This book is dedicated to all the people of the world, whatever their beliefs may be.
Acknowledgement
In writing this book, I had the privilege of standing on the shoulders of Bill Warner of the Centre for the Study of Political Islam. Bill is not just an intellectual giant but a true gentleman. I would therefore like to express my gratitude to him. I could not have written this book without his pioneering work.
Why would a non-Muslim want to read the story of Mohammed? For many Westerners, the life of a self-proclaimed Prophet1, who died more than 1300 years ago in a remote part of the world, might sound not only dull, but also completely irrelevant. In fact it is neither. During his life Mohammed created a religious and political movement called Islam. A quarter of the world's population is now Islamic and it is the world's fastest growing religion by far.
Importantly, the influence of this religion currently stretches into more aspects of our societies than most of us realize.
After studying Islamic doctrine and history, it soon became clear that the majority of what we hear about Islam's goals and its influence on the actions and beliefs of Muslims, is entirely wrong. This lack of understanding has been the root cause of horrendous policy failures in areas such as the "War on terror," Middle Eastern foreign policy, the Arab- Israeli conflict etc. which tend to dominate our daily news cycle.
It is also clear that the reason for these failures is widespread ignorance of the doctrine of Islam throughout all sections of Western society. This includes politicians, academics, journalists, teachers, right on down to the man in the street. Given the rapidly rising threats from
Islamic "extremists" and the growing number of conflicts involving Muslims, this would seem to be a failure of epic proportions.
It is for this reason that I have written this book. I wanted it to be widely read and so made it as simple and entertaining as possible. It is reasonably short and avoids dry theological discussion. If you have an interest in what lies behind the news stories we see every day, you should find it both interesting and relevant.
By the end, you should also have a good grasp of the doctrine of Islam. You will know what this doctrine expects of Muslims and how it affects the societies in which Muslims are living. Most importantly, this knowledge will give you a whole new understanding of issues involving Islam. Conflicts around the globe, terrorism, immigration, treatment of women etc. can never be properly understood without a basic grasp of Islamic doctrine.
Islamic scholars have always known that the key to understanding Islam is the story of Mohammed's life. This is good news, because Mohammed was an extremely interesting character.
Unlike any other prophet, Mohammed was also a political and military leader. He insisted that Muslims should fight when called upon to put Islam in control of the whole world. During the last nine years of his life, he and his followers were involved in acts of violent conquest on average once every seven weeks. By the time he died, he was the King of all Arabia with not a single enemy left standing. The key to his success was a new system of warfare called Jihad which Westerners usually translate as "Holy War," but which is in fact far more than this.
More is known about Mohammed than any other religious leader2. Strangely however, even in the Islamic world, few people know his story. This is not an accident. The life of Mohammed is the perfect example for all Muslims to follow. As such, it is the basis for the Islamic religion itself. You would expect then, that Muslims would be as familiar with Mohammed as Christians are with Jesus. This is not the case however.
1 Mohammed insisted that he was the final Prophet of Allah
(God). People who believe him are called Muslims. People who don't are
called non-Muslims (the Arabic word is "Kaffir").
2 Centre for the Study of Political Islam
Young Muslims are taught to recite the Koran in Arabic but are sternly dissuaded from understanding its meaning. Four fifths of Muslims do not even speak modern Arabic, let alone the archaic form the Koran is written in. Generally speaking, only those Muslims who are committed enough to want to become Islamic Religious leaders or "Imams" learn about Mohammed's life. The rest are expected to follow directions from these leaders who keep this knowledge to themselves.
Today, Muslim populations are exploding across the world as Western birth rates plummet. More than ninety percent of all wars and armed conflicts today involve Muslims. The great majority of terror attacks (more than twenty thousand just in the nine years since 9/113) are also carried out by Muslim Jihadists. The largest and most influential block of countries in the UN (despite their current lack of veto powers) are the fifty seven members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. These nations also control the lion's share of the planet's dwindling oil reserves.
In years to come these trends will almost certainly accelerate. This will give Islam increasing power, not just in the lives of Muslims, but also in the lives of non-Muslims. Unbelievers will increasingly find themselves constricted by laws and demands which reflect this growing influence. This expanding Islamic power and influence is going to affect you, your children and your grandchildren. If you want to know, "how" and "why" then this book is the quickest and easiest way to find out. For those seeking a more serious understanding of this complex subject, this book is an excellent first step. It will set you in the right direction and serve as a solid foundation.
Tony Blair, George Bush and most other world leaders, academics, journalists and opinion formers in the Western world insist that Islam is a religion of peace which has a few violent radicals, angry at Western foreign policy.
Ayatollah Khomeini devoted his entire life to the study of Islamic doctrine. He became the spiritual and religious leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the foremost religious authority for the entire Shiite world (differences between Shia and Sunni Islam are fairly superficial). Here is what he had to say about Islam and warfare.
"But those who study Islamic Holy War will understand why Islam wants to conquer the whole world. Those who know nothing of Islam pretend that Islam counsels against war. Those (who say this) are witless."
Read the story of Mohammed for yourself and see if you can figure out who is right.
3 http://thereligionofpeace.com
1 Early Life
(If you think this book has been written to promote a sinister agenda or somehow encourage harm to Muslims, then please go to the end and read the appendix first.)
Mohammed ibn Abdullah (The Prophet Mohammed) was born in 570AD, in a town called Mecca in what is now called Saudi Arabia. At that time Arabia was not a country, it was an area inhabited by a collection of tribes. It was and remains, a hot, dry and inhospitable landscape where people survived herding sheep and goats. Some dates were also cultivated in the North. Blood feuds were not uncommon. These would generally be resolved through the principle of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Sometimes blood money would be paid to resolve a killing.
Mecca was a holy town and a centre for all different kinds of religions. There was (and still is) a building named the Kabah which held a sacred stone. This is believed to have been a meteorite. There was also a well, whose water was thought to be holy and to have medicinal powers. Tribes from all around Arabia would come to Mecca to worship their various deities. There were even a few Christians and Jews living there; it was very multicultural. Mohammed came from the nobility of Mecca who were known as the Quraysh and his clan was known as the Hashim. The main God of the Quraysh was Allah who is believed by many to be the Moon God, (which would explain why every Mosque has a crescent moon on top). Many other Gods were also worshipped. Because it was a holy place, fighting was not allowed in Mecca. Violent disputes had to be settled outside of the town.
Mohammed's father died before he was born and his mother died when he was five. He was then raised by his grandfather, until he too died. His uncle, Abu Talib then took over his care. Abu Talib was a powerful member of the Quraysh. He seems to have been a kindly figure who, while he was alive, protected Mohammed and treated him well.
The main business of the Quraysh was religion, though they also made money from trading. When he grew up Mohammed was hired by a wealthy widow named Khadija. She ran a business trading with Syria. Mohammed managed the caravans and did the deals with the Syrians. Syria was a Christian country at that time and far more sophisticated and cosmopolitan than Arabia. At that time it was in fact, more sophisticated and cosmopolitan than most of Europe. The Arabs took their alphabet from the Syrian Christians. Writing was however, restricted to business transactions only. There were no books written in Arabic at that time. Religious traditions were passed down by word-of-mouth. Christians and Jews were known as the people of the book because they possessed written Scriptures. Mohammed did well as a trader and made a good profit for Khadija. After a while Khadija proposed marriage to him. They had four daughters and two sons together4.
Because of his background, Mohammed was familiar with many different religions. He was of course very familiar with the rituals of his own clan, the pagan Arabs of Mecca. Many of these pagan rituals would be incorporated into Islam. There were also some Jews in Mecca and his wife's cousin was a Christian. Since most religions were not written down, it was not uncommon for people to have different versions of each religion, or even to start their own type of worship.
Important Facts:
To be a Muslim means to accept that Mohammed was the perfect Human Being. His life is the example for all Muslims to follow in every way possible. Of course not all Muslims are very successful in this endeavour but the level of devoutness of a Muslim is judged by how closely he follows Mohammed's example and teachings. This fact is not disputed in Islam. That is why it is
4 Only one of his daughters, Fatima survived to adulthood.
so important to know his story. There is even a word to describe Mohammed's behaviour, which is "Sunnah"
Note:
Some people may feel that this book should not be read for moral reasons. Before I go any further I would therefore like to make something very clear. I am a huge fan of religious freedom. People should be allowed to believe what they want and worship in any way they see fit. If a group of Christians wants to worship in a weird or unusual way it doesn't bother me one bit.
If, however those people form a political organization and start trying to influence the way their society is run then I will likely take an interest. If I don't agree with their political agenda or methods, I assert my right to criticize these activities. This is not a religious criticism; it is a political criticism.
This book is not overly concerned with religious aspects of Islam. We will not be investigating its religious beliefs or practices too deeply. What I will be commenting on are the political objectives, political agenda and political methods of Islam. These are clearly laid down in Islamic Doctrine. How Muslims interact with each other or interact with their chosen Deity is a religious matter. That doesn't interest me at all. How they interact with non-Muslims, (who they refer to as Kaffirs) is a political matter and does concern me. As this story unfolds you will soon see why.
Bibliography
The original source of most of this material is Ibn Ishaq's book, Sirat Rasul Allah (The Story of the Prophet of Allah) or just The Sira. Ibn Ishaq is the most revered and trusted Muslim scholar of all time. This work was compiled around 100 years after Mohammed's death which makes it his oldest surviving biography. It is the absolute definitive biographical account of Mohammed's life for Islamic scholars.
It was translated into English in 1955 by Professor of Arabic, Alfred Guillaume, under the title The Life of Muhammad with the help of a number of Arab professors. This is still the most widely used English translation for both Muslims and non-Muslims.
This direct translation has been superbly simplified and rearranged, by Bill Warner of the Centre for the Study of Political Islam. He has included material from other well trusted sources. This gives clarity and context to a story which previously took enormous amounts of painstaking study to understand. The title of his book is Mohammed and the Unbelievers. Most of the quotes used will come from this book (which is referenced back to The Sira by a system of margin numbers contained in the original text).
Mohammed ibn Abdullah (The Prophet Mohammed) was born in 570AD, in a town called Mecca in what is now called Saudi Arabia. At that time Arabia was not a country, it was an area inhabited by a collection of tribes. It was and remains, a hot, dry and inhospitable landscape where people survived herding sheep and goats. Some dates were also cultivated in the North. Blood feuds were not uncommon. These would generally be resolved through the principle of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Sometimes blood money would be paid to resolve a killing.
Mecca was a holy town and a centre for all different kinds of religions. There was (and still is) a building named the Kabah which held a sacred stone. This is believed to have been a meteorite. There was also a well, whose water was thought to be holy and to have medicinal powers. Tribes from all around Arabia would come to Mecca to worship their various deities. There were even a few Christians and Jews living there; it was very multicultural. Mohammed came from the nobility of Mecca who were known as the Quraysh and his clan was known as the Hashim. The main God of the Quraysh was Allah who is believed by many to be the Moon God, (which would explain why every Mosque has a crescent moon on top). Many other Gods were also worshipped. Because it was a holy place, fighting was not allowed in Mecca. Violent disputes had to be settled outside of the town.
Mohammed's father died before he was born and his mother died when he was five. He was then raised by his grandfather, until he too died. His uncle, Abu Talib then took over his care. Abu Talib was a powerful member of the Quraysh. He seems to have been a kindly figure who, while he was alive, protected Mohammed and treated him well.
The main business of the Quraysh was religion, though they also made money from trading. When he grew up Mohammed was hired by a wealthy widow named Khadija. She ran a business trading with Syria. Mohammed managed the caravans and did the deals with the Syrians. Syria was a Christian country at that time and far more sophisticated and cosmopolitan than Arabia. At that time it was in fact, more sophisticated and cosmopolitan than most of Europe. The Arabs took their alphabet from the Syrian Christians. Writing was however, restricted to business transactions only. There were no books written in Arabic at that time. Religious traditions were passed down by word-of-mouth. Christians and Jews were known as the people of the book because they possessed written Scriptures. Mohammed did well as a trader and made a good profit for Khadija. After a while Khadija proposed marriage to him. They had four daughters and two sons together4.
Because of his background, Mohammed was familiar with many different religions. He was of course very familiar with the rituals of his own clan, the pagan Arabs of Mecca. Many of these pagan rituals would be incorporated into Islam. There were also some Jews in Mecca and his wife's cousin was a Christian. Since most religions were not written down, it was not uncommon for people to have different versions of each religion, or even to start their own type of worship.
Important Facts:
To be a Muslim means to accept that Mohammed was the perfect Human Being. His life is the example for all Muslims to follow in every way possible. Of course not all Muslims are very successful in this endeavour but the level of devoutness of a Muslim is judged by how closely he follows Mohammed's example and teachings. This fact is not disputed in Islam. That is why it is
4 Only one of his daughters, Fatima survived to adulthood.
so important to know his story. There is even a word to describe Mohammed's behaviour, which is "Sunnah"
Note:
Some people may feel that this book should not be read for moral reasons. Before I go any further I would therefore like to make something very clear. I am a huge fan of religious freedom. People should be allowed to believe what they want and worship in any way they see fit. If a group of Christians wants to worship in a weird or unusual way it doesn't bother me one bit.
If, however those people form a political organization and start trying to influence the way their society is run then I will likely take an interest. If I don't agree with their political agenda or methods, I assert my right to criticize these activities. This is not a religious criticism; it is a political criticism.
This book is not overly concerned with religious aspects of Islam. We will not be investigating its religious beliefs or practices too deeply. What I will be commenting on are the political objectives, political agenda and political methods of Islam. These are clearly laid down in Islamic Doctrine. How Muslims interact with each other or interact with their chosen Deity is a religious matter. That doesn't interest me at all. How they interact with non-Muslims, (who they refer to as Kaffirs) is a political matter and does concern me. As this story unfolds you will soon see why.
Bibliography
The original source of most of this material is Ibn Ishaq's book, Sirat Rasul Allah (The Story of the Prophet of Allah) or just The Sira. Ibn Ishaq is the most revered and trusted Muslim scholar of all time. This work was compiled around 100 years after Mohammed's death which makes it his oldest surviving biography. It is the absolute definitive biographical account of Mohammed's life for Islamic scholars.
It was translated into English in 1955 by Professor of Arabic, Alfred Guillaume, under the title The Life of Muhammad with the help of a number of Arab professors. This is still the most widely used English translation for both Muslims and non-Muslims.
This direct translation has been superbly simplified and rearranged, by Bill Warner of the Centre for the Study of Political Islam. He has included material from other well trusted sources. This gives clarity and context to a story which previously took enormous amounts of painstaking study to understand. The title of his book is Mohammed and the Unbelievers. Most of the quotes used will come from this book (which is referenced back to The Sira by a system of margin numbers contained in the original text).
2 Islam is Founded
When he was around Forty years old, Mohammed started to take month-long retreats, to pray and to perform the religious practices of the Quraysh. He began to have visions where he was visited by the Angel Gabriel. He said that Gabriel would teach him scriptures. Gabriel then told him to recite these scriptures so he could teach them to his followers. These would later be written down by his followers and were compiled after his death into what is known today as the Koran. His wife Khadija supported him and became the first convert to the new religion of
Islam. In Arabic Islam means "submission". Khadija was soon joined by Mohammed's adopted son and other family members. Eventually some other people outside of the family joined them too. As Mohammed gained followers he became more confident. Soon he began to preach quite openly from his new religion.
In the beginning this did not cause a problem. The Quraysh were very tolerant of different religions as that was how they made their money. For them, more religion meant more money. If Mohammed's new religion brought in more people to worship, it would be all the better.
Things soon began to sour however, as the tone of Mohammed's teachings became steadily less tolerant. Mohammed began to teach that his religion was the right one (which was okay) but that all the other religions were false (which was not). He mocked the other religions and ridiculed their Gods. What was even worse for the Quraysh, was Mohammed's claim that because their ancestors were not Muslims, they were burning in hell. For the Quraysh whose ancestors were sacred, this was intolerable. They begged him to stop doing this and return to promoting his own religion without rubbishing theirs.
When he refused, the Quraysh wanted to kill him. Unfortunately for them, Mohammed still enjoyed the protection of his powerful uncle, Abu Talib. The Quraysh tried to offer his uncle inducements. They wanted him to hand over Mohammed so that they could kill him, but he steadfastly refused.
Mohammed was clearly a charismatic preacher who gradually gained more followers. This increased the divisions within the community. There were quarrels and constant bickering.
Mecca was a small town and everybody knew each other's business.
What had once been a peaceful and profitable community was now split badly, between the Quraysh and the new converts who were known as Muslims (which means those who have submitted).
Some of the less powerful Muslims and especially slaves who had converted, were treated quite badly by the Quraysh. Fortunately for them, Mohammed's uncle was able to protect them all from serious harm. Some of the Meccans who converted were also among the strongest and most powerful members of the community. It gradually became harder for the Quraysh to do anything about Mohammed. Although he had called them stupid, insulted their gods and claimed that their ancestors were burning in hell, they were unable to stop him.
The Quraysh tried to reason with Mohammed and even tried to cut him a deal. They offered him money, or even the leadership of the tribe, if he would just stop his preaching. Mohammed refused, insisting that he was only the messenger of Allah and had no choice in the matter.
Author's Comments:
Before I get too far into Islam, I want to give a very brief overview of Christianity. Like it or not, if you grew up in a "Western" country then your ethics, your sense of right and wrong, are based upon Christian teachings, as are the laws which our society makes.
