I am writing this on March 6th, 1429 AH.

It’s been 1, 428 years since the Prophet received a vision telling him to leave his hometown of Mecca and lead his followers on a pilgrimage to Medina. This crucial event, the Hijra, set up the conditions for Islam to catapult onto the world stage within centuries.

The evolution of Islam from Muhammad to modern day suicide bombers is long and convoluted. The facts presented on traditional Western media sources are often colored by the images of war and conflict.

What is the real story here? Is there any difference between “Radical Islam” and Islam as Muhammad intended?

The Way of the Prophet

Theoretically, there should be no disconnect between Muhammad’s actions and those of his followers. Muslims view reality within the context of the Sunnah, “the Way of the Prophet”, which is basically the sum total of all Muhammad said and did in his lifetime. It should also be noted that Muhammad was adamant about the fact that nothing he said or did was novel, but rather a continuation of the practices begun by Abraham, and forgotten by Abraham’s descendants.

Islamic Law is known as Shariah. The specific laws and injunctions of Shariah have historically been based on four essential sources: The Quran, the Sunnah, the consensus of Islamic scholars (the Ulema), and analytical reasoning. A ruling on Sharia as decided upon by the Ulema, is called a fatwa. In modern times the most controversial fatwa was issued by Osama bin Laden in 1996 AD. This fatwa called for violence against Americans for their involvement in various Muslim countries, and for their support of Israel.

The current phenomenon of Radical Islam and the Western War on Terror, find their source in bin Laden’s fatwa. Now, if the actions demanded by a fatwa are supposed to align with the actions of Muhammad, than surely we should be able to find justification for this fatwa by reviewing Muhammad’s life.

The Life of Muhammad

Muhammad was born in the city of Mecca, in the land of Arabia, in 570 AD. His parents died when he was a child, and so it was his uncle who raised him. At the time, Mecca was the hotspot for trade in Arabia, and Muhammad’s uncle made sure to teach him all the skills he would need to know to be successful. Successful he was, and word quickly spread of his tact and his diplomatic skills. After hearing much about this man, a prestigious businesswoman named Khadijah hired him, and it was only a matter of time before they married. For almost two decades they enjoyed their business, their children, and a peaceful marriage.

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Then came the fateful night when, after years of consistent meditation in the same mountain cave, Muhammad was contacted by a supernatural being. This being, which referred to itself as the angel Gabriel, implored Muhammad to listen and to write what it had to say. Muhammad got so freaked out that he immediately ran home to tell Khadijah that he was going crazy. After hearing all the details of the event, Khadijah began to suspect that her husband might actually have had a genuine religious experience. She then convinced him that it would be to his benefit to return to the mountain where he received the revelation, and to prepare himself just in case the angel wanted to speak with him again. Muhammad did just that, and sure enough Gabriel began a conversation that continued until Muhammad’s death.

It was only a matter of time before Muhammad took the angel’s message onto the streets of Mecca. This of course is where the controversy begins. In the center of Mecca was a large black stone, the Kaaba, where travelers from all over Arabia would come to pray to various gods of their liking. One day, Muhammad wandered into this area and began informing everyone that worship of multiple gods was false due to the fact that there was only one God. Although this did not make him very popular, he nonetheless managed to attract followers from the young and the poor.

Over the next ten years Muhammad’s flock grew in size, as did his opposition. Violence against Muslims was becoming more frequent, and several followers were murdered. Muhammad’s patience with the situation finally broke when in 619 AD both his wife and his uncle died from natural causes. Having lost the two most important people in his life, and faced with what seemed an impossible uphill battle in Mecca, Muhammad and his followers emigrated to Medina.

While in Medina, Muhammad commanded his followers to begin ambush attacks on Meccan caravans for food and other supplies. These attacks escalated until the battle of Badr where the Muslims, outnumbered three to one, somehow managed to be victorious against the Meccans. For years armed conflict between the two cities continued. In 628 AD, heeding the orders of the angel Gabriel, Muhammad traveled to Mecca with over a thousand followers to visit the Kaaba. Although they were greeted by armed forces, Muhammad was able to negotiate a deal that stated that the Muslims would be allowed to make the same pilgrimage every year, and that the ongoing conflict should be immediately halted.

