These 2 articles answer the above objections
Wednesday, November 11, 2020
Sam Shamoun "The Deception of Allah and the Uncertainty of Salvation" (2)
Related to the above article by Sam Shamoun:
Sam Shamoun "The Deception of Allah and the Uncertainty of Salvation" (1)
Because of His attribute of Justice He would not wrong anyone. Allah is the Ultimate Truth and anything called upon besides Him is falsehood 20:6,62,24:25,31:30.
He is the best (Khair means best in the sense of good and positive) Al Makireen 3:54,8:30, the best of planners because He always plans for the good, and only Him knows what is ultimately good. In 3:54 for example, that planning came to oppose the Jews' plans to kill Jesus. It resulted in Allah raising Jesus to Himself and honoring him above his enemies. MAKARA (to plan) from the point of view of the humans can mean to plan for the good or plan for the bad and if it is for the latter then it is preceded by sayia/bad as in 40:45 or 16:45.
When speaking of Allah protecting Musa from Pharaoh's plans, the Quran specifies that this plan of Pharaoh was bad sayiaat plur. Again in 35:10,43 the Quran uses sayiaat to specify how the things people are planning for are bad. When sayia is not used then the context specifies what type of makar the people are devising 27:48-50,8:30,10:21 by showing who is trying to deceive who. It is the never changing sunna/way of Allah that He will always counter the evil plans of those people planning against Him no matter how elaborate their plan is
14:46"though their plan was such that the mountains should pass away thereby".
Ultimately, Allah's plan is always good, even when it brings about total destruction. He is the best (Khair) Al Makireen as in Ibrahim, Jesus or the early Muslims' cases when He defeated the machinations of the wicked people by countering them with an elaborate, comprehensive plan that ultimately only leaves the "good" standing.
The Hebrew Scriptures speak in similar terms of God's slowly but surely unfolding His destructive plan against the disbelieving oppressors without them realizing it Isa19:17. He is also said to be One who lays snares Jer50:24,Ezek17:20 plots evil towards the sinners Micah2:3, acts crookedly with the crooked Ps18:27 and creates not only good but also evil Deut30:15,Isa45:7,1Sam16:14.
The Quranic notion of Allah planning therefore always comes in the context of moral reflexivity, never as an initial action. The reflexive nature of good and evil deeds is a common theme in the Quran; spending in charity is like spending on oneself 2:272, eating the wealth of the orphans under care is like filling one's belly with fire 4:10. Stinginess ultimately translates into miserliness unto nobody but oneself 47:38, trying to lead astray leads oneself first and foremost astray 3:69,4:113 etc.
The planning of Allah is thus a a reciprocal effect in direct return to attempts at planning against Allah. The Quran states in the context of Yusuf/Joseph's story and the deception of his brothers to get rid of him
The planning of Allah is thus a a reciprocal effect in direct return to attempts at planning against Allah. The Quran states in the context of Yusuf/Joseph's story and the deception of his brothers to get rid of him
12:21"And thus, We established Joseph in the land that We might teach him the interpretation of events. And Allah is predominant over His affair, but most of the people do not know".
The story of Yusuf illustrates in one of the most beautiful ways the notion of Allah "planning", how He counters the plan of the evil doers with a more intricate plan that always prevails. Once the plan was fulfilled and all matters were settled, Yusuf said
12:100"Indeed, my Lord is Subtle in what He wills. Indeed, it is He who is the Knowing, the Wise".
The planning of Allah is subtle beyond human capacity, implemented with perfect knowledge and wisdom.
The Arabic for "to deceive" is khada'a, as in 2:9 when speaking of those trying to deceive Allah and the believers while they only deceive themselves. It is the law of Allah that if one intends to deceive Him, mock His communications 6:10,15:11-15 or actively fight His guidance 4:115 then that deceit, mockery or violence will encompass him 45:33.
