Does it matter that Muhammad was a slave owning warlord, or should we assume all religions evolve?

Question

It amazes me how some people just gloss over the fact that, Muhammad, unlike Buddha or Jesus (fyi - I reject all religion), was a slave owning warlord. This is no small detail, and let me explain why.

The FOUNDER of a religion is always the central figure. Consider the famous "WWJD". Its the simplest way to breakdown the tenets of the religion by asking "what would X have done". After all, each religion claims that their prophet was God's guy, the one he wanted us all to emulate.

In Christianty and Buddhism, thats not to scary...both Jesus and Buddha were pacifists in the extreme (if you ask me, to the detriment of the society from which they came). On the other hand, Muhammad was a warlord.

Of course, all Muhammad's wars were righteous, and when pressed, an Islamist will insist that each battle was "just" or "defensive", but clearly, the singular model of exemplary conduct in Islam comes from an outright killer. Its way easier to justify murder in Islam. Period.

Answer 1

i bet the caravans he looted too was defensive as well


EDIT malcom x can you bck up your claims thru an unbiased site or book?

cause ive read biased books on mohammed that made him look like an angel whereas the unbiased books make him look like what i think he is

Answer 2

Your ignorance is phenomenal! Firstly Mohammad (peace be upon him) was not a warlord and secondly he was the one who freed his slave. Slaves were common in Arab those days and it was only with Islam that their freeing was practised.

As for your warlord myth, it further indicates your ignorance. Consider this: you are in a situation where you see someone doing a big offence, like trying to murder someone, rape a woman or any major bad thing. What would you do? You would call the police of course. But what if there is an immediate intervention required. Would you just walk away from the scene thinking that you will not use force against a fellow human being? Or would you reach out and help the oppressor with whatever strength you have? I guess a true man of principles, a brave man would reach out and help even if with force. So, my friend, fighting against oppression is each human being's duty. This is what distinguishes a man from cattle. So yes, Mohammad's followers true followers will fight against oppression. At the same time once peace is ensured in the world, then there is to be no persecution. You missed the part of silent struggle and later princoples of governance in Mohammad's (peace be upon him) life.

The state to which Christianity has been reduced today is unreal and unnatural. Not everyone and everything is good in life, never has been and never will be. There will always be bad forces in the world and some of those bad forces will not behave unless you use force against them.

This takes care of your warlord logic

Answer 3

Muhammad was a man and only a man. I reject the notion that Jesus was a pacifist "in the extreme." He allowed the Zealot to bring his sword to the garden and then allowed him to use it. It was a demonstration of something other than pacifistism. But then, I'm an Irish Catholic prone to violence.

Answer 4

I believe his actions matter a lot! Muslims today still say he has unquestionable character. Huh? How? He is their example and he transcends time. I believe messages from God don't change because God doesn't change. Moses gave us Thou Shalt Not Kill. Jesus gave us Love everyone, EVEN your enemy. Muhammad gave us kill your enemy, take women and children captive and divide up the booty! It's not the same message.

God Bless.

Answer 5

By Islamic beliefs, your question is nonsense. You have obviously never studied the religion and this entire question is based on the wrong premise that Mohammad was the founder of this religion.
No where in the Islamic beliefs is there such a theory and their books are very clear on the subject that Mohammad was the LAST messenger of Islam, not the first.
Jesus, in Islamic belief was a messenger of God and so was Moses, Abraham and Isaac. They are not looked at as Jewish prophets but Muslim in Islam.
There is no "founder" of this religion and Mohammad was the LAST in line of Islamic prophets.

Answer 6

Defence is allowed in every religion.
Do you know any other religion, except Islam, in which slaves were made Rullers of the nation.

Islam is against slavery. Muhammad had no slave rather he stressed on release of slaves and condemn this old custom in the society. Prophet Muhammad and his companions released many slaves.

If you read Islamic history you will find many Kings who were slave - bought from the market!

