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Violating the Quran, Muhammad offered funeral prayers for a hypocrite and the Christian King of Ethiopia
The Qur'an forbade Muhammad and Muslims to offer funeral prayers for any non Muslims. In fact, the Qur'an is so strict on this that when Muhammad was contemplating a memorial service for the death of his uncle Abu Talib, who had nurtured Muhammad until his adulthood, Allah admonished Muhammad vehemently for having such a thought. The same thing happened when Muhammad did the funeral prayer for Abdullah ibn Ubayy, a hypocrite Muslim of Medina. Allah was totally displeased with Muhammad and put a ban on showing any sympathy for the death of an infidel or a hypocrite.
Here are two verses on this issue:
When Abu Talib, Muhammad's uncle, died Allah revealed the first verse on the banning of funeral prayer by Muslims for a non-Muslims (9:113).
009.113 YUSUFALI: It is not fitting, for the Prophet and those who believe, that they should pray for forgiveness for Pagans, even though they be of kin, after it is clear to them that they are companions of the Fire.
Here is a hadis on this:
Sahih Bukhari Volume 6, Book 60, Number 197:
Narrated Al-Musaiyab: When Abu Talib's death approached, the Prophet went to him while Abu Jahl and 'Abdullah bin Abi Umaiya were present with him. The Prophet said, "O uncle, say: None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, so that I may argue for your case with it before Allah." On that, Abu Jahl and 'Abdullah bin Abu Umaiya said, "O Abu Talib! Do you want to renounce 'Abdul Muttalib's religion?" Then the Prophet said, "I will keep on asking (Allah for) forgiveness for you unless I am forbidden to do so." Then there was revealed:--
'It is not fitting for the Prophet and those who believe that they should invoke (Allah) for forgiveness for pagans even though they be of kin, after it has become clear to them that they are companions of the Fire.' (9.113)
Here is another verse from the Qur'an:
9.084 YUSUFALI: Nor do thou ever pray for any of them that dies, nor stand at his grave; for they rejected Allah and His Messenger, and died in a state of perverse rebellion.
Ibn Kathir writes that Muhammad attended the funeral prayer of hypocrite Abdullah b. Ubayy, followed the funeral procession, and stood at his grave; when Umar asked Muhammad about this Muhammad said that Allah would never forgive a hypocrite even when Muhammad prayed for his forgiveness; then Allah released this verse.
This means Muhammad did not listen to what Allah had previously (9:113) said in the Qur'an; he defied Allah's previous instruction.
Amazingly, when the Negus (the King) of Ethiopia died Muhammad offered a funeral prayer for this Christian ruler.
Here are two more ahadith on Muhammad's violation of the Qur'an's strict ban on offering condolence for a dead infidel:
When an Najashi (the king of Ethiopia) died, Muhammad offered funeral prayer for an Najashi in absentia:
Sahih Bukhari 2.23.337:
Narrated Abu Huraira, Allah's Apostle informed (the people) about the death of An-Najashi on the very day he died. He went towards the Musalla (praying place) and the people stood behind him in rows. He said four Takbirs (i.e. offered the Funeral prayer).
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 58, Number 217:
Narrated Jabir: When Negus died, the Prophet said, "Today a pious man has died. So get up and offer the funeral prayer for your brother Ashama.
Defying the Qur'an Muhammad resorted to charm and magic
The Qur'an strictly forbids Muslims to resort to any form of charm, magic, spell, or premonition to cure or alleviate any sickness, mental or physical. The only exception is incantation of the Qur'anic verses for such afflictions.
Here are a few verses on the ban on un Islamic magic and charm
002.102 YUSUFALI: They followed what the evil ones gave out (falsely) against the power of Solomon: the blasphemers Were, not Solomon, but the evil ones, teaching men Magic, and such things as came down at babylon (Sic) to the angels Harut and Marut. But neither of these taught anyone (Such things) without saying: "We are only for trial; so do not blaspheme." They learned from them the means to sow discord between man and wife. But they could not thus harm anyone except by Allah's permission. And they learned what harmed them, not what profited them. And they knew that the buyers of (magic) would have no share in the happiness of the Hereafter. And vile was the price for which they did sell their souls, if they but knew!
