Spencer interview: Muhammed -- prophet, con man, or historical fiction?

Of course, if Mahound never really existed, then all the hadith about him are fake, and the Quran itself is tarnished by mentioning him by name.
What's interesting about hadith, fake or otherwise, is that there are aspects to Mahounds life, as recorded, that are
damning...If you wanted to glorify a real or fake figure, why would you include ugly? So what you get is ugly glorification...And if fake, what's with all those details, like how to wash, how to eat, how to toilet, and all those other how to do it's that Mahound came up with? If Mahound did not really exist, is it ok to get a dog now? Can I turn on some music and have a beer?

If I'm not mistaken, Muhammad claimed a child resembled its mother if she achieved orgasm first...and so on with the father. Scientific brilliance!

As for the question of Muhammad's existence, I personally believe we should fight the anti-Jihad as if he did, and use the Quran and particularly the Hadith as weapons to expose his moral pronounced failures.

So Robert - can you splice all these chock-a-block interviews into one, easy-to-view, full-length feature film??? Thanks.

Make that "pronounced moral failures"

Robert Spencer - 26/04/2010 - Part 9 - Prophet Mohamed: a Con Man? 2:17

ITV Living Scoop:

In light of historical facts and according to the way the Qur'an and Islam were set up in the first move, can one [holistical??] conclude that Allah is nothing more than a forgery that flourished in an insane mind in the desert?

Well, I don't know that I would say that Muhammad was insane. I mean, of course, from a historical standpoint it's not even clear that Muhammad existed. And actually that's going to be the subject of a book that I've started work on now that I hope will be out in another year or so, called, "Did Muhammad exist?". Because, actually the sources for Muhammad's life are very late, later than the Qur'an itself which contains very many sketchy details. But, if taking the portrait of Muhammad as he is given in Islamic tradition and put together from the Qur'an, and the canonical hadith, I don't think that I would agree that he is insane. I think that he is actually extraordinarily bright and clever and that he is what we would say, what we might term a 'con man', certainly. Somebody who is knowing that what he is saying is false but is telling his, but is fooling his followers. I mean, for example, there is a story of a rabbi who converts to Islam and before he converts he goes to Muhammad and he says, can you tell me the answers to these three questions? What is the food of the people in paradise? Why is it that sometimes a child resembles the mother and sometimes the child resembles the father? And um, I don't remember the third one right now. But in any case, Muhammad says well, as it happens, Angel Gabriel has just now told me the answers to those questions. That's just the kind of answer a con man would give. And then he gives the answers to rabbi and the rabbi says well only a prophet would know these things and then he converts to Islam. He knew the kinds of things that would appeal to the people that were around him and he played upon their superstitions and their fears and their desires to create for himself a very privileged position.

People of Britain, please make sure you tactical vote to make sure we don't lots of muslim mp's.

Mahoundianism is simply the biggest scam in the history of this planet, starting with the fable of mahound itself...

Robert and all:

I found this great e-book at islam-watch.org by Indian author Sujit Das. He does a fantastic job destroying the myth of Muhammed and islam.

He quotes you (Robert) and many other great classical western scholars in his research.

Read and download the 295 page pdf here: Unmasking Muhammed.

(He's says in the prologue that the reading is "heavy", but aside from the English grammar violations, it is pretty easy to read and follow. This guy certainly is not throwing lightweight punches.)

Comments?

a) prophet

b) con man

c) historical fiction

I choose b ...

A powerful indictment of Mohammed by Robert Spencer. Rings very true. Mohammed was indeed a fraud but a very clever one, assuming, of course, that he existed at all.

à tous les lecteurs francophones de JIHADWATCH je tenais à vous informer de trois sites utiles en français, le premier c'est www.avraidire.eu, qui entre autres propose des vidéos et des articles de Robert Spencer en français, et notamment de la série Bloguer le Coran, "blogging the QUR'an". Il y aussi www.bivouac-ID.com, très riche en info et le dernier, tout nouveau, c'est www.dieucafe.com, qui va faire l'effet d'une bombe dans la blogosphère. L'information disponible sur jihadwatch est extraordinaire, mais cela prendrait un temps fou de tout traduire. Les francophones ont désespérément besoin de savoir ce qui se passe, donc si vous êtes francophone et pouvez envoyer des articles en français vous pouvez les envoyer directement à schenmue@yahoo.fr et je pourrai les diffuser directement sur www.avraidire.eu
Nous avons déjà beaucoup de lecteurs mais pas assez de contributeurs, donc suivant le principe de JIHADWATCH, envoyez nous vos articles et ils seront diffusés.Merci à Robert Spencer qui fait un travail extraordinaire ainsi qu'à toute l'équipe de JIHADWATCH.

*********ROBERT SPENCER EN FRANçAIS************************

http://www.dieucafe.com/2010/05/02/ce-que-loccident-doit-savoir-sur-lislam/

Toward the "con man" hypothesis, I'll cite this hadith, from Crone's God's Rule (p. 367), which quotes Muhammad:

"I want them* to profess a single creed by which the Arabs will accept them as their leaders (tudina lahum biha) and the non-Arabs will pay them jizya."
*The Quraysh Arabs, Muhammad's tribe.
This hadith is from Ibn Hanbal's Musnad.

