Muhammad’s Life and Teachings, Part III

Seventh in a series

This is the third and final article about Muhammad’s life and teachings. Afterward, we shift to history, and the applications and changes to the tenets mentioned so far. We’ll begin with the battle of Uhud.

The Battle of Uhud

The Meccans assembled an army of about 3,000 men to attack the Muslims. Some Muslims asked Muhammad if they needed the help of their Jewish allies. Muhammad replied they did not. Muhammad led an army of about 1,000 and met them at the mountain of Uhud. The Meccans routed the Muslims at Uhud, and Muhammad was hurt. Muhammad swore revenge when an uncle’s mutilated body was found. A Meccan woman mutilated the body as revenge for her family’s deaths at Badr.

In reaction to Muhammad’s oath, the Muslims also swore revenge on the Meccans. Muhammad stated he would not take revenge on his uncle’s killer if he became a Muslim. The person killing his uncle converted to Islam. Muhammad asked him to recite how he had killed his uncle, which the convert did. Afterward, Muhammad told the convert he should never see Muhammad again if he wanted to live. (555 – 606)

Precedents established by this event include:

Any attack calls for swift and fierce revenge.
Muslims will hesitate to kill other Muslims, but not hesitate to kill nonbelievers.
Losses are due to not obeying Allah. Whatever occurs, the answer is always one needs more Islam. (also S3.130-2)

The Banu Nadir

After returning to Medina, Muhammad went to the Nadir asking for their help in paying the bloodwit for several men. They agreed, and the sirat says some later plotted to kill Muhammad. Some Medinans warned Muhammad and he returned to Medina. He marched against the Nadir, ordering the cutting down and burning of their palm-trees. Some of their Arab allies told them to “Stand firm and protect yourselves, for we will not betray you.” (653)

However, the Nadir’s allies did not come to their aid. When some of the Nadir reminded the Aws of their alliance, the Jews were told, “Hearts have changed, and Islam has wiped out the old covenants.” (Tabari) The Nadir asked Muhammad to spare them by deporting them with only the property they could carry on their camels – except for their weapons. The Nadir’s property became Muhammad’s personal property. (652–6)

The Battle of the Ditch and the Banu Qurayza

The Meccans learned they had not ended Muhammad’s rule in Medina. Representatives of the last remaining Jewish tribe within Medina, the Qurayza, approached the Meccans to form an alliance against Muhammad. They also approached the Ghatafan tribe with the same offer. Both accepted and marched against Muhammad in support of the Qurayza. Muhammad learned of the planned attack and ordered a trench dug around Medina.

Muhammad pressed the Muslims into service digging the trench. During this time Muhammad had visions of taking other territories beyond Arabia. The Quraysh and Ghatafan came against Medina with an army of more than 10,000 and were met by a Muslim army of about 3,000. The attackers were unable to penetrate the defenses, but the Muslims were also unable to break the siege. At this time Muhammad heard reports the Qurayza were supporting the attackers, and sent spies to determine if the Jews had actually broken their agreement with Muhammad. The people he sent reported the situation was worse than expected.

A Ghatafan convert to Islam approached Muhammad offering to do whatever he ordered. The apostle said, “You are only one man among us, so go and awake distrust among the enemy to draw them off us if you can, for war is deceit.” (681) The individual was able to create distrust among the allies and the Arabs withdrew when they could not penetrate Medina’s defenses.

After the Battle

After breaking the siege, Muhammad turned his attention to the last Jewish tribe remaining in Medina. He besieged them for twenty five days, after which they agreed to submit to Muhammad’s judgment on the condition a member of their allies, the Aus, determine their fate. Muhammad selected a man from that clan, who gave the following decision. “Then I give judgement that the men should be killed, the property divided, and the women and children taken as captives.” (689)

Muhammad had trenches dug in the marketplace. Then, his men brought the Qurayza out five or six at a time and beheaded them. “There were 600 or 700 in all, though some put the figure as high as 800 or 900.” (690) Torches were lit allowing completion of the executions in one day. Muhammad comforted himself with Rayhana, after her husband’s and all male relatives execution just hours before. He offered to marry her, but she refused. (693) Muhammad received a revelation sanctioning the Qurayza’s punishment. (S33.25-28)

Muhammad taught nobility lay in forgiveness, restraining anger, and pardoning men as well-doing. However, he failed to practice those traits in this instance. Instead, he promoted:

Using any means necessary to advance Islam, including deception and lies.
Creating betrayal and then avenging the acts in order to further his aims.
Fighting those who did not accept Muhammad’s teachings or his being a prophet, and any captives taken having no rights unless they converted to Islam.
Solidified the use of these methods through a revelation that Muslims should imitate him. “Surely in the Messenger of Allah you have a good example for him who looks unto Allah and the last Day, and remembers Allah much.” (S33.21 and 695)

