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THEDEUTERONOMYDEDUCTIONS:
TwoShort,Sound,SimpleProofsthatMuhammadWasaFalseProphet

ByDavidWood

"ButtheprophetwhospeaksawordpresumptuouslyinMyname
whichIhave
notcommandedhimtospeak...thatprophetshalldie."
~GOD(Deuteronomy18:20)[1]

"IhavefabricatedthingsagainstGodandhaveimputedtoHimwords
whichHehasnotspoken."
~MUHAMMAD(AlTabari6:111)[2]

MuhammadclaimedthatJewishandChristianscriptureshadpredictedhiscoming(see,e.g.,Quran7:157).
ThishasledMuslimapologiststocombtheOldandNewTestamentsinsearchofpassagesthatrefertotheir
prophet.WhileallbiblicalevidenceofferedbyMuslimsinsupportoftheirprophetappearshorriblystrained
tononMuslims(providedthelatterreadthepassagesincontext)andhasbeenthoroughlyrefutedtimeand
again,itisstillcommontohearMuslimsclaimthattheBiblespeaksaboutMuhammad.

Themostpopular"prophecy"aboutMuhammadisfoundinDeuteronomy18.Itisquiteironic,then,tolearn
that,accordingtoDeuteronomy18,Muhammadcantpossiblybeaprophet.Aswewillsee,thisputs
Muslimsinanawkwardposition,andhelpsshowthelengthstowhichtheywillgointheireffortstodefend
theirprophet.

Thepurposeofthisessayistoprove,basedonMuslimclaims(includingtheirappealtoDeuteronomy18),
thatMuhammadwasafalseprophet.Iwillbeginbypresentingtwoargumentsagainsttheprophethoodof
Muhammad,andIwillfollowthisbycarefullydefendingthearguments.OnceIhaveshownthatthe
argumentsaresound,IwillbrieflydiscusstheoptionsavailabletoMuslimswhowanttorejecttheobvious
conclusion.

I.THEDEUTERONOMYDEDUCTIONS

Therearetwoelementstolookforwhenexaminingdeductivearguments:validlogicandtruepremises.To
saythatadeductiveargumentisvalidistosaythat,duetothelogicalform,truepremiseswillalwaysleadto
atrueconclusion.Themostbasicargumentformisthesyllogism,andthemostbasicvalidformofthe
syllogismisModusPonens.[3]ThelogicalformofthefollowingargumentsisModusPonensthus,theyare
logicallyvalid:

ArgumentAfalsegodsandfalseprophets

A1.Ifapersonspeaksinthenamesoffalsegods,thatpersonisafalseprophet.
A2.Muhammadspokeinthenamesoffalsegods.

A3.Therefore,Muhammadwasafalseprophet.

ArgumentBfalserevelationsandfalseprophets

B1.IfapersondeliversarevelationthatdoesntcomefromGod,thatpersonisafalseprophet.
B2.MuhammaddeliveredarevelationthatdidntcomefromGod.

B3.Therefore,Muhammadwasafalseprophet.

Sincethelogicofbothargumentsisvalid,truepremiseswillalwaysleadtoatrueconclusion.Hence,ifthe
premisesoftheseargumentsaretrue,Muhammadwasafalseprophet.Letusturn,then,toacareful
discussionofourpremises.

II.PREMISESA1ANDB1DEFENDED

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A1andB1seemintuitivelyobvious.Thatis,itseemsclearthatifapersonspeaksinthenamesoffalsegods
ordeliversrevelationsthatdontcomefromGod,thepersoncannotbeatrueprophet.Nevertheless,by
appealingtotheBibletobolstertheirbeliefinMuhammad,MuslimshaveinadvertentlygrantedthatA1and
B1aretrue.

