Quran Contradiction

Was Muhammad protected from the power of Satan?

The Quran says that Satan can only harm those who are deviators, those who are not on the right path. As for those who are servants of Allah, Satan will have no power over them:

And certainly We created you, then We fashioned you, then We said to the angels: Make obeisance to Adam. So they did obeisance except Iblis; he was not of those who did obeisance. He said: What hindered you so that you did not make obeisance when I commanded you? He said: I am better than he: Thou hast created me of fire, while him Thou didst create of dust. He said: Then get forth from this (state), for it does not befit you to behave proudly therein. Go forth, therefore, surely you are of the abject ones. He said: Respite me until the day when they are raised up. He said: Surely you are of the respited ones. He said: As Thou hast caused me to remain disappointed I will certainly lie in wait for them in Thy straight path. Then I will certainly come to them from before them and from behind them, and from their right-hand side and from their left-hand side; and Thou shalt not find most of them thankful. He said: Get out of this (state), despised, driven away; whoever of them will follow you, I will certainly fill hell with you all. S. 7:11-18 Shakir

Here is another version:

He said: O Iblis! what excuse have you that you are not with those who make obeisance? He said: I am not such that I should make obeisance to a mortal whom Thou hast created of the essence of black mud fashioned in shape. He said: Then get out of it, for surely you are driven away: And surely on you is curse until the day of judgment. He said: My Lord! then respite me till the time when they are raised. He said: So surely you are of the respited ones Till the period of the time made known. He said: My Lord! because Thou hast made life evil to me, I will certainly make (evil) fair-seeming to them on earth, and I will certainly cause them all to deviate Except Thy servants from among them, the devoted ones. He said: This is a right way with Me: Surely, as regards My servants, you have no authority over them except those who follow you of the deviators. And surely Hell is the promised place of them all: It has seven gates; for every gate there shall be a separate party of them. S. 15:32-44 Shakir

How interesting. Allah not only listens to the suggestion of Satan but also follows his plan! Satan asks Allah for respite with the intention of plunging man into destruction, and Allah grants him his request! Either Allah knew Satan’s intention and therefore wanted him to cause men to stray, or Allah didn’t know it and is therefore ignorant.

(Also note the glaring contradictions between these two reports. It seems that the author of the Quran couldn’t recall the exact words Allah and Iblis used in their alleged conversation.)

But this is all beside the point, since the main issue is that Allah says that all the believers are protected, which would especially include his prophets. This promise of protection is repeated several times in the Quran:

O you who believe! take care of your souls; he who errs cannot hurt you WHEN YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT WAY; to Allah is your return, of all (of you), so He will inform you of what you did. S. 5:105 Shakir

And when thou recitest the Qur'an, seek refuge in Allah from Satan the outcast. Lo! he hath no power over those who believe and put trust in their Lord. His power is ONLY over those who make a friend of him, and those who ascribe partners unto Him (Allah). S. 16:98-100 Pickthall

Save unto every messenger whom He hath chosen, and then He maketh a guard to go before him and a guard behind him That He may know that they have indeed conveyed the messages of their Lord. He surroundeth all their doings, and He keepeth count of all things. S. 72:27-28 Pickthall

In addition to the protection of believers against Satan, Muhammad is personally promised that he would be protected from the people:

O Apostle! deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord; and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message, and Allah will protect you from the people; surely Allah will not guide the unbelieving people. S. 5:67 Shakir

The implications of the above citations should be obvious to the reader. Muhammad, if he was pleasing to Allah and under his protection, could not come under Satan’s control and could not be harmed by Satan’s devises. Furthermore, neither a Jew, nor a Christian, nor a pagan etc., would be able to affect Muhammad due to this protection.

Yet the problem with the above assertions is that Muhammad did speak what came to be known as the "Satanic Verses." According to Muslim sources, Satan inspired Muhammad to recite verses which were not from Allah praising the three goddesses or daughters of Allah. For documentation regarding this incident, please consult the following articles: