Exposing Islam

The Sword of the Prophet: A Deep Dive into the Military Career of Muhammad

Introduction: War in the Name of Revelation

Contrary to the sanitized narrative of a peaceful prophet who reluctantly took up arms, the biography of Muhammad—according to Islamic sources themselves—reveals a man who constructed a religious empire through blood, fear, and strategic violence. His wars weren’t merely reactions to persecution; they were calculated acts of plunder, punishment, and religious coercion, often accompanied by conveniently timed “revelations” that deified every conquest and justified every atrocity.

1. From Preacher to Plunderer: The Early Medina Years

After the Hijra (622 CE), Muhammad's shift from Meccan outsider to Medinan powerbroker marked the beginning of political Islam. Unlike Mecca, where he was a marginalized preacher, Medina gave him access to followers, alliances, and most critically—weapons and warriors.

First Military Policy: Raiding Quraysh Trade

Target: Meccan caravans.
First armed robbery: Nakhla Raid, where Muslims killed and looted a caravan during the sacred month (forbidden in Arab tradition).
Qur’anic response (Surah 2:217): Rather than condemning the raid, Allah excuses it, saying preventing Islam is worse than fighting in a sacred month.

“Fighting therein is a great transgression; but to avert [people] from the way of Allah... is greater.”

Moral precedent: Attack first, justify with revelation later.

2. Badr (624 CE): Blood and Booty

This was a preemptive strike. Muhammad heard of a Quraysh caravan and plotted its ambush. The Meccans sent troops to defend their property, but the Muslims—outnumbered 3:1—won and declared the victory divine.

Qur’anic rationalization (Surah 8:17):

“You did not kill them, but it was Allah who killed them.”

Outcome:

70 Meccans killed, 70 taken prisoner.
Ransom demanded for captives—profiting from war was now explicitly religious.
Allah declared 1/5 of all war booty belonged to Muhammad directly (Surah 8:41).

Islamic “charity” began with extortion.

3. Uhud (625 CE): Prophetic Pride and Blame-Shifting

Muhammad’s arrogance led him into a militarily foolish battle outside Medina. Despite early success, the Muslim army was routed. Muhammad was injured. To explain failure, Allah blamed the believers’ disobedience—not the prophet’s poor leadership.

Surah 3:152:

“Allah fulfilled His promise... until you lost heart.”

No accountability. Muhammad became immune to criticism—even from military disaster.

4. Khaybar (628 CE): Loot, Land, and Enslavement

Khaybar, a wealthy Jewish oasis, was attacked without provocation. After a prolonged siege, Muhammad allowed his men to rape captured women, enslave survivors, and claim Jewish property as war spoils.

Safiyaa bint Huyayy, wife of a slain Jewish leader, was given to Muhammad as a concubine on the same day her family was massacred.

War as sexual economy:

Surah 33:50 legalized sex with captives:

“...and those [captives] your right hand possesses.”

This codified rape as a divine right.

5. The Banu Qurayza Genocide (627 CE)

After the Battle of the Trench, Muhammad accused the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza of treason—based on disputed and unclear evidence. He had them surrender, then selected a judge (Sa’d ibn Mu’adh) who sentenced all adult males to death.

Execution details:

Trenches dug in the marketplace.
600-900 men beheaded in batches.
Women and children sold into slavery.

Ibn Ishaq (Sira): “They were brought out and beheaded... the Prophet was present.”

This wasn’t tribal conflict—it was ethnic cleansing with divine approval.

6. Assassinations as Political Strategy

Muhammad repeatedly used targeted killing to silence criticism. These were not combat deaths; they were covert assassinations of poets, critics, and tribal rivals.

Victims:

Asma bint Marwan – Criticized Muhammad’s growing violence. Murdered while nursing her child.
Ka’b ibn al-Ashraf – Jewish poet lured from his home and stabbed in the night.
Abu Afak – 120-year-old poet slain for mocking Muhammad.

Blasphemy was now punishable by death—not in law, but by the Prophet’s own hand.

7. The Conquest of Mecca (630 CE): Mercy by Murder

Though portrayed as “bloodless,” the conquest involved targeted executions:

10 individuals were marked for death, even if they clung to the Kaaba.
Included were apostates and those who composed poetry mocking Muhammad.

He did forgive most Meccans—but only after arriving with an army of 10,000, which left little room for negotiation.

This was not peace—it was surrender under duress.

8. Tabuk and the Threat of War (631 CE): The Sword and the Jizya

Muhammad led a campaign north toward Byzantine territory. No battle occurred—but the outcome was crucial: non-Muslims were forced to pay the jizya (subjugation tax) or face war.

Surah 9:29:

“Fight those who do not believe in Allah... until they pay the jizya with willing submission and feel themselves subdued.”

Meaning: Submission is not spiritual—it is economic, political, and total.

9. The Systematization of Holy War

By the end of Muhammad’s life:

Over 80 military expeditions were launched.
At least 27 personally led by Muhammad.
War became a pillar of Islam—not metaphorically, but institutionally.

Even his Farewell Sermon invoked the need to keep fighting:

“I was ordered to fight the people until they say la ilaha illallah...”

This is not a private spirituality. It’s a militarized ideology.

Conclusion: From Prophethood to Conquest

Muhammad’s career cannot be separated from war. It was his means of income, recruitment, punishment, and expansion. The revelations he received always conveniently aligned with his battlefield needs—whether to encourage looting, legitimize sexual slavery, or crush dissent.

Islam, as shaped by Muhammad’s campaigns, is not a purely spiritual path. It is a political system forged in blood, reinforced by terror, and sanctified by scripture. Any attempt to rebrand it as a religion of peace requires erasing centuries of violence enshrined in its origins.