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Muhammad's 11 Prophetic symptoms.

"Sam Shamoun"

The prophetic calling of Muhammad has always been a very controversial subject among Muslims and Christians alike. Sam Shamoun continues this topic in addressing an Islamic defense for the prophetic call of Muhammad while answering alleged similarities among the calling of biblical prophets.

>This is in response to this article by a Christian missionary.
> Muhammad's 11 symptoms
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> 1. He experienced ringing in his ears, like bells

In their epileptic or psychotic fits which they interpreted as "prophetic" visions, Ezekiel heard "loud thundering noises" (Ezekiel 3:12f); Jeremiah heard "sound of the trumpet" (Jeremiah 4:19); Isaiah heard loud and shrill voices like "someone crying in the wilderness" (Isaiah 40:3).

RESPONSE:

We will compare Muhammad’s experience with the true prophets’ religious experiences:

Narrated 'Aisha:

(the mother of the faithful believers) Al-Harith bin Hisham asked Allah's Apostle "O Allah's Apostle! How is the Divine Inspiration revealed to you?" Allah's Apostle replied, "Sometimes it is (revealed) like the ringing of a bell, this form of Inspiration is the hardest of all and then this state passes off after I have grasped what is inspired. Sometimes the Angel comes in the form of a man and talks to me and I grasp whatever he says.” ‘Aisha added: Verily I saw the Prophet being inspired Divinely on a very cold day and noticed the sweat dropping from his forehead (as the Inspiration was over). (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 1, Number 2)

Contrast:

“Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound-May the glory of the LORD be praised in his dwelling place!- the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against each other and the sound of the wheels beside them, a loud rumbling sound. The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD upon me. I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Abib near the Kebar River. And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days-overwhelmed.” Ezekiel 3:12-15

The sound that Ezekiel heard was the wings of the living creatures that he saw in his vision.

“At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, ‘A hot wind from the bare heights in the desert toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow or cleanse, a wind too full for this comes for me. Now it is I who speak in judgment upon them.’ Behold, he comes up like clouds; his chariots like the whirlwind; his horses are swifter than eagles- woe to us, for we are ruined! O Jerusalem, wash your heart from evil, that you may be saved. How long shall your wicked thoughts lodge within you? For a voice declares from Dan and proclaims trouble from Mount Ephraim. Warn the nations that he is coming; announce to Jerusalem, ‘Besiegers come from a distant land; they shout against the cities of Judah. Like keepers of a field are they against her all around, because she has rebelled against me, declares the LORD. Your ways and your deeds have brought this upon you. This is your doom, and it is bitter; it has reached your very heart.’ My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh the walls of my heart! My heart is beating wildly; I cannot keep silent, for I hear the sound of the trumpet, THE ALARM OF WAR. Crash follows hard on crash; the whole land is laid waste. Suddenly my tents are laid waste, my curtains in a moment. How long must I see the standard and hear the sound of the trumpet? For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are ‘wise’-in doing evil! But how to do good they know not. I looked on the earth, and behold, it was without form and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light. I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, and all the hills moved to and fro. I looked, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the air had fled. I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a desert, and all its cities were laid in ruins before the LORD, before his fierce anger. For thus says the LORD, ‘The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end. For this the earth shall mourn, and the heavens above be dark; for I have spoken; I have purposed; I have not relented, nor will I turn back.’ At the noise of horseman and archer every city takes to flight; they enter thickets; they climb among rocks; all the cities are forsaken, and no man dwells in them. And you, O desolate one, what do you mean that you dress in scarlet, that you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold, that you enlarge your eyes with paint? In vain you beautify yourself. Your lovers despise you; they seek your life. For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands, ‘Woe is me! I am fainting before murderers.’ Jeremiah 4:11-31

Jeremiah’s trumpet sound was God’s announcement of war and destruction upon Jerusalem.

