Waraqah and Copycat Muhammad

Mohammed was a PAGAN who because of selfish motives proclaimed himself prophet.

Muhammad, son of Abdullah, son of Abdul Muttalib, of the tribe of Quraysh(Pagans), was born in Mecca. His father died before he was born, and he was protected first by his grandfather, Abdul Muttalib, and after his grandfather’s death, by his uncle Abu Talib. 

As a young boy he travelled with his uncle in the merchants’ caravan to Syria and met many Christians, Jews and other tribes and cultures., and some years afterwards made the same journey in the service of a wealthy widow named Khadijah.

Khadīja bint Khuwaylid (Wealthiest Christian merchant in Mecca). She was 40 years when she met Muhammad aged 25)

Khadija became a very successful merchant. When the Quraysh's trade caravans gathered to embark upon their summer journey to Syria or winter journey to Yemen, Khadija's caravan equalled the caravans of all other traders of the Quraysh put together. She was known by the by-names Ameerat-Quraysh ("Princess of Quraysh"), al-Tahira ("The Pure One") and Khadija Al-Kubra (Khadija "the Great").

Khadija did not travel with her trade caravans. she employed others to trade on her behalf for a commission. In 595 Khadija needed an agent for a transaction in Syria. Abu Talib recommended her distant cousin Muhammad. The experience that Muhammad held working with caravans in his uncle Abu Talib's family business had earned him the honorific titles Al-Sadiq ("the Truthful") and Al-Amin ("the Trustworthy" or "Honest"). So Khadija hired Muhammad, who was then 25 years.

Khadija then consulted her cousin Waraqah(Waraqah was a christian priest) and uncle about marriage. Because of Muhammad's work and devotion in business Khadija married him. Khadija's uncle accepted the proposal, and the marriage took place.

Mohammed learned about Christianity through Khadija''s cousin Waraqa bin Naufal. This man entrusted Mohammed and provided him with all the scriptures. Since Mohammed had all the scriptures with him, this gave him an opportunity to plagiarize the older scriptures and make his own version called the Quran.

The Muslim sources tell us about a certain Waraqa bin Nawfal and in what way Muhammad was related to him.

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 1, Number 3:

Narrated 'Aisha:
(the mother of the faithful believers) The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah's Apostle was in the form of good dreams which came true like bright day light, and then the love of seclusion was bestowed upon him. He used to go in seclusion in the cave of Hira where he used to worship (Allah alone) continuously for many days before his desire to see his family. He used to take with him the journey food for the stay and then come back to (his wife) Khadija to take his food like-wise again till suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he was in the cave of Hira. The angel came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet replied, "I do not know how to read.

The Prophet added, "The angel caught me (forcefully) and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read and I replied, 'I do not know how to read.' Thereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read but again I replied, 'I do not know how to read (or what shall I read)?' Thereupon he caught me for the third time and pressed me, and then released me and said, 'Read in the name of your Lord, who has created (all that exists) has created man from a clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous." (96.1, 96.2, 96.3) Then Allah's Apostle returned with the Inspiration and with his heart beating severely. Then he went to Khadija bint Khuwailid and said, "Cover me! Cover me!" They covered him till his fear was over and after that he told her everything that had happened and said, "I fear that something may happen to me." Khadija replied, "Never! By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your Kith and kin, help the poor and the destitute, serve your guests generously and assist the deserving calamity-afflicted ones."

Khadija then accompanied him to her cousin Waraqa bin Nawfal bin Asad bin 'Abdul 'Uzza, who, during the PreIslamic Period became a Christian and used to write the writing with Hebrew letters. He would write from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allah wished him to write. He was an old man and had lost his eyesight. Khadija said to Waraqa, "Listen to the story of your nephew, O my cousin!" Waraqa asked, "O my nephew! What have you seen?" Allah's Apostle described whatever he had seen. Waraqa said, "This is the same one who keeps the secrets (angel Gabriel) whom Allah had sent to Moses. I wish I were young and could live up to the time when your people would turn you out." Allah's Apostle asked, "Will they drive me out?" Waraqa replied in the affirmative and said, "Anyone (man) who came with something similar to what you have brought was treated with hostility; and if I should remain alive till the day when you will be turned out then I would support you strongly." But after a few days Waraqa died and the Divine Inspiration was also paused for a while. ...

The bold faced indicates some essential statements above:

1. "his desire to see his family." 
2. "You keep good relations with your Kith and kin"

This shows that Muhammad was a "family man", and given that the middle eastern culture is well known for its family orientedness and that in this setting Muhammad was seemingly even a very good example we can deduce that he probably spend much time with his relatives keeping a good relationship, and that means regular visiting.

