Up until their Golden Age, the whole program of Islam had some real issues to struggle with. And even today, Islam still has to deal with some serious contradictions. Why?
I. What is the Background Situation?
It is the first half of the seventh century of the Christian Era. The sayings of a peculiar poet, with political ambitions, have been circulating around the Nabataean desert from Petra deep into the Hijaz. He has only a few followers, at least until he moves to Medina. Indeed, this "Muhammad" is virtually unknown (even in Arab sources) until the late 7th century. There are few whole collections of his words, and little is known about his life. But soon, all of Arabia will know his name. The Caliph, Uthman ibn Affan, 644 - 656, collects a manuscript of this poet-prophet's verses. This becomes the basis of an authoritative Qur'an.
II. What are the Issues?
1. Muhammad is hardly ever named in the Qur'an, only "the Prophet". And even he didn't think that Jibril was an angel sent to deliver a message from God. He thought he was going mad, troubled by an evil spirit. That is why he asked Kadija, his wife, and consulted the Jews to discern if what he was hearing was true.
2. Muhammad's official biography was written some 200 years later. It does not claim to report any eye witness accounts. This "Sira" was sifted, adapted and redacted by several generations of politicians and scholars. The stories we have were published about 833 CE.
3. The current conflict over Jerusalem is specious. Muhammad never really went to Jerusalem. It was a dream, maybe refabricated as an excuse to claim the holy place above the Jews and Christians. The original story probably referred to the Black Stone, while it was still in Petra, not the summit stone on the Temple Mount. Why else would the Black Stone be important enough to steal it? The "Mi'raj" was really a mirage.
4. It is a poor example of Scripture, because: a) There are too many errors, mistakes and misrepresentations in the Qur'an for it to be the word of an omniscient god dictated perfectly to a reliable prophet. b) Many verses pander to the base desires and wishes of the prophet and his followers. It does not exhort them to become better, more virtuous people. c) Islam is more of a political ideology and agenda than it is a religion. It incites violence against unbelievers, and condones forced obedience and oppression of women. Peace and harmony are reserved for the men, and only amongst themselves. d) The Qur'an is deficient as a guide for morality and the daily practice of Islam. If you want to know how to be a Muslim, you can't even find the five pillars in the Qur'an. That is why Muslims have to look to Muhammad's example and the Hadith to answer so many questions.
5. Mecca did not have any real meaning before 706 CE, there is no mention of it until the qibla starts moving (halfway at first) and no map shows it before 741. It's not old, it's a dusty little nowhere deep in the desert, the home of the Abbasid faction. The oldest qiblas originally pointed to Petra, the home of the Nabateans carved from the rock cliffs in the middle of the desert. There are no archaeological ruins below the city of Mecca older than the late seventh century.
6. According to Islamic tradition, Muhammad had a secretary. But although he memorized much of the teachings, he never wrote it down. When Muhammad died, there was no Qur'an. Abu Bakr, the first Caliph, requested that all of the people bring to him their notes recording the teachings. He would try to record a consistent copy, based on these partial texts and the memories of those who had kept it in mind. But why would a secretary not write down the most important words of his employer?
III. Is there Any Evidence?
1. It appears that a dispute over the direction of worship arose shortly after the first Civil War. This was the contention over the succession of the Caliphate between Ali and Uthman, which caused the split between Sunnis and Shiites. Oddly, it seems the location of the Black Stone was the determining factor of which way to face during worship.
2. Of the many mosques built from 624 to 706, all qiblas are facing Petra. The Dome of the Rock, built in 691, has no quibla because it's not a mosque. The first mosque with a qibla toward Mecca was built in 727, in Pakistan.
3. The description of Mecca in the Qur'an and Hadith is wrong. Mecca has always been an arid desert. But it does match Petra, which was a busy market, had gardens and olive trees, and was a sacred site for the Umayyad Caliphate (661 - 749). The last Petra qibla was built in 772 CE.
4. The qibla was not mandated finally toward Mecca until 876 CE. When there was a dispute (rebellion), eight pointed halfway (Medina?), and ten paralleled the line between Mecca and Petra. This was only settled 250 years after Muhammad supposedly told them what to do.
IV. Trouble Brews: How to govern an empire?
1. Abd al-Malik, Umayyad Caliph (685-705) in Damascus wants to strengthen his hold over the vast territory the Arabs have recently gained by conquest, but his nomadic desert people have no experience with cities and government. He is delegating too much power to friendly Jews and Christians.
2. Abdullah ibn Zubayr, governor of Petra is a follower of the prophet's son-in-law, Ali. He thinks the empire needs a religious foundation, and wants the prophet's revelation and family to lead it. He resents the "Rashidun" Caliphs and their foreign civil service, especially when some are assigned to "assist" him.
3. The first coins to mention the prophet Muhammad were minted by ibn Zubayr, and declare,"Muhammad is the prophet of Allah." They were meant to promote the power and authority of ibn Zubayr as the new ruler of the Arabian Empire, and to assert the passing of the baton to the next rightful Caliph.
V. Civil War Erupts (2nd Fitna):
1. After the death of Ali's son, Husein, Zubayr stole the black stone, the symbol of his prophet's authority, from its Ka'aba in Petra & fled to the desert. (Medina?)
