muhammad: the illiterate prophet

[r.gonzales]

greetings.

i decided to start a new thread on this topic since ryanL posted a link to an article that touched on it in another thread.

since the other quotes provided in the article have no references, i can’t verify them without doing some major research, which i don’t have the time to do. however, the article quoted a number of verses, of which i thought i’d post the explanations for as mentioned in various major works of exegesis, since the article makes some assertions by adding their own twist to their meanings.

firstly, the verses 7:157-158. correctly translated, the verses read: “those who follow the messenger, the illiterate prophet who they find written with them the tawrah and the injeel, commands them with good and prohibits them from evil, makes the good things lawful for them and makes forbidden for them the evil things. he unburdens them of their covanent and the shackles that were upon them. so those who believe in him, venerate him, support him ad follow the light that he was sent with, those are the successful ones. say: o people, surely, i am Allah’s messenger to you all, the One who the heavens and the earth belong to. there is no deity [worthy of worship] except Him. He gives life and causes death. so believe in Allah and His messenger, the illiterate prophet who believes in Allah and His words. and follow him in hopes that you be guided.”

now, regarding the portion that says, “those who follow the messenger, the illiterate prophet”:

abdur-rahmaan bin naasir as-sa’dee, author of the modern exegesis taiseer al-kareem ar-rahmaan, states, “and He (i.e., Allah) described him (i.e., prophet muhammad) as illiterate because he is from the arab, the illiterate nation that does not read nor write and does not have a book before the Quran.” (ref: here.)

from tafseer al-muyasar, “they follow the messenger, the illiterate prophet who does not read nor write. and he is muhammad, may Allah send greetings and peace upon him, who they find his description and his affair written with them in the tawrah and the injeel.” (ref: here.)

al-imam al-baghawee states in his exegesis, tafseer al-baghawee, “he is muhammad, may Allah send greetings and pece upon him. ibn 'abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, said, ‘he is your prophet. he was illiterate, not writing, nor reading, nor calculating.’ the prophet, may Allah send greetings and peace upon him, said, ‘surely we are an illiteration nation. we do not write, nor calculate.’ and it (i.e., the adjective ‘al-ummee’ in the verse) is related to the mother (al-umm) - meaning he is upon what his mother gave birth to him on. it is said that it is related to his nation (ummah). its origin is ‘ummatee’ and the taa is dropped in the ascription as it is dropped in al-makkee (someone from makkah) and al-madanee (someone from madeenah). and it is said related to umm al-quraa, which is makkah.” (ref: here).

note: the stuff about “taa” being dropped and stuff is all linguistic stuff pertaining to the arabic language, so if it doesn’t make much sense to you, that’s why. it should also be mentioned that al-baghawee mentions what the verse means at the beginning of the quote, then mentions the other possible meanings of the adjective “al-ummee” after it.

al-imam al-qurtubee states in his exegesis, “it was said by ibn 'azeez that al-ummee is related to the illiterate nation that is upon the origin of its birth. it was not taught writing, nor reading it (i.e., reading whatever is written). ibn 'abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: your prophet, may Allah send greetings and peace upon him, was illiterate, not writing, nor reading, nor calculating. Allah, exalted is He, said: and you did not recite any book before it, nor did you write it with your right hand. (29:48). and it is narrated in the saheeh (of al-bukhaaree or muslim) from ibn 'umar, from the prophet, may Allah send greetings and peace upon him, who said: surely we are an illiterate nation. we do not write, nor calculate. to the end of the hadeeth. and it was mentioned by an-nahaas that: the prophet is ascribed to makkah, umm al-quraa.” (ref: here).

more to come when i have time to compile more of the explanations for the verses referenced in that article…

 

[Proud_Kafir]

Mohammed could be literate.

Because,

1. Mohammed was a very accomplished merchant, who visited and worked in flourishing and educated cities like Damascus. The Meccans were in general familiar with reading and writing. A certain amount of writing would be necessary for commercial merchant purposes.
2. It is reported in Mohammed’s life that when he negotiated the treaty with the Meccans he wrote his name as “Mohammed, the Apostle of Allah.” When the Meccans refused to accept such a title on the treaty, Mohammed relented, crossed out the description, and wrote “Mohammed, the son of Abdulah."
3. Upon his deathbed Mohammed asked his child wife Ayisha to bring him a writing instrument upon which he could write the name of his successor.
4. The Bedouin peoples before Mohammed and down to this very day maintain beautiful Koranic Arabic, and Mohammed spent much time with them as a boy.

