The poets were the commentators and social critics in the pre-book world of seventh century Arabia . The Arianna Huffington and Bill O'Reilly of Muhammad’s day were the poets. Their poetry was memorized at fairs and public events, passed from person to person, and their influence was considerable.
That said, there were two kinds of poets. In addition to those described above who were well respected, there were many fortune tellers and soothsayers who did not enjoy good reputations and were often thought of as being public nuisances or slightly mad. Historian Ibn Ishaq describes them as people in contact with spirits and jinn. Muhammad stated that he despised these people so much he could not even look at them. When he received the first Quranic revelation via the angel Gabriel his initial fear was that he had become one of them.
History records four poets of the first type, the real poets, whose lives intersected with Muhammad. One of them accepted Islam, and the other three criticized him. In other words, one lived and three died.
The first was Al-Tufayl Bin Amr Al-Dausi, who visited Mecca soon after Muhammad began to preach. He was warned by friends there to stay away from this self-proclaimed prophet who was saying dangerous things. His response was, “I’m an intelligent person, a poet, and I know the difference between good and evil. I’ll listen to him; if what he says is good I’ll accept it and if it is bad I’ll reject it.” Al-Tufayl visited Muhammad in his home, where Muhammad recited the Quran to him. Al-Tufayl concluded he had never heard anything so beautiful in his life, and converted to Islam. He returned to his hometown and preached his new religion to the people there. When Muhammad later raided the Jewish community at Khaybar, Al-Tufayl and his converts joined him and were given a full share of the bounty.
The next was a Jewish poet, Ka’b Bin Al-Ashraf, who lived in Medina . Following the Muslim victory at the Battle of Badr, Muhammad sent spokesmen to different sections of Medina to proclaim his victory and recite the names of the Quraysh enemies who were killed. Ka’b realized his life was in danger and went to Mecca where he composed poems commemorating those who had been killed in the battle and critical of Muhammad. A few lines from one of them are:
Badr’s mill ground out the blood of its people
At events like Badr you should weep and cry
The best of the people were slain round their cisterns
Don’t think it strange that the princes were left lying
How many noble handsome men
The refuge of the homeless were slain,
Those who were liberal when the stars gave no rain
Who bore others burdens.
As soon as Muhammad learned of this, he asked, “Who will rid me of this man?” Bin Maslama volunteered to go to Mecca to kill Ka’b Al-Ashraf. After Bin Maslama accomplished his mission, he boasted that not a single Jew in Medina did not fear for his life.
The third poet, Abu Afak, was reportedly 100 years old. Following Muhammad’s murder of a man named Al-Harith, Abu Afak wrote critically of his people who had allowed Muhammad to rule over them. One of his verses was:
I have lived a long life and I have never seen
Men who were more faithful when called upon (to fight)
They overthrew mountains and never submitted
But now a rider (Muhammad) has come and split them in two
He divides everything into “halal and haram” (allowed and forbidden)
Why are you following him?
Muhammad’s response was, “Who will deal with this rascal for me?” One of his followers killed Abu Afak that very night. An associate named Umama then wrote a poet of his own, sneering,
Take that Abu Afak, in spite of your age
Even if I knew whether it was a man or a spirit
Who killed you in the middle of the night
I would never tell.
The final poetess was Asma Bint Marwan. In response to the murder of Abu Afak, she courageously wrote a poem critical of “the stranger” who had come to rule over them. Muhammad’s response again was, “Who will rid me of Marwan’s daughter?” A man named Umayr killed her that night in her bed where she was sleeping with her nursing child. The next morning he went to her other five children, mockingly asking which of them wanted to be next.
Muslims sometimes argue that Muhammad did not really give the order to kill the poets noted above, because his comments could be construed as not being a direct order for their deaths. Anyone who has ever watched an episode of the Sopranos or the Godfather knows exactly what was happening. “Hey, Joey, that Luigi on the other side of town has been giving me some trouble. You think maybe you could take care of that problem for me?” “Sure thing, boss”. And the next day Luigi’s body is pulled out of the river.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Poetry in Motion
Muslims believe that one of the "miracles" of the Quran is its poetry. How could an illiterate man, they ask, write such exquisite poetry unless he was inspired by God?