I am reminded of the famous quote of Aisha in the sahih hadiths, where she tells Muhammad "I see that your Lord rushes to meet your desires."

This idea that "Allah" is actually a helper (albeit an imaginary/fictitious one) of Muhammad is also suggested in the Quran itself, where
-Muhammad gives himself permission to have an unlimited number of wives and female slaves (33:50-52)
-"Allah" steps in to resolve a domestic dispute in favor of Muhammad over his wives (66:1-5)
-Allah says that to obey Muhammad is to obey Allah (4:80)
-Allah calls Muhammad an excellent example 33:21

Some hadiths which tell us something of what Muhammad was all about, from Sahih Bukhari:

LXXXVII: What is said about spears
“It is mentioned from Ibn 'Umar from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, "My provision has been placed under the shadow of my spear, and abasement and humility have been placed on the one who disobeys my command."”

[This hadith is from Sahih Bukhari, though is not available in some internet editions of that collection. In Bewley’s numbering system, the above hadith, unnumbered, is between 2756 and 2757].

2748. "It is related that 'Umar said, "The property of the Banu'n-Nadir was part of the booty which Allah gave His Messenger for which the Muslims did not stir horses or camels. It was for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in particular and he would spend the yearly maintenance of his family from it and then put what remained into arms and horses as preparation for the way of Allah."
[The above hadith is also from Sahih Bukhari]

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 7, Number 331:
"Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah:
The Prophet said, "I have been given five things which were not given to any one else before me.
1. Allah made me victorious by awe, (by His frightening my enemies) for a distance of one month's journey.
2. The earth has been made for me (and for my followers) a place for praying and a thing to perform Tayammum, therefore anyone of my followers can pray wherever the time of a prayer is due.
3. The booty has been made Halal (lawful) for me yet it was not lawful for anyone else before me.
4. I have been given the right of intercession (on the Day of Resurrection).
5. Every Prophet used to be sent to his nation only but I have been sent to all mankind."

Also

Qaradawi, the popular and influential Muslim scholar, writes:
"1. In his Sahih, Imam Muslim recorded that Thawban quoted the Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) as saying: “Almighty Allah has gathered the earth for me so that I could see all its corners. My nation will rule over all that which Almighty Allah has gathered for me.”
2. Ibn Hibban quoted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as saying: “This matter (i.e. Islam) will spread to cover all areas where there is night and day. Allah will never leave a house in a rural area or in urban community without its people being Muslims. Honor is for those who embrace it (i.e. Islam) while disbelievers are doomed to disgrace and humiliation.”
This hadith, along with many others, give us glad tidings that the patch of the Muslim state will expand to cover the whole earth and that the strength of this state will grow and become obvious to all. This also denotes good news for the long-cherished hope of revival of Muslims unity and rebirth of Islamic Caliphate." [Source: IslamOnline]

Here is the hadith, or a variant or similar hadith to the one, which Robert mentions:

Narrated Anas: 'Abdullah bin Salam heard the news of the arrival of Allah's Apostle (at Medina) while he was on a farm collecting its fruits. So he came to the Prophet and said, "I will ask you about three things which nobody knows unless he be a prophet. Firstly, what is the first portent of the Hour? What is the first meal of the people of Paradise? And what makes a baby look like its father or mother?'. The Prophet said, "Just now Gabriel has informed me about that." 'Abdullah said, "Gabriel?" The Prophet said, "Yes." 'Abdullah said, "He, among the angels is the enemy of the Jews." On that the Prophet recited this Holy Verse:-- "Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel (let him die in his fury!) for he has brought it (i.e. Qur'an) down to your heart by Allah's permission." (2.97) Then he added, "As for the first portent of the Hour, it will be a fire that will collect the people from the East to West. And as for the first meal of the people of Paradise, it will be the caudite (i.e. extra) lobe of the fish liver. And if a man's discharge proceeded that of the woman, then the child resembles the father, and if the woman's discharge proceeded that of the man, then the child resembles the mother." On hearing that, 'Abdullah said, "I testify that None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and that you are the Apostle of Allah, O, Allah's Apostle; the Jews are liars, and if they should come to know that I have embraced Islam, they would accuse me of being a liar." In the meantime some Jews came (to the Prophet) and he asked them, "What is 'Abdullah's status amongst you?" They replied, "He is the best amongst us, and he is our chief and the son of our chief." The Prophet said, "What would you think if 'Abdullah bin Salam embraced Islam?" They replied, "May Allah protect him from this!" Then 'Abdullah came out and said, "I testify that None has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah." The Jews then said, "Abdullah is the worst of us and the son of the worst of us," and disparaged him. On that 'Abdullah said, "O Allah's Apostle! This is what I was afraid of!" (Sahih Bukhari, Book #60, Hadith #7)

I remember the three questions to Moh'd when I was researching it and thinking to myself " Please Allah, Let this not be true". Of course my prayer to allah was not heard as he was not God, but the disappointment of the questions, and then, the answers from the Imams and authors,teachers of Islam, made me sick to my stomach. It was one of those issues that helped me leave islam.