Its effect is in the metaphysical sphere first and foremost; hardening his heart through a seal of his spiritual senses, eventually taking him to his doom at his appointed time
16:33-34,86:15-17,21:38-41"And they say: When will this threat come to pass if you are truthful? Had those who disbelieve but known (of the time) when they shall not be able to ward off the fire from their faces nor from their backs, nor shall they be helped. Nay, it shall come on them all of a sudden and cause them to become confounded, so they shall not have the power to avert it, nor shall they be respited. And certainly messengers before you were scoffed at, then there befell those of them who scoffed that at which they had scoffed".
Their attempted deceptive plans against Allah, were always 14:46"with Allah" ie fully controlled by Him
85:20"And Allah encompasses them on every side (wara2 as is used in common speak doesnt only signify "back" but "all sides")".
He renders their plans ineffective by reversing the intended purpose;
In accordance with Allah's law of causality 2:9, the Quran shows in 4:142 the hypocrites striving to deceive Allah, then this same deception is returned to them by Allah, and this is the only verse attributing khada'a (to deceive) to Allah. That deception, which is in other words self-deception and the result of one's actions, is attributed to Allah because as in all phenomena, natural or spiritual, it is in accordance with His laws that the disbelievers or those seeking to harm His cause will destroy their own souls without perceiving it, whether through the
41:23"(evil) thought which you entertained about your Lord that has tumbled you down into perdition"
or through the active struggle of the enemies of Islam who
40:25,4:113"do not bring (aught) to perdition but their own souls"
deceiving their own selves without perceiving
16:45-7,6:123"and they do not plan but against their own souls, and they do not perceive".
Not only do they not perceive that higher reality, but in fact so deep and intricate is a single of God's decree that all humans together would need a 1000 year of unceasing planning and reflecting to equal the lapse of time needed for it to be divinely decreed and concretely implemented 22:47,32:5. This is another way of expressing the impossibility for humans to come up with such intricate concepts.
The evil plotting of those who reject the truth and actively oppose it, aiming at ruining the faith of the believers
6:26"only bring destruction upon their own souls while they do not perceive".
As stated in the Quran, deceivers do not perceive that their very behaviour is causing their own destruction in degrees. This is the plan devised by Allah in regards to them, the fact that their deception inevitably causes a chain of events that puts the deceiver at the receiving end of his own actions
7:182-3,68:44-45"We will overtake them by degrees, from whence they perceive not: And I do bear with them, surely My plan is firm".
Destruction coming on them "from whence they perceive not" refers to it coming from the very reality they denied and called a lie
39:25-48"Those before them denied, so the chastisement came to them from whence they perceived not..and what they never thought of shall become plain to them from Allah".
At that time, when they are all gathered, they will be challenged to unleash that plan they believed would bring them victory
77:38-9"This is the day of decision: We have gathered you and those of yore. So if you have a plan, plan against Me (now)".
The Quran in 16:26 uses the image of a building collapsing on the one devising evil plans, starting from the place one would normally seek refuge in when hiding from an attack, the foundations. This is because
35:43"the evil plans shall not beset any save the authors of it".
Their deception is returned to them while they do not perceive
16:34"So the evil (consequences) of what they did shall afflict them and that which they mocked shall encompass them"
causing them destruction through their own hands
8:51"This is for what your own hands have sent on before".
That gradually unfolding self-deception takes them to a destination, described in the Quran as "lying in wait" for those heedless of it 78:21. It is but a natural concept, that of the misdeeds accumulating to a point that they cannot but suddenly overwhelm the guilty.
The idea is present throughout the HB as here stated by the prophet Hosea
Hos7:2"They do not say in their heart that I remember all their evil. Now their deeds have surrounded them; they were before My face".
David's eloquent Psalms says
7:16-17"He dug a pit and deepened it, and he fell into the pit that he made. The trouble they cause recoils on them; their violence comes down on their own heads" Ps35:8"May darkness that he does not know come upon him, and his net that he hid shall ensnare him; in the darkness may he fall into it".