The grammatical structure of Arabic lends itself to being a poetic language. Many nouns or adjectives, for example, end with the syllable "....eem". Muhammad could create a few lines each ending with one of these words that would be poetry to his listeners. As an example, Sura 66 is called "The Prohibition". The title as well as the final or penultimate words of the first few lines are "tahreem...raheem...aleem...hakeem." The English translation of these words, "prohibition...merciful...all-knowing...wise", of course do not rhyme at all.
The "story behind the story" is often more interesting than the story itself. Muhammad often created Quranic suras to get himself out of a tight spot. In the case of sura 66, he had literally been caught with his pants down. While visiting one of his wives, 20 year old Hafsah, he noticed her beautiful Egyptian Christian slave Mary. Muhammad had already legitimized sex with slaves for his followers, and told Hafsah that her father wanted to see her. As soon as Hafsah left the house, Muhammad had intercourse with Mary. When Hafsah realized her father had not called her and returned home to a locked door, she suspected the worst. Muhammad admitted what he had done, but promised Hafsah he would not sleep with Mary again. Hafsah was still upset, and told another of Muhammad's wives, Aisha, what had happened. Muhammad then claimed that Allah had revealed to him that Hafsah had complained to Aisha, and that Allah had also told him that he was free of his promise not to sleep with Mary again.
Now read the entire sura carefully. Notice who is at fault, who is to blame, who is threatened, and who is exonerated by Allah.
The grammatical structure of Arabic lends itself to being a poetic language. Many nouns or adjectives, for example, end with the syllable "....eem". Muhammad could create a few lines each ending with one of these words that would be poetry to his listeners. As an example, Sura 66 is called "The Prohibition". The title as well as the final or penultimate words of the first few lines are "tahreem...raheem...aleem...hakeem." The English translation of these words, "prohibition...merciful...all-knowing...wise", of course do not rhyme at all.
The "story behind the story" is often more interesting than the story itself. Muhammad often created Quranic suras to get himself out of a tight spot. In the case of sura 66, he had literally been caught with his pants down. While visiting one of his wives, 20 year old Hafsah, he noticed her beautiful Egyptian Christian slave Mary. Muhammad had already legitimized sex with slaves for his followers, and told Hafsah that her father wanted to see her. As soon as Hafsah left the house, Muhammad had intercourse with Mary. When Hafsah realized her father had not called her and returned home to a locked door, she suspected the worst. Muhammad admitted what he had done, but promised Hafsah he would not sleep with Mary again. Hafsah was still upset, and told another of Muhammad's wives, Aisha, what had happened. Muhammad then claimed that Allah had revealed to him that Hafsah had complained to Aisha, and that Allah had also told him that he was free of his promise not to sleep with Mary again.
Now read the entire sura carefully. Notice who is at fault, who is to blame, who is threatened, and who is exonerated by Allah.
You've Got To Go To The Source
A TV show I enjoy is “Minbar” on Al-Jazeera. The host chooses a different subject each week and people call in from all over the world to express their viewpoint. “Minbar” means pulpit, also equivalent to the English “soap-box”, and the show indeed allows people to stand on their soapbox for a few minutes.
In an episode on torture in Arab prisons the host asked a caller if he thought the Arab governments had made any progress in human rights during the last 50 years. The caller replied they had not and then said, “Real progress would be to let people say whatever they want. I don’t question the patriotism of anyone else. But we just want the opportunity to express ourselves, to say ‘Let me disagree with you, let you say something and me say the opposite, let’s disagree but reach a solution.’”
That’s a longing that exists throughout the people of the Middle East. But in looking at why it is not there, they never seem to go very far. They will acknowledge their governments do not allow freedom of expression, but that’s all. They seem unwilling or unable to take the next logical step, which would be to examine what it is in their cultural or religious heritage that makes criticism unacceptable. Which would of course eventually lead them to how Muhammad dealt with critics Ka'b Ibn Al-Ashraf, Abu Afak, and Asma Mint Marwan.
In an episode on torture in Arab prisons the host asked a caller if he thought the Arab governments had made any progress in human rights during the last 50 years. The caller replied they had not and then said, “Real progress would be to let people say whatever they want. I don’t question the patriotism of anyone else. But we just want the opportunity to express ourselves, to say ‘Let me disagree with you, let you say something and me say the opposite, let’s disagree but reach a solution.’”