So, He must be literate.

Quran is nothing but the collection of twisted hearsay Bible stories and caustic blend of regurgitated pre-islamic arabic religions.

You may ask How did Mohammed know the bible Stories ?

1. Muhammad had interaction with Christians. Khadija, his first wife, had a cousin named Waraqa, who was a Christian (Sirat Rasul Allah, p. 83, Guillaume’s translation).
2. He also was known to have spoken with Christians earlier on in his life during his travels with the caravans.
3. Later, he was given a Christian slave girl as a present. This was Mary, the Egyptian Copt. She became his concubine. After she gave birth to a male child, he married her. He learned about some facts of Christianity from Mary as well.
4. Further south of Medina, these was the Christian village of Najran. These people also had some dealings with Muhammad.
5. Muhammad had contact with Judaism. There were Jewish settlements throughout the Hijaz. Many of these Jewish settlements were known for their crafts and agriculture. He probably came into contact with them during his youth while traveling with the caravans. Later, he came into contact with the Jews that lived around Yathrib (Medina). He eventually had Jewish converts and married two or three Jewish women. Ibn Hisham, in his biography of Muhammad, records dialogs between Muhammad and various Jews.

 

[Proud_Kafir]

However, there are alleged reports of a tradition that Muhammad did sign a treaty during his lifetime (ibn Hisham’s biography, exact ref req’d). **The following hadiths suggest that Muhammad did know how to read. **

Narrated 'Ursa:
The **Prophet wrote the (marriage contract) with 'Aisha ** while she was six years old and consummated his marriage with her while she was nine years old and she remained with him for nine years (i.e. till his death). (Sahih Bukhari 7.88)

Narrated Anas bin Malik :
Once the Prophet wrote a letter or had an idea of writing a letter. The Prophet was told that they (rulers) would not read letters unless they were sealed. So the Prophet got a silver ring made with “Muhammad Allah’s Apostle” engraved on it. As if I were just observing its white glitter in the hand of the Prophet … (Sahih Bukhari 1.65)

Narrated 'Ubaidullah bin 'Abdullah:
Ibn 'Abbas said, “When the ailment of the Prophet became worse, he said, ‘Bring for me (writing) paper and I will write for you a statement after which you will not go astray.’ But 'Umar said, ‘The Prophet is seriously ill, and we have got Allah’s Book with us and that is sufficient for us.’ But the companions of the Prophet differed about this and there was a hue and cry. On that the Prophet said to them, 'Go away (and leave me alone). It is not right that you should quarrel in front of me.” Ibn 'Abbas came out saying, "It was most unfortunate (a great disaster) that Allah’s Apostle was prevented from writing that statement for them because of their disagreement and noise. (Sahih Bukhari 1.114) [One really has to ask why is it so unfortunate if Muhammad doesn’t know to read and write]

Narrated Said bin Jubair:
Ibn ‘Abbas said, “Thursday! What (great thing) took place on Thursday!” Then he started weeping till his tears wetted the gravels of the ground . Then he said, "On Thursday the illness of Allah’s Apostle was aggravated and he said, “Fetch me writing materials so that I may have something written to you after which you will never go astray.” The people (present there) differed in this matter and people should not differ before a prophet. They said, "Allah’s Apostle is seriously sick.’ The Prophet said, “Let me alone, as the state in which I am now, is better than what you are calling me for.” The Prophet on his death-bed, gave three orders saying, “Expel the pagans from the Arabian Peninsula, respect and give gifts to the foreign delegates as you have seen me dealing with them.” I forgot the third (order)" (Ya’qub bin Muhammad said, “I asked Al-Mughira bin 'Abdur-Rahman about the Arabian Peninsula and he said, 'It comprises Mecca, Medina, Al-Yama-ma and Yemen.” Ya’qub added, “And Al-Arj, the beginning of Tihama.”) (Sahih Bukhari 4.288)

