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(→The Jews of Medina get double reward for accepting him: Have added another verse that gives Muhammad personal power/gain by being the one to settle disputes, and an academic reference confirming the interpretation with the page mentioning the Constitution of Medina in this context too. As well as highlighted another verse seemingly possessive over his wives.) |
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===Critics=== | ===Critics=== | ||
According to critics, this variety of revelation scarcely merits inclusion in an eternal document of divine importance that conceives of itself as "guidance for all of mankind". In this vein, critics often cite the hadith in Sahih Bukhari according to which Aisha, Muhammad's favorite wife, once said to him after such revelation, "I feel that your Lord hastens in fulfilling your wishes and desires."<ref>{{Bukhari| | According to critics, this variety of revelation scarcely merits inclusion in an eternal document of divine importance that conceives of itself as "guidance for all of mankind". In this vein, critics often cite the hadith in Sahih Bukhari according to which Aisha, Muhammad's favorite wife, once said to him after such revelation, "I feel that your Lord hastens in fulfilling your wishes and desires."<ref>{{Bukhari|||4788|darussalam}}</ref> To critics, these highly-personal and suspiciously convenient revelations are evidence that Muhammad simply employed God's voice to get what he wanted, such as, for instance, an exemption from the four-wife limit imposed by Islamic law as well as a last-minute clarification that marrying the ex-wife of one's adopted son was permissible. | ||
===Historians=== | ===Historians=== | ||
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Although Allah allowed men to marry up to four wives, Muhammad allowed only one wife for his son-in-law Ali who was married to Muhammad's daughter Fatima. When Ali desired to take a second wife, Muhammad insisted he first divorce Fatima before taking a new wife. | Although Allah allowed men to marry up to four wives, Muhammad allowed only one wife for his son-in-law Ali who was married to Muhammad's daughter Fatima. When Ali desired to take a second wife, Muhammad insisted he first divorce Fatima before taking a new wife. | ||
{{Quote|{{Bukhari| | {{Quote|{{Bukhari|||5230|darussalam}}|Narrated Al-Miswar bin Makhrama:<br /> | ||
I heard Allah's Apostle who was on the pulpit, saying, "Banu Hisham bin Al-Mughira have requested me to allow them to marry their daughter to Ali bin Abu Talib, but '''I don't give permission, and will not give permission unless 'Ali bin Abi Talib divorces my daughter in order to marry their daughter''', because Fatima is a part of my body, and I hate what she hates to see, and what hurts her, hurts me."}} | I heard Allah's Apostle who was on the pulpit, saying, "Banu Hisham bin Al-Mughira have requested me to allow them to marry their daughter to Ali bin Abu Talib, but '''I don't give permission, and will not give permission unless 'Ali bin Abi Talib divorces my daughter in order to marry their daughter''', because Fatima is a part of my body, and I hate what she hates to see, and what hurts her, hurts me."}} | ||
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{{Quote|{{Quran|33|51}}|"'''You (O Muhammad) can postpone (the turn of) whom you will of them (your wives), and you may receive whom you will.''' And whomsoever you desire of those whom you have set aside (her turn temporarily), it is no sin on you (to receive her again), that is better; that they may be comforted and not grieved, and may all be pleased with what you give them. God knows what is in your hearts. And God is Ever All-Knowing, Most Forbearing."}} | {{Quote|{{Quran|33|51}}|"'''You (O Muhammad) can postpone (the turn of) whom you will of them (your wives), and you may receive whom you will.''' And whomsoever you desire of those whom you have set aside (her turn temporarily), it is no sin on you (to receive her again), that is better; that they may be comforted and not grieved, and may all be pleased with what you give them. God knows what is in your hearts. And God is Ever All-Knowing, Most Forbearing."}} | ||
[[Aisha]], the favorite wife of Muhammad, was expressly suspicious about this sort of revelation. After Muhammad received the verse above, Aisha commented, "I feel that your Lord hastens in fulfilling your wishes and desires."<ref>{{Bukhari| | [[Aisha]], the favorite wife of Muhammad, was expressly suspicious about this sort of revelation. After Muhammad received the verse above, Aisha commented, "I feel that your Lord hastens in fulfilling your wishes and desires."<ref>{{Bukhari|||4788|darussalam}}</ref> | ||
