If the mountain won't come to Muhammad.....

[akulion]

Salam Alaikum

The phrase "If the mountain won't come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the mountain." is often used by people without realizing that it was initially intended to ridicule Islam. The incident described in the phrase in fact never happened. This phrase originates from Francis Bacon in Essays, 1625, and later on by John Owen, 1643. Both were attempts to throw ridicule at Mohammed to mock his faith as being false.

It must be clarified that this is a tale and not an actual event that took place because there is nothing in Islamic History or prophetic narrations of Muhammad(s) that mention this alleged event.

Next time you hear people using this phrase please talk to them politely and make them aware

 

[bamboozled]

MashAllah, great advice.

This video may also be useful for information relating to the quote:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSyDliiGI1I&feature=relmfu
It is called: Defending the Prophet Against Orientalist Critique - Pt. 1 of 2 - Yasir Qadhi

Foward to 22mins 30secs for direct reference to that exact phrase you were warning us about.

JazakAllah Khairn
Inahlilahi Wainah lilahi Rajiun

Peace.

 

[Abz2000]

i personally use the term the other way around.

if Muhammad won't go to the mountain - then the mountain must come to Muhammad.

a way of saying - i'm not budging - i've done my part, you do yours.

 

[bamboozled]

in Islam intentions of our actions matter a great deal.

However, because of where that quote comes from and because of the intentions of the writer I would imagine it would be best for us to refrain from it completely, mashAllah Allah has given us many a Quranic quotes all of which infintitely better. I am going to try and avoid it.

Allah Knows best
Peace

Soz, if a re-post comp playing up lol.

 

[noorseeker]

I thought it was The mountain DID NOT come to muhammad , muhammad went to mountain,

I thought it was an analogy as you cant sit at home and expect a job, you have to go out and get one. (ok i knw you can find a job on the internet now)

 

[sulaiman.aliyu]

Well before I knew this phrase had no basis in reality, I had inundated with it and understood the ridicule intended by it. However, my position had been that were it true, it only increases my respect for the prophet as an in-depth analysis of it reveals a profound message. In the Bible, it says, “only a wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign”, and this suggests that it takes a certain perversity in the reasoning of man to demand miracles of The God when he (man) is already surrounded by innumerable miracles! Why is the miracle of life, determination and locomotion which are needed to walk to a mountain deemed any less than what it takes for the mountain to come to one? Why don’t we see the handiwork of The God in the present order of things but need to have this order disturbed before we are to believe in Him? Of course to reason thus one needs a certain amount of wickedness in him.

- - - Updated - - -

Well before I knew this phrase had no basis in reality, I had been inundated with it and understood the ridicule intended by it. However, my position had been that were it true, it only increases my respect for the prophet as an in-depth analysis of it reveals a profound message. In the Bible, it says, “only a wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign”, and this suggests that it takes a certain perversity in the reasoning of man to demand miracles of The God when he (man) is already surrounded by innumerable miracles! Why is the miracle of life, determination and locomotion which are needed to walk to a mountain deemed any less than what it takes for the mountain to come to one? Why don’t we see the handiwork of The God in the present order of things but need to have this order disturbed before we are to believe in Him? Of course to reason thus one needs a certain amount of wickedness in him.

 

[Abz2000]

Well before I knew this phrase had no basis in reality, I had inundated with it and understood the ridicule intended by it. However, my position had been that were it true, it only increases my respect for the prophet as an in-depth analysis of it reveals a profound message. In the Bible, it says, “only a wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign”, and this suggests that it takes a certain perversity in the reasoning of man to demand miracles of The God when he (man) is already surrounded by innumerable miracles! Why is the miracle of life, determination and locomotion which are needed to walk to a mountain deemed any less than what it takes for the mountain to come to one? Why don’t we see the handiwork of The God in the present order of things but need to have this order disturbed before we are to believe in Him? Of course to reason thus one needs a certain amount of wickedness in him.

Al-Furqan 25:21

وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَآءَنَا لَوْلَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ أَوْ نَرَىٰ رَبَّنَاۗ لَقَدِ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ فِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَعَتَوْ عُتُوًّا كَبِيرًا

English - Yusuf Ali

Such as fear not the meeting with Us (for Judgment) say: "Why are not the angels sent down to us, or (why) do we not see our Lord?" Indeed they have an arrogant conceit of themselves, and mighty is the insolence of their impiety!

English - Sahih International

And those who do not expect the meeting with Us say, "Why were not angels sent down to us, or [why] do we [not] see our Lord?" They have certainly become arrogant within themselves and [become] insolent with great insolence.


Al-Furqan 25:22

يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةَ لَا بُشْرَىٰ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُجْرِمِينَ وَيَقُولُونَ حِجْرًا مَّحْجُورًا

English - Yusuf Ali

The Day they see the angels,- no joy will there be to the sinners that Day: The (angels) will say: "There is a barrier forbidden (to you) altogether!"

English - Sahih International

The day they see the angels - no good tidings will there be that day for the criminals, and [the angels] will say, "Prevented and inaccessible."


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