The History of Mohammed's origins and behavior is important to understanding current events because much of the anti-semetism of Islam owes it's roots to Hadith and stories related to the life of Mohammed. He was both aided by and opposed by Jews. And the stories told about his relationship to Jewish people are told by people who were passionately on his side and who believed his understanding of that relationship. And they are repeated by people of like mind in our own day and age. Islamic Anti-Semetism is similar in some ways but very different from that of the West because it is founded in this "fundamental" or "foundational" conflict. Resolving them first requires us to understand them in context.
The basic story we should all be familiar with. The Prophet began his ministry in Mecca. A Hadith by "Aisha" tells us:
"Hadith 1:3
Narrated 'Aisha:
"(the mother of the faithful believers) The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah's Apostle was in the form of good dreams which came true like bright day light, and then the love of seclusion was bestowed upon him. He used to go in seclusion in the cave of Hira where he used to worship (Allah alone) continuously for many days before his desire to see his family. He used to take with him the journey food for the stay and then come back to (his wife) Khadija to take his food like-wise again till suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he was in the cave of Hira. The angel came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet replied, "I do not know how to read."
According to the legend he went to get help. He had to learn to read:
"Khadija then accompanied him to her cousin Waraqa bin Naufal bin Asad bin 'Abdul 'Uzza, who, during the PreIslamic Period became a Christian and used to write the writing with Hebrew letters. He would write from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allah wished him to write. He was an old man and had lost his eyesight. Khadija said to Waraqa, "Listen to the story of your nephew, O my cousin!" Waraqa asked, "O my nephew! What have you seen?" Allah's Apostle described whatever he had seen. Waraqa said, "This is the same one who keeps the secrets (angel Gabriel) whom Allah had sent to Moses. I wish I were young and could live up to the time when your people would turn you out." Allah's Apostle asked, "Will they drive me out?" Waraqa replied in the affirmative and said, "Anyone (man) who came with something similar to what you have brought was treated with hostility; and if I should remain alive till the day when you will be turned out then I would support you strongly." But after a few days Waraqa died and the Divine Inspiration was also paused for a while.
of pause in revelation reporting the speech of the Prophet "While I was walking, all of a sudden I heard a voice from the sky. I looked up and saw the same angel who had visited me at the cave of Hira' sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. I got afraid of him and came back home and said, 'Wrap me (in blankets).' And then Allah revealed the following Holy Verses (of Quran):
'O you (i.e. Muhammad)! wrapped up in garments!' Arise and warn (the people against Allah's Punishment),... up to 'and desert the idols.' (74.1-5) After this the revelation started coming strongly, frequently and regularly."
So Mohammed first learned to read using hebrew letters from a man who was a Christian and a member of his tribe. But essentially, what he came to teach would be an oral teaching. He would memorize what Gabrielle told him, and tell it verbatum to his followers who would memorize it in turn. There is little evidence that he ever learned to read. Mohammed began to teach based on his experiences of dreams and divine revelations. He even began to attract a following.
But when he grew to have a following the people there began to be afraid of him. Part of this was that their stock in trade was in "idolatry." Mecca was the religious Mecca for pagan Arabs throughout the Peninsula, who came to worship at the Kaaba and other shrines. The Meccans made money from a business that included selling incense all over the world, and selling a lot of religious goods in the City. Mohammed was preaching a strict monotheism. This directly challenged their economic base. Few people are willing to stand for that. It doesn't matter if the "other guy is right." It's their money they are worried about. Mohammed was forced to flee Mecca.
It is in Medina that the story starts of his relationship with Jews. It may have begun before. But before he went to Medina there is little record of real conflict. In Medina "Yathrib" Mohammed began to acquire real power. And it was when he acquired real power that the tone of his teachings changed. And when the tone of his teachings changed his relationship changed with the Jews. This relationship is portrayed as having been one that was ordained and full of conflict from the beginning. For instance this website claims that it was a "cold war" from the beginning, with the usual misrepresentations about the relative causality of the conflict: http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/companion/12_ali_bin_talib.htm. This website has a different take on the same story: http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/h03is.htm
But we will examine these allegations in context. Mohammed began to preach differently as he acquired power. Jews could accept him as a prophet for Arabs, but they were not going to forcibly convert or accept second class status without a fight. And Mohammed could accept no potential challenges to his religious authority. Which the very presence of Jews and Christians potentially represented. And that was the real issue then, and still is the real issue now.
http://www.answering-islam.org/Muhammad/hudaybiyya.html
That is one reason why well meaning exegites of Islam often are quoting from his earlier teachings. This is an important point. It reflects the changing relationship he had to both his neighbors and to his own power. It is said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Maybe not prophets. But that is certainly true with everyone else.
And it is also important to remember that while the claim is made that he was the "seal of the Prophets" -- he never claimed to be an angel, and I'm not sure he ever claimed to be infallible. All of us would like to be infallible. And anyone teaching a religion is going to insist on unquestioned faith, but that is secondary to whether in fact a teacher is perfect or not. If one can accept that a teacher might not be perfect, then one can begin to suspect that the teachings while divinely inspired, might be transmitted fallibly. That is why some heretical Moslems reject the Hadith -- or the oral records passed down immediately after his death and only accept the words of the Koran itself. I would not suggest they do that. Rather I'd suggest that they should reject unquestioned acceptance of Hadith or any tradition unless it makes sense on the basis of reason and experience. That is different. One involves a complete cutting of roots, the other simply requires the interjection of common sense when required.
to be continued.
Posted by cholte at August 11, 2004 12:54 AM