=== No one can marry Muhammad's wives after he dies === | === No one can marry Muhammad's wives after he dies === | ||
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Despite adopted sons not being treated as real sons in Islam, another legal fiction was at one time endorsed according to hadiths. [[Adult Suckling]] was a practice which allowed an unrelated male to become a woman's mahram until that ruling was later abrogated. | Despite adopted sons not being treated as real sons in Islam, another legal fiction was at one time endorsed according to hadiths. [[Adult Suckling]] was a practice which allowed an unrelated male to become a woman's mahram until that ruling was later abrogated. | ||
The only other contemporary of Muhammad to be named directly is Abu Lahab, who according to tradition was his (half) uncle who along with his wife, was a fierce opponent of Muhammad,<ref>See commentaries on [https://quranx.com/Tafsirs/111.1 ''verse 111.1'']</ref> with Surah 111 / Al Lahab (the flame) dedicated solely to scorning him and his wife. | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|111|1-5}}|Perish the hands of Abu Lahab, and perish he! Neither his wealth availed him, nor what he had earned. Soon he will enter the blazing fire, and his wife [too], the firewood carrier, with a rope of palm fibre around her neck.}} | |||
===Permissions regarding concubines=== | |||
The passage below is somewhat ambiguous. Classical scholars interpreted it as describing Muhammad's rights to take unlimited concubines, while Islamic modernists see it as giving him permission to marry his concubines. | |||
The words translated "what Allah has returned to you" (wamā [...] afāa l-lahu ʿalayka) mean Muhammad's share of the spoils of war, since the same language is mirrored in {{Quran-range|59|6|7}} with that meaning. Those verses twice mention "what Allah has returned to his messenger" (wamā afāa l-lahu ʿalā rasūlihi). | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran-range|33|50|52}}|'''O Prophet, indeed We have made lawful to you your wives to whom you have given their due compensation and those your right hand possesses from what Allah has returned to you [of captives]''' and the daughters of your paternal uncles and the daughters of your paternal aunts and the daughters of your maternal uncles and the daughters of your maternal aunts who emigrated with you and a believing woman if she gives herself to the Prophet [and] if the Prophet wishes to marry her, [this is] only for you, excluding the [other] believers. We certainly know what We have made obligatory upon them concerning their wives and those their right hands possess, [but this is for you] in order that there will be upon you no discomfort. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful | |||
You, [O Muhammad], may put aside whom you will of them or take to yourself whom you will. And any that you desire of those [wives] from whom you had [temporarily] separated - there is no blame upon you [in returning her]. That is more suitable that they should be content and not grieve and that they should be satisfied with what you have given them - all of them. And Allah knows what is in your hearts. And ever is Allah Knowing and Forbearing. | |||
Not lawful to you, [O Muhammad], are [any additional] women after [this], nor [is it] for you to exchange them for [other] wives, even if their beauty were to please you, '''except what your right hand possesses.''' And ever is Allah, over all things, an Observer.}} | |||
===Permission to have relations with concubine despite promising otherwise=== | ===Permission to have relations with concubine despite promising otherwise=== | ||
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When Hafsa found this out and questioned him, Muhammad promised (on oath) not to touch Mary again if Hafsa would keep the occurrence a secret, and promised that Umar (Hafsa's father) and Abu Bakr (Aisha's father) would be his successors. Hafsa, however, did not keep quiet and told Aisha about this event. As a result Muhammad had no interactions with any of his wives for a full month during which he lived with Mary alone.<ref>Gerhard Nehls & Walter Eric - [http://answering-islam.org/Nehls/tt1/tt2.html The Challenge of Islam/ Chapter II] - English Press Limited Nairobi, New Revised Edition 1996, ISBN 9966 895 16 7</ref> In response, Aisha and Hafsa conspired with the rest of the prophet's wives against Muhammad and isolated him from physical relations. | When Hafsa found this out and questioned him, Muhammad promised (on oath) not to touch Mary again if Hafsa would keep the occurrence a secret, and promised that Umar (Hafsa's father) and Abu Bakr (Aisha's father) would be his successors. Hafsa, however, did not keep quiet and told Aisha about this event. As a result Muhammad had no interactions with any of his wives for a full month during which he lived with Mary alone.