026.221 YUSUFALI: Shall I inform you, (O people!), on whom it is that the evil ones descend?
026.222 YUSUFALI: They descend on every lying, wicked person,
026.223 YUSUFALI: (Into whose ears) they pour hearsay vanities, and most of them are liars.
According to ibn Kathir, the context of the above verses is that people asked Muhammad about fortune-tellers. Muhammad replied they were nothing despite their claims that some of their predictions do come true. Maududi (commentary number 26/140) writes that these verses imply the sorcerers, astrologers, fortune-tellers, and conjurers who pose as knowers of the unseen and tell the people their future, or as wise men who have control over jinns and spirits and can make the destinies of the people through them.
According to a few ahadith Muhammad believed in magic and spells, thus violating the Quran's diction.
Once Muhammad was bewitched; he imagined doing things that he had not actually done…(Sahih Bukhari 4.53.400):
Narrated Aisha: Once the Prophet was bewitched so that he began to imagine that he had done a thing which in fact he had not done.
Muhammad believed in magic and thought that he was under the spell of a magic cast by Labid bin al-A'sam …(Sahih Bukhari 4.54.490):
Narrated 'Aisha:Magic was worked on the Prophet so that he began to fancy that he was doing a thing which he was not actually doing. One day he invoked (Allah) for a long period and then said, "I feel that Allah has inspired me as how to cure myself. Two persons came to me (in my dream) and sat, one by my head and the other by my feet. One of them asked the other, "What is the ailment of this man?" The other replied, 'He has been bewitched" The first asked, 'Who has bewitched him?' The other replied, 'Lubaid bin Al-A'sam.' The first one asked, 'What material has he used?' The other replied, 'A comb, the hair gathered on it, and the outer skin of the pollen of the male date-palm.' The first asked, 'Where is that?' The other replied, 'It is in the well of Dharwan.' " So, the Prophet went out towards the well and then returned and said to me on his return, "Its date-palms (the date-palms near the well) are like the heads of the devils." I asked, "Did you take out those things with which the magic was worked?" He said, "No, for I have been cured by Allah and I am afraid that this action may spread evil amongst the people." Later on the well was filled up with earth.
Muhammad allowed the practice of geomancy of earlier prophets…(Sunaan Abu Dawud 2.3900):
Mua'awiyah b. Al Hakam al Sulami said: I said : Apostle of Allah among us there are some who practice divination by drawing lines. He said: There was a Prophet (footnote 3321) who drew lines, so if anyone does it as he drew lines, that is right (footnote 3322).
Footnote 3321 by the translator, Ahmad Hasan: The name of the Prophet who drew lines is said to be Daniel or Idris. (Sunaan Abu Dawud, volume ii, p. 1096)
Perhaps, embarrassed with Muhammad's open violation of the Quran's prohibition on the divination arrow, spells and omens, the said translator added his own comment in footnote 3322.
As it is not known definitely whether a man draws the lines according to the lines of the Prophet, it is forbidden now to omens by drawing lines. Hence, geomancy is not allowed (ibid. The bold emphasis is mine).
Violating the Quran, Muhammad let his son-in-law flee Uhud battlefield
The Qur'an strictly forbids Muslims to flee from a battlefield. There is harsh punishment for any Muslim combatant who flees from the rigors of fighting infidels in a battle. Here are a few verses from the Qur'an and pertinent comments from impeccable Islamic commentators.
When you encounter the disbelievers in a fight, do not flee from fighting; those who do so will go to hell…8:15
8.015 YUSUFALI: O ye who believe! when ye meet the Unbelievers in hostile array, never turn your backs to them.
According to ibn Kathir fleeing from a battlefield is a major sin.
8.016 YUSUFALI: If any do turn his back to them on such a day - unless it be in a stratagem of war, or to retreat to a troop (of his own)- he draws on himself the wrath of Allah, and his abode is Hell,- an evil refuge (indeed)!
One of the most eminent tafsir writers, Jalayn, comments on this verse (8:16) in this manner:
Anyone who turns his back on them that day (a day of battle), unless he is withdrawing, as a ruse the appearance of flight but really intending to rejoin the fight or withdrawing to join another group of Muslims in order to reinforce them, brings Allah's anger down upon himself. His refuge is Hell. What an evil destination. (Tafsir Al-Jalalyn, p.379)
One may think a Muslim fighter might raise any alibi to flee a battle. But Allah knows what is in his heart. There is no way Allah will excuse such deserters. Let us read verse 33:13 and its commentaries.
