PROPHET MUHAMMAD WAS NOT CRUEL FROM HISTORY POINT OF VIEW

Submitted by Mohamad Nozzi (Singapore), Apr 25, 2009 at 04:00

_{^{The following are the extracts from Prophet Muhammad, The Most influential man in history, from the book of Michael Hart:}}

^{_{My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels. Of humble origins, Muhammad founded and promulgated one of the world's great religions, and became an immensely effective political leader. Today, thirteen centuries after his death, his influence is still powerful and pervasive. The majority of the persons in this book had the advantage of being born and raised in centers of civilization, highly cultured or politically pivotal nations. Muhammad, however, was born in the year 570, in the city of Mecca, in southern Arabia, at that time a backward area of the world, far from the centers of trade, art, and learning. Orphaned at age six, he was reared in modest surroundings. Islamic tradition tells us that he was illiterate. His economic position improved when, at age twenty-five, he married a wealthy widow. Nevertheless, as he approached forty, there was little outward indication that he was a remarkable person. Most Arabs at that time were pagans, who believed in many gods. There were, however, in Mecca, a small number of Jews and Christians;} it was from them no doubt that Muhammad first learned of a single, omnipotent God who ruled the entire universe. When he was forty years old, Muhammad became convinced that this one true God (Allah) was speaking to him, and had chosen him to spread the true faith. For three years, Muhammad preached only to close friends and associates. Then, about 613, he began preaching in public. As he slowly gained converts, the Meccan authorities came to consider him a dangerous nuisance. In 622, fearing for his safety, Muhammad fled to Medina (a city some 200 miles north of Mecca), where he had been offered a position of considerable political power. This flight, called the Hegira, was the turning point of the Prophet's life. In Mecca, he had had few followers. In Medina, he had many more, and he soon acquired an influence that made him a virtual dictator. During the next few years, while Muhammad's following grew rapidly, a series of battles were fought between Medina and Mecca. This was ended in 630 with Muhammad's triumphant return to Mecca as conqueror. The remaining two and one-half years of his life witnessed the rapid conversion of the Arab tribes to the new religion.}

^{The above are the extracts purely from the histroy of Prophet Muhammad and I did not alter any sentence by any means. From the above statement, we know that Allah spoke to him when he was 40 years old. For three years, preached only to close friends & associates. Then about 613, he began preaching in the public. As we know Allah Spoke to Muhammad at the age of 40 years old and he did not slaughter any pagans despite the pagans that surrounded him prayed to many gods. He spent three years in preaching only to his close friends & associates and yet he did not slaughter those pagans that were not friends & assoicates. For instance, if Allah demanded Prophet Muhammad to slaughter the pagans, he would certainly commenced his fight with pagans immediately instead of leaving the pagans behind and preached only to his close friends and assoicates. He only began to preach to the public in 613 and that means he did not slaugther pagans before 613.}

^{It is mentioned from the statement that about 613, he began preaching in public. As he slowly gained converts, the mecan came to consider him as dangerous nuissance. The phrase, he slowly gained converts, in the statement implies he did not get converts immediately. Instead, it takes some time for him to get converts. As he took some time to get converts, it implies that he did not force pagans to be converted immediately and he was willing to wait for the pagans to become converts. The latter part of the phrase, the mecan became to consider him as dangerous nuissance, implies that Prophet Muhammad did not slaughter mecan immediately even though he took time to gain slowly converts.}

^{For instance, if Allah demanded Prophet Muhammad to be cruel to slaughter pagans as long as he saw them, he should have gather his friends and associate to trigger off the war against the pagan prior to year 613. As mentioned that he slowly gained converts, it implies that Prophet Muhammad was willing to wait for pagans to repent to become muslims.}

^{From the above explanaltion, it seems that what is taught in muslim extremists is entirely different from what was practised by Prophet Muhammad. For Prophet Muhammad is merciful since he was willing to wait for pagans to repent and that was why there was slow converts. Prophet Muhammad did not slaughter pagans prior to year 613 and it proves that Prophet Muhammad was not cruel as what muslim extremists believe. Thus, to see the word, fight, in the Holy Quran and to be interpreted as physical violence is not prudence.}

^{Prophet Muhammad began his preaching from friends and associates prior to year 613 and after that, preaching public. Here you see the spiritual battle in which Prophet Muhammad slowing convinced his friends and associates and later expanded to the public. He won the spiritual battle in the sense that his preaching has slowed won the hearts of his friends and associates and the next, to the public.}

^{Now, you should know that Prophet Muhammad was not cruel and he did not fight with pagans.}

^{It was in the year 613, the mecan came to consider him a dangerous nuissance. When this mecan came to consider him a dangerous nuissance, they certainly should be the first that decided to fight against them. Why should this mecan come to consider him a dangerous nuissance? They were indeed the fool and unpardonable that set their hearts against Prophet Muhammad.}

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