What Are the Satanic Verses in the Quran?

The subject of the so-called “Satanic Verses” is one of the most controversial episodes in early Islamic tradition. According to some of the earliest Muslim sources, Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, once recited verses in the Quran that did not come from Allah but rather from Satan himself. This account, if true, poses a devastating problem for the Islamic claim that the Quran is the perfect and incorruptible word of God. It also raises profound questions about Muhammad’s role as a prophet and about the very foundation of Islam.

To understand this episode properly, one must examine the historical background, the pagan context in Mecca, the nature of the verses themselves, and the way the story was treated by Muslim historians and later Islamic theology.

The Background of the Controversy

Muhammad began his prophetic career in Mecca around the year 610 C.E. with claims that he had received revelations from Allah through the angel Gabriel. However, the message he proclaimed was not initially welcomed. Mecca was a thriving center of commerce and religion, with the Kaaba serving as a shrine for numerous Arabian deities. Among the most prominent deities were al-Lat, al-ʿUzza, and Manat, three goddesses that represented the religious devotion of many tribes.

Muhammad’s insistence on the exclusive worship of Allah brought him into conflict with the Quraysh, the dominant tribe in Mecca, who benefited socially and economically from polytheistic worship. His followers were few, and opposition was strong. In this context, the story of the Satanic Verses arises. Some early accounts suggest that Muhammad, under pressure to reconcile with the Meccans, received a “revelation” that appeared to grant legitimacy to the three pagan goddesses.

The Text of Surah 53 and the Interpolation

The Quran’s Surah 53 (al-Najm, “The Star”) contains the passage in question. Verses 19–20 read:

“So have you considered al-Lat and al-ʿUzza?
And Manat, the third—the other one?”

According to the disputed narrative, following verse 20, Satan placed deceptive words upon Muhammad’s tongue. What came forth was:

“These are the exalted cranes [intermediaries],
Whose intercession is to be hoped for!”

This statement gave recognition to the three goddesses as exalted beings whose intercession could be sought. For the Quraysh, this was a remarkable concession. The result, according to early Islamic sources, was that both Muslims and pagans rejoiced. Even the polytheists bowed in prostration along with Muhammad, believing that he had honored their gods.

The Reaction of the Quraysh and Early Muslims

Al-Tabari, a major Muslim historian (d. 923 C.E.), preserves an account of the incident in The History of al-Tabari. He records how the Quraysh rejoiced that Muhammad had mentioned their gods in favorable terms, saying that these were “the high-flying cranes whose intercession is approved.” His followers, trusting his words, also bowed with him, believing the revelation was authentic. The reaction was so dramatic that, according to the report, there was no one present in the mosque—believer or unbeliever—who did not prostrate.

This sudden reconciliation between Muhammad and his opponents seemed to remove the tension, at least temporarily. But it also created a deep theological problem, for Muhammad had apparently affirmed polytheism.

Muhammad’s Retraction and Explanation

According to the tradition, Muhammad later retracted these verses, claiming that they had not come from Allah but from Satan. The angel Gabriel, we are told, confronted him and rebuked him for allowing Satan to influence his recitation. Muhammad then claimed that Allah had corrected the mistake and replaced the satanic interpolation with authentic verses, which denounced the very deities he had briefly exalted.

This explanation—that Satan had momentarily deceived him—became deeply embarrassing for later Islamic theologians. The notion that a prophet could be deceived by Satan into proclaiming false revelation raised unavoidable questions. If Muhammad could be tricked once, what assurance is there that he was not tricked again? How could the Quran be trusted as the infallible word of God if it contained evidence of satanic intrusion?

The Preservation of the Story in Early Sources

While later Islamic scholars sought to suppress or deny this event, the record of it persists in some of the earliest Muslim writings. Al-Tabari is not the only one to mention it; other historians and commentators also preserve versions of the story. These include Ibn Ishaq (d. 767 C.E.), whose biography of Muhammad is the earliest known, though parts of his work survive only through later transmitters like Ibn Hisham. Waqidi and other historians also include the narrative.

Muslim apologists often counter that not all early biographies mention the account, and therefore it is not authentic. Yet the fact that multiple early Islamic historians preserved it strongly suggests that the story was widely known and regarded as credible in the early centuries of Islam. Later theologians, fearing the implications, worked to discredit it.

The strategy was straightforward: deny that Muhammad ever spoke those words, reinterpret the story, and insist that the Quran is perfect and incorruptible from the beginning. In time, the “satanic verses” narrative became something to be silenced, dismissed, or even declared fabricated.

The Theological Implications

For Islam, the implications are devastating if the story is true. Muhammad is presented as the “seal of the prophets,” the perfect conduit of Allah’s revelation, who is said to have delivered the Quran free from error. Yet here, by his own admission, Satan placed false words into his mouth, and Muhammad proclaimed them as revelation.

This means that Muhammad did not always distinguish between the voice of Allah and the deception of Satan. If that is the case, then the entire Quran is called into question. Muslims who insist on the Quran’s perfection are forced to deny their own earliest sources or to accept the possibility that the text was corrupted.

By contrast, the Bible makes clear that Jehovah’s true prophets could never be deceived in this way. Deuteronomy 18:21–22 gives the test of a true prophet: if he speaks in Jehovah’s name and the thing does not come true, or if he promotes false gods, then he is not a true prophet. Jeremiah 14:14 also condemns those who “prophesy lies in My name,” showing that they are deceived not by God but by false spirits. A true prophet, guided by the Spirit-inspired Word, could never endorse idolatry, even temporarily.

Thus, the very existence of this story, even if later suppressed, is a serious challenge to Muhammad’s claim to prophethood.

Later Historical Consequences

The story did not simply fade from memory. The “Satanic Verses” became infamous in modern times through Salman Rushdie’s 1988 novel of the same name. Rushdie’s book, loosely based on Muhammad’s life and early Islamic tradition, included references to this embarrassing episode. Muslims around the world reacted with outrage. The Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa (religious decree) calling for Rushdie’s death. Bookstores carrying the novel were attacked, and Rushdie was forced into hiding for years.

This reaction demonstrates how deeply the issue touches the foundations of Islam. The very suggestion that Muhammad could have been deceived by Satan is intolerable to Muslims, because it undermines the claim that the Quran is perfect and eternal. And yet, the account remains preserved in early Muslim history itself.

Conclusion

The account of the Satanic Verses, whether accepted or denied, highlights a central weakness in Islam. If Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, once proclaimed false revelation under satanic influence, then his entire authority is undermined. If he did not, then why did some of the earliest Muslim historians preserve this embarrassing story? Either way, the reliability of Muhammad and the Quran stands in doubt.

The Bible, by contrast, presents a God who ensures that His Word is pure, true, and free from satanic corruption. Proverbs 30:5 declares, “Every word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.” The Scriptures show us that Jehovah’s prophets were never deceived in delivering His Word, and that the inspired Word remains the one sure guide for truth.

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