People who grow up in different cultures may have a different definition of what is right and wrong. To give an example, what a Viking might have considered to be "the right thing to do," would probably be seen as seriously anti-social in modern day Denmark.
Islam has a set of ethics. In order to explain these ethics I will sometimes be comparing them to
Christian ethics. This is not because I'm promoting Christianity but because most Westerners, (including myself) understand it far better than for instance Hinduism or Buddhism.
The basis of Christian (and Jewish) ethics is the Ten Commandments which we are all probably familiar with. Don't steal, cheat, lie, kill, covet etc. These are then capped off with the Golden Rule which is:
"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
From the Golden Rule are derived the other principles of freedom of speech, the rule of law, equality, tolerance etc. which underpin the laws and customs of most Western countries. Growing up in a society based on this Golden Rule, we tend to believe that it is universal and not even remotely a radical idea. Keep in mind however, that the man who popularized this idea 2000 years ago, got nailed to a tree for it.
Despite this, the idea gained currency and continued to spread. By the time of Mohammed's birth, Christianity was the dominant religion throughout most of the Middle East, North Africa and Europe.
The Golden Rule and the Ten Commandments however, ARE NOT the basis for every religion and society. As you will soon find out they are definitely not the basis of Islam.
Islam is difficult to explain clearly. In some ways, it is a bit like a giant jigsaw puzzle. I could show you a single piece of a jigsaw and tell you for instance, that it is a tiger's nose. Although it might not look like a tiger's nose, it is not until you see it surrounded by the other pieces that you can tell what it really is. Some of the things I write may seem strange, or even ridiculous to someone who has grown up in a Western country with Christian based ethics. Hopefully however, by the time you finish this book you will be able to see each piece in the context of the whole picture.
Islam. In Arabic Islam means "submission". Khadija was soon joined by Mohammed's adopted son and other family members. Eventually some other people outside of the family joined them too. As Mohammed gained followers he became more confident. Soon he began to preach quite openly from his new religion.
In the beginning this did not cause a problem. The Quraysh were very tolerant of different religions as that was how they made their money. For them, more religion meant more money. If Mohammed's new religion brought in more people to worship, it would be all the better.
Things soon began to sour however, as the tone of Mohammed's teachings became steadily less tolerant. Mohammed began to teach that his religion was the right one (which was okay) but that all the other religions were false (which was not). He mocked the other religions and ridiculed their Gods. What was even worse for the Quraysh, was Mohammed's claim that because their ancestors were not Muslims, they were burning in hell. For the Quraysh whose ancestors were sacred, this was intolerable. They begged him to stop doing this and return to promoting his own religion without rubbishing theirs.
When he refused, the Quraysh wanted to kill him. Unfortunately for them, Mohammed still enjoyed the protection of his powerful uncle, Abu Talib. The Quraysh tried to offer his uncle inducements. They wanted him to hand over Mohammed so that they could kill him, but he steadfastly refused.
Mohammed was clearly a charismatic preacher who gradually gained more followers. This increased the divisions within the community. There were quarrels and constant bickering.
Mecca was a small town and everybody knew each other's business.
What had once been a peaceful and profitable community was now split badly, between the Quraysh and the new converts who were known as Muslims (which means those who have submitted).
Some of the less powerful Muslims and especially slaves who had converted, were treated quite badly by the Quraysh. Fortunately for them, Mohammed's uncle was able to protect them all from serious harm. Some of the Meccans who converted were also among the strongest and most powerful members of the community. It gradually became harder for the Quraysh to do anything about Mohammed. Although he had called them stupid, insulted their gods and claimed that their ancestors were burning in hell, they were unable to stop him.
The Quraysh tried to reason with Mohammed and even tried to cut him a deal. They offered him money, or even the leadership of the tribe, if he would just stop his preaching. Mohammed refused, insisting that he was only the messenger of Allah and had no choice in the matter.
Author's Comments:
Before I get too far into Islam, I want to give a very brief overview of Christianity. Like it or not, if you grew up in a "Western" country then your ethics, your sense of right and wrong, are based upon Christian teachings, as are the laws which our society makes.
People who grow up in different cultures may have a different definition of what is right and wrong. To give an example, what a Viking might have considered to be "the right thing to do," would probably be seen as seriously anti-social in modern day Denmark.
Islam has a set of ethics. In order to explain these ethics I will sometimes be comparing them to
Christian ethics. This is not because I'm promoting Christianity but because most Westerners, (including myself) understand it far better than for instance Hinduism or Buddhism.
The basis of Christian (and Jewish) ethics is the Ten Commandments which we are all probably familiar with. Don't steal, cheat, lie, kill, covet etc. These are then capped off with the Golden Rule which is:
"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
From the Golden Rule are derived the other principles of freedom of speech, the rule of law, equality, tolerance etc. which underpin the laws and customs of most Western countries. Growing up in a society based on this Golden Rule, we tend to believe that it is universal and not even remotely a radical idea. Keep in mind however, that the man who popularized this idea 2000 years ago, got nailed to a tree for it.
Despite this, the idea gained currency and continued to spread. By the time of Mohammed's birth, Christianity was the dominant religion throughout most of the Middle East, North Africa and Europe.
The Golden Rule and the Ten Commandments however, ARE NOT the basis for every religion and society. As you will soon find out they are definitely not the basis of Islam.
Islam is difficult to explain clearly. In some ways, it is a bit like a giant jigsaw puzzle. I could show you a single piece of a jigsaw and tell you for instance, that it is a tiger's nose. Although it might not look like a tiger's nose, it is not until you see it surrounded by the other pieces that you can tell what it really is. Some of the things I write may seem strange, or even ridiculous to someone who has grown up in a Western country with Christian based ethics. Hopefully however, by the time you finish this book you will be able to see each piece in the context of the whole picture.
3 Islam Grows
Mohammed stayed in Mecca for thirteen years after declaring himself a prophet. The first half of the Koran was written during this time and is known as the Koran of Mecca. The revelations in the Meccan Koran tell repeatedly that Mohammed is the Messenger of God and that all those who disbelieve him will burn in hell. There are also stories of people from the past who rejected their prophets. These people were consequently destroyed and are now burning in hell.
According to Mohammed, many of the biblical characters such as Abraham, Moses and even Jesus (who he claimed was not the Son of God but a prophet) were Muslims. No mention of the Islamic religion has ever been found which pre-dates Mohammed however. He further claimed that he was the last in the line of these prophets and that the Koran was God's final message.
The Koran takes a number of stories from the Bible and retells them quite differently, in order to make a different point. In this retelling, the message is always about how the Jews ignored their prophets and were then punished by God.
This is the religious part of the Koran, which contains the biblical stories and religious themes. Mohammed used these basic themes quite skilfully to answer most of the questions his critics put to him.
Mohammed was obviously quite charismatic and very self-confident. He also had the ability to package his message in a quite beautifully poetic form. The first half of the Koran is written poetically, which also makes it easier to memorize. Consequently he attracted quite a number of followers and as his power grew, so did his desire for it. He was extremely narcissistic and seemed to care only for the adoration of others. The fact that he tore apart his home town and even his own family did not seem to bother him.
When his uncle lay dying he went to his bedside and asked him to accept Islam. His uncle muttered something and then died. Mohammed's companion said that he thought his uncle had accepted Islam. Mohammed did not hear him clearly however and declared therefore that his uncle would burn in hell. Abu Talib had raised him from being a child. He then secured him his first job which led to his successful marriage. Later, he protected Mohammed from all the trouble which he had created himself. Because he had refused to submit to Islam however, Mohammed declared that he was burning in hell.
That year his wife Khadija also died. He married a widow named Sauda and was betrothed to a six-year-old girl named Aisha who was the daughter of his most ardent follower.
Important facts:
Muslims obviously believe that Mohammed was the final Prophet of Allah. From a non-Muslim viewpoint however, he was simply a genius who designed and defined Islam for a singular purpose; to make the whole world worship him (or to worship Allah through him which is pretty much the same thing).
To do this, he made sure that Islam could never be changed. Mohammed insisted that to be a Muslim, a person must declare that there is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet (there are four other "pillars" of Islam but this is the most important by far). This is the definition of what it means to be a Muslim. Mohammed also declared himself to be the last prophet of Islam. In doing so, he cleverly prevented anyone from hijacking his religion down the track.
Despite claiming to be the last in the line of Jewish prophets he also ensured that the Jews could have no claim on his religion. Mohammed insisted that the Jews (and Christians) had falsified their Bible. He said that this was to hide the fact that he had been prophesied in the real Bible (there is no evidence to support this claim). He also forbade Muslims from reading the Bible or the Torah (Jewish Bible). Muslims therefore can only read about Biblical prophets such
as Abraham or Moses through Mohammed's retelling. This is often quite different, sometimes illogically so, from the original Bible stories.
The point to all this is that Mohammed is not just a central figure in Islam, Mohammed IS
Islam. In Churchill's day, Muslims were referred to as Mohammedans, (people who follow Mohammed) which is a fairly accurate description. To be a Muslim is to believe that Mohammed is the perfect man and that the Koran, as revealed to Mohammed only, is the perfect (and only) word of Allah. A true Muslim therefore follows the words of Allah (as found in the Koran) and the example, or traditions of Mohammed (which are recorded in his biographies).
This clever design of Islam means that it can never be changed. The Koran can't be changed because it is the perfect word of Allah. Mohammed's life can't be changed because he's dead.
Muslims are incredibly serious about how perfect the Koran is. To give an example of this, several chapters of the Koran start with three Arabic letters. No one knows what this means but they will never be removed because the Koran is perfect and unalterable.
To summarize then; Islam is Mohammed, Islam has never changed, Islam will never change.
To change Islam, you would have to take Mohammed out of it and then it wouldn't be Islam any more. As Barry Sheene so eloquently put it,
"If my uncle was a woman he'd be my [word deleted] Aunty." It is a logical absurdity.
Christianity changed and evolved because it is based on broad principles, such as the golden rule, which can be debated and interpreted. There isn't much to debate with Mohammed, he either did something or he didn't. People who think that Islam should, or even could change are therefore likely to be disappointed.
4 Emigration to Medina
Once a year, people from all over Arabia came to Mecca for a religious fair. Many of them began to hear of Mohammed and wished to hear him preach. In this way he gained new followers from outside of Mecca. One group came from Medina, which is a town to the North of Mecca.
Medina contained five tribes, three were Jewish and two Arab. The Jewish tribes were generally better educated and wealthier. There were quarrels between the Arab tribes and also between Arabs and Jews. This had spilled over into bloodshed.
Some of the Medinan Arabs who had converted to Islam invited Mohammed and his followers to come to Medina. They thought that he might be a unifying influence who would bring peace to their tribes.
The next year when the annual fair came around again, Mohammed took the Medinans to a hillside outside of Mecca, called Aquaba. There he had them swear an oath to him, which became known as the Oath of Aquaba. This oath included a promise to fight to the death in the service of Mohammed. In return for this, he promised them paradise. This was the first time that Mohammed's teachings included the threat of killing; it is also the beginning of the Islamic calendar.
The Quraysh soon heard about this and hatched a plot to kill Mohammed. They figured that if they did not take action now, he would return from Medina with an army and make war on them. Mohammed's followers had mostly left for Medina already and his uncle had died. Now he had no one to protect him. Mohammed heard of the plot and fled Mecca. He hid in a cave for three days until the heat had died down and then continued on the 10-day trip to Medina.
Author's Comments:
At this point in time Mohammed had been a prophet for 13 years. He was slightly more than half way through his career as a religious leader. He had acquired around 150 followers, the majority of whom were poor and uneducated and had made many powerful enemies. Mohammed had made many threats to his enemies, (i.e. anyone who would not accept that he was God's only prophet) about punishments in the afterlife. His teachings however, were essentially of a religious nature. In other words, they were about how Muslims should interact with Allah, or with other Muslims. They were not however, political in nature (how Muslims should interact with non-Muslims). Islam has a habit of dividing things in two. The Koran is no exception and is divided into two separate halves. There is the Koran of Mecca, which is mostly religious and the Koran of Medina, which is essentially political in nature.
In the last chapter I laboured the point that Muslims are obliged to follow Mohammed's teaching and traditions. I would like to add some important caveats here, because you may soon be thinking something like "I know a Muslim who doesn't do that" or "how come most Muslims don't do that."
1) Not all Muslims follow their religion devoutly any more than followers of any other religion. Some are very devout but many are not. A Muslim may behave in a way which is against the teaching of Islam such as drinking alcohol. This doesn't mean that Islam permits drinking alcohol. It just means that not everyone follows the rules all the time. Islam can affect Muslims but Muslims cannot affect Islam.
2) Muslims are supposed to follow the example of Mohammed. There are however, a number of different ways in which Mohammed behaved in order to achieve his aims. These methods depended largely on the circumstances. If I wanted to be kind I would describe him as "opportunistic." I'll be explaining this in more detail down the track as it
is important. Whilst many Muslims do not follow Mohammed's more unpleasant methods, most of them seem to share his goals.
3) Muslims in general are very ignorant of the details of their religion, this is not an accident. Most Muslims don't speak Arabic and yet their books are written in an archaic form of it. Islamic scholars insist however, that these books cannot be translated. This is just one reason why, until recently, it was incredibly difficult to understand these books, (or even to know which books were important) unless you were taught by Islamic scholars.
Medina contained five tribes, three were Jewish and two Arab. The Jewish tribes were generally better educated and wealthier. There were quarrels between the Arab tribes and also between Arabs and Jews. This had spilled over into bloodshed.
Some of the Medinan Arabs who had converted to Islam invited Mohammed and his followers to come to Medina. They thought that he might be a unifying influence who would bring peace to their tribes.
The next year when the annual fair came around again, Mohammed took the Medinans to a hillside outside of Mecca, called Aquaba. There he had them swear an oath to him, which became known as the Oath of Aquaba. This oath included a promise to fight to the death in the service of Mohammed. In return for this, he promised them paradise. This was the first time that Mohammed's teachings included the threat of killing; it is also the beginning of the Islamic calendar.
The Quraysh soon heard about this and hatched a plot to kill Mohammed. They figured that if they did not take action now, he would return from Medina with an army and make war on them. Mohammed's followers had mostly left for Medina already and his uncle had died. Now he had no one to protect him. Mohammed heard of the plot and fled Mecca. He hid in a cave for three days until the heat had died down and then continued on the 10-day trip to Medina.
Author's Comments:
At this point in time Mohammed had been a prophet for 13 years. He was slightly more than half way through his career as a religious leader. He had acquired around 150 followers, the majority of whom were poor and uneducated and had made many powerful enemies. Mohammed had made many threats to his enemies, (i.e. anyone who would not accept that he was God's only prophet) about punishments in the afterlife. His teachings however, were essentially of a religious nature. In other words, they were about how Muslims should interact with Allah, or with other Muslims. They were not however, political in nature (how Muslims should interact with non-Muslims). Islam has a habit of dividing things in two. The Koran is no exception and is divided into two separate halves. There is the Koran of Mecca, which is mostly religious and the Koran of Medina, which is essentially political in nature.
In the last chapter I laboured the point that Muslims are obliged to follow Mohammed's teaching and traditions. I would like to add some important caveats here, because you may soon be thinking something like "I know a Muslim who doesn't do that" or "how come most Muslims don't do that."
1) Not all Muslims follow their religion devoutly any more than followers of any other religion. Some are very devout but many are not. A Muslim may behave in a way which is against the teaching of Islam such as drinking alcohol. This doesn't mean that Islam permits drinking alcohol. It just means that not everyone follows the rules all the time. Islam can affect Muslims but Muslims cannot affect Islam.
2) Muslims are supposed to follow the example of Mohammed. There are however, a number of different ways in which Mohammed behaved in order to achieve his aims. These methods depended largely on the circumstances. If I wanted to be kind I would describe him as "opportunistic." I'll be explaining this in more detail down the track as it
is important. Whilst many Muslims do not follow Mohammed's more unpleasant methods, most of them seem to share his goals.
3) Muslims in general are very ignorant of the details of their religion, this is not an accident. Most Muslims don't speak Arabic and yet their books are written in an archaic form of it. Islamic scholars insist however, that these books cannot be translated. This is just one reason why, until recently, it was incredibly difficult to understand these books, (or even to know which books were important) unless you were taught by Islamic scholars.
5 Sharia Law and the Koran of Medina
Right from the start, things were different in Medina. Mohammed already had a number of followers there. Once his followers from Mecca joined him, he had a sizeable group. Included in these were some of Mecca's fiercest warriors. Importantly, unlike the Meccans, the clans of Medina were already deeply divided amongst themselves. Because the Muslims were prepared to stick together, Mohammed became the most powerful man in Medina. The Medinan clans also gave him the power to mediate disputes believing that he would be a good, neutral arbitrator.
Mohammed soon set about consolidating this power. He built a Mosque and a compound nearby for himself, his followers and his growing number of wives. He wrote a charter which was to be the basis for the law of Medina. This law was based on two different sets of rules. One set of rules would apply to the Muslims and a different set of rules would apply to the Kaffirs (non-Muslims). These rules became known as Sharia Law.
Mohammed divided the world into the Muslims, who believed in him and the Kaffirs, who did not. Now this division was set down in law and became the basis of the Islamic religion.
All Muslims were henceforth to be members of a nation known as the Ummah. They were bound to help all other Muslims, especially in conflicts with Kaffirs.