That’s a longing that exists throughout the people of the Middle East. But in looking at why it is not there, they never seem to go very far. They will acknowledge their governments do not allow freedom of expression, but that’s all. They seem unwilling or unable to take the next logical step, which would be to examine what it is in their cultural or religious heritage that makes criticism unacceptable. Which would of course eventually lead them to how Muhammad dealt with critics Ka'b Ibn Al-Ashraf, Abu Afak, and Asma Mint Marwan.
Muhammad and the Jews Part 1: Great Expectations
There were few Jews in Mecca when Muhammad first announced he was to be obeyed as the Prophet of Allah, and his early efforts were directed towards the pagan Quraysh. He preached quietly for three years, and then became more public and confrontational, stating that he was a "plain warner of a coming severe punishment". The short blunt Meccan suras of the Quran mention hell 146 times, lucidly describing the parched skins and scalding water awaiting those who did not follow Muhammad.
Muhammad often repeated the stories from the Torah of Abraham, Joseph, and Moses, but with a distinctly different emphasis. In Muhammad's version, Allah had been prepared to destroy each of those civilizations unless they obeyed the prophets. God didn't just tell Abraham to leave Iraq and go to Canaan for a great blessing as recorded in Genesis, he was about to wipe out Abraham's people. This was the backdrop for Muhammad's main message, which was that Allah would likewise destroy everyone who did not accept him as the final and greatest prophet.
The Quraysh did not take kindly to Muhammad's warnings of divine judgment. They were not familiar with the Torah but Medina, a city 250 miles to the north, was about 50 percent Jewish. The rabbis there had long threatened enemies who robbed them that a prophet would come to set things straight. The Quraysh sent a delegation to Medina to inquire of the rabbis whether Muhammad might be this prophet. The rabbis told them to ask Muhammd three specific questions that would determine his validity. Suras 17 and 18 of the Quran give Muhammad's answer to the questions.
Looking back from a historical perspective, it is doubtful the rabbis really believed a non-Jewish Arab Muslim would be their anticipated prophet, but Muhammad thought they did. He began to focus his attention on them and stated that the Quran was the answer to all their questions. He also claimed to be taken to heaven on a night journey where he was accorded by Allah a status higher than all their prophets.
When some non-Jewish Medinans heard Muhammad's message at an annual fair outside Mecca, they converted to Islam. Returning to Medina, they gave good reports of Muhammad. They returned to the fair the following year, and invited Muhammad to their city. Most of them were from the Aus and the Khazraj tribes. The Aus were aligned with the Jewish tribes of Qurayza and Al-Nadir, and the Khazraj with the Jewish tribe of Qaynuqa. There were tribal conflicts in Medina, and they thought that Muhammad could come and mediate the differences. Muhammad saw this as an opportunity for expansion, and accepted the invitation. The year was 622 A.D., year one of the Muslim calendar, and Muhammad and his followers immigrated to Medina with great expectations of what the future would hold.
Muhammad often repeated the stories from the Torah of Abraham, Joseph, and Moses, but with a distinctly different emphasis. In Muhammad's version, Allah had been prepared to destroy each of those civilizations unless they obeyed the prophets. God didn't just tell Abraham to leave Iraq and go to Canaan for a great blessing as recorded in Genesis, he was about to wipe out Abraham's people. This was the backdrop for Muhammad's main message, which was that Allah would likewise destroy everyone who did not accept him as the final and greatest prophet.
The Quraysh did not take kindly to Muhammad's warnings of divine judgment. They were not familiar with the Torah but Medina, a city 250 miles to the north, was about 50 percent Jewish. The rabbis there had long threatened enemies who robbed them that a prophet would come to set things straight. The Quraysh sent a delegation to Medina to inquire of the rabbis whether Muhammad might be this prophet. The rabbis told them to ask Muhammd three specific questions that would determine his validity. Suras 17 and 18 of the Quran give Muhammad's answer to the questions.
Looking back from a historical perspective, it is doubtful the rabbis really believed a non-Jewish Arab Muslim would be their anticipated prophet, but Muhammad thought they did. He began to focus his attention on them and stated that the Quran was the answer to all their questions. He also claimed to be taken to heaven on a night journey where he was accorded by Allah a status higher than all their prophets.
