This article chronicles the strange or pedantic rules that the false prophet Muhammad instituted when creating his new religion of Islam.
All of these rules matter, because Muhammad is given in the Quran as the most excellent example to follow (Surah 33:21), and all of his decisions must be accepted with complete conviction in order to declare oneself a Muslim (Surah 4:65). If any disobey him, they disobey Allah (Surah 4:80, Sahih al-Bukhari 2956, 2957), and their home will be Hell (Surah 4:14, 72:23).
In what betrays a clear sign of obsession, Muhammad apparently had a fixation with odd numbers, and therefore, in perpetuity, all Muslims must also have a fixation with odd numbers - even when wiping themselves after going to the bathroom:
Sahih Muslim 1300
Jabir (b. Abdullab) (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
Odd number of stones are to be used for cleaning (the private parts after answering the call of nature), and casting of pebbles at the Jamras is to be done by odd numbers (seven), and (the number) of circuits between al-Safa' and al-Marwa is also odd (seven), and the number of circuits (around the Ka'ba) is also odd (seven). Whenever any one of you is required to use stones (for cleaning the private parts) he should use odd number of stones (three, five or seven).
This is also narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari 161-162, Sunan an-Nasai 43, 88, Sunan Ibn Majah 337, and Jami at-Tirmidhi 27.
In keeping with doing things an odd number of times, Muhammad taught that when one has a bad dream, they must spit three times, pray three times, and then turn over:
Sunan Ibn Majah 3908
It was narrated from Jabir bin ‘Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“If anyone of you sees a dream that he dislikes, let him spit dryly to his left three times and seek refuge with Allah from Satan three times, and turn over onto his other side.”
This is also narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari 3292, 6984-86, 6995, 7005, 7044, Sahih Muslim 2261a, 2262, Sunan Ibn Majah 3909-10, Sunan Abi Dawud 5021-22, and Jami at-Tirmidhi 2277, where we also are repeatedly told that "a bad or evil dream is from Satan".
Muhammad also commanded a person to spit three times after he had sworn by false gods:
Sunan Ibn Majah 2097
It was narrated that Sa'd said:
"I took an oath by Lat and 'Uzza. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said : 'Say: "La ilaha illallah wahdahu la sharika lahu" (None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, with no partner or associate)," then spit toward your left three times, and seek refuge with Allah, and do not do that again."'
The above is also narrated in Sunan an-Nasai 3776-77. He also prescribed spitting three times in other instances as well (Sahih Muslim 2203a, Sunan Abi Dawud 4722).
We can also look at another narration in which Muhammad forbade people to spit toward the Qibla, and from coming near their mosque after eating a certain "noxious vegetable", repeating what he said three times:
Sunan Abi Dawud 3824
Narrated Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman:
Zirr ibn Hubaysh said: Hudhayfah traced, I think, to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) the saying: He who spits in the direction of the qiblah will come on the Day of Resurrection in the state that his saliva will be between his eyes; and he who eats from this noxious vegetable should not come near our mosque, saying it three times.
Some examples of the forbidden vegetables are revealed to be onions, leeks, and garlic in Sahih Muslim 564a-d.
Muhammad also, at least occasionally, repeated things in his prayers three times (Sunan Abi Dawud 775), or other things he said three times (Sahih al-Bukhari 95, Sunan Abi Dawud 985):
Sahih al-Bukhari 94
Narrated Anas:
Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) asked permission to enter, he knocked the door thrice with greeting and whenever he spoke a sentence (said a thing) he used to repeat it thrice.
He said to look for the Night of Qadr - supposedly the most holy day of the year, in which good deeds and prayers are multiplied - "in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan" (Sahih al-Bukhari 2017-18) - a sort of religious mystery hunt. Then, we also have the fact that Muhammad mandated that we pray five times per day, which is also an odd number.
Clearly, there is something to this. Muhammad had a fixation or superstition around the number 3 in particular, and odd numbers more generally.
Muhammad taught that you may not perform prayer while having to urinate or defecate:
Sunan Ibn Majah 617
It was narrated from Abu Umamah that:
The Messenger of Allah forbade a man to perform prayer when he was suppressing (the urge to urinate or defecate).
This is also narrated in Sunan Ibn Majah 618-619, and Jami at-Tirmidhi 357.
Muhammad also taught that one's prayer will not be accepted if any urine or stool comes out of them, or if they fart such that they hear or smell it:
Sahih al-Bukhari 135
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The prayer of a person who does Hadath (passes urine, stool or wind) is not accepted till he performs the ablution." A person from Hadaramout asked Abu Huraira, "What is 'Hadath'?" Abu Huraira replied, " 'Hadath' means the passing of wind."
