In answer to the video "The Logic of Muhammad"
I will address 3 issues brought up, all related to supposed criticism being disallowed in Islam or against the prophet, depicted as a merciless tyrant by these shameless critics, as well as stories they tirelessly bring up of killing some innocents poets and critics.
The story of the killing of the poetess Asma bint Marwan, although tirelessly picked up and repeated by Islam's critics has no ground to stand on, hence its rejection by the scholars. Here is how this unprobable story goes. The killing was supposedly done by night, in her home, by Umayr Ibn Adi who was blind at the time and who in addition was Asma's ex-husband, meaning there could be private personal reasons for her murder.
This blind ex-husband was able to go in by night without getting noticed while coming in, killing her and getting out. Besides the unreliable matn/content it is also rejected due to its isnad containing a hadith forgerer at its source. Similarily the alleged killing of some 120year old Jewish man named Abu Afak for his verbal abuse of the prophet, instigating people to war and to kill him personally (al-Zarqani, ibn Kathir), is considered of no basis by hadith scientists.
Again, no isnad at all, especially in the particular bit where the prophet allegedly said
"Who would rid me of this pestilent fellow?"Neither Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Hisham, nor Al-Waqidi or ibn Sad have given the isnad for it. As to the ex-Muslim Ibn Khatal who had killed a Muslim soldier, and his two singing girls, the account of their killing is only found in ibn Ishaq, with a weak transmission chain, and there are highly reliable ahadith on the prophet forbidding the killing of women, children and elderly. He is for instance described as asking for the community's gathering upon hearing of a slave woman's murder. Apparently the death of a slave woman was important enough so that the prophet Muhammad convened the whole community to deliberate on the case. How is justice brought about when a slave dies after some time following a severe beating from his master Ex21:20-1?
"he assembled the people and said: “I adjure by Allaah the man who did this to stand up.” The blind man stood up and came through the people, trembling, and he came and sat before the Prophet".Notice the perpetrator's nervousness, knowing that such a behavior has always been disapproved by the prophet. In Islamic law, the victim's family is entitled to request either the execution of the criminal or monetary compensation. In this case the slave-woman's family were 2 underaged children and the murderer himself. Neither the minors nor their father were in this case eligible to request compensation and neither would the father's execution by the state constitute a fair decision in relation to the children who would then become orphans.
In light of these details and others which the hadith doesnt give fully, the prophet ruled that no blood money will be given in that case, the father will be indirectly paying anyway as he is bound to provide for his children (whom he affectionately referred to as his pearls). The hadith is also unspecific on whether or not a penalty was later imposed on the murderer, and neither does it indicate that killing for verbally abusing the prophet is justifiable in all circumstances.
Another common example is that of Ka'ab ibn Ashraf. He was a Jewish chieftain of Banu Nadhir, a poet of considerable fame who used to recite in the gatherings fiery poems inciting the people to rise up against Islam. This was a clear breeching of the Medina covenant of peace with the Muslims, non partisanship which eachother's enemies. ibn Ashraf's particularity as compared to the other non Muslims and hypocrites that secretly disliked Islam and conspired against it, is that he openly joined the Meccan ranks with whom the community was at war, becoming a propaganda tool that composed eulogies mourning the Meccan chiefs slain in the battle of Badr and defamed Muslim women.
The closest one can come to the kind of impact this kind of poetry had in Arabian tribal life in those days, is to remember the role propaganda played during the world wars of the 20th century, more particularly the 2nd one. The chief propagandists among the Nazis were regarded as top priority targets by Western authorities. The issue here is thus not that of low-level disparaging comments and mockeries, rather the kind of criticism with deadly ramifications. The Quran and hadith contain many instances of the prophet and the Muslims being the targets of mockery and ridicule, both in times of political weakness and strength, yet neither responded in kind nor retaliated violently. The Quran for instance in sura tawba relates how the Medina hypocrites would engage in injurious talk about the prophet, and this at a time where the Muslim community had become powerful. The only response they got from the prophet was that he socially ostracized them, refusing their charity donations, and leaving their fate to Allah in the Hereafter
9:66"If We pardon one faction of you - We will punish another faction because they were criminals".
As to Kaab, his animosity was such that it is said the verse 4:51 speaking of Jews believing in idols alludes to him, when he accompanied a delegation from Medina to Mecca in search of an alliance against the Muslims, and publicly bowed to the idols to reassure the suspecting Quraysh
"Your are people of Scripture and Muhammad has a Scripture and we are not completely sure that this is a scheme that you devised. So if you want us to go along with you, you have to prostrate to these two idols and believe in them".
But being a coward he never attended the battles himself, preferring to plot and incite behind closed doors. His role in galvanizing the Quraysh prior to the battle of Uhud is well known, his wife herself is reported to have warned him that his life was at threat because of his actions. Although the prophet said that Kaab was deserving of being put to death since he should be treated as a combatant, he nevertheless did not plan the execution. It is to be noted that any modern government seeking to preserve the survival of its people in times of war, would look to target specific opponents whose death would have a more significant impact in the long-run in terms of avoiding further bloodshed.
