The Mohammed Code: Why a Desert Prophet Wants You Dead (50 page)

195
Ibn Ishaq. The Life of Muhammad—Apostle of Allah. Edited by Michael Edwardes. London: The Folio Society, 1964: p. 49.
Sarwat Saulat, The Life of The Prophet, Islamic Publications Ltd., Lahore, Pakistan, 1983: p. 123.

196
Muhammad H. Haykal. The Life Of Muhammad (Allah's peace and blessing be upon him).

by Muhammad Husayn Haykal, translated by Isma'il Razi A. al-Faruqi. Retrieved April 20, 2013 , from the World Wide Web

http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Books/MH_LM/malevolent_conduct_of_quraysh.htm

197
Ibn Ishaq. The Life of Muhammad—Apostle of Allah. Edited by Michael Edwardes. London: The Folio Society, 1964: p. 50.

198
Ibn Ishaq. The Life of Muhammad—Apostle of Allah. Edited by Michael Edwardes. London: The Folio Society, 1964: p. 41-42.

199
Sarwat Saulat, The Life of The Prophet, Islamic Publications Ltd., Lahore, Pakistan, 1983: p. 123.

200
Ibn Ishaq. Sirat Rasoul Allah: The earliest biography of Muhammad, by ibn Ishaq. An abridged version Edited by Michael Edwardes.
Retrieved April 20, 2013, from the World Wide Web

http://www.faithfreedom.org/Articles/sira/03.htm

201
Ibn Ishaq. Sirat Rasoul Allah: The earliest biography of Muhammad, by ibn Ishaq. An abridged version Edited by Michael Edwardes.
Retrieved April 20, 2013, from the World Wide Web

http://www.faithfreedom.org/Articles/sira/03.htm

202
Sarwat Saulat, The Life of The Prophet, Islamic Publications Ltd., Lahore, Pakistan, 1983: pp 11.

203
Sir John Bagot Glubb. "Medina--History." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved April 20, 2013, from the World Wide Web

http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-37817.

204
“They had only gone out making for the caravan [to raid it] because they wanted booty,“ says Ishaq of “the army…with the apostle” on one of his early raids. A. Guillaume. The Life of Muhammad: A Translation of Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat Rasul Allah. New York: Oxford University Press, 1955 , eighteenth printing, 2004: p. 321. “The Spoils of War surah was handed down because we quarreled about the booty. So Allah took it away from us and gave it to His Apostle. When He did, we learned to fear Allah and obey his Messenger.... For in truth, our army had gone out with the Prophet seeking the caravan because we wanted its booty.” Muhammad ibn Ishaq. Sirat rasul Allah (The Life of the Apostle of God). Quoted in Islam Exposed. HinduUnity.org: Promoting & Supporting the Ideals of the Bajrang Dal: V.H.P., Youth Wing Bharat. http://www.hinduunity.org/ Retrieved April 20, 2013 , from the World Wide Web.

http://p081.ezboard.com/fhinduunityislamexposedarchivesonly.showMessage?topicID=221.topic
Supported by A. Guillaume. The Life of Muhammad: A Translation of Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat Rasul Allah. New York: Oxford University Press, 1955, eighteenth printing, 2004: pp. 321-327.

Also Craig Winn,
http://www.prophetofdoom.net/
“Hardly two years had passed in Madinah and the migrants had left all their belongings in Makkah and were empty-handed.” Maulana A. S. Muhammad Abdul Hai (Rah.). Holy Life Of Hazrat Muhammad

(
Hayyat-E-Tayyaba
). Delhi, India: Islami Academy, 1984. Retrieved April 20, 2013 , from the World Wide Web

http://www.al-islamforall.org/litre/Englitre/Hmohd.htm

205
“even if they [the Meccan army coming to the caravan’s defense] just extricate their caravan forcefully, the muslims will lose their credibility and in future, it would be very easy for nearby tribes to dwarf muslims and put them in tight corner, acting on Quraysh's directions.” Holy Life Of Hazrat Muhammad

