Mohammed and the Unbelivers
Jihad—War Against All
CHAPTER 11
In Mecca, Mohammed had divided the community into followers of Islam and followers of the native Arabic religions. He adopted all the classical Jewish stories to prove his prophecy and spoke well of the Jews. But there were few Jews living there, and no one argued with him.
Upon coming to Medina, where half the residents were Jews, Mohammed divided the community into thirds: Islam, the Jews and their allies, and those who practiced the native Arabic religions. He made a sharp division between Islam and Christianity as well.
I415 Mohammed then prepared for war as commanded by Allah. He would fight his enemies, those who were not Muslims. This was thirteen years after he started preaching, about one to two years after leaving Mecca and going to Medina.
3:151 Soon shall We cast terror into the hearts of the kafirs, for that they joined companions with Allah, for which He had sent no authority: Their abode will be the Fire: And evil is the home of the wrongdoers!
THE FIRST RAID
I416 At age 53, Mohammed sent forth his fighters to Waddan in search of the Quraysh. They returned without fighting.
THE EXPEDITION OF UBAYDA
I416 Mohammed sent out Ubayda on an expedition with sixty to eighty riders, and they encountered a large number of Quraysh. No fighting took place, but Islam shot the first arrow. It was shot by Saed.
The Arabs had a tradition of war poetry. This poem was written in that tradition:
They (the Quraysh) howled like bitches driven back to their lairs.
If they follow the religion of their fathers
Allah’s punishment on them will not tarry.
A valiant band will descend upon them
And leave their women without husbands. —Abu Bakr
HAMZA’S EXPEDITION
I419 Mohammed sent Hamza out with thirty riders, and they met three hundred riders from Mecca. They separated without a fight.
THE RAID ON BUWAT
I421 Mohammed sent men out looking for Quraysh. No contact was made.
THE RAID ON AL-USHAYRA
I421 This time Mohammed led the raid. They left Medina looking for Quraysh but made no contact.
THE RAID OF SAED
I423 Saed set out with eight men on a raid but made no contact with the enemy, the Quraysh.
THE RAID ON SAFAWAN
I423 After Mohammed came back from his raid, one of the Quraysh raided Medina and stole some camels. Mohammed and some men set out to catch him but made no contact.
Until now, armed men had been sent out to kill and take the spoils of war and take prisoners but without success. After seven attempts, Islam was finally able to destroy the enemies of Mohammed and Allah.
JIHAD—THE FIRST KILLING
I423 Mohammed sent Abdullah out with eight men. He gave him a letter and asked him not to read it for two days. Abdullah agreed. The letter told him where to go and wait for the Quraysh. While camping, two of his men lost their camel and stayed be-hind to look for it while the rest of the men went on.
I424 A Quraysh caravan loaded with leather and raisins came upon the band of Muslims. When the Quraysh saw them they were scared because they had slept not very far away. But one of the Muslims had a shaved head, which was a mark of a re-ligious pilgrim, so the Quraysh felt better. They were safe. The native religions had sacred months in which violence was forbidden to all. This was a sacred month, and they were unarmed.
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 sanc-tified 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 un-armed 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 kafir 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 Mus-lims 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.
B4,53,351 Allah’s Apostle said, “The spoils of war have been made legal for me.”
Another war poem:
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
4 Responses
Al Nayek
shabeer, the literature you cut and paste are talking about muslims only not Christians or Jews or any other infidel, who are halal to kill wherever you use them. Stduy the behaviour of muslims who come to the west. what do they do first? I’ll leave that to you to ponder upon.
shabeer
Muslim :: Book 1 : Hadith 371
Yazid al-Faqir said: This view of the Khwarij (i. e. those who commit major sins and would be eternally doomed to Hell)
Muslim :: Book 1 : Hadith 159 ,160
Ubaidullah b. Abu Bakr said: I heard Anas b. Malik saying: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) talked about the major sins, or he was asked about the major sins. Upon this he observed: Associating anyone with Allah, killing of a person, disobedience to parents. He (the Holy Prophet further) said: Should I not inform you about the gravest of the major sins, and (in this connection) observed: False utterance or false testimony. Shu’ba said. It was most probably” false testimony”.
17: 33. And do not kill anyone which Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause. And whoever is killed (intentionally with hostility and oppression and not by mistake), We have given his heir the authority [(to demand Qisās, Law of Equality in punishment or to forgive, or to take Diya (blood money)]. But let him not exceed limits in the matter of taking life (i.e he should not kill except the killer only). Verily, he is helped (by the Islamic law).
25: 68. And those who invoke not any other ilāh (god) along with Allah, nor kill such life as Allah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse and whoever does this shall receive the punishment.
