Allah and Muhammad: Will the Real Servant Please Stand Up! Pt. 3
We come to the final part of our discussion.
The Dilemma
The fact that the Quran has so much to say about Muhammad’s personal issues, whether the struggles he had with his wives, his lusting after his son’s spouse, his annoyance with people overstaying their welcome at one of his homes etc., raises some major challenges for Muslims.
In the first place, how does all of this comport with the Quran being the uncreated speech of Allah? Do Muslims really want us to believe that all of these personal issues in Muhammad’s life have always been part and parcel of the very speech of Allah, and therefore intrinsic to his very nature and being?
If so then does this mean that all of these events were foreordained to happen, so that all the parties that were involved had no choice but to go along with the script so to speak? In other words, was it really predestined for people to annoy Muhammad by lingering for too long in his home and to lust after his wives? Did Allah really make Muhammad’s son, Zayd ibn Haritha, marry Zaynab bint Jash, for Muhammad to then lust after her in order to force Zayd to divorce his wife so that Muhammad could then have her? Do Muslims really want unbelievers to accept that the Islamic deity predestined Muhammad to commit adultery in his heart by lusting after his daughter-in-law, and then forced him to marry her so as to then commit adultery with her (cf. Matthew 5:27-28, 31-32)?
According to the sound narrations this is precisely what Allah did since Muhammad taught that Allah has already ordained all the adultery that very individual must necessarily commit:
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: I did not see anything so resembling minor sins as what Abu Huraira said from the Prophet, who said, “Allah has written for the son of Adam his INEVITABLE share of adultery whether he is aware of it or not: The adultery of the eye is the looking (at something which is sinful to look at), and the adultery of the tongue is to utter (what it is unlawful to utter), and the innerself wishes and longs for (adultery) and the private parts turn that into reality or refrain from submitting to the temptation.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 77, Number 609)
Verily Allah HAS FIXED the very portion of adultery which a man will indulge in, and which he OF NECESSITY MUST COMMIT (or there would be no escape from it). (Sahih Muslim, Book 033, Number 6421; see also Number 6422)
Or do the Muslims want us to adopt the view that these issues in Muhammad’s life weren’t predestined to take place, but were foreknown to happen, i.e., Allah knew beforehand that these were some of the struggles and problems that Muhammad would be facing once he came into being?
If so then doesn’t this confirm that Allah’s uncreated speech was shaped and fashioned by events that had not yet arisen? And wouldn’t this therefore make Allah dependent upon his creation since his speech could not be what it is without the reality of all these instances coming to pass?
In other words, wouldn’t this imply that Allah needed Muhammad to exist, along with all the other beings mentioned in the Quran? If so then doesn’t this establish that Allah wasn’t free to create whatever he wanted, since he had no choice but to create Muhammad and all the other individuals, places, and things mentioned in the Quran?
Finally and more importantly, since the Muslim scripture has much to say about the life and circumstances of Muhammad, doesn’t this prove that Allah exists for the pleasure of Muhammad? After all, if events in Muhammad’s life are an essential and intrinsic component of Allah’s uncreated attribute of speech, then this means that even in eternity past Allah had been anxiously waiting for Muhammad to come into being in order to rush to fulfill his desires and wishes. As even Muhammad’s child bride noticed:
Narrated Aisha: I used to look down upon those ladies who had given themselves to Allah's Apostle and I used to say, "Can a lady give herself (to a man)?" But when Allah revealed: "You (O Muhammad) can postpone (the turn of) whom you will of them (your wives), and you may receive any of them whom you will; and there is no blame on you if you invite one whose turn you have set aside (temporarily).' (33.51) I said (to the Prophet), "I feel that your Lord hastens in fulfilling your wishes and desires." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 60, Book 60, Number 311)
Narrated Hisham’s father: Khaula bint Hakim was one of those ladies who presented themselves to the Prophet for marriage. ‘Aisha said, “Doesn’t a lady feel ashamed for presenting herself to a man?” But when the Verse: “(O Muhammad) You may postpone (the turn of) any of them (your wives) that you please,’ (33.51) was revealed, ” ‘Aisha said, ‘O Allah’s Apostle! I do not see, but, that your Lord hurries in pleasing you.'” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62, Number 48)
26 The Book of Marriage
Narrated ‘Aishah:
It was narrated that ‘Aishah said: “I used to feel jealous of those (women) who offered themselves (in marriage) to the Prophet and I said: ‘Would a free woman offer herself?’ Then Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, revealed: ‘You can postpone whom you will of them, and you may receive whom you will.’ I said: ‘By Allah, I see that your Lord is quick to respond to your wishes.'”
Grade: Sahih (Darussalam)
Reference: Sunan an-Nasa’i 3199
In-book reference: Book 26, Hadith 4
English translation: Vol. 4, Book 26, Hadith 3201 (Sunnah.com; italicized and underline emphasis ours)
As such, doesn’t this establish that Allah is actually Muhammad’s servant seeing that Muhammad’s happiness and delight have eternally been a part of Allah’s very own nature, being an essential aspect of his very own existence?
In other words, since Muhammad’s desires and wishes have been an intrinsic component of Allah’s attribute of speech, and since speech is an essential aspect of Allah’s very own essence, this means that Muhammad’s existence and happiness lay at the very core of Allah’s nature! Allah had no choice but to create and make Muhammad happy!
We will leave it to the Muhammadans to figure out and explain all this mess.