When some non-Jewish Medinans heard Muhammad's message at an annual fair outside Mecca, they converted to Islam. Returning to Medina, they gave good reports of Muhammad. They returned to the fair the following year, and invited Muhammad to their city. Most of them were from the Aus and the Khazraj tribes. The Aus were aligned with the Jewish tribes of Qurayza and Al-Nadir, and the Khazraj with the Jewish tribe of Qaynuqa. There were tribal conflicts in Medina, and they thought that Muhammad could come and mediate the differences. Muhammad saw this as an opportunity for expansion, and accepted the invitation. The year was 622 A.D., year one of the Muslim calendar, and Muhammad and his followers immigrated to Medina with great expectations of what the future would hold.
Muhammad and the Jews Part 2: Unpleasant Reality
Immediately after arriving in Medina, Muhammad wrote a covenant for all the people of the city. It stated that "any dispute or controversy…must be referred to Allah and to Muhammad the apostle of Allah". Muhammad considered himself the new ruler of the city and built its first mosque.
The Jewish rabbis, rather then accepting Muhammad as their prophet and leader, began to criticize him. Many of the Aus and Khazraj converts joined them and became known as the hypocrites. They had initially accepted Islam, but did not really believe Muhammad. The next few hundred pages of the history books and many chapters of the Quran are devoted to Muhammad's arguing with the Jews, trying to persuade them to accept him as a prophet. He claimed they had removed passages of the Torah that prophesied his coming, and warned the Muslims against taking Jews as friends. His language became more strident, with the Quran on three different occasions recording his accusation that Allah had changed the Jews into monkeys and pigs. He also speculated that Allah had turned some of them into rats.
A Jewish couple committed adultery and Muhammad asked the rabbis if the law of Moses called for the stoning of adulterers. The rabbis acknowledged it did, but said they did not do this anymore. Muhammad said he would revive that law. The couple was stoned to death at the door of the mosque, the man leaning over the woman trying to protect her from the stones as they died.
Islam quickly became powerful, with Muhammad and his warriors robbing trade caravans to finance the new community. Following a victory against the Quraysh at the Battle of Badr in which many Meccans were killed, Muhammad warned the Jews of the Qaynuqa tribe they would suffer the same fate unless they converted to Islam. One of their Medinan allies pleaded with Muhammad to expel them from the city rather than kill them. Although Muhammad "became so angry his face almost turned black", he agreed to let the Jews live. They left the city, leaving behind their property to be possessed by the Muslims.
A Jewish poet named Ka'b Al-Ashraf wrote poems criticizing Muhammad's killing two Arab leaders. When Muhammad heard of it, he sent Bin Maslama to kill the poet. After murdering him, Bin Maslama boasted that the attack had cast terror among the Jews and there was not a Jew in Medina who did not fear for his life. One hundred year old poet Abu Afak and the poetess Asma Bint Marwan, mother of five young children, were also killed at Muhammad's command for writing poetry critical of him.
Muhammad then ordered the Muslims to kill any Jew who fell into their power. A Muslim named Muhayisa killed a Jewish merchant named Ibn Sunayna who had for a long time been his friend and business associate. When Muhayisa's brother asked why he had killed the Jew, Muhaysiya replied he would kill the brother also if Muhammad told him to.
Following the Battle of Uhud, which was the next major confrontation between the Muslims and the Quraysh, Muhammad went to the second Jewish tribe of Medina, the Al-Nadir, to arrange financial compensation for some people who had been killed. Muhammad then quickly left, claiming Allah had told him the Al-Nadir wanted to kill him. He gathered his army, burned the fields of the Jews, and then surrounded them. When they pleaded for their lives, Muhammad agreed to let them live provided they leave with only what their camels could carry. The Jews agreed and were banished, some going to Khaybar about 100 miles away, and the rest to Syria.