49: 6. O you who believe! If a rebellious evil person comes to you with news, verify it, lest you harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful to what you have done.
Bukhari :: Book 9 :: Volume 89 :: Hadith 320
Not to join anything in worship along with Allah, (2) Not to steal, (3) Not to commit illegal sexual intercourse, (4) Not to kill your children, (5) Not to accuse an innocent person (to spread such an accusation among people), (6) Not to be disobedient (when ordered) to do good deeds.
Bukhari :: Book 5 :: Volume 58 :: Hadith 233
Narrated ‘Ubada bin As Samit:
I was one of the Naqibs who gave the (‘Aqaba) Pledge of Allegiance to Allah’s Apostle . We gave the pledge of allegiance to him that we would not worship anything other than Allah, would not steal, would not commit illegal sexual intercourse, would not kill a person whose killing Allah has made illegal except rightfully, would not rob each other, and we would not be promised Paradise if we did the above sins, then if we committed one of the above sins, Allah will give His Judgment concerning it.
Muslim :: Book 7 : Hadith 3142
Abu Huraira, (Allah be pleased with him) reported. When Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, granted Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) victory over Mecca, he stood before people and praised and extolled Allah and then said:””it (this territory) was not violable to anyone before me and it was made violable to me for an hour of a day, and it shall not be violable to anyone after me. So neither molest the game, nor weed out thorns from it. And it is not lawful for anyone to pick up a thing dropped but one who makes public announcement of it. And it a relative of anyone is killed he is entitled to opt for one of two things. Either he should be paid blood-money or he can take life as (a just retribution).
Muslim :: Book 17 : Hadith 4238
Ubida b. as-Samit repnrted: I was one of those headmen who swore allegiance to Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) that we will not associate anything with Allah, and will not commit adultery, and will not steal, and will not kill any soul which Allah has forbidden, but with justice nor plunder, nor disobey (Allah and His Apostle), then Paradise (will be the reward) in case we do these (acts) ; and if we commit any outrage(bad, violence) (and that goes unpunished in the world), it is Allah Who would decide about it. Ibn Rumh said: Its judgment lies with Allah.
Muslim :: Book 1 : Hadith 161
It is reported on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed: Avoid the seven noxious things. It was said (by the hearers): What are they, Messenger of Allah? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: Associating anything with Allah, magic, killing of one whom God has declared inviolate without a just cause, consuming the property of an orphan, and consuming of usury(intrest), turning back when the army advances(cowardness), and slandering(lie) chaste women who are believers, but unwary.
Bukhari :: Book 6 :: Volume 60 :: Hadith 134
“”” “I do not know that killing a person is lawful in Islam except in three cases: a married person committing illegal sexual intercourse, >>>one who has murdered somebody unlawfully< <<<, or one who wages war against Allah and His Apostle." "".. Bukhari :: Book 9 :: Volume 83 :: Hadith 37 "By Allah, Allah's Apostle never killed anyone except in one of the following three situations: (1) >>>>>>A person who killed somebody unjustly, was killed (in Qisas,) <<<<<<<<(2) a married person who committed illegal sexual intercourse and (3) a man who fought against Allah and His Apostle, and deserted Islam and became an apostate." Bukhari :: Book 9 :: Volume 83 :: Hadith 6 Narrated 'Abdullah: The Prophet said, "No human being is killed unjustly, but a part of responsibility for the crime is laid on the first son of Adam who invented the tradition of killing (murdering) on the earth. (It is said that he was Qabil). Muslim :: Book 16 : Hadith 4156 'Abdullah (b. Mas'ud) reported: Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) having said: No person who is killed unjustly, but the share of (this offence of his also) falls upon the first son of Adam, for he was the first to introduce killing. Dawud :: Book 39 : Hadith 4487 "..I heard the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) say: It is not lawful to kill a man who is a Muslim except for one of the three reasons: Kufr (disbelief) after accepting Islam, fornication after marriage, or wrongfully killing someone, for which he may be killed. """" Bukhari :: Book 9 :: Volume 83 :: Hadith 21 Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: The Prophet said, "The most hated persons to Allah are three: (1) A person who deviates from the right conduct, i.e., an evil doer, in the Haram (sanctuaries of Mecca and Medina); (2) a person who seeks that the traditions of the Pre-lslamic Period of Ignorance, should remain in Islam (3) and a person who seeks to shed somebody's blood without any right." Bukhari :: Book 9 :: Volume 92 :: Hadith 423 Bukhari :: Book 9 :: Volume 83 :: Hadith 2,3,6,9, 17, 19,37, Bukhari :: Book 8 :: Volume 82 :: Hadith 840 Bukhari :: Book 8 :: Volume 73 :: Hadith 8 Bukhari :: Book 5 :: Volume 58 :: Hadith 194 ,233 Bukhari :: Book 5 :: Volume 59 :: Hadith 628 Bukhari :: Book 4 :: Volume 51 :: Hadith 28 Bukhari :: Book 3 :: Volume 48 :: Hadith 821 Muslim :: Book 43 : Hadith 7171,7172,7173 Muslim :: Book 16 : Hadith 4152,4154 Muslim :: Book 20 : Hadith 4555 Dawud :: Book 35 : Hadith 4247
shabeer
Islam does not like war
Bukhari :: Book 4 :: Volume 52 :: Hadith 269, 268
Narrated Jabir bin ‘Abdullah:
The Prophet said, “War is deceit.”
