From: jodar@chaph.usc.edu (Nicholas Jodar)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: The Battles which Muhammad fought
Summary: What a bunch of misinformation....
Keywords: 'History' vs. Truth
Date: 23 Nov 92 20:28:12 GMT
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA



Assalamu Alaikum....

Auzu Billahi Min Ash-Shaitan Nirajeem.  Bismillah...

In article <1eeo7dINN3av@life.ai.mit.edu> jakhan@iastate.edu (Javed Ahmed Khan) writes:
>
>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.

While my knowledge is limited, I'm willing to present what little
I know for the benefit of those who want to find out the truth,
inshallah.

>============================================================================ 
>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. 

Well, that should be your first tip-off that the book might be
inaccurate in some places. :-)

>#   The Book deals about the question of TRUTH, Islamic interpretation and 
>#   Biblical versions. I am not sure whether Anis is speaking truth or not.

It would seem to be that the information cited below contains at
least bits of the truth.  I'd hardly call it 'history,' however....

>#   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).

:-)  I'll try to give you the correct information.  Whether you
choose to believe it or not is up to you.

>#   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). 

That much is true.

>#   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).

I'm not surprised, considering the excerpts given here....

There are various slanders leveled against the Prophet (SAW)
by some scholars seeking to discredit Islam.  Among them are:

1)	The Prophet (SAW) commanded Zeyd to divorce her so that
	he could marry her himself;
2)	The Prophet was struck with passion at (some) sighting of
	her;
3)	The Prophet took her to wife in violation of his own laws.

None of these are true, of course, which any layman could disperse
with even rudimentary research, but Satan continuously seeks to 
mislead the ignorant.

>#   Yeah! I know that soc.religion.islam is there. But I feel more
>#   "comfortable" amongst our own Janata.  

Your choice....  I'm answering it from SRI anyways....

>#   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.  

Muhammed (SAW) led battles.  His policy, however, was not one of
'convert or die.'

>#   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.)

Actually, the prohibition against marrying more than four wives
came AFTER Muhammed (SAW) had already married Zainab.  It was his
refusal to marry her because of his consideration of Zeyd as his
son which was denounced by Allah (SWT).  (Yes, the Prophet (SAW)
was corrected by Allah (SWT) on occasion.)

If you wish to post the article about Muhammed (SAW)'s fifth
marriage, I'd be happy to check it for accuracy.

># -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.

This is wrong.  The first blood spilled for the cause of Islam
was that of the many people the Mekkans slaughtered because of
their belief.  It wasn't until much later that Zeyd even became
Muslim.

># 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. 

This is not quite accurate.

Muhammed (SAW) heard that the Quraish were going to try running a
caravan past him to Al-Sham.  He led his force out, but the
caravan had slipped through.  They returned to Madinah, then
tried again upon the caravan's return.  Muhammed (SAW) was fully
aware of the Mekkan army which had come from the south to fight,
and hoped for either a battle or the caravan.

The caravan leader, Abu Sufyan, managed to take another route and
thereby avoid the Muslims, but the Prophet (SAW) and his
followers had the opportunity to fight.  About 300 Muslims against 
approximately 1000 of the best fighters in Mekkah, led by Abu Jahl.  
This is the same Abu Jahl who had killed and tortured so many of the
Muslims, and who had instigated the Mekkans to make war on the
them.

The Muslims routed them.  Abu Jahl and several other nobles were
killed.  The rest were taken alive at Muhammed (SAW)'s request,
as were those caught fleeing.

>#    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".

Abu Jahl wasn't with the caravan, but still, I've never heard of 
this quotation.

># 3. The first  blood shed at Medina under  devotion  to Muhammad was a
>#    woman's.  

This is also inaccurate.  The first blood shed at Medina under
devotion to the Prophet (SAW) was the violent expulsion of the
Jews from the mosque.  The (partial) incident referred to below 
took place after two years of persecution and increasing sedition
by the Hypocrites and Jews of Madinah, all of which was in 
defiance of the covenant they had made with the Muslims.

>#    Asma,  daughter of Merwan, made  no secret  of her  dislike 
>#    to Islam and 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.

Much later, after the battle of Badr,....

>#   '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".

Again, I have never heard of this quotation.  The alteration 
(again) of some of the story's details makes it of questionable 
origin.

># 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.

This is false.

Even after the murder of Ka'b, the Jews continued to attack
Muhammed (SAW) and the Muslims and to incite the people of
Madinah to war with one another.  One day a desert woman came to
a jewelry shop in the quarter of Banu Qaynuqa.  When she refused
to remove her veil, one of the Jews in the shop secretly tacked
her dress to the wall.  When she stood up to leave, her dress was
pulled down and her nakedness exposed.

The Jews laughed, the woman cried, and a passing Muslim jumped
the shopkeeper and killed him.  Then the Jews killed the Muslim.
This lead to a general fight, which Muhammed (SAW) sought to head
off.  The Jews, however, spurned his attempts to make peace and
his reminder of their covenant with him.  In fact, they
challenged him to fight.

