The Myth of Mecca

PUSA.com ^ | 9/27 | Dr. Jack Wheeler

[francisandbeans]

The most sacred spot on earth to all members of the Islamic religion is the Holy City of Mecca, revered as the birthplace of Mohammed. It is one of the five basic requirements incumbent upon all Moslems that they make (if their health will allow it) a pilgrimage to Mecca once in their lives (the other four: recognize that there is no god but Allah, that Mohammed is Allah's prophet, ritually pray five times a day, and give alms to the poor).

The founding events of Islam are Mohammed's activities in Mecca and Medina, a city north of Mecca. The life of Mohammed, known as the Sira, is popularly accepted to be fully documented historically, that everything he did and said was accurately recorded. According to one hagiographer, although Mohammed "could not read or write himself, he was constantly served by a group of 45 scribes who wrote down his sayings, instructions and activities.... We thus know his life down to the minutest details."

The evidence for this is "the earliest and most famous biography of Mohammed," the Sirat Rasul Allah (The Life of the Prophet of God) of Ibn Ishaq. The dates given for Mohammed's life are 570-632 AD. Ibn Ishaq was born about 717 and died in 767. He thus wrote his biography well over 100 years after Mohammed lived, precluding his gaining any information from eyewitnesses to the Sira as they would have all died themselves in the intervening years.

However, no copies exist of Ibn Ishaq's work. We know of it only through quotations of it in the History of al-Tabari, who lived over two hundred years after Ibn Ishaq (al-Tabari died in 992). Thus the earliest biography of Mohammed of which copies still exist was written some 350 years after Mohammed lived.

It is curious, therefore, that there seems to have been so little serious scholarly research of the historical evidence for how Islam came to be. Yet what seems to be isn't so. A number of professional academic historians, both Western and Moslem, have produced a large body of research on the origins of Islam. For reasons best known to the pundits and reviewers who should be aware of it, this research remains publicly unknown.

rest of article here

[father_elijah]

I found this paragraph from Dr. Wheeler's article very valuable: We don't know about the Myth of Mecca because we are afraid to. We, Americans and Westerners and participants of civilization, have been intimidated and frightened into examining the historical truth regarding Islam. Dare to criticize Islam and some crazed ayatollah will issue a fatwah calling for your death. Well, if there is one thing that we must learn from The Atrocity is that we cannot, we dare not be afraid any longer. The Atrocity was committed exclusively by Moslems in the name of Islam. True enough, President Bush, in his magnificent speech to Congress, said their actions blaspheme and insult Islam. But throughout the Arab world, from cafes in Beirut and Cairo to the streets of Nablus and Gaza, people laughed and celebrated their religion's slaughter of thousands of Americans. So we should feel no need to refrain from exposing that this slaughter was committed in the name of a make-believe myth.

[wardaddy]

Yirakh???...perhaps. I could be wrong. I'm not up to snuff on Carthaginian mythology which borrows heavily from the Phonecians and Caananites.

So Islam also has some symbolism left over from the old pagan days of yore. What a suprise right???

Regards;>)

[Non-Sequitur]

The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar. Islamic months begin at sunset on the day of visual sighting of the lunar crescent, hence the importance of the crescent in the Muslim religion.

The Jewish calendar, on the other hand, is a combined solar/lunar calendar. Lunisolar calendars use months to approximate the tropical year. Since 12 months are about 11 days shorter than the tropical year, a leap month (also called intercalary month) is inserted about every third year to keep the calendar in tune with the seasons. So every three years the Jewish year has two months named Adar.

[AmericanCheeseFood]

You want to find the founding of Christianity ? Read the Bible . You wsnt to know what Christians are instructed to do and should do by His will ? Read the Bible . Especially the New Testament .

Find anything that instructs Christians to slay by the millions ? You won't .

Want to see why Islam is the bloodiest path ever tread by a false prophet . Read some of the Korans views on non-believers .

Perhaps you should get to know Jesus personally yourself as well .

Cheese .

=)

[steve-b]

If the disciples lied and Jesus didn't rise, there's no reasonable explanation of why they were willing to be martyred for a lie.

Since when are human beings reasonable? Not two weeks ago, we saw about a dozen lunatics willing to martyr themselves, and kill thousands of others, for a pack of lies.

[Non-Sequitur]

What's my point? Well, you have to read the whole thread to get my point. All that reading is hard, I know, but the short version is that in Reply 19 AmericanCheeseFood said that the Koran teaches that the sun revolves around the earth. In Reply 39 I pointed out that the Bible did, too. In the next reply Aristophanes asked for chapter and verse. I replied to him in Reply 56 and then you piped up in Reply 60. Did you follow all that?

[the_alfalfanator]

Sorry, I missed the part where the sun revoles around the earth.
The verse you qoute says that time stood still.

[AmericanCheeseFood]

You must have some version of the Bible I don't currently have access too . What is it, the convienent retort towards someone to just raise an arguement version, still being printed ? By you .

Silly me, I can't wait to see it, in an emergency it could be used as toilet paper .

[wardaddy]

You speak wisely sir. Shame our sensibilities are being innundated with a thick veil about this obvious fact as we speak. I suppose it's to keep us from being embroiled in a battle with Islam as a whole but I fear it's more a residual aftereffect of 35 years of politically correct indoctrination. That damn PC mindset is sort of like Pandora's proverbial box...we can't seem to stifle it. If the recent cataclysm can't do the job...what will it take?