Sahih al-Bukhari 137
Narrated `Abbad bin Tamim:
My uncle asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) about a person who imagined to have passed wind during the prayer. Allah' Apostle replied: "He should not leave his prayers unless he hears sound or smells something."
Sahih al-Bukhari 445
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The angels keep on asking Allah's forgiveness for anyone of you, as long as he is at his Musalla (praying place) and he does not pass wind (Hadath). They say, 'O Allah! Forgive him, O Allah! be Merciful to him."
This is also narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari 176, 477, 659, 3229, 6954, Sahih Muslim 361, Sunan Abi Dawud 176, Sunan Ibn Majah 1222, and Jami at-Tirmidhi 330.
He also taught that if you pray while sitting, it only counts for half as much as a normal prayer, then was caught praying while sitting, and said "but I'm not like any of you":
Sahih Muslim 735a-b
'Abdullah b. 'Amr reported:
It was narrated to me that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had said: The prayer observed by a person sitting is half of the prayer. I came to him (ﷺ) and found him praying in a sitting position. I placed my hand on his head. He said: O 'Abdullah b. 'Amr, what is the matter with you? I said: Messenger of Allah, it has been narrated to me that you said: The prayer of a man in a sitting position is half of the prayer, whereas you are observing prayer sitting. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Yes, it is so, but I am not like anyone amongst you.
In addition, he taught that if the rows of people praying aren't straight, Allah will disfigure their faces, and sow discord amongst them:
Sahih al-Bukhari 717
Narrated An-Nu`man bin 'Bashir:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Straighten your rows or Allah will alter your faces."
Sahih Muslim 436a
Nu'man b. Bashir reported:
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Straighten your rows, or Allah would create dissension amongst you.
This is also narrated in Sahih Muslim 436b, Sunan an-Nasai 810, and Sunan Ibn Majah 994.
Moreover, he taught that if you are a woman, your prayer will not be accepted unless you're veiled:
Sunan Abi Dawud 641
Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Allah does not accept the prayer of a woman who has reached puberty unless she wears a veil.
He also taught that if you look up to the sky when you perform Salah, your eyesight will be taken away, or your head may be transformed into a donkey's:
Sahih al-Bukhari 750
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "What is wrong with those people who look towards the sky during the prayer?" His talk grew stern while delivering this speech and he said, "They should stop (looking towards the sky during the prayer); otherwise their eyesight would be taken away."
Sahih al-Bukhari 691
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Isn't he who raises his head before the Imam afraid that Allah may transform his head into that of a donkey or his figure (face) into that of a donkey?"
The first of these is also narrated in Sunan an-Nasai 1194.
Muhammad disliked when people drank standing up:
Sahih Muslim 2024a
Anas reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) disapproved the drinking of water while standing.
This is also narrated in Sahih Muslim 2025a-b, 2026, and Jami at-Tirmidhi 1879.
Also, according to one of Muhammad's companions, eating while standing was even more repugnant:
Sahih Muslim 2024b
Anas reported that Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) forbade that a person should drink while standing. Qatada reported:
We said to him: What about eating? Thereupon he (Anas) said: That is even worse and more detestable (abominable).
Additionally, he forbade people to take breaths in the vessel they were drinking from:
Sahih Muslim 267d
Abu Qatada reported on the authority of his father that Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) forbade breathing in a vessel.
This is also narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari 5630, Sahih Muslim 267a, 267c, Sunan an-Nasai 47-48, Sunan Abi Dawud 3728, Sunan Ibn Majah 3288, 3428, and Jami at-Tirmidhi 1887-89.
Muhammad taught that keeping dogs as pets will result in good deeds being invalidated:
Sahih al-Bukhari 5480
Narrated Ibn `Umar:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever keeps a (pet) dog which is neither a watch dog nor a hunting dog, will get a daily deduction of two Qirat from his good deeds."
In addition, dogs should not be kept, because angels do not enter houses in which there is a dog or an image:
Sahih al-Bukhari 4002
Narrated Ibn `Abbas:
Abu Talha, a companion of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and one of those who fought at Badr together with Allah's Apostle told me that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said. "Angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or a picture" He meant the images of creatures that have souls.
This is also narrated in Sunan an-Nasai 5347-48, and Sunan Ibn Majah 3649.
Muhammad taught that a Muslim must groom themselves in a very particular way:
Sahih al-Bukhari 5891
Narrated Abu Huraira:
I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying. "Five practices are characteristics of the Fitra: circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, cutting the moustaches short, clipping the nails, and depilating the hair of the armpits."