A Muslim should not kill another Muslim, nor help a Kaffir against a Muslim. Muslims were sworn to avenge violence against other Muslims but Kaffirs should never fight against Muslims. Jews who were allied with the Muslims were to be treated fairly. If they went to war with the Muslims they would help pay for the war. They were also obliged to come to the aid of Muslims who were attacked. Mohammed was to be the final judge of all disputes and disagreements. The world was now divided into two halves. Dar al Islam (the land of Islam) which would be ruled by Sharia Law and Dar al Harb (the land of war) which was the rest of the planet. This division is still a key component of Islam today.
This new legal code turned non-Muslims into distinctly second-class citizens. Many of the Arabs converted to Islam to avoid this discrimination and because of pressure applied to them. They did not truly believe however. Mohammed referred to these pretend Muslims as
"hypocrites". Mohammed was now so powerful in Medina that no Arab would openly criticize him.
Author's Comments:
From here on in this story becomes much more shocking. For the sake of authenticity I will be quoting frequently from Islam's Holy Books. Before I start doing this however I would like to give a better understanding of how they work and how they fit together.
These books can be considered as a Trilogy, consisting of The Sira, (Sirat Rasul Allah by Ibn Ishaq) the hadith and The Koran. The Sira makes up the bulk of what you are reading. It is a straightforward biography and needs little explanation. If a quote comes from The Sira, it will be preceded by the letter I and then a number. This relates to margin numbers in the original text.
A hadith is a short story or "tradition". These are usually about a paragraph long. They are usually related by a companion of Mohammed, about something he did or said. Confusingly, a collection of hadith is called.... a hadith. These stories come to us via a number of re-tellings, a little like Chinese whispers. Many of the compilers were not rigorous in verifying these stories.
They produced compilations of hadith which are considered unreliable or "weak".
There are two collections of hadith which are considered to stand head and shoulders above the others. These are the hadith of Al-Bukhari and of Abu Al-Husayn Muslim. These two collections are often referred to as "sahih" (e.g. sahih Bukhari) which in Arabic means "authentic". Any
quotes I use will come from these two "canonical" hadith although there are four others which are considered "reliable".
Islamic scholars often trawl through the collections of weaker hadith. They search for extra information about Mohammed's life which is not included in the stronger and better known hadith. However, anything which contradicts Bukhari or Muslim would not be considered to be correct. The idea that "greater" Jihad means "to struggle to improve oneself" comes from a weak collection of hadith5.
The Koran
In one sense the Koran is the most important of the three sets of books. It makes up only around 18% of Islamic doctrine and rather less if you take out the mountain of repetition it contains. Importantly however, it is considered to be the verbatim word of God, his last message to his faithful followers and utterly perfect in every way.
To give yet another example of how seriously Muslims take this, Persian rug makers who produce incredibly beautiful and intricate silk and wool rugs, always put a tiny fault in each one, (although you or I would almost certainly never find it). This is because they believe that only the Koran is perfect and therefore nothing else should be.
To reinforce this incredible importance, I will be highlighting any quotes which come from the Koran.
The Koran is not like the Bible which can be easily understood simply by reading it. Firstly, it is not written in chronological order. The surahs (chapters) are arranged by length from longest to shortest (except for the first). This is believed to make it easier to memorize.
On its own, this would probably be confusing enough. To make things even more confusing however, earlier verses are cancelled out, or "abrogated" by later ones.
The Koran was claimed by Mohammed, to be the verbatim Word of God. It soon became clear to people however, that different parts of the Koran contradicted each other. When questioned about this, Allah sent down a new verse:
2:106 Whatever of Our revelations we repeal or cause to be forgotten, we will replace with something superior or comparable. Do you not know that Allah has power over all things? Do you not know that Allah reigns sovereign over the heavens and earth and besides him you have no protector or helper?
In fact, as many as 225 verses of the Koran are abrogated (cancelled) by later verses.
The Koran is not written in chronological order. Since later verses cancel earlier ones, it is therefore impossible to understand its meaning without knowing the order in which it was written. To do this it must be read in conjunction with the other Islamic sacred texts, The Sira and the hadith.
There is another barrier to understanding the Koran. Muslim scholars insist that its meaning cannot be translated into another language. This claim is of course ridiculous. The Koran has been translated many times and all these translations give quite similar meanings. The Koran is written in poetic form which makes it easier to memorise. When translated into another language the poetry is lost, but the meaning remains.
Only a minority of Muslims speak Arabic. Very few of those who do would clearly understand the ancient, thirteen hundred year old Arabic of the Koran. This makes a study of the Koran difficult, even for Muslims. For Kaffirs, (non-Muslims) it is even harder. Until recently, The Koran and other Islamic holy books, had never been arranged to give a clear and concise meaning. This made it impossible for a layman to understand them.
5 Abu Fadl, 'Greater and "Lesser" Jihad'
It may be tempting to dismiss these facts as the quirks of a religion which is still fundamentally similar to our own. It is also true that the Catholic Church once refused to allow the Bible to be translated out of ancient Latin. However, once we manage to get past these barriers and find the real message of Islam, the reason soon becomes clear.
Mohammed claimed that the Koran was God's final word. He insisted that it contains everything anyone would ever need to know. It is however, quite limited in its scope. It is the most revered of the Islamic holy books. In terms of understanding Islam however, it is actually the least important. In fact, of the much vaunted "five pillars of Islam," there is not enough information in the Koran to perform even one of these "pillars". What the Koran does tell us repeatedly however, is that to be a true Muslim you must follow the example of Mohamed which is contained in The Sira and the hadith (the "Sunnah" of Mohammed).
Mohammed soon set about consolidating this power. He built a Mosque and a compound nearby for himself, his followers and his growing number of wives. He wrote a charter which was to be the basis for the law of Medina. This law was based on two different sets of rules. One set of rules would apply to the Muslims and a different set of rules would apply to the Kaffirs (non-Muslims). These rules became known as Sharia Law.
Mohammed divided the world into the Muslims, who believed in him and the Kaffirs, who did not. Now this division was set down in law and became the basis of the Islamic religion.
All Muslims were henceforth to be members of a nation known as the Ummah. They were bound to help all other Muslims, especially in conflicts with Kaffirs.
A Muslim should not kill another Muslim, nor help a Kaffir against a Muslim. Muslims were sworn to avenge violence against other Muslims but Kaffirs should never fight against Muslims. Jews who were allied with the Muslims were to be treated fairly. If they went to war with the Muslims they would help pay for the war. They were also obliged to come to the aid of Muslims who were attacked. Mohammed was to be the final judge of all disputes and disagreements. The world was now divided into two halves. Dar al Islam (the land of Islam) which would be ruled by Sharia Law and Dar al Harb (the land of war) which was the rest of the planet. This division is still a key component of Islam today.
This new legal code turned non-Muslims into distinctly second-class citizens. Many of the Arabs converted to Islam to avoid this discrimination and because of pressure applied to them. They did not truly believe however. Mohammed referred to these pretend Muslims as
"hypocrites". Mohammed was now so powerful in Medina that no Arab would openly criticize him.
Author's Comments:
From here on in this story becomes much more shocking. For the sake of authenticity I will be quoting frequently from Islam's Holy Books. Before I start doing this however I would like to give a better understanding of how they work and how they fit together.
These books can be considered as a Trilogy, consisting of The Sira, (Sirat Rasul Allah by Ibn Ishaq) the hadith and The Koran. The Sira makes up the bulk of what you are reading. It is a straightforward biography and needs little explanation. If a quote comes from The Sira, it will be preceded by the letter I and then a number. This relates to margin numbers in the original text.
A hadith is a short story or "tradition". These are usually about a paragraph long. They are usually related by a companion of Mohammed, about something he did or said. Confusingly, a collection of hadith is called.... a hadith. These stories come to us via a number of re-tellings, a little like Chinese whispers. Many of the compilers were not rigorous in verifying these stories.
They produced compilations of hadith which are considered unreliable or "weak".
There are two collections of hadith which are considered to stand head and shoulders above the others. These are the hadith of Al-Bukhari and of Abu Al-Husayn Muslim. These two collections are often referred to as "sahih" (e.g. sahih Bukhari) which in Arabic means "authentic". Any
quotes I use will come from these two "canonical" hadith although there are four others which are considered "reliable".
Islamic scholars often trawl through the collections of weaker hadith. They search for extra information about Mohammed's life which is not included in the stronger and better known hadith. However, anything which contradicts Bukhari or Muslim would not be considered to be correct. The idea that "greater" Jihad means "to struggle to improve oneself" comes from a weak collection of hadith5.
The Koran
In one sense the Koran is the most important of the three sets of books. It makes up only around 18% of Islamic doctrine and rather less if you take out the mountain of repetition it contains. Importantly however, it is considered to be the verbatim word of God, his last message to his faithful followers and utterly perfect in every way.
To give yet another example of how seriously Muslims take this, Persian rug makers who produce incredibly beautiful and intricate silk and wool rugs, always put a tiny fault in each one, (although you or I would almost certainly never find it). This is because they believe that only the Koran is perfect and therefore nothing else should be.
To reinforce this incredible importance, I will be highlighting any quotes which come from the Koran.
The Koran is not like the Bible which can be easily understood simply by reading it. Firstly, it is not written in chronological order. The surahs (chapters) are arranged by length from longest to shortest (except for the first). This is believed to make it easier to memorize.
On its own, this would probably be confusing enough. To make things even more confusing however, earlier verses are cancelled out, or "abrogated" by later ones.
The Koran was claimed by Mohammed, to be the verbatim Word of God. It soon became clear to people however, that different parts of the Koran contradicted each other. When questioned about this, Allah sent down a new verse:
2:106 Whatever of Our revelations we repeal or cause to be forgotten, we will replace with something superior or comparable. Do you not know that Allah has power over all things? Do you not know that Allah reigns sovereign over the heavens and earth and besides him you have no protector or helper?
In fact, as many as 225 verses of the Koran are abrogated (cancelled) by later verses.
The Koran is not written in chronological order. Since later verses cancel earlier ones, it is therefore impossible to understand its meaning without knowing the order in which it was written. To do this it must be read in conjunction with the other Islamic sacred texts, The Sira and the hadith.
There is another barrier to understanding the Koran. Muslim scholars insist that its meaning cannot be translated into another language. This claim is of course ridiculous. The Koran has been translated many times and all these translations give quite similar meanings. The Koran is written in poetic form which makes it easier to memorise. When translated into another language the poetry is lost, but the meaning remains.
Only a minority of Muslims speak Arabic. Very few of those who do would clearly understand the ancient, thirteen hundred year old Arabic of the Koran. This makes a study of the Koran difficult, even for Muslims. For Kaffirs, (non-Muslims) it is even harder. Until recently, The Koran and other Islamic holy books, had never been arranged to give a clear and concise meaning. This made it impossible for a layman to understand them.
5 Abu Fadl, 'Greater and "Lesser" Jihad'
It may be tempting to dismiss these facts as the quirks of a religion which is still fundamentally similar to our own. It is also true that the Catholic Church once refused to allow the Bible to be translated out of ancient Latin. However, once we manage to get past these barriers and find the real message of Islam, the reason soon becomes clear.
Mohammed claimed that the Koran was God's final word. He insisted that it contains everything anyone would ever need to know. It is however, quite limited in its scope. It is the most revered of the Islamic holy books. In terms of understanding Islam however, it is actually the least important. In fact, of the much vaunted "five pillars of Islam," there is not enough information in the Koran to perform even one of these "pillars". What the Koran does tell us repeatedly however, is that to be a true Muslim you must follow the example of Mohamed which is contained in The Sira and the hadith (the "Sunnah" of Mohammed).
6 The Jews Fall from Grace
The few Jews who lived in Mecca were not very knowledgeable about their religion. When Mohammed claimed to be a Jewish Prophet, they took his word for it. In Medina there were many Jews. Among these were rabbis and experts on the Jewish religion. As a consequence, Mohammed faced some serious questioning about his beliefs and was unable to convince the Jews that he was one of their Prophets. They could clearly see that the Koran did not tally with their Scriptures.
This infuriated Mohammed who began disparaging the Jews, claiming that they had falsified their Scriptures. He said they had taken out the part which prophesied his coming. In actual fact, Allah of the Koran is fundamentally different from the God of the Torah, (the Jewish Bible or
"Old Testament").
For example, the God of the Bible/Torah is said to love all people. He even loves those who sin and refuse to believe in him. Mohammed's God Allah however, despises the unbelievers
(Kaffirs).
Mohammed also made the same accusation about Christians falsifying the Bible; yet copies of the Bible and of the Jewish Torah have been found which predate Mohammed by hundreds, or sometimes even thousands of years. These are the same books as those we have today.
Hatred of Jews was to colour the religion of Islam from this point on. In fact, Mohammed's biography contains more hatred of Jews than Hitler's Mein Kampf6. Until this point, Mohammed had told his followers to pray towards Jerusalem. Now he changed his mind and told them to pray towards the Kabah in Mecca. He began to speak badly of both Jews and Christians. The Koran claimed that Allah would turn them into pigs and apes.
Child Brides
Not long after his arrival in Medina, Mohammed consummated his marriage to Aisha who was now nine years old. Mohammed reluctantly agreed for her to bring her dolls into the harem. This was a difficult decision for him as he hated images of any kind. This included any kind of sculptures or paintings. Aisha's age at this time is verified by a number of the most reliable
Hadith. There are a few weaker Hadith which would seem to contradict this fact. These are sometimes quoted by Muslims who wish to deny the charge that Mohammed was a paedophile. Bear in mind however that the most revered manual of Sharia Law, (which is based on the example of Mohammed's life) gives instructions for divorcing a wife who has not yet reached puberty7.
From Bukhari's Hadith:
B5,58,234 Mohammed engaged me when I [Aisha] was a girl of six years. We went to Medina; then I got ill and my hair fell down. Later on my hair grew again and my mother, Um Ruman, came to me while I was playing in a swing with some of my girl friends. She called me and I went to her, not knowing what she wanted to do to me. She caught me by the hand and made me stand at the door of the house. I was breathless then and when my breathing became all right, she took some water and rubbed my face and head with it.
Then she took me into the house. There in the house I saw
some Helper women who said, "Best wishes and Allah's Blessing
6 Centre for the Study of Political Islam statistical analysis of Islamic Holy Texts
7 Reliance of the Traveller translated by Nuh Ha Mim Keller, by Amana Publications, 1994.
and good luck." Then she entrusted me to them and they prepared me for the marriage. Unexpectedly Mohammed came to me in the forenoon and my mother handed me over to him. At that time I was a girl of nine years of age.
Author's Comments:
Fecundism: (word derived from fecundity) is the politics of wilfully promoting high birth rate among a group for the sake of enlarging its numbers related to other groups and consequently, its political influence8.
It is of course tempting to make a moral judgment about the rights and wrongs of this situation. By today's (Western) standards, what Mohammed did was both morally repugnant and highly illegal. Many societies have had lower ages of consent than we have today however. Nine years old would seem to be at the bottom end of the scale. In 7th century Arabia however, this act didn't seem to cause much controversy. It would seem therefore, to be within the norms of Mohammed's society. I also feel compelled to point out that any number of self-declared holy men have used their position to procure sex with young girls. If this was the worst thing that
Mohammed had done, I probably wouldn't be writing this now.
As we will soon see however, from the time he declared himself to be a prophet, Mohammed seemed to have just one overriding aim. He seems to have been determined that the whole world would accept him as the final Prophet of God. Every aspect of his life and his religion became focused on this one goal. Mohammed's large sexual appetite is plainly documented in Islam's
Holy Books. To understand his attitude to women and sex however, they need to be viewed in the context of political and military expansion. This may seem like idle speculation at this stage. As this story unfolds, other pieces of the jigsaw will soon fall into place which will make this abundantly clear.
Mohammed wasn't the first to use Fecundism and he certainly wasn't the last. The Catholic
Church is one of the more famous examples. Chairman Mao used it to great effect. The subsequent Chinese leadership had to implement the "One Child" policy however, to prevent the negative consequences of overpopulation, such as hunger, poverty and overcrowding.
Islam doesn't care about these consequences. They are in fact the hallmarks of most Islamic societies.
Overcrowding leads to Muslims emigrating whenever possible, to set up in new territories. The process then begins all over again. This has been part of Islam's strategy since Mohammed's "Hijra," or emigration to Medina. Before I outline the ways in which Islam achieves this high birth rate, let's have a look at what Islam has to say about a woman's place in society9.
The best way to learn about Sharia Law is to examine the actual laws. The best source is Reliance of the Traveller, translated by Nuh Ha Mim Keller, by Amana Publications, 1994. The Sharia is organized in an outline form and each case quoted below will be referenced by the index number.
Forced marriage
A woman may be forced to marry a person whom she does not want.
8 Wikipedia
9 Bill Warner of the Centre for the Study of Political Islam.
M3.13 Whenever the bride is a virgin, the father or the father's father may marry her without her permission, though it is recommended to ask her permission if she has reached puberty. A virgin's silence is considered as consent.
Forced sex
The wife must have sex whenever her husband demands it.
M5.1 It is obligatory for a woman to let her husband have sex with her immediately when:
(a) He asks her;
(b) At home;
(c) She can physically endure it.
