Islam: A Guide for Jews and Christians - Electric Scotland

THE PRINCE OF MEDINA t 75
preaching of this self-styled “Messenger of God” with a disturbing
set of attitudes. The Medinese opposition to Muhammad is not
given a very high profile, but it glimmers nonetheless from the
Quran. And finally, there were economic difficulties. Muhammad
had already begun to address these with his creation of brotherhood
arrangements between the Meccan Migrants and the Medinese
Helpers. But the landless refugees from Mecca, who could
neither sow nor reap nor do any other kind of productive work in
that closed oasis society—whose normal hospitality expired after
three days—must have continued to be a burden to the Medinese
Muslims and a source of concern to Muhammad.
It may have been anger that initially prompted Muhammad and
his followers to engage in skirmishes with the Quraysh in the
wastelands between Mecca and Medina, or it may have been the
hope of stealing some sustenance from their enemies—and their
relatives. One of the most remarkable elements Islam introduced
into the hostilities of Arabia was internecine strife within families.
In Arabia tribe battled tribe; kin fought alongside kin. But Islam’s
claims were supertribal; they transcended blood and family, much
as Jesus’ own, who said he had come “not to bring peace but a
sword, to set a man against his father” (Matt. 10:34–35). But
Jesus’ followers had never had to resort to the sword, whereas
Muhammad’s had it thrust into their hands. While still at Mecca, if
we have the chronology right, during Muhammad’s last days
there, a revelation had come to him for the first time permitting
Muslims to resort to force, or rather, to meet Quraysh violence
with violence (Quran 22:39–41).
Nothing came of these early episodes as far as we know, but at
Medina Muhammad grew more aggressive. He seems to have led
attacks on isolated Quraysh bands without any apparent provocation.
Economics suggests itself as a motive: when Muhammad
heard of a rich Meccan caravan returning home from the north in
624, he ordered his followers to attack it, since “perhaps God will
give it to us as prey.” Not all the Muslims were keen on the project,
which seemed imprudent—probably even more so when the
Quraysh got wind of the plan and sent reinforcements to escort the
caravan home. There was a major confrontation between the two