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:
When Allah’s Apostle was on his death-bed and in the house there were some people among whom was 'Umar bin Al-Khattab, the Prophet said, "Come, let me write for you a statement after which you will not go astray." 'Umar said, “The Prophet is seriously ill and you have the Qur’an; so the Book of Allah is enough for us.” The people present in the house differed and quarrelled. Some said “Go near **so that the Prophet may write for you a statement ** after which you will not go astray,” while the others said as Umar said. When they caused a hue and cry before the Prophet, Allah’s Apostle said, “Go away!” Narrated 'Ubaidullah: Ibn 'Abbas used to say, “It was very unfortunate that Allah’s Apostle was prevented from writing that statement for them because of their disagreement and noise.” (Sahih Bukhari 7.573)

Narrated Said bin Jubair:
that he heard Ibn 'Abbas saying, "Thursday! And you know not what Thursday is? After that Ibn 'Abbas wept till the stones on the ground were soaked with his tears. On that I asked Ibn 'Abbas, “What is (about) Thursday?” He said, "When the condition (i.e. health) of Allah’s Apostle deteriorated, he said, 'Bring me a bone of scapula, so that I may write something for you after which you will never go astray.'The people differed in their opinions although it was improper to differ in front of a prophet, They said, 'What is wrong with him? Do you think he is delirious? Ask him (to understand). The Prophet replied, ‘Leave me as I am in a better state than what you are asking me to do.’ Then the Prophet ordered them to do three things saying, ‘Turn out all the pagans from the Arabian Peninsula, show respect to all foreign delegates by giving them gifts as I used to do.’ " The sub-narrator added, "The third order was something beneficial which either Ibn ‘Abbas did not mention or he mentioned but I forgot.’ (Sahih Bukhari 4.393, also Ibn Sa’d’s biography, Vol. II, p. 302)

 

[Proud_Kafir]

Narrated Al-Bara:
When the Prophet went out for the 'Umra in the month of Dhal-Qa’da, the people of Mecca did not allow him to enter Mecca till he agreed to conclude a peace treaty with them by virtue of which he would stay in Mecca for three days only (in the following year). When the agreement was being written, the Muslims wrote: “This is the peace treaty, which Muhammad, Apostle of Allah has concluded.”

The infidels said (to the Prophet), “We do not agree with you on this, for if we knew that you are Apostle of Allah we would not have prevented you for anything (i.e. entering Mecca, etc.), but you are Muhammad, the son of 'Abdullah.” Then he said to 'Ali, “Erase (the name of) ‘Apostle of Allah’.” 'Ali said, “No, by Allah, I will never erase you (i.e. your name).” Then Allah’s Apostle took the writing sheet…and he did not know a better writing…and he wrote or got it the following written: "This is the peace treaty which Muhammad, the son of 'Abdullah, has concluded: “Muhammad should not bring arms into Mecca except sheathed swords, and should not take with him any person of the people of Mecca even if such a person wanted to follow him, and if any of his companions wants to stay in Mecca, he should not forbid him.” (excerpt from Sahih Bukhari 5.553)

It is apparent that, even though the hadiths have slight variations, upon the authority and witness of ibn `Abbas, they all indicated that Muhammad wanted to write at his deathbed. In fact, that some of the onlookers agreed to give him writing materials for him to write indicates that he must know how to write. If it were not the case, the response clearly was quite meaningless. Had Muhammad been illiterate, he would have asked for scribes so that he can dictate to them.

 

[Booklover]

Proud Kafir:

Narrated Al-Bara:
When the Prophet went out for the 'Umra in the month of Dhal-Qa’da, the people of Mecca did not allow him to enter Mecca till he agreed to conclude a peace treaty with them by virtue of which he would stay in Mecca for three days only (in the following year). When the agreement was being written, the Muslims wrote: “This is the peace treaty, which Muhammad, Apostle of Allah has concluded.”