It is also to be noted that, contrary to 3:54,8:30 Allah never describes Himself as "khair al khadieen" because khair (good) cannot be used with khadaa which is an evil act. Makar therefore does not mean to deceive but to plan, either for good or for bad, this is further irrefutable through the following
7:123"Firon said: Do you believe in Him before I have given you permission? Surely this is a plot which you have secretly devised (makar makartumuhu) in this city".
If makar meant to deceive, this verse would be liguistically flawed "this is a deception which you have deceived". Makar instead, means to plan "this is a plan which you have planned". To determine the nature of that plan, as said earlier, one needs to look at the context in which the word is used as well as whether the word sayia is related to it.
The same case is repeated in 27:50 where makara can only mean to plan
"And they planned (makaru) a plan (makran), and We planned (makarna) a plan (makran) while they perceived not".
Kayd, which may also be used for the good 12:76, is used in the same manner as makar 7:183,8:18,12:52,37:98,40:25,68:45etc and in particular 86:15 to see that it does not mean to "deceive".
Sam Shamoun "Allah Disgraces His “Prophet”" (3)
On a Saturday or Sunday towards the end of Safar the second month of 10/632, the Prophet sensed the coming of his time. He took Ali by the hand, and accompanied by a few of his Companions, went to al-Baqi' the graveyard of Medina and, standing between the graves of his fallen companions, he addressed them and offered them his prayers.
Gabriel used to review the Quran once a year with him and this special year, he did it twice.
"I see this as an indication of the coming of my end"
he said.
He then returned to his home where he rested from his illness for 3 days till wednesday where he went to the mosque and admonished the people. After that, and to further cement the memorization of the Quran among his people, the prophet summoned Zayd bin Thabit, Ubayy bin Kaab and all three recited to one another.
On a friday, he sat again on the pulpit reminding them of the essence of Islam
"O people, there is nothing which can stand between Allah and anyone that could benefit a man or ward off evil from him except good deeds. O people, let no ambitious man claim anything, or one full of desires, desire anything! For by Him Who sent me with the truth, only good deeds coupled with Allah's mercy can lead to salvation. Even I, had I rebelled against Allah, would have fallen".
His illness persisted for some days, and went on deteriorating until he began losing and regaining consciousness back and forth. Those present around him recognized the seriouslness of his condition while others began arguing among oneanother whether he had started losing his full mental faculties. That observation by some unnamed companions was not based on facts, the prophet was not speaking irrationally or behaving erraticaly. They were speculating upon his health as happens many times among people gathered around a severely ill person to whom they are attached
"The Prophet replied, ‘Leave me as I am in a better state than what you are asking me to do.’"
Umar, in his concern during those last moments did not want him to talk too much and exhert himself by having something written. Umar felt the prophet had conveyed all that was necessary for the guidance of the people and he thus did not need to further worry himself in those last, painful moments
"When Allah’s Apostle was on his death-bed and in the house there were some people among whom was ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab, the Prophet said, “Come, let me write for you a statement after which you will not go astray.” ‘Umar said, “The Prophet is seriously ill and you have the Qur’an; so the Book of Allah is enough for us".
Following the Book of God includes following the sunnah of the last prophet, as proven from the Book itself. Here Umar is directing his comment to those whom he felt were inappropriately pressing the prophet on his death bed. And in fact the prophet did issue verbatim instructions a few moments later, things which the community was already aware of but which he felt were important to stress again
"keep well my memory through kindness to my family. Treat with kindness the people of dhimma, and feed the poor. Observe regular prayers, and be kind to the women whom your right hands possess" ‘Turn out all the pagans from the Arabian Peninsula, show respect to all foreign delegates by giving them gifts as I used to do.’.
He continued to repeat these injunctions until he could endure no longer, and turned his face away from the people. Next morning, he allowed no one to come in to see him because of his grave illness. Ali, however, stayed beside him, not leaving him except for necessary errands. As his head was placed in Ali's lap, he opened his eyes and quoted in a feeble voice to Fatimah his daughter who was crying
3:144"And Muhammad is no more than a messenger; the messengers have already passed away before him; if then he dies or is killed will you turn back upon your heels?"
