THE ROOT OF TERRORISM A LA ISLAMIC STYLE X•September 26, 2008 •

THE ROOT OF TERRORISM A LA ISLAMIC STYLE X•September 26, 2008 • No Comments
The Root Of Terrorism A La Islamic Style XBy Abul Kasem
‘Among the forms of mistake, prophecy is the most gratuitous’—George Eliot (1819-1880)’
Terror Thirty-two
The Battle of the Trench Led by Muhammad - February, 627CE
After the successful raids for booty, Muslims in Medina felt safe and secure. Their need was largely ameliorated by the swag they acquired through these plunders. Muhammad became militarily strong by the forced evacuation of Banu Qaynuqua and Banu Nadir Jews from their ancestral lands in Medina. However, Muhammad was always cautious, lest the enemy strike without notice. And true to his fear, the enemy did strike him no sooner than he was relaxing with his booty and the new found military might. When the winter season came, the Quraysh prepared for an attack against Muhammad. This was the battle of the Trench or the battle of Ahzab (the confederates).
This battle took place in February, 627 (Shawal, AH 5). The major cause of this battle was the expulsion, or the ethnic cleansing of the B. Nadir Jews from Medina.
After the expulsion of the B. Qaynuqa and the B. Nadir Jews from Medina, the exiled leaders of the Jews, like Salam b. Abi al-Huqayq al-Nadri, Huyayy b. Akhtab al-Nadri, Kinanah b. al-Rabi b. Abi al-Huqayq- etc. went to Mecca and met with the Quraysh leaders and formed a confederation to fight a menacing Muhammad. At first, the Quraysh were skeptical about the Jews as the Jewish religion was quite close to Islam. They asked the Jews about whose religion was better-the paganism or the Islam? The Jews answered that the Quraysh’s religion (i.e., paganism) was better than that of Muhammad’s new brand of monotheism. This pleased the Quraysh, and they accepted unhesitatingly the Jews as their allay. On this, Allah revealed 4:51-55, denouncing the Jews for upholding paganism and He promised hell to the Jews.
Being satisfied with the Jewish leaders, the Quraysh were now ready to strike a mortal blow to Muhammad and his horde of fanatical Jihadists. Having secured the agreement of the Quraysh, the Jewish leaders approached the Ghatafan and a few other tribes around Mecca and convinced them to launch an attack in confederation with the Quraysh. Thus, the Quraysh, under the leadership of Abu Sufyan b. Harb and the Ghatafan, under the leadership of Uyanah b. Hisn b. Hudhayfah (see Terror 31, CH. 8) marched out for Medina. Some biographers list Uyanah as the leader of B. Fazarah tribe, B. Fazarah being a sub-clan of the Ghatafan. The other tribes that joined them were: B. Murrah and Masud b. Rukhaylah from Ashja tribe. The Quraysh themselves brought four thousand soldiers including three hundred horses, and fifteen hundred camels. The entire Meccan force was of ten thousand men. They marched in three separate camps. The general commander was Abu Sufyan b. harb. The flag of the battle was assigned to Uthman ibn Talhah whose father was killed in the battle of Uhud.
Soon this news of a planned attack reached Muhammad. He was quite unprepared for this sudden attack from the Quraysh and its allies. The experience of Uhud was still fresh in the minds of the Muslims. Another battle against the Quraysh was out of the question.
Sensing profound trouble, Muhammad convened a conclave of his trusted lieutenants. In this meeting, Salman, the Persian convert, suggested digging a trench around Medina to protect it from the impending attack of the Meccans. He had been a Christian captive of Mesopotamia, bought by a Jew from the Bani Kalb. Then he was ransomed and converted to Islam. He was familiar with this mode of defence of a city in other countries. This was a completely new strategy that Arabia had never practiced. Muhammad and his followers readily adopted this great strategy of defence. The work consisted of digging a deep trench, probably ten yards (thirty feet) wide and five yards (fifteen feet) deep, three and half mile long all around the city of Medina. For a speedy completion, the work was divided between various clans.
Muhammad now assembled his men to dig this trench and inspired them with the rewards of Paradise. It was the fasting month of Ramadan, and Muhammad hired the digging implements from the Jews of B. Qurayzah. Between one thousand to three thousand Muslims worked from dawn to dusk to complete the dry moat, and they all joined to face the formidable army of the Quraysh and its confederates that numbered ten thousand. Muhammad started cursing the Meccans, inviting Allahs wrath on them as narrated in Sahih Bukhari:
Volume 5, Book 59, Number 415:Narrated Anas:Allah’s Apostle said Al-Qunut for one month after the posture of Bowing, invoking evil upon some ‘Arab tribes.
Some hypocrites joined in but they became sloppy and slipped away to be with their families without the permission of Muhammad. Nonetheless, the true believers kept going with dogged determination, halting intermittently just to join their families with permission from their spiritual leader. On this occasion Allah revealed 24:62, praising these true Jihadists and promising them His forgiveness. On the errant hypocrites, Allah revealed 24:63-64, disclosing that He knows about their secret. After working diligently for a few days (some say eight days), the diehard Muslims completed the trench surrounding Medina, ahead of the arrival of the Meccan troop. They were now very satisfied with the freshly dug dry trench, inspired by Salman, the Farsi. Each clan claimed that Salman belonged to their side. On this, Muhammad said, “Salman is one of us, the people of the Household (ahl al-bayt).”
The Muslim historians, Tabari and Ishak narrate the incredible story that while the trench was being dug, Allah caused a white rock to emerge from the bottom of the trench. Muhammad went down into the trench with Salman; struck the rock with his pick axe and a flash of lightning spread out that illuminated the two tracks of Medina’s black mountains!
Muhammad explained this as the sign of Allah for Muslim’s victory. He even claimed that that spark of lightning lit up the Byzanatine and Khusroo’s (the Persian emperor) empire, meaning that he (Muhammad) would be victorious over them. Muhammad’s harangue thus lifted up further, the sprit of the Muslim earth diggers. They were now absolutely confident that Allah had assured them a signal victory. Other miraculous stories about the increase in food supply when the Muslim army’s provision ran out is told in Sahih Bukhari, such as Volume 5, Book 59, Number 428. For brevity and conciseness I refrain from quoting this lengthy Hadith.
But from the very beginning, the hypocrites were skeptical about Muhammad’s claims and they tried to subdue the morale of the ardent Jihadists. On this, Allah’s oracle came down in verse 33:12 revealing the diseased minds of the hypocrites.
The digging of the trench completed, on the eighth of Dzul Kada (March 2, 626 CE), the army of Medina was posted with the trench. The houses outside the town were evacuated and their residents were placed for security, on tops of the double-storied houses nearby the freshly dug trench. During this evacuation stage, the army of Mecca was reported to have advanced at Uhud. Muhammad’s army was three thousand men and was posted across the road leading to Uhud, having the trench in front of them.
The Meccans, at first encamped at Uhud and finding no opposition there rapidly moved up the road to Medina. Soon, they arrived near the freshly dug trench, and was greatly surprised at the defense tactics of Muhammad. They were unable to come closer to the Medina quarters. So, they resorted to archery from a distance.
In the mean time, Huyayy b. Akhtab, the leader of the expelled B. Nadir Jews conferred with Ka’b b. Asad, the B. Qurayzah Jew’s chief, to break the latter’s contract of truce with Muhammad. At first, Ka’b refused to meet Huyayy, but finally relented to Huyayy’s persistent pleading.
Huyayy then informed Ka’b about the mobilization of the Quraysh and the Ghatafan to confront Muhammad once and for all and urged Ka’b to repudiate all his treaty with Muhammad. He requested Ka’b’s co-operation, promising him his unflinching support in case the Ghatafn and the Quraysh retreated without finishing off Muhammad. At first, Ka’b was hesitant to tow the line with Huyayy, but finally gave in when Huayayy vouched that in case of trouble, he (Huyayy) would move forthwith to Ka’b’s fortress, so that, whatever befell K’ab would be his fate too. In this way Ka’b renounced his peace treaty with Muhammad and Huyayy moved in the fortress of B. Qurayzah Jews to stay with them.
When this news reached Muhammad, he sent his trusted Jihadist, Sa’d b. Muadh, along with a few of his elite companions to investigate stealthily about its veracity.
When the team of Sa’d b. Muadh met the B. Qurayzah Jew leader Ka’b b. Asad, he (Ka’b) immediately repudiated their treaty with Muhammad. He demanded that the Muslims return the Jews of Banu Nadir back to their former quarters in Medina. On this, Sa’d ibn Muadh, who was closely allied with the Banu Qurayzah Jews, warned them that something worse than Banu Nadir might befall the Banu Qurayzah in case they persisted on this betrayal of covenant with the Muslims. Nonetheless, even under such a dire threat from Sa’d b. Mudah, Ka’b refused to surrender to his demand.
So, a disappointed Sa’d b. Muadh returned to Muhammad and told him the extremely bad news. Muhammad took it as a treachery on the part of B. Qurayzah, and Allah immediately confirmed this in verse 33:20. However, please note that the B.Qurayzah were under no obligation to honor the treaty if they wanted, as Muhammad, in the past had broken many such treaties. Moreover, the B. Qurayzah Jews never intended to attack Muhammad, they simply negated the pact with Muhammad. Continue reading ‘THE ROOT OF TERRORISM A LA ISLAMIC STYLE X’
Posted in The Root Of Terrorism A La Islamic Style Tags: Religion, Islam, Jihad, Terrorism
THE ROOT OF TERRORISM A LA ISLAMIC STYLE IX•September 25, 2008 • No Comments
The Root Of Terrorism A La Islamic Style IXBy Abul Kasem
‘One man’s faith is another man’s delusion’—Dr. Anthony Storr (1920-2001)’
Terror Twenty-eight
The Ethnic Cleansing of B. Nadir Jews from Medina by Muhammad - July, 625CE
Bani Nadir Jews inhabited the fertile land in the vicinity of Medina. They were prosperous Jews, having vast tracts of land, on which they cultivated date palms. They were in confederation with the B. Amir people. As mentioned previously (CH. 7), Muhammad went to the Bani Nadir Jews to raise the blood money to be paid for the killing of two men of B. Amir, whom the professional killer, Amr b. Umayya al-Damri had killed by mistake.