This is also narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari 5889, 6297, Sahih Muslim 257a-b, Sunan an-Nasai 9-11, 5042-44, 5225, Sunan Abi Dawud 4198, Sunan Ibn Majah 292-93 and Jami at-Tirmidhi 2756.
Circumcision, covered in the context of Islam in an article here, is extremely painful for an adult to have to undergo. Cutting the nails is reasonable, and done by every culture anyway. Muhammad commanded no mustaches because of some local Pagans (Sahih Muslim 260). The other shaving practices are just Muhammad's preferences being codified as law for all of mankind.
Elsewhere, he listed ten things:
Sahih Muslim 261a
'A'isha reported:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Ten are the acts according to fitra: clipping the moustache, letting the beard grow, using the tooth-stick, snuffing water in the nose, cutting the nails, washing the finger joints, plucking the hair under the armpits, shaving the pubes and cleaning one's private parts with water. The narrator said: I have forgotten the tenth, but it may have been rinsing the mouth.
Some of these things are common sense, and practiced the world over. At least one of these is spurred on by superstition, as we learn from elsewhere that the reason one has to snuff water through their nose is to purge Satan, who resides in one's nose while they sleep:
Sahih al-Bukhari 3295
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If anyone of you rouses from sleep and performs the ablution, he should wash his nose by putting water in it and then blowing it out thrice, because Satan has stayed in the upper part of his nose all the night."
The above is also narrated in Sahih Muslim 238.
Muhammad forbade anyone from facing the Qibla, or having their back towards it, while going to the bathroom:
Sahih Muslim 264
Abu Ayyub reported:
The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) said: Whenever you go to the desert, neither turn your face nor turn your back towards the Qibla while answering the call of nature, but face towards the east or the west. Abu Ayyub said: When we came to Syria we found that the latrines already built there were facing towards the Qibla. We turned our faces away from them and begged forgiveness of the Lord. He said: Yes.
This is also narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari 144, 394, Sahih Muslim 262a, Sunan Ibn Majah 317, 319-21, Sunan Abi Dawud 7, 9-10, Sunan an-Nasai 20-21, 41, and Jami at-Tirmidhi 8, 16.
Muhammad himself was caught violating this mandate by his companions:
Sunan Ibn Majah 325
It was narrated that Jabir said:
"The Messenger of Allah forbade facing the Qiblah when urinating. But I saw him, one year before he died, facing the Qiblah (while urinating)."
This is also narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari 145, 148, 149, Sunan Abi Dawud 13, and Jami at-Tirmidhi 9-10.
These bathroom rules, combined with the odd number of stones rule from earlier, caused someone to remark to one of Muhammad's companions what is essentially the theme of this article:
Sahih Muslim 262a
Salman reported that it was said to him:
Your Apostle (ﷺ) teaches you about everything, even about excrement. He replied: Yes, he has forbidden us to face the Qibla at the time of excretion or urination, or cleansing with right hand or with less than three pebbles, or with dung or bone.
Above, we see that Muhammad also mandated that they use at least three stones when they go to the bathroom, something also narrated in Sunan Abi Dawud 7, Sunan an-Nasai 41, 49, Sunan Ibn Majah 316, and Jami at-Tirmidhi 16.
He also mentions above that Muhammad forbade them to wipe themselves using bones, or dried animal dung. That's because these things, plus charcoal, are food for the Jinn:
Sunan Abi Dawud 39
Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud:
A deputation of the jinn came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: O Muhammad, forbid your community to cleans themselves with a bone or dung or charcoal, for in them Allah has provided sustenance for us. So the Prophet (ﷺ) forbade them to do so.
This is also narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari 3860, Sunan an-Nasai 39, Sunan Abi Dawud 7, 38, and Jami at-Tirmidhi 18.
Muhammad taught that one should bathe if they suspect they are under the influence of the evil eye, and in that circumstance, they should use incantations, as they would for scorpion stings, and not get tattoos:
Sahih Muslim 2188
Ibn 'Abbas reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
The influence of an evil eye is a fact; if anything would precede the destiny it would be the influence of an evil eye, and when you are asked to take bath (as a cure) from the influence of an evil eye, you should take bath.
Sahih Muslim 2195a
A'isha reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) commanded the use of incantation for curing the influence of an evil eye.
Sunan Abi Dawud 3884
Narrated Imran ibn Husayn:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: No spell is to be used except for the evil eye or a scorpion sting.
Sahih al-Bukhari 5944
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The evil eye is a fact," and he forbade tattooing.
