14 Campaign of Tabuk  October 630, to April 631, A.D.

Muhammad’s phenomenal rise to power struck fear into the hearts of all the Arabia and tribe after tribe rushed to Medina to pledge their allegiance to the new potentate to preempt their destruction. These submissions, coupled with Muhammad’s successive expansionist and punitive expeditions, aroused unease in the Byzantine Empire , and Heraclius was rumored to have commanded the feudatory border tribes to meet Muhammad’s challenge. It is possible that the Roman Emperor had directed the Syrian tribes to be on the alert and this precautionary measure was magnified by the travelers who led Muhammad to believe that the Emperor was planning to attack.

During the summer of the year 630 A.D., Muhammad called on the subjugated Arab tribes to project a counter-expedition against the Emperor, and invited them to fund the expedition with their own money and beasts of burden promising them rewards in the other life. The chief men at Medina vied with one another in the costliness of their gifts and Uthman was the most liberal of them. His contribution was one thousand dinars. Muhammad praised him and said, 'Allah! Be pleased with Uthman; for I am pleased with him'

Some of the Bedouins were reluctant to engage in this was. It was a hot summer and a year of draught. The defeat that they had suffered in Muta at the hands of the Roman phalanx had dampened their alacrity but Muhammad accepted no excuses and a massive army was prepared. He however was more considerate of his own people in Mecca . They were exempt but all others had to join.

Normally, Muhammad would conceal the preparations for an expedition and pretend that he was going in another direction to the one he really had in view. In the case of Tabuk, however, he made an exception because of the great distance, the difficulty of provisioning an army, and the size of the enemy force. [Sira p. 392]

In Median a certain disaffected party gathered in the house of a converted Jew discussing about their rights to not to accompany Muhammad in the expedition to Tabuk. Upon hearing this Muhammad ordered Talha with a company of other ruffians to burn the house over their heads.

Then he made his Allah reproach the disaffected believers and to issue the following warnings:

O ye who believe! what is the matter with you, that, when ye are asked to go forth in the cause of Allah, ye cling heavily to the earth? Do ye prefer the life of this world to the Hereafter? But little is the comfort of this life, as compared with the Hereafter.
Unless ye go forth, He will punish you with a grievous penalty, and put others in your place; but Him ye would not harm in the least. For Allah hath power over all things. [Q. 9: 38-39]

If there had been immediate gain (in sight), and the journey easy, they would (all) without doubt have followed thee, but the distance was long, (and weighed) on them. They would indeed swear by Allah, "If we only could, we should certainly have come out with you": They would destroy their own souls; for Allah doth know that they are certainly lying.
Allah give thee grace! why didst thou grant them until those who told the truth were seen by thee in a clear light, and thou hadst proved the liars?
Those who believe in Allah and the Last Day ask thee for no exemption from fighting with their goods and persons. And Allah knoweth well those who do their duty.
Only those ask thee for exemption who believe not in Allah and the Last Day, and whose hearts are in doubt, so that they are tossed in their doubts to and fro. [Q. 9: 42-45]

When a Sura comes down, enjoining them to believe in Allah and to strive and fight along with His Messenger, those with wealth and influence among them ask thee for exemption, and say: "Leave us (behind): we would be with those who sit (at home)."
They prefer to be with (the women), who remain behind (at home): their hearts are sealed and so they understand not.
But the Messenger, and those who believe with him, strive and fight with their wealth and their persons: for them are (all) good things: and it is they who will prosper.
Allah hath prepared for them gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein: that is the supreme felicity.
And there were, among the desert Arabs (also), men who made excuses and came to claim exemption; and those who were false to Allah and His Messenger (merely) sat inactive. Soon will a grievous penalty seize the Unbelievers among them. [Q. 9: 86-91]

In the verses that followed he excused the sick and those who had no resources to undertake the expedition. A group of men had to be turned down because they did not find mount and they went back with tears in their easy. They came to be known as “weepers”.  [K. Waqidi, p. 184; Sira p. 392].

Next he wrote:

The ground (of complaint) is against such as claim exemption while they are rich. They prefer to stay with the (women) who remain behind: Allah hath sealed their hearts; so they know not (What they miss).
They will present their excuses to you when ye return to them. Say thou: "Present no excuses: we shall not believe you: Allah hath already informed us of the true state of matters concerning you: It is your actions that Allah and His Messenger will observe: in the end will ye be brought back to Him Who knoweth what is hidden and what is open: then will He show you the truth of all that ye did."
They will swear to you by Allah, when ye return to them, that ye may leave them alone. So leave them alone: For they are an abomination, and Hell is their dwelling-place,-a fitting recompense for the (evil) that they did.
They will swear unto you, that ye may be pleased with them but if ye are pleased with them, Allah is not pleased with those who disobey.
The Arabs of the desert are the worst in Unbelief and hypocrisy, and most fitted to be in ignorance of the command which Allah hath sent down to His Messenger: But Allah is All-knowing, All-Wise. [Q. 9: 93-97]

Someone begged Muhammad to excuse him from the campaign saying he feared that beauty of the Greek women may tempt him. Apparently the following verse is Muhammad’s response to him. 

Among them is a man who says: "Grant me exemption and draw me not into trial." Have they not fallen into trial already? and indeed Hell surrounds the Unbelievers (on all sides). [Q. 9: 49]

In this expedition, Muhammad left Ali in charge of his wives. This was a delicate moment in the household of Muhammad, for his affair with Maryiah the maid of Hafsah one of his wives had come to the light and his entire harm was in revolt. I’ll discuss this intriguing story in the chapter dedicated to the wives of Muhammad.

