Before going into Muhammad's history, a quick review of the sources is necessary. The Qur'an is the main basis of Islamic teaching, yet it contains very little information on Muhammad and is not biographical in nature. We must consult additional sources, like as the Hadith and the Sira literature, to discover more about Muhammad.
The Hadith are thematically organized collections of Muhammad's sayings and acts. The authors' intention was to outline what Muslims ought to do in a specific circumstance based on the example provided by their prophet. The literature of the Sira was very distinct. Since sira writers frequently strove to provide comprehensive histories of Muhammad's life, these texts are strikingly comparable to contemporary biographies.
The main Hadith collections were produced more than two centuries after the life of Muhammad, and even the earliest work of Sira that is still in existence, Sirat Rasul Allah by Ibn Ishaq, was composed more than a century after Muhammad (and Muslims themselves typically reject this source). As a result, neither a comprehensive historical record written within a century of the Islamic prophet nor a source that was widely believed to be reliable within two centuries exist. Given this gap in time, many aspects of Muhammad's life are uncertain, and some academics claim that we can learn very little about him (or even that he existed).
The Crimes OF Muhammad.
Muhammad purposefully enticed individuals to Islam by offering them war booty. 'Are you disturbed in mind because of the good things of this life by which I win over a people that they may become Muslims while I entrust you to your Islam,' he responded when criticised for the way he distributed his newly discovered wealth. iv
Muhammad patiently endured the persecution in Mecca, but as his followers increased in Medina, he quickly developed a different outlook. He would soon accept no criticism at all. Our earliest biographical source claims that a poet by the name of Abu Afak, who was over a century old, penned a poem denouncing people for converting to Islam.
Muhammad also used violence against many communities. 'I will drive the Jews and Christians from the Arabian Peninsula and will not leave any but Muslims,' Muhammad once declared to his followers. The Jews of Qurayza resisted Muhammad and made an effort to band together to oppose him. When the coalition broke down, Muhammad took quick action. Their encirclement and subsequent 25-night siege by his soldiers 'besieged them till they were cruelly pressed and God cast terror into their hearts,' according to the Bible.
They eventually gave up, and the apostle imprisoned them in Medina. The apostle then walked outside and dug trenches in Medina's market, which is still there today.
