Over at Atlas Shrugs I discuss the dishonesty of Hamas-linked CAIR (surprise!) over how Islamic tradition records Muhammad reacting to insults — a very hot topic worldwide these days.
As the world continues to be roiled by riots blamed on alleged insults to Muhammad, the Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is attempting to shore up its “moderate” bona fides by claiming that Muhammad didn’t react to insults the way the rioters have. CAIR-St. Louis Executive Director Faizan Syed claimed Friday: “The violent reaction to the anti-Islam film that has spread across the world is not what the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, taught or would have wanted. He was insulted in his life much worse than in this film and he reacted by forgiving others.” CAIR-St. Louis is distributing free copies of a whitewashed PBS documentary, Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet. Syed explained: “Through this campaign we hope to show the true legacy of this great man and to clear up myths and misconceptions
that many people unfortunately hold today.”I’m all for clearing up misconceptions, as well as for examining what Islamic tradition says about how Muhammad behaved when insulted. In reality, contrary to Syed’s claims, Islam mandates death for non-Muslim subjects of the Islamic state who mention “something impermissible about Allah, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), or Islam” (‘Umdat al-Salik, o11.10), and such laws go back to passages in the Hadith and Sira in which Muhammad orders the murders of people who have insulted him, including Abu Afak, who was over one hundred years old, and the poetess Asma bint Marwan. Abu Afak was killed in his sleep, in response to Muhammad’s question, “Who will avenge me on this scoundrel?” Similarly, Muhammad on another occasion cried out, “Will no one rid me of this daughter of Marwan?” One of his followers, Umayr ibn Adi, went to her house that night, where he found her sleeping next to her children. The youngest, a nursing babe, was in her arms. But that didn’t stop Umayr from murdering her and the baby as well. Muhammad commended him: “You have done a great service to Allah and His Messenger, Umayr!” (Ibn Ishaq, 674-676)
Then there was Ka’b bin Al-Ashraf. Muhammad asked: “Who is willing to kill Ka’b bin Al-Ashraf who has hurt Allah and His Apostle?” One of the Muslims, Muhammad
bin Maslama answered, “O Allah’s Apostle! Would you like that I kill him?” When Muhammad said that he would, Muhammad bin Maslama said, “Then allow me to say a (false) thing (i.e. to deceive Kab).” Muhammad responded: “You may say it.” Muhammad bin Maslama duly lied to Ka’b, luring him into his trap, and murdered him. (Sahih Bukhari, volume 5, book 59, number 369)Likewise Islam QA calls for death for blasphemers, using both Qur’an and Hadith to make its argument. “The scholars
are unanimously agreed,” the site explains, “that a Muslim who insults the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) becomes a kaafir [unbeliever] and an apostate who is to be executed. This consensus was narrated by more than one of the scholars, such as Imaam Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh, Ibn al-Mundhir, al-Qaadi ‘Iyaad, al-Khattaabi and others.”Is Hamas-linked CAIR really unaware of these traditions, and of these unanimous rulings of Islamic law, and consensus among Islamic scholars?