Abdullah in Ubaya did not accompany Muhammad in this expedition. He must have been to old and frail for he died six months after that.

It was now September when the army was ready and set out to Tabuk. This was probably the largest effective force ever before put in motion in Arabia . Some historians say there the numbers amounted to thirty thousand, of whom no less than ten thousand were cavalry. This was an arduous march because of the distance, heat and lack of water.

When the army reached Tabuk, the found no sign of the Emperor and his Army. The rumor that the Emperor had stationed a huge army and was planning an attack on Medina was false. This massive expedition, in the heat of the summer therefore was not necessary at all. Yet we see Allah, seemingly unaware of the situation issuing stern warnings against those who did not hearken to the call of Muhammad and preferred to stay behind. The obvious question is why instead of so many harsh verses Allah did not reveal to Muhammad the truth about the situation so to spare him and thousands of those who followed him the burden of a redundant expedition.

So taking advantage of the situation, he sent Khalid with a strong detachment to Duma who cowed the Jewish and Christian tribes on the shores of the Aelanitic Gulf to pledge their adherence to Muhammad and promise to pay the stipulated tax.  

The Christian prince of Ayla was brought to Muhammad. He bowed himself reverently and was received with kindness. Muhammad ordered Bilal to entertain him hospitably and wrote him the following unilateral treaty.

"To John ibn Rabah and the Chiefs of Aylah. Peace be on you! I praise God for you, beside whom there is no Lord. I will not fight against you until I have written thus unto you. Believe, or else pay tribute. And be obedient unto the Lord and his Prophet, and the messengers of his Prophet. Honour them and clothe them with excellent vestments, not with inferior raiment. Specially clothe Zeid with excellent garments. As long as my messengers are pleased, so likewise am I. Ye know the tribute. If ye desire to have security by sea and by land, obey the Lord and his Apostle, and he will defend you from every claim, whether by Arab or foreigner, saving the claim of the Lord and his Apostle. But if ye oppose and displease them, I will not accept from you a single thing, until I have fought against you and taken captive your little ones and slain the elder. For I am the Apostle of the Lord in truth. Believe in the Lord and in his Prophets, and in the Messiah, son of Mary; verily he is the Word of God: I believe in him that he was a messenger of God. Come then, before trouble reach you. I commend my messengers to you. Give to Harmala three measures of barley. And indeed Harmala hath interceded for you. As for me, if it were not for the Lord and for this (intercession), I would not have sent any message at all unto you, until ye had seen the army. But now, if ye obey my messengers, God will be your protector, and Mahomet, and whosoever belongeth unto him. Now my messengers are Sharahbil and Obey, and Harmala and Horeith ibn Zeid. Unto you is the guarantee of God and of Mahomet his Apostle, and peace be unto you if ye submit. And convey the people of Macna back to their land."  [K. Waqdi, 57 . Also Ibn Ishaq speaks of a similar treaty p. 400]

Then Muhammad presented John with a mantle of striped Yemen stuff, and dismissed him honorably and his tribe became a tributary to Muhammad.

Deputations from the Jewish settlements of Maqna, Adhruh, and Jarba, presented themselves before Muhammad and tendered their submission to him. To each was given a rescript, specifying the amount of their tribute, and offering them protection in exchange of them paying Muhammad cloths, slaves, cattle, arms a fourth of their dates, a fourth of the fish which they catch and a fourth of what their women spin and binding them to afford refuge and aid to any Muslim travelers or merchants who might stand in need of their good offices.

[Muir gives the gist of those treaties.  [First: Rescript given to the Bani Janbah, a Jewish tribe of Maqna, and to the people of Maqna (Maqna is near Ayla). Your messengers came unto me on their way home. Now when this my letter reacheth you, ye are safe under the guarantee of God and of his Apostle. Verily the Apostle hath forgiven you your faults and all your crimes: and unto you is vouchsafed the protection of God and his Apostle. There shall no oppression be practised against you. Verily the Apostle of God is your protector against all that he defendeth himself from. Now unto the Apostle of God belongeth the cloth that ye make, and every slave amongst you (?), and the cattle, and the arms, excepting what the Apostle or his messenger shall remit. Now after this condition, a fourth of your dates, and a fourth of the fish which ye capture in your rafts and 'a fourth of what your women spin, it will be incumbent upon you to pay: and thereafter ye shall be free from every other tax or demand. And if ye hearken and obey, the Prophet of God will be gracious unto the excellent amongst you, and will pardon the wicked. Now of the Moslems, whoso treateth the people of Maqna well, it shall be well for him, and whoso treateth them ill, it shall be ill for him. And there shall no chief be set over you, but one of yourselves, or one of the people of the Prophet. Peace be to you!" [K. Waqidi, p. 53].

Second. The following despatch was copied by Waqidi, apparently from the original : "In, the name of God, etc. This writing is from Muhammad the Prophet to the people of Adhruh,- to the effect that they are included in the truce of God and in the truce of Muhammad. They are to pay one hundred dinars every year, in Rajab, full weight and good money. And God is their guarantee that they shall behave towards the Muslims, with probity and kindness. And whoever of the Muslims taketh refuge with them from danger and in quest of assistance, in case there should be ground of fear for such Muslims, and they are themselves in security (they are to protect them) until they hear that Muhammad is preparing to set out (for their aid)." K. Waqidi 57.]

Muhammad remained about ten or twenty days at Tabuk, and after reducing these Jewish and Christian tribes to dhimmitude (tributaries of Muslims) returned to Medina . There was no sign of the Emperor or his Army was found. Thirty thousand people had marched this far for no reason at all. What Muhammad gained in this trip he could have gained with just a few hundred soldiers.

