To Moderate Muslim: The exemplary Mohammed marries Safiya

Submitted by Plato (India), Feb 28, 2007 at 07:24

Moderate Muslim you are in quotes, I am in bold:

"Every Muslim has to respect and regard highly the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam). Likewise, he has to honor all the Prophets and believe in their infallibility. One has to believe that they are chosen personalities, Allah protect them from all abominable acts and deeds This is a generally accepted fact, no one disagrees with it except Jews who blame the Prophets of bad things and atheists who do not respect Allah, and His Prophets and who do not recognize their rights. After believing in this known and well-established fact if one comes across any report that is contrary to the above fact, it does not make one dubious as either it is a fabricated story or it is to be interpreted in a way that suits the honorable status of the prophet."

What this Islamic scholar is essentially saying is that the Prophet can commit any abbhorent act because Allah sanctifies whatever he does and only Jews and atheists will point to the obnoxious nature of his acts: surprise raids, keeping slaves, marrying more wives than the normal four allowed, going against the accepted norm of not marrying one's son-in-law's wife, who is considered one's own daughter....

Your Islamic scholar has not given the full version of the Safiya story. Let me quote from the earliest known biography of the Prophet (Ibn Ishaq' Sirat, edited by Ibn Hisham) on how he came to acquire this particular Mother of Believers.

On page 511 you read about the attack on Khaybar and about Safiya: The apostle took captives from them among whom was Safiya Huyayy b. Akhtab who had been the wife of Kinana al Rabi Abul Huqayq, and two cousins of hers. The apostle chose Safiya for himself. On page 515 we read what happened to Kinana al Rabi her husband. He was tortured and killed because he did not reveal where he had hidden the treasures of his people. On Page 514 we read the Prophet admonishing Bilal for bringing Safiya and her cousin past their dead husbands. On Page 516 we read that the Prophet "married Safiya in Khaybar or on the way." On 517 Ibn Ishaq reports that Abu Ayyub spent the night guarding the Prophet's tent until morning and when the apostle saw him in the morning asked what he was up to and here is his reply "I was afraid for you with this woman for you have killed her father, he husband and her people and till recently she was in unbelief, so I was afraid for you on her account."

Moderate Muslim here is your prophet marrying a girl of about 18 almost immediately after he has her husband tortured and beheaded, her father and her other relations killed. What kind of God is it who sanctifies such heartless behaviour by someone who is supposed to be an example for all mankind. I would like to hear your thoughts about this incident.

Or do you want to pass it off as 'Allah knows best'?

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