So, Muhammad, with a few of his followers, including, Abu Bakr, Ali and Umar visited the village of B. Nadir, two or three miles away from Medina and requested the chief of B. Nadir to refund the blood money that he had already paid. The B. Nadir Jews received Muhammad courteously, asked him to sit down while they attentively listened to his demand and agreed to honor Muhammad’s request. Muhammad was quite unhappy when the B. Nadir readily agreed to his demand. In reality, he was expecting the B. Nadir Jews to reject his demand, so that he could have a good pretext to attack them and seize their land and property.
After agreeing to Muhammad’s demand for blood money, the B. Nadir Jews went for a private discussion among themselves. This unnerved Muhammad. While he was sitting by the wall of a house, he thought that B. Nadir Jews were plotting to kill him. He claimed that B. Nadir Jews wanted to kill him by dropping a stone from top of the house. As usual, he pretended that Gabriel gave him this information. So, he suddenly stood up and left the place, as if to answer the call of nature asking others, including Abu Bakr, Umar and Ali not to leave the place until he returned. When his companions found that Muhammad’s return was very much delayed, they went out looking for him. On their way to Medina they met a man who told them he saw Muhammad was headed for Medina. When they met Muhammad at Medina, he told them his perception of treachery by B. Nadir and asked the Muslims to prepare to fight the B. Nadir.
With clear war and invasion of Jewish property in mind, Muhammad asked another of his professional assassins, Muhammad ibn Maslamah (remember? He murdered Ka’b b. Ashraf, see Terror 17, CH. 5) to go to the Banu Nadir Jews to announce to them the ultimatum to vacate Medina. He gave the Jews ten days to evacuate Medina and, if after this deadline any Jew was seen in the area, he would be killed—the ultimatum said. The B. Nadir Jews were startled with this sudden change of heart of Muhammad. They could not believe it coming from a person like Muhammad who claimed to be the messenger of Allah. They were more surprised that Muhammad ibn Maslamah, who was hitherto very much on friendly terms with the Jews had to serve them the ultimatum. When the B. Nadir Jews expressed their dismay at the action of Muhammad b. Maslamah, he said, ” Hearts have changed, and Islam has wiped out the old covenants.”
When Abd Allah ibn Ubayy learned about the precarious situation of the B. Nadir Jews, he sent the message to them that he himself would be coming to their assistance with two thousand Jewish and Arab fighters. But the Banu Nadir Jews recalled that the same person promised to help the Banu Qaynuqa Jews, but in the end, betrayed. So, the Banu Nadir Jews, at first, decided towards removing themselves to Khaybar or nearby. They thought that they could still come to Yathrib (Medina) to harvest their crops and then return to their fortresses at Khaybar. Huyayy ibn Akhtab, their leader finally resolved against this view. He decided to send a message to Muhammad, declining his order of expulsion,. entered in their fortified fortresses, stocked them with enough supplies to last up to a year and got ready to defend themselves. So, no Jew left Medina after the expiry of the ten days ultimatum. Muhammad now had the most legitimate reason to besiege the Jews.
Accordingly, when Muhammad ibn Maslamah returned to Medina with the news of the Jews, Muhammad, the Prophet immediately gave order to his fanatic Jihadists in his mosque to arm themselves and march forward to lay a siege on the fortresses of B. Nadir Jews. A band of Muslims, with Muhammad as their leader started marching against B. Nadir who had already taken shelter in their formidable fortresses. In the beginning, the Jews attacked the Muslim besiegers with arrows and stones and held out gallantly. Although not unexpected, they were greatly disappointed when no help came from Abd Allah ibn Ubayy, nor from any other previously trusted sources. The siege lasted for fifteen or twenty days, and Muhammad became very impatient. At last, to hasten their surrender, Muhammad, in contravention of the revered laws of Arab warfare, cut down the surrounding date trees and burned them. When the Jews protested about the breaking of sacrosanct Arab laws on warfare, he demanded a special revelation from Allah (59:4) that was promptly sent down, sanctioning the destruction of enemy’s palm trees. In this verse Allah gave generous permission to the Muslims to cut down the palm trees: it was not a destruction but the vengeance from Allah, and to humble the evil doers that is to say, it is alright to cut down cultivated land and burn crops in a war. The Muslim poet (or the war correspondent of those days) Hassan b. Thabit enjoyed this gutting of the livelihood of the B. Nadir Jews and composed lyrics on this savage acts of the Jihadists.. Here is a Hadith from Sahih Bukhari that describes Hassan’s mood :
Volume 3, Book 39, Number 519:Narrated ‘Abdullah:The Prophet got the date palm trees of the tribe of Bani-An-Nadir burnt and the trees cut down at a place called Al-Buwaira . Hassan bin Thabit said in a poetic verse: “The chiefs of Bani Lu’ai found it easy to watch fire spreading at Al-Buwaira.”
After Muhammad destroyed their only source of livelihood, the B. Nadir found their case completely hopeless, and finding no other alternative, they decided to surrender and abandon their lands. In exchange for this, they wanted Muhammad to spare their lives, on which he agreed, on condition that they could only take those of their property that they could carry on their camels. He stipulated that the Jews must surrender their arms. They were allowed to carry whatever they could stock upon their camels. The Jews agreed to comply with those humiliating conditions, loaded six hundred camels with their goods and departed from their ancestral land with fanfare, din and alacrity. Some of them, with their chiefs Huyey, Sallam and Kinana went to Khaybar. The rest of them went to Jericho and the highlands of south Syria. Only two of them embraced Islam. They were given back their land and all of their properties.
[ Note: The Sharia Law (Islamic Law) on destruction of enemy properties states:
It is permissible in Jihad to cut down the enemy trees and destroy their dwellings.
Once the expulsion of B. Nadir Jews was complete, Muhammad took over the ownership of their property making it his personal chattel that he could dispose of as he wished. He claimed that the spoils of B. Nadir belonged to Allah and to him exempting the land from the usual law of distribution of booty because it was gained without actually fighting. He divided the land according to his discretion, choosing the best lots for himself. With the exception of two Medina citizens (Ansar) the whole of B. Nadir lands were distributed among the refugees (Muhajirs). In this way the refugees became independent and affluent. Muhammad, Abu Bakr, Umar, Zubayr and the other chief companions of Muhammad acquired valuable estates. The other booty consisted of fifty armors coats, fifty stand of armor and three hundred and fifty swords. Thus, the expulsion of B. Nadir Jews was a great material success for Muhammad. An entire sura (Sura 59:al- Hashr) relates to the affair of B. Nadir, where Allah says that the B. Nadir Jews were subdued by the striking of terror in their hearts. Terror, duly sanctioned by Allah, thus became a legitimate weapon in the arsenal of Muhammad.
On the success of this terror and plunder, Hussain Haykal writes that this was the biggest prize to the Muslims. These booties were not divided among the Muslims as war booty. They were all considered as a trust which Muhammad divided among the early emigrants after putting away some for the purposes of the poor and the deprived. Thus, the necessary economic support of the Muhajirun by al-Ansar was alleviated for the first time. The Muhajirun now acquired as much wealth as their hosts.
Continuing further, Hussain Haykal comments:

After the expulsion of the B. Nadir Jews, Muhammad distributed their lands to the Mohajirs and with this, they were quite satisfied with their new lands. The Ansars were equally happy that they no longer had to support the Mohajirs. Continue reading ‘THE ROOT OF TERRORISM A LA ISLAMIC STYLE IX’
Posted in The Root Of Terrorism A La Islamic Style Tags: Islam, Jihad, Religion, Terrorism
THE ROOT OF TERRORISM A LA ISLAMIC STYLE VIII•September 25, 2008 • No Comments
The Root Of Terrorism A La Islamic Style VIIIBy Abul Kasem
‘We have to pay a tax to go to Paradise’—Ramzi Binalshibh’
Terror Twenty-two
The Invasion of Hamra al-Aswad by Muhammad - March, 624CE
As stated earlier, Muhammad was deeply perturbed at the defeat of Muslims at Uhud; therefore, to salvage Muslim morale as well as to instil fear in the hearts of the Jews and the hypocrites, he planned a few attacks against the enemy in order to offset the ignominy of the rout at Uhud,
So Sunday the 8th of Shawaal, AH3 (March 24, 625), the next day after Uhud, when the Muslims woke up, they heard that Muhammad had called them to join him in the pursuit of the returning Quraysh army. He gave a general order of mobilization of the troops, but with the condition that only those who had participated in the Uhud battle the previous day were eligible to join in the new operation. Undoubtedly, he did this to elevate the spirit of the Jihadists, to remove the impression of their disgraceful defeat at Uhud and to boost the morale of his demoralized soldiers. One Muslim, who missed out the Uhud battle because of his father’s reluctance to let him fight in the Jihad was allowed to join the Muslim army. The son of a martyred Jihadist sought Muhammad’s permission to join in this expedition; he was also allowed in.
Besides them, several wounded Jhadists also joined this march.
A little before Muhammad set out in the pursuit of the departing Meccan army, he sent three spies, all belonging to B. Aslam to track the footprint of the departing Meccan army. Two of them met the Meccan army at Hamra al-Asad, about eight (or ten, as per ibn S’ad) miles from Medina. Abu Sufyan had already come to learn about Muhammad’s venture to pursue the Meccans. The two spies heard the discussion among the Quraysh: whether they should go back and finish off the Muslims once and for all or to continue their journey to Mecca. Abu Sufyan was in favor of inflicting a deciding blow to the Muslims, but on the counseling of Safwan ibn Umayyah, he decided against it and, instead, proceeded towards Mecca. It happened just a day before the Muslim Jihadists arrived at Hamra al-Asad. Prior to their departure from Hamra al-Asad, the Quraysh spotted the two Muslim spies, caught them and killed them, leaving their corpses on the road. Nothing is known about the whereabouts of the third Muslim sleuth. Presumably, he fled and returned to Muhammad.
The Jihadists, under the leadership of a bandaged Muhammad, went up to Hamra al-Asad, and found the two dead bodies of the spies that Muhammad had sent for intelligence on the Quraysh. Once Muhammad learned that the Quraysh were not there to attack him further, he felt elated and decided to spend three nights (or five, according to ibn Sa’d)– until Wednesday, (March 25-27, 625) before returning to Medina. While recuperating at Hamra al-Asad from his battle wound suffered at Uhud, he ordered five hundred fires kindled on the adjoining heights, simply to send the Quraysh the strong message of his strength.