“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins. A voice of one calling: ‘In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.’ A voice says, ‘Cry out.’ And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’ ‘All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.’ You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, ‘Here is your God!’ See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” Isaiah 40:1-11

Isaiah’s cry in the wilderness refers to a herald of God, his messenger, who is sent ahead to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. According to the NT, this herald was John the Baptist who was sent to prepare the way of the Lord Christ:

“The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is written in Isaiah the prophet: ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way’-‘a voice of one calling in the desert, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.”’ And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Mark 1:1-4

“Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, ‘I am not the Christ.’ They asked him, ‘Then who are you? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the Prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’ Finally they said, ‘Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’ John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, ‘I am the voice of one calling in the desert, “Make straight the way for the Lord.”’” John 1:19-24

> 2. Sweat was on his forehead

During what he believed to be his "prophetic" experience, all the "bones" of Jeremiah "shook" (Jeremiah 23:9) and he appeared to others like a "drunken man."

RESPONSE:

Again, let us contrast Muhammad’s religious experience with those of the true prophets of God:

Narrated 'Aisha:

(the mother of the faithful believers) Al-Harith bin Hisham asked Allah's Apostle "O Allah's Apostle! How is the Divine Inspiration revealed to you?" Allah's Apostle replied, "Sometimes it is (revealed) like the ringing of a bell, this form of Inspiration is the hardest of all and then this state passes off after I have grasped what is inspired. Sometimes the Angel comes in the form of a man and talks to me and I grasp whatever he says.” ‘Aisha added: Verily I saw the Prophet being inspired Divinely on a very cold day and noticed the sweat dropping from his forehead (as the Inspiration was over). (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 1, Number 2)

Muhammad’s sweat was a direct result of being in a trance-like state. Contrast:

“Concerning the prophets: My heart is broken within me; all my bones tremble. I am LIKE a drunken man, like a man overcome by wine, because of the LORD and his holy words. The land is full of adulterers; because of the curse the land lies parched and the pastures in the desert are withered. The prophets follow an evil course and use their power unjustly. Both prophet and priest are godless; even in my temple I find their wickedness, declares the LORD. Therefore their path will become slippery; they will be banished to darkness and there they will fall. I will bring disaster on them in the year they are punished, declares the LORD. Among the prophets of Samaria I saw this repulsive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray. And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen something horrible: They commit adultery and live a lie. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his wickedness. They are all like Sodom to me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.” Jeremiah 23:9-14

Jeremiah’s acting LIKE a drunken man, and his bones shaking was due to the pain and anguish he experienced over the lies and wickedness of the false prophets and priests. Again, nothing like Muhammad’s experience.

> 3. His heart would beat rapidly

Isaiah's heart "panted" (i.e., beat heavily) in his "prophetic" experience according to Isaiah 21:4.

RESPONSE:

The reason for Muhammad’s heart beating rapidly was due to the dread and fear he experienced at the hands of the Spirit which appeared to him. More on this below.

Let us see why Isaiah’s heart “panted”:

“An oracle concerning the Desert by the Sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror. A dire vision has been shown to me: The traitor betrays, the looter takes loot. Elam, attack! Media, lay siege! I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused. AT THIS my body is racked with pain, pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor; I am staggered by what I hear, I am bewildered by what I see. My heart falters, fear makes me tremble; the twilight I longed for has become a horror to me. They set the tables, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink! Get up, you officers, oil the shields! This is what the Lord says to me: ‘Go, post a lookout and have him report what he sees. When he sees chariots with teams of horses, riders on donkeys or riders on camels, let him be alert, fully alert.’ And the lookout shouted, ‘Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower; every night I stay at my post. Look, here comes a man in a chariot with a team of horses. And he gives back the answer: “Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the images of its gods lie shattered on the ground!”’ O my people, crushed on the threshing floor, I tell you what I have heard from the LORD Almighty, from the God of Israel.” Isaiah 21:1-10

Isaiah, like Jeremiah, was experiencing emotional turmoil because of the vision he saw regarding the impending destruction and disaster that God had decreed for the sinful people of Babylon. It had nothing to do with his being tortured at the hands of an angel. Another comparison bites the dust.

