Guillaume--Life of Muhammad.pdf - Radical Truth
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Guillaume--Life of Muhammad.pdf - Radical Truth

Guillaume--Life of Muhammad.pdf - Radical Truth Guillaume--Life of Muhammad.pdf - Radical Truth

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232 160 The Life of Muhammad So God revealed concerning him the words, 'Abu Lahab and his hands God blast (202)." When Quraysh had agreed on this and had done what has just been described, Abu Tiilib said: Tell Lu'ayy, especially Lu'ayy of the Banu Ka'b, News of our condition. Did you not know that we have found Muhammad, A prophet like Moses described in the oldest books, And that love is bestowed on him (alone) of mankind And that none is better than he whom God has singled out in love, And that the writing you have fixed Will be a calamity like the cry of the hamstrung camel?' Awake, awake before the grave is dug And the blameless and the guilty are as one. Follow not the slanderers, nor sever The bonds of love and kinship between us. Do not provoke a long-drawn-out war, Often he who brings on war tastes its bitterness. By the Lord of the temple we will not give up Al;mad, To harsh misfortunes and times' troUbles, Before hands and necks, yours and ours, Are cut by the gleaming blades of Qusiis J In a close-hemmed battlefield where you see broken spears And black-headed vultures circling round like a thirsty crowd. The galloping of the horses about the scene And the shout of warriors are like a raging battle. Did not our father Hashim gird up his loins And teach his sons the sword and spear? We do not tire of war until it tires of us ; We do not complain of misfortune when it comes. We keep our heads and our valour When the bravest lose heart in terror. They remained thus for two or three years until they were exhausted, nothing reaching them except what came from their friends unknown to Quraysh. Abu Jahl, so they say, met !:Iakim b. !:Iizam b. Khuwaylid b. Asad with whom was a slave carrying flour intended for his aunt Khadija, the prophet's wife, who was with him in the alley. He hung on to him and said, 'Are you taking food to the B. Hashim? By God, before you and your food move from here I will denounce you in Mecca.' Abil'l-Eakhtari came to him and said, 'What is going on between you two?' When he said that !:Iakim was taking food to the B. Hashim, he said: 'It is food he has which I Sura III. 2 An allusion to the camel of l;;:ili!:J. in Sura 26.142. 3 Qusas is said to be a mountain of B. Asad containing iron mines, The Life of Muhammad 161 belongs t~ his a~nt and she has sent to him about it. Are yau trying to prevent h1m tak~ng her Own food to her? Let the man go his way]' Abu !ahl refused untt! they came to blo\vs, and Abll'I-I3akhtari took a camel's ]3"': and knocked him. down, \vounded him, and trod on him violently, whIle !:Iamza was lookmg on near by. They did not wish the apostle and h1S com~anIons to hear th18 news pand rejoice over their discomfiture. Mea~whr1e the apostle :va~ exhorti,ng his people night and day, secretly and pubhcIy, openly procIalmmg God s command without fear of anyone. THE ILL-TREATMENT THE APOSTLE RECEIVED FROM HIS PEOPLE r: is uncle and the rest of B. Hashim gathered round him and protected hIm. from t~e attacks of the Quraysh, who, \vhen they saw that they could 233 not get at hIm, mocked and laughed at him and disputed with him. The Quran began to come down concerning the \vickedness of Quraysh and th~se who showed enmity to him, some by name and some only referred to m general. Of those named are his uncle Abu Lahab and his wife Dmm ]amil, 'th.e bearer of the wood'. God called her this because she, so I am told,. earned thorns and cast them in the apostle's way \vhere he would be passmg. So God sent down concerning the pair of them: AbU Lahab and his hands, God blast, His wealth and gains useless at the last, He shall roast in flames held fast \Vith his wife, the bear~r of the \\:ood, aghast, On her neck a rope of palm-fibre cast. (203)' I was told that Umm JamiI, the bearer of the wood, when she heard what had COme down about her and about her husband in the Quran, came to the_apostle of. God, ""vhen he was sitting in the mosque by the Ka'ba with A~u Bakr, WIth a stone pestle in her hand, and when she stood by the P31~ of them God mad: her unabl~ to see the apostle so that she saw only Abu Ba~r an(.l ~~ked h1m where hiS companion was, 'for I have been told that he IS satlnzmg me,2 and by God, if I had found him I would have smashed his mouth with this stone. By God, I am a poet.' Then she said: We reject the reprobate, His words we repudiate, His religion we loathe and hate.3 I .Sura I I I. The rhyme of the original has been imitated. 2 I.e. ~omposed a Hija', which in early times had the effect of a spell which could b . the fate Jt described on its victims. See my Prophecy and Divination pp 24 8 ff 2 :~g 281 ff. Umm Jamil's object in trying to smash Muhammad's mouth wu's to de'~tr05y hi'~ or~ans ~f ~peech so that he could no longer uttcr magical curses. ThiS IS a rough attempt to render the rough rhyme of the original. which consists of seven syllables, by a strange coincidence similar to the taunt song of chilJren: I'm the king of the castle, Get out you dirty rascal. B 4080 M