The Raid on the Al Mustaliq

Muhammad received word a tribe related to the Quraysh, the Al-Mustaliq, was gathering to attack him at Medina. Muhammad went out and attacked them first, taking much of their property, women, and children. Muhammad’s men wanted the women for themselves, and also wanted to hold them for ransom as well. The Qur’an already allowed Muslims to have intercourse with women taken in battle if they were being taken as slaves, but they could not also claim ransom for them. Muhammad received the following revelation regarding the prohibition against having intercourse with women held for ransom, “it does not matter if you do not do it, for every soul that is to be born up to the Day of Resurrection will be born.” (hadith of Al-Bukari)

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Arising from this event:

The annulling of a woman’s previous marriage when taken captive.

The Armistice with Mecca

Before the raid on Khaybar (see below), the Quraysh sent a representative to Muhammad to make peace. The Treaty of Hudaybiyya was to last ten years, and allowed Muslims to go on pilgrimage to Mecca during the month of Ramadan. An additional condition required any Meccan going to Medina without their guardians permission be returned to Mecca, while any Muslims going to Mecca were not. The Muslims were shocked and upset, but Muhammad received several revelations supporting his decision and the treaty.

Before too long, a woman named Umm Kulthum came from Mecca to become a Muslim. Her two brothers came to take her back, but Muhammad refused. He had received a revelation that Allah forbade returning her to Mecca. This event broke the treaty, but Muhammad decided to send his followers against the oasis of Khaybar shortly thereafter. He went on the pilgrimage to Mecca in 629 with some of his followers. Shortly after the pilgrimage, he had the occasion needed to attack Mecca. Some allies of Mecca skirmished with some of Muhammad’s allies. He marched on Mecca in 630 with an army of about 10,000 men. The city surrendered on the condition they be spared.

Afterward

From the sirat, “The apostle had instructed his commanders when they entered Mecca only to fight those who resisted them, except a small number who were to be killed even if they were found beneath the curtains of the Ka’ba. Among them was ‘Abdullah b. Sa’d … The reason he ordered him to be killed was that he had been a Muslim and used to write down revelation; then he apostatized and returned to Quraysh … Uthman b.’Affan hid him until he brought him to the apostle after the situation in Mecca was tranquil, and asked that he might be granted immunity. They allege that the apostle remained silent for a long time till finally he said yes. When Uthman had left he said to his companions who were sitting around him, ‘I kept silent so that one of you might get up and strike off his head!’ One of the Ansar said, ‘Then why didn’t you give me a sign, O apostle of God?’” He answered a prophet does not kill by pointing. (818–9)

Principles established by this event include:

Treaties between Muslims and nonbelievers are to last no longer than ten years. The previous Iran nuclear agreement was for ten years.
Muslims were only to make treaties with nonbelievers when the Muslims were in the weaker position, allowing time to strengthen themselves and defeat their enemies.
The killing of apostates. Also from the Qur’an, “They long that you should disbelieve even as they disbelieve, that you may be upon a level (with them). So choose not friends from them till they forsake their homes in the way of Allah; if they turn back (to enmity) then take them and kill them wherever you find them, and choose no friend nor helper from among them.” (S4.89)

The Jews of Khaybar

Muhammad moved against Khaybar with about 1,600 men. None of its allies came to their aid. The forts fell one at a time until the Muslims took Khaybar itself. Many of the Nadir who fled Medina earlier, had migrated to Khaybar. The Jewish leader having custody of the Nadir’s treasure was set before the apostle “who asked him about it. He denied that he knew where it was … The apostle gave orders that the ruin was to be excavated and some of the treasure was found. When he asked him about the rest he refused to produce it, so the apostle gave orders to … ‘Torture him until you extract what he has,’ so he kindled a fire with flint and steel on his chest until he was nearly dead. Then the apostle delivered him to Muhammad b. Maslama and struck off his head.” (763-4)

Khaybar’s people went into exile. However, some date farmers asked to remain on their farms, in exchange giving Muhammad half their crops. He accepted on the condition the Jews could only stay as long as the Muslims allowed. This marked the beginning of what would become dhimmitude (protected people). Dhimmi means both “protected” and “guilty”. Protected because they received genuine revelations. Guilty because they corrupted those teachings and rejected Muhammad as a prophet.

Finally, a woman slave Muhammad took at Khaybar poisoned some meat fed to him and his companions. He did not die, but one of the companions did. This occurred in about 628.

The Push for Arabia . . .