The remaining Jewish tribe in Medina, the Qurayza, realized their turn would be next and tried to gain support from Muhammad's enemies in Mecca. The Quraysh came out to fight, but Muhammad dug a trench around Medina preventing them from approaching the city. The angel Gabriel then asked Muhammad if he was going to attack the Qurayza. When he replied he had finished fighting, Gabriel informed him that Allah was not finished. Muhammad approached the Jews and, addressing them as "brothers of monkeys", said Allah was bringing his vengeance upon them. He besieged them for 21 days until they surrendered. He then dug ditches and beheaded every male Jew who had reached the age of puberty, throwing their heads into the ditches. Arab historians say the number killed was between 600 and 900 men. Their land and property were taken by the Muslims, with the women and children divided up as slaves.
The Jews had lived in Medina for well over a thousand years. They were the educated artisans and merchants of the city. Within five years of Muhammad's arrival, they were all exiled, enslaved, or slaughtered. Although Muslims justify Muhammad's treatment of the Jews by incidents such as his claiming the Al-Nadir wanted to kill him, and the Qurayza seeking help from the Quraysh, the truth is that their fate was sealed simply by not accepting him as a prophet.
The Jewish rabbis, rather then accepting Muhammad as their prophet and leader, began to criticize him. Many of the Aus and Khazraj converts joined them and became known as the hypocrites. They had initially accepted Islam, but did not really believe Muhammad. The next few hundred pages of the history books and many chapters of the Quran are devoted to Muhammad's arguing with the Jews, trying to persuade them to accept him as a prophet. He claimed they had removed passages of the Torah that prophesied his coming, and warned the Muslims against taking Jews as friends. His language became more strident, with the Quran on three different occasions recording his accusation that Allah had changed the Jews into monkeys and pigs. He also speculated that Allah had turned some of them into rats.
A Jewish couple committed adultery and Muhammad asked the rabbis if the law of Moses called for the stoning of adulterers. The rabbis acknowledged it did, but said they did not do this anymore. Muhammad said he would revive that law. The couple was stoned to death at the door of the mosque, the man leaning over the woman trying to protect her from the stones as they died.
Islam quickly became powerful, with Muhammad and his warriors robbing trade caravans to finance the new community. Following a victory against the Quraysh at the Battle of Badr in which many Meccans were killed, Muhammad warned the Jews of the Qaynuqa tribe they would suffer the same fate unless they converted to Islam. One of their Medinan allies pleaded with Muhammad to expel them from the city rather than kill them. Although Muhammad "became so angry his face almost turned black", he agreed to let the Jews live. They left the city, leaving behind their property to be possessed by the Muslims.
A Jewish poet named Ka'b Al-Ashraf wrote poems criticizing Muhammad's killing two Arab leaders. When Muhammad heard of it, he sent Bin Maslama to kill the poet. After murdering him, Bin Maslama boasted that the attack had cast terror among the Jews and there was not a Jew in Medina who did not fear for his life. One hundred year old poet Abu Afak and the poetess Asma Bint Marwan, mother of five young children, were also killed at Muhammad's command for writing poetry critical of him.
Muhammad then ordered the Muslims to kill any Jew who fell into their power. A Muslim named Muhayisa killed a Jewish merchant named Ibn Sunayna who had for a long time been his friend and business associate. When Muhayisa's brother asked why he had killed the Jew, Muhaysiya replied he would kill the brother also if Muhammad told him to.
Following the Battle of Uhud, which was the next major confrontation between the Muslims and the Quraysh, Muhammad went to the second Jewish tribe of Medina, the Al-Nadir, to arrange financial compensation for some people who had been killed. Muhammad then quickly left, claiming Allah had told him the Al-Nadir wanted to kill him. He gathered his army, burned the fields of the Jews, and then surrounded them. When they pleaded for their lives, Muhammad agreed to let them live provided they leave with only what their camels could carry. The Jews agreed and were banished, some going to Khaybar about 100 miles away, and the rest to Syria.
The remaining Jewish tribe in Medina, the Qurayza, realized their turn would be next and tried to gain support from Muhammad's enemies in Mecca. The Quraysh came out to fight, but Muhammad dug a trench around Medina preventing them from approaching the city. The angel Gabriel then asked Muhammad if he was going to attack the Qurayza. When he replied he had finished fighting, Gabriel informed him that Allah was not finished. Muhammad approached the Jews and, addressing them as "brothers of monkeys", said Allah was bringing his vengeance upon them. He besieged them for 21 days until they surrendered. He then dug ditches and beheaded every male Jew who had reached the age of puberty, throwing their heads into the ditches. Arab historians say the number killed was between 600 and 900 men. Their land and property were taken by the Muslims, with the women and children divided up as slaves.