162 The Life of Muhammad 234 Then she went off and Abu Bakr asked the apostle if he thought she had seen him. He replied that she had not because God had taken her sight away from him (20+). . . The Quraysh had called the apostle Mudhammam to revIle him. He used to say, 'Aren't you surprised at the injuries of the Quraysh WhlCh God turns away from rne? They curse me and satirize Mudhammam [reprobate] whereas I am Mu\1ammad [the laudable].' [Another referred to in the Quran] is Umayya b. Khalaf b. Wahb b. Hudhafa b. Juma\1. Whenever he saw the apostle he slandered and reviled him so God sent down concerning him, 'Woe to every slandenn.g backbiter, ~ho has gathered wealth and increased it, and thinks that ~lS wealth will make him immortal. No, he will be thrown to t~e devGun.ng fire. What will make you realize what that is? It is God's fire kmdled which mounts over the hearts. It is shut in on them in wide columns (zoS)·lJ Khabbab b. al-Aratt, the prophet's companion, was a smith in Mecca who used to make swords. He sold some to al-(A~ b. Wii'il so that he owed him some money and he came to him to demand p.a~ment. He answered, 'Does not Muhammad, your companion whose reltglOn you follow, allege that in Paradise there is all the gold and silver and clothes an~ servan:s that 235 his people can desire I' 'Certainly: said Khabbab. 'Then glve me tlll the day of resurrection until I return to that house and pa~ your d~bt t~ere; for by God, you and your companion will be no more mfluentlal ~lth C:: 0d than I and have no greater share in it.' So God revealed concernmg him, 'Have'you considered him who disbelieves. Our signs and ~ays, I shall be given wealth and children. Hath he studIed the unseen? so fa: as the words, 'and we shall inherit from him what he speaks of and he WIll come to us alone.'2 . ., Abu Jahl met the apostle, so I have heard, and said to hl~, By God, Muhammad, you will either stop cursing o.ur gods ~r we WIll curse the God you serve.' So God revealed concermng that, Cursc not those to whom they pray other than God lest they curse God wrongfully through lack ofknowledge.'3 I have been told that the apostle refrained from cursmg their gods and began to call them to Allah. Al-Nac)~ b. al-I:larith b. 'Alqama b. Kalada b. 'Abdu Manaf whenever the apostle sat in an assembly and invited people to God, and recIted the Quran and warned the Quraysh of what had happened to former peoples, follow~d him when he got up and spoke to them about Rustum the Hero and Isfandivar and the kings of Persia, saying, 'By God, MUha~nm~d cannot tell; better story than I and his talk is only of old fables which e has copied4 as I have.' So God revealed ~oncerning him, 'And they say, Stories of the ancients which he has copied down, and they are read to I Sura 104. 2 Sura 19. 80. 3 Sura 6. 108. h" . "tt. down by 4 Sura 25. 6. iktataba means to write down oneself. or to get somet mg \Hl cn another. The fonner seems to be demanded by the context. The Life of Muhammad him morning and night. Say, He who knows the secrets of heaven and earth has sent it do\'m. Verily, He is merciful l forgiving.'1 And there came down concerning him, '\Vhen Our verses are read to him he says, fables of the ancients'. I And again, '\Voe to every sinful liar who'hears God's verses read before him. Then he continues in pride as though he had not heard them l as though in his ears was deafness. Tell him about a painful punishment' (206).' The apostle sat one day, so I have heard, with al-Walid b. al-Mughira in the mosque, and al-Na9r b. al-J:larith came and sat with them in the assembly where some of Quraysh were. When the apostle spoke al-Nac)r interrupted him, and the apostle spoke to him until he silenced him. Then he read to him and to the others: "Verily ye and what ye serve other than God is the fuel of hell. You will corne to it. If these had been gods they would not have come to it, but all will be in it everlastingly. There is wailing and there they will not hear' (207).3 Then the apostle rose and 'Abdullah b. al-Ziba'r;1 al-Sahmi came and sat down. AI-\Valid said to him: 'By God al-1\~a~r could not stand up to the (grand)son of 'Abdu'l-lVlu!!alib just now and Muhammad alleged that we and our gods arc fuel for hell.' 'Abdullah said: 'If I had found him I would have refuted him. Ask l\luhammad, "Is everything which is worshipped besides God in Gehenna with those \\'ho worship it?" \Ve worship the angels; the Jews \vorship 'Uzayr; and the Christians worship Jesus Son of Mary.' AI-Walid and those with him in the assemhly marvelled at 'Abdullah's words and thought that he had argued convincingly. When the apostle \vas told of this he said: 'Everyone \vho \vishes to be 237 worshipped to the exclusion of God \'"ill be with those \vho \vorship him. They worship only satans and those they have ordered to be worshipped.' So God revealed concerning that 'Those who have received kindness from us in the past will be removed far from it and will not hear its sound and they abide eternally in their heart's desire',4 i.e. Jesus Son of Mary and 'Uzayr and those rabbis and monks who have lived in obedience to God, whom the erring people worship as lords beside God. And He revealed concerning their assertion that they worship angels and that they are the daughters of God, 'And they say the Merciful has choscn a son, (exalted be He above this); nay, they arc but honoured slaves, they do not speak before He speaks, and they carry out His commands', as far as the \vords, 'and he of them who says, I am God as \vell as He, that onc we shall repay with Gehenna. Thus do they repay the sinful ones.'S And He revealed concerning what he mentioned about Jesus, Son of Mary, that he was \vorshipped beside God, and the astonishment of a1­ Walid and those \vho \vere present, at his argument and disputation, 'And I Sura 83. IJ. .3 Sura 21. 98. 5 Sura 21. 26-30. 2 Sura 45. 7. 4 Sura 7.I. lOt.