Despite Muhammad’s repeated disclaimer that he can’t perform miracles, Muslims are fond of inventing miracles and attributing them to him. Ibn Sa’d tells a story about this time that a deputation of Bani Fazara came to Muhammad complaining of the prevailing drought. He prayed for rain, and it rained without intermission, so that the sky was not seen for six whole days; then again at their entreaty he prayed that they might be relieved from the inundation, and forthwith "the clouds cleared off, as it had been a garment rolled up." [K. Waqidi, 58 ½.] These stories are so ludicrous. Here God is portrayed as a cruel and stupid being who first makes people suffer in draught and then obeys his messenger and opens up the gates of the heavenly waters but instead of giving the recipients of his favor with enough rain he inundates them with flood so they have to beseech his prophet once again to intercede and make him stop these nasty pranks. 

People who invented these tales were primitive and naïve. But what about those who still believe in these asinine stories?  We are talking of more than a billion people. Isn’t that insane?

Now any sane person would have issued an apology for such blunder. But Muhammad instead maligned those who did not accompany him in this futile expedition:

Those who were left behind (in the Tabuk expedition) rejoiced in their inaction behind the back of the Messenger of Allah: they hated to strive and fight, with their goods and their persons, in the cause of Allah: they said, "Go not forth in the heat." Say, "The fire of Hell is fiercer in heat." If only they could understand! [Q. 9:81]

The chapter nine that is the last chapter of the Quran in chronological order is full of vindictive verses against the disaffected “hypocrites”. This last chapter is replete with angry vituperations which is a tell tale of the deteriorating health of Muhammad and his physical discomfort. Gone are those quasi poetic verses that rhymed, characteristic of the Meccan early revelations. The Medinan verses are generally angry and harsh but the Sura nine is particularly a spiteful one.

As usual Muhammad refrained from making personal remarks. Instead de made his Allah to bring his ire on the “hypocrites” leaving no room for excuses.

The Hypocrites, men and women, (have an understanding) with each other: They enjoin evil, and forbid what is just, and are close with their hands. They have forgotten Allah; so He hath forgotten them. Verily the Hypocrites are rebellious and perverse.
Allah hath promised the Hypocrites men and women, and the rejecters, of Faith, the fire of Hell: Therein shall they dwell: Sufficient is it for them: for them is the curse of Allah, and an enduring punishment,-  [Q. 9: 67-68]

Amongst them are men who made a covenant with Allah, that if He bestowed on them of His bounty, they would give (largely) in charity, and be truly amongst those who are righteous.
But when He did bestow of His bounty, they became covetous, and turned back (from their covenant), averse (from its fulfilment). [Q. 9: 75-76]

The word SaDaQa translated as charity does not really mean charity in the sense that the English word implies. It means giving for the cause. As this verse makes it clear, the charity was not intended to be used for the poor and needy. In fact Muhammad reduced thousands of financially independent people into poverty by robbing their wealth and leaving them utterly dispossessed. Part of that stolen wealth was spent on his close friends and followers. But in this verse the intent is to donate in order to fund the warfare. As we can see Islamic “charity” has little to do with charity.

During the post 9/11 era, several so call Islamic charity organizations were caught funneling funds to terrorist organizations. This shocked many non-Muslims. But for Muslims this is not surprising at all. All those who give to Islamic charities know that the main beneficiaries of their “charities” are terrorist organizations that of course they see them as Mujahedeen or Muslim holy warriors.

Fighting in the way of Allah is deemed to be a great bounty and by supporting the Muslim fighters the believers hope to share their blessings.

In the following verse Muhammad chides the “hypocrites” who slander the believers that fund the war and offer their services.    

Those who slander such of the believers as give themselves freely to (deeds of) charity, as well as such as can find nothing to give except the fruits of their labour,- and throw ridicule on them,- Allah will throw back their ridicule on them: and they shall have a grievous penalty

Whether thou ask for their forgiveness, or not, (their sin is unforgivable): if thou ask seventy times for their forgiveness, Allah will not forgive them: because they have rejected Allah and His Messenger: and Allah guideth not those who are perversely rebellious. [Q. 9: 79-80]

Certain of the desert Arabs round about you are hypocrites, as well as (desert Arabs) among the Medina folk: they are obstinate in hypocrisy: thou knowest them not: We know them: twice shall We punish them: and in addition shall they be sent to a grievous penalty.

Others (there are who) have acknowledged their wrong-doings: they have mixed an act that was good with another that was evil. Perhaps Allah will turn unto them (in Mercy): for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [Q. 9: 101-102]

Return to Medina , Dec. 630.

When Muhammad reached Medina it was already December. Meanwhile Khalid had been dispatched to Duma across the desert, with four hundred twenty horsemen, the flower of the army.  It was clear moonlit night and the cavalry, led by Khalid, took Ukaydir, the Christian chief of Duma wholly by surprise while hunting with his followers and after killing his brother captured the chief. Then threatening to kill him, Khalid demands that the gates of Duma be at once opened. He ransoms the city at two thousand camels, eight hundred sheep, and four hundred suits of mail, and as many stand of arms. With this booty and carrying Ukaydir and another brother of him as captives, Khalid rushed back to Medina . Duma was at 10 to 15 days distance to Medina .    

Ukaydir was carried through the streets of Medina while wearing his silken and velvet dress lined with gold and his golden cross necklace. The Muslims greatly admired it. Muhammad then told them that in paradise they will have better clothing that that.  When the chief was brought to Muhammad, he demanded him to embrace Islam or be killed. The argument proved to be too compelling for the Christian chief to resist and he submitted to Islam at once.