The infidels said (to the Prophet), “We do not agree with you on this, for if we knew that you are Apostle of Allah we would not have prevented you for anything (i.e. entering Mecca, etc.), but you are Muhammad, the son of 'Abdullah.” Then he said to 'Ali, “Erase (the name of) ‘Apostle of Allah’.” 'Ali said, “No, by Allah, I will never erase you (i.e. your name).” Then Allah’s Apostle took the writing sheet…and he did not know a better writing…and he wrote or got it the following written: "This is the peace treaty which Muhammad, the son of 'Abdullah, has concluded: “Muhammad should not bring arms into Mecca except sheathed swords, and should not take with him any person of the people of Mecca even if such a person wanted to follow him, and if any of his companions wants to stay in Mecca, he should not forbid him.” (excerpt from Sahih Bukhari 5.553)

It is apparent that, even though the hadiths have slight variations, upon the authority and witness of ibn `Abbas, they all indicated that Muhammad wanted to write at his deathbed. In fact, that some of the onlookers agreed to give him writing materials for him to write indicates that he must know how to write. If it were not the case, the response clearly was quite meaningless. Had Muhammad been illiterate, he would have asked for scribes so that he can dictate to them.

Thanks, Proud Kafir, for bringing these quotes to our attention! I had read somewhere that Mohammed did in fact know how to write, but Muslims keep insisting he didn’t, to add credibility to his prophethood!

 

[hlgomez]

This is a good exposition of truth about the claims of muslims that Muhammad was illiterate. I don’t know though what they meant by that word “illiterate.”

Pio

 

[r.gonzales]

Proud Kafir:

However, there are alleged reports of a tradition that Muhammad did sign a treaty during his lifetime (ibn Hisham’s biography, exact ref req’d). **The following hadiths suggest that Muhammad did know how to read. **

perhaps instead of relying on crappy translations, you should learn how to read arabic and see if what you’re reading is correct and also read the explanations of the things you’re reading to further ensure that you’re understanding things correctly.

(Sahih Bukhari 7.88)

no where in the arabic of this hadeeth is there the word wrote, which is kataba. even the narrator’s name is wrong in this translation. the hadeeth correctly reads, “from 'urwa: the prophet (s) married 'aa’ishah while she was a daughter of six years (i.e., she was six years old) and he consumated the marriage with her while she was a daughter of nine and she lived with him for nine [years].”

the arabic verb translated in the translation you quoted is “tazawwaja” which means to marry, and has nothing to do with being literate. sorry kafir, you’re going to have to try better than that. btw, the number of this hadeeth in the standard numbering of saheeh al-bukhaaree is #5158, it is found in volume 7, at the top of pg. 67 in the english/arabic printing done by darussalam.

(Sahih Bukhari 1.65)

this is probably one of the only clear texts you can bring as evidence to support your claims that prophet muhammad (s) was literate as the hadeeth actually reads: muhammad bin muqaabil abul-hasan narrated to us: abdullah informed us, he said: shu’bah informed us: from qataadah: from anas bin maalik, he said: the prophet (s) wrote a [letter] or wanted to write. then it was said to him: indeed, they do not read a [letter] except a sealed [one]. so he took a ring of silver and engraved it with “muhammad Allah’s messenger”. it was as if i were looking at his white in his hand. so i (shu’bah) said to qataadah: who said “he engraved it with: muhammad Allah’s messenger”? he (qataadah) said: anas.

ibn hajar, in explaining this, said, “the statement ‘he wrote or wanted to write’ is doubt from a narrator and the attribution of writing to the prophet (s) is figurative and means: the scribe wrote at his command.” (fath al-baaree, vol.1, pg.187) another more recent example of this phrase, “he wrote”, as being one of figurative meaning is with the former grand muftee of saudi arabia, 'abdul-'azeez bin 'abdillah bin baaz. the shaikh was blind, so obviously he didn’t literally write anything after losing his site he authored many books and booklets via dictation. the fact that he physically didn’t write the books he authored does not negate the phrase, “he wrote such and such book” from being used with relation to his works.

(Sahih Bukhari 1.114) [One really has to ask why is it so unfortunate if Muhammad doesn’t know to read and write]

ibn hajar in his explanation of this hadeeth says similar to what is quoted above, that it is figurative and is taken to mean that he wanted to dictate something that was to be written. (see fath al-baaree, vol.1, pg.252) as for what was unfortunate, it was the fact that some knowledge was prevented from being recorded.

