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	==Textual source==		==Textual source==
	Religious authorities recorded the story for the first two centuries of the Islamic era. Stories about the event appear in several Sunni sources, such as ''al-~~Durr~~ al-~~manthur~~'', ''al-~~Sirat~~ al-~~Halabiyya~~'', ''al-~~Tafsir al-Tabari~~''~~, and~~ ''~~Fath~~ al-~~bari~~'',		Religious authorities recorded the story for the first two centuries of the Islamic era. Stories about the event appear in several Sunni sources, such as:
			* ''al-Tafsir al-Tabari'' (883 AD)
			* ''al-Durr al-manthur'' (late Medieval period)
			* ''Fath al-bari'' (15th century)
			* ''al-Sirat al-Halabiyya'' (16th century)

	An extensive account of the incident is found in al-Tabarī's history, the ''Tarīkh'' (Vol. VI) (c. 915 CE).		An extensive account of the incident is found in al-Tabarī's history, the ''Tarīkh'' (Vol. VI) (c. 915 AD).

	==The account==		==The account==

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← Older revision		Revision as of 17:40, 19 November 2024
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	==The account==		==The account==
	As Muhammad was attempting to convert the people of Mecca to [[Islam]], he was reciting chapter 53 of the Quran, known as ''An-Najm'' ("The Star") for its reference to [[Sirius]] and the stars in heaven as [[angel]]s.		As Muhammad was attempting to convert the people of Mecca to [[Islam]], he was reciting chapter 53 of the Quran, known as ''An-Najm'' ("The Star") for its reference to [[Sirius]] and the stars in [[heaven]] as [[angel]]s.

	After Muhammad had recited verses 19 and 20, saying, "Have you thought of al-Lāt and al-'Uzzá? And about the third one, Manāt?", he added two non-Quranic verses, "These are the exalted ''gharaniq'' [tall gorgeous birds], whose intercession is hoped for."		After Muhammad had recited verses 19 and 20, saying, "Have you thought of al-Lāt and al-'Uzzá? And about the third one, Manāt?", he added two non-Quranic verses, "These are the exalted ''gharaniq'' [tall gorgeous birds], whose intercession is hoped for."

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The '''Satanic Verses''' are words of "satanic suggestion" which the [[Islam]]ic prophet Muhammad is alleged to have mistaken for divine revelation. For the [[prophet]] to have made such a mistake would be inconsistent with Islamic doctrinal belief in his perfection.

According to some Islamic traditions, Allah sent [[Satan]] as a tempter to test the audience. Others categorically deny that this incident ever happened.

==Textual source==
Religious authorities recorded the story for the first two centuries of the Islamic era. Stories about the event appear in several Sunni sources, such as ''al-Durr al-manthur'', ''al-Sirat al-Halabiyya'', ''al-Tafsir al-Tabari'', and ''Fath al-bari'',

An extensive account of the incident is found in al-Tabarī's history, the ''Tarīkh'' (Vol. VI) (c. 915 CE).

==The account==
As Muhammad was attempting to convert the people of Mecca to [[Islam]], he was reciting chapter 53 of the Quran, known as ''An-Najm'' ("The Star") for its reference to [[Sirius]] and the stars in heaven as [[angel]]s.

After Muhammad had recited verses 19 and 20, saying, "Have you thought of al-Lāt and al-'Uzzá? And about the third one, Manāt?", he added two non-Quranic verses, "These are the exalted ''gharaniq'' [tall gorgeous birds], whose intercession is hoped for."

This moment was important for the local population to whom Muhammad was preaching because al-Lāt, al-'Uzzā, and Manāt were three [[paganism|pagan]] Arabian goddesses widely worshipped by the Meccans. In response to hearing Muhammad say that these goddesses were exalted and could be worshipped alongside Allah, the people quickly converted to Islam and encouraged others to do the same.

At the time he said the additional verses, Muhammad believed they were inspired revelations provided by the [[Archangel Gabriel]] to help him convert the people of Mecca. However, later that night, Archangel Gabriel visited Muhammad and told him that the revealed verses were not from God, but were put on his tongue by [[Satan]] to deceive followers of Islam into worshipping multiple gods instead of practicing strict monotheism.

Muhammad was saddened by his mistake, but was told by Allah that everything would be corrected and the verses were changed to include guidance concerning asking [[angel]]s for intercession.

==Significance==
One of the most fundamental tenets of [[Islam]] is belief in Muhammad's "perfection" (''isma''), which meant that Muhammad was infallible and could not be fooled by [[Satan]].

Therefore, if it was possible for Muhammad to say things which he ''believed'' were divine inspiration, but actually were not, then the entire contents of the Quran could be under suspicion of having been dictated by Satan.

Furthermore, most modern Muslims see the tradition of the Satanic Verses as problematic in the sense that it is profoundly [[heresy|heretical]] because, by allowing for the intercession of the three pagan female deities, they eroded the authority and omnipotence of Allah.

==Historical acceptance==
Reports of the Satanic Verses incident were recorded by virtually every compiler of a major biography of Muhammad in the first two centuries of Islam; however, strong objections to the historicity of the Satanic Verses incident were raised as early as the Tenth century.

Due to its controversial nature, the tradition of the Satanic Verses never made it into any of the canonical oral tradition (hadith compilations) containing the words, actions, and the silent approvals of the prophet Muhammad.

While the authors of the tafsīr texts during the first two centuries of the Islamic era do not seem to have regarded the tradition as in any way inauspicious or unflattering to Muhammad, it was universally rejected by at least the 13th century.

===Shi'a vs Sunni acceptance===
The doctrine of “Isma" (Perfection of Prophets) has been most forcefully and consistently upheld by the Shi'a, for whom it is a central tenet. It therefore appears that no Shi’i of any school has ever accepted the Satanic Verses incident. Those Sunni scholars who did accept the incident had a slightly, but very significantly, different understanding of “isma."

=="Satanic" description==
The phrase Arab historians and later Muslims used to describe the incident of the withdrawn verses was not "Satanic verses," but "the ''gharaniq'' verses." The phrase "Satanic verses" was unknown to Muslims, and was coined by Orientalist Western academics specialising in the study of cultures considered eastern.

The first use of the expression in English is attributed to Sir William Muir in 1858.

==Salman Rushdie's ''The Satanic Verses''==
''The Satanic Verses'' is the fourth novel from the Indian-British writer Salman Rushdie. First published in September 1988, the book was inspired by the life of the [[Islam]]ic [[prophet]] Muhammad. The utterance and withdrawal of the Satanic Verses forms an important sub-plot in the novel.

The book was published by Viking Penguin on 26 September 1988 in the UK, and on 22 February 1989 in the US. Upon its publication the book garnered considerable critical acclaim in the United Kingdom.

Before publication of ''The Satanic Verses'', Viking Press received warnings that the book might be controversial. Upon publication, it immediately sparked vehement protest and the book was denounced as blasphemy throughout the Muslim world. In total, 20 countries have banned the book.

===Fatwa===
In mid-February 1989, following a violent riot against the book in Pakistan, the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, then Supreme Leader of Iran and a Shiite scholar, issued a fatwa calling for the death of Rushdie and his publishers.

Despite a conciliatory statement by Iran in 1998, and Rushdie's declaration that he would stop living in hiding, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported in 2006 that the fatwa would remain in place permanently since fatawa can only be rescinded by the person who first issued them, and Khomeini had since died.

Rushdie later said, "I expected a few mullahs would be offended, call me names, and then I could defend myself in public... I honestly never expected anything like this."

[[Category:Islam]]

Satanic Verses - Revision history

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