A Critical Response to The Reestablishment of Islam: From the First Revelation to the Passing of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (610–632 AD)

The article presents the traditional Islamic narrative of the life of Muhammad and the origins of Islam as an unbroken divine project — a reestablishment of pure monotheism. However, a critical investigation of this account, grounded in historical evidence, logical consistency, and a close reading of Islamic sources, raises several profound challenges. Below, we examine the narrative point by point.

1. The First Revelation: History or Hagiography?

The article asserts that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ received the first revelation in 610 CE through the angel Gabriel, quoting Qur’an 96:1. This is presented as a historical event. But is it?

Critical Issues:

  • Lack of Contemporary Evidence: No independent source from the early 7th century mentions Muhammad, his revelation, or early Islam. All biographical and hadith materials (Sīrah and Hadith) were compiled over a century later — often influenced by theological agendas. Even Muslim historians like Ibn Ishaq (d. 767 CE) wrote based on oral traditions collected well after the events.

  • Psychological Concerns: According to early Islamic sources (e.g., Ibn Ishaq), Muhammad initially feared he was possessed or insane. He reportedly attempted suicide multiple times (Sahih Bukhari 6982). These details cast serious doubt on the divine origin of the experience.

  • Khadijah’s “Test”: The story that Khadijah tested the angel’s presence by having Muhammad sit on her lap (Ibn Hisham’s Sīrah) introduces folkloric elements rather than sober, historical reporting. Why would a true angelic revelation need such a test?

Conclusion: The first revelation story is faith-based mythology, not verifiable history. Theologically motivated hagiography has overwritten historical analysis.

2. Secret Preaching and Early Followers: A Question of Numbers and Influence

The narrative romanticizes the secret phase of Muhammad’s mission, portraying a small group of loyal converts.

Critical Issues:

  • Contradictory Numbers: Islamic sources cannot agree on how many converts existed by the time of the Hijrah — estimates vary from dozens to hundreds, showing unreliability in the sources.

  • Social Motives: Many early converts were slaves or disenfranchised individuals (e.g., Bilal, Ammar). Conversion likely offered hope of dignity and social reversal — not necessarily deep theological conviction.

Conclusion: The early movement looks more like a social protest group than the sudden birth of a universal religion.

3. The Quraysh Opposition: Why Did They Resist?

The blog presents the Quraysh as obstinate polytheists afraid of losing power. But the Quraysh’s resistance deserves a closer look.

Critical Issues:

  • Monotheism Was Already Known: The Quraysh acknowledged Allah as the supreme deity (Qur’an 29:61). Their issue was not with monotheism per se, but with Muhammad’s claim to exclusive prophetic authority and condemnation of their ancestors.

  • Threat to Tribal Unity: Muhammad attacked their traditions (Qur’an 38:6–8), declared their forefathers in Hell, and demanded religious and political submission. Naturally, this sparked resistance.

Conclusion: The opposition was political and social, not merely spiritual. The Quraysh were defending the integrity of their community, not just their idols.

4. The Night Journey (Isra’ and Mi‘raj): History or Allegory?

The article treats this miraculous journey as factual. But even early Muslims questioned it.

Critical Issues:

  • Contradictions in Hadith: Some hadith say Muhammad saw prophets in heaven, others say he led them in prayer on earth (Bukhari, Muslim). Was it a physical journey or a vision? Scholars like Aisha reportedly said it was a dream (Sahih Muslim 234).

  • No External Corroboration: There is no evidence that the supposed journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and into the heavens occurred. No one in Mecca or Jerusalem recorded such an event — not even the Jews or Christians whom Muhammad claimed to have encountered.

Conclusion: The Night Journey is a theological myth meant to bolster Muhammad’s authority by tying him to biblical prophets and Jerusalem.

5. The Constitution of Medina: A Model of Pluralism or Political Control?

The Constitution of Medina is presented as a pluralistic charter. Yet the reality is more complex.

Critical Issues:

  • Jewish Expulsions and Executions: Within five years, all three Jewish tribes — Banu Qaynuqa, Banu Nadir, and Banu Qurayza — were expelled or exterminated. The Banu Qurayza’s mass execution (600–900 men) is acknowledged in Muslim sources like Ibn Ishaq and Sahih Muslim.

  • Power Consolidation: The Constitution centralized authority in Muhammad’s hands, stipulating that all disputes must be referred to him. This was a political maneuver, not merely a peace treaty.