<ref>Gerhard Nehls & Walter Eric - [http://answering-islam.org/Nehls/tt1/tt2.html The Challenge of Islam/ Chapter II] - English Press Limited Nairobi, New Revised Edition 1996, ISBN 9966 895 16 7</ref> In response, Aisha and Hafsa conspired with the rest of the prophet's wives against Muhammad and isolated him from physical relations. | ||
Regarding his actions with Mary, Muhammad received the following revelation: | Regarding his actions with Mary, Muhammad received the following revelation:<ref>See: commentaries on [https://quranx.com/Tafsirs/66.1 ''verse 66:1'']</ref> | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|66|1}}|O Prophet! Why do you disallow [yourself] what Allah has made lawful for you, seeking to please your wives? And Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful.}} | {{Quote|{{Quran|66|1}}|O Prophet! Why do you disallow [yourself] what Allah has made lawful for you, seeking to please your wives? And Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful.}} | ||
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{{Quote|{{Quran|66|2}}|Allah has certainly made lawful for you the dissolution of your oaths, and Allah is your master and He is the All-knowing, the All-wise.}} | {{Quote|{{Quran|66|2}}|Allah has certainly made lawful for you the dissolution of your oaths, and Allah is your master and He is the All-knowing, the All-wise.}} | ||
Allah then proceeded to chastise Aisha and Hafsa for getting upset with Muhammad for having sex with Mary: | Allah then proceeded to chastise Aisha and Hafsa for getting upset with Muhammad for having sex with Mary, and seems to subtly threaten them with divorce and the opportunity of Muhammad to marry better wives should they gossip again: | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|66|3-5}}|And (remember) when the Prophet disclosed a matter in confidence to one of his wives (Hafsah), so when she told it (to another i.e. 'Aishah), and God made it known to him, he informed part thereof and left a part. Then when he told her (Hafsah) thereof, she said: "Who told you this?" He said: "The All-Knower, the All-Aware (God) has told me". If you two (wives of the Prophet , namely 'Aishah and Hafsah) turn in repentance to God, (it will be better for you), your hearts are indeed so inclined (to oppose what the Prophet likes), but if you help one another against him (Muhammad), then verily, God is his Maula (Lord, or Master, or Protector, etc.), and Jibrael (Gabriel), and the righteous among the believers, and furthermore, the angels are his helpers. It may be if he divorced you (all) that his Lord will give him instead of you, wives better than you, Muslims (who submit to God), believers, obedient to God, turning to God in repentance, worshipping God sincerely, fasting or emigrants (for God's sake), previously married and virgins."}}Stewart (2024) notes the further threatening analogies to his wives at the end of the surah ({{Quran|66|10-12}}). | |||
{{Quote|Stewart, Devin. (2024). <i>[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/382862079_Signs_for_Those_Who_Can_Decipher_Them_Ancient_Ruins_in_the_Quran“ Signs for Those Who Can Decipher Them”: Ancient Ruins in the Qurʾān.] pp. 58-59. </i>10.1163/9789004683167_004.|The history of prophets in the Qur'an is presented within a typological frame-work of interpretation. The examples of the past salvation history are not just of antiquarian interest but have immediate relevance to the contemporary situation of the Prophet Muhammad and his immediate audience. The various situations earlier prophets faced in the past are seen to mirror, prefigure, and provide insight into the situations faced by the Prophet Muhammad and his community. The regular pattern of prophetic missions in history makes it possible to predict the contours of the Prophet Muhammad's mission, or, to put it somewhat differently, fulfill predictions embodied in those earlier examples from salvation history. | |||
A clear instance of this type of analogical reasoning is seen in surat al-Tahrim (Q66) which blames the wives of the prophet for divulging confidence and for committing some other unnamed infraction. Examples of commendable women are presented: Mary the mother of Jesus and the wife of Pharaoh. Examples of blameworthy women are presented: the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. | |||
