MUHAMMAD AND THE DEATH OF
KINANA
by Silas
ABSTRACT
Muhammad aggressively attacked
several groups of people around him.
One of these groups were the Jews of Khaibar. Muhammad believed God led him to attack Khaibar. After Khaibar was conquered, the Jews were
either enslaved, executed, or allowed to live there provided they gave the
Muslims one half of all they produced.
One of Muhammad's most brutal acts involved a prisoner named Kinana. Kinana was one of the leaders of
Khaibar. Muhammad wanted him to reveal
where some buried treasure was hidden.
Kinana refused. Muhammad had him
tortured to the point of death, then had him beheaded.
INTRODUCTION
When Muhammad started out on his
mission, he proclaimed that he was only a "warner" for the people. As Sura 88:21 says:
"Therefore give warning, your
duty is only to give warning: you are
not their keeper."
At the time Muhammad spoke this
verse his followers were few and weak in strength. They were disliked, and Muhammad was mocked and persecuted. He proclaimed that Allah had told him that
he was only a warner to the people.
However, years later, Muhammad and
his following had grown in strength. He
led a strong, dedicated army. Muhammad
had a degree of power. Now the rules of
the game had changed. When he was weak
he implored the Meccans to turn from paganism and worship only Allah. Now that he had a degree of military
strength he was aggressively bearing the sword of Islam.
On page 515 of "The Life of
Muhammad", which is basically a translation of Ibn Ishaq's "Sirat
Rasul Allah", (The Life of the Prophet of God), the events of the conquest
of Khaibar are detailed. This event
occurred about 3 years before Muhammad's death due to poisoning. Khaibar was a large Jewish settlement about
95 miles north of Medina. The Jews
there were primarily farmers. Khaibar
was known to have some of the best date palms in the region. The Jews there were well to do because they
had worked hard and earned it.
Prior to Muhammad's conquest of
Khaibar, he had just been stopped by the Meccans from performing a pilgrimage
to Mecca. Outside of Mecca, he also
signed a humiliating treaty with the Meccans - a treaty that a number of his
leading followers didn't like. To
placate them Muhammad claimed to have a "revelation" that God would
give them the possessions of the Jews of Khaibar. Six weeks later he marched on Khaibar with the intent to conquer
and plunder.
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SOURCES
The oldest extant biography of
Muhammad is called the "Sirat Rasulallah" "Life of the Prophet of
Allah". This book was written by Ibn
Ishaq, a devout Muslim scholar, and later revised by Ibn Hisham. It was written before any of the major works
of Hadith. It is considered the most
authentic biography of Muhammad. It was
translated into English by A. Guillaume as "The Life of Muhammad".
page 515 reads:
"Kinana al-Rabi, who had the
custody of the treasure of Banu Nadir, was brought to the apostle who asked him
about it. He denied that he knew where
it was. A Jew came (Tabari says
"was brought"), to the apostle and said that he had seen Kinana going
round a certain ruin every morning early.
When the apostle said to Kinana, "Do you know that if we find you
have it I shall kill you?" He said
"Yes". The apostle gave
orders that the ruin was to be excavated and some of the treasure was
found. When he asked him about the rest
he refused to produce it, so the apostle gave orders to al-Zubayr Al-Awwam, "Torture him until you extract what he has." So he kindled a fire with flint and steel on
his chest until he was nearly dead.
Then the apostle delivered him to Muhammad b. Maslama and he struck off
his head, in revenge for his brother Mahmud."
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DISCUSSION
I find Muhammad's orders to torture
Kinana to obtain "buried treasure" similar to what criminals do to
obtain people's money or possessions. I
picture organized crime figures beating someone or torturing them to make them
talk. "Talk!, tell us where the
money is!, or we'll make your pain even worse!".
Here, Muhammad has a man tortured to
force him to "Talk". Finally,
when he is near death, Muhammad has his head cut off.
I don't recall Moses ever torturing
people during their travels and conquest of Canaan. Certainly Jesus never taught His disciples it was okay to torture
people. Yet, even after plundering Khaibar,
a well to do city, Muhammad wasn't satisfied he wanted more.
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QUESTIONS
1) Think about Muhammad's statement,
"Torture him until you extract what he has". This is the prophet
of Islam in action when he now has the power of the sword. What kind of
a man is the prophet of Islam? How would you feel if you were watching
the news and learned about this happening in your neighborhood?
2) Muslims complain about what some Serbs have done to the Muslims in Bosnia, and I agree with the Muslims. But if anyone were to study this act of Muhammad they would see that Muhammad also did some of the same brutal things to people. If today's Muslims feel they have the right to complain about the actions of some Serbs in Bosnia don't they feel that Muhammad's actions should also be condemned?
3) How much plunder was enough? Muhammad had already gained the possessions
of Khaibar. No doubt he had already
obtained great wealth. Was it necessary
for Muhammad to do this to Kinana?
4) With Muhammad setting this example of
pillage, enslavement, torture, and murder, is it little wonder that similar
events are occurring in the Muslim world today? We all are familiar with the events occurring in Algeria,
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Mali, and Mauritania. These brutalities are not carried out by "drug gangs, or
organized crime figures, or even political revolutionaries, but by devout Muslims. These Muslims want to establish their brand
or Islam, similar to what Muhammad practiced.
Therefore they believe they have the right to do what Muhammad did. Remember, Muslims are obligated to follow
Muhammad's lifestyle, or "Sunnah".
If Muhammad were allowed to torture and execute a man, just to obtain
money, then Muslims today can do likewise.
Is that what Muslims really want to build
a society upon?
5) Muslims who choose to follow Muhammad
choose to justify and support his evil deeds.
Why put your eternity, heaven or hell, in the hands of a man like
Muhammad? Is this the man you are
willing to risk your eternity on?
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CONCLUSION
Muhammad's action here was one of
the flesh. It was sinful. It was driven by greed and hatred. These actions were not the actions of a true
prophet of God, they were the actions of a man determined on doing his own
will, and accomplishing his own desires.
The New
Testament in 1 Tim. 6:10 says:
"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil..."
Muhammad's
greed drove him to doing evil; torturing and then murdering a man, just for
obtaining money.
Jesus
taught a better way: "Do not store
up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where
thieves break in and steal. But store
up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and
where thieves do not break in and steal
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:91-21.
I would ask all Muslims to consider the true
Jesus. Put your faith and trust in Him.
kinana.htm
Rev A: 10-12-97, Rev B: 3-25-98, Rev C: 9-15-2001
Articles by Silas
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