Few people are aware of Muhammad's suicide attempts. Following his initial visitation by a spirit, that he claimed to be Gabriel, Muhammad was frantic with fear and attempted suicide. He walked up to the top of a mountain and intended to throw himself off a cliff. This same being that caused his fear then intervened. Later, over the course of up to the next three years, the visitations by this spirit became rare, and Muhammad would then again attempt suicide in a like manner. Again, it was only due to the intervention of this being that Muhammad did not kill himself.
This report below is worth reading:
Sahih al-Bukhari 3 (Book of Revelation; old USC-MSA numbering: Vol. 1, Book 1, Hadith 3)
The same report also appears as Sahih al-Bukhari 6982 (old USC-MSA: Vol. 9, Book 87, Hadith 111).
The same report also appears as Sahih al-Bukhari 6982 (old USC-MSA: Vol. 9, Book 87, Hadith 111).
Narrated 'Aisha (the mother of the faithful believers):
The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah’s Apostle was in the form of good dreams which came true like bright daylight, and then the love of seclusion was bestowed upon him. He used to go in seclusion in the cave of Hira where he used to worship (Allah alone) continuously for many days before his desire to see his family. He used to take with him the journey food for the stay and then come back to (his wife) Khadija to take his food likewise again till suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he was in the cave of Hira. The angel came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet replied, “I do not know how to read.”
The Prophet added, “The angel caught me (forcefully) and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read and I replied, ‘I do not know how to read.’ Thereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read but again I replied, ‘I do not know how to read (or what shall I read)?’ Thereupon he caught me for the third time and pressed me, and then released me and said, ‘Read in the name of your Lord, who has created (all that exists), created man from a clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous.’” (96:1–3)
Then Allah’s Apostle returned with the Inspiration and with his heart beating severely. Then he went to Khadija bint Khuwailid and said, “Cover me! Cover me!” They covered him till his fear was over and after that he told her everything that had happened and said, “I fear that something may happen to me.” Khadija replied, “Never! By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your kith and kin, help the poor and the destitute, serve your guests generously and assist the deserving calamity-afflicted ones.”
Muhammad believed Gabriel violently attacked him and attempted to force him to read. Gabriel looks nothing like this in the Bible. Nonetheless, Muhammad was frightened by this spirit.
The Islamic sources state Muhammad had an encounter with a spirit, believed he was demon possessed, became deeply depressed, and attempted suicide many times.
The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah’s Apostle was in the form of good dreams which came true like bright daylight, and then the love of seclusion was bestowed upon him. He used to go in seclusion in the cave of Hira where he used to worship (Allah alone) continuously for many days before his desire to see his family. He used to take with him the journey food for the stay and then come back to (his wife) Khadija to take his food likewise again till suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he was in the cave of Hira. The angel came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet replied, “I do not know how to read.”
The Prophet added, “The angel caught me (forcefully) and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read and I replied, ‘I do not know how to read.’ Thereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read but again I replied, ‘I do not know how to read (or what shall I read)?’ Thereupon he caught me for the third time and pressed me, and then released me and said, ‘Read in the name of your Lord, who has created (all that exists), created man from a clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous.’” (96:1–3)
Then Allah’s Apostle returned with the Inspiration and with his heart beating severely. Then he went to Khadija bint Khuwailid and said, “Cover me! Cover me!” They covered him till his fear was over and after that he told her everything that had happened and said, “I fear that something may happen to me.” Khadija replied, “Never! By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your kith and kin, help the poor and the destitute, serve your guests generously and assist the deserving calamity-afflicted ones.”
Muhammad believed Gabriel violently attacked him and attempted to force him to read. Gabriel looks nothing like this in the Bible. Nonetheless, Muhammad was frightened by this spirit.
The Islamic sources state Muhammad had an encounter with a spirit, believed he was demon possessed, became deeply depressed, and attempted suicide many times.
As far as demon possessed, that's another conversation... He claims it was Gabriel that met him in the cave and physically abused him. It was not Gabriel, or any other Angel from Yahweh as represented in our Bibles. If not Gabriel, then who? Perhaps an "angel of light"?
There are early reports that Muhammad experienced severe distress during the initial period of revelation (especially during the pause known as fatrat al-wahy) and, according to some accounts, thought of throwing himself from a mountain.
In short: early biographical and hadith sources record accounts of suicidal thoughts during extreme distress at the start of the prophetic mission, but the chains and wording of those particular details are classified as weak by the majority of traditional hadith scholars.
Of course they're considered weak arguments by today's hadith scholars. Muhammad's history was written hundreds of years after his death and we've already shown that history was rewritten in Muhammad's favor.
Few Islamic leaders will teach this to their fellow Muslims because it casts a stain upon Muhammad; it brings doubt to his credibility and the credibility of his assumed "prophetic" experience. Some Muslims deny the sources of the story. Other, more intelligent Muslims, knowledgeable about the sources, respond by saying that the shock of the experience caused him to attempt suicide.
[2Co 11:14 LSB] And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
The reports:
Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat Rasul Allah (early biography, later edited by Ibn Hisham) contains material describing Muhammad’s fear and distress after the first revelation, including versions in which he considered ending his life.
Sahih al-Bukhari 6982 (and parallel versions) includes an addition after Aisha’s narration of the beginning of revelation. The narrator al-Zuhri adds (prefaced with “as we have heard” / fi ma balaghana): the Prophet became so sad that he intended several times to throw himself from high mountains; each time Gabriel appeared and said “O Muhammad, you are truly the Messenger of Allah,” after which he calmed down.
Authentic material does confirm that Muhammad was deeply distressed by the pause in revelation and sought reassurance - linked in traditional sources to the later revelation of:
Surah al-Duha, 93:1–3: “Your Lord has not forsaken you, nor is He displeased”.
The specific claim that he repeatedly went to mountain peaks intending to kill himself is not regarded as reliably established in the hadith literature.In short: early biographical and hadith sources record accounts of suicidal thoughts during extreme distress at the start of the prophetic mission, but the chains and wording of those particular details are classified as weak by the majority of traditional hadith scholars.
Of course they're considered weak arguments by today's hadith scholars. Muhammad's history was written hundreds of years after his death and we've already shown that history was rewritten in Muhammad's favor.
Few Islamic leaders will teach this to their fellow Muslims because it casts a stain upon Muhammad; it brings doubt to his credibility and the credibility of his assumed "prophetic" experience. Some Muslims deny the sources of the story. Other, more intelligent Muslims, knowledgeable about the sources, respond by saying that the shock of the experience caused him to attempt suicide.
No comments:
Post a Comment