The point is not just historical, for an analogical argument is being made about the present. Just as Muhammad is parallel to messengers of the past, so too are his wives parallel to the wives of past messengers. If his wives persist in their bad behavior, they will meet the fate met by the wives of Noah and Lot. No immunity is granted to wives of prophets on account of their close ties to God's chosen messengers: they will not escape punishment just because they are married to or revered and spiritually outstanding figures. This type of analogical, typological argument is made in dozens of Qur'anic suras but is often not stated directly. In some passages, an analogical argument is made explicit though specific hints and comparative statements, but in others, it remains implicit. This typological framework remains in the background of all Qur'anic passages that present narratives of prophets of the past.<sup>7</sup>}} | |||
(The few verses inbetween ({{Quran|66|6-9}}) talk about obedience to Allah to get to heaven and avoid hell). | |||
===Excusing the Satanic Verses=== | ===Excusing the Satanic Verses=== | ||
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Historians have noted that this exchange is historically suspect because it would not have been possible to confirm whether Muhammad had in fact given the correct responses to these questions regarding the hereafter and the science of reproduction ''if only a prophet could know them.'' Abdullah bin Salman wanted to confirm whether Muhammad was a prophet. To do this, he supposedly asked Muhammad questions only a prophet could answer. But Abdullah bin Salman should then have been unable to verify the correctness of these responses, rendering the questions pointless. To historians, this hadith is thus likely a later fabrication. | Historians have noted that this exchange is historically suspect because it would not have been possible to confirm whether Muhammad had in fact given the correct responses to these questions regarding the hereafter and the science of reproduction ''if only a prophet could know them.'' Abdullah bin Salman wanted to confirm whether Muhammad was a prophet. To do this, he supposedly asked Muhammad questions only a prophet could answer. But Abdullah bin Salman should then have been unable to verify the correctness of these responses, rendering the questions pointless. To historians, this hadith is thus likely a later fabrication. | ||
{{Quote|{{Bukhari| | {{Quote|{{Bukhari|||4480|darussalam}}|Narrated Anas:<br/> | ||
'Abdullah bin Salam heard the news of the arrival of Allah's Apostle (at Medina) while he was on a farm collecting its fruits. So he came to the Prophet and said, "I will ask you about three things which nobody knows unless he be a prophet. Firstly, what is the first portent of the Hour? What is the first meal of the people of Paradise? '''And what makes a baby look like its father or mother?'''. The Prophet said, "Just now Gabriel has informed me about that." ... "As for the first portent of the Hour, it will be a fire that will collect the people from the East to West. And as for the first meal of the people of Paradise, it will be the caudite (i.e. extra) lobe of the fish liver. '''And if a man's discharge proceeded that of the woman, then the child resembles the father, and if the woman's discharge proceeded that of the man, then the child resembles the mother.'''" On hearing that, 'Abdullah said, "I testify that None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and that you are the Apostle of Allah...}} | 'Abdullah bin Salam heard the news of the arrival of Allah's Apostle (at Medina) while he was on a farm collecting its fruits. So he came to the Prophet and said, "I will ask you about three things which nobody knows unless he be a prophet. Firstly, what is the first portent of the Hour? What is the first meal of the people of Paradise? '''And what makes a baby look like its father or mother?'''. The Prophet said, "Just now Gabriel has informed me about that." ... "As for the first portent of the Hour, it will be a fire that will collect the people from the East to West. And as for the first meal of the people of Paradise, it will be the caudite (i.e. extra) lobe of the fish liver. '''And if a man's discharge proceeded that of the woman, then the child resembles the father, and if the woman's discharge proceeded that of the man, then the child resembles the mother.'''" On hearing that, 'Abdullah said, "I testify that None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and that you are the Apostle of Allah...}} | ||
