The Myth of Mecca

PUSA.com ^ | 9/27 | Dr. Jack Wheeler

[francisandbeans]

The most sacred spot on earth to all members of the Islamic religion is the Holy City of Mecca, revered as the birthplace of Mohammed. It is one of the five basic requirements incumbent upon all Moslems that they make (if their health will allow it) a pilgrimage to Mecca once in their lives (the other four: recognize that there is no god but Allah, that Mohammed is Allah's prophet, ritually pray five times a day, and give alms to the poor).

The founding events of Islam are Mohammed's activities in Mecca and Medina, a city north of Mecca. The life of Mohammed, known as the Sira, is popularly accepted to be fully documented historically, that everything he did and said was accurately recorded. According to one hagiographer, although Mohammed "could not read or write himself, he was constantly served by a group of 45 scribes who wrote down his sayings, instructions and activities.... We thus know his life down to the minutest details."

The evidence for this is "the earliest and most famous biography of Mohammed," the Sirat Rasul Allah (The Life of the Prophet of God) of Ibn Ishaq. The dates given for Mohammed's life are 570-632 AD. Ibn Ishaq was born about 717 and died in 767. He thus wrote his biography well over 100 years after Mohammed lived, precluding his gaining any information from eyewitnesses to the Sira as they would have all died themselves in the intervening years.

However, no copies exist of Ibn Ishaq's work. We know of it only through quotations of it in the History of al-Tabari, who lived over two hundred years after Ibn Ishaq (al-Tabari died in 992). Thus the earliest biography of Mohammed of which copies still exist was written some 350 years after Mohammed lived.

It is curious, therefore, that there seems to have been so little serious scholarly research of the historical evidence for how Islam came to be. Yet what seems to be isn't so. A number of professional academic historians, both Western and Moslem, have produced a large body of research on the origins of Islam. For reasons best known to the pundits and reviewers who should be aware of it, this research remains publicly unknown.

rest of article here

[AppyPappy]

Summary: We don't know so we will speculate and present the speculation as fact.

Weird.

[RaceBannon]

bump

[FiddlePig]

Is Islam is at a crossroads? The events of 9-11 and the reaction of much of the Muslim world gives rise to several observations/quetions:
1. What kind of god, Allah(?) proclaims the mass murder of defenseless people a "righteous" act? What authority in the Koran are these acts based on?
2. Why does the "paradise" that martyrs are promised appear to appeal to the most BASE of male EARTHLY desires (you know the 70 virgins or little boys)?
3. If Islam is a religion of peace why were so many celebrating this mass slaughter in the Middle East?
4. Why does this aggressive intolerant version of Islam appear to be dominant in the Islamic schools we’ve been hearing about? And…
5. Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t at one time Islam teach respect and tolerance for other “people of the Book” (Christians and Jews) who are descended from the covenant of Abraham?
And lastly,
6. Why does Islam seem to promote and encourage any two-bit self-proclaimed "holy man" to sentence half the world's population to death! With the blessings of ALLAH?
Help me here????

[CT]

Profound!

This reminds me of the way Hitler tried to use Nostradamus during WWII. He said the conquests by Germany were already in prophecy.

This makes these guys (Osama and all associates) even more crazed that I thought (which would be pretty hard to do).

[gatorman]

. . . "This applies to the Arab Conquest, says al-Rawandi, because for some two hundred years the Arab conquerors were a minority amongst a non-Moslem majority. For al-Rawandi, Islam is an invention for the purpose of providing a religious justification for Arab Imperialism. The Conquest is the reason and explanation for Islam, not the other way around." . . .

Fiction and Fact from gatorman's Almanac:

1) Islam in Arabic means to "submit". After Mohammed's death began the conquest of what was left of the old Byzantine Christian Empire. The vanquished had to submit to Islam or were put to the sword. Mosques were built upon the destroyed ruins of Christian churches and places of worship to eradicate that culture.

2) Muslims believe that Mohammed was the prophet of God (Allah) as Christ was the prophet of God to the Christians and Abraham the prophet of God to the Jews. However, at the time of Mohammed . . . Islam was a heresy of both religions (what)? ? ?

What If:

There suddenly was an American terrorist group by, let's say, the name of "The Minutemen". And, these Minutemen terrorists threatened any Islamic country by blowing up Mecca or the Temple Mount if any more acts of war were waged on Americans anywhere in the world? Would that get anyone's attention? Just daydreaming, again.

[Who is George Salt?]

Muslims believe that Mohammed was the prophet of God (Allah) as Christ was the prophet of God to the Christians and Abraham the prophet of God to the Jews.

Muslims believe Mohammed, Christ, and Abraham (as well as Moses, Noah, and many others) were all prophets of God.

[a merkin]

Yes. A search of all the national bookstore chains probably won't yield you one volume of objective criticism of the Qur'an or early Islamic history. After years of working in the Middle East, I would come home on vacation looking for some serious scholarship as a antidote to the pap that everyone is fed who lives and works there. You won't find it on the "Islam" shelf in the religion section of any major book dealer even in their outlets in major cities in NY or DC.

Ibn Warraq's site at the Institute for the Secularization of Islamic Society is worth visiting and has a lot of very informative links. Here's a quote from the flyleaf of one of his books:"

"Muslims are the first victims of Islam. Many times I have observed in my travels in the Oreint that fanaticism comes from a small number of dangerous men who maintain the others in the practice of religion by terror. To liberate the Muslim from his religion is the best service that on can render him."

-E. Renan

[gatorman]

You are correct Who Is George Salt? However, the Koran makes a clear distinction in Mohammed being the prophet of God (Allah) to the Arabic peoples.

The Koran takes great care to stress this common monotheisticheritage, but it works equally hard to distinguish Islam from Judaism and Christianity. For example, it mentions prophets -- Hud, Salih, Shu'ayb, Luqman, and others -- whose origins seem exclusively Arabian, and it reminds readers that it is "A Koran in Arabic, / For people who understand." Despite its repeated assertions to the contrary, however, the Koran is often extremely difficult for contemporary readers -- even highly educated speakers of Arabic -- to understand.

Some interesting reading here if you are so inclined . . .

For People Who Understand

FReegards . . .

[Truliberty]

Re your #5: It's kinda funny, Hitler was burnt with fire. His belief in Nostradomas' prophecy didn't work out.......Hmmmmmmmm! What does the Bible say about real Prophets.....and false ones?

Something to think about ain't it?

[Ann Archy]

Radical Islam is the Anti-Christ...imho.

[traditionalist]

Very interesting. BUMP.

[Ann Archy]

What a fantastic article!!! Thanks for posting it!

[Junior]

It is curious, therefore, that there seems to have been so little serious scholarly research of the historical evidence for how Islam came to be.

The same could be said of the founding of Christianity; what research has been done is resoundingly denounced by those with a vested interest in the status quo ...

[TigerLikesRooster]

Religion is based on myth. If you chip away enough myth, religion dies. This is a serious mission creep. Now he wants to undermine all strands of Islam. The Old and New Testament are also vulnerable to the same kind of criticism

[TigerLikesRooster]

Religion is based on myth. If you chip away enough myth, religion dies. This is a serious mission creep. Now he wants to undermine all strands of Islam. The Old and New Testament are also vulnerable to the same kind of criticism

[Woodkirk]

and you forgot 7) How come there are so many Muslim football players willing to do anything to get their hands on a pigskin while at home they won't let their children watch Porky the Pig cartoons?

[AmericanCheeseFood]

The Koran teaches that the sun revolves around the earth .

A lie within more lies is still a lie even if it's taught as truth .

Cheese .