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My daughters and I were discussing Mohammed the other night. We wondered kind of religious background he came from. In other words, What religion was practiced by his friends and relatives before he introduced Islam?

So we looked him up in several books we have, including the Pictorial History of Philosphy, by Dagobert D. Runes, Philosophical Library , NY. (pp 166-167)

It seems idolatry was practiced in his area, but Mohammed changed that.

We also learned, from the book, that "He did not feel he was a saint, and consciously refrained from performing miracles."

Mohammed was a radical something (I haven't been able to determine what), born in Mecca, he was run out of Mecca as a young man by the people there. He sought refuge in Medina and was welcomed by the Jews there in Medina, for about 17 years. He started his writings and gathering Medina Jews for his army and began to attack other tribes in the area of Medina, built his army and trained his Jewish Generals, until they were able to attack Mecca and beat his old enemies. Then the Jews got fed up with him, and quit his army, and were then attacked by his remaining army and killed. He was initially a minor husband of a rich woman in Medina and took her riches to start his career.

So, Mohammed is a puzzlement, who turned on just about everyone who befriended him. Must have been quite a talker though. I guess he reminds me of bill clinton.

According to Paul Johnson's History Of Christianity, Mohammed was a Monophysite Christian -- i.e., a Christian who did not accept the doctrine of the Trinity. He simplified Christian doctrine for Arabic consumption, added the idea of conversion by the sword for local political effectiveness, and accepted the role of Prophet of the new faith of Islam after it became the dominant religious and political force in the region. Within twenty years, the Monophysites had nearly all been absorbed into Islam.

Freedom, Wealth, and Peace,
Francis W. Porretto
Visit the Palace Of Reason: http://palaceofreason.com

Mohammed was educated by private Jewish and Christian turors when he was a boy. His desire was to unite the Arab world in religious unity, as he saw how that unity benefited the Jews and Christians. His original intent was to create a sect of Jewdiasm, but the Jews flatly rejected his views as heresy.

He decided that the Arabs needed one god to worship, because they were worshipping about 100,00 different gods at the time. From the plethora of idols worshipped, he chose Allah, the moon-god.

The koran was not compiled by him, but by his followers. Whenever he would speak, a stenographer would record his speaches and the transcripts would be saved in a basket...the older speaches on the bottom. Later, it was decided to complie all of the transcripts into one text. Since the most recent writings were on top, they were recorded first, all the way to the oldest. Today, when reading the koran, the oldest of his sayings are at the back and the newest, at the front. You'll notice that the newest are the most vicious and restrictive, because as his following grew, so did his rejection and hence, we see his anger against those that don't hold his views.

He is as he was. A heretic.

oops...how insensitive of me.

baa

We also learned, from the book, that "He did not feel he was a saint, and consciously refrained from performing miracles."

WOW.

I must be a saint too.

All my life I have consciously refrained from performing miracles, and the odds are for the rest of my life I will probably continue refraining.

but I could, you know...