However as soon as the news of the death of Muhammad reached Ukaydir, he revolted and left Islam again.

 [The original text of the “treaty” as seen by Waqidi is as follow:  "In the name of God, etc ; - from Muhammad the Prophet of God to Ukaydir (when he accepted Islam and put away from him the images and idols, by the hand of Khalid, the Sword of God,) regarding Duma of the waters of Jandal and its environs: To Mahomet belongeth the unoccupied land with its streams and fountains, its unenclosed and fallow ground, and the armor, weapons, camels, and forts; and to you belongeth the occupied land with the fruit-bearing date-trees, and springs of water, after payment of the fifth. Your cattle shall not be molested in grazing on the waste lands; that which is ordinarily exempt from tithe (farida) shall not be taxed; the old date-trees shall not be taxed, excepting the tenth thereof: so as that they observe prayer regularly, and pay the tithes faithfully. A true and faithful treaty. God is witness thereto, and all that are present of the Moslems."K. Waqidi p. 56]

As the tenor of these treaties show, Muhammad took these cities by force and under duress and pain of genocide of all the men and enslavement of their women and children imposed on them a protection fee. It is obvious that in no ways Muhammad was any different from the mafia godfathers operating during the 1930s in Chicago . Regarding Islam as a religion of God is an insult to human intelligence and if one believes in God, it is nothing short of blasphemy.

A few however confessed their “sin” of laziness without making excuses. To these Muhammad was more lenient.

There are (yet) others, held in suspense for the command of Allah, whether He will punish them, or turn in mercy to them: and Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.
[Q. 9: 106]

These verses refer to the poet Kab ibn Malik and two other devout Muslims who did not accompany Muhammad, confessed to their sin and pleaded for forgiveness without making any excuses.

Muhammad hold this group in a state of incommunicado for fifty days, disallowing anyone to speak to them and even ordered them not to cohabit with their wives. But after fifty days he forgave them and wrote the following verses instructing them to buy their redemption from him by paying gifts of “charity” to him.

Of their goods, take alms, that so thou mightest purify and sanctify them; and pray on their behalf. Verily thy prayers are a source of security for them: And Allah is One Who heareth and knoweth.
Know they not that Allah doth accept repentance from His votaries and receives their gifts of charity, and that Allah is verily He, the Oft-Returning, Most Merciful? [Q. 9: 103-104]

I’ll talk about Kab ibn Malik in the chapter Religious Fanaticism.

In this Surah there is also a reference to a Mosque that Muhammad ordered to be destroyed. It is said that when Muhammad was preparing to go to Tabuk, a party from Qoba came to him and told him that they had built a new Mosque there and invited him to visit them and consecrate the mosque with his presence. Muhammad deferred the visit to after his return from Tabuk. However before he fulfill his promise, he received information that the Mosque was built with a sectarian and hostile bias, to draw off men from the original Mosque at Qoba, and even to afford shelter to certain disaffected persons. Now this seems to be unlikely. If these people were hostile to Muhammad, why would they build a Mosque and why would they invite him to consecrate it. It seem more logical to believe that they were victims of slander and malice and those of the main Mosque had maligned them out of jealousy.

However, Muhammad did not investigate, “He called two of his followers and said, 'Go to this mosque, whose people are unrighteous; destroy it; burn it.' So they departed in haste and took a blazing date‑branch to the mosque. Although there were people in it, they burned and destroyed it.” Then he gave the following utterance:

And there are those who put up a mosque by way of mischief and infidelity - to disunite the Believers - and in preparation for one who warred against Allah and His Messenger aforetime. They will indeed swear that their intention is nothing but good; But Allah doth declare that they are certainly liars.
Never stand thou forth therein. There is a mosque whose foundation was laid from the first day on piety; it is more worthy of the standing forth (for prayer) therein. In it are men who love to be purified; and Allah loveth those who make themselves pure.
Which then is best? - he that layeth his foundation on piety to Allah and His good pleasure? - or he that layeth his foundation on an undermined sand-cliff ready to crumble to pieces? and it doth crumble to pieces with him, into the fire of Hell. And Allah guideth not people that do wrong.
The foundation of those who so build is never free from suspicion and shakiness in their hearts, until their hearts are cut to pieces. And Allah is All-Knowing, Wise. [Q. 9: 107-110]

These are all indications of the severity of the psychological distortion of the mind of Muhammad. These are all indications that he was paranoid and acted upon slightest suspicion of disaffection. 

About two months after the return of Muhammad from Tabuk, Abdallah ibn Ubaya, the leader of the disaffected citizens at Medina , died. With him also died the disaffected party. After him there was no one left with his stature and influence to express independence of thought. Immediately after the death of their leader, the disaffected party threw away their opposition and heartily joined the cause of Muhammad in order to avoid his wrath.

The campaign to Tabuk was the last expedition undertaken during the Muhammad lifetime. By then the entire Arabia had falling in his control and the Roman threat proved to be a false alarm. Muslims then started selling their arms and telling each other that the wars of Islam are over.  When this reached the ears of Muhammad he said”

 “A section of my community will continue to fight for the right and overcome their opponents till the last of them fights with the Antichrist.” [Sunan Abu Dawoud Book 14, Number 2478]

Today Muslims follow the Quran, the examples set by their prophet and this tradition. The wars of Islam have never ended and they will not end. As long as people believe in Islam, these religious wars will continue and the world will not know peace.

