robert spencer-did muhammad exist__ an inquiry into islams obscure origins-intercollegiate studies institute (2012) (1)
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Zaynab, <strong>an</strong>d therefore the prophet was rejecting Allah's will. Indeed, Allah rebuked Muhammad for not<br />
w<strong>an</strong>ting to receive what the deity w<strong>an</strong>ted to give him, saying that the prophet feared public opinion (as the<br />
people might justifiably be upset at Muhammad's new union with his comely former daughter-in-law)<br />
more th<strong>an</strong> he feared Allah: “And thou wast concealing within thyself what God should reveal, fearing<br />
other men; <strong>an</strong>d God has better right for thee to fear him” (33:37).<br />
So Muhammad resolved to do Allah's will. He went <strong>into</strong> the tr<strong>an</strong>celike state that often attended his<br />
reception of divine revelations, <strong>an</strong>d when he came to, he asked happily: “Who will go to Zaynab to tell<br />
her the good news, saying that God has married her to me?”<br />
Allah explained that he had staged the whole event in order to impress upon Muslims that adopted sons<br />
should not be treated as natural sons <strong>an</strong>d that adoption itself was illegitimate: “God has not assigned to<br />
<strong>an</strong>y m<strong>an</strong> two hearts within his breast; nor has He made your wives, when you divorce, saying, ‘Be as my<br />
mother's back,’ truly your mothers, neither has He made your adopted sons your sons in fact. That is your<br />
own saying, the words of your mouths; but God speaks the truth, <strong>an</strong>d guides on the way” (33:4). And<br />
specifically in Muhammad's case: “So when Zayd had accomplished what he would of her, then We gave<br />
her in marriage to thee: so that there should not be <strong>an</strong>y fault in the believers, touching the wives of their<br />
adopted sons, when they have accomplished what they would of them” (33:37). Zayd bin Muhammad<br />
went back to being known as Zayd bin Haritha, <strong>an</strong>d to this day adoption is not considered legitimate in<br />
Islamic law.<br />
This new divine decree had the added benefit of absolving Muhammad of <strong>an</strong>y guilt for violating the<br />
laws of cons<strong>an</strong>guinity by marrying Zaynab. When, according to a hadith in Bukhari's collection,<br />
Muhammad <strong>an</strong>nounced that Allah had married him to Zaynab, Aisha remarked—with what degree of irony<br />
is up to the reader—“I feel that your Lord hastens in fulfilling your wishes <strong>an</strong>d desires.” 4 Could this story<br />
possibly have been fabricated as a pious legend? It is hard to imagine why <strong>an</strong>y pious Muslim would have<br />
invented it: The Zaynab incident depicts Muhammad as a rogue prophet, enslaved to his lust, <strong>an</strong>d stooping<br />
to construct a flimsy excuse (the prohibition of adoption) in order to exonerate himself.<br />
But embarrassment is relative. We may see this incident as casting Muhammad in a bad light, but what<br />
constitutes a negative depiction is not necessarily const<strong>an</strong>t from age to age <strong>an</strong>d culture to culture.<br />
Consider the story of Muhammad's marriage to Aisha, the daughter of his close comp<strong>an</strong>ion <strong>an</strong>d first<br />
successor, Abu Bakr. Whereas the Qur'<strong>an</strong>ic text that refers elliptically to Muhammad's marriage to Zaynab<br />
provides <strong>an</strong> elaborate expl<strong>an</strong>ation for the whole incident, the earliest records about Muhammad's<br />
dalli<strong>an</strong>ce with Aisha state events without apology. A hadith collected by Bukhari notes: “The Prophet<br />
wrote the (marriage contract) with Aisha while she was six years old <strong>an</strong>d consummated his marriage with<br />
her while she was nine years old <strong>an</strong>d she remained with him for nine years (i.e., till his death).” 5<br />
Aisha herself betrayed nervousness, but no one else seemed particularly concerned:<br />
The Prophet engaged me when I was a girl of six (years). We went to Medina <strong>an</strong>d stayed at the home of B<strong>an</strong>i al-Harith bin<br />
Khazraj. Then I got ill <strong>an</strong>d my hair fell down. Later on my hair grew (again) <strong>an</strong>d my mother, Umm Rum<strong>an</strong>, came to me while I was<br />
playing in a swing with some of my girl friends. She called me, <strong>an</strong>d I went to her, not knowing what she w<strong>an</strong>ted to do to me. She caught<br />
me by the h<strong>an</strong>d <strong>an</strong>d made me st<strong>an</strong>d at the door of the house. I was breathless then, <strong>an</strong>d when my breathing became all right, she took<br />
some water <strong>an</strong>d rubbed my face <strong>an</strong>d head with it. Then she took me <strong>into</strong> the house. There in the house I saw some Ansari women who<br />
said, “Best wishes <strong>an</strong>d Allah's blessing <strong>an</strong>d good luck.” Then she entrusted me to them <strong>an</strong>d they prepared me (for the marriage).<br />
Unexpectedly Allah's Apostle came to me in the forenoon <strong>an</strong>d my mother h<strong>an</strong>ded me over to him, <strong>an</strong>d at that time I was a girl of nine
Change language