(
Hayyat-E-Tayyaba
). Delhi, India: Islami Academy, 1984. Retrieved April 20, 2013 , from the World Wide Web

http://www.al-islamforall.org/litre/Englitre/Hmohd.htm

206
Once again, “They had only gone out making for the caravan because they wanted booty.”
A. Guillaume. The Life of Muhammad: A Translation of Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat Rasul Allah. New York: Oxford University Press, 1955: p. 321. For a typical example of the importance of plunder to the early Moslems and the guiltless ease with which they seized it, take a look at the following from Ibn Ishaq: “Abul-As [Mohammed’s son in law, who refused to convert to Islam]…went to Syria trading with his own money and that of the Quraysh [the Meccans] which they entrusted to him, for he was a trustworthy man. Having completed his business, he was on his way home when one of the apostle’s raiding parties fell in with him and took all he had…The raiders went off with their plunder….”
A. Guillaume. The Life of Muhammad: A Translation of Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat Rasul Allah. New York: Oxford University Press, 1955
, eighteenth printing, 2004: 316. For an equally intense account, one that reveals the use of arrows, lances, and stones as weapons and the emphasis on gathering weapons, war animals, and clothing as booty, try this passage from the Hadith of Sahih Muslim. It tells the tale of how a simple horse-tender left his job and family and became wealthy and semi-famous as a full-time soldier fighting for Mohammed and Allah: “I was a dependant of Talha b. Ubaidullah. I watered his horse, rubbed its back. I served Talha (doing odd jobs for him) and partook from his food. I had left my family and my property as an emigrant in the cause of Allah and His Messenger (may peace be uron him). When we and the people of Mecca had concluded a peace treaty and the people of one side began to mix with those of the other, I came to a tree, swept away its thorns and lay down (for rest) at its base; (while I lay there), four of the polytheists from the Meccans came to me and began to talk ill of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). I got enraged with them and moved to another tree. They hung their weapons (to the branches of the tree) and lay down (for rest). (While they lay there), somebody from the lower part of the valley cried out: Run up, O Muhajirs! Ibn Zunaim has been murdered. I drew my sword and attacked these four while they were asleep. I seized their arms and collected them up in my hand, and said: By the Being Who has conferred honour upon Muhammad, none of you shall raise his head, else I will smite his face. (Then) I came driving them along to the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him). (At the same time). my uncle Amir came (to him) with a man from" Abalat called Mikraz. Amir was dragging him on a horse with a thick covering on its back along with seventy polytheists. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) cast a glance at them and said: Let them go (so that) they may prove guilty of breach of trust more than once (before we take action against them). So the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) forgave them. On this occasion. God revealed the Qur'anic verse:" It is He Who restrained their hands from you and your hands from them in the valley of Mecca after He had granted you a victory over them" (xlviii. 24). Then we moved returning to Medina, and halted at a place where there was a mountain between us and Banu Lihyan who were polytheists. The Messenaer of Allah (may peace be upon him) asked God's forgiveness for one who ascended the mountain at night to act as a scout for the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and his Compinions. I ascended (that mountain) twice or thrice that night. (At last) we reached Medina. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) sent his camels with his slave, Rabah, and I was with him. I (also) went to the pasture with the horse of Talha along with the camels. When the day dawned, Abd al-Rahman al-Fazari made a raid and drove away all the camels of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), and killed the man who looked after them. I said: Rabah, ride this horse, take it to Talha b. 'Ubaidullah and Inform the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) that the polytheists have made away with his camels. Then I stood upon a hillock and turning my face to Medina, shouted thrice: Come to our help I Then I set out in pursuit of the raiders, shooting at them with arrows and chanting a (self-eulogatory) verse in the Iambic metre: I am the son of al-Akwa' And today is the day of defeat for the mean. I would overtake a man from them, shoot at him an arrow which, piercing through the saddle, would reach his shoulder. and I would say: Take it, chanting at the same time the verse And I am the son of al-Akwa' And tody is the day of defeat for the mean. By God, I continued shooting at them and hamstringing their animals. Whenever a horseman turned upon me, I would come to a tree and (hid myself) sitting at its base. Then I would shoot at him and hamstring his horse. (At last) they entered a narrow mountain gorge. I ascended that mountain and held them at bay throwing stones at them. I continued to chase them in this way until I got all the camels of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) released and no camel was left with them. They left me; then I followed them shooting at them (continually) until they dropped more than thirty mantles and thirty lances. lightening their burden. On everything they dropped, I put a mark with the help of (a piece of) stone so that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and his Companions might recognise them (that it was
booty
