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

Life of Prophet Muhammad and the Birth of JihadAl-Abbas persuaded Omar against taking drastic actions on the ground of his promise to protect AbuSufyan and brought him to Muhammad. Muhammad asked al-Abbas to bring him back the next morning.When Abu Sufyan was brought back the next morning, the Prophet said, ‘‘Isn’t it time that you shouldrecognize there is no God but Allah?’’ Abu Sufyan never believed that Mohammed was a prophet and whenhe hesitated, an angry Muhammad exclaimed, ‘‘Woe to you, Abu Sufyan! Isn’t it time that you recognized thatI am the apostle of God?’’ To this, Abu Sufyan answered, ‘‘As to that I still have some doubt.’’ Seeing AbuSufian’s life in immediate danger, al-Abbas quickly intervened, forcefully telling him, ‘‘Submit and testifythat there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the apostle of God before you lose your head.’’ Abu Sufyanhad no option but to comply. Al-Abbas then requested Muhammad to do something for Abu Sufyan’s people.To this, Muhammad said, ‘‘He who enters Abu Sufyan’s house is safe, and he who locks his door is safe andhe, who enters the mosque (Ka’ba), is safe.’’ 60On returning to Mecca, Abu Sufyan explained to his people about the futility of opposingMuhammad’s advance into their city and asked them not to fight a losing battle. Instead, he famously said,‘Aslim Taslam’, which meant become Muslims if you want to be safe. He advised those, who sought to persistin their Pagan religion, to stay indoors or take refuge in his own house. The next morning, Muhammad’s armymarched into Mecca. One recalcitrant group of Meccans, who had fallen on the way of Khalid ibn Walid’sarmy, showed a meek resistance. Khalid slaughtered those, who fell within his reach, and pursued others, whoran to save their lives up the hill.Upon capturing Mecca, Muhammad ordered the destruction of all idols of the Ka’ba, shouting out,‘Truth has (now) arrived, and Falsehood perished: for Falsehood is (by its nature) bound to perish,’ 61 whichAllah later copied as a revealed verse and included in the Quran [Quran 17:81]. Muhammad stood in themiddle of the Ka’ba, and as he pointed to the idols, passionately worshipped by the devout Meccans forcenturies, with a stick one by one, they were smashed into pieces. Muhammad himself destroyed a woodendove, a deity of the Quraysh.After the capture of Mecca and pillage of the Ka’ba, Muhammad sent Khalid bin Walid to destroythe idol-temple of al-Uzzha at Nakhla, two days’ journey from Mecca. 62 A disciple, named Amr, broke theidol-image, called Suwa, adored by the Hudeil tribe; the temple of the famous goddess, al-Manat, worshippedat Kodeid was destroyed by a band of Medina Muslims—former devotees to the goddess. 63 Many of thePagans accepted Islam on the day Muhammad captured Mecca.Before proceeding further, let us examine a few popular claims about Muhammad’s exemplarydealing with the Quraysh on the occasion of capturing Mecca.Muhammad’s exemplary forgiveness of MeccansMuslims typically make a number of claims regarding Prophet Muhammad’s conquest of Mecca:1. Firstly, the Muslim army entered the city peacefully and unopposed, welcomed by theQuraysh.2. Secondly, the Quraysh willingly converted to Islam in large number under no duress.3. Thirdly, Muhammad showed exemplary forgiveness to the Quraysh by not putting them todeath.60. Ibid, p. 547–4861. Ibid, p. 55262. Ibid, p. 56563. Muir, p. 41228