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

Islamic Jihadspoke "as though in ecstasy", chanting the rhymed prose (sai) in the then Arab poetic style, reminiscent ofearly Quranic suras. One sermon read:‘O Ye, people draw near / And hear, and fear / Signs are read / Not to be gainsaid / Starsthat set and rise / Sea that never dries.And roofed above, the skies / On earth below that lies / Rain is shed / Plants are fed / Maleand female wed.Time flying and time fled / O mortals say / Where are the tribes today / That once diddisobey / The rules of goodness / Where are they?Verily doth Allah give / Light to those who seek to live!’The bishop then went on to preach about human frailties, the grace of God and the coming Judgment Day.Muhammad listened to the sermon "as though spellbound" and was deeply moved. This sermon had stirredhis mind and soul as renowned Muslim scholar al-Jahiz (d. 869) records a prophetic tradition that Muhammadhimself recalled ‘how vividly he remembered the scene, the man, the eloquent words and the persuasivemessage.’ In later years, when a deputation from the Iyad tribe visited Mecca, Muhammad enquired withthem about Qiss and was informed that he had died (c. 613). Saddened by the news, Muhammad spoke kindlyof him as one, who had preached the "true universal faith". 107In the Okaz fair, Jewish preachers also delivered sermons. Preachers of both religions used to rail atthe Arab tribes, spurning them for practicing idolatry and warning them of the coming punishment in hell.Muhammad used to go to the fair and listen to the sermons of Jewish and Christian preachers. Despite themutual hostility between the Jews and Christians, the similarity of these two religions—both having a unitaryGod, a revealed divine book and a prophet of their own; both fervently denouncing idolatry; and of course, thefear of coming punishment in hell in those sermons—had likely stirred young Muhammad’s mind profoundly.Influence of other beliefs and legends on Muhammad’s creedIn order to understand better the foundation of Muhammad’s prophetic mission, it is necessary to digress herebriefly to include the influence of other beliefs, customs and legends that had inspired and played critical rolesin the formulation of his creed.Influence of the Hanifs: The influence of one Zayd ibn Amr of the Hanif sect demands a mentionhere. Hanif, a Syrian Christian loanword, meant one who had moved away from idolatry. DuringMuhammad’s time in Arabia, it loosely referred to monotheists: Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians and Sabians.In Mecca, the term Hanif more specifically referred to those, who, under the Jewish and Christian influence,had moved away from Paganism and were trying to reform idolatry into monotheism. Ibn Ishaq notes on thebeliefs of Hanifs at Mecca: 108…they were of the opinion that their people had corrupted the religion of their father Abraham,and that the stone (i.e., black stone in Ka’ba) they went around was of no account; it couldneither hear, nor see, nor help. ‘Find for yourself a religion,’ they said; ‘for by God, you havenone.’ So they went their several ways in the lands, seeking the Hanifiya, the religion ofAbraham.Apart from Zayd ibn Amr, Othman ibn Huwayrith and Waraqa ibn Naufal were also hanifs.Zayd was an uncle of Omar, Muhammad’s close companion and the second caliph of Islam. Hecalled himself a follower of Abraham’s religion and used to write poetry disparaging heathenish practices of107. Ibid, p. 90108. Ibn Ishaq, p9941