Answer 7

Like christianism, islam has many faces and genre, there are radicals and moderates. But mostly western culture try to image islam in a certain term. Islam is a religion and should be separated with arabic culture. I think its a challenge for the western people of dealing with globalization and contemplate about the concept of secularism.
There are refferences that might gives u balanced outlook. "Muhammad for Beginners", ziauddin Sardar and Zafar Abbas Malik, published by Icon Books Ltd. Cambridge, 1994. "Muhammad" by Karen Armstrong, for a western approach. "The Life of Muhammad" (American Islamic Trust, Indianapolis) by Muhammad Husayn Haykal. In those book i assumed that Muhammad was born in Mecca (as one of the wild and uncivilized place at that time) to fight againts the culture of materialism and slavery society. I think for his era he was very controversial even for his own tribe. Slavery act was a lifestyle that time and he eliminated it like the cumpolsary of freeing a slave as a subtitute of disabilities of fasting in fasting month. As an example, he freed a black man named Bilal and put him in an important position. He put the method of war ethic that nowadays is being misunderstood by some islamic genre (war should be face to face, dont destroy houses, public places, productive plants, dont kill the indicents, women and children) . He also eliminated the killings of daughters, as at that time arabs considered having daughters will humiliate their family. He also eliminated the men's habit of having many female slaves (harrem) by banning a man to have more than four wifes and advise monogamy as the best form of marriage. Maybe my assumption isnt popular but in many moderate islamic country like in malaysia and indonesia, And the more i read and find out the understanding of muhammad is very different with the mainstream in western or most arab countries.

Answer 8

Jesus we like him being a real prophet of God, replaced right into a bad guy and replaced into by no skill waiting to maintain slaves yet all his kin replaced into having slaves and he by no skill spoke in comparison. As a approaches prophet Mohammad observed is in contact he replaced right into a stable and mogul. He replaced into having slaves yet he advised to handle the slaves like brothers in comparison to Amercans who taken care of them like donkeys. Anad and Zaid have been his slaves. it is pronounced by employing them that he by no skill became indignant with them nor spoke a stressful observe by way of out his existence. He declared Zaid as his son in the past all public. He replaced into eating with or after his slaves. And if he rather left those slaves, they have been homeless people. the place they go and from the place they'll consume. He advised if u r indignant with a slave enable him go do no longer punish him. All friends of prophet have been called his black slave Bilal "Oh our lord". His mothers slave Baraka, all his existence he called her mom and taken care of interior the comparable way. Mohammad observed replaced right into a suitable kind of existence. we are pleased with our kind can anybody instruct a suitable kind like him exhibiting education in all spheres of existence. we like Jesus yet what u tell approximately his existence, born, gave existence, nutrition for a lot of people and crucified, the place is his message for existence, rights, proportion in materials, govern and be ruled, friends dont communicate with regard to the flaws which u dont comprehend. The blinds can not see the gentle even it is blindingly stable gentle.

Answer 9

When someone drives you out of your home, taking all you own and tries to kill you let me hear you talk about pacifism then!

You forget that before his attempted assasination the Prophet (pbuh) never raised his arm in self defence, from what the Quraish did to him. For 13 years he did this.

As for slavery this is how Islam began to eliminate it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vqnShoKb9U

EDIT:
Ray there was no UN around to impose economic sanctions was there? Taking over caravans in those times, was the only way to undermine the Quraish and to deter people from supporting their oppression against the Muslims!

EDIT2:
Well Ray that's the problem with any source of evidence to find out about any historical figure it's totally biased from one extreme to another.

So you have to use your own logic. What was the purpose of looting caravans? To get rich, yet he was a rich man in Makkah! To gain power and influence? The Quraish offered him wealth and make him a leader, even this didn't work. He was getting whatever man on the planet would want, yet he rejected it in order risk his life to stop a few petty caravans?

Plus the procces of signing treaties with various tribe showed that he was trying simply undermine the power and status the Quraish held.

Answer 10

By will and mandate of the U.S.government,We israelites will bomb the palestinian until they understand our rights to take their lands without buying it from them.Don't they know that we have become powerful enough to conquer and we have majority people now.Anyways thanks to the US for the weapon supplies in 1950 cause when we came from germany,hitler took away our wealth.But that is in the past ,now we take what is rightfully ours to take,lands and wealth from the palestinian.US sure know how to built good weapon and what is cheaper than free.?