The Role of Holy Imams in Revival of Religion

3 - a Study of the Surah "bani-israel".

In the first Hadith which we narrated from Tabari, 326 in which the fabricated, false events surrounding the Gharaniq fable were spoken of, mention was made of verses in the Surah Bani Israel" the precise meaning of which is:

"If we hadn't made you firm in your way with the purity and infallibility we gifted you with, you would have been close to developing an inclination towards them (the idolators, of the strong agents of wealth and power on the opposite front) . We have, however, made you firm in your way and therefore you will not find the slightest inclination towards them let alone act according to the idolators desires!". 327

According to the basis of this verse, the prophet did not bring about the idolators desires and wishes, nor come to have the slightest desire for them nor even did this possibility for closeness and inclination exist in him. This verse has complete resemblance in wording to the verse delivered about the Prophet Joseph (a.s) where the Lord says:

"And he would have made for her were it not that he had seen the manifest evidence of his lord......." 328

The result of this verse in the Surah "Bani Israel" which is completely evident, is that there is no possibility that the Prophet will develop the smallest inclination towards the idolators or give a positive answer to their wishes.

An Evaluation Of The "Gharaniq" Narrative.

Up until now we have presented the interpretation of the verses under discussion based of the literal meanings of their key words in the Arabic language, an observation of the approach taken by the verses in this surahs, attention to that which precede and followed them and most important keeping the whole Quran in mind while we have ignored the narratives introduced regarding them in the Caliphate school. If we wish to refer to these narratives, first of all we must study their (sanad) narrators and texts; assaying their sanad by relying on history and "the study of the transmitters", and assessing their texts in a comparative study with the Quran.

The Narratives Versus The Holy Quran.

We don't know how a group of Islams scholars such as Tabari (died 310 A.H), Vahedi (died 486 A.H), Zamakhshary (died 538 A.H), Bayzavi (died 791 A.H) and Suyooty (910 A.H) along with others could have included these narratives in their commentaries or . histories, compiling and proposing them as if they were indicative of the truth.

We don't know how they accepted and attested to these narratives in which Satan dominated the Prophet, when they had read in the Holy Quran that:

"So when you recited the Quran, seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Shaitan, surely he has no authority over those who believe and rely on their lord. His authority is only over those who befriend him and those who associate others with him". 329

and also:

"Surely as regards my servants, you have no authority over them except those who follow you of the deviators". 330

While Satan himself says:

"He said: Then by Thy might I will surely make them live an evil life, all, except thy servants from among them, the purified ones". 331

The above mentioned scholars narrated these kinds of narratives and looked on them with believing eyes while in the Holy Quran we may read:

"And surely the Quran is an indefeatable scripture and in the past there was not, nor will there be in the future an annular of it, and has been revealed by a lord praised and all-knowing". 332

and also:

"Surly We have revealed The Reminder and We will most surely be its guardian". 333

We don't know if it just didn't occur to these scholars that since the Quran was indefeatable, nothing existing in the past or future which could annul it, and being enclosed by the lords certains protection and safe-guarding that all of this was enough to protect it from Satans deeds?!.

The narratives under discussion all spoke of the Prophet adding similar Satanic verses to the Holy Quran, when the Lord says this about his Prophet in the Quran:

"Your companion does not err, nor does he go astray, Nor does he speak out of desire. It is naught but Revelation that is revealed". 334

and also:

"Surely, it does not beseem me that I should change it of myself: I follow naught but what is revealed to me". 335

and also:

"And if he had fabricated against us some of his sayings, We could certainly have seized him by the right hand, then We would certainly have cut off his aorta. And not one of you could have withheld us from him". 336

According to these verses, all of the prophets words, precisely all of his words are based upon the lords revelation and inspiration and he cannot change or alter that which is revealed to him. If the impossible occurs, however, and he would do such the lord with his unlimited power would prevent him by taking his hand and then severing his aorta thus ending his life. Unfourtunately, however, these scholars relate that the lord gave Satan a free hand in this deed and the Prophet introduced similar verses in the Holy Quran based upon his suggestions, accepting them as Gods' verses!!