Further, while Muhammad was at Hamra al-Asad, he made an agreement with Mabad al-Khuzaah at Tihamah. Both the Muslims and the polytheists of Tihamah were trusted allies of Muhammad. They made a compact with Muhammad to not to conceal anything from him.
Then, Mabad went to Mecca; met with Abu Sufyan and talked falsely that Muhammad had gathered a great force to fight Abu Sufyan. At that time Abu Sufyan and his companions were planning a massive and decisive attack on Medina to finish off the Muslims once and for all. Hearing Mabad’s vein talk of a great military strength of Muhammad, Abu Sufyan retreated from his plan of an immediate attack on the Muslims. Thus, Muhammad, once again, proved that the use of terror and deceit do indeed work for his cause.
After the demonstration of his mettle at Hamra al-Asad, Muhammad returned to Medina. One Quraysh soldier was loitering at Hamra al-Asad. He was the poet Abu Azzah al-Jumahi, a poor man with five daughters. He had just missed the Quraysh party. Previously, he was one of the prisoners of Badr II. As he was an indigent, having no means to pay ransom, he pleaded for his freedom. Muhammad released him freely on the condition that he would not take up arms against Muslims again. However, he was tempted by the Meccans to fight with the promise of a great reward of a win; or the maintenance of his five daughters in case of his being killed. After the Uhud battle when the Muslims caught this hapless destitute, he begged mercy from Muhammad, but Muhammad was not to be moved by pity or compassion; he ordered Abu Azzah’s killing, as he had broken his promise. Hazrat Ali personally killed him.
Another Quraysh, while returning to Mecca lost his way and passed the night near Medina. Next morning, he went to the house of Uthman ibn Affan (Muhammad’s son-in law). Uthman procured for him, a grace period of three days, arranged a camel and provisions for his return journey to Mecca. Having made such arrangement, Uthman departed with Muhammad for Hamra-al-Asad. The unlucky Quraysh tarried and stayed in Medina until the last day of his term of grace. Muhammad, hearing about his delay by just one day, caught him and put him to death.
Al-Harith b. Suwayd was a hypocrite. He went to Uhud with Muslims but killed some Muslims. Then he fled to Mecca, to the Quraysh. After that, al-Harith sent his brother to Muhammad for his forgiveness, so that he could return to Medina. Muhammad allowed his return, but was undecided about his fate, preferring to make a decision after returning from Hamra al-Asad. On his hesitation Allah quickly sent the verse 3:86 indicating that those who reject faith after accepting it should be put to death
So, after returning to Medina, Muhammad ordered the execution of al-Harith b. Suwayd for the suspected murder of al- Mujaddzir of B. Aws. This incident (i.e., the alleged and unproven murder of al-Mujaddzir) happened nine or ten years ago. Muhammad gave order to Uthman b Affan , his son-in-law to cut off the head of al-Harith.
Hazrat Uthman beheaded al-Harith at the gate of the mosque, right in front of Muhammad.
The success at Badr II was seen as a proof of Muhammad’s divine claim. Now, the defeat at Uhud was subversive to his prophetic claims. The Jews started broadcasting this argument. Muhammad was now deeply concerned to regain his reputation and to re-invigorate his followers. He started to preach that the defeat at Uhud was due to the hypocrites. He claimed that Allah, in the oracle of Sura 3 told this truth to him. Then he proceeded to sift the true believers from the hypocrites by blaming those who stayed at home and did not join the Jihad at Uhud. Arguing that even if he died, his cause remained, he promised future success to his believers if they remained steadfast and be courageous. The cause itself was immortal and divine– he was absolutely adamant. This exhortation had its intended effect on the true Jihadists, and they were now reassured. He was satisfied that he could really make his gullible believers accept any postulation that he fancied them to accept as true.
Terror Twenty-three
The Plunder of B. Asad ibn Khuzaymah at Katan in Nejd by Abu Salma b. Abd al Asad al-Makhzumi - April, 625CE
Bani Asad ibn Khuzaymah, the resident of Katan, in the vicinity of Fayd, where there was a spring, was a powerful tribe connected with the Quraysh. They resided near the hill of Katan in the Nejd. Muhammad, purportedly, received intelligence reports that they were planning a raid on Medina. So, he dispatched a force of one hundred men underthe leadershipofAbu Salma b. Abd al Asad al-Makhzumi to make a sudden attack on this tribe. On the first day of Muharram, while they were completely unprepared, Abd al-Asad, perpetrated an unprovoked terror raid on them and took their booty.
However, this terror operation was not a huge success. When the Jihadists arrived at the site, the victims fled and the Muslims found three herdsmen with a large herd of camels and goats. They took the camels and goats as booty, and the three herdsmen as prisoners. Then the booty, along with the three captives was brought to Medina. Muhammad took one of the prisoners (presumably as a slave) for himself, distributed the camels and cattle among the Jihadists keeping his due share of the plunder. This success in plunder restored some of the Muslim prestige that had been lost at Uhud. Abu Salamah did not live long after this raid due to the inflammation of the wound he received at Uhud.
In this connection it may be appropriate to mention that, as per Islamic rule on plunder, all the immovable booty must be taken out and removed from the site of plunder. It s unlawful, according to Islamic rule, not to take possession of infidel wealth after a successful plunder. On the rule on Ghanimah, (plunder), the Dictionary of Islam writes, “If the Imam, or the leader of the Muslim army, conquer a country by force of arms, he is at liberty to leave the land in possession of the original proprietors, provided they pay tribute, or he may divide it amongst the Muslims; but with regard to moveable property, it is unlawful for him to leave it in possession of the infidels, but he must bring it away with the army and divide it amongst the soldiers.”
Terror Twenty-four
The Assassination of Sufyan ibn Khalid, the B. Lihyan Chief at Urana (the first attack on B. Lihyan) by Abd Allah b. Unays - April, 625CE
B. Lihyan, a branch of the powerful tribe of Hudhayl (a section of the Quraysh), inhabited the vicinity of Mecca. When the terrors of Muhammad’s Jihadists became unbearable, they rallied around their chief, Khalid ibn Sufyan al-Hudhayli at Urana to follow up the late victory at Uhud.
Four days after the plunder at Katan (i.e., on the fifth day of Muharram) Muhammad learned that Sufyan b Khalid (or Khalid b. Sufyan, there is controversy on this) was collecting people at Nakhla to make an attack on him. So, he called Abdullah b. Unays to go to Nakhla or Urana on a mission to kill ibn Khalid. When Abdullah b. Unays wanted a description of his victim, Muhammad replied, “When you will see him, you will be frightened and bewildered and you will recall Satan.” Abd Allah b. Unays said that he was not afraid of ibn Khalid; but to assassinate him, he (Abd Allah) would have to resort to lies and deceit. He sought Muhammad’s permission to tell lies, and to commit the act of deception. Muhammad unhesitatingly permitted him to do so. Abd Allah b. Unays prayed to Allah before going on this murder mission. He spent almost eighteen days to find a way to infiltrate ibn Khalid’s newly recruited army. Then he found ibn Khalid in a halting place. When he met him, he bowed his head, pretending to be a respectful follower of ibn Khalid. When ibn Khalid asked about Abd Allah’s identity, Abd Allah said that he was an Arab and wanted to join as a volunteer in ibn Khalid’s force against Muhammad. Sufyan b. Khalid trusted him and provided him with shelter. Then, once, while conversing, Abd Allah b. Unays walked a short distance with ibn Khalid, and when an opportunity came he struck him with his sword and killed him. After killing ibn Khalid, he cut off his head, brought that to Muhammad, and while he (Muhammad) was at his mosque, threw the head of ibn Khalid at Muhammad’s feet. When he told Muhammad the details of his act of assassination, Muhammad praised him and gave him, as his reward, a stick as a sign between him and Abd Allah on the resurrection day. Abd Allah fastened the stick with his sword, and it remained with him until his death. When he died, the stick was buried with him.
This assassination had the effect of silencing the Banu Lihyan, for some time. But another branch of B.Lihyan wanted to take revenge of the murder of their leader Sufyan ibn Khalid.
Terror Twenty-five
The Mishap at al-Rajii - May or July, 625CE
This is an important episode in the early history of Islam. In this episode of terror and murder we have a clear glimpse of a terribly violent society of the savage Bedouin Arabs. Spilling blood was almost a routine affair in that barbaric culture, no matter who initiated it or who was in the wrong or right. As you read this chilling episode of ‘peaceful’ Islam, recall the seemingly unstoppable violence that is perpetrated around the globe by the Islamic Jihadists. There are several versions of this story-making it difficult to ascertain its verity. Here is the version that I compiled, mainly from the version of Tabari and Ibn Ishaq. Variations are indicated with appropriate references. Continue reading ‘THE ROOT OF TERRORISM A LA ISLAMIC STYLE VIII’
Posted in The Root Of Terrorism A La Islamic Style Tags: Islam, Jihad, Religion, Terrorism
THE ROOT OF TERRORISM A LA ISLAMIC STYLE VII•September 24, 2008 • No Comments
The Root Of Terrorism A La Islamic Style VIIBy Abul Kasem
‘Young man smile in the face of death, for you are on your way to Heaven’—from a Manual of Terror’
Terror Twenty-one
The Battle of Uhud, Led by Muhammad - March, 625CE
The Quraysh resolutely decided to avenge their defeat at Badr II. The need for a decisive military victory against the menacing Islam and its diehard Jihadists became more urgent when Zayd b. Haritha plundered their rich caravan that took the new alternative route through Nejd (see terror 19, CH. 5). The Quraysh were now convinced that nothing could protect their lifeline (trade) from the pillage and terror of Muhammad. They alerted the neighboring tribes and sought to raise money to form a formidable military operation against Muhammad. Through contributions from different parts of Arabia they raised 250,000 Dirhams (besides the 250,000 Dirhams paid as ransom to secure the release of the Meccan prisoners from Muhammad) for the impending military expedition to avenge their defeat. They also concluded alliances with other nearby Bedouin tribes. Besides this subscription from various sources, they also decided to use the entire profit from the caravan that escaped Badr II to use it to combat the terrorism of Muhammad. This profit was one thousand camels and fifty thousand Dinars (around US$ 550,000 in all, using the conversion rate mentioned earlier) in cash, a substantial amount of money in those days. With such a handsome resource at their disposal, the Quraysh had no difficulty in organizing a formidable army of three thousand men, seven hundred of them were armored warriors and two hundred mounted cavalry, ready to fight the terror perpetrated by Muhammad and his fanatic followers. There was also a small band of fifty Medina citizens under Abu Amir, the Christian monk, who went over to Mecca after being disgusted at the enthusiastic reception of Muhammad at Medina. Besides these military personnel, a batch of fifteen Quraysh women in camel litters also joined the military operation. Their leader was Hind bt. Utbah, the wife of Abu Sufyan Shakhr b. Harb. At Badr II she had lost her father (Utba), uncle (Shaybah) and her son, Hanzala. She was particularly interested in going for the blood of Hamzah who had slain her father at Badr II. Now was the time for her to quench her thirst for revenge. She engaged an Abyssinian slave, Wahshi, possessing deadly javelin skill and belonging to Jubayr b. Mut’im to kill Hamza, promising Wahshi his freedom if he was successful in his mission.
