---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was the means of making it clear that…"
description: "\"“It was the means of making it clear that no matter how painful, Muhammad needed to be true to himself, to his voice and to that of God. That was the m..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/873/lesley-hazleton-37321_poetry_it-was-the-means-of-making-it-clear-that_1607888.jpg"
---

#  It was the means of making it clear that no matter how…

![“It was the means of making it clear that no matter how painful, Muhammad needed to be true to himself, to his voice and to that of God. That was the meaning behind the revelation of Sura 109, which reads in full: “Muhammad, say: ‘Disbelievers, I serve not what you serve, and you serve not what I…” quote by Lesley Hazleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/873/lesley-hazleton-37321_poetry_it-was-the-means-of-making-it-clear-that_1607888.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/873/lesley-hazleton-37321_poetry_it-was-the-means-of-making-it-clear-that_1607888.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/873/lesley-hazleton-37321_poetry_it-was-the-means-of-making-it-clear-that_1607888.jpg)

> ““It was the means of making it clear that no matter how painful, Muhammad needed to be true to himself, to his voice and to that of God. That was the meaning behind the revelation of Sura 109, which reads in full: “Muhammad, say: ‘Disbelievers, I serve not what you serve, and you serve not what I serve. I will never serve what you serve, and you will never serve what I serve. To you your religion, and to me mine.’” The Satanic Verses had forced the issue once and for all. There would be no going back.””

[Lesley Hazleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-hazleton/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Explains Muhammad’s commitment to personal truth despite pain, emphasizing spiritual integrity over external pressures.

**In simple terms:** Stay true to self and faith.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize inner conviction over conformity.

Themes

faith integrity spirituality

Mood

reflective serious

Type

theological philosophical

When to use this quote

- religious practice
- ethical dilemmas
- interfaith dialogue
- personal crises

Key Concepts

theology personal authenticity

Questions to Reflect On

- How does personal truth conflict with societal expectations?
- What role does faith play in personal integrity?

A Different Perspective

Interpretations vary across traditions.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Satanic verses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satanic-verses/)

## Related quotes

> [“Wheresoever you may be, death will overtake you even if you are in fortresses built up strong and high!" And if some good reaches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-muhsin-khan/wheresoever-you-may-be-death-will-overtake-you-even-if-you-are-in/)

[Muhammad Muhsin Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-muhsin-khan/)

> [I've read The Satanic Verses and I thought it a nasty, sneering, free-thinking book... I can understand why the book is offensive and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-cowling/i-ve-read-the-satanic-verses-and-i-thought-it-a-nasty-sneering-free/)

[Maurice Cowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-cowling/)

> [“The Pakistani film International Gorillay (International guerillas), produced by Sajjad Gul, told the story of a group of local heroes - of the type…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/the-pakistani-film-international-gorillay-international-guerillas/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [When I was writing 'The Satanic Verses,' if you had asked me about the phenomenon that we all now know as radical Islam, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/when-i-was-writing-the-satanic-verses-if-you-had-asked-me-about-the/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [In writing 'The Satanic Verses,' I think I was writing for the first time from the whole of myself. The English part, the Indian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/in-writing-the-satanic-verses-i-think-i-was-writing-for-the-first/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [We've seen violent responses to 'Satanic Verses.' We've seen violent responses to the cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed in an evil way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rice/we-ve-seen-violent-responses-to-satanic-verses-we-ve-seen-violent/)

[Susan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rice/)

> [“The problem for US officials is the same problem that filters through all the other sections of our societies. It goes something like this.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-murray/the-problem-for-us-officials-is-the-same-problem-that-filters-through/)

[Douglas Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-murray/)

> [“Mind you, I do recall that Salman Rushdie actually came second in a science fiction writing competition organized by Gollancz in the late 1970s.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/mind-you-i-do-recall-that-salman-rushdie-actually-came-second-in-a/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [Well, we're still in the middle of it. And it doesn't show any sign of going away. And these attacks that were - that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/well-we-re-still-in-the-middle-of-it-and-it-doesn-t-show-any-sign-of/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [“and the incident of the Satanic verses in the early career of the Prophet, and the politics of Muhammad’s harem after his return to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/and-the-incident-of-the-satanic-verses-in-the-early-career-of-the/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [So when I studied history at Cambridge, I did a special subject in that, exactly that. And then actually that - while I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/so-when-i-studied-history-at-cambridge-i-did-a-special-subject-in/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [I had a fall out with Satan. Repeating satanic verses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/layzie-bone/i-had-a-fall-out-with-satan-repeating-satanic-verses/)