162 The <strong>Life</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Muhammad</strong><br />

234 Then she went <strong>of</strong>f and Abu Bakr asked the apostle if he thought she had<br />

seen him. He replied that she had not because God had taken her sight<br />

away from him (20+). . .<br />

The Quraysh had called the apostle Mudhammam to revIle him. He<br />

used to say, 'Aren't you surprised at the injuries <strong>of</strong> the Quraysh WhlCh God<br />

turns away from rne? They curse me and satirize Mudhammam [reprobate]<br />

whereas I am Mu\1ammad [the laudable].'<br />

[Another referred to in the Quran] is Umayya b. Khalaf b. Wahb b.<br />

Hudhafa b. Juma\1. Whenever he saw the apostle he slandered and<br />

reviled him so God sent down concerning him, 'Woe to every slandenn.g<br />

backbiter, ~ho has gathered wealth and increased it, and thinks that ~lS<br />

wealth will make him immortal. No, he will be thrown to t~e devGun.ng<br />

fire. What will make you realize what that is? It is God's fire kmdled which<br />

mounts over the hearts. It is shut in on them in wide columns (zoS)·lJ<br />

Khabbab b. al-Aratt, the prophet's companion, was a smith in Mecca<br />

who used to make swords. He sold some to al-(A~ b. Wii'il so that he owed<br />

him some money and he came to him to demand p.a~ment. He answered,<br />

'Does not <strong>Muhammad</strong>, your companion whose reltglOn you follow, allege<br />

that in Paradise there is all the gold and silver and clothes an~ servan:s that<br />

235<br />

his people can desire I' 'Certainly: said Khabbab. 'Then glve me tlll the<br />

day <strong>of</strong> resurrection until I return to that house and pa~ your d~bt t~ere; for<br />

by God, you and your companion will be no more mfluentlal ~lth C:: 0d<br />

than I and have no greater share in it.' So God revealed concernmg him,<br />

'Have'you considered him who disbelieves. Our signs and ~ays, I shall be<br />

given wealth and children. Hath he studIed the unseen? so fa: as the<br />

words, 'and we shall inherit from him what he speaks <strong>of</strong> and he WIll come<br />

to us alone.'2 . .,<br />

Abu Jahl met the apostle, so I have heard, and said to hl~, By God,<br />

<strong>Muhammad</strong>, you will either stop cursing o.ur gods ~r we WIll curse the<br />