> 4. His face was red

Compare this with those whom the Old Testament regards as Prophets: The Old Testament Prophets bruised and bled themselves (see: I Kings 20:35—43) under the influence of what they regarded as their "prophetic" experience.

RESPONSE:

It is rather sad, and even disgusting, to see Iqbal twisting the context of the biblical passages in order to defend his false prophet:

“By the word of the LORD one of the sons of the prophets said to his companion, ‘Strike me with your weapon,’ but the man refused. So the prophet said, ‘Because you have not obeyed the LORD, as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you.’ And after the man went away, a lion found him and killed him. The prophet found another man and said, ‘Strike me, please.’ So the man struck him and wounded him. Then the prophet went and stood by the road waiting for the king. He disguised himself with his headband down over his eyes. As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him, ‘Your servant went into the thick of the battle, and someone came to me with a captive and said, “Guard this man. If he is missing, it will be your life for his life, or you must pay a talent of silver.” While your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.’ ‘That is your sentence,’ the king of Israel said. ‘You have pronounced it yourself.’ Then the prophet quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. He said to the king, ‘This is what the LORD says: “You have set free a man I had determined should die. Therefore it is your life for his life, your people for his people.”’ Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went to his palace in Samaria.” 1 Kings 20:35-43

First thing to note is that it wasn’t the prophet who bruised and bled himself. Furthermore, the prophet was acting out the reasons why the king deserved to die. In what way is this similar to Muhammad’s experiences is simply beyond us.

> 5. He would breath heavily

Isaiah's heart would falter and he would breathe heavily in what he believed to be his "prophetic" visions (Isaiah 21:4).

RESPONSE:

See above for the refutation of this gross twisting of the text. It seems that Muslims will go to any extremes in defending their false prophet.

> 6. He would suddenly fall down or lie down

In Abraham's psychotic vision, he "fell face down" on the ground (Genesis 17:3). In his visions, which he claimed to be "prophetic," Ezekiel would fall on his face (Ezekiel 1:28; 43:1-5; 44:4). When Peter and the disciples of Jesus underwent a psychotic vision, they "fell flat on the ground." (Matthew 17:6)

RESPONSE:

Let us note the reason why Muhammad fell to the ground in contrast to the reason for God’s true prophets falling down to the ground:

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 day light, 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 like-wise 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) has created man from a clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous." (96.1, 96.2, 96.3) 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."

Khadija then accompanied him to her cousin Waraqa bin Naufal bin Asad bin 'Abdul 'Uzza, who, during the PreIslamic Period became a Christian and used to write the writing with Hebrew letters. He would write from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allah wished him to write. He was an old man and had lost his eyesight. Khadija said to Waraqa, "Listen to the story of your nephew, O my cousin!" Waraqa asked, "O my nephew! What have you seen?" Allah's Apostle described whatever he had seen. Waraqa said, "This is the same one who keeps the secrets (angel Gabriel) whom Allah had sent to Moses. I wish I were young and could live up to the time when your people would turn you out." Allah's Apostle asked, "Will they drive me out?" Waraqa replied in the affirmative and said, "Anyone (man) who came with something similar to what you have brought was treated with hostility; and if I should remain alive till the day when you will be turned out then I would support you strongly." But after a few days Waraqa died and the Divine Inspiration was also paused for a while.

Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah Al-Ansari while talking about the period of pause in revelation reporting the speech of the Prophet "While I was walking, all of a sudden I heard a voice from the sky. I looked up and saw the same angel who had visited me at the cave of Hira' sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. I got afraid of him and came back home and said, 'Wrap me (in blankets).' And then Allah revealed the following Holy Verses (of Quran):

'O you (i.e. Muhammad)! wrapped up in garments!' Arise and warn (the people against Allah's Punishment),... up to 'and desert the idols.' (74.1-5) After this the revelation started coming strongly, frequently and regularly." (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 1, Number 3)

Note that:

