For StephenC

Personal history of subject of investigation.

As I stated above, the history/background of the subject has a bearing on the investigation.

Shall we discuss Muhammad's background/history?  With your permission, I will use the IslamiCity.com history to eliminate any claims of anti-Islam bias.

Muhammad's father used the arabic word for God (Allah) in his name.  This was a time when the people of the area were pagans.

Muhammad's father died just before he was born.

Muhammad's mother used a tradition where the infant "wet nursed."  (note: this was not in the IslamiCity.com history and presently I do not recall where I read this and the story about how even as a baby Muhammad would only take milk from one tit so that the "wet nurse's" natural child would have something to eat.  If this is baseless legend or if my failure to properly cite it is offensive, please disregard.)

Muhammad's mother died when he was 6 years old and he was sent away to live with a non-relative family.

The orphan child was raised by the grandfather.  The substitute father figure died and the child was passed over to an uncle.

The orphan child from a wealthy family was eventually turned over to a rural family to work as a herdsman.

(Investigator's note - did the circumstances of the child's early years have an effect on his ability to form relationships due to the difficulty of the baby bonding with an absent mother?)

When in his twenties, Muhammad entered into the service of a wealthy widow.

(Investigator's note - In a male dominated society, it must have been difficult for the son of a weathly family to work as an employee/servant of another, especially a woman.  Information from uncited works claim that the woman/boss made sexual advances towards the employee/servant)

And they eventually married.  However Muhammad, utilizing the custom of the time found a second wife to marry and they had two sons, both who died young.

Muhammad traveled a great deal.

In his forties while in a cave alone, Muhammad claimed to have an encounter with a being's voice of unknown origin, who commanded him to recite a statement

"Recite: In the name of thy Lord who created, Created man from a clot of blood."

(Investigator's note - the resulting Qur'an which was said to be a revelation from God through this voice and later encounters claims God created man from dust.)

Muhammad refused, but after repeated demands, he finally did as he was ordered.

Muhammad is said to have relayed this encounter to his wife and close friends.

(Investigator's note - other uncited statements say that there was a three year period between the first encounter and the second.  Also due to the extensive time between the encounter and the present, no evidence has been found at the cave to support or discredit the claimed encounter.)

Muhammad later stated that his later learned the being was the Angel Grabriel, however, no explanation of how this identification was given.

Summary: Muhammad had what would be considered a rough childhood.  Anyone he bonded with as a child died.  He did not know his father and was apparently passed around as a child finally ending up with a rural non-related foster family where he had to work.  There is no indication that he inherited his family's weath.  He had to work for a woman who, under today's standards, could have been accused of the sexual harassment of an employee.  While still married, Muhammad (lawfully) married a second wife.  This marriage resulted in two sons.  Muhammad suffered additional "abandonment" by the death of these sons.  In a cave a voice forced him to recite verses.  There was a difference between the verse as recited and the late written book.

End part one.

Any problems or inaccuracies with the initial background/history of the subject of the investigation?

StephenC wrote: A good investigator eliminates his/her personal beliefs/biases from the investigation.  Otherwise the investigation is worthless.  Does your friend truly was to know how to tell who is and who isn't a prophet of God? Who was the first prophet?  I recall someone claiming that it was Adam.  I personally disagree and professionally do not see how Adam could be a prophet.  The first questions would be "What did Adam prophecy and to whom?" Yes, God spoke to Adam, Eva, and the kids.  Who why would Adam be a prophet? Using the Investigative techniques that I posted, applying them to Adam does support or discredit a claim that he was a prophet? First of all, I do not see any claim by Adam that he was a prophet.  Where is that written in ANY religious text? So dear friend, it is my personal and professional opinion that Adam was not a prophet, but he did have a personal relation with God that included conversation. Which is the next Prophet that you would like to discuss?

You should investigate the idea of "prophet" in the context of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. They differ.

Perhaps I will comment further if time avails. Due to Ramadan, my time is very limited.

You don't seem to add anything to the discussion other than to attempt to wave off my statements without any contrary facts.

Tell your friend that there is absolutely NO PROOF at all that Muhammad was a true prophet from God.  The only thing we have is that he apparently claimed to be one.  There is no more proof of his prophethood then there is for "alien abductions."

As for all the other claimed prophets, the same holds for them.  There is no proof.

Now if your friend wants to believe that Muhammad was a prophet, that is fine and dandy for him.  Me, God gave me a mind and the ability to reason.

All my professional career I have dealt with people who made unsubstantuated claims.  Most I have disproven.  Using the talents God gave me and my training and experiences, I can not say that Muhammad was a true prophet from God.  Nor can I say he was not.  I disagree with some of his revelations and I agree with some of his revelations.

I can point out how the Quran has verses that contradict itself.  I've pointed out a few of these (i.e. God made man from a clot of blood and God made mad from dust).

The Quran has been edited and re-edited.  The third Cailph set up a committe because he was concerned about all the conflicting versions.

If we looked at Muhammad's life before the alleged encounter with the voice, he find that he had what we would call today a "disfunctional childhood."  Many people overcome such adversities, many don't.

If we look at the situation of the first "voice" we find questionable aspects of it.

For example, since Muhammad came from a paganistic area/family, what was he meditating on?

One thing for sure is that there are more legends and myths then there are facts about Muhammad.

But back to your friend, for the majority of the people, their religion is that of their family.  If he/she is happy with that religion, stick with it.  If not, seek out one you like.

Me, I'm "John the Baptist" religion type of guy.

My revelation from God is that God is the one we should worship and pray to, not anyone born of a woman.  If you want to pray to God in some one's name.  That is fine.

We all know what is right and what is wrong.  We don't need any man to tell us otherwise.

>>In his forties while in a cave alone, Muhammad claimed to have an encounter with a being's voice of unknown origin, who commanded him to recite a statement

"Recite: In the name of thy Lord who created, Created man from a clot of blood."

(Investigator's note - the resulting Qur'an which was said to be a revelation from God through this voice and later encounters claims God created man from dust.)<<stephenc

"this begs the question: So what?

Please make a point?" Andalus

My point is the revelation that Muhammad claims that the unidentified (at that time) voice made him recite ("Recite: In the name of thy Lord who created, Created man from a clot of blood.")

And what was written in the Quran (at least in it's lastest rewrite) in "Al-Imran (The Family of Imran)  3:59 Verily, in the sight of God, the nature of Jesus is as the nature of Adam, whom He created out of dust and then said unto him, "Be" - and he is." contradict each other.  Or in Arabic is "clot of blood" the same as "dust?"

In investigations, it is attention to detail that proves or disproves a statement.

If the many different committees (or editors) can not get that right, I wonder what else did they get wrong?  Maybe the whole thing or a substantial part of it?

Can you find such an obvious contradiction in the "New Testament?"  And this is not the only contradiction that I find in the Quran!