Was Mohommed a peaceful prophet?

[StormRider]

Like most people because of Sept 11, I've been trying to learn more about Islam to get a better understanding of the mindset of the middle east region.

I heard various things like "Mohommed commanded an army" and "Islam converted people by the sword" and stuff like that. Is this true? What did they mean that Mohommed command an army? Was he a warrior of some sort?

I know that Jesus was a carpenter but what kind of life did Mohommed live? What about him made people believe he was the final prophet of God? I know that Jesus performed lots of miracles (healing people) and stuff (the main one was rising from the dead). Did Mohommed also performed similar miracles?

Hope this doesn't offend anyone. My background is that I was not raised in a religious environment so most of my knowledge of religion comes from watching TV (Charlie Brown christmas specials etc.). I did read a children's version of the Bible a couple of years ago.

 

[ericb]

No, he was not a man of peace in his time.

 

[Tauren]

Well, he didn't crash a plane into that mountain when it wouldn't come to him.

 

[XMan]

A lot of this stuff is explained in a recent Newsweek article - "Why They Hate Us."

 

[kassy]

IIRC His teachings became more peaceful over time.
He was originally a fighter who later taught that the sword/war should only be used in self defense.
Basically to raise your sword on an innocent is wrong and it should only be used as a method of protection.

 

[StormRider]

Since it seems he was a fighter, does that mean he actually killed people?

 

[kassy]

Not sure about that one StormRider, I think the taking of Mecca was recorded as being 'relatively bloodless' but who knows.
The Prophet had given strict orders to the army that there was to be no bloodshed.

" Muhammad was not inclined to war; he had not once handled the sword in actual fighting up to the fifty-fifth year of his age, and this in a country where, owing to constant internecine warfare, fighting had become a vocation of the people. The religion which he preached, Islam (lit. peace or submission), was a religion of peace, laying stress on prayer to God and the service of humanity, and he was required to preach this religion; to deliver the message, not to enforce it on others"

"But war was being forced on him, and it was his duty, he was told, to defend his oppressed community who had twice fled their homes from the persecutions of a cruel enemy to a distant place:


**Permission to fight is given to those upon whom war is made;
because they are oppressed, and Allah is well able to help them. [22:39**


He was at one point seriously injured in battle so one would have to assume as a matter of self defense he took lives.

 

[meister]

the greatest leader in the middle ages of the muslim people was saladin.

He was gracious and merciful, however he did rule by the sword and fought and conquered many peoples.

What was merciful about him is he did not force conversions upon the people he conquered. At the height of muslim growth and war, they moved through the holy land, north africa and through the straights of gilbralter into iberia.

Mark

 

[Mo0o]

christianity hasn't been exactly peaceful. they've converted quite a few people by the sword.

 

[mithrandir2001]

I don't think anybody who is a so-called "prophet" can ultimately be peaceful. Their very nature as some enlightened/spiritual/otherworldly being is primed for conflict with reason. Their actions may be peaceful, but how their message incites followers to blind faith is often the cause of unrest and war. Take Jesus, a popular prophet in Western culture. Jesus himself was peaceful, but many of his followers have been far from peaceful...and they've committed unpeaceful acts in his name, illogical as it seems to his message of love.

 

[StormRider]

<< christianity hasn't been exactly peaceful. they've converted quite a few people by the sword.
>>



Yes, both religions have had a bloody history but I'm curious about the prophets themselves who are the basis of the two religions.

From what I understand, Jesus never killed anyone, never had a wife or children, and performed many miracles. By all accounts, he seemed very unusual and different from everyone else -- so I can understand why people started believing that maybe he was more than just a man.

From what I have heard of Mohommed, he was a fighter/warrior. He had wives and he had children. So, he seemed to have lived a "normal" life in some regards. What I'm curious about is what made people believe that he was a prophet? Was there any kind of miracles attributed to him?

 

[Texmaster]

<< christianity hasn't been exactly peaceful. they've converted quite a few people by the sword. >>



But the prophets of Christianity never lead an army into battle.


And no I am not referring to the Crusades.

 

[WilsonTung]

From what I have read, Muhammed began the Islamic religion with the intention that it should convince people to live moral and peaceful lives.

When he died, power struggles, assasinations and other mischief created a rather violent Islamic history. I don't remember the specifics, but when Muhammed died, one group of his followers decided to elect their new leader (Caliph) - I beleive this was the group that became known as the Sunnis. Another faction wanted one of Muhammed's relatives to be Caliph regardless of the vote. These Muslims became known as the Shiite Muslims. The 2 factions have been at odds ever since.

 

[Bignate603]

Actually StormRider, there has been a debate on whether or not Jesus was married. Some scholars think it's possible and at no point did he ever say priests or prophets had to stay celibate. Marrying was not a sin so he could marry without sinning. However, it never says that he married but some think on of the Marys mentioned a great deal around the time of his crucifixtion was his wife. She was the first to see him after the resurrection, don't you think he'd like to come tell his wife that he was back? Anyways, neither side has anything that says he was or he wasn't, it's all stipulation.

 

[azazyel]

From what I understand when he sacked Medina he let all of the prisioners live which in that time was abnormal. Usually they would just kill everyone that was still in the city. There was a great special on Islam last March on Discovery.