In view of this Quranic discussion to show the falsity and forgery of the Gharaniq fable, and keeping in mind the interpretation of the related verses, we have no need to say more and we need no more logical reasons regarding this matter. We will, however, take one more step in the way of research and study these traditions from other viewpoints.

"The Transmitter Of The Gharaniq Fable Narratives".

Because of the brevity we had in mind for this discussion we will study the list of the transmitters of the "Gharaniq Fable" narratives from only one viewpoint and the time and occurance of the Surah "Najm" revelation, and whether they actually saw the event take place. This is to see whether this chain of transmitters actually go back to the actual event or not. Just as we will see in this study notwithstanding the other weak points in the Sanad, none of the primary narrators of these tradition comprehended the time of this event, and from this viewpoint these narratives are worthless.

As for the narratives are worthless.

As for the narratives we quoted from Tabaris Tafseer their chain of transmitters goes back to the persons listed below;

The chain of transmitters for the first and second narratives go back to Mohammad ibn ka'b ibn Solim Qurayzi who was descended from the Jews of Bani Qurayza. He was born in the forthieth year after the migration meaning almost thirty years after the prophets death, and died in either 108 or 117 A.H. He is considered to be one of the Medinan followers (Tabein). 337
Mohammad ibn Ghais is the last transmitter in the chain of transmitters in Tabaris first narrative along with Mohammad ibn Ka'b. 338 He was the official religious spokesman during the rule of Umar ibn Abdul Aziz and died during the unrest and disturbances during the time of Valid ibn Yazid ibn Abdul Mulk, or approx. the year 126 A.H. The experts in the study of the transmitters count him as being one of the followers. 339
The transmitters for the third and fourth narratives go back to Abu Alalieh Roaye ibn Mehran, He accepted Islam two years after the Prophets death and therefore he is of the second class transmitters and considered one of the followers. His death has been said to be in either 92, 93 or 106 or 110 A.H. 340
The fifth and sixth narratives go back to Sa'id ibn Jobair as far as its transmitters is concerned. He is also considered to be from the followers and the third-class transmitters. Hojaj murdered him in either the year 92, 94 or 95 A.H. when he was only 49 years old. 341
The seventh narrative is from Abdullah ibn Abbas and he is the only narrator of this type of narratives who is from the group of companions and all of the other transmitters and commentators who related this fable are the group of followers or in other words the group after the companions. Ibn Abbas was born three years before the migration. 342
Tabari relates the eighth narrative and the interpretation of some of the sentences from Zahak ibn Maahem Halaly, this gentleman being of the fifth-class of transmitters and having died in the year 105 or 106 A.H. 343
The ninth narrative is related from Abu Bakr ibn Abdul Rahman ibn Haras who is one of the followers and considered to be of the there class transmitters. He died in the year 94 A.H 344 and was said to have been born during Umars rule. 345
In the interpretation of the verse under discussion (Haj: 52) a few of Mojaheds remarks are mentioned. He is Mojahed ibn Habr Abu Al Hojaj Macci. He was born in the year 21 A.H and died in either the year 103, 104 or 105 A.H. 346
Tabari also relates from Ghatadeh and he is Ghatadeh ibn De'ameht ibn Ghatadeh Saduci and is included in the fourth group of transmitters. Ghatadeh was born in the year 60 A.H and died in the year 118 A.H of the plague. 347
In addition to the above mentioned narratives Sayooty relates a narrative by Sodi. He is Abu Mohammad Esmael ibn Abdul Rahman ibn Abi Dhoyab Sodi and is from the fourth class narrators (transmitters) he died in the year 127 A.H.
Nayshaburi also related another narrative by Ibn Abbas in his commentary (Tafseer).