It was twelve months since the Badr II and it was the month of Ramadan. The Quraysh remained steadfast in their revenge for the defeat at Badr II. Now was the time to put their threat into execution. They planned a grand attack on Muhammad. Rumor of this grand plan had been reaching Muhammad for some time through his informers at Mecca. He even received an oracle from Allah in 3:128 on this preparedness. This rumor was confirmed when Muhammad received a sealed letter from his uncle, al-Abbas while he (Muhammad) was at his mosque at Quba, a short distance from the city of Medina. A messenger from Mecca delivered the letter to Muhammad. The letter contained the information that the Quraysh, with three thousand soldiers were planning an attack on Muhammad. He kept the content of the letter a secret and immediately returned to Medina to concur with his advisors there. However, the news leaked out when the wife of Sa’d b Muadh, the Khazaraj leader, overheard the conversation between him and Muhammad. Soon, the news spread that an immediate attack was coming from the Quraysh.
In Mecca, the Quraysh were now fully ready to set out for a showdown with Muhammad. At last, near the end of Ramadan, the Quraysh army started their march with three thousand soldiers and with Abu Sufyan b. Harb as their general. The other chiefs of the Quraysh clans also accompanied the Meccan army.
After a march of ten or twelve days, the Meccan army, taking the usual route by the shore, arrived at Dhul Hulaifa, about five miles west of Medina. It is reported that while at al-Abwa, Hind bt. Utbah, Abu Sufyan’s wife suggested that they dig up the grave of Muhammad’s mother, but the Quraysh refrained from doing such a depraved act. It was Thursday morning, and after halting here for a while, the Quraysh army marched northward for a few miles, bypassing the city of Medina; instead, they proceeded about three miles further north and encamped at Uhud, a mountainous region with some wide plain space for the camel’s grazing. One may wonder why the Quraysh did not attack central Medina; they could have easily done so with much success and with plenty of booty. The reason is that the Quraysh were not at all interested in any sort of plunder or booty. In fact, they had no grudge against the general population of Medina; they were angry with only one person-their co-citizen, Muhammad, who had taken refuge there. Soon after their arrival at the plains of Uhud, the Meccans cut down the luxuriant forest as feed for the horses and camels. They also set loose the camels and horses to graze. Then Friday came and it passed without any activity.
In Medina, Muhammad was kept appraised of Meccan movements. A spy, Hobab ibn al Mundhir surveyed the Quraysh camp on Thursday and brought back the alarming estimate of the Quraysh army. Muhammad decided to keep that information a secret. The next day, Friday, Muhammad discussed with his people the course to be pursued. He had a bad dream the previous night and told the conclave of his Jihadists about the need of protection of Medina and himself. Due to his bad dream the previous night, a superstitious Muhammad was quite reluctant to go for the battle. At first, it was decided that the women and children of the suburbs and surrounding hamlets should be brought within the city. The enemy, if they approached should be met with arrows, stones and other missiles from the housetops. Abd Allah ibn Ubayy, Muhammad’s nemesis supported this proposal of defending the city of Medina should the Quraysh attacked it. But the young converts wanted to go out and fight the enemy in the field, as they did at Badr II. Young Jihadists who missed the Badr II and its booty were more enthusiastic in going out to fight the Quraysh. The picture of paradise hovered before their eyes as martyrs in Allah’s cause was just as the Quran had described it in 56:25-26.Hamza was adamant, saying, “By Allah who has sent the Book down unto you, I will not taste food till I fight them with my sword outside Medina.” Many people supported this young faction. In the end, Muhammad gave way to them, commanding them to make ready for the battle.
After the afternoon prayer, the people assembled in the court of the mosque armed for the battle. Muhammad himself put on two armors, one on top of another. When a few young Jihadists found that Muhammad had quite reluctantly agreed to proceed for the battle, they became repentant and wanted to abort the mission. On this, Muhammad said, “It does not suit a Prophet that once he had put on armor. He should take it off until Allah has decided between him and the enemy.” Some people hesitated but Muhammad kept going. Muhammad’s child-bride, Aisha also volunteered to join the Jihad and he allowed her. Aisha nursed the wounded, brought water to the thirsty and rendered sundry services.
Then the Muslims fixed three banners on the three lances. One for the refugees, carried by Musab b. Umayr (some say, Ali), the second, to the leader of B. Aws, Usayd ibn Hudayl, the third to a leader of B. Khazraj, al-Hubab ibn al-Mundhir. Abdallah ibn Umm Maktum was appointed to look after Medina city and to lead the prayer in the absence of Muhammad. The Muslim army consisted of one thousand men (one hundred of them were armored), and two horses (one belonging to Muhammad). Then Muhammad gave the orders for the march northward to the plains of Uhud. The two Sa’ds (Sa’d b. Muadh and Sa’d b. Ubadah) ran in front of the Muslim battalion.
Muhammad marched until he reached al-Shaykhayn and saw a well-equipped army waiting there. On enquiry, he learned that they were polytheists and Jews who were ready to join the Muslim army against the Meccans. They were the allies of Abd Allah ibn Ubay. Muhammad refused to accept them as his comrade, saying, “Do not seek support of the polytheists against polytheists.” Then he halted at al-Shaykhayn and reviewed his forces, rejecting those who were disabled or too young to fight. At nightfall, the Muslim army encamped there and Muhammad spent the night there. Abd Allah ibn Ubayy encamped nearby. He was displeased by the unfriendly behavior of Muhammad to his Jewish adherents. The Quraysh were also camped nearby. A ridge separated the two armies.
In the morning the Muslim army started marching again to Uhud. When they reached at a place called Ash Shawt they could observe the Quraysh army in the distance. It was at this place that Abd Allah ibn Ubayy rebelled against Muhammad, withdrew his three hundred men from the Muslim army and started departing for Medina thus reducing the number of Jihadists to around seven hundred men. Two other parties of Muhammad were also influenced by Abd Allah ibn Ubayy. They were about to join him (Abd Allah ibn Ubayy), but at the eleventh hour, changed their minds and decided to remain with Muhammad. As revealed in 3:122 Muhammad claimed this change of heart to be Allah’s will. When Abd Allah ibn Ubay departed, another band of Muhammad’s followers went along with him, pleading Abd Allah ibn Ubayy to fight for the cause of Allah. But ibn Ubayy was adamant in returning to Medina, thus greatly displeasing the pleading clan. Allah, in verse 3:187 cursed the hypocrisy of Abd Allah ibn Ubayy. So, now Muhammad had to march alone with his seven hundred followers. Although he was quite near to Uhud, and could easily see the Quraysh encamped in the plains of Uhud, he found that it would not be safe to follow the main road to Uhud, because that would engage him to a full frontal confrontation with the enemy. Muhammad now sought the help of a local guide, Abu Khaitamah to reach the Uhud Mountain bypassing the frontal confrontation with the Quraysh. This guide took the Muslim army through a track that required the trespassing through farmland belonging to a blind man named Marba b Qyizi. When the Jihadists wanted to pass through this farmland without the permission of the owner, the blind man protested by throwing dust on them and saying, “You may be the apostle of God, but I won’t let you through my garden. By God, Muhammad, if I could be sure that I should not hit someone else I would throw it in your face.” The Jihadists sought Muhammad’s permission to cut to pieces this blind man. Muhammad declined; but it was too late. A diehard Jihadist had already hit the blind man on his head with his sword that cut his head in to two pieces. Such was the mercy of Allah’s soldiers!
Upon their arrival at Uhud, the Muslims camped at the base of the mountain and arranged their rank to face the Quraysh. Muhammad dispatched fifty archers to the hill of Aynayan that was opposite to the main Uhud mountain range to guard the rear of the Muslim army. He appointed Abd Allah ibn Jubayr as their leader and gave strict order to not to leave their position under any circumstances, whether victory or defeat, until they received the command from him. He issued further orders to not to engage the enemy until he gave instructions. Muhammad himself took up a position at an elevated place with plenty of arrows to shoot at the enemy. Sahih Bukhari states that Some Jihadists drank wine to imbue them further in Jihad. Here is the Sahih Hadith:
Volume 6, Book 60, Number 142:Narrated Jabir:Some people drank alcoholic beverages in the morning (of the day) of the Uhud battle and on the same day they were killed as martyrs, and that was before wine was prohibited.