Wife Beating
The Koran says that a wife can be beaten. Mohammed recommended wife beating in his last sermon at Mecca. Here is the Sharia:
DEALING WITH A REBELLIOUS WIFE
M10.12 When a husband notices signs of rebelliousness in his wife whether in words as when she answers him coldly when she used to do so politely. or he asks her to come to bed and she refuses, contrary to her usual habit; or whether in acts, as when he finds her averse to him when she was previously kind and cheerful), he warns her in words without keeping from her or hitting her, for it may be that she has an excuse.
The warning could be to tell her,
"Fear Allah concerning the rights you owe to me,"
or it could be to explain that rebelliousness nullifies his obligation to support her and give her a turn amongst other wives, or it could be to inform her,
"Your obeying me is religiously obligatory".
If she commits rebelliousness, he keeps from sleeping (having sex) with her without words and may hit her, but not in a way that injures her, meaning he may not bruise her, break bones, wound her, or cause blood to flow. It is unlawful to strike another's face. He may hit her whether she is rebellious only once or whether more than once, though a weaker opinion holds that he may not hit her unless there is repeated rebelliousness.
How does this affect the birth rate in a Muslim society?
1) Since Sharia Law follows the example of Mohammed, the minimum age for marriage should be nine years old. The Saudi Arabian Government is currently10 trying to introduce a minimum age for marriage of sixteen years old. This is probably through a mixture of embarrassment and international pressure. It is facing stiff opposition from
that country's all powerful religious authorities however (at the present time there is no minimum age for marriage in Saudi Arabia11).
2) In Islamic societies, a family's honour is all important and depends largely on the pristine morals of its female members. Marrying off daughters as early as possible reduces the chance of sexual impropriety before marriage.
3) Girls have little say in this matter.
4) Once married a girl has no right to refuse sexual intercourse with her husband except under extreme circumstances.
10 2013
11 http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2013/05/27/will-saudi-arabia-end-child-marriage
5) Contraception in Islamic societies is frowned upon. Islam promotes large families as being highly desirable.
6) Predestination is a core belief in Islam. Everything has been planned by Allah and whatever we do will not change his plan. Worrying about providing for children is therefore not an issue for Muslims. When asked about who will provide for their children, a common reply is, "Allah will provide".
7) A Muslim may have up to four wives. A woman of child bearing age whose husband dies for any reason will usually be expected to remarry. In the event of a war involving a Muslim group in which three quarters of the Muslim men are killed, the birth rate will not be affected too much.
In theory then, a woman may be married at nine and kept pregnant constantly from then on. By twenty years old, when a non-Muslim girl might be expecting her first child, a Muslim girl could have ten children and be expecting her first grandchild. The reality is of course far less than this. High infant mortality and the death of mothers is just one limiting factor. In some Islamic countries this is exacerbated, perversely, by lack of "birth spacing."
Whilst none of these points is necessarily mandatory, Islam exerts a higher degree of control over its followers than most other religions. The Catholic Church also promotes a high birth rate yet in Italy, the home of the church, the birth rate is one of the lowest in the world. In a society ruled by Sharia Law the pressure to follow these rules will be very strong. Even for Muslims living in Western countries however, we can see the results. In France, an estimated 10% of the population are Muslims. Of children born there however, almost one third are Muslims. With the baby boomers starting to die off, expect huge demographic changes across the Western World. These will favour Muslim populations.
Whilst not all Islamic countries are currently promoting unchecked population growth, the trend can be seen quite clearly from a brief look at global population statistics.
Associated Press Gaza12
Hanan Suelem wanted an abortion after the 7th pregnancy, but Islamic clerics told her that she would be "killing a soul." She told them that her soul was dying. "After this, no more, never," she said, speaking almost in a whisper. "I have learned now about the IUD." The area's schools operate on two and three shifts to accommodate the growing Palestinian population. Gaza's population of 1.1 million is expected to double by 2014. Half are under age 15. It is already a highly congested area with few jobs, severely inadequate housing and almost no natural resources. The West Bank and Gaza combined have a population of over 3 million, which is expected to rise to 5.5 million in 14 years. The fertility rate is seven children per woman. Almost all the babies survive and adults live to an average of 73. Many young Palestinians do not want their children to suffer as they did in oversized poor families, but large families are not only traditional, but a point of nationalist pride and as a way to outnumber the Israelis on the land the two groups share. Fortunately, health and education officials quietly support family planning through clinics and community outreach services. Women are taught about the different methods of contraception that are acceptable under Islam -- anything except permanent means, like sterilization or tubal ligation. The IUD and birth control pills are growing in favour. Health officials refer delicately to the "spacing" of children, since the suggestion to place limits on family size would violate Islamic teaching. Women are told that it is written in the Koran that God orders women to breast-feed for two years. Women in the West Bank average 5.6 children per woman, compared to Israel, with about 2.7 children, the worldwide average. Gaza grows at over 4% a year while Israel grows only 2% a year, which includes high levels of immigration.
12 February 24, 2000 NY Times. Cramped Gaza Multiplies at unrivalled Rate.
Palestinian advocates are pushing for a law that would raise the legal age of marriage, since half of Palestinian women marry before they reach age 18 and it is legal for them to marry at 15 in Gaza and 17 in the West Bank.
Author's note:
In 1948 there were around 170,000 Arab refugees, (these refugees were not referred to as
"Palestinians" at that time). Today, there are around 5 Million. Whilst this is partly due to territorial gains by Israel, the increase is still huge.
This infuriated Mohammed who began disparaging the Jews, claiming that they had falsified their Scriptures. He said they had taken out the part which prophesied his coming. In actual fact, Allah of the Koran is fundamentally different from the God of the Torah, (the Jewish Bible or
"Old Testament").
For example, the God of the Bible/Torah is said to love all people. He even loves those who sin and refuse to believe in him. Mohammed's God Allah however, despises the unbelievers
(Kaffirs).
Mohammed also made the same accusation about Christians falsifying the Bible; yet copies of the Bible and of the Jewish Torah have been found which predate Mohammed by hundreds, or sometimes even thousands of years. These are the same books as those we have today.
Hatred of Jews was to colour the religion of Islam from this point on. In fact, Mohammed's biography contains more hatred of Jews than Hitler's Mein Kampf6. Until this point, Mohammed had told his followers to pray towards Jerusalem. Now he changed his mind and told them to pray towards the Kabah in Mecca. He began to speak badly of both Jews and Christians. The Koran claimed that Allah would turn them into pigs and apes.
Child Brides
Not long after his arrival in Medina, Mohammed consummated his marriage to Aisha who was now nine years old. Mohammed reluctantly agreed for her to bring her dolls into the harem. This was a difficult decision for him as he hated images of any kind. This included any kind of sculptures or paintings. Aisha's age at this time is verified by a number of the most reliable
Hadith. There are a few weaker Hadith which would seem to contradict this fact. These are sometimes quoted by Muslims who wish to deny the charge that Mohammed was a paedophile. Bear in mind however that the most revered manual of Sharia Law, (which is based on the example of Mohammed's life) gives instructions for divorcing a wife who has not yet reached puberty7.
From Bukhari's Hadith:
B5,58,234 Mohammed engaged me when I [Aisha] was a girl of six years. We went to Medina; then I got ill and my hair fell down. Later on my hair grew again and my mother, Um Ruman, came to me while I was playing in a swing with some of my girl friends. She called me and I went to her, not knowing what she wanted to do to me. She caught me by the hand and made me stand at the door of the house. I was breathless then and when my breathing became all right, she took some water and rubbed my face and head with it.
Then she took me into the house. There in the house I saw
some Helper women who said, "Best wishes and Allah's Blessing
6 Centre for the Study of Political Islam statistical analysis of Islamic Holy Texts
7 Reliance of the Traveller translated by Nuh Ha Mim Keller, by Amana Publications, 1994.
and good luck." Then she entrusted me to them and they prepared me for the marriage. Unexpectedly Mohammed came to me in the forenoon and my mother handed me over to him. At that time I was a girl of nine years of age.
Author's Comments:
Fecundism: (word derived from fecundity) is the politics of wilfully promoting high birth rate among a group for the sake of enlarging its numbers related to other groups and consequently, its political influence8.
It is of course tempting to make a moral judgment about the rights and wrongs of this situation. By today's (Western) standards, what Mohammed did was both morally repugnant and highly illegal. Many societies have had lower ages of consent than we have today however. Nine years old would seem to be at the bottom end of the scale. In 7th century Arabia however, this act didn't seem to cause much controversy. It would seem therefore, to be within the norms of Mohammed's society. I also feel compelled to point out that any number of self-declared holy men have used their position to procure sex with young girls. If this was the worst thing that
Mohammed had done, I probably wouldn't be writing this now.
As we will soon see however, from the time he declared himself to be a prophet, Mohammed seemed to have just one overriding aim. He seems to have been determined that the whole world would accept him as the final Prophet of God. Every aspect of his life and his religion became focused on this one goal. Mohammed's large sexual appetite is plainly documented in Islam's
Holy Books. To understand his attitude to women and sex however, they need to be viewed in the context of political and military expansion. This may seem like idle speculation at this stage. As this story unfolds, other pieces of the jigsaw will soon fall into place which will make this abundantly clear.
Mohammed wasn't the first to use Fecundism and he certainly wasn't the last. The Catholic
Church is one of the more famous examples. Chairman Mao used it to great effect. The subsequent Chinese leadership had to implement the "One Child" policy however, to prevent the negative consequences of overpopulation, such as hunger, poverty and overcrowding.
Islam doesn't care about these consequences. They are in fact the hallmarks of most Islamic societies.
Overcrowding leads to Muslims emigrating whenever possible, to set up in new territories. The process then begins all over again. This has been part of Islam's strategy since Mohammed's "Hijra," or emigration to Medina. Before I outline the ways in which Islam achieves this high birth rate, let's have a look at what Islam has to say about a woman's place in society9.
The best way to learn about Sharia Law is to examine the actual laws. The best source is Reliance of the Traveller, translated by Nuh Ha Mim Keller, by Amana Publications, 1994. The Sharia is organized in an outline form and each case quoted below will be referenced by the index number.
Forced marriage
A woman may be forced to marry a person whom she does not want.
8 Wikipedia
9 Bill Warner of the Centre for the Study of Political Islam.
M3.13 Whenever the bride is a virgin, the father or the father's father may marry her without her permission, though it is recommended to ask her permission if she has reached puberty. A virgin's silence is considered as consent.
Forced sex
The wife must have sex whenever her husband demands it.
M5.1 It is obligatory for a woman to let her husband have sex with her immediately when:
(a) He asks her;
(b) At home;
(c) She can physically endure it.
Wife Beating
The Koran says that a wife can be beaten. Mohammed recommended wife beating in his last sermon at Mecca. Here is the Sharia:
DEALING WITH A REBELLIOUS WIFE
M10.12 When a husband notices signs of rebelliousness in his wife whether in words as when she answers him coldly when she used to do so politely. or he asks her to come to bed and she refuses, contrary to her usual habit; or whether in acts, as when he finds her averse to him when she was previously kind and cheerful), he warns her in words without keeping from her or hitting her, for it may be that she has an excuse.
The warning could be to tell her,
"Fear Allah concerning the rights you owe to me,"
or it could be to explain that rebelliousness nullifies his obligation to support her and give her a turn amongst other wives, or it could be to inform her,
"Your obeying me is religiously obligatory".
If she commits rebelliousness, he keeps from sleeping (having sex) with her without words and may hit her, but not in a way that injures her, meaning he may not bruise her, break bones, wound her, or cause blood to flow. It is unlawful to strike another's face. He may hit her whether she is rebellious only once or whether more than once, though a weaker opinion holds that he may not hit her unless there is repeated rebelliousness.
How does this affect the birth rate in a Muslim society?
1) Since Sharia Law follows the example of Mohammed, the minimum age for marriage should be nine years old. The Saudi Arabian Government is currently10 trying to introduce a minimum age for marriage of sixteen years old. This is probably through a mixture of embarrassment and international pressure. It is facing stiff opposition from
that country's all powerful religious authorities however (at the present time there is no minimum age for marriage in Saudi Arabia11).
2) In Islamic societies, a family's honour is all important and depends largely on the pristine morals of its female members. Marrying off daughters as early as possible reduces the chance of sexual impropriety before marriage.
3) Girls have little say in this matter.
4) Once married a girl has no right to refuse sexual intercourse with her husband except under extreme circumstances.
10 2013
11 http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2013/05/27/will-saudi-arabia-end-child-marriage
5) Contraception in Islamic societies is frowned upon. Islam promotes large families as being highly desirable.
6) Predestination is a core belief in Islam. Everything has been planned by Allah and whatever we do will not change his plan. Worrying about providing for children is therefore not an issue for Muslims. When asked about who will provide for their children, a common reply is, "Allah will provide".
7) A Muslim may have up to four wives. A woman of child bearing age whose husband dies for any reason will usually be expected to remarry. In the event of a war involving a Muslim group in which three quarters of the Muslim men are killed, the birth rate will not be affected too much.
In theory then, a woman may be married at nine and kept pregnant constantly from then on. By twenty years old, when a non-Muslim girl might be expecting her first child, a Muslim girl could have ten children and be expecting her first grandchild. The reality is of course far less than this. High infant mortality and the death of mothers is just one limiting factor. In some Islamic countries this is exacerbated, perversely, by lack of "birth spacing."
Whilst none of these points is necessarily mandatory, Islam exerts a higher degree of control over its followers than most other religions. The Catholic Church also promotes a high birth rate yet in Italy, the home of the church, the birth rate is one of the lowest in the world. In a society ruled by Sharia Law the pressure to follow these rules will be very strong. Even for Muslims living in Western countries however, we can see the results. In France, an estimated 10% of the population are Muslims. Of children born there however, almost one third are Muslims. With the baby boomers starting to die off, expect huge demographic changes across the Western World. These will favour Muslim populations.
Whilst not all Islamic countries are currently promoting unchecked population growth, the trend can be seen quite clearly from a brief look at global population statistics.
Associated Press Gaza12
Hanan Suelem wanted an abortion after the 7th pregnancy, but Islamic clerics told her that she would be "killing a soul." She told them that her soul was dying. "After this, no more, never," she said, speaking almost in a whisper. "I have learned now about the IUD." The area's schools operate on two and three shifts to accommodate the growing Palestinian population. Gaza's population of 1.1 million is expected to double by 2014. Half are under age 15. It is already a highly congested area with few jobs, severely inadequate housing and almost no natural resources. The West Bank and Gaza combined have a population of over 3 million, which is expected to rise to 5.5 million in 14 years. The fertility rate is seven children per woman. Almost all the babies survive and adults live to an average of 73. Many young Palestinians do not want their children to suffer as they did in oversized poor families, but large families are not only traditional, but a point of nationalist pride and as a way to outnumber the Israelis on the land the two groups share. Fortunately, health and education officials quietly support family planning through clinics and community outreach services. Women are taught about the different methods of contraception that are acceptable under Islam -- anything except permanent means, like sterilization or tubal ligation. The IUD and birth control pills are growing in favour. Health officials refer delicately to the "spacing" of children, since the suggestion to place limits on family size would violate Islamic teaching. Women are told that it is written in the Koran that God orders women to breast-feed for two years. Women in the West Bank average 5.6 children per woman, compared to Israel, with about 2.7 children, the worldwide average. Gaza grows at over 4% a year while Israel grows only 2% a year, which includes high levels of immigration.
12 February 24, 2000 NY Times. Cramped Gaza Multiplies at unrivalled Rate.
Palestinian advocates are pushing for a law that would raise the legal age of marriage, since half of Palestinian women marry before they reach age 18 and it is legal for them to marry at 15 in Gaza and 17 in the West Bank.
Author's note:
In 1948 there were around 170,000 Arab refugees, (these refugees were not referred to as
"Palestinians" at that time). Today, there are around 5 Million. Whilst this is partly due to territorial gains by Israel, the increase is still huge.
7 Jihad Begins
Mohammed had now gained effective control over the tribes of Medina. He quickly turned his attention back to the Quraysh of Mecca. The caravans that supplied Mecca from the North came close to Medina and Mohammed began sending out war parties to attack them. These caravans were usually well armed and the first seven attempts were unsuccessful. All the tribes of Arabia had an agreement at that time. During the four holy months, fighting of any sort was taboo. This was probably to facilitate the trade on which the Arabs depended for their livelihoods. During these months, large or costly items could be moved around without expensive armed guards. This benefited everybody and was therefore rigidly adhered to.
On the last day of one these months, a Muslim raiding party came across a Meccan caravan. The next day they would be free to attack the caravan. Unfortunately for them, by this time the caravan would be within the boundaries of Mecca. Within these boundaries fighting was forbidden at any time, since Mecca was a holy city. They were in a quandary as to what to do. Eventually, they decided to attack the caravan anyway.
For the benefit of the sceptics amongst you, (scepticism is good) I am going to quote (with the kind permission of Bill Warner), from Mohammed and the Unbelievers. I have included the relevant pages of The Sira, faithfully translated from the original as The Life of Muhammad by Prof. A Guillaume. If you compare the two you will see that Mohammed and the Unbelievers is clearer and easier to read. Importantly, it doesn't leave out anything important or distort the truth in any way. For this reason I will mostly quote from this book from here on in.
From The Sira:
I425 The Muslims took council. They were faced with a dilemma: if they attacked the caravan now, they would be killing in a sacred month. Luckily, the sacred month ended that day and the next day there would be no taboo about killing. But there was another problem: by nightfall they would be in the sacred area of Mecca. In the sanctified area, there could never be any killing. They hesitated and talked about what to do. They decided to kill as many as possible and take their goods before the next day.