Furthermore, nobody will deny that Muhammad was already religious before he had this first encounter in the cave on Mt. Hira. After all, he went there to meditate and pray. As the hadith says, it was a habit of his: "He USED to go in seclusion in the cave of Hira where he used to worship (Allah alone) continuously for many days..."

The big question now is:

What will such a religious man talk about when he visits his relatives? Would it be too much to guess that religion will be a major part of these conversations?

And what do we see happening here when Muhammad is disturbed and frightened by a "religious experience"? After calming down a bit at home with his wife, who is the person they visit first?

Waraqa bin Nawfal. Seemingly, he is seen by Khadija and Muhammad as an authority in spiritual matters. And he is the cousin of his wife. And he is a Christian familiar with the scriptures since, after all, he is making copies of the scriptures, whether for personal study or for a fellowship/church of Christians.

So, these are the facts:

A.
Muhammad is a family man who keeps good relationships with his relatives.
B.
Muhammad is very religious.
C.
The cousin of his wife is not only a Christian, but he has access to the scriptures and copies them.
We learn from Sahih Bukhari that Waraqa used to read the Gospel in Arabic. This confirms that the Arabic translation of the Gospel was available during Muhammad’s time.

 Volume 4, Book 55, Number 605:

Narrated 'Aisha:

The Prophet returned to Khadija while his heart was beating rapidly. She took him to Waraqa bin Naufal who was a Christian convert and used to read the Gospels in Arabic Waraqa asked (the Prophet), "What do you see?" When he told him, Waraqa said, "That is the same angel whom Allah sent to the Prophet) Moses. Should I live till you receive the Divine Message, I will support you strongly."

Not only that Waraqa read the Gospel in Arabic, he also translated Gospel in his own version in Arabic. Sahih Bukhari confirms this:

Please note that this is quite a lengthy Hadis. I have quoted only the relevant part.

Volume 6, Book 60, Number 478:

Narrated Aisha:

…….." Khadija then took him to Waraqa bin Naufil, the son of Khadija's paternal uncle. Waraqa had been converted to Christianity in the Pre-lslamic Period and used to write Arabic and write of the Gospel in Arabic as much as Allah wished him to write…….

Waraqa even knew how to read and write in Hebrew! Sahih Bukhari confirms this:

Please note that only the part germane to the subject is quoted here.

Volume 1, Book 1, Number 3:

Narrated 'Aisha:

……Khadija then accompanied him to her cousin Waraqa bin Naufal bin Asad bin 'Abdul 'Uzza, who, during the PreIslamic Period became a Christian and used to write the writing with Hebrew letters. He would write from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allah wished him to write……

The above information, especially those quotes from the Sahih Bukhari will leave one without any doubt that Waraqa, as well as Khadijah were big-time contributors to the compilation of the Qur’an-- especially those verses dealing with Christianity and Judaism.
Waraqa lived in Mecca and probably Muhammad has met him long before his marriage to Khadija already, but at the latest when he married her, he is now a relative of Waraqa, a local authority on the scriptures. That gave Muhammad at least 15 years of opportunity of religious discussions with a man who knew the scriptures. And even if they had been written in another language, Waraqa could read it, and he would have talked about them in Arabic with Muhammad. From the time he married Khadija [25 years old] to the time of his first "revelation" [40 years old] there are 15 years of possibility, or rather probability of learning at least something of what Waraqa believed and knew from the scriptures.

Muhammad knew Waraqa, through his marriage to Khadija, for approximately 15 years before the beginning of his purported prophetic calling. Since Waraqa was a religious man, it is likely that their conversations over these years often centered around religious issues.

Muhammad did not need to learn much about Christianity, and this is evident when we examine the many inaccuracies and distortions of Christian teachings found in his Qur'an. Muhammad needed a small amount of information to weave his self-serving tales, in which he placed himself in the position of the Prophets (and put his words in their mouths), and portrayed his adversaries as the enemies of the Prophets.

There were a Christians in Mecca, of whom one, Khadijah's cousin, Waraqah b. Nawfal, have influenced Muhammad considerable; but the majority were probably Abyssinian slaves and not well instructed in the faith.  Muhammad would also have seen something of Christianity while trading in Syria. However, we cannot dismiss the that Muhammad gleaned some of his superficial, and deficient, knowledge of Christianity from his contact with Waraqa.

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