Through 3:144, the believers are therefore told to remember God's guidance by constantly being grateful and remain on the path of truth regardless of any hardship, including a tragedy like the death of their beloved prophet because at the end it is for their own good and disbelief is their loss only
"And whoever turns back upon his heels, he will by no means do harm to Allah in the least; and Allah will reward the grateful".
The Prophet finally breathed his last, while Ali's hand rested beneath his jaw. The Prophet died two nights before the end of Safar.
Regarding his burrial, Ali suggested:
"Allah, be He exalted, received the soul of His Prophet in the purest of spots; let him, therefore, be buried there."
They accepted his advice and buried the Prophet in the room where he died. Aws ibn Khawli was the one who lifted the Prophet's body and brought it down in the grave. Ali went down into the grave and uncovered the Prophet's face and placed his cheek on the ground, facing the qiblah, and laid him on his right side. He laid grave slabs and covered the tomb with earth.
Sam Shamoun "Allah Disgraces His “Prophet”" (2)
Assuming the poison story to be true, why didnt God's prophet die on the spot with those who ate the poisonned meal.
Our opponents will keep on scratching their heads about this.
Instead he lived on for years, fasted every year in the scorching desert heat, fulfilled all his duties of statesman, army commander, husband, counselor and friend, and conquered Mecca. He destroyed the idols with his own hands and fulfilled every prophecy made at the beginning of his call. What the opponents need to realize is that the reason he did not die then, is because God didnt allow the prophet to die until his mission was accomplished.
5:67"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"
Muhammad died a natural death and he didnt even need to appeal to Christ in order to neutralize any type of injested poison as embarrassingly proposed by the Greek writers of the Gospels Mk16:18. After all Christians do believe in their potential in performing even greater miracles (Greek "erga") than Jesus Jn14:12. God was definitely supporting His prophet after he ate the poisoned meal, just as He supported him before despite the difficulties and attempts at his life. He was not immidiately put to death or disallowed to continue his mission and transmitting his message after injesting the poison. The opposite would have been the case had he been a false prophet or had done something at that point heavily disapproved of by God, as forcefully warned in the Quran would instantly, not progressively, happen to him 69:45-47.
This defeated the "test" that the Jewess desired to make the prophet go through, as it says in one version of the report that she wanted to kill him with the poison
"Thereupon he said: Allah will never give you the power to do it".
The effect of poison as intended by the one using it is immidiate or very short term death of the victim, as happenned to one companion that ate the meal at that occasion with the prophet. The objective however of immidiate death or harm was defeated in regards the prophet.
It isnt uncommon in Jewish history to attempt poisoning a prophet sent to them. That is what they did to the prophet Jeremiah's food. In Jer11:19 it lit. says
It isnt uncommon in Jewish history to attempt poisoning a prophet sent to them. That is what they did to the prophet Jeremiah's food. In Jer11:19 it lit. says
"Let us destroy his food with wood"
ie Let us put poison into his food. This Jewish woman that poisoned the prophet's meal and his companion wanted to see
"if you were a Prophet, then Allaah would tell you about it, and if you were not a Prophet the people would be rid of you".
This as a side note bellies the unfounded allegation in anti-Islamic circles that the woman offered the poisonned meal in revenge for the killing of her family. She was testing his prophethood. So the prophet took a bite and sensed the poison, and immidiately said to all those taking part in the meal to withdraw their hands from it, although most had already eaten from it at that point. It was unfortunately too late for one of his companions who died from it. Miraculously, that companion was the only casualty of the incident, and this allowed the unveiling of an intricate outcome and lesson from the event. The prophet then confronted the culprit. This woman thought that a prophet claimant dying in such circumstances would expose him as a liar but the opposite happenned: his companion died and Muhammad lived on until
"This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion".