1. An angel visits Muhammad who tortures him by squeezing him half to death.

2. The angel strikes dread and fear in Muhammad, instead of comforting him.

3. Muhammad thinks something terrible has happened to him.

Other reports show that Muhammad even contemplated suicide because of his encounters with this entity. See the following articles for the documantation:

http://answering-islam.org/Silas/suicide.htm

http://answering-islam.org/Silas/fatrah.htm

http://answering-islam.org/Responses/Menj/fatrah.htm

Here are the reasons why the true prophets fell to the ground:

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.’ Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, ‘As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.’” Genesis 17:1-4

“Then there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.” Ezekiel 1:25-28

“Then the man brought me to the gate facing east, and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory. The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when he came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. The glory of the LORD entered the temple through the gate facing east. Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.” Ezekiel 43:1-5

“Then the man brought me to the gate facing east, and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory. The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when he came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. The glory of the LORD entered the temple through the gate facing east. Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.” Ezekiel 44:1-5

It is clear from the context that these true prophets fell down in worship and reverence, not out of fear that they had been possessed by a demon and then contemplated suicide as a result of it.

“After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters-one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. ‘Get up,’ he said. ‘Don't be afraid.’ When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.” Matthew 17:1-8

Note again that the Apostles weren’t terrified because they thought they had seen demons, but because they had heard the majestic voice of God. Note also that Christ alleviated their fears, unlike Muhammad’s angel who squeezed him half to death three consecutive times, causing him overwhelming fear and anxiety.

> 7. He wanted to be covered by a blanket

Old Testament Prophets covered themselves with rough and thick "garments of hair" and leather-girdles (Zechariah 13:4; II Kings 1:8).

RESPONSE:

Before exposing Iqbal’s dishonest use of God’s word, let us repeat why Muhammad asked to be covered:

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) has created man from a clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous." (96.1, 96.2, 96.3) 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." (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 1, Number 3)

Now contrast this with the following biblical citations:

“After Ahab's death, Moab rebelled against Israel. Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, ‘Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.’ But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, ‘Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?” Therefore this is what the LORD says: “You will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!”’ So Elijah went. When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, ‘Why have you come back?’ ‘A man came to meet us,’ they replied. ‘And he said to us, “Go back to the king who sent you and tell him, ‘This is what the LORD says: “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending men to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!”’”’ The king asked them, ‘What kind of man was it who came to meet you and told you this?’ They replied, ‘He was a man with a garment of hair and with a leather belt around his waist.’ The king said, ‘That was Elijah the Tishbite.’” 2 Kings 1:1-8

“‘On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity. On that day, I will banish the names of the idols from the land, and they will be remembered no more,’ declares the LORD Almighty. I will remove both the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land. And if anyone still prophesies, his father and mother, to whom he was born, will say to him, ‘You must die, because you have told lies in the LORD's name.’ When he prophesies, his own parents will stab him. On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his prophetic vision. He will not put on a prophet's garment of hair in order to deceive. He will say, ‘I am not a prophet. I am a farmer; the land has been my livelihood since my youth.’ If someone asks him, ‘What are these wounds on your body?’ he will answer, ‘The wounds I was given at the house of my friends.’” Zechariah 13:1-5

These passages are describing the prophets’ CLOTHING!!!! In what way does this tie in with Muhammad asking to be covered because of his fear that he was demon-possessed is again beyond us.

> 8. He would fall down unconscious

Daniel fell unconscious on observing a vision, which he claimed to be a "prophetic" experience (Daniel 10:8, 9f).

RESPONSE:

We already discussed Muhammad’s falling down. Here we would like to mention that the most interesting part about this is that Muhammad also fell down unconscious prior to his alleged call to prophethood:

Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah:

When the Ka'ba was built, the Prophet and Abbas went to bring stones (for its construction). Al Abbas said to the Prophet, "Take off your waist sheet and put it on your neck." (When the Prophet took it off) he fell on the ground with his eyes open towards the sky and said, "Give me my waist sheet." And he covered himself with it. (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 26, Number 652)

Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah:

When the Ka'ba was rebuilt, the Prophet and 'Abbas went to carry stones. 'Abbas said to the Prophet "(Take off and) put your waist sheet over your neck so that the stones may not hurt you." (But as soon as he took off his waist sheet) he fell unconscious on the ground with both his eyes towards the sky. WHEN HE CAME TO HIS SENSES, he said, "My waist sheet! My waist sheet!" Then he tied his waist sheet (round his waist). (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 58, Number 170)

Taking off one’s waist sheet does not result in a person falling down unconscious. Note that the text says that Muhammad came to his senses, implying some sort of deliriousness or unconsciousness. This shows that Muhammad's falling to the ground wasn’t simply the result of his so-called prophetic experiences.

