We have explored the political and religious world into which Mohammad was born. Now we must briefly explore the Spiritual World: Satan among the Jews, Christians and Pagans:
(1Chron. 21:1) “Satan”, (Isa. 14:12-14) “Lucifer”, (Rev. 12:9) “that old serpent, called the Devil” had been temporarily successful. (Isa. 14:12-14) He had said in his heart; “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars (princes) of God: I will sit also upon the mount (mountain) of the congregation (assembly, place of meeting, synagogue), in the sides of the north (dark, gloomy, northern side): I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”
(Gen. 3:1-24 & Eph. 6:11-12) It is obvious there is a spiritual warfare between God and Satan (the Devil) for the souls of mankind. (Ezek. 28:13-17 esp. V.13 keyword: created) It is also obvious God created Satan (Lucifer) (Gen. 3:1-14) and Satan had a free will to choose (Rev. 12:4-9 esp. V.9, keywords; great dragon, old serpent, Devil, Satan) and all the angels had a free will to choose because (V.4) one third of the angels chose to follow Satan. (2Cor. 11:13-15) Satan (Eph. 6:11-12 keywords: principalities, powers, rulers) and his hierarchy of fallen angels through deception (John 8:44-46) can make evil look holy and make holy look evil. (Rev. 20:9-15) But, just like mankind, Satan and his angels will be brought before God for a reckoning, a settling of old accounts. BECAUSE:
Among other things (John 8:44) the Devil seeks to murder you forever, (1Pet. 5:8) he seeks to devour you so you will become part of him and thus work for him, (John 8:44) he will lie to you (2Cor. 4:4) and he will blind you so you will destroy yourself and other people. (2Cor. 11:13-15) (V.13) Satan can and does cause false apostles (sent ones) to rise up and lead Christians away from the truth of God’s word and destroy them. (V.15 & 2Cor. 4:4) Satan’s false ministers can and does start false religions that renounce Jesus. (1Pet. 5:8) He is your greatest enemy. Here is how he does it.
(2Cor. 11:14-15) “And no marvel (to wonder at, to admire); for Satan himself is transformed (to disguise, transfer, transform self) into an angel (messenger) of light (an illuminator). Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers (to run errands, attendants, teachers) also be transformed (same definition as above) as the ministers of righteousness (justification, equity of character or act); whose end (the conclusion of an act or state, termination, result) shall be according (to give as is due or appropriate) to their works (acts, deeds, labor).”
(Matt. 4:3-5) The Devil is a tempter (tester). The word Devil defined is a slanderer, a false accuser, a traducer. A traducer speaks falsely, maliciously, leads. Satan, the Devil, is mankind’s adversary, a tempter (tester), a false accuser, a slanderer, speaks maliciously and he leads devils (fallen angels) and people!
(John 12:31 & 14:30) Jesus said Satan has nothing (no part) in Jesus and Satan is the prince (first in power, chief, ruler) of this world (Eph. 6:12) which is his kingdom of darkness with an organized hierarchy of fallen, evil angels in which he has power and purpose. (2Cor. 4:3-6) Satan is the god of this world who blinds the mind of people who don’t believe in Jesus.
(Matt. 12:25-26) Satan’s kingdom is a united kingdom of all devils over which he is the ruler. (Mark 5:7-9) Satan and his devils know people, they know you! (Luke 8:27-31) They recognized Jesus, (Mark 5:1-13) (V.2) have a self-will, (V.9) have self-awareness, (V.12) have knowledge, (V.2-5) have power over people, (V.7-9 & 12) speak through men’s mouths, (Acts 19:15) recognized Paul (James 2:19 keyword: tremble) and have emotions.
(Rev. 12:9) Satan is identified as the great dragon (to fascinate, to capture, to grasp, to entrap, to take). Satan is also identified as that old serpent. Old serpent signifies he was in Eden. (Isa. 14:29 keyword: serpent’s) Serpent’s defined is to hiss like a snake, to whisper, #1) to prognosticate, #2) is an enchanter, #3) and uses incantation.
DEFINITIONS: #1) To prognosticate means to diligently observe and learn by experience and to predict by using present indications as a guide. #2) To enchant means to cast under a spell, bewitch, to attract and delight completely. #3) An incantation is verbal charms spoken, chanted or sung designed to produce a particular emotional effect.
***Satan fascinates, grasps, entraps, takes, whispers into man’s thoughts, diligently observes, learns by experience, predicts by using present indicators such as a person’s thoughts, actions, reactions and emotions as a guide, casts under a spell, bewitches, attracts and delights completely, inspires people by verbal charms spoken, chanted or sung which is designed to produce a particular effect. From above: Satan is the god of this world who blinds the mind of people and can make wrong seem right. Satan, the Devil, is mankind’s adversary, a tempter (tester), a false accuser, a slanderer, speaks maliciously and he leads!***
JEWS: (1Ki. 11:26 thru 12:24) Spiritually Satan, the Devil, had been very successful in that he had blinded, attracted, delighted and inspired the Jews to divide into two nations by observing and learning how the Jews wanted the sensuous, worldly, carnal, idolatrous sins they had embraced from the heathen, pagan Canaanites.
