SCRATCH YOUR HEAD #12 With all the turmoil in our world today, especially between the Jewish state of Israel and Islamic territory of Palestine, every Christian should have a biblical and clear understanding of the basic causes. I hope this posting will give you the information you may desire. Born in about 570 CE in the Arabian city of Mecca, Muhammad was orphaned at an early age when both his father died six months before he was born, and his mother died when he reached the age of six. According to the law among the tribes on the Arabian peninsula, he was not eligible to inherit anything. So he was sent to his paternal grandfather. For the next two years, he was under the guardianship of his paternal grandfather Abd al-Muttalib of the Banu Hashim clan. But when Muhammad turned eight his grandfather also died. He then came under the care of his uncle Abu Talib, the new leader of the Banu Hashim clan. As a young man, Muhammad worked as a camel driver between Syria and Arabia. Soon he established a career managing caravans on behalf of merchants. Through his travel first with his uncle and later in his career, Muhammad came into contact with people of many nationalities and faiths, including Jews, Christians, and pagans. As a youngster Muhammad used to accompany his uncle on his business trips to Syria. When this future self-proclaimed messenger of Allah reached the age of twelve, he journeyed with his uncle Abu Talib and traveled as far as Busra. There he met an heretical Christian monk named “Sergius,” who according to tradition foretold the adolescent Muhammad of his future prophetic career, because of the young boys interest in the bible stories he told him. According to Christian tradition, Sergius and his errant views inspired Muhammads writings which became the holy book of Islam, the Quran. Even certain Arabist authors maintain that Seregius works formed the basis of those parts of the Quran that conform to the principles of Christianity, while the rest was introduced either by subsequent compilers such as Uthman Ibn Affan or contemporary Jews and Arabs. In addition, John of Damascus (d.749), a Christian writer, states that Muhammad “having chanced upon the Old and New Testaments and likewise, it seems, and having conversed with an Arian monk (Sergius), devised his own heresy.” Muhammad learned from Sergius about Jesus, Joseph and Mary, whom he later venerated. But as a hermit, Sergius sought directions straight from God and spent long periods of time in places of isolation such as caves, seeking wisdom and guidance. Since Muhammad could neither read nor write, all of his instructions and knowledge came by way of stories told to him by Sergius. A somewhat wealthy widow in Mecca persuaded Muhammad to marry her and work in her business. It wasnt until the age of 40, long after the monk Sergius was not around, that Muhammad decided to try the same technique of meditating in isolation, in order to receive further wisdom from God. So following Sergiuss example, he went to a cave just outside Mecca for such meditation. There he reports that the archangel Michael came and spoke to him. He reported that he was both humbled and amazed at such visitations. When Muhammad begin to share his visions, his wife was one of his first converts. As he won several converts, they began to write down what Muhammad was saying so they could share it with others. This method served Muhammad well, because he found it easy to offer insights and instructions that he supposedly received from the archangel Michael, whenever he was confronted with a decision or the need to judge. One thing clearly seen in the difference between Judaism, Christianity and Islam, is that Islam does not require repentance, nor are there any required sacrifices for sin. Good works are the basis for living a righteous life. Through the method of private and public teaching Muhammad spread these visions and messages from the angel Gabriel in Mecca. A minority of people accepted him this way. They were not compelled to do so, but were impressed by his teaching and accepted him freely. But in Mecca his followers became a “despised minority.” The vast majority of the Arabian tribes did not accept him. Since he was monotheistic, he opposed all the gods and idols venerated in Mecca, so some of those living there devised to assassinate him in order to get rid of him. When Muhammad heard about it, he and his small band of followers fled to the northern city of Medina. However, not all the tribes in the city of Medina accepted Muhammads messages either after he moved there for protection. Therefore, since Muhammad could not spread his new religion peacefully, he began to exert influence and power by forming an army, and began to raid those villages around him in order to convert them to Islam. One Arab writer named wrote in Bukhari, “The Prophet sent us as an army unit of three hundred warriors under the command of Abu Ubaida to ambush a caravan of the Quraish. This was not only to spread the message of Islam, but also to plunder for needed financial assistance. Muhammad was also involved in defensive and offensive battles. The Arabian tribes who had previously rejected Muhammad were now confronted again and ordered to submit to him. For most of the tribes he wanted to conquer, this was done by sending a military delegation to them. According to one source, before Muhammads armies would attack a tribe they would invite them at least three