This episode is the 5th installment in the series ‘The Epileptic Prophet’ in which Abdullah Gondal and I tackle the question of Muhammad’s mental health and possible epilepsy. Our aim is to provide an alternative explanation to  Muhammad’s supposed prophethood from a neurological perspective. 

We kicked off the episode by discussing behavioral changes/characteristics attributed to interictal behavior in temporal lobe epilepsy. We compared these characteristics to those of Muhammad as described in various hadith corpus and other Islamic literature. Gondal and I then presented a clip by Dr. Ali Sina detailing Muhammad’s narcissism and how it fits in perfectly with the theory that Muhammad was an epileptic.

We also discussed Muhammad’s anger issues and how he would overreact to small provocations. We cited various hadith which report that Muhammad’s face would turn red due to anger even while delivering teachings. In other hadith it is reported that he would get extremely angry when questioned by his companions and at one time he threw a tantrum after missing the angel Gabriel.

The conversation then moved on to the topic of Muhammad’s anxiety. We discussed how mundane things like gusty winds, clouds, thunder, and lightning would trigger Muhammad’s anxiety. We also talked about Muhammad’s weird fixation with praying for the dead. We went through various hadith that show Muhammad running to the graveyard sometimes during the dead of the night purportedly to pray for the dead.

We finished the episode on the topic of Capgras and how it affects epileptic patients. We went through various hadith and Seerah which show how Muhammad used to confuse Dhiya Kalbi for Gabriel. 

We invite you to take a listen to this detailed and entertaining episode.

YouTube version of this series:

Part 1: https://youtu.be/WlO4nZUGVf4

Part 2: https://youtu.be/ZI16w6Sl3DE

Part 3: https://youtu.be/fD4FyXSN96k

Part 4: https://youtu.be/Z-IgOnBCv3U

Part 5: https://youtu.be/g0-vhNlxJhw

Support the show here: https://friendlyexmuslim.com/two-abdullahs/

Timestamps:

0:00 Introductions

2:40 Changes in people suffering from temporal lobe epilepsy - Dr. Dede Korkut

10:40 Muhammad’s narcissism  - Dr. Ali Sina

14:18 Muhammad’s anger issues, yelling while preaching

18:50 Don’t smile around Gabriel. Muhammad’s red face from anger and more anger problems.

43:18 Comments from the chat

50:30 Muhammad had anxiety attacks because of heavy winds, thunder, solar eclipse, and the call to prayer.

59:23 Running off to the graveyard to pray for the dead?

1:06:00 Muhammad found talking to a dead body inside the grave.

1:07:55 Comments from the live chat

1:09:05 Muhammad’s Hyper and hyposexuality - Dr. Abbas

1:33:46 Aisha - A dream come true or child rape?

1:35:50 Revelation under the blanket of Aisha? Sexual triggers?

1:37:35 Descriptions of virgins in Jannah, 72 wives in paradise.

1:39:49 Muhammad married dead women?

1:41:50 Capgras - Impostor syndrome and epilepsy. Muhammad mistakes Dhiya Kalbi as Gabriel

2:09:37 A quick recap of the night journey

2:15:30 The tree that stretches from the 6th heaven to the 7th heaven.

2:23:09 A quick summary of the episode and a sneak peek of the upcoming episode

2:28:17 Final remarks.

List of resources:

Characteristics attributed to Interictal behavior in temporal lobe epilepsy - Life Alert: The Medical Case of Muhammad by Dr. Dede Korkut

2. Angry and ripping curtains - Sahih Al-Bukhari 6109 bk 78 hadith 136, Sahih Muslim 2107f bk 37 hadith 138

3. Yelling while preaching - Mishkat al-Masabih 1407 bk 4 hadith 808, Bulugh al-Maram bk 2 hadith 368

4. Don’t smile around Gabriel - Musnad Az-Zubair bin al-Awwam p34

5. Red face from anger - Muwatta Malik bk58 hadith 14

6. Turned red like a pomegranate - Sunan Ibn Majah 85 Vol 1 bk 1 hadith 85

7. Muhammad overreacting when questioned - Sahih al-Bukhari 2427 bk45 hadith 2,