I found it out while searching for Ibrahim (Abraham) the Hanif...
Ten Myths About Islam (Index, each chapter being rather long)
http://www.studytoanswer.net/islam_myths.html
The Qur'an
Chapter 1 - The Qur'an is Preserved and Unchanged Revelation from Allah
Chapter 2 - The Qur'an is Allah's Perfect and Complete Word
Theology
Chapter 3 - Allah is the Same as the God of the Bible
Chapter 4 - Muslims Reverence Jesus Christ
Mohammed
Chapter 5 - Mohammed was a Prophet of Allah
Chapter 6 - Mohammed was the Fulfillment of Biblical Prophecies
Social Impact
Chapter 7 - Islam is a Peaceful Religion
Chapter 8 - Islam is a Tolerant Religion
Chapter 9 - Women are Respected and Equal in Islam
Eternal Efficacy
Chapter 10 - Islam is a Religion Which Can Offer Eternal Salvation
Glossary of Arabic and Islamic Terms
http://www.studytoanswer.net/myths_glossary.html
I came to read this eye-opener (in the third part...)
One interesting thing to note in the Qur’an is the use of the phrase sala-l-lahu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. This Arabic phrase is also used by Muslims whenever they speak or write the name “Mohammed”, and is often abbreviated in transliterated Arabic texts as saw. The phrase is often mistranslated into English as “peace be upon him” (abbreviated pbuh). A literal translation from the Arabic, however, would be “the prayers of Allah be upon/for him with peace”.
This is interesting, as well as a bit disconcerting to knowledgeable Muslims, because the obvious question becomes “to whom is Allah praying”? And this is certainly what the Arabic phrase implies, as the native Arabic-speaker Anis Shorrosh points out. Muslim apologists will argue that the Arabic word sala’h that appears in the invocation does not mean “prayer”, however this is flatly contradicted by Muslim-Arabic lexicographic sources. Ibn al-Atheer’s classic Arabic dictionary says the following about this word,
“'Al-Sala'h' and 'Al-Salawaat': used for a particular kind of worship. Its literal origin is supplication (prayer). Sometimes, 'Sala'h' is referred to by mentioning any one or more of its parts. It is also said that the literal origin of the word is 'to glorify' and the particular worship is called 'Sala'h', because it entails the glorification of the Lord.” (...)
The phrase, rightly understood, clearly implies that Allah is praying to another being. This other being, of course, should not be understood to be Mohammed. All the same, Allah is indicated to be praying to someone - so who is it? The answer is likely found in the religious and cultural milieu of the ancient Near East. It was not uncommon for some gods in ancient Near Eastern religion to be viewed as arbitrators or negotiators between men and other gods, either their equals (as a favor to the man) or to those who were their superiors (as a supplicant on behalf of the man). It is quite possible that the use of sala-l-lahu ‘alayhi wa-sallam in the Qur’an is a vestige of such a type of arbitration, a hold-over from earlier Arabian religion that found its way into the text as the development of Islam from primitive henotheism to absolute monotheism progressed.
Thus, Islam demonstrates several traces of pagan practices that were widespread across the ancient Near East before the Arab advent.
The author gives this reference (The Mystery of PBUH revealed, by Sam Shamoun):
http://www.answering-islam.org/Responses/Menj/pbuh.htm
While we're mentioning Sam Shamoun, here's an index to his articles in Answering-Islam.org
http://answering-islam.org/Shamoun/index.htm
