The “Satanic Verses” is the name given to an allegation that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) briefly recited words praising three Meccan goddesses as part of Surah An-Najm, before withdrawing them as words introduced by Satan. The alleged lines are not in the Quran, and the reports claiming that the Prophet recited them do not have a sound, connected chain of transmission.
What is the allegation?
The story claims that while reciting Surah An-Najm, the Prophet (PBUH) named al-Lat, al-Uzza, and Manat and then added: “These are the exalted cranes, whose intercession is hoped for.” The Meccan pagans supposedly prostrated because they heard their idols praised. According to versions of the story, the words were later removed after being identified as a satanic insertion.
What do the authentic reports say?
Sahih al-Bukhari records that the Prophet (PBUH) recited Surah An-Najm and prostrated, and that the Muslims and pagans present prostrated with him (Sahih al-Bukhari 4862–4863). These authentic accounts contain no satanic addition and no praise of idols.
The Quran’s actual passage does the opposite of what the allegation claims. After naming al-Lat, al-Uzza, and Manat, it rejects them as “nothing but names” invented by the pagans and their ancestors, with no authority from Allah (Quran 53:19–23). Inserting praise of those idols would contradict both the surrounding verses and the surah’s argument.
Why does the story appear in early books?
Some early historians and Quran commentators collected reports with their chains of transmission, including weak material for later scholars to assess. A report appearing in an early historical or tafsir work does not automatically make it authentic. The versions alleging that the Prophet uttered the additional lines are transmitted through broken chains or criticised narrators and are absent from the major authentic hadith collections.
Quran 22:52 is sometimes offered as proof of the story, but it does not mention Surah An-Najm, the three goddesses, or any words spoken by the Prophet. It states a general principle: Satan attempts to interfere with prophetic missions, but Allah abolishes what Satan casts and establishes His revelations. The verse therefore cannot authenticate the specific “Satanic Verses” narrative.
Conclusion
The so-called “Satanic Verses” are not verses of the Quran. The claim that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) recited praise of pagan idols rests on reports that hadith critics did not establish as authentic. The sound account says that he recited Surah An-Najm and the listeners prostrated; the surah itself unequivocally rejects the idols rather than praising them.
For the chains of transmission, the different versions of the story, and the Quranic evidence in detail, see What Are the Satanic Verses?