After Mecca’s fall, Muhammad learned the Thaqif tribe was gathering an army to attack him. This tribe was historically a Quraysh rival. Muhammad met them with an army of about 12,000. They met near Hunayn. Initially the Thaqif routed the Muslims, but the Muslims were able to turn the tide at great loss of life to both sides. Muhammad then took the town of Ta’if itself. He was lenient with the Thaqif and favored some of the recent converts in an attempt to cement relationships with them. Some of the Muslims complained to him about the booty distribution. “The prophet was angry and said, ‘If justice is not to be found with me then where will you find it?”’ (884)

Later Muhammad sent letters to the rulers of the great powers surrounding Arabia, calling them all to Islam. He made one final attack against the Byzantine at the city of Tabuk. At this time the murders of the last two poets mentioned earlier occurred. In regards to going to war for Islam, Muhammad received the following revelation. “Those who believe in Allah and the Last Day ask no leave of you lest they should strive with their wealth and their lives. Allah is Aware of those who keep their duty unto Him. They alone ask leave of you who believe not in Allah and the Last Day, and whose hearts feel doubt, so in their doubt they waver.” (S9.44-5)

. . . and Beyond

Muhammad received a revelation commanding Muslims fight against Jews and Christians until they accepted Islam. Islam considered Christians and Jews guilty peoples as they corrupted the teachings given to them and rejected Muhammad as a prophet. (S9.29) Because of their false beliefs and hoarding, they are not the equal of Muslims and will burn in Hell. (S9.30–5) Also, Allah would not guide nonbelievers due to their disbelief.

“How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their belief and (after) they bore witness that the Messenger is true and after clear proofs (of Allah’s sovereignty) had come unto them? And Allah guides not wrong-doing folk. As for such, their reward is that on them rests the curse of Allah and of angels and of men combined. There will they abide. Their doom will not be lightened, neither will they be reprieved.” (S3.86-8)

The Final Years

With Muhammad’s victories, clans and tribes from all over Arabia came to pay tribute. Muhammad offered nonbelievers the opportunity of converting to Islam. If they refused they were to pay tribute. If they refused that, the Muslims were to go to war. (956)

Muhammad became ill a short time later and died in 632. Tradition has it his last words were, “Let not two religions be left in the Arabian peninsula.” (1021) This is also reflected within the Qur’an by the following two verses. First, “fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah.” (S2.193) Second, “Fight against such of those who have been given the Scripture as believe not in the Allah nor the Last Day, and forbid not that which Allah has forbidden by His Messenger, and follow not the religion of truth, until they pay the tribute readily, being brought low.” (S9.29)

With the Medinan revelations, Islam changed from a religion of inclusion and sacrifice to an ideology based upon division, fear, and intimidation.

More About Islam’s Borrowings

Before ending this article, it’s a good time to extend the earlier discussion regarding Islam’s borrowings. Islam borrowed extensively from many other cultures. Article 3 covered some of Islam’s religious borrowings. It was no different for other societal structures. As sharia is in the news today, this is a good time to mention it.

It is too soon to dive into much detail, but we can incorporate more information about Islam’s law borrowings. Sharia means “the path”. We saw in article 4 the word Salama means either “the way of safety” or “the path of safety”. Sharia is the path within Islam. Following it leads to complying with Islam’s requirements—a path of safety. A path secured through submission.

We’ll see in the next articles, Islam expanded rapidly after Muhammad’s death. For over four hundred years, Islam encountered many cultures with more complex societal structures; structures necessary to govern the caliphate. These included; Byzantine, Persia, Egypt, and Rome—among many others. Sharia is largely founded upon laws borrowed from these other cultures. Islam absorbed what fit Arab culture and advanced Islam. From Ignaz Goldziher;

“The dogmatic development of Islam took place under the sign of Hellenistic thought; in its legal system the influence of Roman law is unmistakable; the organization of the Islamic state as it took shape during the Abbasid caliphate shows the adaptation of Persian political ideas; Islamic mysticism made use of Neoplatonic and Hindu habits of thought. In each of these areas Islam demonstrates its ability to absorb and assimilate foreign elements so thoroughly that their foreign character can be detected only by the exact analysis of critical research.”[i]

How Islam is Different

Once again, ideas matter. Islam differed in its merging of monotheism with the Bedouin culture. It’s concept of Allah is different from Judaism and Christianity’s concept of God. As a result, Islam’s governance form is different. It uses different principles; principles also borrowed from these same cultures as its law. These notions shape societal concepts such as; an individual’s nature, relationship with Allah, law, religion, freedom, liberty, justice, and virtue.

This is not an advocation of sharia; its foundations are incompatible with a republic. Rather, this series’ intent is helping you understand the existing differences, and why they matter. We will cover all this in more detail later, when the material needed to understand these ideas is covered.

A Summary Table

Finally, the table on the following page lists some of the changes to Islam’s tenets after the Medina migration. What is most striking? These changes occurred in only ten years.