Invisible, Satan danced with them around their fires (2Ki. 17:7-18) in the groves in the high places in the darkness of night (Psa. 135: 15-18) as they worshipped their “silver and gold idols made with their own hands that have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths”. (Isa. 14:14) Satan was not jealous because, in reality, they were worshipping him.
(2Ki. 17:9-18) Then he had whispered into their thoughts, fascinated, entrapped and helped the Northern Kingdom called Israel continue on their path of idolatrous sin until God had let them be destroyed by the Assyrians.
(Matt. 15:6-14) Satan had blinded the Jews in the Southern Kingdom called Judah and had led them into making wrong seem right as they slid further into the apostacy of their pride and arrogance concerning their traditions until they did not recognize (Isa. 52:14 thru 53:12 & John 1:11) the time of their Messiah’s (Jesus) visitation, (Matt. 27:20-50) they forced the Romans to kill Jesus (Luke 19:41-44 and common history) and God let Judah be destroyed by the Romans.
The united twelve tribes of God’s chosen people He had named Israel were gone and Satan, their adversary, surely slapped his spiritual thighs and roared in spiritual glee.
THE VISIBLE CHURCH: Read common church history: (Psa. 109:6) Satan always stands at the right hand of wicked men to help them. He saw the politicism and paganism, the greed and lust, hunger for power and the counterfeit claiming of salvation (Eph. 6:11) and he used all his wiles (trickery, to lie in wait) (2Cor. 2:11) and devices (perception, purpose, intellect) to bewitch, attract and delight them completely as he led them into apostasy until wrong seemed right.
(2Cor. 11:14-15) Satan had transformed himself into an angel (messenger) of light (make manifest) and his ministers (to run errands, attendants, teachers) taught a counterfeit righteousness (justification). (Acts 10:38) They did not know Satan had oppressed (exercise dominion against) them by (2Cor. 4:4) blinding them.
THE HIDDEN, DISSENTER CHURCH: (Zech. 3:1) Satan stands at the right hand of righteous men to resist them. The original apostles had been dead more than five hundred years but from the very beginning of the church and in the succeeding generations of Dissenter church leaders they had collected their writings, collated them in their entirety. Every Dissenter church had all the ancient writings and as new churches were founded they also received copies of God’s word.
The corrupt Visible Church hated the hidden Dissenter Church because they would not follow the Visible Church teaching. Satan hated the Dissenter Church, (1Pet. 5:8) he was their adversary (enemy) (John 8:44) and he wanted them murdered because he is a murderer and liar and the father of murderers and liars. Satan helped inspire the visible church to murder members of the hidden church BUT by their obedience, prayer, a desire to serve God (Heb. 13:5-6) and confidence in Jesus and his word and through their personal relationship with God through the Holy Spirit the Dissenter church survived.
The Visible Church would eventually become the Roman Catholic (universal) Church. After several bloody guerrilla wars and outright declared wars over hundreds of years with the loss of life and waste of finances equaling that of WW1 the Dissenter church would become the Protestant Church. The Roman Catholic Church would take a long look at itself and decide to return to the church God had intended it to be. All that would take place in the far, far future but not now because it was only 600AD and Mohammad was thirty years old.
THE PAGANS: The rest of the world was pagan (heathen, idolaters) (Gal. 1:16-3:8) The pagan, Gentile (non-Jewish) idolaters are under the power of Satan because he diligently observed their thoughts, actions, reactions and emotions as a guide. He saw and understood their need to worship. Every tribe had their own host of gods. Just like Judaism and Christianity, Paganism was a swirling mass of confusion.
Satan helped inspire the Pagans to worship idols, phenomena of nature and gods of the imagination. He helped and watched them organize their religions with lists of rituals and lists of behaviors. He inspired them to develop verbal charms and prayers spoken, chanted and sung which delighted their emotions and produced physical and spiritual sin as they gyrated under the moon.
Satan was the only spirit they had and he laughed in unholy glee at their idolatry as they offered their children and babies as burnt offerings to Moloch, Baal and other idols while he spiritually strutted and danced and delighted in their physical fornication and their idol worship because, in reality, they were worshipping him.
One thing bothered Satan, (Luke 16:22) the children’s little souls disappeared. (Prov. 15:3 then Acts 7:55-60) There in the spirit world the invisible God of all glory silently whispered; “And neither did they hurt nor did they experience death.” Read the one article commentary Is God Fair on this website and you will understand.
This is the political, religious and spiritual world into which Mohammad was born.