 Tayif’s continued resistance

Despite the fact that by end of Tabuk expedition almost all the Arab tribes had succumbed and surrendered to Islam, the people of Taif remained steadfast in their disbelief. As the readers may recall Urwa was one of the chiefs of Taif who acted as one of the ambassadors of the Quriash to the Muslims camp in Hudaibiyah and there he was impressed by the reverence that the Muslims showed to their prophet equating ther zealotry and devotion to the greatness of Muhammad and the truth of his cause he was sympathetic towards Islam.

When Muhammad’s army laid a siege on his town Taif during February 630, Urwa was in Yemen . After he returned and learned everyone but his own people had converted to Islam he went to Medina and made the profession of faith to Muhammad. Then he decided to go back and teach Islam to his people. The tradition says that this he did despite Muhammad’s warning that he would be killed, which he brushed off saying that his people love him and would not hurt him. Upon his return to Tayif, he announced his conversion publicly and on the next morning he climbed the roof of his house making the call to prayer. An inhabitant of the town who was irate of this provocative and insolent behavior of Urwa threw an arrow that wounded him on the arm and cause his death. Urwa is regarded as a martyr and Muhammad compared him to Prophet Yasin who was rejected by his people and martyred.

Urwa is a typical image of a man of faith with little intelligence. His first error was to assume Muhammad was a prophet because of the reverence his followers showed him. In logics this is called argumentum ad populum. It is a logical fallacy to assume an argument, a cause is true because it is popular and some or many people deem it reverentially. Cult leaders are often revered by their followers. They are considered to be super humans and a piece of divine fallen from the sky.

Once in my neighborhood market, I saw his flyer pinned to the billboard. It was an invitation to attend the talks of John de Ruiter, a new age guru from Canada whom some of his followers reckon to be "bigger than Jesus". It read:

 “John de Ruiter: Master of transformation; living embodiment and teacher of Truth.” 

And;

“Through the living essence of Truth emanating from his words and from his presence, John de Ruiter awakens what our hearts most long for…”

But the fact is that John de Ruiter is none of the above. He is a mentally disturbed man with stupidest talks and a very licentious and adulterous life style. His followers know about his orgies with a couple of trimmed young sisters who are his followers and they do not mind it at all.

For those who cannot see a mentally disturbed man behind the de Ruiter’s eyes a quick review of his writings reveal the confusion and incoherence of his thoughts. Words are jumbled in tautological statements and hollow speeches that leave the listener gasping for meaning while the redundancy of vibrant terms such as "Truth" and "consciousness" subliminally suggests that something very profound is being uttered whose full meaning eludes the ken of the listener. But after reading a few of his speeches, after getting over his vacuous catchphrases and mulling over their contents one learns that there is nothing to be learned from them.

The curt and self-assured assertions of John de Ruiter have an uncanny resemblance to the forceful verses of the Quran, and perhaps those who think Quran is a miracle; will find de Ruiter's asinine and void styling much to their liking.

Urwa and many other Arabs were endowed with primitive brains and no logical thoughts. What was the proof that Muhammad was the messenger of God? All he needed to become impressed was the adulation that his benighted followers had for him. By that token the lunatic John de Ruiter, Jim Jones and David Koresh must also be Messiahs for their followers have a very high opinion of them. As a matter of fact even the followers of Charles Manson, the psychopath criminal, revered him and thought he was a divine incarnation.

Today’s Muslims revere Muhammad and believe in Islam for the same reasons that Urwa and his contemporaries did. Each man lays his faith on the faith of others convincing himself “if all these people believe then it must be true”. Hence a billion people follow blindly each other and not a single one of them stops to question the validity of his or her belief.

After Urwa gullibly embraced Islam, he went back to his town and declared his faith to a man that less than a year ago had laid siege of that town, burnt its vineyards and had planned to destroy it. Urwa, in the eyes of the people of Tayif was a traitor. He was not killed for his beliefs. As I said it before, the Arabs were not intolerant of people’s beliefs. Arabia prior to Islam was an ecumenical society. People of all faiths professed and practiced their religion freely and the religious intolerance was unheard of. Urwa was shot for siding with the enemy of Tayif, for arrogantly climbing on the roof and giving a loud cry calling people to prayer when no one in that town, except he, was a believer. If Urwa wanted to pray, he could have entered in his own room and pray. But he wanted to make a show of his conversion, thumb his nose at those who had lost their vineyards and the source of their livelihood. Whom was he calling to prayer? Shouldn’t he have first convinced people of the truth of Islam, win their adherence and then call them to prayer? Urwa dies of his own stupidity and his typical Islamic arrogance.

However, the killing of Urwa was not planned. The arrow was thrown by one who probably had lost his vineyards and could not withhold his anger. But this killing compromised the inhabitants of Tayif. They had been for almost a year taunted by the marauding attacks of their former allies the Bani Hawazin under Malik. Malik, who was once a friend and an ally of Tayif and who was sheltered by them when he was on the run from Muhammad’s army was now a Muslim and had turned against them. Malik’s people had suffered defeat in the hand of Muhammad, many of them, including women and children were killed by his men and all their belongings were plundered. But Malik himself became the recipient of the Prophet’s “generosity”. When his people lost twenty four thousand camels and all their flock and belongings, Malik received one hundred camels and his position as the chief of his tribe was restored. In gratitude of this personal favor, he forgot about the suffering that Muhammad had inflicted on his people and threw his dice in his lot, joining the prophet’s marauding activities. This was the fastest way for him and his tribe to recoup the plundered property.  Malik, according to his engagement,  maintained an unceasing predatory warfare against Tayif. He cut off their cattle in their pasture lands, and at their watering places; and at last no man was safe beyond the walls of the city.