2. When Zubayr rested in "Medina" the new mosques built their qiblas pointed there, halfway to Mecca. Zubayr was killed in battle at Medina in 692. Discord lessens, but simmers.
3. Petra suffers an earthquake in 713, damaging the old Ka'aba, some compromise is required, as the prophet's influence is greater than expected, and Petra now appears to be out of favor.
4. In order to achieve peace, al-Malik agreed to let the Shi'a faction move the Black Stone. The Abassids, from Baghdad, are their support, and their sacred place is deep in the Hijaz. They prefer Mecca, so the black stone is moved there, in order to end the war.
VI. Response:
1. Abd al-Malik needs to create a unified Arab identity. There is too much conflict over religion and politics. Plus, he doesn't really want to depend on the Christians and Jews to run his empire (extending from Libya to Persia).
2. He decided to use the story of the prophet Muhammad to serve the interests of his expanding empire. So he claims to be the servant of Muhammad's God, Allah, with a mandate to rule a global Empire.
3. He makes Arabic an international language via Arabs in civil service, using the text of the Qur'an as the basis of education throughout the Caliphate.
4. He builds the Dome if the Rock, in 691, to dominate Jerusalem's Jews and Christians. He claims to be justified by the story of Muhammad's "Mi'raj" dream. Its inscription denies the deity of Jesus, and gives Muhammad's name for the first time.
5. Following the example of ibn Zubayr, al-Malik mints coins with the "shahada" on them, for the first time ever in history, in 692.
6. And with the coins went out a newly edited Qur'an, collected by Uthman, the last Rashidun Caliph. Although Uthman had collated and edited it into a single unified codex, it seems likely that al-Malik authorized a new rescension to suit his policies. This was to be a complete version of the Prophet's revelations, and an inspiration to unify the Arabic people everywhere.
7. The Qur'an, and the prophet's revelations, became the purpose behind a never ending jihad. "God declares war on the infidels," is the message of the "Religion of the Book" for the very first time in history. All of the peaceful early verses are kept, but they can be abrogated by later jihadi commands. When confronted with contradiction, scholars say that Allah wishes to deceive the infidels until it is time to assert control.
8. Personal manuscripts begin to proliferate, as the memory of the prophet has yet to fade away. But these copies are continually collected, and corrected, up to the 9th century. Eventually, the book is declared finished, and sealed, and the final authorized text is established. Disagreeing versions are gathered to be burned.
9. By official decree, history is revised and redacted to say that the "true" Qur'an dates back to the text codified by Uthman, who burned all the variant copies and notes. Only this official "history" may be taught.
10. The Qur'an was only canonized at last in 1924. There are still 31 different Arabic variants extant, mostly of minor importance.
VII* Conclusions:
1. Islam is a human invention, meant to support an Arabic Empire. Islam did not drive the Arab armies to create the Empire and Caliphate, but the Caliphate created the institutions of Islam to support its own authority and consolidate the unity of the Empire.
2. Islam was proclaimed by an unknown poet, who tried to promote some spiritual truths. When asked to govern a city, he reverted to political expediency and the quest for power. His "revelations" and authority were adopted by his peers out of jealousy, to supplant the moral claims of Judaism and Christianity.
3. The central motivation of Islam is the conquest of the whole world, to be ruled by Muslims. It never claims to have any sure path to Heaven, except that of martyrdom in the pursuit of jihad to spread Islam.
These are its unique features:
a. The legendary prophet, Muhammad, who led camels in a caravan.
b. The Qur'an (recitation), a new book in Arabic, containing his revelations.
c. A previously unknown sanctuary, with a black stone from Heaven.
d. Sira (biography) introduced in 833.
e. Hadith (anecdotal sayings of Muhammad) collected and published in 870.
f. Tafsir (interpretations) authorized in 923.
4. Muhammad is the answer to a civil war. His legend was promoted by Abd al-Malik, and filled in by later Caliphs. It was consolidated by court supported scholars. A new unified Arab identity is established by a new "Religion of the Book," by which they are commanded to conquer the world and destroy all who will not believe or submit.
5. Muhammad may have had nothing to do with the Qur'an, except maybe the peaceful sayings, traditionally "from Mecca," although, it is possible that he became a tyrant when given the job to govern Medina. His legend was fabricated for a purpose, to quell a civil war, and his sayings expanded to include world conquest.
6. The Qur'an contains no moral law. The Sharia has been pieced together from the anecdotal sayings of Muhammad found in the Hadith, and reflects the milieu of Arabic culture in the seventh century. Moreover, if Muhammad is to be revered as a paragon, and emulated, the preserved stories about him reveal a very strange person. No truly moral person in the 21st century could say that everything he did was right without violating their own conscience.
Sources: YouTube videos
1. The unknown history of Islam, 01- 06
2. The Truth Behind the Emergence of Islam
3. Political Islam, Dr. Bill Warner
4. Acts17 Apologetics, Dr. David Wood
These sources do not contradict the several college level and graduate courses that I took to study Islam, but they do reveal how the established educational system bows to the safer course of political correctness in our day. We should be wary of whitewash, if we would really seek to know the Truth.
