The Qur'an and Muhammad

Millions of Muslims prostrate themselves everyday towards Mecca reciting verses of the Qur’an venerating Muhammad, as the messenger of God. In so doing, they affirm a belief in Muhammad as the seal of the prophets belonging to Abraham’s monotheistic traditions.

Yet, the Qur’ an depicts a somewhat troubling picture of Muhammad especially following the immigration to Medina where the moral code guiding his actions receded. The Qur’an passages dictated by Muhammad in Medina seldom teach supreme truths relating to divinity and the spiritual reform of the individual.

In point of fact, the whole character of the revelations changed and now Allah condoned violence and intolerance, on the one hand, and Muhammad’s less elevated desires, on the other; especially in relation to his lust for women.

The revelations of the Qur’an in Medina followed Muhammad and his companions needs and ideas. Umar Ibn Al-Khatab, for instance, boasted of having given advice which was supported by subsequent Qur’an’s revelations. One of Muhammad’s wives Aisha also remarked on the Qur’an’s readiness to answer the Prophet’s wishes.

The Qur’an, for instance, supported Muhammad’s desire, which was in conflict with social taboos, to marry his daughter-in-law Zaynab bint Jahsh, the wife of his adoptive son Zayd Ibn Haritha. According to existing Arab traditions, marrying Zaynab would be a dreadful act of incest as adoption, to all purposes, was regarded as natural fatherhood.

The Prophet’s inflammable passions and the Qur’an’s passages (Al-Ahzab XXXIII:37) supporting them gave rise to speculation and scepticism among the community of believers at the time. Rumours spread about the authenticity of some verses of the Qur’an and whether Muhammad concealed God’s revelations to the believers.

It certainly seems that the moral guidance of the Qur’an gave way to Muhammad’s unquenched lust for women.