Muhammad exhorted the Jihadists to a frenzied spirit of war; gave his sword to one cavalier, Abu Dujana who was famous for his savagery and fanatic killing instinct. Then Muhammad sat down and began casting arrows. He was protected by a band of Jihadists who ensured that any attack from behind would be repulsed immediately. However, his elite core of companions (like Abu Bakr, Ali, Hamzah, Umar and others) were dispatched to lead the Muslim soldiers for a fierce combat. Muhammad then waited for enemy’s approach. At this time, Abu Sufyan b. Harb, the leader of the Quraysh army brought his army, and facing Uhud, marshaled them in front of Muhammad. Khalid b. al-Walid commanded the right wing, while Ikrimah b. Abu Jahl commanded the left wing, with Abu Sufyan in command of the middle front. The women, at first, kept to the front sounding their tumbrels and martial verses; but as the line advanced, they fell to the rear. Continue reading ‘THE ROOT OF TERRORISM A LA ISLAMIC STYLE VII’
Posted in The Root Of Terrorism A La Islamic Style Tags: Islam, Jihad, Religion, Terrorism
THE ROOT OF TERRORISM A LA ISLAMIC STYLE VI•September 24, 2008 • No Comments
The Root Of Terrorism A La Islamic Style VIBy Abul Kasem
‘Fascism is a religion; the twentieth century will be known in history as the century of Fascism’—Benito Mussoline (1883-1945)’
Terror Fifteen
Raid on Ghatafan at Dhu Amarr in Nejd by Muhammad - June, 624CE
A month after the operation of al-Sawiq Muhammad learnt that some clans of the Ghatafan tribesmen had gathered troops at Dhu Amarr in Nejd with aggressive design. So, Muhammad led an expedition of four hundred and fifty fighters to search out the enemy and disperse them. This was the largest military exercise led by Muhammad prior to the battle of Uhud. However, the enemy got wind of Muhammad’s departure and took to hiding. Muhammad’s army was able to capture one man who gave information about the Ghatafan’s hideout; the Jihadists proceeded to capture them. The captured man was forced to convert to Islam and Muhammad used him as a guide. The enemy soon heard of Muhammad’s approach and they took sanctuary on the tops of hills. No fighting took place. Muhammad spent eleven days on this expedition and then returned to Medina. Ibn Sa’d reports that a man threatened to kill Muhammad when he (Muhammad) was sleeping and Allah revealed verse 5:11 when he was unsuccessful, as Muhammad sought the protection of Allah.
Terror Sixteen
Second Raid on Banu Sulaym at al-Qudr in Buhran by Muhammad - July, 624CE
Soon after the expulsion of B. Qaynuqa Jews from Medina, Muhammad heard that a great force of Banu Sulaym tribesmen from Buhran in al-Qudr was advancing on Medina. The call for Jihad went out once again, and soon a Muslim army of between three hundred to three hundred and fifty men marched out to attack the B. Sulaym at Buhran. Muhammad failed to track them, and when he arrived there, he found that the enemy had broken up. So, after staying there for three nights (or ten nights, as per Ibn Sa’d) he returned without meeting the enemy. After returning to Medina he accepted all ransoms for the Quraysh prisoners captured during Badr II war.
Terror Seventeen
The Murder of Ka’b b. Ashraf at Medina by Muhammad b. Maslama - August, 624CE
Ka’b, a poet was the son of a Jewess of B. Nadir. He was greatly saddened by the victory of Muslims at Badr II. He made no attempt to conceal his discontent on the sudden ascent of Muslim power in Medina. He went to Mecca, and through his poetry, enticed the Quraysh for revenge. On his return, he further angered the Muslims by composing lampoons against Muslim women. Muhammad was greatly distressed that this kind of free expression might subdue the morale of his followers. He prayed to Allah for the destruction of Ka’b. Allah, in verse 4:52 also cursed those who dared to criticize Muhammad. In his mosque, he requested for volunteers to get rid of Ka’b b. Ashraf. Muhammad b. Maslama, belonging to B. Aws stood up and vowed to slay Ka’b b. Ashraf. He chose four other men from B. Aws as his accomplices. When the leader of this assassination squad told Muhammad that to murder Ka’b they might have to resort to deceit and to tell lies, Muhammad unhesitatingly permitted them to do so (read the Hadith quoted below).
The murder team drew up an elaborate plan to dupe Ka’b b. Ashraf with sweet words and deceitful promises. They engaged Abu Naila, the foster brother of Ka’b b. Ashraf for this purpose. Abu Naila went to Ka’b pretending to borrow some money from him and talked bad about Muhammad, the Prophet. Ka’b believed him and demanded some security for the loan. Abu Naila agreed that they would pledge their arms, and an appointment for a late hour meeting at the house of Ka’b was organized. In the evening the band of conspirators assembled at the house of Muhammad, the Prophet. The Prophet accompanied them to the outskirts of the town. They took refuge in the low shrubs of the Muslim burial ground. The Prophet then parted, giving them blessing for the success of their mission. The killing team proceeded and arrived at Ka’b’s house. Ka’b was then taking rest in his bedroom with his newly married bride. Abu Naila, his foster brother called out for him to come down. When Ka’b hastened to climb down, his wife caught him by his blanket and wanted him not to go. Ka’b comforted her by saying that it was his foster brother. He came down and was not alarmed as he found his callers were not armed. They then wandered along, conversing on the misfortunes of Medina since the arrival of Muhammad till they reached a waterfall. Ka’b’s foster brother found some sweet smell in Ka’b’s hair and Ka’b told him that it was the smell from his newly married bride. Suddenly, the traitor seized Ka’b’s hair, and dragging him to the ground shouting, ”Slay him! Slay the enemy of God.” All other conspirators then struck their swords on Ka’b while he died making a fearful scream. His assassins then cut off Ka’b’s head and fled in haste. When they arrived at the burial ground, they chanted the Takbir (ie Allahu Akbar). Muahammad heard the Takbir and knew that the work had been accomplished. At the gate of the mosque the Prophet welcomed the assassins and praised them for their victory. The perpetrators threw the head of Ka’b b Asharf before Muhammad. One of the assailants was wounded in the mission. The Prophet praised Allah for what had been done and comforted the wounded man. Continue reading ‘THE ROOT OF TERRORISM A LA ISLAMIC STYLE VI’
Posted in The Root Of Terrorism A La Islamic Style Tags: Islam, Jihad, Religion, Terrorism
THE ROOT OF TERRORISM A LA ISLAMIC STYLE V•September 23, 2008 • No Comments
The Root Of Terrorism A La Islamic Style VBy Abul Kasem
‘Defined in Psychological terms, a fanatic is a man who consciously overcompensates a secret doubt’—Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)’
Terror Ten
The Murder of Asma bt. Marwan at Medina by Umayr b. Adiy al-Khatmi - March, 624CE
Immediately after his return from the victory at Badr, Muhammad felt strong enough to put a halt to his critics who were displeased that his arrival at Medina, along with his horde of marauding Jihadists had caused fear and serious divisions among the Medinites. Many Jews were greatly disturbed at the prospect of a militarily strong army of the Muslims and feared that they might be Muhammad’s next victims, because they (the Jews) possessed great wealth. During those days, the most successful method of hurling epithets and criticisms to opponents was through poems. Therefore, poets in those days were what journalists are today. One such poetess was Asma bint Marwan. She belonged to the B. Aws and did not hide her dislike for Islam. She was married to Yazid b. Zayd, a man of Banu Khatma and had five sons and a suckling infant. Some authors suggest that her father was a Jew. After the Badr war, she composed some satirical poems. The verses spread from mouth to mouth and finally reached the ears of the Muslims and they were greatly offended. Muhammad could not at all endure satire or vituperation. Therefore, an incensed Muhammad decided that it was time to get rid of her.
In his mosque, at night, Muhammad sought a volunteer to assassinate Asma bt. Marwan. A blind man, Umayr b. Adiy al-Khatmi, belonging to the same tribe as Asma’s husband (i.e., Banu Khatma) stood up to complete the job. In the dead of night he crept into her apartment. Her little children then surrounded Asma while she slept. Hugging her bosom was her infant, suckling her breast. The blind man, feeling stealthily with his hand, removed the infant from her breast and plunged his sword in her belly with such a force that it passed through her back. This severe blow killed Asma on the spot. It was just five days before the end of the month of the sacred month of fasting, Ramadan when Muslims are not supposed to shed blood.
After murdering Asma, next morning, the killer Umayr went to pray in the mosque while Muhammad was there. Muhammad was quite anxious to learn if the mission of Umayr was a success or not. He said to Umayr, the killer “Have you slain the daughter of Marwan?’ Commenting on this Ibn S’ad writes, “This was the word that was first heard from the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him.” When Umayr replied that the job had been carried out with success, Muhammad said, “You have helped God and His apostle, O ‘Umayr!’ When Umayr asked if he would have to bear any evil consequences, the apostle said, “Two goats won’t butt their heads about her.” Muhammad then praised Umayr in front of all gathered for prayer for his act of murder, and Umayr went back to his people. (Note: Some biographers suggest that Omayr was Asma’s former husband). Five days later, the Muslims celebrated the first Eid (the end of fasting)!
When Omayr, the killer returned to Upper Medina, he passed the sons of Asma who were burying theirs slain mother. They accused Umayr of murder of their mother. Without hesitation, Umayr admitted the accusation boastfully and threatened to kill the whole family if they dared to repeat the lampoons that their mother had composed deriding the Prophet of mercy. This threat of terror worked wonderfully. The entire tribe of Asma’s husband (i.e., Banu Khatma) who secretly hated Islam, now openly professed their adherence, just to save their lives. Ibn Ishak writes, “That was the first day that Islam became powerful among B. Khatma. The day after Bint Marwan was killed the men of B. Khatma became Muslims because they saw the power of Islam”.
Muhammad and his followers were now convinced that terror, plunder, political murder do, indeed, work for Islam.
Terror Eleven
The Murder of Abu Afak at Medina by Salim b. ‘Umayr - April, 624CE
Abu Afak, a Jew of Medina was a very old man, about 120 years old. He was active in the opposition of Muhammad’s religion. He too composed some satirical verses that annoyed the Muslims. One month after his victory at Badr, Muhammad showed his limit of tolerance to his intellectual opposition by expressing his wish to eliminate this old man. At his mosque, the apostle of Allah sought the service of a volunteer killer, saying, ‘Who will deal with this rascal for me?’
A convert by the name of Salim b.’Umayr, brother of B. ‘Amr b.’Auf from the B. Amr tribe came forward to do the job. He killed Abu Afak with one blow of his sword when the latter slept outside his house. (Some say that Abu Afak was murdered first then Asma). Ibn S’ad describes this gruesome murder in this way:
“He waited for an opportunity until a hot night came, and Abu ‘Afak slept in an open place. Salim b. ‘Umayr knew it, so he placed the sword on his liver and pressed it till it reached his bed. The enemy of Allah screamed and the people, who were his followers rushed him, took him to his house and interred him.”
