Mohammed - The First HighJacker

No...I am not talking about Mohammed Atta. I am talking about the prophet Mohammed from whom all blessings flow and should rest upon him. If you read the story of Mohammed from his early days, you can plainly see that he has high-jacked any number of religious treaties from all over the place, which at least should give you the idea that he was a good listener if not well travelled.

My first post on the subject, taking it outside of the review of "the enemy" in regards to Islamists, was a brief review of biblical scripture that defines the beginning of Islam as separate from it's brother, Judaism. In Islam and Judeo History: Sibling Rivalry, I reviewed the birth of Ishmail and his subsequent abandonment by Abraham. Ishmail is the older brother of Isaac. Isaac, according to the bible, is the founder of the twelve tribes of Isreal. Ishmail, though largely ignored after his abandonment, was similarly promised twelve tribes from which a long line of kings arise.

The bible indicates that Ishmail went into the area known as "Parsan", which is modern day southern Iraq and Iran with parts of northern Saudi Arabia. Parsan later became part of the "Persian" empire.

From this reading, you can understand why Mohammed, 600 years after Christ, decided to pick this story from the old testament and apply it to himself. It gave him a wide base of potential followers to choose from. All he had to do was convince them that they, the people of this area, were truly the descendants of Ishmail and, thus, Abraham, giving them legitimacy in their future endeavors. The area that he picks to start weaving this story, is Medinah, in modern day Saudi Arabia.

Here, he is but a traveller to an area populated by wealthy Jews who owned plantations, poor Arabs that worked in their fields and a decent middle class full of tradesmen who plied their trade with wealthy plantation owners and poor Arabs alike. Here, within the poor population (as today), Mohammed began his "preaching". Although, by the history, it would seem that he starts out as a minor story teller and laborer. It appears, as he dwells in this area, he makes himself very familiar with the local religions (remember, at this point, Mohammed is a Pagan, although his "biographers" don't mention this very well). Judaism and Christianity are the flavor of the religions he comes in contact with.

So, what is the first thing that a good story teller must have? Why, a story about himself of course and he proceeds to high-jack either the Jewish old Testament prophesy of the coming of the Messiah or the New Testament record of the birth of the Messiah. Read:

Sirat Rasoul Allah

The earliest biography of Muhammad, by ibn Ishaq
An abridged version

The Early Life of the Apostle of Allah

It is recorded that when the mother of the apostle of Allah became pregnant with him she had a vision, and a voice spoke to her, saying, ‘Thou art pregnant with the prince of this nation. When he is born on this earth, thou must say, “I place him under the protection of the only One, from the wickedness of every envious person.” And thou must name him Muhammad.’

While she was carrying the child in her womb she saw a light issue from her which illuminated even the castles of Busra in Syria . And Abdullah b. Abdul‑Muttalib, the father of the apostle, died while the child was yet unborn.

The apostle of Allah was born on a Monday, on the thirteenth (lay of the month of Rabi in the year of the Elephant [c‑ 570]* At the time of the apostle’s birth a Jew standing on the flat roof of a house in Medina called forth the Jewish people and when they assembled around him, saying, ‘Woe to you. What is the matter?’ he told them ‘This night the star has risen, under which the apostle is born.’

So, the only thing that Mohammed leaves out in his story is the "immaculate" conception. However, his mother heard a voice (translate, visited by an angel); he is dedicated to God (read, son of God); his father dies before he is born (read; closest thing to immaculate conception without outright stealing it); a star was in the sky above the place where he was born (Bethlehem?)

The story continues with a few more similarities. First, since his father dies, another father figure, his Grandfather, steps in place and begins his care. The first thing the Grandfather did was get him a nurse maid. And, how did she arive:

She relates: ‘In a year of dearth, when nothing was left us, I went forth on a piebald she‑ass and we had with us a she‑camel which gave us not one drop of milk

Or, better known as Mary's trip from Nazareth to Bethelehem.

So, you see, the first thing that happens is that Mohammed high jacks several religions and entertwines his own story with those of the miraculous that came before.

You may read the rest of his birth story FaithFreedom.org

For any potential Islamic acquaintenances or readers, please be reminded that this is a secular look at Islam and thus the contents of the Koran are totally reviewed in a secular light, the same manner in which I discussed the birth of Isreal and Judaism.

The story of how he came to highjack a people and their poverty will be told in the next entry.