The Jewess Zaynab bint al harith was later forgiven by the prophet. Other versions state that when Bishr ibn al-Bara’ ibn Ma’roor died as a result of the effects of this food, then the prophet executed her as a qisaas punishment, while others yet like ibn Kathir maintain that she even converted to Islam, seeing that the prophet passed her "falsification" test and was thus left alone. She initially approached the prophet with the meal after the treaty negotiations with the Jewish leadership of Khaybar had ended.
In such circumstances it would have been against decorum and basic sensitivity to refuse it based on suspicion. In ancient times, especially in rural cultures till this day, refusal to share a meal when the host clearly displays his peaceful intentions is a sign of treachery and mistrust. The Quran relates how Abraham was fearful of his guests that refused the food he offered them despite his clear hospitality 11:69-70. There were no means to the prophet Muhammad by which to chemically test the meal and verify his suspicion. His detractors wouldnt have missed this opportunity to charge him with accusing an innocent woman without proof. Neither did he behave like the kings and leaders of times past by having someone taste the food before he ate nor would it have ever been in his thought and character to have forced the woman to eat it herself or forced any of the Jews to eat it to prove that it was not poisoned.
In accordance with his lofty character and prophetic status, he wanted to show that he was willing to trust the Jews, hoping that, perhaps, they will be guided. He did not yield to suspicion, even with the enemy. Yet, by eating, he did not show any lack of wisdom because showing suspicions without proof is not the way to build a relationship. And the prophet, in accordance with the Quran's commands was never one to be inconsiderate of others or sceptical of their inner condition. Especially in the context of warfare, the good treatment of captives, as the prophet was here exemplifying, is expected to soften their hearts towards Islam. But if they act treacherously despite the Muslims' honourability, they will be overpowered just as they had been 8:70-71.
What is interesting with Bishr is that he was the only one, together with the prophet, that sensed the poison during the meal. Although the prophet spat out the morsel in his mouth after briefly chewing on it, Bishr, seeing him beginning to eat, trusted his judgement and swallowed his bite prior to the prophet's reaction. The remaining Muslims did not sense the poison and started eating, just like Bishr, trusting the prophet's judgement, until everyone was told to stop. This is where something strange occurs. Bishr, according to most reports dies instantly, as well as a dog that ate a morsel of the poisonned meal. The prophet lives on but suffers occasionally from the effects of the poison while it had no consequence on the remaining Muslims. Bishr's martyrdom revealed the deadly nature of the poison. The prophet's sickness proved the entire meal was toxic, not just Bishr's portion. The remaining Muslims' immunity was miraculous, given that the whole meal was poisoned. Had only Bishr or only the prophet been afflicted, one could have argued that a specific part of the meal was poisoned or that a specific individual was particularly sensitive to the poison. If the prophet was safeguarded and that someone else, together with Bishr were afflicted, someone could have said the prophet was simply lucky. The Prophet's sickness was necessary to prove that no human being will be allowed to put an end to his life, despite being clearly poisoned, until his mission is accomplished. The manner in which these events unfolded show that God was in full control.
The poison story, assuming it happenned, is actually just 1 of the many attempts at the life of God's prophet, keeping also in mind all the battles in which he himself took part against the rejecters, but never did God allow his messenger to die before the end of his mission, like Moses wasnt allowed to die through all his jihad battles until his mission was fulfilled. The poison certainly did injure him and cause him sustained pain, but nowhere does it say or hint that it was the direct cause of death. The poison damage on his body was just one of many scars the prophet carried with him until his deathbed, whether due to the years of hardship, starvation and persecution or the years of battle. Despite all that, he still lived beyond the average life expectancy of his common folk and only once his mission was completed.
He saw with his very eyes every single prophecy made in the earliest years of prophethood fulfilled, cleansed God's chosen and blessed land of Mecca and restaured it to its original Abrahamic purpose.