The people of Taif realized they are fighting a lost war. The conversion of Urwa was a wake up call. They realized that they will have no safety unless they submit to Muhammad and pledge their allegiance to him. A deputation consisting of six chiefs and fifteen citizens went to Medina to announce their readiness to accept Islam.

Mughira the nephew of the slain Urwa who was at the time attending to Muhammad’s camels recognized them in the outskirts of Medina and rushed to Muhammad to inform him of the arrival of the strangers. Muhammad was glad of the news and pitched tents for the accommodation of his guest. During their stay, Muhammad visited them every evening and instructed them about his religion.

They expressed their readiness to embrace Islam but pleaded with Muhammad to allow them to hold unto their great idol Taghia for three more years. They argued the immediate destruction of the idol would affect the feelings of the weak and the women and also asked to be excused from saying prayers. “These three years would allow us to instruct the people about Islam and wean them from their idolatry gradually.” They argued. But Muhammad did not accept. Then they bargained for two years,--- one year, - six months, one month and Muhammad refused to budge. “Islam and the idol cannot coexist,” said Muhammad “The idol must be destroyed without a single day's delay.” They then begged to be excused from destroying their idol with their own hands. Muhammad dispensed with that but ordered that they should perform the prayers. “Without prayer, religion would be nothing” he said. “In that case," said they, "we shall perform it, though it is a degradation!"

After these negotiations and giving the adherence to Islam on behalf of the whole population, the party was dismissed with a rescript to this effect, - “neither the trees nor the wild animals of Wajj should be intermeddled with. Whoever was found transgressing there should be scourged, and his garments seized. If he transgressed again, he was to be sent to the Prophet. This is the command of Mahomet the Apostle of God." [Sira p. 412]

Abu Sofian and Mughira, were then deputed by Muhammad to accompany the emissaries and destroy their idol. Mughira, guarded by his close relatives, hewed the icon to the ground with a pick-axe while the women wailed and lamented.  Then he took the jewels and spoils of the temple to defray the blood money of his uncle Urwa.

Pilgrimage. March A.D. 631

By March 631, the time for pilgrimage had arrived.  Muhammad did not go but he sent Abu Bakr who took three hundred pilgrims with himself. Shortly after his departure Muhammad wrote the first part of the Surah nine and commissioned Ali to reach Mecca and publish it to the pilgrims.

This Surah is known as Taubah (Repentance) and the first part of it is known as Baraat (Release; Liberty ; Deliverance). It is called Taubah because it alludes to the repentance of Kab in Malik and the other two Muslims who did not go to Tabuk (vv. 102. 118) and Baraat because in the opening verses of this Surah Muhammad announces unilaterally that he is no more bound by any treaty. He assigns a four month period of grace for the pagans to embrace Islam and after that it would be open season on them.

Towards the end of the pilgrimage on they day that the animals were sacrificed, (20th March, 6310 Ali stood before pilgrims and read load to the multitude who crowded around him the divine decree as follows:

