A review of W. Montgomery Watt's theory on the story of the cranes or satanic verses

William Montgomery Watt, a Christian Orientalist, explores about the personality and conduct of the prophet (PBUH and his progeny) and the early history of Islam only from analytic and historical perspectives. His critical analyses are based on the early sources. His remarkable works such as “Muhammad in Mecca”, “Muhammad in Medina” and “the prophet Muhammad and politician” had been noteworthy efforts drawing the prophet’s image in the eyes of the Europeans. One of the important topics that some inconstant historians and exegetes have dealt with in regard with the early history of Islamand the conduct of the prophet is “the story of the cranes” or “the story of the maidens”. The Orientalists have paid overriding attention to this story and highlighted it extremely. The article at hand tries to review. Montgomery Watt’s theory on the very fake and fabricated story of the cranes or satanic verses. The most important challenges this story face with are as following: the chain of traditions transmitting this story is very weak, variety of differences are visible in quoting all those traditions, lack of harmony with the context of verses from chapter al-Najm, contradiction with other Quranic verses, being in sheer contrast with the prophet’s infallibility, being in complete inconsistency with the prophet’s conduct and the rational criteria. The research has put forth the most important Quranic, traditional, rational and historical arguments to refute the fabricated story.