This perfidious murder alarmed all those in Medina who did not like Muhammad and his religion. The Jews were utterly terrified. Continue reading ‘THE ROOT OF TERRORISM A LA ISLAMIC STYLE V’
Posted in The Root Of Terrorism A La Islamic Style Tags: Islam, Jihad, Religion, Terrorism
THE ROOT OF TERRORISM A LA ISLAMIC STYLE IV•September 23, 2008 • No Comments
The Root Of Terrorism A La Islamic Style IVBy Abul Kasem
‘Cruelty is the first of God’s attributes-Andre Gide (1869-1951)’
Terror Nine
The Battle of Badr II Led by Muhammad - March, 624CE
It was mentioned previously (Terror 6, CH. 2) that Muhammad, and his accomplices narrowly missed the booty of a caravan of the Quraysh led by Abu Sufyan. As written before, when Muhammad arrived at al-Ushayra to attack this caravan, he learned to his dismay that this richly laden caravan had already passed two days earlier than his advent at the intended site of pillage. Naturally, his booty-hungry followers were very much dejected at this unexpected loss. Muhammad, however, was astute enough to be aware that the same caravan could be successfully attacked during its return journey from al-Sham (Syria). Only three months of patience and waiting was essential to seize the returning caravan. With this end in view, Muhammad started to recruit Jihadists for his next plundering mission.
In his mosque, he called the Muslims and tempted them to raid the Quraysh caravan for rich booty. He told his congregation, “This is the Quraysh caravan containing their property. Go out to attack it, perhaps God will give it as a prey. ” Hitherto, he never mentioned to the local people of Medina about engaging in a war for booty. They always betook him to be altruistic, very pious, noble, peace-loving and non-belligerent Prophet of mercy and compassion. Many Muslims were greatly shocked at what Muhammad had said at the gathering in the mosque, and they could not believe when he invited them to join him in the loot that Muhammad would go to war. They were truly surprised. However, the greed for a rich booty gripped their minds and there was no shortage of volunteers to take a chance to improve their lot with the proceeds of plunder.
On this greed for ill-gotten wealth, Rodinson writes (Rodinson, p.162):
“As the business began to show a profit they were joined by volunteers from the people of Medina, in spite of the fact that their agreement with Muhammad carried with it no obligation to take part in his campaigns.”
The response to Muhammad’s call was mixed. Many people joined his team willingly, but many were also forced or coerced into the Muslim brigand. Muhammad set up the condition that only the Muslims were eligible to join in this terror campaign. Many non-believers tried their luck, but Muhammad was adamant that no Islam meant no share in the spoils. In this way, his campaign was a great success among the local Medina Muslims (Ansars). Up until now, no Ansar had joined Muhammad in his previous missions of highway robbery. The success of Abdullah ibn Jahsh at Nakhla, however, had raised the desire for booty in the minds of many Ansars. This irresistible lure and greed for the plunder of fine Quraysh merchandise was such a great draw in that many Medinites responded to his call of raiding the Quraysh caravan with raging alacrity. Such was the enthusiasm for this Jihad of plunder that Muhammad quickly recruited a strong force of three hundred and thirteen (313) men consisting of seventy-seven (77) Muhajirs (refugee migrants) and two hundred and thirty-six (236) Ansars. Thus, the Ansars formed the bulk of his new raiding party of Jihadists.
A few weeks before his departure for Badr, and when the Quraysh caravan came in the vicinity of Medina, Muhammad sent two spies, Talhah ibn Ubaydullah and Said ibn Zayd to discover the caravan’s whereabouts. These two men arrived at the campsite of Kashd al-Juhany and hid there until the caravan passed. Forty men guarded the Meccan caravan. The two Muslim spies estimated that the goods the caravan carried were around fifty thousand (50,000) Dinars. (Remember: one Dinar = 4.235 grams of gold. At the current price of gold, this booty was worth about US$ 2,725,000, not including the prices of captives, camels and other items). It was absolutely fabulous; these two spies had no hesitation in surmising. They immediately hastened to pass this good news to Muhammad. Muhammad, however, had already left for Badr, just a day before these two spies returned to Medina. He was too impatient for the booty; he could not wait for the spies’ return. Thus, Talhah ibn Ubaydullah and Said ibn Zayd had to stay back in Medina, missing the Muslim army. Nevertheless, Muhammad did not disappoint these two faithful spies for their services. Each of them received full share of the plunder when Muhammad returned to Medina. Remaining at Medina was also Muhammad’s son-in-law, Uthman b. Affan. Uthman’s wife, Ruqayyah (Muhammad’s daughter) fell ill during this time and he had to stay back to look after her. Muhammad gave his son-in-law his full share of the booty. Such was the generosity of the Prophet of mercy! Sahih Bukhari records Muhammad’s promise of booty to his son-in-law in this way:
Volume 4, Book 53, Number 359:Narrated Ibn ‘Umar:‘Uthman did not join the Badr battle because he was married to one of the daughters of Allah’s Apostle and she was ill. So, the Prophet said to him. “You will get a reward and a share (from the war booty) similar to the reward and the share of one who has taken part in the Badr battle.”
In the meantime, through spies and reliable sources, the news of Muhammad’s preparation to raid the Quraysh caravan reached Abu Sufyan. He was dreadfully alarmed. He was aware of the treaties that Muhammad had entered into with many tribes on the caravan route; there was a great possibility of a surprise attack by them as well. He, forthwith, sent Damdam b. Amr al-Ghifari to Mecca for help. When Damdam arrived at Mecca, he cut the nose of his camel, turned its saddle and announced Muhammad’s plan to attack the caravan of Abu Sufyan. Responding to his cry, Abu Jahl called upon all the Meccans to join in the rescue operation. At that time, Banu Kinanah and Banu Bakr tribes were in enmity with the Quraysh. So, they did not pay heed to Abu Jahl’s call. Taking full advantage of the Quraysh’s bad time, they, at first, decided to attack the Quraysh from behind, but in the end, the chief of the Kinanah tribe, Suraqa b. Malik decided not to betray the Quraysh. The Muslim biographer, like Ibn Ishaq calls this Suraqa an Iblis. When the Quraysh were assured of non-aggression from these two tribes, Abu Jahl and Amir ibn al-Hadrami (Amr ibn Hadrami’s brother; remember? Amr was killed by the Muslims at Nakhla) convinced the Meccans in favour of war with Muhammad. So, every able-bodied person from the Quraysh joined in, except for Abu Lahab. He sent, in his place, al-As b. Hisham (the maternal uncle of Umar b. Khattab) who owed him four thousand Dirhams that he could not pay back. Abu Lahab hired him to proxy-fight for him to clear his debt.
While the Quraysh were readying for the war, Muhammad was completely unaware of the preparation of the Meccans to face him militarily. He was very confident that he will prevail and will accumulate the Quraysh booty.
So, with much hope and great confidence, on Sunday, the 10th March, 624 CE (12th Ramadan, AH2), Muhammad, along with the three hundred and thirteen (313) (the number ranges from 307 to 318) Jihadists, marched out from Medina towards Badr. Ahead of the Muslims were two black flags, one carried by Ali ibn Talib and the other carried by an Ansar man. Seventy camels marched with them and the three hundred plus Muslim soldiers took turns to ride on them. They had only two horses with them. Muhammad kept Abu Lubaba in charge of upper Medina. Instead of the direct route to Mecca, to hide detection, he took an unusual route that passed by Irqul Zabya, Saffra and Dhafiran.
On Monday, the 11th of March, Muhammad arrived near Saffra. He sent two spies, Basbas b. Amr al-Juhani and Adi b. Abu Zaghba to Badr for intelligence regarding any preparation being made for the reception of Abu Sufiyan at Badr and to ascertain the whereabouts of the Quraysh caravan. It was there that Muhammad expected to encounter the caravan and to make a sudden attack. While there, the spies overheard the conversation of two women near a well that the Quraysh caravan was expected within a day or two. They hurried to Muhammad to forward this important information.


In the early morning of Tuesday, 12th of March, Abu Sufyan came in advance of the caravan and halted at the wadi (watering well) and got wind of the presence of Muhammad’s party by examining the distinct Medina camel droppings of Basbas and Adi. Abu Sufiyan was extremely worried at the sinister plot of Muhammad and he hurriedly went back to his main caravan; diverted it towards the coastal route, thus saving it from the pillage by Muhammad’s soldiers. In reality, Muhammad missed the caravan by a few hours only, Abu Sufyan himself went along with the caravan to ensure its safe arrival at Mecca. He sent a second courier, Qays b. Imea al-Qays to inform the advancing Meccan army of his decision to detour the Quraysh caravan and to forward the message that the danger was over. During this time, Muhammad was at Rooha and drank from a well there.
On Wednesday, the 13th of March, this second courier of Abu Sufyan met the Meccan army led by Abu Jahl at Johfa. Abu Jahl, was proceeding to provide the added security for the threatened caravan. The courier told Abu Jahl that Abu Sufyan felt no necessity of bloodshed since the caravan was safe. He asked Abu Jahl and his men to return to Mecca. But Abu Jahl insisted on advancing forward to Badr, wishing to do some trading, as well as to enjoy some wining and dining there. The accompanying singing girls however, were sent back to Mecca. Two tribes of the Quraysh, B. Zohra (Muhammad’s mother’s tribe) and B. Adi (Umar’s tribe) also decided to return to Mecca.
The remaining Meccan army marched forward and reached Badr in the evening of Thursday, 14th of March. They encamped on the far side of the Badr well and behind the mountain.
Meanwhile, Muhammad was proceeding forward. And in the early morning of Thursday, the 14th of March, when he arrived at Dhafiran, not very far from Badr, to his chagrin, he received the news of the Quraysh army advancing to protect their richly laden caravan. He was quite frustrated at the prospect of a bloody war instead of an easy victory for booty. The bad news for the Jihadists was that the prized caravan had already passed.