Unlike Muhammad who was terrorized by the spirit entity, God’s angels relieved Daniel of any fears he had:

"On the twenty-fourth day of the first month I was beside the great river, the Tigris. I looked up and saw a man clothed in linen; around his waist was a belt made of gold from Upaz. His body resembled yellow jasper, and his face was like lightning. His eyes were like blazing torches; his arms and feet had the gleam of polished bronze. His voice thundered forth like the sound of a large crowd. Only I, Daniel, saw the vision; the men who were with me did not see it. On the contrary, they were overcome with fright and ran away to hide. I alone was left to see this great vision. My strength drained from me, and my vigor dissipated; I was without energy. I listened to his voice, and as I did so I fell into a trance-like sleep with my face to the ground. Then a hand touched me and set me on my hands and knees. He said to me, ‘Daniel, you are a treasured person. Understand the words that I am about to speak to you. So stand up, for I have now been sent to you.’ When he said this to me, I stood up shaking. Then he said to me, ‘Don't be afraid, Daniel, for from the very first day you applied your mind to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. I have come in response to your words." Daniel 10:4-12

"While he was saying this to me, I was flat on the ground and unable to speak. Then one who appeared to be a human being was touching my lips. I opened my mouth and started to speak, saying to the one who was standing before me, ‘Sir, due to the vision, anxiety has gripped me and I am utterly without strength. How, sir, am I able to speak with you? My strength is gone, and I am breathless.’ Then the one who appeared to be a human being touched me again and energized me. He said to me, ‘DON'T BE AFRAID, treasured person. Peace be to you! Be strong! Be really strong!’ When he spoke to me, I WAS STRENGTHENED. I said, ‘Sir, you may speak now, FOR YOU HAVE GIVEN ME STRENGTH.’" Daniel 10:15-19

Again, the context makes it quite clear that Daniel’s fear was a result of the glorious appearances of the angelic beings, not because he thought that they were demons. Furthermore, Daniel’s exhaustion, sickness and astonishment were a result of his inability to understand the visions, not because he thought he was demon-possessed or contemplations of suicide.

> 9. His lips would move rapidly

Max Weber writes:

They [The Old Testament Prophets] screamed (karah) their prophecies aloud to the world, partly in indistinguishable words, partly in imprecations, threats, and benedictions with saliva running from their mouths (hittif "geifern" mean to prophecy), now murmuring or stammering. (Ancient Judaism, (NY, 1952), p. 287)

I had already indicated that Ezekiel suffered from paralysis of the limbs and of the tongue (Ezekiel 3:25f) -- from which infirmities he is relieved only upon the pronouncement (which he believed to be "prophetic") of the downfall of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 24:27; 33 22).

RESPONSE:

Instead of quoting Max Weber, Iqbal needs to quote the OT and show us where saliva ran down from the prophets’ mouths. Realizing that no such passage exists he needed to resort to an extra-biblical source for proof.