Deuteronomy18servesasthefoundationofIslams"ArgumentfromBiblicalProphecy,"usedby
generationsofMuslimstoprovethatMuhammadwasatrueprophet.Indeed,thepopularBriefIllustrated
GuidetoUnderstandingIslamusesDeuteronomy18asitsprimaryevidencethattheBiblespeaksof
Muhammad.AuthorI.A.Ibrahimsays,

TheBiblicalpropheciesontheadventoftheProphetMuhammadareevidenceofthetruthof
IslamforpeoplewhobelieveintheBible.

InDeuteronomy18,MosesstatedthatGodtoldhim:"Iwillraiseupforthemaprophetlikeyou
fromamongtheirbrothersIwillputmywordsinhismouth,andhewilltellthemeverythingI
commandhim.Ifanyonedoesnotlistentomywordsthattheprophetspeaksinmyname,I
myselfwillcallhimtoaccount."(Deuteronomy18:1819)[4]

ThebookgoesontoarguethatMuhammadfulfilledthisprophecyinnumerousways.Whilesuchclaims
havebeenrefutedadnauseum,[5]IwillsimplynotethatMuslimshaveheregrantedthatDeuteronomy18:18
19isinspiredbyGod(sincetheyregarditasamiraculousprophecy).Surely,then,wecantignorethenext
verse,whereGodsays:

"ButtheprophetwhospeaksawordpresumptuouslyinMynamewhichIhavenotcommanded
himtospeak,orwhichhespeaksinthenameofothergods,thatprophetshalldie."
(Deuteronomy18:20)

Herewehavetwocriteriaforspottingafalseprophet:(1)deliveringarevelationwhichGodhasnot
"commandedhimtospeak,"and(2)speaking"inthenameofothergods."SinceMuslimswhoappealtoso
calledbiblicalpropheciesofMuhammadhavegiventhispassagetheirstampofapproval,theycannotdeny
thetruthofA1andB1.Tosumup,MuslimshaveappealedtoapassageinDeuteronomy18,andthat
passageentailspremisesA1andB1.Thus,accordingtoMuslimclaims,thefirstpremiseofeachofthe
DeuteronomyDeductionsistrue.

III.PREMISESA2ANDB2DEFENDED

Wehaveseenthat,accordingtoapassageregardedbymanyMuslimsasdivinerevelation,apersonwho
eitherdeliversamessagethatdoesnotcomefromGodorspeaksinthenamesoffalsegodsmustbeafalse
prophet.ButthismeansthatMuhammadwasafalseprophet,sincehedidbothwhenhedeliveredthe
infamous"SatanicVerses."

WelearnabouttheSatanicVerses,notfromChristianorJewishsources,butfromearlyMuslimwritings.
AccountsoftheSatanicVersesaregiveninanumberofearlysources,including:(1)IbnIshaq,(2)Wakidi,
(3)IbnSad,(4)alTabari,(5)IbnAbiHatim,(6)IbnalMundhir,(7)IbnMardauyah,(8)Musaibn'Uqba,
and(9)AbuMa'shar.[6]AccordingtothegreatMuslimscholarIbnHajar,threechainsoftransmission(isnad)
intheseaccounts"satisfytheconditionsrequisiteforanauthenticreport."[7]Moreover,SahihalBukhari,
IslamsmosttrustedsourceonthelifeofMuhammad,givesindirectconfirmationoftheevent(Number
4862,quotedbelow).Beyondthis,certainversesoftheQuran(17:735and22:523)wererevealedin
responsetoMuhammadsembarrassinglapseintopolytheism.