At this point, Muhammed (SAW) set seige to Banu Qaynuqa.

>#    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.

Nope.

After fifteen days, the Jews finally surrendered.  After
consulting the Muslim leaders, Muhammed (SAW) decided to kill his
captives.  After strenuous arguing by 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn
Salul, the Prophet (SAW) decided to expell Banu Qaynuqa from
Madinah, instead.

[Numerous attacks against the Muslims and their properties
left out of Dr. Shorrosh's exerpts, including the expulsion of
Banu Al-Nadir from Madinah (for their attempt to kill Muhammed - SAW).]

># 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.

Okay, now I'm wondering if this Dr. Shorrosh is a real
historian....

He makes no mention about the persecution of the Muslims by Banu
Quraiza, nor about their breaking their SECOND treaty with the
Muslims by declaring war on the Muslims during the seige of
Madinah by the Quraish and their allies.  Muhammed (SAW) warned
them about the effects of such a defection, but they answered him
with insults.  When the Quraish abandoned their allies, Banu 
Quraiza, to their fate, the Muslims laid seige to the fortresses
of Banu Quraiza.  After twenty-five days, they realized they
would eventually fall and asked for their friend, Abu Lababah, to
act as mediator and judge in the affair.  The Prohet (SAW)
acquiesced.

Abu Lababah recommended to the Jews that they submit to judgement, 
as there was sure to be general carnage, otherwise.  After he
left, Ka'b ibn Asad, the Jewish leader, counseled that they
accept Islam and thereby save themselves.  The majority refused.
He then suggested killing the women and children and fighting to
the death.  They refused that also.  Finally, he told them that
they had no other choice then but to submit to Muhammed (SAW) and
hope that they might be expelled as were the Banu al Nadir.


Muhammed (SAW) refused the Jews' suggestion to expell them,
demanding that they abide by his judgement.  The tribe of Al Aws
pleaded the Jews' case with him.  Finally he asked them if they
would accept the judgement of one of their own.  They agreed.
Sa'd ibn Mu'adh was selected by them.  It was he who had warned
Banu Quraiza of treachery and its results long before.  Now he
asked whether the two parties would abide by his decision.

When they agreed, he passed judgement on the Jews according to
their own Law:  the fighting men were to be put to death.  (Such a
fate would likely have been that of the Muslims, had the Quraish
succeeded in capturing Madinah.)

>#    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, 

Nonsense.  The Prophet (SAW) rarely ever ate meat, often going
without food for days.  According to Muslim custom, he simply
took what was in front of him.

>#    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 seized with excruciating pain. Zainab said ".. If he be a 
>#     prophet will reject the gift knowing that it is poisoned; but if only a 
>#     pretender we shall be rid of our troubles". 

There are conflicting stories of whether Zainab was pardoned for
her attempt on the Prophet (SAW)'s life or whether she was slain
in remuneration for the man she killed.  Either story is
plausible.  What is apparent is that Huyayy ibn Al-Akhtab was
responsible for the tragedy.  It was he that incited the Quraish
to attack Madinah, he who inspired the other clans to join them,
he who convinced the Jews to breach their treaty with the
Prophet (SAW), and he that convinced them to fight a useless and
doomed war against the Muslims after the Quraish gave up.

If Banu Quraiza had only submitted themselves to Muhammed (SAW)
immediately on the first day, and acknowledge their mistake, they
would have been alright....

>#     (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.)

Nope.

The poison didn't do more than cause him some discomfort, nor was
he ever sick before the fever that ended his life.

># 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.

That's blatantly false.

The Banu Al-Dil flagrantly violated the treaty of Hudaybiyah by
ambushing and slaughtering the Muslims at Al-Watir.  Abu Sufyan,
the leader of Mekkah, tried to head off hostilities by riding to
Madinah in the hopes of extending the two-year truce to ten 
years, but nobody would speak with him.  

As for the numbers, many tribes joined the army from Madinah
along the way.  There were ten thousand when they ARRIVED, not
when they departed....

>#    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. 

>sigh<

The above bears only slight resemblance to the truth.

>#    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.

Not true.

The Banu Shayban took up arms against Khalid, eventually
surrendered, were bound, and SOME were executed.  The Prophet
(SAW) condemned this action and paid full remuneration to the
victims' relatives (and then some).

>#       **********  End of extracts from Anis's Book  ************
>=============================================================================

I sure hope nobody takes Dr. Shorrosh's book seriously....

-AQ

[I beg Allah's forgiveness for my weakness and insufficiency in ]
['His' service, and I ask for his protection from Shaitan and   ]
[from my own Desires.  None can protect me except Allah.  If I  ]
[have made any errors, I beg Allah to bring them to my attention]
[so that they may be corrected.  If I have made none, then it is]
[only through the Grace of Allah and all praise is due only to  ]
['Him.'                                                         ]