He was thus incited out of his hiding place and killed, which successfully prevented an all out war with the Bani Nadir. Other opinions say his assassination occurred after the battle of Uhud in response to an attempted murder of the prophet.
On the issue of criticism, Islam is realistic and pragmatic. One can only engage in a discussion when the opposite side wants to conduct a constructive dialogue. There are several ways it gives to identify the sincere critic. When the critic's aim is to objectively assess the Islamic arguments, carefully listen and evaluate the Islamic position, instead of shutting his ears or pretending to listen while preparing his counter arguments, telling others to do the same, raising irrelevant objections just for the sake of discrediting, without any solid basis for argument, isolating a word or a sentence from its context, hairsplitting it so as to make it a basis of doubts and accusations, misconstruing words so as to prevent them being properly understood 4:46,40:4-5,56,41:40 then a meaningful discussion can be engaged
16:125"with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and have disputations with them in the best manner".The prophet's own life and ability to take on criticism is testimony to this. As well, Muslims can freely mingle with kindness and justice with any non-muslims who do not seek to fight Islam, do not opress Muslims unjustly 60:8-9.
Bukhari for example reports an incident where the prophet was disrespected in front of a large gathering. A companion felt so offended that he requested to kill the culprit. The prophet refused, just as he rejected the Muslims' desire to mutilate a captured Quraysh leader following the battle of Badr, Suhayl b. Amr, by uprooting his front teeth
“so that he could never preach against the Messenger”.Compare this as a side note, to David's unwarranted mutilation of the Phillistines, among a long list of crimes and sins for which he never was reprimanded since in God's eyes only his adulterous behavior was considered sinful 1Kings15:5. The prophet similarily did not allow his followers to assassinate a man that had spoken in favor of uprooting the Muslim leadership shortly after the defeat of Uhud. On another occasion in Medina, Ibn Salool a known hypocrite constantly working to undermine the prophet's authority, rudely cut the prophet as he was preaching to an audience
“Stay in your home. If someone would like to hear your message, they will come to you.”In another narration,
“Now leave, the smell of your donkey bothers us.”The Muslims became irate upon hearing these insults, but the Prophet forbade them from retaliating. When he received Urwa b. Mas‘ud as he was still a pagan an representing the enemy side, during the negotiations for a peace treaty, he was physically and verbally abusive but despite the companions threatening him with their weapons, and the fact that some time ago Urwa's tribe, of whom he was the chief, assaulted the prophet, he honored this ambassador’s stay and hosted him for as long as he stayed. There are many other such incidents, like his eloquent answer to a group of Jews' playing on words and saluting him, inside his home, with
"As-Sâmu ‘alayk (Death be upon you)”.The prophet was at that point in a position of authority in Medina, meaning that just as in our days where verbally assaulting authority figures makes one liable to prosecution, he would surely have been justified in exercizing his judicial authority. He instead answered
“And upon you”.When Aisha felt compelled to add,
“Death be upon you, along with the curse of Allah and His wrath!”The prophet admonished her against being vulgar and instead answer this kind of talk gently. It is this same gentleness that made a leading Jewish figure convert. Zayd b. Su‘na was astonished at the prophet's response to his public disrespect, under the false pretext that he had failed paying his debt as agreed. Not only did the prophet hold back his companions from doing any harm to Zayd but added
"O ‘Umar, we do not need this…Go with him, pay off his loan, and give him twenty additional sâ‘ (32 kg) of dates because you frightened him.”It was that response that convinced Zayd b. Su‘na to embrace Islam. That incident is similar to when a Bedouin to whom the prophet owed a camel was repaid with a better one although he demanded it in an uncivil manner that vexed the Companions. They were again, as in the previous examples about to hurt him before the prophet prevented them. That attitude extended to occasions when even his family members were slandered, such as when a Muslim believed and spread the false rumours of adultery on Aisha's part.
Not only did the Prophet ultimately forgive this man who had slandered his wife, but he even admonished Abu Bakr, Aisha's father from boycotting this man, especially since he was related to Abu Bakr and used to receive charity from him. More astounding is the pardoning of Habbar ibn Al-Aswad who had once caused his daughter Zaynab to fall from her ride as he was pursuing her, inflicted her with injuries that eventually led to her death several years later. All such instances are in conformity with God's injunction to
41:34"repel evil with what is best"so that eventually one who is viewed as an enemy might become
"as though he was a devoted friend".Besides his reported prayers even for Abu Jahl's sake at a time when he was among his staunchest opponent, his supplications for Abu Huraira's pagan mother who used to insult the prophet even when the prophet had full power in Medina, on one occasion, the Prophet silently smiled when Abu Bakr refrained from responding to a rude and insulting person. But when Abu Bakr eventually spoke up, the Prophet became angry and left, later telling him that
“An angel was with you, responding on your behalf. But when you said back to him some of what he said, a devil arrived, and it is not for me to sit with devils".
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