Wethereforehavecompellinghistoricalevidencethatthestoryisauthentic.(Forathoroughdiscussionof
theevidencefortheSatanicVerses,see"MuhammadandtheSatanicVerses.")Infact,thehistoricalmethod
virtuallyguaranteesthelegitimacyofthestory.Historiansexaminingthelivesofleadersandreligious
figuresemploywhatisknownasthe"PrincipleofEmbarrassment,"aprinciplewhichalsocarriesmuch
weightinlegalinvestigations.LawprofessorAnnetteGordonReedsumsuptheprinciplethus:
"Declarationsagainstinterestareregardedashavingahighdegreeofcredibilitybecauseofthepresumption
thatpeopledonotmakeupliesinordertohurtthemselvestheylietohelpthemselves."[8]Applyingthe
PrincipleofEmbarrassmenttoaccountsoftheSatanicVerses,weseeimmediatelythatMuslimswouldnot

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haveinventedthisstory,sinceitcallsMuhammadsreliabilityintoquestion.Wealsoseethatthestory
couldnthavebeeninventedbynonMuslimsforifnonMuslimshadinventedthestory,Muslimswould
haveexposedthestorysorigin,insteadofdefendingitintheirearliesthistoricalworks.

TheevidenceforthegeneralreliabilityoftheMuslimaccountsconcerningtheSatanicVersesisthereforetoo
overwhelmingtoignore.Withthisinmind,letusconsideracondensedaccountofwhathappened,basedon
theHistoryofalTabari.

AccordingtoalTabari,

WhentheMessengerofGodsawhowhistribeturnedtheirbacksonhimandwasgrievedtosee
themshunningthemessagehehadbroughttothemfromGod,helongedinhissoulthat
somethingwouldcometohimfromGodwhichwouldreconcilehimwithhistribe.Withhis
loveforhistribeandhiseagernessfortheirwelfareitwouldhavedelightedhimifsomeofthe
difficultieswhichtheymadeforhimcouldhavebeensmoothedout,andhedebatedwithin
himselfandferventlydesiredsuchanoutcome.ThenGodrevealed:

BytheStarwhenitsets,yourcomradedoesnoterr,norishedeceivednordoeshe
speakoutof(hisown)desire...

andwhenhecametothewords:

HaveyouthoughtuponalLatandalUzzaandManat,thethird,theother?

Satancastonhistongue,becauseofhisinnerdebatesandwhathedesiredtobringtohispeople,
thewords:

Thesearethehighflyingcranesverilytheirintercessionisacceptedwithapproval.
(AlTabari,p.108)

ThepolytheistsweredelightedthatMuhammadhadatlastapprovedoftheirgods.Toreturnthekindness,
they"prostratedthemselvesbecauseofthereferencetotheirgodswhichtheyhadheard,sothattherewasno
oneinthemosque,believerorunbeliever,whodidnotprostratehimself"(p.109).

Muhammadsfriendlyrelationswiththepolytheistswereshortlived,however,forhesoonlearnedthathis
versespraisingpaganidolscamenotfromGod,butfromSatan.Saddenedtorecognizehistreacheryagainst
Allah,Muhammadlamented:"IhavefabricatedthingsagainstGodandhaveimputedtoHimwordswhich
Hehasnotspoken"(p.111).Yet"Gabriel"comfortedMuhammad,informinghimthatallprophetsfallfor
Satanstricksfromtimetotime.ThisstaggeringandunbelievableclaimevenfounditswayintotheQuran:

"AndWedidnotsendbeforeyouanyapostleorprophet,butwhenhedesired,theShaitanmade
asuggestionrespectinghisdesirebutAllahannulsthatwhichtheShaitancasts,thendoesAllah
establishHiscommunications,andAllahisKnowing,Wise."(Surah22:52)[9]

Accordingtothenextverse,AllahallowshisprophetstoreceiverevelationsfromSataninordertotesthard
heartedpeople.

WhateverwethinkofthepreposterousQuranicexplanationoftheSatanicVerses(anditsdefenseof
Muhammad),itisclearthattheProphetofIslam,onatleastoneoccasion,deliveredamessagethatdidnot
comefromGod.ItisalsoclearthatMuhammad,onatleastoneoccasion,spokeinthenamesoffalsegods.
[10]
Thus,wecanestablishfromMuslimsourcesthatA2andB2arealmostcertainlytrue.