[Layzie Bone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/layzie-bone/)

> [“When the Washington Post telephoned me at home on Valentine's Day 1989 to ask my opinion about the Ayatollah Khomeini's fatwah , I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/when-the-washington-post-telephoned-me-at-home-on-valentine-s-day/)

[Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/)

> [“When have I ever suggested you burn them? I am allowed to have opinions, aren’t I? And I don’t hate them—I don’t give a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-willow-wilson/when-have-i-ever-suggested-you-burn-them-i-am-allowed-to-have/)

[G. Willow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-willow-wilson/)

> [Prophet Mohammed would have no objection to The Satanic Verses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/prophet-mohammed-would-have-no-objection-to-the-satanic-verses/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

## More by Lesley Hazleton

> [We need many more intrepid women who set out to expand both their and our concepts of the world. We need them in writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-hazleton/we-need-many-more-intrepid-women-who-set-out-to-expand-both-their-and/)

[Lesley Hazleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-hazleton/)

> [“The great British philosopher and historian R. G. Collingwood maintained in The Idea of History that to write well about a historical figure, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-hazleton/the-great-british-philosopher-and-historian-r-g-collingwood/)

[Lesley Hazleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-hazleton/)

> [“In Shia lore, Fatima lives on in another dimension to witness her sons’ suffering and to weep for them. She is the Holy Mother,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-hazleton/in-shia-lore-fatima-lives-on-in-another-dimension-to-witness-her-sons/)

[Lesley Hazleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-hazleton/)

> [“She soars with eagles and navigates by rainbows.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-hazleton/she-soars-with-eagles-and-navigates-by-rainbows/)

[Lesley Hazleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-hazleton/)

> [“Those who are comfortably established in life tend to have no need to ask what it means. They are the insiders, and for them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-hazleton/those-who-are-comfortably-established-in-life-tend-to-have-no-need-to/)

[Lesley Hazleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-hazleton/)

> [I'm always asking questions - not to find 'answers,' but to see where the questions lead. Dead ends sometimes? That's fine. New directions? Interesting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-hazleton/i-m-always-asking-questions-not-to-find-answers-but-to-see-where-the/)

[Lesley Hazleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-hazleton/)

> [“Assassination creates an instant hero of its target. Any past sins are not just forgiven but utterly forgotten.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-hazleton/assassination-creates-an-instant-hero-of-its-target-any-past-sins-are/)

[Lesley Hazleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-hazleton/)

> [Muhammad's is one of those rare lives that is more dramatic in reality than in legend. In fact the less one invokes the miraculous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-hazleton/muhammad-s-is-one-of-those-rare-lives-that-is-more-dramatic-in/)

[Lesley Hazleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-hazleton/)

> [Everything is paradox. The danger is one-dimensional thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-hazleton/everything-is-paradox-the-danger-is-one-dimensional-thinking/)

[Lesley Hazleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-hazleton/)

> [Suffering, once accepted, loses its edge, for the terror of it lessens, and what remains is generally far more manageable than we had imagined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-hazleton/suffering-once-accepted-loses-its-edge-for-the-terror-of-it-lessens/)

[Lesley Hazleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-hazleton/)

> [There is no perfect solution to depression, nor should there be. And odd as this may sound we should be glad of that. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-hazleton/there-is-no-perfect-solution-to-depression-nor-should-there-be-and/)

[Lesley Hazleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-hazleton/)

[Explore all 12 Lesley Hazleton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-hazleton/)

## More Poetry quotes

> [I fell in love with social work, and that was my undoing as a poet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-rakosi/i-fell-in-love-with-social-work-and-that-was-my-undoing-as-a-poet/)

[Carl Rakosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-rakosi/)