33.013 YUSUFALI: Behold! A party among them said: "Ye men of Yathrib! ye cannot stand (the attack)! therefore go back!" And a band of them ask for leave of the Prophet, saying, "Truly our houses are bare and exposed," though they were not exposed they intended nothing but to run away.
Allah revealed this verse on the occasion of battle of the trench (also known as the battle of Ahzab). Ibn Kathir writes Allah told Muhammad that the Muslims wanted to run away from the battlefield. According to Tabari they wanted to quit the battleground with the alibi of their family matters. So Allah revealed this verse on this occasion (Tabari, viii.16).
On this verse (33:13), Jalalyn writes:
And a group of them (the hypocrites) said, 'People of Yathrib— the old name of Madina—your position (read as muqam maqam)is untenable—literally, you have no place—so return to your houses in Madina' They had gone out with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to Sal', a mountain outside of Madina, to fight. Some of them asked the Prophet for permission to go back and to excuse them, saying, 'Our houses are exposed,' meaning that they were not fortified and they feared for their safety — when they were not exposed. Allah said: It was merely that they wanted to run away from the battle. (Tafsir Al-Jalalyn, p.898)
Surprisingly, in the case of Uthman, Muhammad's son-in-law, Muhammad had very little regard for what Allah wrote in the Qur'an. We read in a hadis that Uthman joined other Muslim soldiers in the battle of Uhud. Nevertheless, he fled from the battlefield without telling anyone or without raising any alibi. Muhammad never raised this issue, as if it had never happened. This time Allah did not tell Muhammad that Uthman had deserted the battle for no good reason. This hadis also tells us that in the battle of Badr, Uthman had genuine reason to abstain himself from the military operation.
Let us read the following hadis:
Sahih Bukhari Volume 5, Book 57, Number 48:
Narrated 'Uthman: (the son of Muhib) An Egyptian who came and performed the Hajj to the Kaba saw some people sitting. He enquire (Sic), "Who are these people?" Somebody said, "They are the tribe of Quraish." He said, "Who is the old man sitting amongst them?" The people replied, "He is 'Abdullah bin 'Umar." He said, "O Ibn Umar! I want to ask you about something; please tell me about it. Do you know that 'Uthman fled away on the day (of the battle) of Uhud?" Ibn 'Umar said, "Yes." The (Egyptian) man said, "Do you know that 'Uthman was absent on the day (of the battle) of Badr and did not join it?" Ibn 'Umar said, "Yes." The man said, "Do you know that he failed to attend the Ar Ridwan pledge and did not witness it (i.e. Hudaibiya pledge of allegiance)?" Ibn 'Umar said, "Yes." The man said, "Allahu Akbar!" Ibn 'Umar said, "Let me explain to you (all these three things). As for his flight on the day of Uhud, I testify that Allah has excused him and forgiven him; and as for his absence from the battle of Badr, it was due to the fact that the daughter of Allah's Apostle was his wife and she was sick then. Allah's Apostle said to him, "You will receive the same reward and share (of the booty) as anyone of those who participated in the battle of Badr (if you stay with her).' As for his absence from the Ar-Ridwan pledge of allegiance, had there been any person in Mecca more respectable than 'Uthman (to be sent as a representative). Allah's Apostle would have sent him instead of him. No doubt, Allah's Apostle had sent him, and the incident of the Ar-Ridwan pledge of Allegiance happened after 'Uthman had gone to Mecca. Allah's Apostle held out his right hand saying, 'This is 'Uthman's hand.' He stroke his (other) hand with it saying, 'This (pledge of allegiance) is on the behalf of 'Uthman.' Then Ibn 'Umar said to the man, 'Bear (these) excuses in mind with you.'
Please note there is not a single verse in the Qur'an that says Allah forgave Uthman for deserting the Uhud battle.
Conclusion
The Islamist apologists will employ many twisted, convoluted, logical fallacies and strange reasoning to disprove all those historical records which I enumerated above.
But no matter what they say, the truth remains—Muhammad bent the Qur'an according to his convenience. Muhammad, on many occasions, indeed, had violated the Qur'an. Muhammad was clever, smart and crafty to use the Qur'an as per his needs. This demonstrates that the Qur'an was really a handiwork of Muhammad—not the words of Allah.
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Bibliography
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Abul Kasem writes from Sydney. His e-mail address is nirribilli@gmail.com