IV.POSSIBLEREPLIES

SincewehavegoodreasonstoacceptpremisesA1,A2,B1,andB2,wehavegoodreasonstoaccept
conclusionsA3andB3,bothofwhichclaimthatMuhammadwasafalseprophet.Muslims,however,will
notwanttoacceptthisconclusion.Letusbrieflydiscusstheirprospectsforrejectingit.

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Muslimscould,ofcourse,claimthatDeuteronomy18:20isafalseteaching,notactuallyrevealedbyGod.
Butiftheytakethisroute,itwouldbeabsurdofthemtoturnaroundanddeclarethat18:1819isaninspired
prophecy.WhileitisalarminglycommonforMuslimstopickandchoosewhichpassagesintheBibleare
correct(i.e.everythingthatagreeswithIslamiscorrect,buteverythingthatdisagreeswithIslamwas
corruptedbyevilJewsandChristians),nooneisgoingtobeconvincedbytheclaimthatoneversein
Deuteronomy18provestheprophethoodofMuhammad,whileanotherverseinthesamepassageis
corruptedbecauseitprovesthathewasafalseprophet.

Thus,MuslimswhowanttodenyA1andB1mustabandontheirclaimthatDeuteronomy18predictsthe
comingofMuhammad.Theproblemwiththisapproachisthattheprophecyofacomingmessengerlike
MosesisoneofthelastremainingversesthatMuslimsinspiteoftheevidenceclingtointheirhopesof
vindicatingMuhammad.ButiftheBiblecontainsnoclearpropheciesaboutMuhammad,thenMuhammad
wasafalseprophet,sinceheclaimed(intheQurannoless!)thattheJewishandChristianscripturescontain
propheciesofhiscoming.ThismeansthatMuslimsarecaughtbetweenthehornsofadilemma.Iftheycling
toDeuteronomy18,thenMuhammadwasafalseprophet.Iftheyabandonit,thentheyareonthevergeof
havingnobiblicalpropheciesofMuhammad,whichwouldimplythatMuhammadwasafalseprophet.

Muslimswhogiveuptheirmostprizedprophecystillwouldntbeoutofthewater,however.Forevenifthey
abandonDeuteronomy18anddeclareittobeutterlycorrupted,thiswouldntrefuteA1andB1,since,asI
havealreadynoted,thesepremisesareintuitivelyobvious.MuslimswhowanttodenyA1andB1must
thereforeshowthatthesepremisesarefalsebyarguingthatgenuineprophetscanindeeddeliverfalse
revelationsandspeakinthenamesoffalsegods.IwouldlovetoseeMuslimsattempttodefendsuchan
untenableposition!

Itseems,then,thatMuslimswhowanttocontinuebelievinginMuhammadmustdenynotA1andB1,but
A2andB2.ButthismeansthattheymustrejecttheoverwhelminghistoricalevidenceforMuhammads
temporarysupportofpaganism.Muslimswhotakethisapproachmustdoseventhings.First,theymust
providesomereasonableexplanationastothestorysorigin(e.g.theymustmakeaplausiblecasethatthe
storywasinventedbypagans,Jews,orChristians).Second,theymustexplainwhyMuslims,whohadevery
reasontorejectsuchastory,passeditonasifitweretrue(insteadofexposingitasafabrication).Third,
theymustshowthatIbnIshaq,Wakidi,IbnSad,alTabari,IbnAbiHatim,IbnalMundhir,IbnMardauyah,
MusaibnUqba,andAbuMasharweresloppyhistorians(soamazinglysloppythattheyincludedfalse
storiesaboutMuhammadthatcalledhisprophethoodintoquestion).Fourth,theymustaccountforthe
variouschainsofauthoritytowhichtheearlyMuslimbiographersappealedintheireffortstodemonstrate
thestorysauthenticity.Fifth,theymustexplainwhyalBukhari,Islamsmosttrustedauthority,confirms
certaindetailsofthestorythatonlymakesenseifMuhammadreallydiddelivertheSatanicVerses.
AccordingtoBukhari,

