islamic-jihad-legacy-of-forced-conversion-imperialism-slavery

Life of Prophet Muhammad and the Birth of Jihadhostility from both sides for a ten-year period. It also stipulated that Muhammad’s party would return toMedina this time without visiting the Ka’ba, but they would be allowed to perform annual pilgrimage to theKa’ba for three days from the following year. 51Here, seeing the determined opposition of the Quraysh, Muhammad pretended that he had come forthe pilgrimage, not war. But his original intention was to occupy Mecca as Ibn Ishaq writes: ‘The apostle’scompanions had gone out without any doubt of occupying Mecca because of the vision which the apostle hadseen, and when they saw the negotiations for peace and a withdrawal going on and what the apostle hadtaken on himself, they felt depressed almost to the point of death.’ 52 The signing of the treaty meekly, insteadof taking on the Quraysh in a violent confrontation, caused anger amongst some Muslims, includingbloodthirsty Omar. However, Muhammad assured them that he was under the instruction of Allah to concludethis treaty and it would bring eventual benefit to his party. Allah took the pain of revealing an entire Sura—Chapter 48 of the Quran (surah al-Fath or Victory)—to convince Muhammad’s party that this treaty wasactually more appropriate under the situation and tantamount to a Victory, and that the decisive victory wouldcome soon.Muhammad’s breach of the treaty: It took very little time for Muhammad’s party to breach thetreaty. Abu Bashir, a convert from Mecca, soon killed a Quraysh violating the treaty. He went on to form araiding brigand consisting of some seventy Muslim marauders and they, with connivance of Muhammad,engaged in attacking Meccan caravans, sparing none of the attendants alive. Ibn Ishaq records of Abu Bahir’sactions: ‘Then Abu Basir went off until he halted at al-’Is in the region of Dhu’l-Marwa by the sea-shore onthe road which Quraysh were accustomed to take to Syria… About seventy men attached themselves to him,and they so harried Quraysh, killing everyone they could get hold of and cutting to pieces every caravan thatpassed them.’The helpless Quraysh gave up on the treaty. Instead, they begged Muhammad "by the ties of kinship"to stop his men from attacking the caravans. After the request, Muhammad brought his raiders back toMedina. A few women converts, who were held up by their families, escaped from Mecca to joinMuhammad’s community in Medina. They were supposed to be returned according to the treaty. In totaldisregard of the treaty, Muhammad refused to return them when the Quraysh came to take them back toMecca. 53 Muhammad throws away the treaty and attacks Mecca: In two years after the signing of theHudaybiya Treaty, Muhammad’s army had become strong enough to overrun the Quraysh. Therefore, healtogether threw away the ten-year treaty and ordered preparations for attacking Mecca. He wanted to take theQuraysh by surprise. As preparations went on, he kept praying to Allah: ‘‘O Allah, take eyes and ears fromthe Quraysh so that we may take them by surprise in their land.’’ 54 In January 630, he marched toward Meccaat the head of a 10,000-strong army.The invincible Muslim army approached near Mecca at night and camped at place, called Marr al-Zahran. In the darkness of the night, each fighter lighted a fire to show to the Quraysh a glimpse of the hugeMuslim army that had assembled. Catching sight of Muhammad’s force, his uncle Al-Abbas, who had joinedthe Muslim camp a while earlier, said, ‘‘Alas, Quraysh, if the apostle enters Mecca by force before they comeand ask for protection, that will be the end of the Quraysh forever.’’ 55 Before proceeding further, let usinvestigate the controversy as to who truly breached the treaty.51. Muir, p. 353–59; Ibn Ishaq, p. 500–0552. Ibn Ishaq, p. 50553. Ibn Ishaq, p. 507–09; Muir, p. 364–6554. Ibn Ishaq, p. 54455. Ibid, p. 54726