left by the enemy). (They went on) until They came to a narrow valley when so and so, son of Badr al-Fazari joined them. They (now) sat down to take their breakfast and I sat on the top of a tapering rock. Al-Fazari said: Who is that fellow I am seeing? They said: This fellow has harassed us. By God, he has not left us since dusk and has been (continually) shooting at us until he has snatched everything from our hands. He said: Four of you should make a dash at him (and kill him). (Accordingly), four of them ascended the mountain coming towards me. When it became possible for me to talk to them, I said: Do you recognise me? They said: No. Who are thou? I said: I am Salama, son of al-Akwa'. By the Being Who has honoured the countenance of Muhammad (may peace be upon him) I can kill any of you I like but none of you will be able to kill me. One of them said: I think (he is right). So they returned. I did not move from my place until I saw the horsemen of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), who came riding through the trees. Lo! the foremost among them was Akhram al-Asadi. Behind him was Abu Qatada al-Ansari and behind him was al-Miqdad b. al-Aswad al-Kindi. I caught hold of the rein of Akhram's horse (Seeing this). they (the raiders) fled. I said (to Akhram): Akhram, guard yourself against them until Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and his Companions join you. He said: ) Salama, if you believe In Allah and the Day of Judgment and (if) you kaow that Paradise is a reality and Hell is a reality, you should not stand between me and martyrdom. so I let him go. Akhram and Abd al-Rahman (Fazari) met in combat. Akhram hamstrung Abd al-Rahman's horse and the latter struck him with his lance and killed him. Abd al-Rabman turned about riding Akhram's horse. Abu Qatada, a horse-man of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), met 'Abd al-Rahman (in combat), smote him with his lance and killed him. By the Being Who honoured the countenance of Muhammad (may peace oe upon him), I followed them running on my feet (so fast) that I couldn't see behind me the Companions of Muhammad (may peace be upon him), nor any dust raised by their horses. (I followed them) until before sunset they reached a valley which had a spring of water, which was called Dhu Qarad, so that they could have a drink, for they were thirsty. They saw me running towards them. I turned them out of the valley before they could drink a drop of its water. They left the valley and ran down a slope. I ran (behind them), overtook a man from them, shot him with an arrow through the shoulder blade and said: Take this. I am the son of al-Akwa'; and today is the day of annihilation for the people who are mean. The fellow (who was wounded) said: May his mother weep over him! Are you the Akwa' who has been chasing us since morning? I said: Yes, O enemy of thyself, the same Akwa'. They left two horses dead tired on the hillock and I came dragging them along to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). I met 'Amir who had with him a container having milk diluted with water and a container having water. I performed ablution with the water and drank the milk. Then I came to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) while he was at (the spring of) water from which I had driven them away. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had captured those camels and everything else I had captured and all the lances and mantles I had snatched from the polytheists and Bilal had slaughtered a she-camel from the camels I had seized from the people, and was roasting its liver and hump for the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). I said: Messenger of Allah, let me select from our people one hundred men and I will follow the marauders and I will finish them all so that nobody is left to convey the news (of their destruction to their people). (At these words of mine), the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) laughed so much that his molar teeth could be seen in the light of the fire, and he said: Salama, do you think you can do this? I said: Yes, by the Being Who has honoured you. He said: Now they have reached the land of Ghatafan where they are being feted. (At this time) a man from the Ghatafan came along and said: So and so slaughtered a camel for them. When they were exposing its skin, they saw dust (being raised far off). They said: They (Akwa' and his companions) have come. So. they went away fleeing. When it was morning, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Our best horseman today is Abu Qatada and our best footman today is Salama. Then he gave me two shares of the
booty
-the share meant for the horseman and the share meant for the footman, and combined both of them for me. Intending to return to Medina, he made me mount behind him on his she-camel named al-Adba'. While we were travelling, a man from the Ansar who could not be beaten in a race said: Is there anyone who could compete (with me) in race to Medina? Is there any competitor? He continued repeating this. When I heard his talk, I said: Don't you show consideration to a dignified person and don't you have awe for a noble man? He said: No, unless he be the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). I said: Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be thy ransom, let me get down so that I may beat this man (in the race). He said: It you wish, (you may). I said (to the man): I am coming to thee, I then turned my feet. sprang up and tan and gasped (for a while) when one or two elevated places were left and again followed his heel and again gasped (for a while) when one or two elevated places were left and again dashed until I joined him and gave a blow between his shoulders. I said: You have been overtaken, by God. He said: I think so.” Sahih Muslim,
Book
#019
, Hadith
#4450
.
The Book of Faith (Kitab Al-Iman)' of Sahih Muslim. SearchTruth.com. Retrieved April 20, 2013 , from the World Wide Web

http://www.searchtruth.com/searchHadith.php?keyword= Khaibar+booty&translator=2&search=1&book=&start=0&records_display=10&search_word=all