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Rebuttals to Islamic Awareness : What About Salm鈔 - The Persian?
Responses to Islamic Awareness
What About Salm鈔 - The Persian?
Introduction
The "Islamic Awareness" team objects to the theory that Salm鈔 the Persian
helped Muhammad write his Qur'an and attempts to rescue the Qur'an from
this theory.
Salm鈔, who had been a Zoroastrian before accepting Christianity in Syria,
later moved on to Medina where he met the Prophet(P) and accepted Islam.
Salm鈔's life is documented in Islamic history, notably as the very first
person to propose digging a trench for the defense of Medina when the city
was threatened with invasion by the Meccan disbelievers and their allies.
His bright suggestion, coupled with violent wintry gales, successfully
repelled the enemy.
The "Islamic Awareness" team defends Muhammad and the Qur'an with the
following argument:
It is well known to Muslims that the greater part of the Qur'鈔, i.e.,
about two thirds of it, was revealed in Mecca before the Prophet(P)
migrated to Medina (this includes the stories of Biblical Prophets!),
where Salm鈔 met him.
Salman the Persian did, in fact, first meet Muhammad when he arrived
at Yathrib (Medina):
At that time the Prophet was inviting his people in Makkah to Islam
but I did not hear anything about him then because of the harsh duties
which slavery imposed upon me.
When the Prophet reached Yathrib after his hijrah from Makkah, I was
in fact at the top of a palm tree belonging to my master doing some
work. My master was sitting under the tree. (Source:
"Companions
of The Prophet", Vol.1, By: Abdul Wahid Hamid)
The Inductive Fallacy of an Unrepresentative Sample
It is also true that most of the Qur'an is composed of Meccan Suras.
It is also true that most of the information concerning the Prophets
are found in the Meccan Suras. However, when we look at the Suras
given
to us by the "Islamic Awareness" site, we find something interesting.
The "Islamic Awareness" team commits a fallacy of an unrepresentative
sample because, although most of the information concerning the Prophets
are in Meccan Suras, most of the information concerning Jesus are
found in Medinan Suras! Only two of the eight passages cited are
Meccan: Suras 19:16-40 and 21:90-91. These verses describe the
events leading up to the birth of Jesus with details similar to the
Christian Apocrypha.
The Medinan Suras (3:33-62; 5:72-77; 5:110-120; 4:156-159; 61:14;
and 57:27) are clearly in the majority.
The fallacies of Style Over Substance and ad hominem
Furthermore, the Book's literary style is so sublime that even born
Arab linguists who have tried over the years to imitate it have
not been successful - to say nothing of a Persian.
Beauty is in the eyes and ears of the beholder, I am more interested
in the message than in the style. However, the claim that the Qur'an's
style cannot be imitated is simply not true (see this
link,
and also the whole discussion about the so-called
Miracle of the Qur'an).
I also believe it unnecessary to insult the Persians and their ability
to learn other languages. Persians are capable of learning Arabic,
as well as other languages. Apparently, Salman the Persian was able
to learn a sufficient amount of Arabic to enable him to survive in
the Hijaz, even more, to become a noted companion of Muhammad. The
same Style Over Substance fallacy is found also in their response
on the Ten Wise Jews.
Conclusion
The "Islamic Awareness" team constructed another argument based on
a number of logical fallacies. Clearly, the majority of the material
in the Qur'an concerning Jesus dates from the Medina Period, when
Muhammad knew Salman. Does this prove that Salman taught
Muhammad information concerning Jesus? No, but it certainly provides
support to the theory that Salman may have imparted knowledge
to Muhammad, and completely destroys the "Islamic Awareness" team's
claims that he could not have influenced Muhammad.
Andrew Vargo
Responses to Islamic Awareness
Answering Islam Home Page