(Sahih Bukhari 4.288)
(Sahih Bukhari 7.573)
(Sahih Bukhari 4.393, also Ibn Sa’d’s biography, Vol. II, p. 302)

these are all different narrations of the same hadeeth as the one quoted above.

(excerpt from Sahih Bukhari 5.553)

nothing in the wording of the hadeeth clearly shows that prophet muhammad wrote anything himself. and ibn hajar has discussion regarding what’s mentioned in this hadeeth in his explanation of saheeh al-bukhaaree where he discusses the statements of some of the scholars of islam saying that prophet muhammad did not die until he wrote and read - meaning he learned these things after the revelation had been completed and before he died. the position of the majority of scholars of islam say that these reports are weak and that he did not learn how to read and write. ibn hajar ends his discussion by saying, “and regarding the claim that the writing of his noble name only according to this picture necessitates diminishment of the miracle and verification of his not being illiterate is a major examination. and Allah knows best.” (fath al-baaree, vol. 7, pg. 575-576 under hadeeth #4251. i’ll try to post more when i can find more discussion on this, God willing.

as for your comments at the end, all speculation, especially when it was ibn 'abbaas himself that said that prophet muhammad was illiterate (see the quotes posted above in my first post). this is a classic case of taking some of the evidences without looking at the rest, without looking to see if there are ways to sufficiently reconcile any “apparent” contradictions. it’s a known fact that prophet muhammad had many scribes who would write down and record his statements and dictations. one such scribe was mu’aawiyah bin abee sufyaan, who was one of the scribes that recorded the revelation of the Quran, so calling for writing materials could easily be taken as him calling for these things so that his scribes could start recording what he wanted to say.

 

[Proud_Kafir]

r.gonzales:

perhaps instead of relying on crappy translations, you should learn how to read arabic and see if what you’re reading is correct and also read the explanations of the things you’re reading to further ensure that you’re understanding things correctly.

Translation problem, Anti-Islamic Web Sites, Should learn arabic to understand Islam, Hadiths are unreliable - These are lame excuses Muslims come up with to cover up their faults. Live in denial as long as you want.

 

[r.gonzales]

Proud Kafir:

Translation problem, Anti-Islamic Web Sites, Should learn arabic to understand Islam, Hadiths are unreliable - These are lame excuses Muslims come up with to cover up their faults. Live in denial as long as you want.

lame excuses? well, let’s see… answer these questions and we’ll see just how lame these excuses are.

1. can you read and understand arabic? if not, how do you know whether the translations or interpretations you’re reading are correct or not?
2. have you read a true biography and historical account of prophet muhammad’s life? ibn ishaaq’s for example, since you recommended that people read that particular one, have you read it - if yes, in english or in arabic?
3. do you know anything about the islamic sciences of hadeeth? do you know the criteria looked at to determine whether they are authentic, weak or fabricated?
4. where do you get your information on islam from - anti-islamic websites or from actual real study of the religion and its branches of knowledge through reliable sources?
5. do you verify the information you get about islam? do you actually check the references to see if what’s being said is really what is contained in whatever books?

answers to these easy questions are all that are desired here please… oh, and please keep them concise

 

[Booklover]

r.gonzales:

lame excuses? well, let’s see… answer these questions and we’ll see just how lame these excuses are.

1. where do you get your information on islam from - anti-islamic websites or from actual real study of the religion and its branches of knowledge through reliable sources

Have you checked out Proud Kafir’s profile?

 

[r.gonzales]

Booklover:

Have you checked out Proud Kafir’s profile?

actually, yes i have. but what he’s got there doesn’t exactly answer my questions now does it?

 

[hlgomez]

r.gonzales,

Then why are you still debating on this thread in English and explaining Islam in English?

Pio

 

[hlgomez]

1. where do you get your information on islam from - anti-islamic websites or from actual real study of the religion and its branches of knowledge through reliable sources?

r.gonzales,

A tree is known by its fruits.

Suicide bombings, 9/11, killing the infidels in the name of Allah, imprisoning/suppressing Christians in the Middle East, etc., etc.