The Jews had lived in Medina for well over a thousand years. They were the educated artisans and merchants of the city. Within five years of Muhammad's arrival, they were all exiled, enslaved, or slaughtered. Although Muslims justify Muhammad's treatment of the Jews by incidents such as his claiming the Al-Nadir wanted to kill him, and the Qurayza seeking help from the Quraysh, the truth is that their fate was sealed simply by not accepting him as a prophet.
Muhammad and the Jews Part 3: Bitter End
Some of the Jews who had been expelled from Medina settled in a town about 100 miles away called Khaybar. It was an agricultural community, set up in the style of individual settlements, and quite wealthy.
After six years in Medina, Muhammad established a treaty with Mecca, the city that had first cast him out. Soon after that, he marched against Khaybar. He approached early in the morning as the people were coming out with their farm implements to work in the fields. As soon as they saw his army, they panicked and fled back into the town. Muhammad shouted, "Allahu Akbar! This town will be destroyed." His soldiers took the town building by building, capturing the men and dividing the women up as slaves. During the battle, a Muslim soldier named Mahmud was killed by a millstone thrown down on him.
Muhmmad believed that a local leader named Kinana was guarding the town's treasure. When Kinana refused to divulge its location, Muhammad ordered that he be tortured until he talked. Red-hot bars of steel were placed on Kinana's chest until he was close to death. Muhammad then turned him over to the brother of the slain Mahmud, who beheaded Kinana in revenge for his brother's death.
Seventeen year old Safiyah, Kinana's new bride, was extremely beautiful so Muhammad took her for himself. Her father and other male relatives had been beheaded by Muhammad in Medina. One of Muhammad's companions thought he had claimed her first, but Muhammad gave him her two cousins in exchange. In one day Safiyah went from being the bride of a Jewish farmer to the fiancée of the man who tortured and killed him, as well as her father and brothers.
As a soldier brought Safiyah and a second woman to Muhammad on a path that took them past their husbands' dead bodies, the other woman began to scream. Muhammad quickly told the soldier to get that "devil" away from him. He married Safiyah as soon as she finished her next menstrual cycle, granting her freedom from her slave status as a wedding present.
Waiting until the end of the menstrual cycle was not insignificant. Sex with captured slaves was permitted, but Muhammad had ruled that his soldiers could not have intercourse with them if they were pregnant. Since pregnant women usually sold for less in the slave markets, soldiers who ended up with pregnant women had a double disadvantage. Safiyah, of course, was not one of those.
Muhammad realized it would not be to his advantage to exile the Jews again, or slaughter them as he had the Qurayza. Since they were skilled agriculturalists, he allowed them to continue farming their land in exchange for giving him fifty percent of all produce. This was the first instance of the celebrated "dhimmi" status, where Christian and Jewish minorities are allowed to live in Muslim countries under specified conditions. It is also the first example of the "jizya", the tax they are expected to pay. One of the conditions put down by Muhammad for the Jews of Khaybar was to be prepared to leave anytime. In his final sermon at Mecca soon afterwards, he announced that Islam would be the only religion allowed in Arabia. Successor Umar then expelled all remaining Jews from Khaybar and a few other scattered locations to Syria. No children of apes and pigs have lived in Saudi Arabia for almost 1400 years.
After six years in Medina, Muhammad established a treaty with Mecca, the city that had first cast him out. Soon after that, he marched against Khaybar. He approached early in the morning as the people were coming out with their farm implements to work in the fields. As soon as they saw his army, they panicked and fled back into the town. Muhammad shouted, "Allahu Akbar! This town will be destroyed." His soldiers took the town building by building, capturing the men and dividing the women up as slaves. During the battle, a Muslim soldier named Mahmud was killed by a millstone thrown down on him.
Muhmmad believed that a local leader named Kinana was guarding the town's treasure. When Kinana refused to divulge its location, Muhammad ordered that he be tortured until he talked. Red-hot bars of steel were placed on Kinana's chest until he was close to death. Muhammad then turned him over to the brother of the slain Mahmud, who beheaded Kinana in revenge for his brother's death.
