Page 111 of The History of al-Tabari (Volume 6) details the "Satanic Verses" incident, where Muhammad reportedly recited verses acknowledging pagan deities before correcting them, as translated by W. Montgomery Watt and M. V. McDonald. While often cited in Western academic work, this narration is widely rejected by traditional scholars as weak or fabricated, contradicting the concept of prophetic infallibility. For more details, visit Kalamullah.Com .
If you clarify the on page 111 (e.g., a narrative, hadith, or event), I can help tailor recommendations or suggest parallels in other Islamic historiography.
Al-Tabari utilized a chain of narration (isnad) method, collecting reports from various sources and presenting them, allowing readers to see different accounts of the same event.
In the standard English translation of The History of al-Tabari (Vol. 6) translated and annotated by W. Montgomery Watt and M.V. McDonald, page 111 details the intense psychological and social pressure the Prophet Muhammad faced from the ruling Quraysh tribe in Mecca. According to this specific narration:
On this specific page, Al-Tabari records a report detailing a moment when Prophet Muhammad was deeply eager to reconcile with his tribe, the Quraysh. According to the narrative, during a recitation of Surah An-Najm (Chapter 53) near the Kaaba, Satan allegedly "cast upon his tongue" two lines praising the pagan deities of Mecca:
: Major Hadith critics, including Ibn Kathir, Al-Qurtubi, and Al-Albani, analyzed the chains provided by Al-Tabari. They found them to be mursal (missing the companion link), meaning the stories were narrated by third-generation individuals who were not alive when the event allegedly happened.
"Then the Messenger of God said, ''" Key Context from Page 111:
The specific "piece" or quote often cited from this page is Muhammad's lament:
Al-Ṭabarī, as a historian, practiced a methodology of reporting various chains of transmission (isnād) without always verifying their authenticity. His goal was to document what was reported, making this page a vital primary source for early (though debated) traditions.
The report describes a period when the Prophet Muhammad was deeply concerned for his people and wished for a revelation that would bring the Quraysh closer to him. According to this narration: The Incident : While reciting Surah an-Najm
Volume VI of al-Ṭabarī deals with the rise of Islam in Mecca, a period marked by intense opposition from the Quraysh tribe to Muhammad’s monotheistic message. The narratives recorded by al-Ṭabarī, largely relying on Ibn Isḥāq’s Sīrah (Life of Muhammad), document the psychological pressure and persecution faced by the early Muslim community. The Content of Page 111 (SUNY Translation)