times to accept Islam first. If they accepted, Muhammad would stay among them to teach them Islam, its regulations, the Book of Allah and the sunnah (the traditional portion of Muslim law, based on the words and acts of Muhammad himself. If they did not accept, they were attacked and forced to submit to Muhammad and Islam. This type of missionary effort by Christians would be totally unacceptable in any country today. We have a first hand account of such an event from Ibn al-Musaffa: “The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) sent us on an expedition. When we reached the place of attack, I galloped my horse and outstripped my companions, and the people of that locality received me with a great noise. I said to them: “Say There is no god but Allah, and you will be protected.” So they said it. My companions then ridiculed me by claiming: You deprived us of the booty. Later, when we came to the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him), they told him what I had done. So he called me in and said he appreciated what I had done, and said: Allah has recorded for you so and so (a reward) for every man of them. Apparently this method has fallen out of use by Muslim extremist today. Also, according to Anas b. Malik, Muhammad used to attack the enemy at dawn. But first he would would wait outside the village and listen for the Islamic call to prayer. If he heard such a call to prayer he would not attack, but if there was no such call, then he would attack in the name of Allah. Muhammad told his followers that he was commanded by Allah to spread Islam this way: “I have been ordered (by Allah) to fight against people until they testify that none has the right to be worshiped but Allah and that Muhammad is Allahs Apostle, and say their prayers correctly, and give him the obligatory offering. If they performed all these things, then they would save their lives and property from being taken by me. Then anything else that might be taken would be done so by Allah according to Islamic law. This then became the battle cry of Muhammad and his followers, “Fight those who believe not in Allah and until the last days. It is Allah who has sent his messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, that He may uplift it above every religion, even if these unbelievers do not like it.” As we can see, it was easy to become one of Muhammads enemy. If you did not acknowledge him as your ruler and prophet then you were his enemy. Those who joined Muhammad joined the fight against those who did not accept Muhammads religion. This time of conquest was a great source of pride to Muhammad and his companions. Many poems were composed to celebrate their victories. Here is a section of a poem that Kab b. Malik composed before the Islamic conquest of Al-Taif. If you offer peace we will accept it And make you partners (with us) in peace and war. If you refuse we will fight you doggedly. ... We shall fight as long as we live Till you turn to Islam, humbly seeking refuge. We will fight not caring whom we meet Whether we destroy ancient holdings or newly gotten gains. ... And we cut off their noses and ears With our fine polished swords from India, Driving them violently before us to the command of God and Islam, Until religion is established, just and straight. (Ibn Ishaq, Sirat Rasul Allah, pp. 587-588) How did Muhammad spread Islam? As this survey demonstrates he used many methods. These included teaching Islam, reciting the Quran, warfare, money and gifts, assassinations, compulsion, torture, removing other religious options and incorporating much much of what he learned from the heretical monk Sergius into Islam. After Muhammads death his companions continued some of these methods. It is was considered wrong to exaggerate any one of these methods, because Muhammad used all of them to spread Islam. However, extremists today have chosen to ignore this advice. Should any of this surprise us? Not really! In Genesis 15:12 we read what the angel of the Lord said to Hagar, Ismaels mother: “Ishmael will be wild and free like a wild donkey. He will be against everyone, and everyone will be against him. He will be like a nomad moving from place to place, but always in the vicinity of brothers.” Then again in Genesis 25:18 Moses records this about Ishmael: “His descendants settled throughout the desert area from Havilah to Shur. This area begins near Egypt and goes toward Assyria. Ishmael’s people were often at war with the other descendants of Abraham.” So any politician or world leader who is naïve enough to think that extreme Islamic fanatics can be persuaded to sit down at a peace table and agree to live in harmony with Jews and Christians, do not comprehend the ingrained hostility bred into them by the teachings they receive based on the word of Muhammad the prophet from Allah. They are committed to turning the world into the domain of Islam by force and violence, even to the death. There is no giving up; there is no going back; there will be no compromise in order to live in peace with the descendants of Isaac. But unlike Muhammad, even these fanatics will not stop outside a village when they hear the call to prayer from the mosque inside, they will attack anyhow killing fellow Muslims who do not adhere to their line of thinking and interpretation of the Quran. So what chance do non-Muslims have?
Posted on: Sat, 26 Jul 2014 13:23:20 +0000
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