TheProphetperformedaprostrationwhenhefinishedrecitingSuratanNajm[Surah53],and
alltheMuslimsandAlMushrikun(polytheists,pagans,idolaters,anddisbelieversinthe
OnenessofAllahandinHisMessengerMuhammad)andjinnandhumanbeingsprostrated
alongwithhim.(4862)[11]

ThoughBukhariunderstandablyomitstheembarrassingreasonfortheprostrationofthepagans,he
inadvertentlyconfirmstheaccountgivenbyIbnIshaqandtheothers,whofaithfullyreportedthatthepagans
boweddownbecauseMuhammadspokefavorablyoftheirgods.Sixth,MuslimsmustaccountforSurah
22:52,which,again,declaresthatallGodsprophetsreceivedrevelationsfromSatanaverseso
preposterousthatitcouldonlyhavebeenofferedtotheMuslimcommunityasanabsurdexplanationfor
somethingliketheSatanicVerses.Seventh,theymustshownonMuslimswhyweshouldrejectallthe
availableevidenceandbelievethatMuhammadwasspirituallyreliable,when,asallinformedMuslimswill
admit,Muhammadwasthevictimofblackmagic(aspellcastbyaJewishmagician)and,atonepoint,was
convincedthathewasdemonpossessed.Putdifferently,iftheProphetofIslamcouldmistakenlybelieve
thathewasdemonpossessed,andwassusceptibletospiritualattacks(suchasblackmagic),whyshouldnt
webelievethathecouldfallpreytorevelationsfromSatan?(FormoreonMuhammadsspiritualdifficulties,
see"ABewitchedProphet?")

WhileIhavewitnessedMuslimattemptstoexplainawaythehistoricalevidencefortheSatanicVerses,I
haveneverseenanythingremotelyresemblingaconvincingrefutationoftheevidence.Forinstance,inmy
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debateontheprophethoodofMuhammadatU.C.Davis,myopponentAliAtaietriedtorespondtoal
BukharisindirectconfirmationoftheSatanicVersesbyappealingtothemiraculouspoweroftheQuran.
AccordingtoAtaie,thereasonthepagansboweddowninhonorofSurah53(which,initspresentform,
ridiculespolytheism)wasthattheywereoverwhelmedbyitsmajesty.Butsurelysucharesponseisbasedon
fantasyratherthanfact.MuslimshavebeenrecitingtheQuranformorethanathousandyears,and
unbelieversaretypicallyquiteunimpressedbyMuhammadspoetry.Indeed,Muhammadwonremarkably
fewconvertswhenheappealedtotheQuranasevidenceofhisdivinecommission.Heonlysawlarge
numbersofconvertswhenheturnedtoother(farmorebloody)meansofconversion.Thus,forMuslimslike
Ataietoclaimthatthepagans,withoneaccord,boweddownatMuhammadsrecitationofSurah53,is
borderingondelusional.Bukharishadithmakesfarmoresensewhenreadinthelightofhistoricalworks
likeIbnIshaq(which,incidentally,predatesSahihalBukharibymanydecades).Theonlyconceivable
reasonthepaganswouldbowdowninhonorofSurah53isthattheSurahoriginallysupportedpaganism,
andthisisexactlywhatourearliesthistoricalrecordsclaim.

Allthingsconsidered,theonlyreasonableconclusiontobedrawnfromthehistoricalevidenceisthat
Muhammad,inamomentofweakness,gaveintotemptationandactivelypromotedpolytheismbydelivering
arevelationfromSatan.ButthismeansthatwecannotrationallyrejectpremisesA2andB2.Muslims,then,
canhavenogoodresponsetotheDeuteronomyDeductions.Wearethereforeleftwithanunavoidable
conclusion:Muhammadwasafalseprophet.

