….The three idols toghther formed a triad…..In several early histories of Islam, it is reported that when the Prophet came to the end of vv. 19–20 Satan whispered to him another two verses falsely according these pagan deities an exalted status: “Verily, they are high flying cranes! And their intercession is indeed anticipated/hoped for.” These verses appeared to accept the idols of the pagan Arabs as legitimate deities and greatly pleased the Quraysh, who according to some accounts then prostrated with the Prophet and his followers when the Prophet reached v. 62: :So prostrate unto God and worship”…..The Prophet later realized that he had been deceived when he received the revelation of 22:52: ………………(He) then recanted the satanic interpolation.’ (‘The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary’).
Rather too much time and effort have been wasted over the so called ‘satanic verses’. All that is required to demonstrate that the story is false is to insert them into the sura in their (alleged) location:
‘(Disbelievers), consider al-Lāt and al-ʿUzzā, and the third one, Manāt; verily, they are high flying cranes! And their intercession is indeed anticipated/hoped for.’ So far, so good…..cause for pagan celebrated, no doubt.
Adding the verses that followed, just a few breaths, later we have:
‘(Disbelievers), consider al-Lāt and al-ʿUzzā, and the third one, Manāt; verily, they are high flying cranes! And their intercession is indeed anticipated/hoped for……These are nothing but names you have invented yourselves, you and your forefathers. Allāh has sent no authority for them.
What!! First we have praise for these idols, and then immediate condemnation. These ‘high flying cranes’ are mere inventions, with no mandate at all from Allāh (Subḥānahu ūta'āla).
Anyone insisting that these verses make sense has either a very low understanding of written English; or else is being wilfully perverse.
Have a great week.
Paul
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