===Appending a Quranic passage for a blind bystander=== | ===Appending a Quranic passage for a blind bystander=== | ||
Muhammad, having received the version of {{Quran|4|95}} contained in the Quran today, called on Zaid to write down the revelation. Muhammad began to recite the verse about the superiority of those who participate in [[Jihad in Islamic Law|jihad]] to Zaid. A blind man, overhearing the verse, asked if the verse applied to him, considering that he was blind and could not participate in jihad. Muhammad then immediately received revelation exempting disabled persons from partaking in jihad.{{Quote|{{Bukhari| | Muhammad, having received the version of {{Quran|4|95}} contained in the Quran today, called on Zaid to write down the revelation. Muhammad began to recite the verse about the superiority of those who participate in [[Jihad in Islamic Law|jihad]] to Zaid. A blind man, overhearing the verse, asked if the verse applied to him, considering that he was blind and could not participate in jihad. Muhammad then immediately received revelation exempting disabled persons from partaking in jihad.{{Quote|{{Bukhari|||4990|darussalam}}|Narrated Al-Bara:<br/> | ||
There was revealed: 'Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) and those who strive and fight in the Cause of Allah.' (4.95) | There was revealed: 'Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) and those who strive and fight in the Cause of Allah.' (4.95) | ||
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{{Quote|{{Quran|49|4-5}}|Indeed those who call you from behind the apartments, most of them do not use their reason. | {{Quote|{{Quran|49|4-5}}|Indeed those who call you from behind the apartments, most of them do not use their reason. | ||
Had they been patient until you came out for them, it would have been better for them, and Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful.}} | Had they been patient until you came out for them, it would have been better for them, and Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful.}} | ||
=== Followers are told not to speak in hostility about Muhammad in private === | === Followers are told not to speak in hostility about Muhammad in private === | ||
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=== Muhammad judges personal disputes === | === Muhammad judges personal disputes === | ||
As | As Lindstedt (2023) notes, in the Medinan period he became the leader of the community, which we see reflected in the Medinan Quran (as we have seen already) and 'Constitution of Medina', including being in a position of authority to judge disputes between different parties,<ref>Ilkka Lindstedt. 2023. [https://brill.com/display/book/9789004687134/BP000005.xml Muḥammad and His Followers in Context: The Religious Map of Late Antique Arabia.] (Islamic History and Civilization, Volume: 209). Chapter 5. The Rise of the Gentile Prophet in Mecca. pp. 149.</ref> essentially controlling the outcome. | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|4|59}}|O you who have faith! Obey Allah and obey the Apostle and those vested with authority among you. <b>And if you dispute concerning anything, refer it to Allah and the Apostle,</b> if you have faith in Allah and the Last Day. That is better and more favourable in outcome.}} | {{Quote|{{Quran|4|59}}|O you who have faith! Obey Allah and obey the Apostle and those vested with authority among you. <b>And if you dispute concerning anything, refer it to Allah and the Apostle,</b> if you have faith in Allah and the Last Day. That is better and more favourable in outcome.}} | ||
=== Jews will not see the miracle they are expecting as previous Jews killed prophets === | |||
The Jews of Medina were rejecting Muhammad's prophethood as he could not produce a specific miracle they were seemingly expecting.<ref>See commentaries on [https://quranx.com/tafsirs/3.183 Q3:183]</ref> A revelation rebukes this by saying past messengers did this and they were still killed; which seems to be a non-sequitur as these are completely different people who should not be judged on others actions, and a convenient reason to get out of performing a miracle as a sign of prophethood, which other prophets from Allah allegedly did. | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|3|183}}|Tell those who say, ‘Allah has pledged us not to believe in any apostle unless he brings us an offering consumed by fire,’ ‘Apostles before me certainly did bring you manifest signs and what you speak of. Then why did you kill them, if you are truthful?’}} | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||