From: jakhan@iastate.edu (Javed Ahmed Khan)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: The Battles which Muhammad fought
Date: 19 Nov 1992 00:47:41 GMT
Organization: Iowa State University
Reply-To: jakhan@iastate.edu (Javed Ahmed Khan)
NNTP-Posting-Host: spiff.gnu.ai.mit.edu
Originator: gwydion@spiff.gnu.ai.mit.edu


An article appeared in soc.culture.indian which is reproduced below.
The author was apparently "uncomfortable" at the idea that there may be 
people in sri who can effectively counter the points he has raised; hence
he has desisted from here and has only posted to sci.

I was hoping to see someone take the effort to present a cogent and
comprehensive rebuttal of the points raised.

============================================================================ 

In article <1992Nov17.161020.15007@ncrcae.ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM>,
indu@iss700.Columbia.NCR.COM () writes:
# 
# Friends!
#   The other day I was reading this book, Islam Revealed by Dr. Anis Shorrosh.
#   It was sought of interesting. He has challenged one of the Islamic 
#   (teachers/preachers/somebody like that) Mr. Ahmed Deedat. I was presented 
#   this book as a token of Memory by some Christian missionary guy. 
# 
#   The Book deals about the question of TRUTH, Islamic interpretation and 
#   Biblical versions. I am not sure whether Anis is speaking truth or not.
#   I posted this article in s.c.b and one guy told me Anis was pathetically
#   wrong. But did not have logics to back his truth. (Lets leave that guy).
# 
#   All I'm interested to know is: HOW ABOUT THE FOLLOWING, IS ANIS WRONG 
#   ANY WHERE? Some knowledgeable guy can throw some light.  Some time back,
#   there was a thread Negationism In India. Probably veterans must be able to 
#   recollect and give ME the facts. Also I have some questions regarding 
#   Prophet Muhammad marrying his adopted son's wife. (Anis says that 
#   Muhammad's 5th wife Zainab was originally married to his adopted son, Zeyd.
#   But later owing to circumstances Zeyd divorces her). Some people on 
#   s.c.b. felt that Muhammad married her inorder to take her responsibilities
#   rather than leaving her alone. But Dr. Anis interprets it differently).
# 
#   Yeah! I know that soc.religion.islam is there. But I feel more
"comfortable"
#   amongst our own Janata.  
# 
#   The following are extracts from that book, on the battles Muhammad fought. 
#   Contrary to established beliefs Anis says that Muhammad indeed led 
#   battles and converted people or put them to death.  
# 
#   Your comments are welcome.
# 
#   (if anybody interested in article on Muhammad's 5th marriage please let 
#    me know.  I can post them too on Net. Incidentally that was the time when
#    Muhammad had got sanctions from Allah to marry more than 4 wives, 
#    prohibition of re-marriage for Muhammad's widows, and other things.)
# 
# -Indu
#   
# 
#   
# 
# 1. At first, the Meccans gave little heed to the teachings of Muhammad; but
#    no sooner did he condemn their Idols than they became angry and persecuted
#    his new converts. Zeyd was attacked while leading prayers. He defended 
#    himself and struck one of his opponents with a camels goad (?). This was
#    the first blood spilled for the cause of  Islam.
# 
# 2. BATTLE OF  BADR. Muhammad heard that a rich caravan of the Quraish was  on
#    its way from Syria to Mecca, so he  took 305 men to plunder it. 
# 
#    When tghe leader of the caravan, ABU JAHALs head was cast  on  Muhammads 
#    feet the prophet exclaimed "It is more acceptable  to  me than the
choicest
#    camel of Arabia".
# 
# 3. The first  blood shed at Medina under  devotion  to Muhammad was a
woman's.
#    Asma,  daughter of Merwan, made  no secret  of her  dislike to Islam and
#    she composed verses on the  folly of putting faith in a stranger  who had 
#    slain his own people in Battle. The verses quickly spread from 
#    mouth to mouth.
# 
#   'Umair a blind man, in the dead of the night, crept to the apartment  where
#    Asma lay asleep with her children. Stealthily, he  removed  the 
#    suckling baby, and plunged his sword into her breast pinning her to couch.
# 
#    Muhammad after knowing this, turned to  the  bystanders and said "Behold 
#    a man that hath assissted the  Lord and  his Prophet. Call him not Blind,
#    call him rather 'Umair the seeing".
# 
# 4. BATTLE AGAINST JEWISH TRIBES
#    Muahhammad  summoned the Jewish tribes to acknowledge him as the apostle
of
#    God lest they suffer the fate of  the Quraish. They refused.
# 
#    Placing his great white banner fresh from the battle of Badr, in the hands
#    of Hamza, he marched against the Jewish tribes and besieged their fort. 
# 
#    One by one they surrendered and  as  they  came out were pinioned for 
#    excecutiion.
#    
# 
# 5. In the battle with Quraiza Jews, there were 2000 Jews who surrendered 
#    at last. In the morning Muhammad commanded that male captives be beheaded
#    in groups of 5-6. This butchery lasted all day  and continued by torch
light
#    into the night.
# 
#    Zainab, a woman who lost her husband, father, brother in the bloody
battle,
#    cooked a goat, steeped poison in it and placed the dish befor Muhammad 
#    for his evening supper. Accepting the gift he took for himself favorite 
#    shoulder piece, and distributed portions to Abu Bakr and friends. 
# 
#    "Hold" cried Muhammad as he spat out the first mouth ful, "this shoulder 
#     has been poisoned". One who had swallowed part of meat soon died.
Muhammad
#     was seized with excruciating pain. Zainab said ".. If he be a prophet
#     he will reject the gift knowing that it is poisoned; but if only a 
#     pretender we shall be rid of our troubles". 
# 
#     (In the third month of the Eleventh Year of the Hijra, Muhammad fell 
#      sick. The recent death of his Infant son, Ibrahim, weighed his spirits 
#      down and the poison he had consumed at Khaibar still  bothered him,..
#      and  he died of prolonged Illness slightly after midday, on the eighth 
#      of June 632  A.D.)
# 
# 6. In his conquest of Mecca, Muhammad broke a scheduled truce of ten 
#    years within TWO years. With the pretext of dispute among tribes, in 
#    January 630, he set out to Mecca with TEN THOUSAND men.
# 
#    Quraish offered no resistance. Muhammad entered Mecca on his favorite
camel,
#    recited Surat al-Fatah (Victory) 48. He then went around Kabah 
#    7 times, touching the black stone with his stick. He  ordered daily  
#    prayers in the direction of Kabah.  He ordered the destruction of 360  
#    idols in the temple. He himself broke a wooden pigeon suspended from the 
#    roof, regarded as the diety of Quraish. 
# 
#    During his stay in Mecca, Muhammad sent out troops into the district to 
#    destroy them temples of 'Uzza, Suwa, and Manat and the Idols of
neighboring
#    tribes. His high-strung deputy Khalid, ordered  a whole tribe to  be
slain,
#    because they would not accept Muhammad as Allahs prophet.
# 
#       **********  End of extracts from Anis's Book  ************
# -Indu.
# +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
# |  My  views expressed above are made on a PERSONAL basis              |
# |  No Group or  Organization   can be held responsible                 |
# |                                ( for those in quest of truth .......)|
# +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
=============================================================================



--Javed.