We already saw that Ezekiel’s experience was nothing like Muhammad’s, but since Iqbal appeals to some additional passages from Ezekiel we need to examine them:

“At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and will no longer be silent. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD.” Ezekiel 24:27

“Now the evening before the man arrived, the hand of the LORD was upon me, and he opened my mouth before the man came to me in the morning. So my mouth was opened and I was no longer silent.” Ezekiel 33:22

Iqbal sites the above passages but fails to mention that the reason why Ezekiel’s mouth had to be opened is because God had commanded him to remain silent:

“Then the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet. He spoke to me and said: ‘Go, shut yourself inside your house. And you, son of man, they will tie with ropes; you will be bound so that you cannot go out among the people. I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be silent and unable to rebuke them, though they are a rebellious house. But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you shall say to them, “This is what the Sovereign LORD says.” Whoever will listen let him listen, and whoever will refuse let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.’” Ezekiel 3:24-27

This is somewhat similar to Zechariah’s experience, John the Baptist’s father:

“Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: ‘DO NOT BE AFRAID, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous-to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’ Zechariah asked the angel, ‘How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.’ The angel answered, ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.’ Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.” Luke 1:8-22

Again, notice that the real Gabriel alleviated Zechariah’s fears and did not torture the latter like Muhammad’s angel did to him.

The foregoing makes it quite clear that Muhammad’s lips moving rapidly has nothing in common with Ezekiel’s mouth being opened in order to warn the people.

> 11. He would sweat

See response to point 2. The dumb Christian repeated this point twice.

RESPONSE:

And make sure to see our refutation to his point 2.

> All of the above (except snoring like a camel) are symptoms of > epilepsy. So 10 out of Muhammad's 11 symptoms may be epilepsy- > related. ….. 10/11

Now, I anxiously await the judgment of the Christian-Zionists on the Old Testament Prophets since their prophetic experience turns out to be a mirror image of that of the Prophet Muhammad(P). For the Muslims, this in itself is the greatest proof of the fact that the Prophet Muhammad(P) represented the continuity of the Hebrew Prophetic tradition, which had been broken and contradicted by the false teachings of Christianity.

RESPONSE:

The foregoing shows that NONE of God’s true prophets experienced revelation the way Muhammad did. Muhammad’s initial traumatic experiences led him to think that he was demon-possessed. Interestingly, we do find examples of demon-possessed individuals whose physical experiences were quite similar to Muhammad’s:

“When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. ‘What are you arguing with them about?’ he asked. A man in the crowd answered, ‘Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.’ ‘O unbelieving generation,’ Jesus replied, ‘how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.’ So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy's father, ‘How long has he been like this?’ ‘From childhood,’ he answered. ‘It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.’ ‘If you can'?’ said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for him who believes.’ Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’ When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. ‘You deaf and mute spirit,’ he said, ‘I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.’ The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, ‘He's dead.’ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. Mark 9:14-27

It is also of interest to note that Muhammad experienced something during his childhood years which led some to think he was demon-possessed:

"Some months after our return he and his brother were with our lambs behind the tents when his brother came running and said to us, ‘Two men clothed in white have seized that Qurayshi brother of mine and thrown him down and opened up his belly, and are stirring him up.’ We ran towards him and found him standing up with a livid face. We took hold of him and asked him what was the matter. He said, ‘Two men with white raiment came and threw me down and opened up my belly and searched therein for I know not what,’ so we took him back to our tent. His father said to me, ‘I am afraid that this child has had a stroke, so take him back to his family before the result appears.’ So we picked him up and took him to his mother who asked why we had brought him when I had been anxious for his welfare and desirous of keeping him with me. I said to her, ‘God has let my son live so far and I have done my duty. I am afraid that ill will befall him, so I have brought him back to you as you wished.’ She asked me what happened and gave me no peace until I told her. When she asked if I feared a demon possessed him, I replied THAT I DID. She answered that no demon had any power over her son who had a great future before him, and then she told me how when she was pregnant with him a light went out from her which illumined the castles of Busra and Syria, ..." (Ibn Ishaq, The Life of Muhammad, trans. Alfred Guillaume [Oxford University Press, Karachi], pp. 71-72; bold and capital emphasis ours)

The preceding data shows that Muhammad was a false prophet who was demon-possessed. It is little wonder that he contradicted the true teachings of Christianity which perfectly agree with and complete the Hebrew prophetic tradition.

It must be stated that God’s true prophets never confused the being that spoke to them with either Satan or a demon, nor did they contemplate suicide after these divine encounters. This is quite different from Muhammad’s experiences.

E-mail me Quennel Gale at queball20@yahoo.com

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