I425 Islam drew first blood against the Quraysh of Mecca. They attacked the unarmed men. Amr, the first man to be killed by Jihad, was shot by an arrow. One man escaped and they captured two others. The Muslims took the enemies' camels with their goods and headed back to Medina and Mohammed. On the way they talked about how Mohammed would get one fifth of the stolen goods.
I425 When they got back, Mohammed said he had not ordered them to attack in the sacred month. He detained the caravan and the two prisoners and refused to do anything with them or the goods. The prisoners said, "Mohammed has violated the sacred month, shed blood therein, stolen goods, and taken prisoners." But the Koran said:
2:217 When they ask you about fighting in the holy month, say: Fighting at this time is a serious offense, but it is worse in Allah's eyes to deny others the path to Him, to disbelieve in Him and to drive His worshippers out of the Sacred Mosque. Idolatry is a greater sin than murder. They will not stop fighting you until you turn away from your religion. But any of you who renounce your faith and die a Kaffir will have your works count for nothing in this world and the world to come. These people will be prisoners of the Fire, where they will live forever.
I426 According to Mohammed, to resist the doctrine of Islam and persuade Muslims to drop their faith was worse than killing. Before Islam, the rule of justice in Arabia was a killing for a killing, but now to resist Islam was worse than murder. Those who argued against Islam and
resisted Islam could be killed as a sacred act. So the murder and theft were sanctified. The spoils of war were distributed and a ransom was set for the prisoners. The men who had killed and stolen were now concerned about whether they would get their share of the spoils. So once again the Koran spoke:
2:218 Those who believe and those who have fled their countries and have fought for Allah's cause [Jihad] may hope for His mercy; Allah is forgiving and merciful.
I426 As Muslims who had been exiled and fought they were blessed by Allah. They received their spoils of war and Mohammed took his 20 percent.
From Bukhari's Hadith:
B4,53,351 Allah's Apostle said, "The spoils of war have been made legal for me."
A war poem from The Sira:
You [Quraysh] count war in the holy month a grave matter
but graver is your opposition to Mohammed and your unbelief. Though you defame us for killing Amr our lances drank Amr's blood.
We lit the flame of war. -- Abu Bakr (Mohammed's right hand man)
Jihad, the New Kind of Warfare
Before he moved to Medina, Mohammed had never used violence. Now that he had the means, he began to attack the Meccans, who had spurned his calls to Islam.
On the face of it, this was simply an attack by a tribal leader; (Mohammed) to steal goods from a group of rivals. In fact this was the start of a war which Mohammed and his followers would wage against all of his enemies (the Kaffirs) forever.
As this war progressed, Mohammed would develop a strategy for an entirely new system of warfare, which he called Jihad. Westerners translate Jihad as "holy war" but it is in fact far more than this. Mohammed was a very capable military tactician. Jihad however, barely concerns itself with military tactics. Had it done so, Jihad would have been rendered obsolete as soon as it encountered newer and more effective military technologies, such as crossbows or guns.
Warfare, like all types of violent coercion, has a psychological aspect to it. In many ways, this is more important than the actual violence itself. Mohammed's genius was to understand this psychology and incorporate it into the tactics of Jihad. Because of this, Jihad is effective when fighting with bows and arrows or laser guided rockets. As the story unfolds, we will see how the strategy of Jihad was developed and applied. I will begin to list these as they appear:
Rules of Jihad:
1) Jihad is sanctioned by Allah. There is no higher authority; therefore it is always justified.
2) Never abide by any rules or limitations. The ends justify ANY means no matter how shocking. Jihad can be any action which advances Islam or weakens the Kaffirs whether by a group or an individual. Even donating money to pay for someone else's Jihad is a type of Jihad itself.
3) ALWAYS play the victim. Mohammed twisted his situation around. Although he had attacked innocent people without provocation he blamed them. He said that they had
"stopped others from becoming Muslims" and had worshiped idols. The attack was their fault and the Muslims were the victims, not the Kaffirs.
4) Keep repeating this and people will eventually begin to believe it. If you can persuade the victim to accept the blame you have won, because retaliation requires a sense of injustice. If the victim accepts the blame they will turn their hatred towards themselves.
The Bible contains acts of war by the Jews against their enemies which were approved of by their God. This approval was applied only to specific battles and specific instances in history. It was not part of an ongoing strategy to take over the world. The God of the Bible did not give approval for relentless, unprovoked violence against unbelievers.
Direct Translation from the Original Arabic text (The Sira) by Professor Guillaume
EXPEDITION OF ABDULLAH B. JAHSH AND THE COMING DOWN OF "THEY WILL ASK YOU ABOUT THE SACRED MONTH"
The apostle sent Abdullah b. Jahsh b. Ri'ab al-Asadi in Rijab on his return from the first Badr. He sent with him eight emigrants, without any of the Ansar. He wrote for him a letter and ordered him not to look at it until he had journeyed for two days, and to do what he was ordered to do but not to put pressure on any of his companions. The names of the eight Emigrants were, Abu Hudhayfa, Abdullah b. Jabsh, Ukkasha b Mibsan, Utba b Ghazwan, Sa'd b. Abu Waqqas, Amir b. Rabi'a, Waqid b Abdullah, and Khalid b. al-Bukayr. When Abdullah had travelled for two days he opened the letter and looked into it, and this is what it said: "When you have read this letter of mine proceed until you reach Nakhla between Mecca and Al-Ta'if. Lie in wait there for Quraysh and find out for us what they are doing." Having read the letter he said, "To hear is to obey." Then he said to his companions, "The apostle has commanded me to go to Nakhla to lie in wait there for Quraysh so as to bring him news of them. He has forbidden me to put pressure on any of you, so if anyone wishes for martyrdom, let him go forward, and he who does not, let him go back; as for me, I am going on as the prophet has ordered." So he went on, as did all his companions, not one of them falling back. He journeyed along the Hijaz until at a mine called Babran above al-Furu, Sa'd and Utba lost the camel which they were riding by turns , so they stayed behind to look for it, while Abdullah and the rest of them went on to Nakhla. A caravan of Quraysh carrying dry raisins and leather and other merchandise of Quraysh passed by them,Amr b al-Hadrami (349), Uthman b Abdullah b Mughira and his brother Naufal the Makhzumites and al-Hakam b Kaysan, freedman of Hisham b. al-Mughira being among them. When the caravan saw them they were afraid of them because they had camped near them. Ukkasha who had shaved his head looked down on them and when they saw him they felt safe and said, "They are pilgrims, you have nothing to fear from them." Then they encouraged each other and decided to kill as many as they could of them and take what they had.
Waqid shot Amr b. al-Hadrami with an arrow and killed him, and Uthman and Al-Hakam surrendered. Naufal escaped and eluded them. Abdullah and his companions took the caravan and the two prisoners and came to Medina with them. One of
Abdullah's family mentioned that he said to his companions, "A fifth of what we have taken belongs to the apostle" (This was before God had appointed one fifth of the booty to him.) So he set apart for the apostle a fifth of the caravan and divided the rest among his companions. When they came to the apostle, he said, "I did not order you to fight in the sacred month and he held the caravan and the two prisoners in suspense and refused to take anything from them. When the apostle said that, the men were in despair and thought that they were doomed. Their Muslim bretheren reproached them for what they had done, and the Quraysh said "Mohammed and his companions have violated the sacred month, shed blood therein, taken booty and captured men." The
Muslims in Mecca who opposed them said that they had done it in Shaban. The Jews turned this raid into an omen against the apostle. "Amr g al-Hadrami whom Waqid had killed they said meant "amarate'l-harb" (war has come to life), al-Hadrami means "hadrati'l-harb" (means war is present) and Waqid meant "wugadati'l-harb",(war is kindled); but God turned this against them, not for them, and when there was much talk about it God sent down to his apostle: they will ask you about the sacred month and war in it. Say, war therein is a serious matter, but keeping people from the way of God and disbelieving in him and in the sacred Mosque and driving out his people there from is more serious with God. ie. if you have killed in the sacred month they have kept you back from the way of God with their unbelief in him, and from the sacred Mosque, and have driven you from it when you were its people. This is a more serious matter with God and the killing of those of them whom you have slain. And seduction is worse than killing. i.e. they used to seduce the Muslim in his religion until they made him return to unbelief after believing and this is worse with God than killing. And they will not cease to fight you until they turn you back from your religion if they can. i.e. they are doing more heinous acts than that contumaciously. And when the Koran came down about that, God relieved the Muslims of their anxiety in the matter, the apostle took the caravan and the prisoners. Quraysh sent to him to redeem Uthman and and al-Hakam and the apostles said, "we will not let you redeem them until our two companions come meaning Sa'd and Utba, for we fear for them on your account. If you kill them, we will kill your two friends." So when Sa'd and Utba turned up the apostle let them redeem them. As for al-Hakam he became a good Muslim and stayed with the apostle until he was killed as a martyr at Bi'rMa'una. Uthman went back to Mecca and died there as an unbeliever. When Abdullah and his companions were relieved of their anxiety when the Koran came down, they were anxious for reward, and said, "can we hope that it will count as a raid for which we shall be given the reward of combatants?" so God sent down concerning him: "those who believe and have emigrated and fought in the way of God, these may hope for God's mercy, for God is forgiving and merciful." That is, God gave them the greatest hopes there in. The tradition about this comes from al-Zuhri and Yazidb.Ruman from Urwa b al-Zubayr. One of Abdullah's family mentioned that God divided the booty when he made it permissible and gave up four fifths to whom God had allowed to take it and one fifth to God and his apostle. So it remained on the basis of what Abdullah had done with the booty of that caravan.
Abu Bakr said concerning Abdullah's raid [though others say that Abdulla himself said it], when Quraysh said, "Muhammad and his companions have broken the sacred month shed blood therein and taken booty and made prisoners".
You count war in the holy month a grave matter, but graver is, if one judges rightly, your opposition to Muhammad's teaching, and your unbelief in it, which God sees and witnesses. Your driving God's people from his mosque so that none can be seen worshiping him there. Though you defame us for killing him, more dangerous to Islam is the sinner who envies. Our lances drank of Ibn al-Hadrami's blood. In Nakhla when Waqid lit the flame of war, Uthhman Ibn Abdullah is with us, a leather hand, streaming with blood restrains him.
On the last day of one these months, a Muslim raiding party came across a Meccan caravan. The next day they would be free to attack the caravan. Unfortunately for them, by this time the caravan would be within the boundaries of Mecca. Within these boundaries fighting was forbidden at any time, since Mecca was a holy city. They were in a quandary as to what to do. Eventually, they decided to attack the caravan anyway.
For the benefit of the sceptics amongst you, (scepticism is good) I am going to quote (with the kind permission of Bill Warner), from Mohammed and the Unbelievers. I have included the relevant pages of The Sira, faithfully translated from the original as The Life of Muhammad by Prof. A Guillaume. If you compare the two you will see that Mohammed and the Unbelievers is clearer and easier to read. Importantly, it doesn't leave out anything important or distort the truth in any way. For this reason I will mostly quote from this book from here on in.
From The Sira:
I425 The Muslims took council. They were faced with a dilemma: if they attacked the caravan now, they would be killing in a sacred month. Luckily, the sacred month ended that day and the next day there would be no taboo about killing. But there was another problem: by nightfall they would be in the sacred area of Mecca. In the sanctified area, there could never be any killing. They hesitated and talked about what to do. They decided to kill as many as possible and take their goods before the next day.
I425 Islam drew first blood against the Quraysh of Mecca. They attacked the unarmed men. Amr, the first man to be killed by Jihad, was shot by an arrow. One man escaped and they captured two others. The Muslims took the enemies' camels with their goods and headed back to Medina and Mohammed. On the way they talked about how Mohammed would get one fifth of the stolen goods.
I425 When they got back, Mohammed said he had not ordered them to attack in the sacred month. He detained the caravan and the two prisoners and refused to do anything with them or the goods. The prisoners said, "Mohammed has violated the sacred month, shed blood therein, stolen goods, and taken prisoners." But the Koran said:
2:217 When they ask you about fighting in the holy month, say: Fighting at this time is a serious offense, but it is worse in Allah's eyes to deny others the path to Him, to disbelieve in Him and to drive His worshippers out of the Sacred Mosque. Idolatry is a greater sin than murder. They will not stop fighting you until you turn away from your religion. But any of you who renounce your faith and die a Kaffir will have your works count for nothing in this world and the world to come. These people will be prisoners of the Fire, where they will live forever.
I426 According to Mohammed, to resist the doctrine of Islam and persuade Muslims to drop their faith was worse than killing. Before Islam, the rule of justice in Arabia was a killing for a killing, but now to resist Islam was worse than murder. Those who argued against Islam and
resisted Islam could be killed as a sacred act. So the murder and theft were sanctified. The spoils of war were distributed and a ransom was set for the prisoners. The men who had killed and stolen were now concerned about whether they would get their share of the spoils. So once again the Koran spoke:
2:218 Those who believe and those who have fled their countries and have fought for Allah's cause [Jihad] may hope for His mercy; Allah is forgiving and merciful.
I426 As Muslims who had been exiled and fought they were blessed by Allah. They received their spoils of war and Mohammed took his 20 percent.
From Bukhari's Hadith:
B4,53,351 Allah's Apostle said, "The spoils of war have been made legal for me."
A war poem from The Sira:
You [Quraysh] count war in the holy month a grave matter
but graver is your opposition to Mohammed and your unbelief. Though you defame us for killing Amr our lances drank Amr's blood.
We lit the flame of war. -- Abu Bakr (Mohammed's right hand man)
Jihad, the New Kind of Warfare
Before he moved to Medina, Mohammed had never used violence. Now that he had the means, he began to attack the Meccans, who had spurned his calls to Islam.
On the face of it, this was simply an attack by a tribal leader; (Mohammed) to steal goods from a group of rivals. In fact this was the start of a war which Mohammed and his followers would wage against all of his enemies (the Kaffirs) forever.
As this war progressed, Mohammed would develop a strategy for an entirely new system of warfare, which he called Jihad. Westerners translate Jihad as "holy war" but it is in fact far more than this. Mohammed was a very capable military tactician. Jihad however, barely concerns itself with military tactics. Had it done so, Jihad would have been rendered obsolete as soon as it encountered newer and more effective military technologies, such as crossbows or guns.
Warfare, like all types of violent coercion, has a psychological aspect to it. In many ways, this is more important than the actual violence itself. Mohammed's genius was to understand this psychology and incorporate it into the tactics of Jihad. Because of this, Jihad is effective when fighting with bows and arrows or laser guided rockets. As the story unfolds, we will see how the strategy of Jihad was developed and applied. I will begin to list these as they appear:
Rules of Jihad:
1) Jihad is sanctioned by Allah. There is no higher authority; therefore it is always justified.
2) Never abide by any rules or limitations. The ends justify ANY means no matter how shocking. Jihad can be any action which advances Islam or weakens the Kaffirs whether by a group or an individual. Even donating money to pay for someone else's Jihad is a type of Jihad itself.
3) ALWAYS play the victim. Mohammed twisted his situation around. Although he had attacked innocent people without provocation he blamed them. He said that they had
"stopped others from becoming Muslims" and had worshiped idols. The attack was their fault and the Muslims were the victims, not the Kaffirs.
4) Keep repeating this and people will eventually begin to believe it. If you can persuade the victim to accept the blame you have won, because retaliation requires a sense of injustice. If the victim accepts the blame they will turn their hatred towards themselves.
The Bible contains acts of war by the Jews against their enemies which were approved of by their God. This approval was applied only to specific battles and specific instances in history. It was not part of an ongoing strategy to take over the world. The God of the Bible did not give approval for relentless, unprovoked violence against unbelievers.
Direct Translation from the Original Arabic text (The Sira) by Professor Guillaume
EXPEDITION OF ABDULLAH B. JAHSH AND THE COMING DOWN OF "THEY WILL ASK YOU ABOUT THE SACRED MONTH"
The apostle sent Abdullah b. Jahsh b. Ri'ab al-Asadi in Rijab on his return from the first Badr. He sent with him eight emigrants, without any of the Ansar. He wrote for him a letter and ordered him not to look at it until he had journeyed for two days, and to do what he was ordered to do but not to put pressure on any of his companions. The names of the eight Emigrants were, Abu Hudhayfa, Abdullah b. Jabsh, Ukkasha b Mibsan, Utba b Ghazwan, Sa'd b. Abu Waqqas, Amir b. Rabi'a, Waqid b Abdullah, and Khalid b. al-Bukayr. When Abdullah had travelled for two days he opened the letter and looked into it, and this is what it said: "When you have read this letter of mine proceed until you reach Nakhla between Mecca and Al-Ta'if. Lie in wait there for Quraysh and find out for us what they are doing." Having read the letter he said, "To hear is to obey." Then he said to his companions, "The apostle has commanded me to go to Nakhla to lie in wait there for Quraysh so as to bring him news of them. He has forbidden me to put pressure on any of you, so if anyone wishes for martyrdom, let him go forward, and he who does not, let him go back; as for me, I am going on as the prophet has ordered." So he went on, as did all his companions, not one of them falling back. He journeyed along the Hijaz until at a mine called Babran above al-Furu, Sa'd and Utba lost the camel which they were riding by turns , so they stayed behind to look for it, while Abdullah and the rest of them went on to Nakhla. A caravan of Quraysh carrying dry raisins and leather and other merchandise of Quraysh passed by them,Amr b al-Hadrami (349), Uthman b Abdullah b Mughira and his brother Naufal the Makhzumites and al-Hakam b Kaysan, freedman of Hisham b. al-Mughira being among them. When the caravan saw them they were afraid of them because they had camped near them. Ukkasha who had shaved his head looked down on them and when they saw him they felt safe and said, "They are pilgrims, you have nothing to fear from them." Then they encouraged each other and decided to kill as many as they could of them and take what they had.
