Story of Mohammed Islam Unveiled

16 Jihad Continues
Mohammed was now head of an extremely powerful political force. He began attacking and
conquering other tribes around Medina. They were forced to convert to Islam, or else be killed and
their women taken for slaves of pleasure. Because of his power he was beginning to attract even
more followers. Some were attracted to the war booty, some wanted to be on the winning side, and
others were afraid that they would be next.
Bukhari’s Hadith records one of the problems that Mohammed’s men were having at this time
with the female captives, and Mohammed’s response.
B5,59,459 Entering the mosque, Ibn Muhairiz saw Abu Said and asked him whether coitus
interruptus was sanctified by Allah. Abu Said said, “Accompanying Mohammed at the Battle of
Banu Al-Mustaliq, we were rewarded with Arab captives, including several woman which were
very sought after because celibacy had become quite a hardship. We had planned to practice
coitus interruptus but felt that we should seek instruction first from Mohammed. [Ed. Pregnancy
was undesirable in the slaves because it diminished their value on the market.] Mohammed said,
however, ‘It is better that you not interrupt copulation to prevent pregnancy, because if a soul is
predestined to exist, then it will exist.’”
Apart from the obvious inhumanity of endorsing the taking and subsequent rape of slaves, the
interesting point is Mohammed’s insistence on predestination. Muslims often use the phrase
“inshallah” which translates as “God (Allah) willing.” In other words nothing will happen unless
Allah has already planned it. This might not seem like a big deal, but in fact it has a huge impact
on Islamic societies. Since Muslims believe that they will not be killed unless Allah wills it, there
is no point worrying about being killed. This makes Muslims immensely brave in battle compared
to non-Muslims. The downside is that it also makes them extremely lazy and unproductive in peace
time. Why struggle to improve things when you do not believe that they will improve unless Allah
wills it? This is the ultimate excuse in Islamic societies. “Why didn’t you do the job I gave you?”
“Well obviously Allah didn’t want me to!”
“Why didn’t you show up for work last week?” “Well Allah just willed it that way.”
Mohammed had no interest in his followers producing anything; he was solely interested in
conquest, financing his society from war booty. He quite skilfully moulded Islamic culture to serve
this end.
When academics examine backwardness and poverty in Islamic countries today, it is fashionable
to blame it on the aggression and exploitation of the West. Given the almost universal nature of
these problems in Islamic Societies, we should surely be analysing the impact of Islamic teachings
on human progress in these societies.
The Treaty of al Hudaybiya
Mohammed decided to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, but the Meccans would not let him enter the
city, even though he came without the intention of making war.
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