V.ASSESSMENT

Toconclude,Iwouldliketoemphasizeagainthatmyentireargument(intwodeductions)hasbeenbasedon
thewritingsandclaimsofMuslims.EarlyMuslimhistorians,inanastoundingdisplayofhonestyand
integrity,admittedthattheirprophethaddeliveredtheSatanicVersestohislisteners.Inacknowledgingthis,
theyprovidedalltheevidenceweneedforpremisesA2andB2.ModernMuslims,inanefforttodefend
Muhammadsclaimtobiblicalsupportforhisministry,havegrantedthatapassageinDeuteronomy18was
inspiredbyGod.Indoingso,theyhavegivenusalltheevidenceweneedforpremisesA1andB1.Since
bothoftheDeuteronomyDeductionsarelogicallyvalid,wehavetwoproofs,basedentirelyontheclaimsof
Muslims,thatMuhammadwasafalseprophet.

SincetheDeuteronomyDeductionsaresound(i.e.logicallyvalidwithtruepremises),anyhonestseekerwill
havetoadmitthatMuhammadwasafalseprophet.Itshouldbeanenlighteningexercise,then,topresent
theseargumentstoMuslims.IfaMuslimexaminestheargumentscarefully,inspectingthepremisesand
weighingtheevidence,andthenrejectstheconclusionwithoutrefutingtheargument,wecanonlyassume
thatsuchapersonislessinterestedintruthandmoreinterestedinthecomfortprovidedbyblindlyaccepting
thefaithhewasraisedin.AlthoughmyexperienceleadsmetobelievethatmostMuslimsareofthistype,
myexperiencehasalsoshownmethatthereareMuslimsintheworldwhoareactivelydedicatedtolearning
thetruthaboutGod.ThefirsttruthsuchMuslimsmustlearnisthattheirprophetMuhammadwasnoprophet
atall.ThesecondisthattheirprophetJesusismuchmorethanaprophet.(ButIllsavethatforanother
essay.)

Notes:
1BiblequotationsarefromtheNewAmericanStandardBible,UpdatedEdition.

2TheHistoryofalTabari,VolumeVI:MuhammadatMecca,W.MontgomeryWattandM.V.McDonald,trs.(Albany:State
UniversityofNewYorkPress,1988).

3ModusPonenstakestheform:

1.IfP,thenQ.
2.P.

3.Therefore,Q.

HerewemaysubstitutevariouselementsforPandQ,givingus,forinstance:

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1.IfFidoisadog,thenFidoisamammal.
2.Fidoisadog.

3.Therefore,Fidoisamammal.

4Ibrahim,I.A.ABriefIllustratedGuidetoUnderstandingIslam(Houston:Darussalam,1997),p.33.

5See,forexample,"MuhammadintheBible?"

6Forreferences,see"MuhammadandtheSatanicVerses."

7IbnHajar,quotedinAllamShibliNumani,SiratunNabi,Volume1,M.TayyibBakhshBudayuni,tr.(NewDelhi:Kitab
Bhavan,2004),p.164.

8AnnetteGordonReed,ThomasJeffersonandSallyHemings:AnAmericanControversy(Charlottesville:UniversityofVirginia
Press,1997).

9QuranquotationsarefromtheM.H.Shakirtranslation.

10OnemightobjectthatMuhammaddidnotactuallyspeakinthenamesofthepagangods.Thatis,hedidnotsay,"Icometo
youinthenameofManat."Instead,hespokeinthenameofAllah,andmerelyapprovedoftheintercessionofthepagangods.
However,thepointofthepassageinDeuteronomyisclearlythatanyonewhopromotespolytheismisafalseprophet.And
Muhammadcertainlypromotedpolytheismonthisoccasion.

11SahihAlBukhari,VolumeSix,MuhammadMuhsinKhan,tr.(Riyadh:Darussalam,1997).

ArticlesbyDavidWood
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