Waqid shot Amr b. al-Hadrami with an arrow and killed him, and Uthman and Al-Hakam surrendered. Naufal escaped and eluded them. Abdullah and his companions took the caravan and the two prisoners and came to Medina with them. One of
Abdullah's family mentioned that he said to his companions, "A fifth of what we have taken belongs to the apostle" (This was before God had appointed one fifth of the booty to him.) So he set apart for the apostle a fifth of the caravan and divided the rest among his companions. When they came to the apostle, he said, "I did not order you to fight in the sacred month and he held the caravan and the two prisoners in suspense and refused to take anything from them. When the apostle said that, the men were in despair and thought that they were doomed. Their Muslim bretheren reproached them for what they had done, and the Quraysh said "Mohammed and his companions have violated the sacred month, shed blood therein, taken booty and captured men." The
Muslims in Mecca who opposed them said that they had done it in Shaban. The Jews turned this raid into an omen against the apostle. "Amr g al-Hadrami whom Waqid had killed they said meant "amarate'l-harb" (war has come to life), al-Hadrami means "hadrati'l-harb" (means war is present) and Waqid meant "wugadati'l-harb",(war is kindled); but God turned this against them, not for them, and when there was much talk about it God sent down to his apostle: they will ask you about the sacred month and war in it. Say, war therein is a serious matter, but keeping people from the way of God and disbelieving in him and in the sacred Mosque and driving out his people there from is more serious with God. ie. if you have killed in the sacred month they have kept you back from the way of God with their unbelief in him, and from the sacred Mosque, and have driven you from it when you were its people. This is a more serious matter with God and the killing of those of them whom you have slain. And seduction is worse than killing. i.e. they used to seduce the Muslim in his religion until they made him return to unbelief after believing and this is worse with God than killing. And they will not cease to fight you until they turn you back from your religion if they can. i.e. they are doing more heinous acts than that contumaciously. And when the Koran came down about that, God relieved the Muslims of their anxiety in the matter, the apostle took the caravan and the prisoners. Quraysh sent to him to redeem Uthman and and al-Hakam and the apostles said, "we will not let you redeem them until our two companions come meaning Sa'd and Utba, for we fear for them on your account. If you kill them, we will kill your two friends." So when Sa'd and Utba turned up the apostle let them redeem them. As for al-Hakam he became a good Muslim and stayed with the apostle until he was killed as a martyr at Bi'rMa'una. Uthman went back to Mecca and died there as an unbeliever. When Abdullah and his companions were relieved of their anxiety when the Koran came down, they were anxious for reward, and said, "can we hope that it will count as a raid for which we shall be given the reward of combatants?" so God sent down concerning him: "those who believe and have emigrated and fought in the way of God, these may hope for God's mercy, for God is forgiving and merciful." That is, God gave them the greatest hopes there in. The tradition about this comes from al-Zuhri and Yazidb.Ruman from Urwa b al-Zubayr. One of Abdullah's family mentioned that God divided the booty when he made it permissible and gave up four fifths to whom God had allowed to take it and one fifth to God and his apostle. So it remained on the basis of what Abdullah had done with the booty of that caravan.
Abu Bakr said concerning Abdullah's raid [though others say that Abdulla himself said it], when Quraysh said, "Muhammad and his companions have broken the sacred month shed blood therein and taken booty and made prisoners".
You count war in the holy month a grave matter, but graver is, if one judges rightly, your opposition to Muhammad's teaching, and your unbelief in it, which God sees and witnesses. Your driving God's people from his mosque so that none can be seen worshiping him there. Though you defame us for killing him, more dangerous to Islam is the sinner who envies. Our lances drank of Ibn al-Hadrami's blood. In Nakhla when Waqid lit the flame of war, Uthhman Ibn Abdullah is with us, a leather hand, streaming with blood restrains him.
8 The Battle of Badr
A large caravan was on its way back to Mecca, loaded with goods and treasure. Mohammed heard of this and decided to attack the caravan and steal the treasure. Some of his men were reluctant to get involved, as the Quraysh were their relatives and tribal kin. Killing them had always been forbidden before the time of Islam, but now was made lawful by Allah. Mohammed set out with a small army to attack the caravan, but the Meccans found out. They sent a fast rider to Mecca to call for assistance. In Mecca, an army was quickly assembled. They marched north to defend the caravan. The caravan however, managed to avoid Mohammed's army and sneak through to safety. The caravan was out of harm's way but the Meccan army still decided to take on the Muslims at a place called Badr.
Until now Mohammed's fighters had never fought a real battle. So far most of their targets had been small trading caravans. The Muslims were heavily outnumbered, but before the battle began, Mohammed had a revelation which is recorded in The Sira:
I445 Some arrows flew and one Muslim was killed. Mohammed addressed his army. "By Allah, every man who is slain this day by fighting with courage and advancing, not retreating will enter
Paradise." One of his men who had been eating dates said, "You mean there is nothing between me and Paradise except being killed by the Quraysh?" He flung the dates to the side, picked up his sword, and set out to fight. He got his wish and was later killed.
I445 One of Mohammed's men asked what made Allah laugh. Mohammed answered, "When a warrior plunges into the midst of the enemy without armour." The man removed his coat of mail, picked up his sword, and made ready to attack [and he was killed].
The Muslims gained great courage from Mohammed's revelation. Not only were they no longer afraid of death, they actually welcomed it. Should they win the fight, the spoils of war would be theirs; if they lost they would attain Paradise.
The battle went well for the Muslims and as luck would have it, a dust storm appeared at the decisive moment. It blew straight into the eyes of the Meccans. According to Mohammed, this was the angels blowing sand in the face of their enemies. The Muslims were victorious in their first ever battle against great odds. Mohammed was a very capable military tactician. It was his ability to motivate his followers to suicidal bravery which was his real genius however.
From The Sira:
I455 As the bodies were dragged to the well, one of the Muslims saw the body of his father thrown in. He said, "My father was a virtuous, wise, kind, and cultured man. I had hoped he would become a Muslim, but he died a Kaffir. His abode is Hell-fire forever." Before Islam, killing of kin and tribal brothers had been forbidden since the dawn of time. After Islam, brother would kill brother and sons would kill fathers fighting in Allah's cause: Jihad.
Author's Comments:
The participants of this battle numbered only in the hundreds. It is however, probably one of the most important battles in history. It marks the turning point for a religion which numbers over 1 billion souls today. To Muslims it is very well known and yet Westerners remain almost totally ignorant of this event. Mohammed's men went into this fight as a rag tag bunch of brigands. They marched out as a potent political force. The success of Mohammed was news all around Arabia. His success (and war booty) began to attract more followers.
Importantly, Mohammed added another plank to his new system of Jihad. By introducing the concept of martyrdom into his religion, (/political movement) he managed to inspire his followers to suicidal bravery. This is a huge advantage to any fighting force. It is particularly
useful to one which can replace fallen warriors as quickly as Islam. Mohammed clearly understood the advantage this gave him. Much of his teaching from this point on would be woven around the importance of martyrdom. He spoke repeatedly of the rewards which await shahid (martyrs) in the afterlife. These far outshine anything an ordinary Muslim can expect. There are seven different layers in the Islamic heaven. The difference between one layer and another is as great as the difference between the earth and the first level. The shahid go straight to the Seventh Heaven.
Rules of Jihad:
5) Inspire your followers to fanatical suicidal bravery.
Until now Mohammed's fighters had never fought a real battle. So far most of their targets had been small trading caravans. The Muslims were heavily outnumbered, but before the battle began, Mohammed had a revelation which is recorded in The Sira:
I445 Some arrows flew and one Muslim was killed. Mohammed addressed his army. "By Allah, every man who is slain this day by fighting with courage and advancing, not retreating will enter
Paradise." One of his men who had been eating dates said, "You mean there is nothing between me and Paradise except being killed by the Quraysh?" He flung the dates to the side, picked up his sword, and set out to fight. He got his wish and was later killed.
I445 One of Mohammed's men asked what made Allah laugh. Mohammed answered, "When a warrior plunges into the midst of the enemy without armour." The man removed his coat of mail, picked up his sword, and made ready to attack [and he was killed].
The Muslims gained great courage from Mohammed's revelation. Not only were they no longer afraid of death, they actually welcomed it. Should they win the fight, the spoils of war would be theirs; if they lost they would attain Paradise.
The battle went well for the Muslims and as luck would have it, a dust storm appeared at the decisive moment. It blew straight into the eyes of the Meccans. According to Mohammed, this was the angels blowing sand in the face of their enemies. The Muslims were victorious in their first ever battle against great odds. Mohammed was a very capable military tactician. It was his ability to motivate his followers to suicidal bravery which was his real genius however.
From The Sira:
I455 As the bodies were dragged to the well, one of the Muslims saw the body of his father thrown in. He said, "My father was a virtuous, wise, kind, and cultured man. I had hoped he would become a Muslim, but he died a Kaffir. His abode is Hell-fire forever." Before Islam, killing of kin and tribal brothers had been forbidden since the dawn of time. After Islam, brother would kill brother and sons would kill fathers fighting in Allah's cause: Jihad.
Author's Comments:
The participants of this battle numbered only in the hundreds. It is however, probably one of the most important battles in history. It marks the turning point for a religion which numbers over 1 billion souls today. To Muslims it is very well known and yet Westerners remain almost totally ignorant of this event. Mohammed's men went into this fight as a rag tag bunch of brigands. They marched out as a potent political force. The success of Mohammed was news all around Arabia. His success (and war booty) began to attract more followers.
Importantly, Mohammed added another plank to his new system of Jihad. By introducing the concept of martyrdom into his religion, (/political movement) he managed to inspire his followers to suicidal bravery. This is a huge advantage to any fighting force. It is particularly
useful to one which can replace fallen warriors as quickly as Islam. Mohammed clearly understood the advantage this gave him. Much of his teaching from this point on would be woven around the importance of martyrdom. He spoke repeatedly of the rewards which await shahid (martyrs) in the afterlife. These far outshine anything an ordinary Muslim can expect. There are seven different layers in the Islamic heaven. The difference between one layer and another is as great as the difference between the earth and the first level. The shahid go straight to the Seventh Heaven.
Rules of Jihad:
5) Inspire your followers to fanatical suicidal bravery.
9 Abrogation of the Koran
Whilst he lived in Mecca, Mohammed was surrounded by enemies. Although he made threats at that time, he was never violent. Now he was a political force and set about making good on those threats. The Koran clearly reflects this change. It is therefore divided by scholars into the Koran of Mecca and the Koran of Medina. Because it is not arranged chronologically, this distinction is hard for a layman to recognize. Once you arrange the Koran in its correct chronological order however it becomes very clear.
From the Koran of Mecca:
88:21 Warn them, because you [Mohammed] are merely a warner. You have no authority over them, but whoever turns back and disbelieves, Allah will punish them terribly.
Compare this with the later Koran of Medina:
8:12 Then your Lord spoke to His angels and said, "I will be with you. Give strength to the believers. I will send terror into the Kaffir's hearts, cut off their heads and even the tips of their fingers!" This was because they opposed Allah and His messenger. Ones who oppose Allah and His messenger will be severely punished by Allah. We said, "This is for you! Taste it and know that the Kaffirs will receive the torment of the Fire."
Mohammed made it clear that wherever there was a contradiction in the Koran; the earlier verse would be abrogated (cancelled out) by the later verse. Since the Koran is not written in chronological order, it is impossible to understand it without knowing which verses have been abrogated. Muslims often point to non-violent quotes from the Meccan Koran, but fail to point out that these verses have been abrogated by later ones.
I want you to put on your thinking cap at this point, because I am about to explain a very important facet of Islam which is a little challenging. This is however very important for understanding Islam itself.
As we have just seen, later verses of the Koran abrogate earlier ones. We already know however, that the Koran is considered to be the perfect word of Allah. In Western logic, when two things contradict each other, one of them must be wrong. In Islamic logic however, two things can contradict each other and yet both be right.
The Koran tells Muslims to follow the example of Mohammed but which example? In Mecca, Mohammed never used violence against Kaffirs and in the very early days even showed some tolerance of other religions. Once in Medina, Mohammed used violence almost all the time to achieve his aims. He never showed any tolerance to Kaffirs at all.
The Medina Koran is the later one and so abrogates the Meccan Koran and yet the Meccan Koran is still valid because the Koran (and Mohammed) is perfect. So a Muslim can follow either example, though the Medina example is better because it is later. So how does a Muslim know which one to choose? As usual we have to look at Mohammed's example to know the answer. In Mecca, Mohammed was not powerful and was surrounded by enemies. During that time he preached some tolerance and non-violence. When he went to Medina, he became powerful and used violence frequently to achieve his goals.
Mohammed's example of how to behave is not consistent but varies according to circumstance.
When you are not in a position of power, be quiet and do not draw attention to yourself. Use the time to build up strength and numbers until you become powerful enough to begin Jihad. This is
Mohammed's example or "Sunnah", which comes from the hadith (traditions of Mohammed) and The Sira (his biography).
From the Koran of Mecca:
88:21 Warn them, because you [Mohammed] are merely a warner. You have no authority over them, but whoever turns back and disbelieves, Allah will punish them terribly.
Compare this with the later Koran of Medina:
8:12 Then your Lord spoke to His angels and said, "I will be with you. Give strength to the believers. I will send terror into the Kaffir's hearts, cut off their heads and even the tips of their fingers!" This was because they opposed Allah and His messenger. Ones who oppose Allah and His messenger will be severely punished by Allah. We said, "This is for you! Taste it and know that the Kaffirs will receive the torment of the Fire."
Mohammed made it clear that wherever there was a contradiction in the Koran; the earlier verse would be abrogated (cancelled out) by the later verse. Since the Koran is not written in chronological order, it is impossible to understand it without knowing which verses have been abrogated. Muslims often point to non-violent quotes from the Meccan Koran, but fail to point out that these verses have been abrogated by later ones.
I want you to put on your thinking cap at this point, because I am about to explain a very important facet of Islam which is a little challenging. This is however very important for understanding Islam itself.
As we have just seen, later verses of the Koran abrogate earlier ones. We already know however, that the Koran is considered to be the perfect word of Allah. In Western logic, when two things contradict each other, one of them must be wrong. In Islamic logic however, two things can contradict each other and yet both be right.
The Koran tells Muslims to follow the example of Mohammed but which example? In Mecca, Mohammed never used violence against Kaffirs and in the very early days even showed some tolerance of other religions. Once in Medina, Mohammed used violence almost all the time to achieve his aims. He never showed any tolerance to Kaffirs at all.
The Medina Koran is the later one and so abrogates the Meccan Koran and yet the Meccan Koran is still valid because the Koran (and Mohammed) is perfect. So a Muslim can follow either example, though the Medina example is better because it is later. So how does a Muslim know which one to choose? As usual we have to look at Mohammed's example to know the answer. In Mecca, Mohammed was not powerful and was surrounded by enemies. During that time he preached some tolerance and non-violence. When he went to Medina, he became powerful and used violence frequently to achieve his goals.
Mohammed's example of how to behave is not consistent but varies according to circumstance.
When you are not in a position of power, be quiet and do not draw attention to yourself. Use the time to build up strength and numbers until you become powerful enough to begin Jihad. This is
Mohammed's example or "Sunnah", which comes from the hadith (traditions of Mohammed) and The Sira (his biography).
10 War is Deceit
By this time Mohammed had clearly realised the tactical advantage of unflinching bravery amongst his warriors. As a religious leader, he was able to offer his followers threats and inducements in the afterlife which most military commanders cannot. He set down further rules such as this one from The Sira.
I477 When a Muslim met a Kaffir in war, he was not to turn his back except as a tactical manoeuvre. A Muslim fighting in Allah's cause had to face the enemy. Not doing so brought on the wrath of Allah and the judgment of Hell. Fear was not an option for a Jihadist.
The terms of Jihad were laid down at this time and are also recorded in Ishaq's biography:
I480 If those who practiced the old religions submitted to Islam, all would be forgiven. But if not, they were to take a lesson from Badr. The Jihad would not stop until Kaffirs surrendered to Islam. Only submission to Islam would save the Kaffirs.
The Koran backs this up:
8:38 Tell the Kaffirs that if they change their ways, then they will be forgiven for their past. If, however, they continue to sin, let them remember the fate of those who came before them. Fight against them until they stop persecuting you, and Allah's religion reigns sovereign over all others. If they cease, Allah knows all they do, but if they turn their backs, know that Allah is your protector -- an excellent helper.
Author's Comments:
Mohammed made it clear that his enemies had two choices, to submit to his will or fight against his suicidal followers forever. Threatening people to submit or be killed was hardly a new concept, even in Mohammed's day. The real genius of Jihad however, lies in its use of deceit. Mohammed used it to confuse his enemies and to make them believe that he could be negotiated with. In fact he was sworn to fight them until they either submitted or died.