001
A (declaration) of immunity from Allah and His Messenger, to those of the Pagans with whom ye have contracted mutual alliances:-
002
Go ye, then, for four months, backwards and forwards, (as ye will), throughout the land, but know ye that ye cannot frustrate Allah (by your falsehood) but that Allah will cover with shame those who reject Him.
003
And an announcement from Allah and His Messenger, to the people (assembled) on the day of the Great Pilgrimage,- that Allah and His Messenger dissolve (treaty) obligations with the Pagans. If then, ye repent, it were best for you; but if ye turn away, know ye that ye cannot frustrate Allah. And proclaim a grievous penalty to those who reject Faith.
004
(But the treaties are) not dissolved with those Pagans with whom ye have entered into alliance and who have not subsequently failed you in aught, nor aided any one against you. So fulfil your engagements with them to the end of their term: for Allah loveth the righteous.
005
But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, an seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practise regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.
006
If one amongst the Pagans ask thee for asylum, grant it to him, so that he may hear the word of Allah; and then escort him to where he can be secure. That is because they are men without knowledge.
007
How can there be a league, before Allah and His Messenger, with the Pagans, except those with whom ye made a treaty near the sacred Mosque? As long as these stand true to you, stand ye true to them: for Allah doth love the righteous.
008
How (can there be such a league), seeing that if they get an advantage over you, they respect not in you the ties either of kinship or of covenant? With (fair words from) their mouths they entice you, but their hearts are averse from you; and most of them are rebellious and wicked.
009
The Signs of Allah have they sold for a miserable price, and (many) have they hindered from His way: evil indeed are the deeds they have done.
010
011
But (even so), if they repent, establish regular prayers, and practise regular charity,- they are your brethren in Faith: (thus) do We explain the Signs in detail, for those who understand.
012
But if they violate their oaths after their covenant, and taunt you for your Faith,- fight ye the chiefs of Unfaith: for their oaths are nothing to them: that thus they may be restrained.
013
Will ye not fight people who violated their oaths, plotted to expel the Messenger, and took the aggressive by being the first (to assault) you? Do ye fear them? Nay, it is Allah Whom ye should more justly fear, if ye believe!
014
Fight them, and Allah will punish them by your hands, cover them with shame, help you (to victory) over them, heal the breasts of Believers,
015
And still the indignation of their hearts. For Allah will turn (in mercy) to whom He will; and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.
016
Or think ye that ye shall be abandoned, as though Allah did not know those among you who strive with might and main, and take none for friends and protectors except Allah, His Messenger, and the (community of) Believers? But Allah is well-acquainted with (all) that ye do.
017
It is not for such as join gods with Allah, to visit or maintain the mosques of Allah while they witness against their own souls to infidelity. The works of such bear no fruit: In Fire shall they dwell.
018
The mosques of Allah shall be visited and maintained by such as believe in Allah and the Last Day, establish regular prayers, and practice regular charity, and fear none (at all) except Allah. It is they who are expected to be on true guidance.
009.023
O ye who believe! take not for protectors your fathers and your brothers if they love infidelity above Faith: if any of you do so, they do wrong.
024
Say: If it be that your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your mates, or your kindred; the wealth that ye have gained; the commerce in which ye fear a decline: or the dwellings in which ye delight - are dearer to you than Allah, or His Messenger, or the striving in His cause;- then wait until Allah brings about His decision: and Allah guides not the rebellious.
025
Assuredly Allah did help you in many battle-fields and on the day of Hunain: Behold! your great numbers elated you, but they availed you naught: the land, for all that it is wide, did constrain you, and ye turned back in retreat.
026
But Allah did pour His calm on the Messenger and on the Believers, and sent down forces which ye saw not: He punished the Unbelievers; thus doth He reward those without Faith.
027
Again will Allah, after this, turn (in mercy) to whom He will: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.
028
O ye who believe! Truly the Pagans are unclean; so let them not, after this year of theirs, approach the Sacred Mosque. And if ye fear poverty, soon will Allah enrich you, if He wills, out of His bounty, for Allah is All-knowing, All-wise.
029
Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.
030
The Jews call 'Uzair a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say. Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth!
031
They take their priests and their anchorites to be their lords in derogation of Allah, and (they take as their Lord) Christ the son of Mary; yet they were commanded to worship but One Allah: there is no god but He. Praise and glory to Him: (Far is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him).
032
Fain would they extinguish Allah's light with their mouths, but Allah will not allow but that His light should be perfected, even though the Unbelievers may detest (it).
033
It is He Who hath sent His Messenger with guidance and the Religion of Truth, to proclaim it over all religion, even though the Pagans may detest (it).
034
O ye who believe! there are indeed many among the priests and anchorites, who in Falsehood devour the substance of men and hinder (them) from the way of Allah. And there are those who bury gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah: announce unto them a most grievous penalty-
035
On the Day when heat will be produced out of that (wealth) in the fire of Hell, and with it will be branded their foreheads, their flanks, and their backs, their flanks, and their backs.- "This is the (treasure) which ye buried for yourselves: taste ye, then, the (treasures) ye buried!"
036
The number of months in the sight of Allah is twelve (in a year)- so ordained by Him the day He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are sacred: that is the straight usage. So wrong not yourselves therein, and fight the Pagans all together as they fight you all together. But know that Allah is with those who restrain themselves.
037
Verily the transposing (of a prohibited month) is an addition to Unbelief: the Unbelievers are led to wrong thereby: for they make it lawful one year, and forbidden another year, in order to adjust the number of months forbidden by Allah and make such forbidden ones lawful. The evil of their course seems pleasing to them. But Allah guideth not those who reject Faith.

Chronologically, the verse 1-37 are the very last verses of the Quran. They even postdate the verses 38-72 that were written prior to the Campaign of Tabuk were Muhammad urges the believers to take active part in Jihad, and the loiters and the disaffected are severely rebuked for holding back their wealth and for hesitating to sacrifice their lives because of their hypocrisy and negligence. They also postdate the verses 73-I29 that were written after Muhammad returned from Tabuk where he chides the “hypocrites” and those who had stayed behind. The Surah was written on separate times and refer to different occasions. However they are all jumbled together in one Surah and that is what makes it confused and incoherent.  

Chronologically, the first discourse “Baraat” should have come last, but nothing in the Quran obeys the chronological order.  

 In this declaration (vv. 1-3), Muhammad announces that from now on he is not bound to honor any of his treaties with the pagans and allowed a four month period of grace so they can “repent” and submit to him or face his wrath and suffer “grievous penalty.”

This Surah also shows the mental instability of Muhammad during his last years of life. As the readers recall Muhammad had been poisoned in Khaibar and since then he was in pain and his health was deteriorating. His physical malaise had an adverse effect on his mental faculty and state of mind. There is a tradition where Aisha is reported saying:

“Magic was worked on Allah's Apostle so that he used to think that he had sexual relations with his wives while he actually had not.”

 [Bukhari Volume 7, Book 71, Number 660]

Obviously Muhammad was schizophrenic since his early youth, but from the Quran we can also deduce that after poisoning his health had been deteriorating rapidly.

In the verse 4 Muhammad reverses his statement made in verse 3 and says he would fulfill his engagement with those with whom he has entered into alliance to the end of their term.

It is not clear who are those pagans whose treaties will not be honored and who are those with whom Muhammad has entered into alliance and whose treaties will be honored until the end of their term. It seems that on one hand he is trying to portray himself as a man who honors his word and on the other he leaves the door open to act arbitrarily and do as he wills. 

However he instructs his followers to fight and slay the pagans wherever they find them after the lapse of the four months of respite, unless they submit to Islam, establish prayers and pay their tributes.

Then in verse 7 he justifies the breach of the treaties with the Pagans because he claims that the Pagans would break their covenants. In reality what Muhammad is doing is projecting his own weakness on his opponents. He is showing the signs of paranoia and rationalizes his dishonorable actions by accusing his victims of the potential treachery.  These are all sings of schizophrenia which I shall discuss in detail in the chapter dedicated to Muhammad’s psychological state.

In verse 10 he accuses that his enemies do not respect their ties either of kinship or of covenant and blames them for transgressing the bounds.