We don’t need to study further on your religion. It’s pretty obvious.

Pio

 

[r.gonzales]

hlgomez:

Then why are you still debating on this thread in English and explaining Islam in English?

would you rather me post in tagalog or in arabic?

hlgomez:

A tree is known by its fruits.

Suicide bombings, 9/11, killing the infidels in the name of Allah, imprisoning/suppressing Christians in the Middle East, etc., etc.

We don’t need to study further on your religion. It’s pretty obvious.

a tree is known by its fruits indeed… using this in an absolute sense, your religion doesn’t look like its hands are too clean either - or have you forgotten your religion’s tainted history? if you really want to go this route, i’m sure that there’s an abundance that can be said about the forced conversions, murders, rapes and plunderings of numerous countries’ peoples (too many to count really)… all in the name of christ, no less… and the list goes on… committed by the catholics - but then again, this isn’t the topic of discussion in this particular thread…

still waiting on kafir’s answers.

 

[hlgomez]

would you rather me post in tagalog or in arabic?

You can do so in waray-waray or cebuano?

 

[hlgomez]

a tree is known by its fruits indeed… using this in an absolute sense, your religion doesn’t look like its hands are too clean either - or have you forgotten your religion’s tainted history?

r.gonzales,

We didn’t forget how Muslims attacked Christian pilgrims in the past and how the Christian reacted to these killings and defended themselves against “peaceful” muslims, hence the Crusades. You must read history of your atrocities first before making a conclusion that Christians are the perpetrators. Without Muslim aggression there would have been no Crusades.

 

[hlgomez]

if you really want to go this route, i’m sure that there’s an abundance that can be said about the forced conversions, murders, rapes and plunderings of numerous countries’ peoples (too many to count really)… all in the name of christ, no less… and the list goes on… committed by the catholics - but then again, this isn’t the topic of discussion in this particular thread…

Hogwash.

Support your allegations.

You’re throwing stuff against Catholics that the very muslims do.

Pio

 

[r.gonzales]

consider this to be my last post in this particular thread about this subject, as it is off-topic from the subject of the thread.

hlgomez:

We didn’t forget how Muslims attacked Christian pilgrims in the past and how the Christian reacted to these killings and defended themselves against “peaceful” muslims, hence the Crusades. You must read history of your atrocities first before making a conclusion that Christians are the perpetrators. Without Muslim aggression there would have been no Crusades.

attacked? encarta’s encyclopedia describes it as “harrassment”, while others describe it as “cruelty” towards them and also describes them as “rumors”. let’s say for argument’s sake that what’s said about the muslim “attacks” against christian pilgrims to be true, i’m sure that the number of crusades that “resulted” were appropriate reactions, right? how many were there again? 9 major ones? how about the stories of mutilating dead bodies of muslims in search of gold that was supposedly hidden inside their bellies… that was an appropriate reaction, right? oh, and how about the massacre of non-combatants…

and here i thought your religion taught you to turn the other cheek… .

hlgomez:

Hogwash.

Support your allegations.

You’re throwing stuff against Catholics that the very muslims do.

talk about denial. how quickly people forget the spanish conquests of the americas and of the philippines, where they went in search of “slaves” and imposed christianity upon the peoples of the lands they came to conquer… :nope:

sometimes - just sometimes - it’s amusing how people like you love to mention the wrong doings of others (such as the muslims) and yet are so quick to deny the wrong doings of your own…

anyhow, let’s get back on topic… answers to my questions please.

 

[Eetaq]

hlgomez:

r.gonzales,

A tree is known by its fruits.

Suicide bombings, 9/11, killing the infidels in the name of Allah, imprisoning/suppressing Christians in the Middle East, etc., etc.

We don’t need to study further on your religion. It’s pretty obvious.

Pio

If you dont need to study our religion then why the hell are you on this forum?

Get off right now please.

And as far as that goes I bet there are at least 1,000,000 catholics in different universities studying about Islam right now. I get the feeling you are an uneducated person who cant appreciate knowledge, and if I am going to have anyone tell what to and what not to study then it ought to be someone from a place of higher education, someone who knows what is important and what is enjoyable.

Maybe I should go to those massive amounts of catholics taking either anthropology, middle east, islam, medieval, western civilization, or any of a number of other courses that will all teach about Islam.

@ gonzalez. Please post your questions again, I dont want to have to fish through the sea of responses to Proud Kafir/you and I dont want to have to have my IQ lowered by people like hl gomez.

 

[Proud_Kafir]

1. can you read and understand arabic? if not, how do you know whether the translations or interpretations you’re reading are correct or not?

I remember one or two arabic phrases as i was taught in my Childhood. But, I can not read/write/understand Arabic. Most of the muslims can not understand Arabic. That doesn’t make them less muslim than Arabic Speaking Muslims. Quran is supposed to be final book for all mankind. Right ? So, It is rational to expect Quran to be easily translated and easily understood in all other languages. If someone raises objections in this, then Something fishy is there, Something is there to hide.

2. have you read a true biography and historical account of prophet muhammad’s life? ibn ishaaq’s for example, since you recommended that people read that particular one, have you read it - if yes, in english or in arabic?

Yes, I read it, I mainly read after Mohammed’s migration to Yathrib and his expeditions, genocide, killing, looting, raping in the name of Allah and Islam. I read the English translation of “Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat Rusul Allah” by A.Guillaume.

Honestly i tell you, I have never seen such a evil man like Mohammed who claimed himself as God’s prophet. He corruped entire peaceful arabian tribes with his wicked preaching.

3. do you know anything about the islamic sciences of hadeeth? do you know the criteria looked at to determine whether they are authentic, weak or fabricated?

I usually Quote hadiths from Sahih Bukhari and Muslim. Both are considered and recongnised as most authentic in Islamic World. Out of 600,000 Hadiths originally collected, 592,603 of them were false, and had to be scrapped. What we have today is Authentic Hadith. That’s what Muslims believe. Islam’s 5 pillors are derived from Hadith. In fact, You can not understand Quran without Hadith.

“The most authentic book after the Holy Qur’an.” This is the conclusion that every learned religious Scholar came to. No matter how great these Scholars were, they were forced to unanimously agree that ‘Sahih Al-Bukhari’ is the most authentic work in Hadith literature ever compiled.
(ummah.net/Al_adaab/hadith/bukhari/imam_bukhari.html)

Muslims believe that Hadith were inspired by Allah, making them scripture. Islamic scholars believe that these Hadith reveal inspired behavior that should be emulated. They claim the revelations themselves were inspired by Allah, and thus are scripture. Al-Bukhari’s Hadith is second only to the Qur’an in importance to many Muslims. It is comprised of what scholars consider to be the most authentic Traditions associated with early Islam and the words of Muhammad.

An online Bukhari translation by Muhsin Khan opens with these words: “Sahih Bukhari is a collection of sayings and deeds of Prophet Muhammad, also known as the Sunnah. The reports of the Prophet’s sayings and deeds are called Hadith. Bukhari lived a couple of centuries after the Prophet’s death and worked to collect his Hadith. Each report in his collection was checked for compatibility with the Qur’an, and the veracity of the chain of reporters, or isnad, had to be painstakingly established. Bukhari’s collection is recognized by the overwhelming majority of Muslims as one of the most authentic collections of Muhammad’s Sunnah.”

4. where do you get your information on islam from - anti-islamic websites or from actual real study of the religion and its branches of knowledge through reliable sources?

I do my own research. I do search in the web, read both islamic and anti-islamic stuffs. And verify it with Authentic Source.
Above all, i compare my research with the activities of Today’s muslims. I validate by the fruits of muslims. It exactly matches. It proves onething Islam is morally flawed religion.

5. do you verify the information you get about islam? do you actually check the references to see if what’s being said is really what is contained in whatever books?

Yes, I do. I refer probably the most referenced source of the transliterations of the Quran and hadith which are maintained on the web by the Muslim Students Association at the University of Southern Calfornia. You can find an introduction to the MSA-USC at:

usc.edu/dept/MSA/

The transliterations of Quran and begin at:

usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/ (YUSUFALI, PICKTHAL, SHAKIR)

and Sunnah at:

usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/ (Bukhari, Muslim)