Seventeen year old Safiyah, Kinana's new bride, was extremely beautiful so Muhammad took her for himself. Her father and other male relatives had been beheaded by Muhammad in Medina. One of Muhammad's companions thought he had claimed her first, but Muhammad gave him her two cousins in exchange. In one day Safiyah went from being the bride of a Jewish farmer to the fiancée of the man who tortured and killed him, as well as her father and brothers.
As a soldier brought Safiyah and a second woman to Muhammad on a path that took them past their husbands' dead bodies, the other woman began to scream. Muhammad quickly told the soldier to get that "devil" away from him. He married Safiyah as soon as she finished her next menstrual cycle, granting her freedom from her slave status as a wedding present.
Waiting until the end of the menstrual cycle was not insignificant. Sex with captured slaves was permitted, but Muhammad had ruled that his soldiers could not have intercourse with them if they were pregnant. Since pregnant women usually sold for less in the slave markets, soldiers who ended up with pregnant women had a double disadvantage. Safiyah, of course, was not one of those.
Muhammad realized it would not be to his advantage to exile the Jews again, or slaughter them as he had the Qurayza. Since they were skilled agriculturalists, he allowed them to continue farming their land in exchange for giving him fifty percent of all produce. This was the first instance of the celebrated "dhimmi" status, where Christian and Jewish minorities are allowed to live in Muslim countries under specified conditions. It is also the first example of the "jizya", the tax they are expected to pay. One of the conditions put down by Muhammad for the Jews of Khaybar was to be prepared to leave anytime. In his final sermon at Mecca soon afterwards, he announced that Islam would be the only religion allowed in Arabia. Successor Umar then expelled all remaining Jews from Khaybar and a few other scattered locations to Syria. No children of apes and pigs have lived in Saudi Arabia for almost 1400 years.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Muhammad the Buddha?
Popular Saudi cleric Salman Al-Odeh (or Al-Ouda) in a well-publicized TV speech last year addressing Osama Bin Ladin said that Muhammad was so peace-loving that anyone who unjustly killed a bird or destroyed an anthill would be judged by Allah. When Muhammad heard of a man named Abu Harb (Father of War), he changed his name because he hated war.
Wait a minute! The man who financed his community by raiding trading caravans hated violence? The leader who personally led 27 raids and sent out others at the average of one every seven weeks for the last ten years of his life despised fighting? The Prophet who beheaded 800 Jews in one day because they did not accept his prophethood lost sleep over an anthill?
Here's the thing. If you find a "red-letter edition" of the Bible, all the words of Jesus are underlined in red. There aren't that many. Apart from the Sermon on the Mount and a few other discourses, and eliminating repitition in the four Gospels, his words are limited to short stories and similarly brief comments about various issues.
Islam is much different. There are volumes of hadith containing what Muhammad is reported to have said about almost everything under the sun. The most authoritative collections of Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim contain 645,745 and 576,594 words. There are four more collections considered authoritative by Muslims, in addition to other collections said to be less reliable. In addition, the Shia and the Sunnis place emphasis upon different sets of traditions. Put these all together, and you have millions of words. You can find almost anything you want. And that's exactly what Muslim preachers and apologists do.
Wait a minute! The man who financed his community by raiding trading caravans hated violence? The leader who personally led 27 raids and sent out others at the average of one every seven weeks for the last ten years of his life despised fighting? The Prophet who beheaded 800 Jews in one day because they did not accept his prophethood lost sleep over an anthill?
Here's the thing. If you find a "red-letter edition" of the Bible, all the words of Jesus are underlined in red. There aren't that many. Apart from the Sermon on the Mount and a few other discourses, and eliminating repitition in the four Gospels, his words are limited to short stories and similarly brief comments about various issues.
Islam is much different. There are volumes of hadith containing what Muhammad is reported to have said about almost everything under the sun. The most authoritative collections of Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim contain 645,745 and 576,594 words. There are four more collections considered authoritative by Muslims, in addition to other collections said to be less reliable. In addition, the Shia and the Sunnis place emphasis upon different sets of traditions. Put these all together, and you have millions of words. You can find almost anything you want. And that's exactly what Muslim preachers and apologists do.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