This agreement lasted for two years and was broken when Meccans led a surprise raid on Muslim allies. In retaliation Muhammad summoned a force of over ten thousand men to march on Mecca. They conquered the city with little blood shed, and immediately destroyed all the statues and idols at the Kaaba. Due to Mecca’s prominent economic status, this victory effectively brought Arabia under Muhammad’s jurisdiction. Muhammad died from natural causes in 632 AD. Roughly a century after his death, Islam had spread to the Atlantic Ocean and the edge of India.

Jihad

After reviewing Muhammad’s life it becomes obvious that violence was seen as a perfectly acceptable means to an end. Obviously for Muhammad the only end in sight was the spread of Islam, the spread of the angel Gabriel’s message to all people who had not heard it. Muhammad’s faith in the necessity of this future was so strong that by the sheer force of his personality he was able to inspire thousands of followers to risk their life for his message. The speed at which Islam grew in its early years is a testament to Muhammad’s faith, and his followers’ belief in his authenticity.

Fast-forward to 9/11/2001 AD and we are left with the question of whether bin Laden’s fatwa is helping to achieve Muhammad’s main goal. If it is not, than surely bin Laden has altered and adulterated Islam, has created a new religion under the guise of Islam. The key to clarifying this is found in the concept of jihad.

Within the classical Islamic Jurisprudence, jihad is usually taken to mean military exertion against non-Muslim combatants in the defense or expansion of the Islamic state, the ultimate purpose of which is to establish a universal Islamic state. Jihad, the only form of warfare permissible in Islamic law, may be declared against non-Muslims who refuse to convert to Islam or submit to Islamic rule. Jihad is perpetual in nature; in theory, there can be no permanent peace with non-Muslim states, only truces that can be repudiated when circumstances become favorable for the resumption of hostilities. (Source)

As this definition makes all too clear, early in the history of Islam it was decided that Muhammad’s message would inevitably have to be spread to all corners of the earth. It can be said that the current War on Terror was inevitable – the moment Muhammad decided that violence would be an effective way to spread his message, he also must have known that his followers and their descendants would replicate his actions. But can we blame Muhammad? Was any of this even his decision? He never once admitted to being divine, only a mouthpiece for the divine. In his story we find an ordinary human being stumbling upon something huge that completely sideswiped his destiny, or at least what he thought was his destiny.

When examining the parallels between the struggle of the Middle East with the U.S. and the struggle of Muhammad vs. Mecca, its easy to see how bin Laden concluded that his fatwa was perfectly in line with Islamic tradition – bin Laden has been all too clear about what he perceives as America’s overbearing influence in Muslim countries, whether through economic, military, or cultural means. He’s right, we’re a superpower and in a globalized world this clash of cultures is inevitable.

However, it is my own opinion that if Islam is to survive until 2000 A.H., it needs to completely follow in the footsteps of Muhammad. Yes, Muhammad often reacted with violence to the aggression of the Meccans, but despite it all he had the courage to march on Mecca and negotiate a peace treaty with his enemies, with the people he had labeled idolaters. The definition of jihad as defined above was created after the death of Muhammad, he had no say in it, much like Jesus had no say in the Spanish Inquisition, or the Crusades.

In light of these facts, bin Laden’s fatwa is null and void – it is not absolutely in line with the Sunnah, the deeds of Muhammad. Radical Islam is an adulterated version of Islam. It is a false religion. It’s goal of establishing a global Islamic State via violence has backfired by convincing its enemy that Islam is a religion based on hatred.

A true Muslim, in perfect imitation of Muhammad, would advocate peace in the form of a treaty, and use violence only as a last resort.

Images Used in this Post

The Kabbah image courtesy of flickr user fezan_raza2008 published under the CC license.

Sand Dune, Thar Desert, India image courtesy of flickr user BURNBLUE published under the CC license.

Images from 9/11 image courtesy of flickr user macten published under the CC license.