The Satanic Verses Summary and Analysis

When Muhammad insisted on the worship of only one God, trouble broke out among the Quraysh. The Muslims were attacked during their prayers, or salat, and the leaders of Mecca declared Muhammad to be an enemy of the people. Muhammad was asking the people to break with the past and they were reluctant to do so. They felt threatened since polytheism was a part of their culture and many of the gods represented protection. The dispute continued until Muhammad made an apparent concession to polytheism. A revelation revealed that this apparent concession was the work of Satan. The Quran was changed to omit the concession.

In 1988, Salman Rushdie published his novel, the Satanic Verses. Muslims objected to Rushdie's portrayal of Muhammad. They believed that Rushdie had adopted the Western view of Muhammad and portrayed him as an...