Neither Moses nor Aaron, according to the convoluted HB, even get to fulfill their life mission of entering the promised land, despite the battles they led. They are suddenly dispatched from the narrative for the most ridiculous reasons. Moses was condemned by God for some misdeed and put to death while his
"eyes were not weak nor his strength gone".
His heartfelt prayer was denied
Deut3"Let me, I pray, cross over and see the good land on the other side of the Jordan..But YHWH was furious with me on your behalf and would not listen to me. YHWH said to me, “Enough! Never speak to Me of this matter again!"
If anything, the argument of sudden death as a sign of divine disapproval, a charge misapplied to the prophet Muhammad in relation to the poison story, fits instead the biblical Moses, put to death at the highlight of his prophetic career and while he was in full health. Even if, in the worst case, Muhammad's death is directly correlated to the Quranic warning in 69:45-47 not to falsely attribute a statement to God, then it still means the prophecy came true, that Muhammad was physically prevented from altering it and that the Quran is the authentic, preserved and protected word of the Creator. The verse says his hand will be seized the moment he tries doing so, then killed. The words imply even a minuscule uttering in God's name. It would be impossible for him to walk around making lengthy speeches up. That is why the verse comes in a passage where Allah stresses the divine origin of the Quran, and then states the hypothetical scenario, following by a reiteration of its veracity. But assuming for argument's sake Muhammad at some point lied and was killed by God, this must then mean that all he previously spoke in God's name, was true revelation uttered by a true prophet.
Just for arguments' sake, even if the prophet Muhammad had died from the delayed effects of the poison, this is certainly not an argument against his prophethood, not according to Zaynab bint al harith's own HB criteria for the identification of prophets as outlined in Deut18, nor in light of the Bible's own reports of the constant assaults, some succesful and others not, against true prophets' lives.
As a final note it is ironic that those trying to cast doubts on the truthfulness of Muhammad's prophethood by misrepresenting this story are mainly if not only Christians, who firmly believe in the Greek Testament and its depiction of Jesus' ignoble, humiliating and accursed end which probably no true prophet, even those murdered by the sinful Israelites, ever were inflicted with. What does that do to Jesus' credibility as a man sent by God, judging by those critics' own standards?
Sam Shamoun "Allah Disgraces His “Prophet”" (1)
The Quran rejects the popular occult sciences, like magic and witchcraft, such as those wrongly attributed to the prophet Sulayman by some of his contemporaries and those that followed 2:102. Obviously the people misinterpreted Sulayman's ability, granted to him by God, of controling entities of the unseen for his own benefit. Such falsehood is abundantly found in a wide variety of Solomonic lore, including the 5th century CE Testament of Solomon, each drawing from oneanother as well as other lost sources, written and oral. Particularly among Greek Christians that used amulets, medallions seals or rings with his name.
Magic or witchcraft are qualified with the word sihr, from the root S-Ha-R meaning to make things look other than what they actually are, ie deception. There are 3 ways one can try and achieve that objective; the trick or slight of hand, the chemistry and the psychological manipulation, all of themmeant at deceiving one into perceiving something else than what is actually occuring. These practices have therefore no intrinsic power. Sorcery at that time consisted of worshipping the jinn and straying from monotheism and that is why the Quran and the traditions warn against these practices.
Magic or witchcraft are qualified with the word sihr, from the root S-Ha-R meaning to make things look other than what they actually are, ie deception. There are 3 ways one can try and achieve that objective; the trick or slight of hand, the chemistry and the psychological manipulation, all of themmeant at deceiving one into perceiving something else than what is actually occuring. These practices have therefore no intrinsic power. Sorcery at that time consisted of worshipping the jinn and straying from monotheism and that is why the Quran and the traditions warn against these practices.
Throughout the Quran, sorcery has always been associated with evil-mindedness, perverse beliefs, evil deeds and terrifying intimidation of people. It in addition is an act of apostasy to believe in the influence of false gods and the jinn who were worshipped in the process. Muslim jurists the likes of Malik ibn Anas considered sorcery as a manifestation of its practitioner’s perverted faith and prescribed punishments for it.
