Consider the Source

Submitted by Terry (United States), Mar 31, 2003 at 13:55

There is a wealth of information available in books and on the internet, including much of it from Muslim sources that document the life of Mohammed. The hadiths in particular are very helpful. It is a life that includes warfare and ordering and participating in assassinations, torture, rape, and murder.

One touching story is when a repentful woman, an unmarried mother, is being stoned to death Mohammed rebukes one of his men for cursing the woman when her blood splashes on his robes, since she was truely repentful and thus a good muslim.

I would encourage everyone interested in the topic to read and research the many materials available and come to their own conclusions.

The comments of Ms. Amy below on Mohammed not having any sons are inaccurate, and the story of his adopted son is interesting. Mohammed was divinely guided that he should marry his beautiful cousin, who was the ex-wife of his adopted son, and also that his adopted son of 35 years, Zaid bin Mohammed, had to revert to his original name since adoption was now divinely directed to be a false custom. This allowed Mohammed to marry Zaid's ex-wife without it being an incestuous relationship.

My sense is that there is much that is good and bad mixed together in Islam. With the injunction to always stay true to direct interpetation of the Koran I think it will take many, many centuries before the good and bad are sorted out.

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