Mohammed divided the world into two parts, Dar al Islam and Dar al Harb. Dar al Islam was the land of Islam, which had submitted and was ruled by Sharia law. Dar al Harb on the other hand was the land of war which was all the other parts of the globe. Nations may not think that they are at war with Islam, but if they are not ruled by Sharia Law, then Islam is in fact at war with them.
All Muslims are part of a nation known as The Ummah, which is at war with all other nations. Whilst hostilities may not be happening at a given moment, they are still technically at war, even though the ordinary Muslims may not know it.
This peace is temporary and is known in Islam as "Hudna." A Muslim who lives in England is not therefore an Englishman who happens to be a Muslim. He is instead, a Muslim who happens to live in England. All of his loyalties lie first and foremost with the Ummah which is technically at war with the UK.
It is the ability of Islam to hide these facts from non-Muslims which makes Jihad so successful. Muslim leaders understand this and they expend a good deal of their resources in promoting this deception. We have already seen the way in which the Islamic holy books are presented in order to make their interpretation as difficult as possible. Later on we will see in greater depth, the ways in which political Islam works tirelessly to perpetuate this deception.
This is the next and arguably the most important tactic of Jihad.
Rules of Jihad:
6) Deceive the enemy (the Kaffirs) whenever possible in order to secure victory.
Mohammed not only used deceit frequently but as we will see he was a master of it. Whilst we are on the subject of deceit, please note the use of the word "persecuted" in the
above Koranic quote. It may seem strange to us that Mohammed was in the middle of attacking his enemies, whilst at the same time complaining of persecution. Mohammed redefined the word "persecuting" to mean those who would not allow Sharia law to rule over them. In other words,
Islam is supposed to rule over the whole world, so those who oppose this are "persecuting"
Muslims, even when they are being attacked by them.
Words are very powerful things. Words define thoughts so twisting words can alter the way people think. Be aware that if you are opposed to the introduction of Sharia Law to rule over your society; then you are considered to be persecuting Muslims. Because of this, Islam considers it legitimate to attack you. Islamic doctrine regards this as "self-defence". Furthermore, Kaffirs killed by Jihad are not considered to be "innocent" victims. We frequently hear Muslim spokespeople insist that killing "innocent" victims is against Islamic teaching except in self-defence. What they do not explain, is the different concept of the terms "innocent" and "self-defence" in Islamic teaching.
I477 When a Muslim met a Kaffir in war, he was not to turn his back except as a tactical manoeuvre. A Muslim fighting in Allah's cause had to face the enemy. Not doing so brought on the wrath of Allah and the judgment of Hell. Fear was not an option for a Jihadist.
The terms of Jihad were laid down at this time and are also recorded in Ishaq's biography:
I480 If those who practiced the old religions submitted to Islam, all would be forgiven. But if not, they were to take a lesson from Badr. The Jihad would not stop until Kaffirs surrendered to Islam. Only submission to Islam would save the Kaffirs.
The Koran backs this up:
8:38 Tell the Kaffirs that if they change their ways, then they will be forgiven for their past. If, however, they continue to sin, let them remember the fate of those who came before them. Fight against them until they stop persecuting you, and Allah's religion reigns sovereign over all others. If they cease, Allah knows all they do, but if they turn their backs, know that Allah is your protector -- an excellent helper.
Author's Comments:
Mohammed made it clear that his enemies had two choices, to submit to his will or fight against his suicidal followers forever. Threatening people to submit or be killed was hardly a new concept, even in Mohammed's day. The real genius of Jihad however, lies in its use of deceit. Mohammed used it to confuse his enemies and to make them believe that he could be negotiated with. In fact he was sworn to fight them until they either submitted or died.
Mohammed divided the world into two parts, Dar al Islam and Dar al Harb. Dar al Islam was the land of Islam, which had submitted and was ruled by Sharia law. Dar al Harb on the other hand was the land of war which was all the other parts of the globe. Nations may not think that they are at war with Islam, but if they are not ruled by Sharia Law, then Islam is in fact at war with them.
All Muslims are part of a nation known as The Ummah, which is at war with all other nations. Whilst hostilities may not be happening at a given moment, they are still technically at war, even though the ordinary Muslims may not know it.
This peace is temporary and is known in Islam as "Hudna." A Muslim who lives in England is not therefore an Englishman who happens to be a Muslim. He is instead, a Muslim who happens to live in England. All of his loyalties lie first and foremost with the Ummah which is technically at war with the UK.
It is the ability of Islam to hide these facts from non-Muslims which makes Jihad so successful. Muslim leaders understand this and they expend a good deal of their resources in promoting this deception. We have already seen the way in which the Islamic holy books are presented in order to make their interpretation as difficult as possible. Later on we will see in greater depth, the ways in which political Islam works tirelessly to perpetuate this deception.
This is the next and arguably the most important tactic of Jihad.
Rules of Jihad:
6) Deceive the enemy (the Kaffirs) whenever possible in order to secure victory.
Mohammed not only used deceit frequently but as we will see he was a master of it. Whilst we are on the subject of deceit, please note the use of the word "persecuted" in the
above Koranic quote. It may seem strange to us that Mohammed was in the middle of attacking his enemies, whilst at the same time complaining of persecution. Mohammed redefined the word "persecuting" to mean those who would not allow Sharia law to rule over them. In other words,
Islam is supposed to rule over the whole world, so those who oppose this are "persecuting"
Muslims, even when they are being attacked by them.
Words are very powerful things. Words define thoughts so twisting words can alter the way people think. Be aware that if you are opposed to the introduction of Sharia Law to rule over your society; then you are considered to be persecuting Muslims. Because of this, Islam considers it legitimate to attack you. Islamic doctrine regards this as "self-defence". Furthermore, Kaffirs killed by Jihad are not considered to be "innocent" victims. We frequently hear Muslim spokespeople insist that killing "innocent" victims is against Islamic teaching except in self-defence. What they do not explain, is the different concept of the terms "innocent" and "self-defence" in Islamic teaching.
11 The First Tribe of Jews
The spoils of the Battle of Badr were divided up with Mohammed taking his usual twenty percent cut. This was, and of course remains, the basis for dividing the spoils of Jihad (the spiritual leader gets twenty percent). Mohammed's followers now began to acquire both wealth and power. This made his religion far more attractive to the desert Arabs. They now began to swell the ranks of his followers even more.
After the Battle of Badr, Mohammed made a few armed raids on tribes allied to the Meccans. He then turned his attention to one of the Jewish tribes of Medina.
THE AFFAIR OF THE JEWS OF QAYNUQA
I545 there were three tribes of Jews in medina. The Banu Qaynuqa were Goldsmiths and lived in a stronghold. Mohammed said they had broken the treaty signed when Mohammed came to Medina. How they did this is unclear.
I545 Mohammed assembled the Jews in their market and said, "O Jews, be careful that Allah does not bring vengeance upon you the way he did to the Quraysh. Become Muslims. You know that I am the prophet that was sent to you. You will find that in your scriptures." I545 they replied, "Oh Mohammed, you seem to think that we are your people. Don't fool yourself. You may have killed a few merchants of the Quraysh, but we are men of war and real men."
I545 the response of The Koran:
3:12 say to the Kaffirs, "Soon you will be defeated and thrown into hell, a wretched home!"
Truly, there has been a sign for you in the two armies which met in battle. One army fought for
Allah's cause, and the other Army was a group of Kaffirs, and the Kaffirs saw with their own eyes that their enemy was twice its actual size. Allah gives help to whom he pleases. Certainly there is a lesson to be learned in this for those who recognize it.
I546 a little later, Mohammed besieged the Jewish tribe of Banu Qaynuqa in their quarters. Neither of the other two Jewish tribes came to their support. Finally, the Jews surrendered and expected to be slaughtered after their capture.
I546 an Arab ally, bound to them by a client relationship, approached Mohammed and said, "O Mohammed, deal kindly with my clients." Mohammed ignored him. The ally repeated the request and Mohammed still ignored him. The ally grabbed Mohammed by the robe and enraged
Mohammed, Who said, "let me go!" The ally said, "No, you must deal kindly with my clients.
They have protected me and now you would kill them all? I fear these changes."
The response by The Koran:
5:57O, you who believe, do not take those who have received the Scriptures [Jews and Christians] before you, who have scoffed and jested at your religion, or who are Kaffirs for your friends. Fear Allah if you are true believers. When you call to prayer, they make it a mockery and a joke. This is because they are a people who do not understand
Author's Comments:
It is a core belief of Islam that the Koran is the perfect word of Allah. The Koran instructs Muslims very clearly, not to take non-Muslims as their friends. They may be friendly towards Kaffirs, particularly in order to gain an advantage for Islam. However, the extent to which a Muslim is a true friend of a Kaffir is the extent to which he is not a Muslim.
When you are trying to motivate a group of people to commit violent acts against another group, it is important to break ties between them. Any military commander would understand this concept.
During the first Christmas of WW1, the English and German soldiers came out of the trenches, sang carols and shared cigarettes and food. The powers that be, made sure that this never happened again. To motivate people to violence; it is important to demonize and de-humanize your opponents and Mohammed did this constantly. He never referred to human beings as a whole but divided the world into Muslims and Kaffirs. Kaffirs are described as the worst kind of creature and any action against them is justified.
The Sira goes on to describe how at this time, Mohammed encouraged his followers to assassinate his enemies and critics. He allowed and even encouraged, them to use deceit in order to achieve their aims. Often, they would gain the trust of their enemies in order to murder them.
From The Sira:
I554 The Apostle of Allah said, "Kill any Jew who falls into your power." Hearing this,
Muhayyisa fell upon a Jewish merchant who was a business associate and killed him. Muhayyisa's brother was not a Muslim and asked how Muhayyisa could kill a man who had been his friend and partner in many business deals. The Muslim said that if Mohammed had asked him to kill his brother he would have done it immediately. His brother said "You mean that if Mohammed said to cut off my head you would do it?" "Yes," was the reply. The older brother then said, "By Allah, any religion that brings you to this is marvellous." And he decided then and there to become a Muslim.
It is surprising what most people are capable of. In experiment after experiment, psychologists have found that when a group deems behaviour to be acceptable, the vast majority will go along with things which "civilized" people might consider "inhuman".
How many Japanese people would think twice before eating whale? How many Vietnamese people would think it wrong to kill and eat a dog? In the early nineties half a million Rwandans were brutally hacked to death with machetes by their compatriots. In the forties six million Jews were wiped out in Europe, mostly by ordinary German folk. Closer to home, in my grandmothers day, children of five or six were being sent up chimneys to clean them, many would never return.
To a modern Western mind these things are abhorrent and yet people just like us are quite capable of doing them. Religions have an especially powerful influence on societies. When people believe they have authority from a divine ruler, they are capable of overriding normal human feelings of revulsion. When "everyone else is doing it too," even the most extreme behaviour becomes easy to justify.
Mohammed was not only a religious leader. The acts which he carried out from here until his death are almost all of a political nature. Through Jihad he became king of all Arabia within just nine years.
The political aspects of Islam bear many similarities with the political aspects of communism or fascism. Such ideologies are very dangerous. Small but fanatical groups which number little more than 5% of the population can seize power with devastating consequences. Once they have power it is often impossible to prize it from them without outside assistance.
Communism lasted around 70 years, Fascism barely a decade but Islam has been around for 1400 years and today is stronger than ever.
After the Battle of Badr, Mohammed made a few armed raids on tribes allied to the Meccans. He then turned his attention to one of the Jewish tribes of Medina.
THE AFFAIR OF THE JEWS OF QAYNUQA
I545 there were three tribes of Jews in medina. The Banu Qaynuqa were Goldsmiths and lived in a stronghold. Mohammed said they had broken the treaty signed when Mohammed came to Medina. How they did this is unclear.
I545 Mohammed assembled the Jews in their market and said, "O Jews, be careful that Allah does not bring vengeance upon you the way he did to the Quraysh. Become Muslims. You know that I am the prophet that was sent to you. You will find that in your scriptures." I545 they replied, "Oh Mohammed, you seem to think that we are your people. Don't fool yourself. You may have killed a few merchants of the Quraysh, but we are men of war and real men."
I545 the response of The Koran:
3:12 say to the Kaffirs, "Soon you will be defeated and thrown into hell, a wretched home!"
Truly, there has been a sign for you in the two armies which met in battle. One army fought for
Allah's cause, and the other Army was a group of Kaffirs, and the Kaffirs saw with their own eyes that their enemy was twice its actual size. Allah gives help to whom he pleases. Certainly there is a lesson to be learned in this for those who recognize it.
I546 a little later, Mohammed besieged the Jewish tribe of Banu Qaynuqa in their quarters. Neither of the other two Jewish tribes came to their support. Finally, the Jews surrendered and expected to be slaughtered after their capture.
I546 an Arab ally, bound to them by a client relationship, approached Mohammed and said, "O Mohammed, deal kindly with my clients." Mohammed ignored him. The ally repeated the request and Mohammed still ignored him. The ally grabbed Mohammed by the robe and enraged
Mohammed, Who said, "let me go!" The ally said, "No, you must deal kindly with my clients.
They have protected me and now you would kill them all? I fear these changes."
The response by The Koran:
5:57O, you who believe, do not take those who have received the Scriptures [Jews and Christians] before you, who have scoffed and jested at your religion, or who are Kaffirs for your friends. Fear Allah if you are true believers. When you call to prayer, they make it a mockery and a joke. This is because they are a people who do not understand
Author's Comments:
It is a core belief of Islam that the Koran is the perfect word of Allah. The Koran instructs Muslims very clearly, not to take non-Muslims as their friends. They may be friendly towards Kaffirs, particularly in order to gain an advantage for Islam. However, the extent to which a Muslim is a true friend of a Kaffir is the extent to which he is not a Muslim.
When you are trying to motivate a group of people to commit violent acts against another group, it is important to break ties between them. Any military commander would understand this concept.
During the first Christmas of WW1, the English and German soldiers came out of the trenches, sang carols and shared cigarettes and food. The powers that be, made sure that this never happened again. To motivate people to violence; it is important to demonize and de-humanize your opponents and Mohammed did this constantly. He never referred to human beings as a whole but divided the world into Muslims and Kaffirs. Kaffirs are described as the worst kind of creature and any action against them is justified.
The Sira goes on to describe how at this time, Mohammed encouraged his followers to assassinate his enemies and critics. He allowed and even encouraged, them to use deceit in order to achieve their aims. Often, they would gain the trust of their enemies in order to murder them.
From The Sira:
I554 The Apostle of Allah said, "Kill any Jew who falls into your power." Hearing this,
Muhayyisa fell upon a Jewish merchant who was a business associate and killed him. Muhayyisa's brother was not a Muslim and asked how Muhayyisa could kill a man who had been his friend and partner in many business deals. The Muslim said that if Mohammed had asked him to kill his brother he would have done it immediately. His brother said "You mean that if Mohammed said to cut off my head you would do it?" "Yes," was the reply. The older brother then said, "By Allah, any religion that brings you to this is marvellous." And he decided then and there to become a Muslim.
It is surprising what most people are capable of. In experiment after experiment, psychologists have found that when a group deems behaviour to be acceptable, the vast majority will go along with things which "civilized" people might consider "inhuman".
How many Japanese people would think twice before eating whale? How many Vietnamese people would think it wrong to kill and eat a dog? In the early nineties half a million Rwandans were brutally hacked to death with machetes by their compatriots. In the forties six million Jews were wiped out in Europe, mostly by ordinary German folk. Closer to home, in my grandmothers day, children of five or six were being sent up chimneys to clean them, many would never return.
To a modern Western mind these things are abhorrent and yet people just like us are quite capable of doing them. Religions have an especially powerful influence on societies. When people believe they have authority from a divine ruler, they are capable of overriding normal human feelings of revulsion. When "everyone else is doing it too," even the most extreme behaviour becomes easy to justify.
Mohammed was not only a religious leader. The acts which he carried out from here until his death are almost all of a political nature. Through Jihad he became king of all Arabia within just nine years.
The political aspects of Islam bear many similarities with the political aspects of communism or fascism. Such ideologies are very dangerous. Small but fanatical groups which number little more than 5% of the population can seize power with devastating consequences. Once they have power it is often impossible to prize it from them without outside assistance.
Communism lasted around 70 years, Fascism barely a decade but Islam has been around for 1400 years and today is stronger than ever.
12 The Battle of Uhud
After the Battle of Badr the Meccans wanted revenge. They raised an army and marched to Medina. There they camped outside of the town waiting for the Muslims. Mohammed wanted to wait until the Meccans attacked the town. He figured he could use it for a defence. Many of his hot-headed warriors now felt invincible however. They wanted to march out to meet them. Mohammed finally agreed and marched out with his men to meet the Meccans at a place called Uhud.
The battle began well for the Muslims, who now fought with suicidal bravery. They believed that death would lead them to Paradise. In the heat of the battle, the Meccans were cut off from their camp which held their supplies and valuables.
Mohammed had set a group of archers to protect his rear. Seeing that the Meccans were cut off from their camp, these archers ran forward. They wanted to be first to grab the booty. This left
Mohammed's army exposed and the Meccan cavalry charged smashing apart the Muslim's defences.
Mohammed had to run for his life and his army was soundly defeated. Fortunately for him, the Meccans did not press their advantage. They had come for tribal justice and this had been extracted. Like most human societies which resort to violence, the Meccans had an objective. Once this objective had been achieved, they put down their weapons and went back to their lives.
For many Muslims, the defeat at Uhud was a stark reality check. They had believed that Allah was behind them and they were therefore invincible. Mohammed, cunning as ever, used the setback to his advantage.
