http://mukto-mona.net/Articles/kasem/quran_origin.htmIt is an absolute fact that Muhammad was born of pagan parents. His father, Abdullah and his mother, Amina were both pagans and they used to worship many idols. His entire childhood (probably up to his teen) was spent in paganism. To day, many Muslims will find it extremely hard to digest this fact. However, Muhammad’s pagan origin is disclosed by Hisham ibn al-Kalbi. On page 17 of his important work, Kitab al-Asnam (The Book of Idols) he writes (Hisham al-Kalbi, Kitab al-Asnam, p.17):
‘We have been told that the Apostle of God once mentioned al-Uzza saying, “I have offered a white sheep to al-‘Uzza, while I was a follower of the religion of my people.” ‘
In the statement above Muhammad clearly admits his past adherence to paganism—the then religion of the Quraysh.
Initially, Muhammad even eulogized the important gods (or idols) of the pagans by agreeing with the Quraysh—at some point that these gods were the intercessors of Allah. On the same page Hisham ibn al-Kalbi writes:
The Quraysh were wont to circumambulate the Ka’bah and say:
By Allat and al-‘Uzza,
And Manah, the third idol besides.
Verily they are the most exalted females
Whose intercession is to be sought.
These were also called “the Daughters of Allah,” and were supposed to intercede before God. When the Apostle of God was sent god revealed unto him [concerning them] the following:
053.019 Have ye seen Lat. and 'Uzza,
053.020 And another, the third (goddess), Manat?
053.021 What! for you the male sex, and for Him, the female?
053.022 Behold, such would be indeed a division most unfair!
053.023 These are nothing but names which ye have devised,- ye and your fathers,- for which Allah has sent down no authority (whatever). They follow nothing but conjecture and what their own souls desire!- Even though there has already come to them Guidance from their Lord! (Hisham ibn al-Kalbi, ‘Kitab al-Asnam,’ p.17)
When Muhammad became an adult and started to attend the annual assembly of poets at Ukaz he was deeply impressed and moved by the thoughts, eloquence, sentiment, freethinking and humanism expounded by many of those poets. He started questioning the idol-worshipping and began to start preaching a new concept of one God, the creator—similar to the concepts of the Jews and the Christians of that time. Nonetheless, he was confused as to which God ought to be his God. Allah, a deity (a moon god--that is why the symbols placed at every mosque is a crescent moon) at that time, was the supreme God of the pagans. Their only fault was that besides Allah, they used to worship as the intercessors for Allah, the supreme other smaller gods/goddesses like: Hubal, Al-lat, Al-Uzza, Manat…etc. So, in the beginning of his new concept of an almighty creator Allah was out of his mind. Besides, at that time the magicians, the soothsayers, the sorcerers, and even the Satan worshippers used to vow by Allah. Thus, Muhammad found it utterly despicable to make Allah his God (ilah).
During those pagan days the people of Yemen used to worship another deity whose name was Ar-Rahman. Muhammad, for a while, adopted the name Ar-Rahman for God in place of Allah. Coincidentally, Ar-Rahman was also the Jewish word Rahmana which was a name for God in the Talmudic period (Noldeke: The Koran, The Origins of the Koran, p.53). Muhammad cleverly thought that by using the word Ar-Rahman he ought to be able to attract to his new ‘religion’, the Jews as well as some pagans.
However, when he declared himself to be the messenger of Ar-Rahman, the Meccans, too, were at a loss and confused. The Meccans did not know of any Ar-Rahman other than the Ar-Rahman of al-Yamamah (some writers say Ar-Rahman was at Yemen). To verify Muhammad’s claim the Quraysh sent a delegation to Medina Jews, as they thought that Ar-Rahman, truly, was a deity in Yemen or Yamamah. Islamic Historian Ibn Sa’d (Ibn Sa’d, vol.i, pp.189-190) writes:
“The Quraysh sent al-Nadr Ibn al-Harith Ibn ‘Alaqamah and ‘Uqbah Ibn abi Mu’ayt and others to the Jews of Yathrib and told them to ask them (Jews) about Muhammad. They came to Medinah and said to them (Jews): We have come to you because a great affair has taken place amidst us. There is a humble orphan who makes a big claim, considering himself to be the messenger of al-Rahman, while we do not know any al-Rahman except the Rahman of al-Yamamah. They said: Give the description before us. They gave his description, on which they asked them who were his followers. They said: The lowly people among us. Thereupon a scholar of from them laughed and said: he is the Prophet whose attributes we find mentioned in our Scriptures; we also know that his people will be most inimical to him.”
When we read, with an unbiased mind, the first 50 Suras (in chronological order) of the Qur’an we note Muhammad’s confusion regrading Lord, Allah and Ar-Rahman. He was quite unsure of whom he should consider as his God (ilah). Here is a summary of the first 50 Suras regarding Muhammad’s idea of his God:
Only Lord—68, 92, 89, 94, 100, 108, 105, 114, 97, 106, 75 (11 Suras)
Ar-Rahman, Lord—55, 36 (2 Suras)
Ar-Rahman, Allah, Lord—20
Allah, Lord—96, 73, 74, 81, 87, 53, 85, 50, 38, 7, 72, 25, 35, 56, 26, 27, 28, 17 (18 Suras)
This demonstrates Muhammad’s initial vacillation, confusion and ignorance of the affairs of his God (ilah).
The Qur’an also confirms that when he started to preach his brand of faith Muhammad was lost, confused and did not know much of religion. Here is what the Qur’an writes:
Muhammad was lost, then Allah guided him 93:7
093.007 And He found thee wandering, and He gave thee guidance.
In the past Muhammad was heedless 12:3, 42:52
012.003 We do relate unto thee the most beautiful of stories, in that We reveal to thee this (portion of the) Qur'an: before this, thou too was among those who knew it not.
042.052 And thus have We, by Our Command, sent inspiration to thee: thou knewest not (before) what was Revelation, and what was Faith; but We have made the (Qur'an) a Light, wherewith We guide such of Our servants as We will; and verily thou dost guide (men) to the Straight Way,-
So, how did Muhammad learn the basics of his new religion? Enter Imrul Qais and Zayd Ibn Amr.
It is humiliating to be associated with thieves and murderers.