There has been a long standing controversy in the Muslim world, if in fact; the Qur'an did contain satanic verses. This implies that Muhammad received revelation not only from Allah, but at times from Satan, and he had difficulty distinguishing between which was which.
The verses that were said to be satanic in nature are no longer in the Qur'an. The fact is that some Islamic scholars denied the existence of these verses altogether. However there are several biographical and historical accounts that Muhammad did in fact utter the verses in question. Competent and trusted Muslim scholars at-Tabari and Ibn Sa'd have verified the Muhammad did indeed recite the verses in their historical writings.
In the beginning Muhammad's message was not well received by those who lived in Mecca. Muhammad was physically and verbally abused. Islam was growing at a very slow rate and Muhammad felt the pain of estrangement from his tribe. He longed for reconciliation.
It must be remembered that Islam strongly opposes idolatry and polytheism. There is only one God, Allah and he has no equal.
According to the historian at-Tabari, we find Muhammad in the court yard around the Ka'bak, speaking to both believers and non-believers, when the following revelation came to Muhammad;
PICKTHAL: Have ye thought upon Al-Lat and Al-'Uzz
PICKTHAL: And Manat, the third, the other?
Surah 53:019-020
Al-Lat, Al-'Uzz and Manat were three female deities that were considered daughters of God. Each if these deities had a shrine in separate places not far from Mecca.
Then, originally, the verses (known today as the satanic verses) followed:
These are the exalted cranes (intermediaries)
Whose intercession is to be hoped for.
The cranes represented the three deities, whose intercessions were hoped for. Historical accounts of this event reveal that once this revelation was completed, Muhammad and his followers, along with the non-believers all prostrated. This revelation was reasonable for the easing of the tensions between Muhammad and the people of Mecca. It seemed that reconciliation was a hand.
Muhammad soon retracted the revelation, and this made any reconciliation impossible. Just how soon the retraction took place is not known. Again historical accounts of this event reveal that Jibril (Gabriel,) the angel that Allah used to bring His revelation to Muhammad, informed Muhammad, who had longed for reconciliation with his people, that Satan had used Muhammad's desire for reconciliation, to insert revelation that had not been received from Allah., what is now called "the Satanic verses" into the revelation of God (Allah.)
PICKTHAL: Are yours the males and His the females?
PICKTHAL: That indeed were an unfair division!
Surah 53:021-022
Muhammad is now saying, you who prefer sons to daughters, how unfair it is to say that Allah has daughters. There is no God but God (Allah) and to say that Allah has daughters is ridiculous. The three goddesses are false. Muhammad continues with this premise through Surah 53:033
There are two other passages in the Qur'an related to Muhammad's compromise and his rejection of it.
Muhammad's compromise:
PICKTHAL: And if We had not made thee wholly firm thou mightest almost have inclined unto them a little.
PICKTHAL: Then had we made thee taste a double (punishment) of living and a double (punishment) of dying, then hadst thou found no helper against Us. Surah 17:073-075.
The second passage is intended to comfort Muhammad:
PICKTHAL: Never sent We a messenger or a prophet before thee but when He recited (the message) Satan proposed (opposition) in respect of that which he recited thereof. But Allah abolisheth that which Satan proposeth. Then Allah establisheth His revelations. Allah is Knower, Wise;
PICKTHAL: That He may make that which the devil proposeth a temptation for those in whose hearts is a disease, and those whose hearts are hardened - Lo! the evil-doers are in open schism - Surah 22:052-053
These verses are a very strong indicator that the "satanic verses" did exist in the Qur'an in times pasted.
Muslims in the past have not had a problem with the Doctrine of Abrogation, which is not true of Muslims today. This doctrine is being denied by some Islamic Scholars at this present time. They are now teaching that the Qur'an has abrogated the previous Scriptures of Moses and Jesus. The problem with this line of reasoning is that the Qur'an clearly teaches that these Scriptures are the word and are presumably unchangeable.
Islamic theologians in times past have carefully determined which Quranic passages were abrogating and which were abrogated.
YUSUFALI: When We substitute one revelation for another,- and Allah knows best what He reveals (in stages),- they say, "Thou art but a forger": but most of them understand not.
Surah 16:101