Narrations establishing the existence of the evil eye include Sahih al-Bukhari 3371, 5738-40, 5896, Sahih Muslim 2185-86, 2195c, 2196a-b, 2197-98 Sunan Ibn Majah 3506, 3510-12, 3516, and Jami at-Tirmidhi 2056-57, 2062.
What is the evil eye? A Pagan, superstitious concept involving black magic. What does the Bible say (Proverbs 26:2, Numbers 23:20-23, Genesis 12:1-3, Galatians 3:16, 29)? Does Muhammad know or care? Of course not.
Muhammad taught that one must bring in their children during the time of nightfall, then they may go back outside, but you must keep your door closed in order to keep out Satan:
Sahih Muslim 2012e
Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) having said:
When the wings of the night (spread) or it is night, restrain your children (from going out), for the Satan is abroad at that time, and when a part of the night is passed, free them and shut the doors, making mention of God's name, for the Satan does not open a closed door; and tighten the (mouths of waterskins and mention the name of Allah, cover your utensils and mention the name of Allah even though you should just put something on them, and extinguish your lamps.
Similarly, he taught that Jinns snatch things away at night, therefore precautions must be taken:
Sahih al-Bukhari 3316
Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Cover your utensils and tie your water skins, and close your doors and keep your children close to you at night, as the Jinns spread out at such time and snatch things away. When you go to bed, put out your lights, for the mischief-doer (i.e. the rat) may drag away the wick of the candle and burn the dwellers of the house." Ata said, "The devils." (instead of the Jinns).
Other narrations teaching similar things include Sahih al-Bukhari 3304, and Sahih Muslim 2012a, 2012e.
Is it sensible to cover your vessels, and lock your doors? Of course. But, not when it's placed in a superstitious context, wherein Muhammad presents a world which is literally infested with demons, who will cause all kinds of mischief if not thwarted in astoundingly simple ways.
Liberal Muslims who would claim that Muhammad was meeting people on their level, and talking to them in ways that they would understand in order to teach them precaution, need to understand that this would be doing the opposite of helping them. In that circumstance, he would be lying to them, and perpetuating their superstition. The reality is, Muhammad, the superstitious Pagan that he was, believed all of these things himself.
Muhammad, once again demonstrating obsession, demanded that shoes be put on and taken off in a specific way:
Sahih al-Bukhari 5855
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "If you want to put on your shoes, put on the right shoe first; and if you want to take them off, take the left one first. Let the right shoe be the first to be put on and the last to be taken off."
In addition, he forbade that anyone put on their shoes while standing:
Sunan Abi Dawud 4135
Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade that a man should put on sandals while standing.
Muhammad also forbade one to eat with their left hand, because Satan does so, and forbade that anyone walk with only one shoe:
Sahih Muslim 2099a-b
Jabir reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade that a man should eat with the left hand, or walk with one sandal, or wrap himself completely leaving no opening for the arms (to draw out) or support himself when sitting with a single garment wrapped round his knees which may expose his private parts.
Sahih Muslim 2019
Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) having said:
Do not eat with your left hand, for the Satan eats with his left hand.
Satan eats with his left hand, so no human being should ever do so? Where was that knowledge, and commandment for the 4,500 years that God was speaking to the prophets before Muhammad was born?
Muhammad forbade initiating a greeting Christians and Jews, and instructed Muslims to try to force them to the narrowest part of whatever road you happened to pass them on:
Sahih Muslim 2167a
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
Do not greet the Jews and the Christians before they greet you, and when you meet any one of them on the roads, force him to go to the narrowest part of it.
How's that for "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Matthew 7:12)? Ah, yes, that's one that Muhammad neglected to steal from the Lord.
Why did Muhammad say that he was affirming the Jewish and Christian Scriptures (Surah 3:3-4, 5:43-48, 5:68, etc.), and then proceed to invent a brand new religion with dozens of rules which no Jew or Christian has ever been obliged to follow, and are often pedantic, superstitious, time-consuming, or nonsensical? Where is any of this in Jewish or Christian tradition or Scripture? Why does it instead seem like the religion of an obsessive 7th century Arab?
Man-made religion is often arbitrary, and involves ritual that either has a superstitious purpose, or has been practiced for so long that the superstition is forgotten, and so it becomes arbitrary. These practices reek of both of these things.
Why does God want us to circle a Pagan cube in Muhammad's hometown 7 times? Why do we have to spit three times, and use three stones, and pluck our armpit hair? If God didn't want us to have armpit hair, why do we even have it? None of this has anything to do with God, but rather Allah, because Muhammad is Allah, and these are all overbearing commandments of an illiterate, obsessive, superstitious, war-mongering cult leader from 7th century Arabia:
Mark 7:6-9
6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.