Conclusion: Far from ensuring pluralism, the constitution paved the way for theocratic control and elimination of dissent.

6. Battles and Divine Favor: Convenient Victory Narratives

The blog frames each military event — Badr, Uhud, the Trench — as acts of divine guidance.

Critical Issues:

  • Offensive or Defensive? While Badr is often portrayed as defensive, Muslim sources (Ibn Ishaq) admit it began with Muhammad’s caravan raids. This provoked Quraysh retaliation.

  • Ethical Concerns: The Qur’an permits taking war captives as slaves (Qur’an 8:67), and grants Muhammad a fifth of the war spoils (Qur’an 8:41). This raises ethical questions about the motivation behind these battles.

Conclusion: The battles show strategic militarism with theological justification, not miraculous victories for divine truth.

7. The Conquest of Mecca: Forgiveness or Power Politics?

The blog paints a portrait of a merciful conqueror. But does the record support this?

Critical Issues:

  • Selective Mercy: While many were pardoned, Muhammad ordered the execution of specific enemies, including poets like Ibn Khatal and women like Fartana, for mocking him. These were thought crimes by modern standards.

  • Erasing the Past: The destruction of the Ka‘bah’s idols was not merely religious reform — it was cultural erasure and centralization of power under the Islamic banner.

Conclusion: The conquest was politically astute but morally problematic. It was not an unblemished act of mercy.

8. The Farewell Sermon: A Universal Message or Insider Instructions?

The Farewell Sermon is often quoted for its humanistic tone. But is this really a universal ethical code?

Critical Issues:

  • Exclusivity of Brotherhood: Brotherhood and equality are emphasized — among Muslims (Qur’an 49:10). Non-Muslims are not granted the same moral status.

  • Sanctity... for Muslims: The “sanctity of life” emphasized in the sermon applies primarily within the Ummah. The Qur’an allows war against disbelievers until they pay the jizyah and feel subdued (Qur’an 9:29).

Conclusion: The Farewell Sermon is not a charter of universal human rights, but a call to Muslim unity and consolidation of religious authority.

9. Muhammad’s Death: A Turning Point in More Ways Than One

The blog ends by claiming Muhammad’s death marked the transition from prophecy to political continuity. This misses deeper questions.

Critical Issues:

  • Sudden Death & Poisoning: According to Sahih Bukhari (4428), Muhammad claimed that the effects of a poisoned meal (given by a Jewish woman years earlier) were killing him. How could a prophet be divinely protected, yet die from poisoning?

  • Fragmentation and Bloodshed: Immediately after his death, a leadership crisis erupted. Ridda Wars, tribal rebellions, and rapid conquests began. This contradicts the image of seamless divine order.

Conclusion: The transition after Muhammad’s death exposed internal fractures and raises doubts about the narrative of divinely guided unity.

Final Thoughts: Reestablishment or Reinvention?

The blog concludes with grand claims: that Islam’s reestablishment under Muhammad was the culmination of God’s revelation and that the Qur’an has remained perfectly preserved.

Critical Issues:

  • Continuity Claims Lack Evidence: No archaeological, textual, or historical evidence links Islam with the religion of Abraham or Jesus. These connections are asserted in the Qur’an without proof.

  • Preservation Myth: Even early Islamic sources document variant Qur’anic readings (Qira’at), lost verses (e.g., the stoning verse, breastfeeding verse), and political editing (e.g., under Uthman). The claim of perfect preservation is contradicted by Islamic texts themselves (see Sahih Muslim 2286, Bukhari 6:61:510).

Conclusion: Between Theology and History

The blog presents a sanitized, devotional version of Islam’s origins — one that cannot withstand critical scrutiny. When stripped of theological assumptions and examined using historical methods, Islam's early history appears far more human: a mix of political savvy, military conquest, theological adaptation, and strategic mythmaking.

The reestablishment of Islam, as portrayed in Islamic tradition, is better understood as the invention of Islam — a new socio-religious order built in the image of one man’s evolving authority, retrospectively framed as a continuation of an Abrahamic legacy that history does not substantiate.

Reader Note

If any claims in this critique appear inaccurate or unfair, you are invited to point them out with specific evidence from the Qur’an, authentic Hadith, or original Arabic sources. This blog welcomes honest, intellectually rigorous dialogue — not dogma. 

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