al-Salam,

Have you seen the argument of Ibn Taymiyah, Ibn Hajar and others in confirming part of that story?

The fact only that it has been transmitted by the Salaf makes it more reliable than many false ahadith allegedly transmitted on the authority of the Prophet - such as many reported in some wellknown books.

You should have read what these two have written, incl. Qadi 'Iyad's passages, and the reports transmitted from the Imam of the Sira/Maghazi, Abu Bakr Muhammad b. Ishaq b. Yasar al-Madani, rahimahullah.

In fact, if you read al-Albani's and al-Halabi's refutations of al-Qissat al-Gharaniq, you'll acknowledge that forgery is a farfetched thesis - since they recorded many routes for it, even a few authentically reported from some of the Salaf.

If any Muslim want sincerily to know the truth of that story, he should set aside the biasedness away that has infiltrated his heart because of the Shubuhat of the Orientalists - may Allah destroy them! I too disbelieved that story - as many Western young Muslims do - but in the Muslimslands, many cite that story - before Rushdie ever wrote about it - and a unbiased person, reading all that what has been written about it: from the beginning till the present time, then he can make his judgement about it.

Since that has not been done, nor has anyone above sincerily uncovered the facts surrounding that story - something the Shaykh al-Islam has done - none should postulate it as fiction á plain.

Sincerily, your Muslimbrother.