The news of the advancing Meccan army was completely unexpected to the Muslims. Muhammad himself was not sure if he should proceed further or not now that the booty had eluded them. Facing the dilemma of whether an attack against the Quraysh would constitute a breach of his covenant of protection with the Ansars (a pledge that stipulated that the Ansars protect Muhammad if he was attacked at Medina and its vicinity), Muhammad, in a meeting of his war council, sought the advice of all the Muslims, especially that of the Ansars. He was afraid that the Ansars might not protect him outside Medina. Abu Bakr and Umar called for an immediate rally. The people of Medina also pledged their support for the march. The leader of the Ansars (from Bani al-Aws), Sa’d b. Muadh promised that the Ansars would sink if Muhammad led them to the sea and plunged into it. Then all the Ansars pledged to fight with Muhammad. Deeply pleased, Muhammad asked his men to proceed. He promised a slaughter for the enemy. To please the booty-hungry Jihadists, he disclosed that Allah had promised them either the army or the caravan as per verse 8:7
Trudging further, Muhammad, with his henchmen, arrived at Badr in the early morning of Thursday, ahead of the Meccan army, and camped there. A shelter from palm branches was built for him. He got hold of the water wells first. As per the advice of the war veteran, al-Hubab, Muhammad filled all the water wells except the one nearest to him. The Muslims then made a cistern and filled it with water. This clever strategy put the Muslims at a decisive advantage of complete control of the water supply. Thus, the enemy was now at the mercy of Muhammad’s soldiers if they needed water. And Muhammad’s army was ready to kill any Meccan who ventured to approach the cistern to drink from there.
Soon after his very early morning arrival at Badr, Muhammad sought to gather accurate intelligence about the Meccan army. First he, along with Abu Bakr went out spying. They met a man on the road and inquired of him about the situation. The man would not tell the truth until Muhammad agreed to disclose his identity. So they (Muhammad and Abu Bakr) tried to gather more information about the Quraysh army through mendacity. The extracted information was not much use to Muhammad. In the evening, he despatched Ali and a few others to further survey the area surrounding a spring. There, they located two Quraysh slave water carriers. Ali and his companions abducted these two slaves and brought them to Muhammad. The slaves told the Muslims that they were the water carriers of the Quraysh army. This was bad news for the Muslims; for, they hoped that the slaves were from Abu Sufyan’s camp. After applying apposite torture to these two slaves, the Muslims extracted the information about the position and the probable strength of the Quraysh army. This information, along with the fact that the Quraysh had slaughtered nine camels on the first day and ten camels on the second day, gave Muhammad some idea about the probable size of the Quraysh army. He speculated that the Quraysh army must be between nine hundred (900) to one thousand (1 000) men strong. This guess was quite accurate; for there were nine hundred and fifty (950) Quraysh men. They were mounted on seven hundred (700) camels and one hundred (100) horses. When Muhammad learned about the nobles of the Quraysh present, he said, “Here Mecca has flung its dearest flesh and blood to you.”
At nightfall, Muhammad, along with Abu Bakr returned to his lair and started praying to Allah for His succor. Sa’d b. Muadh kept a vigil at the entrance. The Muslims too, were weary due to the lengthy and arduous march they had to undertake for the last few days. Fatigue and exhaustion overcame them and soon they went into a deep and peaceful slumber. Then the rain came. It rained during the night but more heavily towards the Meccan camp. Due to the rain, the Wadi bed became soft but firm which was an advantage to the Muslims. This rain was alluded to in the Qur’an in verse 8:11 as a purification of Allah. At night, as mentioned in 8:45 Muhammad imagined the army of Quraysh to be weak. Continue reading ‘THE ROOT OF TERRORISM A LA ISLAMIC STYLE IV’
Posted in The Root Of Terrorism A La Islamic Style Tags: Islam, Jihad, Religion, Terrorism
THE ROOT OF TERRORISM A LA ISLAMIC STYLE III•September 22, 2008 • No Comments
The Root Of Terrorism A La Islamic Style IIIBy Abul Kasem
‘If terrorism is to throw terror into the heart of your enemy and the enemy of Allah then we thank Him, the most merciful, the most compassionate, for enabling us to be terrorists’ - Ramzi BinalShibh’
Terror Four
Raid on a Meccan Caravan and on B. Damrah at al-Abwa/ Waddan by Muhammad - August, 623CE
Muhammad became quite frustrated with the dismal failures of the previous three attempts to plunder the vulnerable Quraysh merchant caravans. Time was of essence, and he felt the pressure of producing results (read profit) to please his believers. With this urgency in mind, he personally, took charge of this raiding foray and led his followers, to his very personal first step in the act of bloodshed and pillage. This was the raid at al-Abwa, also known as the Ghazwah of Waddan. As said before, he himself conducted this raid, directed at Abwa, the spot where his mother lay buried. To his dismay, when he arrived at the site, the Quraysh caravan had already passed. Disappointed, he then raided the nearest tribe of B. Damra (a branch of B. Bakr) and forced them to conclude a treaty of no aggression (by B. Damra). This treaty was the first written accord of Muhammad with any foreign tribe. The agreement was of benefit to Muhammad, as it prevented the B. Damra to mobilize forces against him, nor could they assist Muhammad’s enemy who were principally the Quraysh. In return, Muhammad pledged not to wage any war against this tribe. Then Muhammad went as far as Waddan in pursuit of the Quraysh caravan, but it eluded him. Although he failed in his pursuit of the Quraysh booty, he cleverly concluded this strategically important treaty of friendship with this nomadic (B. Damra) tribe. The treaty provided him with an ally in his raid on Quraysh caravans. After concluding the treaty he returned to Medina after fifteen days.
[Please note: Ghazwa means either a military force when an Apostle (Rasul) leads it or an Imam. It also means a sudden attack on a caravan or another tribe for the purpose of seizing property and women.
Sariyah or brigade means a small force commanded by one of the Imam’s lieutenants.
There is an allusion in Sahih Bukhari of this very first, personal act of terrorism by Muhammad:
Volume 4, Book 52, Number 256:Narrated As-Sab bin Jaththama:The Prophet passed by me at a place called Al-Abwa or Waddan, and was asked whether it was permissible to attack the pagan warriors at night with the probability of exposing their women and children to danger. The Prophet replied, “They (i.e. women and children) are from them (i.e. pagans).” I also heard the Prophet saying, “The institution of Hima is invalid except for Allah and His Apostle.”
This Hadith clearly says that in his terror operations Muhammad did not even want to spare the women and children of the infidels.
Terror Five
Raid on a Rich Meccan Caravan at Bawat by Muhammad - October, 623CE
A month after his raid at al-Abwa, Muhammad personally led two hundred men including some citizens of Medina to Bawat, a place on the caravan route of the Quraysh merchants, where a herd of fifteen hundred (1,500) to two thousand-five hundred (2,500) camels, accompanied by one hundred (100) riders, under the leadership of Umayyah ibn Khalaf, a Quraysh was proceeding. The purpose of this raid obviously, was the plunder of this exceedingly rich Quraysh caravan.
No battle took place and the raid resulted in no booty. Muhammad went up to Dhat al-Saq, in the desert of al-Khabar. He prayed there and a mosque was built at the spot.
This was the first raid where a few al-Usharayh Ansars took part. They were attracted to the raid with the prospect of striking it rich through pillage.
Terror Six
Raid on a Meccan Caravan at al-Ushayrah, in the district of Yanbu by Muhammad - November, 623CE
This was Muhammad’s third personal raid. Between one hundred-fifty and two hundred (note the increasing number of Jihadists joining in the robbery) followers joined this terror operation. They had thirty camels that they rode upon by turns. When they arrived at al-Usharayh in the direction of Yanbo, they expected to waylay upon a rich Meccan caravan towards Syria led by Abu Sufyan. Muhammad already had the intelligence report of this caravan’s departure from Mecca. He waited for a month (+) for this caravan to pass. Unfortunately, it was too late; for, when Muhammad reached the intended spot of plunder, the Meccan caravan had already passed. The readers should keep in mind of this raid, as this was the same caravan that gave rise to the famous action at Badr (Badr II) during its return journey. In this operation, Muhammad entered into an alliance with Bani Mudlij, a tribe inhabiting the vicinity of al-Usharayh. He also concluded another treaty with Bani Damra. All those treaties established good political connections for him.
Terror SevenRaid on Muhammad’s Milch Camels at Badr (Badr I) by Kurz ibn Jabir al-Fihri - December, 623CE
After those six unprovoked and hostile attacks on the Quraysh caravans, the Quraysh had had enough. It was now time for them to retaliate and send a strong message to Muhammad that his highway robbery cannot go unpunished forever. With this end in view, Kurz ibn Jabir al-Fihri, allay of the Quarysh raided the vicinity of Medina where Muhammad’s milch camels were pasturing. This was conducted ten days after Muhammad returned to Medina from his unsuccessful plundering attempt at the Quraysh caravan at al-Usharayh. Having heard of this attack, Muhammad swiftly went out looking for Kurz until he reached the Safwa valley, close to Badr. This was the first raid at Badr or Badr I. Kurz escaped the capture; Muhammad returned to Medina and stayed there for the next three months. It is said that later, Muhammad caught Kurz and he (Kurz) converted to Islam. Continue reading ‘THE ROOT OF TERRORISM A LA ISLAMIC STYLE III’
Posted in The Root Of Terrorism A La Islamic Style Tags: Islam, Jihad, Religion, Terrorism
THE ROOT OF TERRORISM A LA ISLAMIC STYLE II•September 22, 2008 • 1 Comment
The Root Of Terrorism A La Islamic Style IIBy Abul Kasem
Introduction
The world is fast becoming accustomed to the term ‘Islamic Terror.’ It is a new genre of global terrorism. Thanks to the Jihadists, Suicide Bombers, Hamas, Hezbollah, Al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaishe Muhammad, Islamists, Mullahs, Maulanas, Pirs, Hijabi Women-Islam today, dominates virtually every News Media of every continent. Sooner or later, the term ‘Islamic Terror’ may find a place in the English lexicon. With such a plethora of Islamic awareness, the question is: Is Terror a la Islamic fashion is something new or is it a product of the early Jihadists’ zeal as taught and practiced by Muhammad? Ask any Islamist/Islamic apologist this question and the pithy answer will, most likely be something like: Islam is peaceful, it never advocates violence, the least of all, ‘Terrorism’ using Islam; Osama bin Ladin and his Jihadists who have hijacked Islam are not true Muslims, the suicide bombers do not represent the true teachings of Islam-..and so on and so forth.