As we sow throughout this biography of his, it is Muhammad and who can be accused of the above. However by blaming the disbelievers he rationalized his harsh treatments of them and in typical Islamic mindset, blames the victims of his own sins.

Then he instructs his followers to fight until the unbelievers embrace Islam and pay the tithes, but if any Muslim recants, then they should fight him. In this discourse Muhammad justifies fighting with the disaffected because they “break their oath”. But ironically this discourse is about Muhammad himself declaring his liberty in breaking his own oaths.

Dr. Sam Vaknin the author of Malignant Self Love describes the Vindictive Narcissists as follow:

“Narcissists live in a state of constant rage, repressed aggression, envy and hatred. They firmly believe that everyone else is precisely like them. As a result, they are paranoid, suspicious, scared, labile, and unpredictable.” [http://www.mental-health-matters.com/articles/print.php?artID=192]

Muhammad in these verses encourages his followers to fight those who disagree with him, and orders them that Allah will punish the disbelievers by hand of the believers and will cover them with shame. No Muslim ever asks why? Can’t Allah punish his enemies on his own? Why he asks the believer to act as mercenaries? Amazingly, 1400 years later and with over a billion Muslims alive, this simple question does not occur to Muslims at all. Those few, who think about it, leave Islam at once. 

Then after assuring the believers that their services of “might and main” will be recorded and rewarded by Allah he ordered that the pagans are no more allowed to visit or maintain the Kaba and “in Fire shall they dwell”.

In the verse 23 he forbade the Muslims to take as “wali” (protector, friend) the infidels, even though they may be the fathers and brothers of the believers, and warned those who preferred their own loved ones to him and his cause, of Gods retribution.  

In the verse 28 and 29, he stated that the Pagans are unclean and prohibited them from approaching the Sacred Mosque of Kaba after this year and ordered the Muslims to fight the unbelievers and charge the penalty tax from the people of the book after making them feel subdued and humiliated.

In the verses that follow, he accuses the Jews and Christians of taking partners to God, for example Jews call Ezra the son of God and the Christians call Christ the son of God. Now of course Muhammad’s knowledge of Judaism was minimal. The Jews never regarded Ezra as the Son of God. Then he curse them and continued with his harangue berating the Jews and the Christians for trying to extinguish the light of God.  

These verses are basically Muhammad’s ultimatum to the unbelievers. They were to accept Islam or else. The Jews and the Christians could continue in their faith but they had to pay a fine and remain in a perpetual vassalage. With this declaration, Muhammad parted from the Jews and Christians whom he had so intensely tried to cajole with vain profession of attachment to their sacred books, from which he has borrowed the tales of the prophets and his own prophetic concept. Having reached the pinnacle of power, he had no more need of the support of Jews and Christians and contemptuously reviled them as polytheists and blasphemers for taking partners to God.

In numerous places Muhammad elevates himself al par with Allah demanding obedience and love to Allah and his Messenger. [002.285; 003.031; 003.032; 004.013; 004.069; 005.092; 008.001; 008.046;  009.071; 024.047; 024.052; 024.054; 033.033; 047.033; 058.013; 064.012] So in reality he assumes the role of the partner of God. In verse 8: 1 he says the “spoils are at the disposal of Allah and the Messenger”. Why would the almighty God of this universe need spoils plundered from helpless people? It seems that Allah was a very convenient excuse for Muhammad, to demand, love, obedience, power and spoils of war from his benighted followers, who foolishly sacrificed their lives to procure him his narcissistic supplies. 

This was the last year that the pagans were allowed to perform pilgrimage in Mecca . For thousands of years the Pagans had the control of the Kaba and they had allowed people of all creeds to worship there and no one was discriminated for differences in faith. In fact they did not bar even Muhammad and his men despite their contempt of their deities housed there. No one was shunned and no one was called “unclean”. All that changed when Muhammad took possession of Mecca . All these spiteful and censorious practices of the Arabs and Muslims are the result of Muhammad’s teachings.

The verses 14, which contains an exhortation to fight against those who expelled Muhammad from their city (i.e. the Meccans,) and the verse  37 may not have belonged to this discourse. In the verse 37 Muhammad eliminates the intercalary month of the lunar calendar. The lunar years are eleven days shorter than the solar years. So every three years, the Arabs inserted an extra month in their year to catch up with the solar year. In his utterly lack of wisdom, Muhammad eliminated the intercalary months 

After Ali read this edict of intolerance and the declaration of freedom to oppress the weak, the concourse of pilgrims broke quietly and each went to his home informing the rest of the new decrees that they had heard and religious intolerance in Arabia was born in that day. And as Islam was the, universal faith intended for all mankind, so the mission was now plainly set forth fight and the unbelievers and impose Islam through the sacred war. The war that they humanity is waging today against Islamic terrorism is a war that was instigated 1400 years ago by the prophet of Islam. It will never end unless the world is sub

Dr. M. Khan the translator of Sahih Bukhari and the Quran into English writes:

"Allah revealed in Sura Bara'at [the order to discard (all) obligations (covenants, etc), and commanded the Muslims to fight against all the Pagans as well as against the people of the Scriptures (Jews and Christians) if they do not embrace Islam, till they pay the Jizia (a tax levied on the Jews and Christians) with willing submission and feel themselves subdued (as it is revealed in 9:29). So the Muslims were not permitted to abandon "the fighting" against them (Pagans, Jews and Christians) and to reconcile with them and to suspend hostilities against them for an unlimited period while they are strong and have the ability to fight against them. So at first "the fighting" was forbidden, then it was permitted, and after that it was made obligatory  "[Introduction to English translation of Sahih Bukhari, p.xxiv.]