God you serve.' So God revealed concermng that, Cursc not those to<br />

whom they pray other than God lest they curse God wrongfully through<br />

lack <strong>of</strong>knowledge.'3 I have been told that the apostle refrained from cursmg<br />

their gods and began to call them to Allah.<br />

Al-Nac)~ b. al-I:larith b. 'Alqama b. Kalada b. 'Abdu Manaf whenever<br />

the apostle sat in an assembly and invited people to God, and recIted the<br />

Quran and warned the Quraysh <strong>of</strong> what had happened to former peoples,<br />

follow~d him when he got up and spoke to them about Rustum the Hero<br />

and Isfandivar and the kings <strong>of</strong> Persia, saying, 'By God, MUha~nm~d<br />

cannot tell; better story than I and his talk is only <strong>of</strong> old fables which e<br />

has copied4 as I have.' So God revealed ~oncerning him, 'And they say,<br />

Stories <strong>of</strong> the ancients which he has copied down, and they are read to<br />

I Sura 104.<br />

2 Sura 19. 80.<br />

3 Sura 6. 108. h" . "tt. down by<br />

4 Sura 25. 6. iktataba means to write down oneself. or to get somet mg \Hl cn<br />

another. The fonner seems to be demanded by the context.<br />

The <strong>Life</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Muhammad</strong><br />

him morning and night. Say, He who knows the secrets <strong>of</strong> heaven and<br />

earth has sent it do\'m. Verily, He is merciful l<br />

forgiving.'1<br />

And there came down concerning him, '\Vhen Our verses are read to<br />

him he says, fables <strong>of</strong> the ancients'. I<br />

And again, '\Voe to every sinful liar who'hears God's verses read before<br />

him. Then he continues in pride as though he had not heard them l<br />

as<br />

though in his ears was deafness. Tell him about a painful punishment'<br />

(206).'<br />

The apostle sat one day, so I have heard, with al-Walid b. al-Mughira<br />

in the mosque, and al-Na9r b. al-J:larith came and sat with them in the<br />

assembly where some <strong>of</strong> Quraysh were. When the apostle spoke al-Nac)r<br />

interrupted him, and the apostle spoke to him until he silenced him. Then<br />

he read to him and to the others: "Verily ye and what ye serve other than<br />

God is the fuel <strong>of</strong> hell. You will corne to it. If these had been gods they<br />

would not have come to it, but all will be in it everlastingly. There is<br />

wailing and there they will not hear' (207).3<br />

Then the apostle rose and 'Abdullah b. al-Ziba'r;1 al-Sahmi came and<br />

sat down. AI-\Valid said to him: 'By God al-1\~a~r could not stand up to<br />

the (grand)son <strong>of</strong> 'Abdu'l-lVlu!!alib just now and <strong>Muhammad</strong> alleged<br />

that we and our gods arc fuel for hell.' 'Abdullah said: 'If I had found<br />

him I would have refuted him. Ask l\luhammad, "Is everything which is<br />

worshipped besides God in Gehenna with those \\'ho worship it?" \Ve<br />

worship the angels; the Jews \vorship 'Uzayr; and the Christians worship<br />

Jesus Son <strong>of</strong> Mary.' AI-Walid and those with him in the assemhly marvelled<br />

at 'Abdullah's words and thought that he had argued convincingly.<br />

When the apostle \vas told <strong>of</strong> this he said: 'Everyone \vho \vishes to be 237<br />

worshipped to the exclusion <strong>of</strong> God \'"ill be with those \vho \vorship him.<br />

They worship only satans and those they have ordered to be worshipped.'<br />

So God revealed concerning that 'Those who have received kindness from<br />

us in the past will be removed far from it and will not hear its sound<br />

and they abide eternally in their heart's desire',4 i.e. Jesus Son <strong>of</strong> Mary and<br />

'Uzayr and those rabbis and monks who have lived in obedience to God,<br />

whom the erring people worship as lords beside God. And He revealed<br />

concerning their assertion that they worship angels and that they are the<br />

daughters <strong>of</strong> God, 'And they say the Merciful has choscn a son, (exalted<br />

be He above this); nay, they arc but honoured slaves, they do not speak<br />

before He speaks, and they carry out His commands', as far as the \vords,<br />

'and he <strong>of</strong> them who says, I am God as \vell as He, that onc we shall repay<br />

with Gehenna. Thus do they repay the sinful ones.'S<br />

And He revealed concerning what he mentioned about Jesus, Son <strong>of</strong><br />

Mary, that he was \vorshipped beside God, and the astonishment <strong>of</strong> a1­<br />

Walid and those \vho \vere present, at his argument and disputation, 'And<br />

I Sura 83. IJ.<br />

.3 Sura 21. 98.<br />

5 Sura 21. 26-30.<br />

2 Sura 45. 7.<br />

4 Sura 7.I. lOt.

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