He explained to the Muslims that Allah was testing them. If he gave them nothing but easy victories, Allah would never see who his true followers were. It was also important for the Muslims to learn that they were fighting primarily for the glory of Allah and the advancement of Islam. The spoils of war were really just fringe benefits. Concentrating on the pleasures of this life had caused them to be defeated. Allah was displeased with them.
From the Koran:
3:140 If you have been wounded, be certain that the same has already befallen your enemies. We bring misfortune to mankind in turns so that Allah can discern who are the true believers and so that we may select Martyrs from among you. Allah does not love those who do evil.
3:142 Did you think that you would be permitted into Paradise before Allah tested you to see who would fight for his cause [Jihad] and endure until the end?
Author's Comments:
In war, one of the most important factors for victory is to maintain good morale amongst your troops. When you are having constant successes this is easy, but a string of defeats can cause soldiers to give up hope and lose the will to fight.
Mohammed, with his usual brilliance, gave his fighters divine inspiration to fight through victory or defeat. Don't fight just for victory he told them, Allah has assured us of that; fight so that Allah can judge your devotion to him and he will reward you with Paradise. This is the next rule of Jihad, which ensures that Muslim fighters always have high morale, even when they are in a hopeless situation.
Rules of Jihad:
7) Never ever give up, even when you are being beaten.
After the battle of Uhud, Mohammed once again sent out assassins to kill the leader of a group who opposed him. With Mohammed's blessing they deceived the man into believing that they were friends, using his trust to get close enough to kill him. Mohammed used this type of deceitful operation many times to kill political opponents.
From The Sira:
I681 One of the Ghatafans approached Mohammed saying he was a Muslim but no one else knew it. Mohammed told him, "Go and sow distrust among our enemies. War is deceit."
And from Bukhari's Hadith:
B4,52,268 Mohammed said, "War is deceit."
Mohammed was a master of psychology and regularly used deceit to gain advantage over his enemies. He also encouraged his followers to do the same.
The battle began well for the Muslims, who now fought with suicidal bravery. They believed that death would lead them to Paradise. In the heat of the battle, the Meccans were cut off from their camp which held their supplies and valuables.
Mohammed had set a group of archers to protect his rear. Seeing that the Meccans were cut off from their camp, these archers ran forward. They wanted to be first to grab the booty. This left
Mohammed's army exposed and the Meccan cavalry charged smashing apart the Muslim's defences.
Mohammed had to run for his life and his army was soundly defeated. Fortunately for him, the Meccans did not press their advantage. They had come for tribal justice and this had been extracted. Like most human societies which resort to violence, the Meccans had an objective. Once this objective had been achieved, they put down their weapons and went back to their lives.
For many Muslims, the defeat at Uhud was a stark reality check. They had believed that Allah was behind them and they were therefore invincible. Mohammed, cunning as ever, used the setback to his advantage.
He explained to the Muslims that Allah was testing them. If he gave them nothing but easy victories, Allah would never see who his true followers were. It was also important for the Muslims to learn that they were fighting primarily for the glory of Allah and the advancement of Islam. The spoils of war were really just fringe benefits. Concentrating on the pleasures of this life had caused them to be defeated. Allah was displeased with them.
From the Koran:
3:140 If you have been wounded, be certain that the same has already befallen your enemies. We bring misfortune to mankind in turns so that Allah can discern who are the true believers and so that we may select Martyrs from among you. Allah does not love those who do evil.
3:142 Did you think that you would be permitted into Paradise before Allah tested you to see who would fight for his cause [Jihad] and endure until the end?
Author's Comments:
In war, one of the most important factors for victory is to maintain good morale amongst your troops. When you are having constant successes this is easy, but a string of defeats can cause soldiers to give up hope and lose the will to fight.
Mohammed, with his usual brilliance, gave his fighters divine inspiration to fight through victory or defeat. Don't fight just for victory he told them, Allah has assured us of that; fight so that Allah can judge your devotion to him and he will reward you with Paradise. This is the next rule of Jihad, which ensures that Muslim fighters always have high morale, even when they are in a hopeless situation.
Rules of Jihad:
7) Never ever give up, even when you are being beaten.
After the battle of Uhud, Mohammed once again sent out assassins to kill the leader of a group who opposed him. With Mohammed's blessing they deceived the man into believing that they were friends, using his trust to get close enough to kill him. Mohammed used this type of deceitful operation many times to kill political opponents.
From The Sira:
I681 One of the Ghatafans approached Mohammed saying he was a Muslim but no one else knew it. Mohammed told him, "Go and sow distrust among our enemies. War is deceit."
And from Bukhari's Hadith:
B4,52,268 Mohammed said, "War is deceit."
Mohammed was a master of psychology and regularly used deceit to gain advantage over his enemies. He also encouraged his followers to do the same.
13 The Second Tribe of Jews
The second of the Jewish tribes in Medina were becoming alarmed by Mohammed's growing power and aggression. They began to hatch a plot against Mohammed. Unfortunately for them, Mohammed always had excellent intelligence. He heard of this and laid siege to their fort.
These Jews were farmers who grew very fine date palms. Mohammed burnt down many of these palm trees which incensed the Jews. They called out, "You have prohibited wanton destruction and blamed those who do that. Now you do what you forbid."
The Jews were helpless however and cut a deal with Mohammed. They were allowed to leave with whatever they could carry, except for their armour and weapons. They even tore down their houses to take the wooden beams. These were valuable in Arabia where no trees grow. Since there was no fighting, Mohammed took 100% of the spoils. He spent this on his family and buying weapons for Jihad.
To answer his critics, The Koran brought down some new revelations. It was Allah who had wreaked vengeance which was the fault of the Jews.
From The Koran:
59:2 It was He who caused the People of the Book [the Jews] to leave their homes and go into the first exile. They did not think they would leave, and they thought that their fortresses could protect them from Allah. But Allah's wrath reached them from where they did not expect it and cast terror into their hearts, so that they destroyed their homes with their own hands, as well as by the hands of the believers. Take warning from this example, you who have the eyes to see it!
From Bukhari:
B4,52,153 Because the property of the Jews that Allah had given to Mohammed had not been won by the Muslims through the use of their horses and camels, it belonged exclusively to Mohammed. He used it to give his family their yearly allowance and he spent the rest on weapons and horses for Jihad.
And The Sira:
I654 The Jews were very fortunate that Allah let them go with a few worldly processions. They got out alive and Allah did not slay them, but they would burn in Hell since they resisted Mohammed
Author's Comments:
Since the Kaffirs were the enemies of Allah, anything that Mohammed did to them was always justified. His doctrine of Jihad was taking shape as total warfare against the Kaffirs. He would accept no limitations on his ability to wage war against them. Allah would always provide justification for whatever rules he broke. Mohammed had now been in Medina for around three years.
These Jews were farmers who grew very fine date palms. Mohammed burnt down many of these palm trees which incensed the Jews. They called out, "You have prohibited wanton destruction and blamed those who do that. Now you do what you forbid."
The Jews were helpless however and cut a deal with Mohammed. They were allowed to leave with whatever they could carry, except for their armour and weapons. They even tore down their houses to take the wooden beams. These were valuable in Arabia where no trees grow. Since there was no fighting, Mohammed took 100% of the spoils. He spent this on his family and buying weapons for Jihad.
To answer his critics, The Koran brought down some new revelations. It was Allah who had wreaked vengeance which was the fault of the Jews.
From The Koran:
59:2 It was He who caused the People of the Book [the Jews] to leave their homes and go into the first exile. They did not think they would leave, and they thought that their fortresses could protect them from Allah. But Allah's wrath reached them from where they did not expect it and cast terror into their hearts, so that they destroyed their homes with their own hands, as well as by the hands of the believers. Take warning from this example, you who have the eyes to see it!
From Bukhari:
B4,52,153 Because the property of the Jews that Allah had given to Mohammed had not been won by the Muslims through the use of their horses and camels, it belonged exclusively to Mohammed. He used it to give his family their yearly allowance and he spent the rest on weapons and horses for Jihad.
And The Sira:
I654 The Jews were very fortunate that Allah let them go with a few worldly processions. They got out alive and Allah did not slay them, but they would burn in Hell since they resisted Mohammed
Author's Comments:
Since the Kaffirs were the enemies of Allah, anything that Mohammed did to them was always justified. His doctrine of Jihad was taking shape as total warfare against the Kaffirs. He would accept no limitations on his ability to wage war against them. Allah would always provide justification for whatever rules he broke. Mohammed had now been in Medina for around three years.
14 The Battle of the Trench
Another group of Jews decided to take on Mohammed to destroy him. They made an allegiance between the Meccans and another large tribe of Arabs and set out for Medina. Mohammed received news of this from his spies and immediately set about fortifying the weaker parts of Medina with a large trench. When the Jews and their allies arrived, they could not get past the trench and laid siege to the town.
The remaining Jewish tribe in Medina was persuaded, although reluctantly, to make an alliance with the attacking tribes. As usual, Mohammed got to hear all about this, (he always had excellent intelligence). He sent some of his spies to sow discord between the attackers. This they did very successfully. They deceived each side into believing that the others could not be trusted. Eventually the Meccans gave up. They were running out of food and water and decided to go back home. Mohammed immediately turned his attention to the remaining Jewish tribe of Medina.
From The Sira:
I684 Mohammed called upon his troops and they headed for the Jews. Mohammed rode up to the forts and called out, "You brothers of apes, has Allah disgraced you and brought His vengeance upon you."
The Jews had no choice. They could convert to Islam, or they could surrender and face Mohammed's judgment. They did not want to convert and so Mohammed chose one of his lieutenants to make a judgment for him.
From Bukhari:
B5,58,148 When some of the remaining Jews of Medina agreed to obey a verdict from Saed, Mohammed sent for him. He approached the mosque riding a donkey and Mohammed said,
"Stand up for your leader." Mohammed then said, "Saed, give these people your verdict." Saed replied, "Their soldiers should be beheaded, and their women and children should become slaves." Mohammed, pleased with the verdict, said, "You have made a ruling that Allah or a king would approve of."
The Jewish men were made to dig their own graves. Mohammed and his 12 year old bride then sat and watched all day and into the night, while 800 of them were beheaded. Any boy who did not have pubic hair was saved and raised as a Muslim.
The spoils were then divided up, with Mohammed taking his usual twenty percent. The rest was divided up amongst his warriors. The women were taken to a nearby town, where they were sold as sex slaves. The one exception was the most beautiful Jewess, who Mohammed took to use himself. He had killed her husband and all of her male relatives, and now used her for his own pleasure.
The Koran makes mention of this event:
33:26 He brought down some of the People of the Book [the Jews] out of their fortresses to aid the confederates and to strike terror into their hearts. Some you killed, and others you took captive. He made you heirs of their land, their homes, and their possessions, and even gave you another land on which you had never before set foot. Allah has power over everything.
Author's Comments:
I'm not often at a loss for words, but I can't think what to say about this event. People who haven't read these books often tell me that their meaning depends upon how you interpret them,
so I'll leave you to decide how to interpret this event. Here is a question you might want to ponder. Why are "radical" Muslims so keen on cutting people's heads off? The Saudi's will do it for such heinous crimes as disagreeing with Mohammed, or deciding to change your religion. Jihadists delight in beheading Kaffirs, (even aid workers) and posting the video on the internet. Now you know whose example they are following.
To a Christian, Jesus never did anything wrong. He didn't lie, cheat, steal, kill, swear, etc. in fact he was perfect. What most people don't realize is that the reason he never misbehaved, is because our concept of right and wrong is based upon the example of his life. If Jesus had lived a different kind of life, then Christian based societies would have a different concept of what constituted right and wrong, or good and evil.
There are examples throughout history of people who claimed to be Christians, committing acts of brutality on a par with Mohammed. This does not affect what Christianity is, because Christianity is not based on the example of such people; it is based on the example of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels. Likewise Islam is not based on the example of just any old Muslim; it is based on the example of Mohammed as recorded in The Sira and the hadith. Islam holds Mohammed to be the perfect man and the perfect example for Muslims to follow for all time.
Slavery
Mohammed had always approved of slavery. One of his first converts was a slave who he owned. Whenever he took captives, if they weren't ransomed or killed, they would be sold into slavery. Women especially, were valued for their use as sex slaves. Mohammed owned many slaves. He bought them, sold them and took them captive. His son was born to one of his slaves, a Christian girl named Mary.13 Throughout Islamic history, slavery has therefore been not only acceptable, but desirable, as it advanced Islam. Its abolition was forced after the conquest of Islamic lands by Christian nations, particularly Great Britain and the United States. Slavery was finally officially abolished in Saudi Arabia in 1962 under pressure from the West. It is still thought to exist unofficially in some Muslim countries.
Sub Saharan Africa was a major source of slaves for the Muslims. After Barak Obama won the US Presidency, the press reported that Al Qaeda considered him to be like a "House Slave" or "House Negro."14 In Arabic, the word "Abd" means a slave. The name "Abdullah" means the slave of Allah. The word "Abd" also means Negro.
13 He died before reaching adulthood
14 http://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/nov/19/alqaida-zawahiri-obama-white-house
The remaining Jewish tribe in Medina was persuaded, although reluctantly, to make an alliance with the attacking tribes. As usual, Mohammed got to hear all about this, (he always had excellent intelligence). He sent some of his spies to sow discord between the attackers. This they did very successfully. They deceived each side into believing that the others could not be trusted. Eventually the Meccans gave up. They were running out of food and water and decided to go back home. Mohammed immediately turned his attention to the remaining Jewish tribe of Medina.
From The Sira:
I684 Mohammed called upon his troops and they headed for the Jews. Mohammed rode up to the forts and called out, "You brothers of apes, has Allah disgraced you and brought His vengeance upon you."
The Jews had no choice. They could convert to Islam, or they could surrender and face Mohammed's judgment. They did not want to convert and so Mohammed chose one of his lieutenants to make a judgment for him.
From Bukhari:
B5,58,148 When some of the remaining Jews of Medina agreed to obey a verdict from Saed, Mohammed sent for him. He approached the mosque riding a donkey and Mohammed said,
"Stand up for your leader." Mohammed then said, "Saed, give these people your verdict." Saed replied, "Their soldiers should be beheaded, and their women and children should become slaves." Mohammed, pleased with the verdict, said, "You have made a ruling that Allah or a king would approve of."
The Jewish men were made to dig their own graves. Mohammed and his 12 year old bride then sat and watched all day and into the night, while 800 of them were beheaded. Any boy who did not have pubic hair was saved and raised as a Muslim.
The spoils were then divided up, with Mohammed taking his usual twenty percent. The rest was divided up amongst his warriors. The women were taken to a nearby town, where they were sold as sex slaves. The one exception was the most beautiful Jewess, who Mohammed took to use himself. He had killed her husband and all of her male relatives, and now used her for his own pleasure.
The Koran makes mention of this event:
33:26 He brought down some of the People of the Book [the Jews] out of their fortresses to aid the confederates and to strike terror into their hearts. Some you killed, and others you took captive. He made you heirs of their land, their homes, and their possessions, and even gave you another land on which you had never before set foot. Allah has power over everything.
Author's Comments:
I'm not often at a loss for words, but I can't think what to say about this event. People who haven't read these books often tell me that their meaning depends upon how you interpret them,
so I'll leave you to decide how to interpret this event. Here is a question you might want to ponder. Why are "radical" Muslims so keen on cutting people's heads off? The Saudi's will do it for such heinous crimes as disagreeing with Mohammed, or deciding to change your religion. Jihadists delight in beheading Kaffirs, (even aid workers) and posting the video on the internet. Now you know whose example they are following.
To a Christian, Jesus never did anything wrong. He didn't lie, cheat, steal, kill, swear, etc. in fact he was perfect. What most people don't realize is that the reason he never misbehaved, is because our concept of right and wrong is based upon the example of his life. If Jesus had lived a different kind of life, then Christian based societies would have a different concept of what constituted right and wrong, or good and evil.
There are examples throughout history of people who claimed to be Christians, committing acts of brutality on a par with Mohammed. This does not affect what Christianity is, because Christianity is not based on the example of such people; it is based on the example of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels. Likewise Islam is not based on the example of just any old Muslim; it is based on the example of Mohammed as recorded in The Sira and the hadith. Islam holds Mohammed to be the perfect man and the perfect example for Muslims to follow for all time.
Slavery
Mohammed had always approved of slavery. One of his first converts was a slave who he owned. Whenever he took captives, if they weren't ransomed or killed, they would be sold into slavery. Women especially, were valued for their use as sex slaves. Mohammed owned many slaves. He bought them, sold them and took them captive. His son was born to one of his slaves, a Christian girl named Mary.13 Throughout Islamic history, slavery has therefore been not only acceptable, but desirable, as it advanced Islam. Its abolition was forced after the conquest of Islamic lands by Christian nations, particularly Great Britain and the United States. Slavery was finally officially abolished in Saudi Arabia in 1962 under pressure from the West. It is still thought to exist unofficially in some Muslim countries.
Sub Saharan Africa was a major source of slaves for the Muslims. After Barak Obama won the US Presidency, the press reported that Al Qaeda considered him to be like a "House Slave" or "House Negro."14 In Arabic, the word "Abd" means a slave. The name "Abdullah" means the slave of Allah. The word "Abd" also means Negro.
13 He died before reaching adulthood
14 http://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/nov/19/alqaida-zawahiri-obama-white-house
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