In this detailed article, by exposing the ‘true’ nature of what Islam is all about, I would like to demolish the above paradigm of the Islamists. Since Islam is firmly rooted in the past, in order to find the root cause/s of the present ‘mayhem’ by the Islamic fighters, we must analyse the past deeds, actions, philosophical and theological attitudes of the early Jihadists under the leadership of none but Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah. As we proceed, we must, first of all, realise that there is no such thing as the ‘moderate Islam,’ ‘current Islam’ or the ‘future Islam.’ It is the past-the actions of millennium ago that propelled all Muslims of yesterday, haunts and impels all the Muslims of to-day and will continue doing so to-morrow. We must look back, and not forward, to find out the truth about Islam. Just as a tree sustains its life and continues its growth because of its roots that are firmly anchored underground-beyond the ocular visibility, so is Islam. Terrorism is firmly rooted in the very ‘lofty’ doctrine of an Islamic world visioned by Muhammad. This use of terror tactic is nothing new in Islam; it was the lifeblood through which Muhammad forced his concept of a unipolar world, devoted only to one Semitic God, Allah. In this lengthy treatise, I have chronicled all the events of terror, murder, deceit, lies, intrigue and warfare that had been used to nurture, advance and propagate the very essence of Islam: accept Islam, pay protection money (Jizya) or die. Many readers will be shocked and surprised at the contents of this dissertation and will shake their heads in utter disbelief. Most Muslims will be agitated, angry, frustrated and will surely go on a complete denial mode. To all these readers I would like to say that I, too, went through the same phase. As I took Islam very seriously during my formative years, I started to understand fully its doctrine and its life force, I could not believe that a man who claimed to be the messenger of Allah could ever indulge himself, as well as instruct his followers in mindless murder, loot, plunder, torture and unbound lasciviousness. As you read episodes after episodes of the early terrorism of Islam, you will find eerie similarities with the modern day global terrorism as perpetrated by the Jihadists of today. You will, for sure, discover that all the ingredients of terrorist operations are present, as they were millennium ago; it is, as if, to use the infidel language, the ‘reincarnation’ (or resurrection) of the past Islamic terrorists. These ingredients are/were:
Persecution and the killing of the unbelievers
Plunder and ethnic cleansing
Political assassination and revenge killing
Gratuitous murder and unabated genocide
Property grab and extreme lasciviousness
Forced conversion/Jizya
Sectarian persecution (destruction of mosques)
Let us now delve into early Islamic history and find out how and why the early Jiahadists did what they did.
The seed of terror a la Islamic fashion was planted when Muhammad concluded an elaborate treaty with seventy five (seventy-three men and two women) Ansars (Medina residents) that is commonly called the second pledge of Aqaba, Aqaba being a small hilly hamlet (or a cave) in the outskirts of Mecca. This pact was done in secrecy to protect the life of Muhammad when he desired to migrate to Medina. During the negotiation process, Muhammad asked for the solemn pledge of the Ansars to protect his life the way the Ansars would protect their women and children. When the Ansars pledged their complete fealty to Muhammad, to the extent of sacrificing their own lives for his security, he promised blood to the Meccans and paradise to the Ansars. As per Ibn Ishak, Muhammad said to the Ansars: “Nay, blood is blood and blood not to be paid for is blood not to be paid for. I am of you and you are of me. I will war against them that war against you and be at peace with those at peace with you.” Tabari writes that during the oath of Aqaba al-Abbas and Ubadah b. Nadlah said that pledging allegiance to Muhammad was declaring war against the world. Soon after the second pledge of Aqaba, Allah approved this declaration of war against all infidels, first in verses 22:40-42 and then in verse 2:198.
And true to his promise, Muhammad’s days of blood and terror started soon after he left Mecca, and with a handful of his followers, arrived at Medina. Except for a few, those followers were desperately poor illiterate hoodlums and troublemakers with no saleable skill or means to support themselves through gainful employment. Many of his companions lived in utter unhygienic conditions, so much so that lice grew on their heads and they developed terrible body odour. Here is a Hadith from Sunaan Abu Dawud about the unbearable body stench of Muhammad’s early converts:
Book 32, Number 4022:Narrated AbuMusa al-Ash’ari:Abu Burdah said: My father said to me: My son, if you had seen us while we were with the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) and the rain had fallen on us, you would have thought that our smell was the smell of the sheep.
Even Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah developed lice on his head! Unbelievable, isn’t it? Read this Sahih Hadith from Sahih Bukhari:
Volume 4, Book 52, Number 47:Narrated Anas bin Malik:Allah’s Apostle used to visit Um Haram bint Milhan, who would offer him meals. Um-Haram was the wife of Ubada bin As-Samit. Allah’s Apostle, once visited her and she provided him with food and started looking for lice in his head. Then Allah’s Apostle slept, and afterwards woke up smiling. Um Haram asked, “What causes you to smile, O Allah’s Apostle?” He said. “Some of my followers who (in a dream) were presented before me as fighters in Allah’s Cause (on board a ship) amidst this sea cause me to smile; they were as kings on the thrones (or like kings on the thrones).” (Ishaq, a sub-narrator is not sure as to which expression the Prophet used.) Um-Haram said, “O Allah’s Apostle! Invoke Allah that he makes me one of them. Allah’s Apostle invoked Allah for her and slept again and woke up smiling. Once again Um Haram asked, “What makes you smile, O Allah’s Apostle?” He replied, “Some of my followers were presented to me as fighters in Allah’s Cause,” repeating the same dream. Um-Haram said, “O Allah’s Apostle! Invoke Allah that He makes me one of them.” He said, “You are amongst the first ones.” It happened that she sailed on the sea during the Caliphate of Mu’awlya bin Abi Sufyan, and after she disembarked, she fell down from her riding animal and died. Continue reading ‘THE ROOT OF TERRORISM A LA ISLAMIC STYLE II’
Posted in The Root Of Terrorism A La Islamic Style Tags: Islam, Jihad, Religion, Terrorism
THE ROOT OF TERRORISM A LA ISLAMIC STYLE I•September 21, 2008 • No Comments
The Root Of Terrorism A La Islamic Style IBy Abul Kasem
‘They say we are terrorists? They are right-of course we are. That is what we do for a living’ - Khalid Shaikh Muhammad’
Synopsis
This article investigates the very application of terror tactic that was used some fourteen hundred years ago by the very first Jihadists of Islam to gain booty and become quick-rich through plunder. The main purpose of this essay is to probe whether a direct link exists among the Modus Operandi of the Jihadists (read Islamic Terrorists) of Muhammad’s time and their counterparts of today. In all, one hundred (100) cases of armed conflicts were investigated for their cause, timing, venue and the principal actor/s involved. The finding of this detail investigation is quite disturbing indeed; mind-numbing one may say. This exercise establishes, without any doubt whatsoever, the uncanny similarities that exist between those Islamic fighters of Muhammad’s time and their counterparts of today. It is also found that except for two or three, all other cases of armed conflict were due solely to the aggressive terrorist acts of the Muslim perpetrators. It was invariably the Islamic Jihadists who usually initiated the conflict, in many cases without any plausible reason/s and/or without or slightest provocation. The result of these terror tactics was that the participant Muslims engaged in unbound savagery that often included gratuitous murder, genocide, ethnic cleansing, revenge killings, political assassinations, and in many cases, simply plain plunder and armed robbery. Muhammad followed this path of terror and pillage to reward his followers with easy and handsome booty, land, other goods and material benefits. The exercise of terror and its concomitant gain made the early Jihadists rich, self-supporting and this was crucial in the establishment of the authority of Islam in the entire Arabian Peninsula. Please make no mistake about it.
Most biographers of Muhammad dealt at length with a handful of well-known wars that were fought between Muslim soldiers and the infidels’ trained army. These major combats or wars number around thirteen in all and they are well documented by many historians. Nonetheless, it is the so-called minor or the so-called small-scale skirmishes that stand out as the most important events to expose the true scale of savagery, cruelty, barbarism, unbound greed, treachery, guile and lasciviousness of the early converts of Islam-this, truly is a surprise discovery and is the well-kept secret amongst Islamists. It is rather sad to note that very few biographers/historians have attempted to investigate in detail these ’small’ or ‘insignificant’ acts of terror.
Many cruel Sharia or Islamic laws were formulated based on the examples set by Muhammad and his followers during those violent armed conflicts/terror campaigns. Plenty of Qur’anic verses also relate to these combative events. Since Sharia laws and the Qur’an are absolutely immutable and valid for eternity, therefore, there is no hope that any harshness of these Islamic ‘divine’ laws can ever be diminished by reform or through peaceful means.
This prolix article is based on information culled mainly from impeccable Islamic sources. We must first of all, realize that these ‘immaculate’ information were of course, carefully censored, filtered, cleaned, sanitized and any ‘bad’ and/or the ‘horrendous’ elements surgically removed before they were made public. Even then, we find enough mind-boggling, terrible, barbaric and utterly indigestible events/information buried deep inside those authentic Islamic books. If true freedom of information was practiced and no Islamic censorship was in place, imagine what would have been the content of un-sanitized, un-censored version of these Holy resources! A really worrying find of this study is that the latest English translated versions of the compilation of Sahih Ahadith have been organised by ‘clinically’ removing those ‘bad,’ ‘terrible’ and ‘horrendous’ Ahadith that make Islam look indeed, a religion of terror and Bedouin barbarism. To gather the truth one must refer to the original Sahih Ahadith and their original translated versions. This latest attempt of ’surgery,’ truly, is a clever ploy by the modern ‘doctors’ of Islam to fool and beguile the world-now that everyone harbours absolute doubt that Islam is a religion of peace.
Finally, this study leads the author to the opinion that Islam and terrorism are completely inseparable. The root of terror a la Islamic fashion is in the divine command itself. It is deeply entrenched in the preachings, commands, injunctions, inspirations, practices and the examples set by Muhammad and his contemporary followers, who lived by the sword (read terror) and used it as the most potent weapon to subdue their adversaries who happened to cross their path. If a Muslim follows the ‘Real Islam’-the unadulterated, pure Islam preached and practiced by Muhammad, he can’t but be a terrorist-plain and simple. Continue reading ‘THE ROOT OF TERRORISM A LA ISLAMIC STYLE I’
Posted in The Root Of Terrorism A La Islamic Style Tags: Islam, Jihad, Religion, Terrorism