Muslims and Muhammad and Khaybar

At Muslims and Muhammad: the Impossible Task, I posted, "It is impossible that a man could torture a young Jewish tribal leader to death to obtain his money, and then "marry" his 17-year old widow the same night, and be a prophet of God."

The city of Khaybar, located about 90 miles north of Medina in Saudi Arabia, was once a prosperous Jewish city. Unlike Medina, which contained both a Jewish and Arab population, history indicates that Khaybar was fully Jewish. The citizens were a rich community of traders as well as farmers, raising grapes, dates, vegetables and grain. They produced silk garments that were sold and known throughout the region, and also manufactured metal work implements and weapons.

The population of Khaybar increased significantly when Muhammad expelled the Jews from Medina, allowing them to take only what they could carry as he appropriated their wealth and property. As soon as Muhammad established the treaty of Hudabiya with the Quraysh of Mecca, thus eliminating them as a threat, he directed his army toward Khaybar. Islamic historians describe in detail how the Muslim army surprised the farmers of Khaybar early in the morning as they were heading to their fields to work, and how Muhammad captured one settlement after another with their rich supplies of grain and livestock.

A young man named Kinana was rumored to have some of the treasure that the Beni Nadir tribe had managed to take from Medina. Muhammad ordered Kinana to be tortured by lighting a fire on his chest to reveal where the treasure was located, and then had him beheaded. It is interesting that Muslim apologists defend Muhammad's earlier raids on the Quraysh by claiming the Quraysh had confiscated property left behind by Muhammad's followers when they emigrated from Mecca to Medina. How do they justify their Prophet stealing the little wealth that the Jews were able to carry with them after they were exiled from Medina to Khaybar?

Rather then removing the Jews from Khaybar or killing them, as he had done with the Jews of Medina, Muhammad allowed them to remain on their land with the provision that they give him fifty percent of all its produce. This is the first example of the well-known jizya tax, where non-Muslims are required to pay their Muslim rulers for the privilege of being allowed to stay alive. It is also the first instance of the dhimmi status, described by Muslims as "protection", granted to these second-class citizens who choose not to accept Islam. Muhammad made it clear to the Jews of Khaybar they would only be allowed to live there as long as he chose. After he gave his farewell sermon announcing that Islam would be the only religion allowed in Arabia, it did not take long for his successor Umar Ibn al-Khattab to forcibly send all the Jews of Khaybar to exile in Syria and Palestine. It is no wonder that the Jews of Fadak, a town near Khaybar, quickly sent emissaries to make peace with Muhammad, who allowed them to live under terms similar to those of Khaybar until they were also exiled by the Caliph Umar.

The murdered Kinana had a beautiful 17-year old bride named Safiya. Her father and brother had both been beheaded by Muhammad in Medina during the slaughter of the Beni Qurayza. Upon Kinana's death, Safiya was brought to Muhammad. Although another Muslim had first claimed her, Muhammad wanted her for himself and traded the other man two women for her. Muhammad then took Safiya to his tent, and had sex with her that night. He discovered in the morning that one of his warriors had spent the night guarding the tent. When Muhammad asked why he had done this, the soldier replied that he was concerned Safiya might try to harm the man who ravaged her sexually after having killed her father, brother, and husband.

Unbelievably, Muslims see this entire story of theft, torture, murder and rape as a wonderful example of Allah giving their Prophet victory over his enemies. To this day, Muslims at anti-Israel rallies in the West love to chant in Arabic, "Khaybar, Khaybar, ya Jahud, Jaysh al-Muhammad sa Yaoud." Translated, this is, "Remember Khaybar, Oh you Jews. The army of Muhammad will return."

I would encourage any Muslim woman reading this to put herself in Safiya's position, having no choice but to surrender sexually to the man 40 years her senior who had beheaded and tortured her father, brother, and husband. Can you really accept this man as your Prophet?

I cannot. It is impossible for me to believe that a man who acted as Muhammad did in Khaybar could be a prophet of God.