The True Face of Islam

The True Face of Islam
By Abdullah Al Araby
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The Peaceful Prophet of Mecca Changes into the Ruthless Warrior of Medina
The Abrogator and the Abrogated
The Real Attitude of Islam Towards Christians and Jews

The Peaceful Prophet of Mecca Changes into the Ruthless Warrior of Medina
Mohammed's decision to relocate his new movement from Mecca to Medina presented an economic challenge. He had to find a method of supporting himself and his followers that would also provide an adequate base to finance the ever-increasing demands of the Muslim movement. The traditional method for acquiring wealth among the Arabs at the time was attacking other tribes and seizing their possessions. Muslims living in Medina found no easier way than doing that. They started to make raids (Ghaswa) on other tribes and passing caravans.

The first raid was called an-Nakhla. Muslims, led by Abdullah bin Jahsh, waited in ambush near a place called an-Nakhla and took the passing Qorayshite caravan by surprise. Muslims killed the leader of the caravan and captured two men and the entire cargo goods.

The turning point in Mohammed's life, however, was the raid against Badr. Muslims were able to kill dozens of Meccans and take scores of prisoners and much booty. On their way back to Medina some of those prisoners were put to death. One of them was a man name Uqbah bin abi Muait. Before his execution Uqbah pleaded with Mohammed saying, "Who, then, will take care of my little girl?" Mohammed answered, "Hell-fire."

After that, a confident Mohammed starting moving against his enemies in a series of attacks that resulted in the elimination of Jewish tribes and the assassination of certain individuals for the slightest offense. The assassination of Kaab ibn al-Ashraf, of the Jewish tribe Banu al-Nodair, was prompted by Kaab showing sympathy for the Qorayshites, and then when he returned to Mecca he recited amorous poetry to Muslim women. Mohammed was enraged and asked for volunteers to rid him of ibn al-Ashraf. Those who volunteered asked for permission to lie in order to lure him out of his house at night into a remote area where they were able to kill him.

A poetess named Asmaa bint Marwan was ordered to be killed for uttering a few verses of poetry against Mohammed. A Muslim assassin, acting on Mohammed's orders, crept at night into the women's bed while her suckling baby was attached to her breast. The man plucked the baby from her breast and then plunged his sword into her abdomen. Later, the killer, fearing the consequences of his crime, asked Mohammed, "Will there be any danger to me on her account?" Mohammed answered, "Two goats will not butt each other about her."

There were many other outrageous assassinations ordered by Mohammed. Abu Afak, an old man of 120 years of age was murdered for composing poetry critical of the Prophet. Another brutal assassination was against an aged women by the name of Umm Kirfa. They tied her legs to camels which were then driven in opposite directions. The poor woman was split into two pieces.

The reality of the Muslim assassin's brutality is punctuated by their practice of cutting off the heads of victims and bringing them to Mohammed. As the killers came into view carrying with them the evidence of Allah's victory over the enemies of Mohammed, a jubilant Mohammed would cry, "Allaho Akbar," (God is great)!

The list of these horrendous acts is too long, much is too repulsive to mention. What has been cited should be sufficient to say about the man that Muslims describe as the "prophet of peace and mercy"!

The essential problem is that the fruit of Mohammed's legacy exists today. As Muslims get deeper into Islam, they simply try to follow in the footsteps of their prime example. Can one still wonder why so much violence is committed, around the world, in the name of Islam?