The orientalists, The seerah and the qur’an-4

Jassim Ibn Da’yan


C. OTHER SOCIAL AMBITIONS

C. 1 MORAL REFORMATION


Some scholars have put forward moral reformation as a probable motive which actuated Muhammad (pbuh) to compose the Qur’an. The reformation theory presents several problems in the face of insinuations of deceit and lies by some of the orientalists. Moral reformation is a very noble objective, but can it be achieved by resorting to immoral acts like deceit and lies? The reason for this choice of immoral means to build a moral society is neither clear nor stated by the proponent of this theory.
The second problem is that the Qur’an designates lying against God as one of the most abominable sins.
“Who can be more unjust than he, who invents a lie against Allah or says,‘I have received inspiration’, whereas he is not inspired in anything?” Ch 6: V 93
“If he (Muhammad pbuh) had forged a false saying concerning Us (Allah), We surely should have seized him by his right hand (or power and might), and certainly should have cut off his life artery (Aorta).” Ch 69: V 44-46
The above verses and others, go on to prescribe the most humiliating punishment for such liars. Knowing that he was the author of the Qur’an and knowing also that he was deceitfully ascribing it to God, it is most unlikely that Muhammad (pbuh) should have described himself as the most wicked man. Apprehension of the possibility that his fabrication might one day be uncovered would have induced him to modify the above verses into something like, ‘There is no blame for those who, if need be, lie for the sake of God.’ In fact this is what St. Paul did when he confessed in the New Testament in the book Romans 3
“Again, if the truth of God brings him all the greater honour because of my falsehood, why should I any longer be condemned as a sinner?”
For St. Paul, the end justifies the means. The orientalists, who are conversant with this type of statements in the Bible, perhaps assume that this is the case with Muhammad (pbuh) as well.


But Muhammad (pbuh) did not have to resort to deceit and lies to spread the Glory of Allah. Today, after one thousand four hundred years, new scientific discoveries or archeological findings confirm the truth proclaimed by the Qur’an and the Prophethood of Muhammad (pbuh).
Thirdly, Muhammad (pbuh) did not bring the whole Qur’an at one sitting. He recited it piecemeal over a period of 23 years, and during which period the Qur’an had made an open and definite promise to answer any question that would be asked concerning anything.
“If you ask about things when the Qur’an is being revealed they will be made plain to you.” – Ch 5: V101


People availed themselves of this opportunity to ask a wide range of questions, covering for example wine, gambling, menstruation, spoils of war, the soul or even about historical figures like Zul-Qarnain. It was in response to such questions that the Qur’an says in at least 15 places that, “they ask thee (O Muhammad pbuh) concerning such and such matter. Say: It is so and so”. The difficulty that emerges here is that, there is no way Muhammad (pbuh) could have known before hand that the questions he had invited would perfectly suit his reformation purposes for which he had set out to write the Qur’an. It would hardly be advisable for a president who wants to talk about the food situation of his country to call a press conference and invite pressmen to ask him any question. They may choose to inquire about political prisoners or corruption in high places.