Muhammad, the Qur'an and IslamMecca before the hijra; see Guillaume, New Light, p. 43 Muhammad, pp.
132, 161, etc.; cf. also Tabari, History, vol. 6, p. 109, n. 173.
[169] Although most Sira traditions present this sura as having been
revealed to Muhammad on this occasion; other passages of the Qur'an,
which appear to be related to this event (17:75; 28:87; cf. Ibn Sa`d, Classes,
vol. 1, 1, pp. 237f; Buhl, Muhammeds, p. 178), would seem to indicate that
this sura had already been composed and that Muhammad in effect was
adding to its text.
[170] See Ibn Sa`d, Classes, vol. 1, 1, p. 237; one version of this tradition
in Tabari, History, vol. 6, p. 111; and cf. Buhl, Muhammeds, p. 178.
[171] Guillaume, New Light, pp. 38 f; Ibn Sa`d, Classes, vol. 1, 1, p. 238;
Tabari, History, vol. 6, pp. 109, 112.
[172] Some Western scholars also see a discrepancy in that this verse is
found in a Medinan sura and think the entire tradition of this event may
have been invented as a "proof-text" for Qur'an 22:51; cf. EI², s.v. "Kur'an,”
p. 404. However, Sira traditions frequently present later Qur'an passages
as having been revealed much earlier. Qur'an 15:94 and 26:214 are often
associated with Muhammad's public proclamation of Islam, whereas the
much earlier passages 102:2f and 92:4 indicate that Muhammad had already
begun to preach to others. Qur'an 36:78 (Guillaume, Muhammad, pp. 143,
165) is cited in reference to the early Meccan rejection of the doctrine of
Resurrection, but the earlier passages 79:10-14 and 75:3f already
substantiate this. In the case of the verses of Satanic inspiration, the earlier
Qur'an 16:103f (cf. Buhl, Muhammeds, p. 179) could also have been
employed instead of 22:51.
[173] It is obvious that Ibn Hisham left these traditions out of his work,
for, as Guillaume points out (New Light, p. 38), Ibn Hisham does not
describe how the Meccans abruptly became Muslims; cf. Guillaume,
Muhammad, p. 167. Other Muslim scholars have also noticed this
deficiency and tried to improvise, see remarks on Ibn Kathir in New Light,
p. 39. A modern Turkish translation of Ibn Hisham (Islam Tarihi, vol. 2, pp.
5 f, n. 1) is also at a loss to explain the Meccans' conversion, and so gives
Suhayli's description of the Satanic inspiration as a footnote.