This chain of transmitters upon which the historians and biographer of the Prophet relied to narrate their own narratives is divided into several groups. That which Tabari related in his history 348 are the first two narratives, the texts of which we read previously and the chain of transmitters of which we studied. The historians who followed Tabari, such as Ibn Asir, shortened these narratives and then related them. 349

That which the biographers have related are from three sources. First are the narratives of Ibn Eshagh which are the same as those quoted in Tabaris history, and which were previously studied. Another is something which Musa ibn Oghbeh relates in his biography and also persons such as Dhohaby in Tarikh al-Islam and Kalaey in Al-Ektefa etc. have related. 350 Musa ibn Oghbehs naratives, 351 however, originate with Mohammad ibn Muslim Zohry 352 who was a transmitter and narrator of the fourth class, having been born in the year 50 A.H. and died in the year 124 A.H.

The third source is the narratives which Ibn Sa'd, Vaghedy's student related in Al-Tabaghat al-Kobra, Ibn Sa'd relates his narratives from his teacher. Mohammad ibn Umar Vaghedy who died in the year 208 A.H. 353 Vaghedys narratives are three altogether the first being from two transmitters naed Mohammad ibn Fazaleh Zafary and Mutalib ibn Abdullah ibn Hantab while the second and third are from Abu Bakr ibn Abdul Rahman ibn Haras. Abu Bakr ibn Abdul Rahman is the same we read about in number (7) and we saw that he was of the third class of transmitters.

Experts on the transmitters know Mutalib Ibn Abdullah ibn Hantab as being from the fourth class of transmitters 354 and they only just mention a person named Mohammad ibn Fazaleh, the only introduction made by them regarding him being that he was a Shaikh of Sham and a student of Hesham ibn Umar ibn Salamy. 355 In an account about Hesham ibn Umar they say: He was born in the year 153 A.H. and died in the year 245 A.H. 356 Therefore, his student must have lived in the second and third or third and fourth centuries.

The result of this study of the chain of transmitters is that the group of transmitters from which all of the naratives existing on the Gharaniq fable originate, with the exception of Abdullah ibn Abbas, all were from the followers and some of them were even a few generations removed from the Holy Prophets lifetime. This is a fact which those familiar with the study of history know will cause any historical narrative to lose it value. Just as we mentioned earlier, only one of the Prophets companions is included in this group of transmitters. He is Abdullah ibn Abbas ibn Abdul Mutalib and just as was said previously he was born three years before the Prophets migration, meaning that he was born in Mecca and was therefore approximately thirteen years old at the Prophet's death.

The Surah Najm, according to the concensus of historians opinions, was certainly revealed Mecca, meaning in historians opinions, was certainly revealed in Mecca, 357 meaning in the years before the migration. Even a group of historians and the first companions of the Prophet such as Ibn Massoud are of the opinion that this was the first Surah that he read publicly in Mecca. The final result of all this being.

First of all - The revelation of the Najm occured in the years prior to the migration.

And second of all- The revelation of this surah was at the outset of the mission.

With regard to these two results and the years of Ibn Abbas's birth we see that in principle Ibn Abbas had not been born in those years and even if we disregard this and think that this Surah was revealed at the end of the Prophets' inhabitance in Mecca, Abdullah Ibn Abbas was even then no more than a small child or even a baby and cannot narrate this event as an eye-witness. In this way Ibn Abbas's narrative loses its credibility and encounters the same fate the other narratives encountered.

Having the fact in mind that none of the narrators were present at the time of this events' occurance, all being born afterwards, we ask: Then how could they related these narratives and in them tell of these events with so many particulars and lengthy details?

We don't wish to place the burden of sin from this enormous lie, fabrication and calumny on their shoulders, and we consider it more probable that a group of fabricators created these types of narratives and attributed them to these narrators as the basis of a calculated plot. Our future discussions, by the grace of God, will be responsible for further clarifying this matter