> [The name Phenomenal Woman was inspired by Maya Angelo, who wrote 'Phenomenal Woman', a favorite poem of mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meena-harris/the-name-phenomenal-woman-was-inspired-by-maya-angelo-who-wrote/)

[Meena Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meena-harris/)

> [A poet is wounded into speech, and he examines these wounds, meticulously, to discover how to heal them. The bad poet harangues at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/a-poet-is-wounded-into-speech-and-he-examines-these-wounds/)

[Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/)

> [“Time gives poetry to a battlefield...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/time-gives-poetry-to-a-battlefield/)

[Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/)

> [The poetry from the eighteenth century was prose; the prose from the seventeenth century was poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hare/the-poetry-from-the-eighteenth-century-was-prose-the-prose-from-the/)

[David Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hare/)

> [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/)

[Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/)

> [The word 'mundane' has come to mean 'boring' and 'dull', and it really shouldn't - it should mean the opposite. Because it comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-word-mundane-has-come-to-mean-boring-and-dull-and-it-really/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [“In the streets, the children scream, the lovers cried, and the poets dreamed,” he crooned, putting down the metal grill tongs to take my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-clarke/in-the-streets-the-children-scream-the-lovers-cried-and-the-poets/)

[Alexandria Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-clarke/)

> [Some minds corrode and grow inactive under the loss of personal liberty; others grow morbid and irritable; but it is the nature of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/some-minds-corrode-and-grow-inactive-under-the-loss-of-personal/)

[Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/)

> [You don’t read or overhear the voice in the poem, you are the voice in the poem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/you-don-t-read-or-overhear-the-voice-in-the-poem-you-are-the-voice-in/)

[Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/)

> [All lyrical work must, as a whole, be perfectly intelligible, but in some particulars a little unintelligible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/all-lyrical-work-must-as-a-whole-be-perfectly-intelligible-but-in/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [The world's history is a divine poem, of which the history of every nation is a canto, and every man a word. Its strains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/the-world-s-history-is-a-divine-poem-of-which-the-history-of-every/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [I was interested in all kinds of things, whether it be Avatar, Mad Men, Troy, 300, Battlestar Gallactica, or the poems of Horace and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mendelsohn/i-was-interested-in-all-kinds-of-things-whether-it-be-avatar-mad-men/)

[Daniel Mendelsohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-mendelsohn/)

> [“I promise to respect and protect your aloneness, knowing that everything created must have its period of darkness: child and bulb, poem and personality.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/i-promise-to-respect-and-protect-your-aloneness-knowing-that/)

[anne morrow lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/)

> [“Things are more like they are now...than they have EVER been before!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uncle-arnie-mamath/things-are-more-like-they-are-now-than-they-have-ever-been-before/)

Uncle Arnie Mamath

[Browse all 21,625 Poetry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“It was the means of making it clear that no matter how painful, Muhammad needed to be true to himself, to his voice and to that of God. That was the meaning behind the revelation of Sura 109, which reads in full: “Muhammad, say: ‘Disbelievers, I serve not what you serve, and you serve not what I serve. I will never serve what you serve, and you will never serve what I serve. To you your religion, and to me mine.’” The Satanic Verses had forced the issue once and for all. There would be no going back.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Lesley Hazleton"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-hazleton/it-was-the-means-of-making-it-clear-that-no-matter-how-painful/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Poetry"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-hazleton/it-was-the-means-of-making-it-clear-that-no-matter-how-painful/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/873/lesley-hazleton-37321_poetry_it-was-the-means-of-making-it-clear-that_1607888.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/873/lesley-hazleton-37321_poetry_it-was-the-means-of-making-it-clear-that_1607888.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/873/lesley-hazleton-37321_poetry_it-was-the-means-of-making-it-clear-that_1607888.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It was the means of making it clear that no matter how painful, Muhammad needed to be true to himself, to…” — Lesley Hazleton",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Lesley Hazleton",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-hazleton/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“It was the means of making...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-hazleton/it-was-the-means-of-making-it-clear-that-no-matter-how-painful/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-hazleton/it-was-the-means-of-making-it-clear-that-no-matter-how-painful/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