When relating Moses' public confrontation with Pharaoh's sorcerers, the Quran says that they
7:116"saharoo aAAyuna alnnasi/they tricked the eyes of the people",
the point being that magic is about tricking the eyes to think that what it sees is reality when it is not. There are some reports in hadith literature speaking of people attempting to bewitch the prophet, and even succeeding for a short lapse of time, confusing him in conjugal matters. In Bukhari and Muslim, the time span under which the prophet was affected is said to be 40 days. Weaker reports as narrated by ibn Saad from ibn al Hakam speak of 6 months. None however speak of whatever the prophet was afflicted with as "black magic". The scholars have referred to it as illusion, in conformity with the meaning of the word as stated earlier. It is known that to the prophet, besides being dutiful in his prophetic task of conveying the divine message, an area beyond the reach of evil interference, his second priority was being dutiful as a husband. Due to his outstanding daily responsibilities, the Quran gave him leeway in that aspect and yet, as attested in the traditions he would do his utmost to spend in an equal amount of time with each of his wives. Since this aspect of his private life was most important to him, he thus felt confused in that specific matter and in nothing else, by whatever evil had affected his perception of reality. It is not like the author of the illusion had intended to affect this specific matter in the prophet's life. Assuming the reports as true for argument's sake, a crafty magic trick/illusion can certainly confuse anyone momentarily, in any kind of matter, just as what happened to Moses as he was deceived by the sorcerers' slight of hand 20:66.
Both Moses and Muhammad were eventually given the inner strength by God to heal from the effect.
Further, something which is highly inconvenient to those Islam critics who mainly use those reports to discredit the prophet, he actually is described therein as receiving a vision indicating the author of the sihr as well as the location of the device he used. False prophets dont receive divine visions. After finding the device, the prophet doesnt destroy it, he didnt need to. God cured him, meaning the tool used had no power in and of itself.
"Those around him said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, should we not head toward that evil person and kill him?’ He said: ‘As for me, Allah has cured me, and I dislike causing evil to other people’. This is of the forbearance of the Messenger of Allah”.
To further corroborate the prophet, in such cases simply advised observing a certain diet, relevant to his own environment. He advised eating 7 ajwa dates of the type growing in Aliya near Medina, over 7 days at breakfast as a means by which the body is detoxified as well as safeguarded from the psychological manipulations of sihr (the health benefits of that diet were thought to keep the mind sharp and aware against such endeavors).
This is far from, and not even comparable to the absurd idea proposed in the Greek Testament of Christians able to neutralize deadly poison in Jesus' name. It is to be kept in mind however that the supposed confusion the prophet was victim of, never pertained to divine comunications, an area time and again declared as protected from any interference, human or else, from its descent from heaven until it is delivered to the prophet's heart and transmitted to the people. The Quran for example, in the context of truthfulness of prophethood and divine origin of the Book, repeatedly denies the claims made by his contemporaries that he might be demon possessed or under the effect of the jinn 16:98-100,26:221-3,69:41-2,81:22-25 or under a spell or that he is himself a magician/sorcerer 17:47-8,25:8-9,38:4,51:52-6 as other prophets were similarily calumnied.
This is far from, and not even comparable to the absurd idea proposed in the Greek Testament of Christians able to neutralize deadly poison in Jesus' name. It is to be kept in mind however that the supposed confusion the prophet was victim of, never pertained to divine comunications, an area time and again declared as protected from any interference, human or else, from its descent from heaven until it is delivered to the prophet's heart and transmitted to the people. The Quran for example, in the context of truthfulness of prophethood and divine origin of the Book, repeatedly denies the claims made by his contemporaries that he might be demon possessed or under the effect of the jinn 16:98-100,26:221-3,69:41-2,81:22-25 or under a spell or that he is himself a magician/sorcerer 17:47-8,25:8-9,38:4,51:52-6 as other prophets were similarily calumnied.
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