Bukhari :: Book 4 :: Volume 52 :: Hadith 267
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, “Khosrau will be ruined, and there will be no Khosrau after him, and Caesar will surely be ruined and there will be no Caesar after him, and you will spend their treasures in Allah’s Cause.” He called, “War is deceit’.
Prophet tries to stops killing innocent people:
Muslim :: Book 19 : Hadith 4399
It has been narrated on the authority of Abdullah b. Muti’ who heard from his father and said: I heard the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) say on the day of the Conquest of Mecca: No Quraishite will be killed hound hand and foot from this day until the Day of judgment.
Muslim :: Book 7 : Hadith 3142
Abu Huraira, (Allah be pleased with him) reported. When Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, granted Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) victory over Mecca, he stood before people and praised and extolled Allah and then said:””it (this territory) was not violable to anyone before me and it was made violable to me for an hour of a day, and it shall not be violable to anyone after me. So neither molest the game, nor weed out thorns from it. And it is not lawful for anyone to pick up a thing dropped but one who makes public announcement of it. And it a relative of anyone is killed he is entitled to opt for one of two things. Either he should be paid blood-money or he can take life as (a just retribution).
Muslim :: Book 9 : Hadith 3506
God did not send me to be harsh, or cause harm, but He has sent me to teach and make things easy.
Bukhari :: Book 1 :: Volume 3 :: Hadith 122
Narrated Jarir:
The Prophet said to me during Hajjat-al-Wida’: Let the people keep quiet and listen. Then he said (addressing the people), “Do not (become infidels) revert to disbelief after me by striking the necks (cutting the throats) of one another (killing each other).”
Muslim :: Book 30 : Hadith 5689
“”..I am not afraid that you would associate anything with Allah after me, but I am afraid that you may be (allured) by the world and (vie) with one another (in possessing material wealth) and begin killing one another, and you would be destroyed as were destroyed those who had gone before you. ‘Uqba said that that was the last occasion that he saw Allah’s Massenger on the pulpit.
Bukhari :: Book 1 :: Volume 3 :: Hadith 112
Bukhari :: Book 9 :: Volume 83 :: Hadith 19
Prohibit killing with unjust:
3:21. Verily! Those who disbelieve in the Ayāt (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah and kill the Prophets without right, and kill those men who order just dealings, announce to them a painful torment.
5: 32. Because of that We ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land – it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind. And indeed, there came to them Our Messengers with clear proofs, evidences, and signs, even then after that many of them continued to exceed the limits (e.g. by doing oppression unjustly and exceeding beyond the limits set by Allah by committing the major sins) in the land!.
6: 151. Say (O Muhammad SAW): “Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited you from: Join not anything in worship with Him; be good and dutiful to your parents; kill not your children because of poverty – We provide sustenance for you and for them; come not near to Al-Fawāhish (shameful sins, illegal sexual intercourse, etc.) whether committed openly or secretly, and kill not anyone whom Allāh has forbidden, except for a just cause (according to Islāmic law). This He has commanded you that you may understand.
Chameleon
To resist Islam was not the justification for killing. Verse 2:217 says “oppression is worse than killing. They will seek war against you till they turn you away from your faith, if they can.” It is justified under any norm of military ethics in any democracy to fight and wage war to whatever extent necessary to resist religious or other oppression and persecution. To twist this into a justification for a “Jihad war against all” is absurd.
Also, the 20% of war profits was not for Muhammad personally. It was the allocation that he was given to distribute to the poor and those not involved in the actual war, at his discretion. Muhammad led a relatively austere life, so to imply that he was living the high life on war booty is also absurd. This was so much so that he threatened to divorce some of his wives who wanted the material things in life to match his status as the leader of the community. Please get your history straight.