Guillaume--Life of Muhammad.pdf - Radical Truth

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The Life of Nluhammad
REPORTS OF ARAB SOOTHSAYERS, JEWISH RABBIS, AND
CHRISTIAN MONKS
Jewish rabbis, Christian monks, and Arab soothsayers had spoken about
the apostle of God before his mission when his time dre\v nea.r. .As to t~e
rabbis and monks, it \vas about his description and the deSCrIptIOn of hlS
time which they found in their scriptures and what their prop~~ts had
enjoined upon them. As to the Arab soothsayers they had been VIS lted by
satans from the jinn \vith reports which they had secretly overheard before
they were prevented from hearing by being pelted \vith stars. rvIale and
female soothsayers continued to let fall mentIOn of some of these matters
to which the Arabs paid no attention until God sent him and these things
which had been mentioned happened and they recognized them. When
the prophet's mission came the satans were ptevented from listening and
they could not occupy the seats in whi:h they used to si~. and steal the
heavenly tidings for they were pelted WIth stars, and the Jl~n knew ~hat
that \vas due to an order \vhich God had commanded concermng mankmd.
God said to His prophet l\luhammad \"hen He sent him as he ,vas telling
him about the jinn ,vhen they \\-'ere prevented from listening and knew
what they knew and did not deny \yhat they saw; 'Say, It has been revealed
to me that a number ofthe jinn listened and said "\Ve have heard a \vonde.rful
Quran which guides to the right path, and \\'e believe in it and we wlIl
not associate anyone with our Lord and that He (exalted be the glory of
our Lord) hath not chosen a wife or a son. A foolish ~~e among us used to
speak lies against God, and \ve had thought mcn ~nd JIl1~ would .~ot speak
a lie against God and that when men took refuge \\llth the.J1I1n, they
increased them in revolt, tt cnding with the words: "\Ve used to Sit on places
therein to listen; he who listens now finds a flame waiting for him. \,Ve do
not know whether evil is intended against those that arc on earth or \vhcther
their lord wishes to guide them in the right path".' I vVhen the jinn heard
the Quran they knew that they had been prevented from listening before
that so that revelation should not be mingled with news from heaven so
that men \vould be confused \vith the tidings which came from God about
it when the proof came and doubt was removed; so ~hey believed ~nd
acknowledged the truth. Then 'They returned to ~helr people warnmg
them, saying, 0 our people we have he~rd a .b~ok WhlCh was revealed after
Moses confirming what went before lt, gUldmg to the truth and to the
upright path." .
In reference to the saying of the jinn, 'that men took refuge WIth them
and they increased them in revolt', Arabs of the Quraysh and others w~en
they were journeying and stopped at the bottom o~ a vale to pass .~ mght
therein used to say, 'I take refuge in the lord of thiS valley of the Jlnn tonight
from the evil that is therein' (135)·
I Sura 72. I ff. " Sura 46. 28.
The Life of Muhammad 9'
Ya'qub b. 'Utba b. al-Mughira b. al-Akhnas told me that he was informed
that the first Arabs to be afraid of falling stars when they were
pelted \vith them were this clan of Thaqif, and that they came to one of
their tribesmen called 'Arnr b. Umayya, one of B.