Whether Islam was invented over a span of three or four centuries, in a deliberate and calculated way by sophisticated theologians, or in an ad hoc manner to suit the whims of the rulers of the new Arab empire, is still to be determined.
I think it's a mix of both because man-made religions are productions of the powerful, who are capable long-term planning but also whimsical changes in outlook.
A righteous Islamic king would probably instruct his priestly scribes to pen righteous words in the mouth of a divine figure, a prophet, or a saint to inspire his subjects to do good. Then a greedy and murderous king would come along in the next generation and order the same priests to revise some statements in the new holy book to reflect his aims, appetites, and ambitions.
Islam is not unique in this regard. Didn't a King of England establish a new church because he wanted to remarry?
Royal courts and imperial dynasties have always had the motive and the means to cultivate popular worship and change religious opinions to reflect their desires.
The creation of a new religion isn't really that hard. You feed the dumb poor fairytales to keep them obedient and fearful, and tell the rich and powerful that none of the rules and restrictions apply to them.
From an outside perspective this is how Islam likely developed over the centuries.
But this is a murky field. Skepticism is forbidden in Islamic countries. Islamic scholarship isn't really scholarship. Muslim scholars would be put to the sword if they question the validity of the Quran. And Western scholars rightly fear for their lives as well should they probe the subject too deeply, so whatever Western academia has produced about Islam can't be taken seriously.
At its most fundamental level Islam is a copycat religion. The Quran, like all religious texts, is not a historical document. Islam is not grounded in fact.
Kings and priests of all times and places write propaganda, not history. Even in our advanced age the most popular historians cover up real history as much as possible in the service of power. Imagine what kings got away with a millennia ago, and before.
Kings and priests have had every reason to invent new religious doctrines and preserve old ones. Cults and religions have always been the toys and playthings of the mighty.
According to author Joseph Atwill Christianity was an invention by the Roman rulers to curb the messianic zeal of Jewish radicals and more easily manage religious affairs in Judea.
It's a plausible theory. Giving violent rebels a peaceful Messiah to worship is a brilliant tactic. You teach the slaves the values of MLK, not Malcolm X. The Romans were experts at psychological manipulation. They knew what they were doing.
And they were fortunate to follow other empires. Like the Arabs they were the new kids on the block in their day so they inherited a lot of imperial knowledge, and tricks of the trade.
Religion has always been a powerful tool to control vast swaths of people in a single political system. And the early Islamic rulers, inheriting diverse lands with different faiths, learned from the best, from the Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, Greeks, Egyptians, Romans, Buddhists, etc.
They knew that with a new order must come a new religion too. You can't just go around chopping heads off and still collect taxes. That's not how you preserve an empire. You have to establish far-reaching legitimacy in your realm, and for much of human history that meant religious legitimacy.
Ruling in the name of God has always been the biggest game in town.
Video Title: Muhammad Never Existed: The Four Caliphs Were Fabricated! Source: Var Valley. Date Published: March 29, 2025. Description:
In this episode Emmet Sweeney will examine the historicity of Muhammed and the Rashidun Caliphate by analyzing the Archaeological evidence of their conquests.
