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Muhammad As WarriorMuhammad (570-632 C.E.) the Arabian merchant believed by Muslims to be the final prophet of Islam, was a warrior only during the last ten years of his life. He preached Islam in his home city, Mecca, from 613 to 622. He and his followers patiently endured taunts and persecution. Finally they fled Mecca and established themselves in Medina, a neighboring city. Mecca and Medina were soon at war. The war spread, as each city formed alliances and fought to extend its sway. The Muslims were ultimately victorious, with Muhammad entering Mecca -- without a fight -- as its new ruler. This occurred only eight years after his flight from the city. The last two years of his life were spent subduing the other tribes and cities of the Arabian peninsula. He was, in essence, the emperor of Arabia at the time of his death. Muhammad's critics often hold that the Muslims engaged in wars of aggression, that they caused much bloodshed and suffering, that they imposed Islam at the point of a sword, and that Muhammad's conduct is not an example to be imitated. Muslims respond that the Muslims fought only when attacked, or in the context of a wider war of self-defense. They argue that Muhammad was the first among the major military figures of history to lay down rules for humane warfare, and that he was scrupulous in limiting the loss of life as much as possible.
Some of the rules of war in Islam come from the Qur'an, while others come from what Muslims believe to be the sayings of Muhammad (hadith). From the Qur'an: - Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loveth not transgressors. - Quran 2:190
- If any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people. - Quran 5:32
From the hadith: - "You are neither hard-hearted nor of fierce character, nor one who shouts in the markets. You do not return evil for evil, but excuse and forgive." - Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Number 362
- "Do not kill any old person, any child or any woman" (Abu Dawud).
- "Do not kill the monks in monasteries" or "Do not kill the people who are sitting in places of worship" (Musnad of Ibn Hanbal).
One of the most general and encompassing rules of warfare in Islam was given by Abu Bakr, Mohammed's closest friend and first successor, to an Islamic army set out for Syria. "Stop, O people, that I may give you ten rules for your guidance in the battlefield. Do not commit treachery or deviate from the right path. You must not mutilate dead bodies. Neither kill a child, nor a woman, nor an aged man. Bring no harm to the trees, nor burn them with fire, especially those which are fruitful. Slay not any of the enemy's flock, save for your food. You are likely to pass by people who have devoted their lives to monastic services; leave them alone." Other Quranic rules give a harsher impression. For extended argument, see jihad.
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