Since Muhammad claimed prophethood, we need to check his proofs. He claimed that an angel gave him the first revelation, so let us turn to the history of Islam and flip the pages of their authentic writings. Let us find out what had happened during his encounter with the said angel in the cave of Hira;
[Version of Sira [Sira no. 152]:
‘He came to me,’ said the apostle of God, ‘while I was asleep, with a coverlet of brocade whereon was some writing, and said, “Read!” I said, “What shall I read?” he pressed me with it so tightly that I thought it was death; then he let me go and said, “Read!” I said, “What shall I read?” He pressed me with it again so that I thought it was death; then he let me go and said “Read!” I said, What shall I read?” He pressed me with it the third time so that I thought I was death and said “Read!” I said, “What then shall I read?” And this I said only to deliver myself from him, lest he should do the same to me again. He said: “Read in the name of thy Lord who created, Who created man of the blood coagulated. Read! Thy Lord is the most beneficent, who taught by the pen, Taught that which they knew not unto men.” So I read it, and he departed from me. And I awoke from my sleep, and it was as though these words were written on my heart.”
[Version of Bukhari [Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 87, Number 111]:
. . . “The angel came to him in it and said, ‘Read!’ “The Prophet said, ‘I said, “I do not read.” He seized me and squeezed me until all the strength went out of me and then released me and said, “Read!” I said, “I do not read.” Then he seized me and squeezed me a second time until all the strength when out of me and then released me and said, “Read!” I said, “I do not read.” Then he seized me and squeezed me a third time. . . .
“He returned with that and his heart was quaking. He went to Khadija and said, ‘Wrap me up! Wrap me up!’ They wrapped him up until the STATE OF TERROR had left him and then he said to Khadija, ‘What is wrong with me?’……the Prophet became so sad that we heard that his sorrow several times made him want to throw himself off the tops of the mountains.” . . .
COMMENT: From the accounts above, the said spirit did not introduce himself to Muhammad as Angel Gabriel. And also that spirit applied force on him to follow his order. This act terrified Muhammad extremely that he almost took suicide by jumping off the top of the mountain a couple of times. This alleged angel Gabriel is different from the Angel Gabriel described in the Bible who approached to humans with respectful behavior, let us quote the incident when Angel Gabriel went to Mary;
[Luke 1:28-31] When the angel entered her home, he greeted her and said, “You are favored by the Lord! The Lord is with you.” She was startled by what the angel said and tried to figure out what this greeting meant. The angel told her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. You have found favor with God. You will become pregnant, give birth to a son, and name him Jesus.
Since Muhammad did not know the spirit who harmed and terrified him, Kahdija employed a superstitious test to determine whether that spirit was Satan or an Angel from God. Here is the account of Kahdija’s test when the said spirit visited Muhammad again;
[Sira No. 154, Ishaq]
‘Get up, O son of my uncle,’ she said, ‘ and sit by my left thigh’. The apostle did so, and she said, ‘Can you see him?’ ‘Yes,’ he said. She said, ‘Then turn round and sit on my right thigh.’ He did so, and she said, ‘Can you see him? ‘When he said that he could she asked him to move and sit in her lap. When he had done this she again asked if he could see him, and when he said yes. She disclosed her form and cast aside her veil while the apostle was sitting in her lap. Then she said, ‘Can you see him?’ And he replied, ‘No.’She said ‘O son of my uncle, rejoice and be of good heart, by God he is an angel and not a Satan.’ I told ‘Abdullah b Hasan this story and he said ‘I heard my mother Fatima, daughter of Husayn, talking about this tradition from Khadija, but as I heard it she made the apostle of God come inside her shift, (sexual intercourse) and thereupon Gabriel departed, and she said to the apostle of God, “This verily is an angel and not a Satan.”
COMMENT: From the account above, Khadija and Muhammad performed lewd scene thinking that if that spirit was of God, it should leave from the lewd sight. Spirits, good or bad alike could watch what the people are doing everyday including their sexual activity, thus this is a normal view to them. What Khadija did to determine whether that spirit who visited Muhammad was angel Gabriel or Satan is superstitious. It was Khadija who concluded that the spirit who attacked Muhammad was angel Gabriel. Personally, Muhammad did not know who was that spirit that squeeezed him.
∼ο∼
ALSO READ: Muhammad is the seal of the prophets, what is this seal?
