Then Allah revealed (verse 52 of SURAH AL-HAJJ)...

Then Allah revealed (verse 52 of SURAH AL-HAJJ): And We did not send before thee any messenger or prophet, but when he desired, the Satan made a suggestion respecting his desire; but Allah annuls that which the Satan casts, then does Allah establish His signs, and Allah is Knowing, Wise. So when Allah made known His decision and freed him from the Satanic rhymes, the polytheists turned back to their straying and their enmity of the Muslims, rather it became more serious!

Similar "traditions" with minor or major variations are quoted in AD-DURRU 'L-MANTHUR, vol. IV pp. 366-368. Some of them say that the Prophet was praying in the Sacred Mosque and recited the SURAH; but the fact is that the Prophet or the Muslims were not in a position to pray in the Sacred Mosque in the 5th year of the declaration of the Prophet-hood, when this incident is said to have taken place.

Other claim that he felt sleepy while praying and in that drowsiness the Satan made him utter these words! Yet others say that JIBRA'IL came to the Prophet and told him to recite again the revelation brought by him. The Prophet recited the SURAN together with the satanic verses. JIBRA'IL said, "I had not brought this to you; it is from the Satan". Then the verse 22:52 was revealed.

Still anther "tradition" says, that the Prophet, on being informed of that satanic mischief was very grieved and felt remorse for "fabricating lie against Allah". This depression continued until at the end Allah revealed the verse 22:52. The actual meaning of the word, AL-GHARANIQ (translated here as 'cranes') is obscure. It may mean wading birds (like cranes), or a soft grass growing with boxthorn, or a soft-skinned youth.

There are twelve variations in as many traditions of the pathetic satanic verses, some of them difficult to understand, e.g. 'they are surely in the exalted GHARANIQ' and, 'they are surely with the exalted GHARANIQ. This story is so diametrically opposed to many QUR'ANIC realities, that it should not be glorified by comment. But seeing that it has been used by orient-lists like Alfred Guillaume to discredit the Prophet's claim of divine revelation, some scrutiny is in order.

After describing the story, he very "innocently" writes: "In fact the incident is the strongest possible testimony to the sincerity of Muhammad. Of course it opens the door to the enquiry whether he may have been mistaken in supposing that his words were inspired on other occasion also".