HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD, THE PROOF OF HIS MERCIFUL

Submitted by Mohamad Nozzi (Singapore), Apr 30, 2009 at 08:48

I feel a little frustrated when I've heard some bad comments about Prophet Muhammad. In order to prove that Prophet Muhammad was merciful while he was on earth, I extract herewith the history of Prophet Muhammad as below (The words in bold as italic are words extracted from an article, Funk & Wagnalis - New Encyclopedia - 2005 World Alamanic Education Group):

In Muhammad's time (c. 570-632), the Arabian Peninsula was inhabited by nomadic Bedouins engaged in herding and brigandage, and by city-dwelling Arabs engaged in trade. The religion of the Arabs was polytheistic and idolatrous. Nonetheless, an old tradition of monotheism, or at least a belief in a supreme deity, existed. Jewish and Christian communities probably contributed to a growing receptivity to monotheistic doctrines, although Judaism nor Christianity proved attractive to the Arabs. A number of monotheistic preachers preceded Muhamad but had little success.

My explanation: From the above statement, we could come to the conclusion that Arabs were surrounded by pagans.

Muhammad began his ministry at the age of 40, when, he claimed, the archangel Gabriel appeared to him in a vision. Muhammad confided to his family and close friends the substance of this and succeeding visions. After four years he had converted some 40 persons to his views, and he thena began to preach openly in his native city of Mecca. Ridiculed by the Meccans, he went in 622 to Medina. Muhammad soon held both temporal and spiritual authority, having been recognized as a lawgiver and prophet. Arab and Jewish opposition to him in Medina was crushed, and war was undertaken against Mecca. Increasingly, Arab tribes declared their allegiance to him, and Mecca surrendered in 630. At his death, in 632 Muhammad was the leader of an Arab state growing rapidly in power.

My explanation: It is mentioned above that Prophet Muhammad met an angel at the age of 40. After receiving the message from an angel, Gabriel, he did not slaughter all his surrounding pagans one by one. Instead, it is mentioned that Muhammad confided to his family and close friends about the visions. Or in other words, he began to preach the message from Allah to them. After four years of his preaching, there were about 40 muslim converts. To get 40 muslim converts within four years such a long period, we could imagine how mericul that Prophet Mufhammad was. He wanted the pagans to be saved and that was he involved actively in preaching to the pagans so as to patiently wait for the repentance of the pagans. He was not such a cruel man that liked to slaughter the pagans. Instead, he took time to reach out to the pagans and he's got 40 muslim followers in total within four years. However, muslim extremists mis-interpret that Prophet Muhammad was a cruel man so much so they want to kill the pagans without sharing the message of Allah from the Holy Quran to them.

As mentioned in those words in bold that the Meccans began to ridicule him after four years later when Prophet Muhammad decided to preach openly in his native city of Mecca. Arab and Jewish opposition began to crush him in Medina. Or in other words, non-muslims were the first to trigger off their war against Prophet Muhammad. As the war began from the Meccans, it implies that Prophet Muhammad had no choice but to fight so as to protect muslim religions. Or in other words, the war was triggerred off from the pagans. However, Muslim extremists abuse the Holy Quran to start their fighting with the pagans even though non-muslims are not those that begin their fighting with them.

We, moderate muslims, act the same as Prophet Muhammad. We don't fight if non-muslims do not start their fighting with us first. However, if non-muslims start their battle with us, we will fight back so as to protect our mosques and to defend our muslim fellows.

Bear in mind that Prophet Muhammad did not fight with the Meccans and were actively involving in preaching to 40 followers within the first four years. The war began when Prophet Muhammad began to preach publicly in which Meccans stirred up fire with them.

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