The Satanic Verses

As Gibreel falls from the sky, vivid, prophetic visions flood his mind. He first witnesses Shaitan (the Arabic word for Satan) cast out from the sky. Shaitan desperately tries to grasp the highest tree, the lote-tree, as he falls, but he misses and plummets downward. Despite the fall, Shaitan survives and begins singing soft, seductive verses. His daughters—Lat, Manat, and Uzza—accompany him, giggling behind their hands at Gibreel. They hint at a trick planned for him and the “businessman” on the hill.

The vision shifts to another story where Gibreel, as the archangel, reveals the spring of Zamzam to Hagar, the Egyptian servant. Abandoned by the prophet Ibrahim with their child Ismail in the desert, Hagar desperately searches for water. Gibreel shows her the cool spring waters of Zamzam, which save her and her son. Later, Gibreel again reveals its location to Muttalib, the grandfather of the “businessman.”

The vision focuses on this “businessman,” who becomes the central figure in Gibreel’s dream. Known as Mahound, the businessman climbs Cone Mountain, which rises near the sand-built city of Jahilia. As Mahound climbs the mountain, Gibreel watches him and becomes aware of himself sleeping and dreaming. Panic grows within Gibreel as he realizes that he might be losing his sanity.

Meanwhile, Karim Abu Simbel, a wealthy and powerful man, walks through the streets of Jahilia during the feast of Ibrahim, a religious festival. The city buzzes with activity, its sand structures appearing almost miraculous in their transformation from shifting dunes to solid, permanent buildings. Abu Simbel, a key figure in Jahilia, controls much of the city’s wealth through his ownership of the temples and his influence over the council of merchants.

As he moves through the festival, Abu Simbel encounters a young, arrogant poet named Baal. Baal, notorious in Jahilia for his sharp tongue and satirical verses, faces accusations of having an affair with Abu Simbel’s wife, Hind. Abu Simbel drags Baal to the temple of the goddess Lat, located at the city’s southern gate. Inside the temple, Abu Simbel beats Baal and commands him to write a satirical poem mocking Mahound and his followers—Salman, Khalid, and Bilal. Abu Simbel reveres Lat as a powerful goddess, equal and opposite to Allah, the god that Mahound preaches about.

Afterward, Abu Simbel relaxes in his palace with his many concubines, contemplating Mahound’s growing influence. Although he cares little about Hind’s affair with Baal, he recognizes the significant threat that Mahound’s teachings pose to the established order in Jahilia. Abu Simbel devises a plan to turn Jahilia into a city of vice, dominated by gambling, prostitution, and other forms of revelry. He intends to profit from these vices, maintaining his control over the city’s wealth and power. Meanwhile, Baal begins crafting his satirical poem, using his sharp wit to ridicule Mahound and his followers. His verses aim to undermine Mahound’s credibility and make his message seem foolish to the people of Jahilia.

While Baal writes his poem, Mahound grapples with a critical decision. Abu Simbel approaches him with an offer: if Mahound agrees to incorporate the three local goddesses—Lat, Uzza, and Manat—into his monotheistic faith, he will gain official recognition in Jahilia and a seat on the city’s governing council. This offer presents Mahound with a dilemma, as accepting the offer would mean compromising the core belief of his faith, which asserts that there is only one God, Allah. However, it would also provide protection for his followers in a city that is growing increasingly hostile toward them.

Mahound consults his closest followers, who unanimously urge him to reject the offer. They view it as a trap designed to weaken their movement and betray the purity of their message. Hamza, Mahound’s uncle, advises him to seek guidance from the archangel Gibreel. He suggests that Mahound climb Cone Mountain once more to receive the answers he seeks.

As Hamza suggests, Mahound ascends Cone Mountain to seek Gibreel’s guidance. Upon reaching the summit, he enters a state of deep prayer and meditation, calling upon Gibreel for help. Gibreel, however, struggles with the dual roles he plays in the vision—as both the divine messenger and a participant in Mahound’s inner conflict. Mahound, desperate for clarity, asks Gibreel whether he should accept Abu Simbel’s offer. He voices his concerns about the impact this decision will have on his followers and the integrity of his message.

Gibreel, feeling the weight of Mahound’s dilemma and his own uncertainty, stays silent. He listens to Mahound’s pleas but cannot provide the clear guidance that Mahound seeks. Eventually, Mahound experiences a vision where Gibreel speaks, but the voice does not seem entirely to be Gibreel’s. The message conveyed in the vision appears to offer a compromise, allowing the goddesses to be incorporated into the faith. Mahound, feeling uncertain, decides to share these new verses with his followers.

After returning to Jahilia, Mahound shares the verses that seemed to come from Gibreel, which endorse the inclusion of the goddesses Lat, Uzza, and Manat. His followers, who did not expect such a result, are shocked. That night, Mahound’s followers face an ambush. With Hamza’s help, they fend off their attackers, killing two of Hind’s brothers in the process. Unable to sleep, Mahound wanders through the city, troubled by the recent events. He eventually collapses and awakens in Hind’s house. There, Mahound and Hind have a tense conversation about religion and the future of Jahilia. Hind insists that the conflict between Allah and the other gods will not end in a truce but will lead to inevitable conflict. Mahound, thinking he has made a mistake, decides he must consult Gibreel again. Shortly after he leaves, Hind learns of her brothers’ deaths, and she vows revenge upon Mahound and his followers.

Mahound climbs Cone Mountain again, desperate for clarity. Mahound struggles to understand whether the verses he received came from Allah or from Shaitan. He confronts Gibreel, who still is unsure of his own role in these unfolding events. Their encounter becomes a physical and spiritual wrestling match. Mahound, desperate for answers, grapples with Gibreel, demanding to know the truth. Gibreel, unable to provide a clear answer, fights against Mahound’s intense need for clarity. Eventually, Mahound realizes that the verses did not come from Allah but from Shaitan. Horrified by the deception, Mahound decides to strike the “Satanic verses” from his teachings and reject Abu Simbel’s offer.

That night, Hind’s men murder Mahound’s wife as an act of revenge. This brutal act forces Mahound and his followers to flee Jahilia. The group gathers their few belongings and departs the city, heading toward the desert. Gibreel, left alone on the mountain, faces his own torment. The goddesses Lat, Uzza, and Manat transform into winged creatures and descend upon him. They claw at his eyes, bite him, and whip him with their hair.