[Non-Sequitur]

Read the verse again. It says that the sun stood still in the midst of heaven and did not set for a whole day. But where is that a surprise? It was common belief then and for centuries afterwards. In 1633 Galileo was tried as a heritic for supporting the Copernican theory of the earth revolving around the sun.

[Justin Thyme]

I'm not Muslim, but similar curiousity has led me to do some research. NOTE - This is strictly my interpretations of what I've read. Much is based off "recognized" translations of the Qur'an, but add lots of implied IMHO's:

1. What kind of god, Allah(?) proclaims the mass murder of defenseless people a "righteous" act? What authority in the Koran are these acts based on?

- The Qur'an, much like the Old Testiment, is really fire and brimstone oriented...believe or else! Also, the Qur'an, which is supposed to be God's word delivered straight to Mohammed, included things like don't make Jews and Christians your friends and confidants. I have heard that Mohammed's life can be seen in two stages....early on (before he had much power), it was more peaceful...later, as he gained power, it was more militaristic. And it does explicitly state that whenever Jihad is called, all Muslims are bound to comply. Key Note: There are three types of Jihad: 1. Most common - An individuals own battle against evil in themselves. 2. Verbal - Spreading the word of Islam. 3. Combat - The more recognized (in the west) version of war against non-believers.

2. Why does the "paradise" that martyrs are promised appear to appeal to the most BASE of male EARTHLY desires (you know the 70 virgins or little boys)?

- Just guesses here. Islam itself, preaches against Hedonism, and weakness of the flesh. Avoid alcohol, fornication, adultry. It teachs to care for the poor, disabled and orphaned. Perhaps, the thought is that if you abstain from this stuff on earth, an eternity of it is your reward. In my personal research, I haven't yet come to the heavenly goodies.

3. If Islam is a religion of peace why were so many celebrating this mass slaughter in the Middle East?

- This is likely more a political question than a religious one (although it is difficult at best to separate the two in their cultures, especially in Afghanistan). Most of the Muslim world feel that western culture has erroded a number of the core beliefs outlined above. Additionally, they also largely believe that western culture is out to ruin their religion and purity.

4. Why does this aggressive intolerant version of Islam appear to be dominant in the Islamic schools we’ve been hearing about?

- Islam, in general, is a very traditional type religion. Add this to the above.

5. Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t at one time Islam teach respect and tolerance for other “people of the Book” (Christians and Jews) who are descended from the covenant of Abraham?

- From what I understand, they do have a greater tolerance for Christianity, since they recognize Jesus as a prophet. My understanding is that this "tolerance" was to the extent of basically, if those other religions agree to be subjegated (sp?) and agree to pay an additional tax, they will be tolerated. I think this is a more moderate stance than some Muslims take, obviously.

6. Why does Islam seem to promote and encourage any two-bit self-proclaimed "holy man" to sentence half the world's population to death! With the blessings of ALLAH?

- Still looking for the full answer to this. Islam, unlike Christianity, doesn't have any type of hierarchy (ie, Pope, Cardinal, Bishop, Priest), just Imam's or holy men. I get the impression that ANY true believer of the faith can call Jihad.

Like I said, I don't have the answers, merely some semi-educated guesses from what I've read. And in looking at it, it seems to get more complicated as I go. It seems like Mohammed himself united the Arabs, but it was a successor a hundred years or so after he died that actually started on conquest outside of the Arab penninsula.

[Non-Sequitur]

Nope. King James version published hundreds of years ago. But since you have access to the web then you always have access to the Bible. There are any number of sites where you can check the quote.

[AmericanCheeseFood]

A man(without knowledge of what exactly goes on in the Universe asked God to provide that the Sun remain in the sky . God logically stopped the Earth for that period of time .

I know this God, He created you in His image as He did myself . He created the world we sit on .

The fact He created us in His image goes with the fact we have free will, or that part of His image known as His judgment, though our judgment shall never be as perfect as His .There's the problem with Adam and Eve, who dispite better judgment both commited treason which to this day is passed down untill it's washed away . Hence why Jesus came along .

Anyways.

Cheese.

Vintage August-16-95

[Non-Sequitur]

Since much of the Koran is not that much older than the New Testament of the Bible then wouldn't that also explain any references it might make to the sun revolving around the earth?

[Non-Sequitur]

What am I thinking? The Koran is not that much younger than the New Testament.

[Vigilanteman]

Long article, but excellent read. The author makes perfect sense.

[gumbo]

In 1633 Galileo was tried as a heritic for supporting the Copernican theory of the earth revolving around the sun.

My recollection is that Galileo was tried not for being a heretic, but for publishing a book he'd earlier promised not to publish without church approval.

In any case, the church was far less the source of Galileo's problems than his fellow academic colleagues, who were envious and resentful of his encroachment on their areas of "expertise" -- namely, their theories dependent on the Ptolomaic system.

It was they, the university academics, who goaded the church into finally taking action; the church was initially reluctant to take issue with Galileo.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

Well... never say never...

[lucy1]

True...

[lucy1]

Interesting. Thanks!