MOHAMMAD
NOTE: As in Judaism and Christianity there are also a vast number of websites concerning Mohammad, Islam and the Koran you can research and many times their information is from slightly conflicting to very conflicting depending on their sources of information. On some of the websites, depending upon the various Authors’ religious affiliation, the information can be extremely conflicting.
We must now use the sparsely known facts of his life to construct what possibly occurred to shape his character and we must consider basic human nature when attempting to construct Mohammad’s personal life, just like we did Paul and Cornelius the centurion. END OF NOTE.
SO
ACCORDING TO VARIOUS WEBSITES: In 570AD Mohammad (derived from the Arabian verb hamada which means to praise, to glorify) was born into the Banu Hashim clan of the Quraysh tribe which was a mercantile tribe that historically inhabited and controlled Mecca, a mountain town on the high desert plateau of western Arabia. (2Chron. 17:11, Neh. 2:19, & Gal. 4:25) Arabia is the northern part of the Arabian Peninsula.
See: wathanism.blogspot.com/2011/11/deities-beings-and-figures-in-arabian.html for a list of the names and descriptions of the mythological deities worshipped by various Arabian tribes and clans before and during Mohammad’s lifetime. It is very informative concerning the gods worshipped by Mohammad’s home Banu clan of the Quraysh tribe in the Ka’aba (worship center) at Mekkah (Mecca) in pre-Islamic Arabia.
Mohammad’s father, Abd, died a short time before he was born. Mohammad’s mother, Amina, died when he was six and he was raised by his grandfather Abdul who died in 578 when Mohammad was about eight. Then his uncle, Abu Talib, his Mother’s brother, assumed the burden of Mohammad’s rearing and teaching. Mohammad’s spiritual next of kin was loss and loneliness.
When a child keeps losing everything he loves it deeply affects him, changes him and Mohammad had a deep-seated desire to belong. Being an orphan Mohammad would never have had the secure feeling of identity that comes from actually belonging to a family like other children his age. He would have been worked and disciplined a little harder. There is always a bully somewhere in every life and when one is alone he fights his own battles or he runs and cowers. Mohammad obviously fought his own battles because there was no run or cower in him. Obviously, Mohammad grew strong. But he had no basic familial sense of identity.
Mohammad’s uncle was a merchant in Mecca and used camel caravans to take and bring back trade goods from trade center cities in Syria where goods flowed both ways in the trade routes between the eastern merchants as far as the western orient and the middle east to merchants along the Mediterranean Sea. Goods at these trade centers obviously went back and forth between them and the south all the way to northern Africa. Mankind always wants something he does not have.
When he was twelve Mohammad accompanied his uncle on his first caravan north. It was not a picnic, it was hard work and bands of brigands and thieves lay in wait along the trade routes to rob any caravan that showed weakness. Though a boy Mohammad thought; “I will learn, I will work hard and I will not be afraid.” The men in the various clans in Arabia were a warrior class who were expected to be able to fight their enemies to defend their “homeland” or as aggressors to conquer a neighboring clan because of their weakness or for some offence. It was in this caravan that Mohammad started learning the exciting world of weapons and tactics.
By the time he was twelve Mohammad would have been reserved, alert and observant of his surroundings. He was obviously strong, dependable and capable because he was trusted to help handle a camel caravan of precious trade goods. He was obviously tough, he was not on a vacation, he faced dust storms, searing heat, hard work, thirst and danger. He learned to tell direction and how men acted under duress. “I will survive.”
As they traveled north, ever north, they met other caravans and they passed through various settlements and towns and the caravan always visited at least for a while, especially to trade. Men thirsted for news and, as with men everywhere, there were discussions about goods, finances, various clan governance, weather and religion. They finally got to their destination and the trip was an eye-opener for Mohammad. In Mecca they worshipped their motionless, mute, stone gods in their houses and in their Kaaba (house of worship) and Mohammad had assumed they were the gods to be worshipped by everyone.
Mohammad learned the other tribes and clans worshipped their own myriad gods. He saw buildings called churches and learned they worshipped one invisible God (Roman Catholic). People told him they were political and greedy. He heard rumors of a hidden church that worshipped the same invisible God (Protestant) in secret and if the visible church found them out, they would kill them. For an in-depth view of the early church see the three article Introduction to the Sin in Church commentary on this website.
Mohammad had not paid much attention to the Hebrew traders passing through Mecca. But he had learned they met in buildings called synagogues and worshipped the same invisible God a different way than the people called Christians. “Would a real God accept worship so many different ways?” He lumped all three groups together and called them The People of the Book.
When Mohammad returned to Mecca he was surprised because he was treated differently. He was a boy who had gone on a dangerous journey, he had done a man’s work and he had survived. “I am strong.” His above average intelligence insured that he quickly learned the business of being a merchant and over the years he went on several caravans with his uncle Abu Talib and he became more and more proficient in the use of weapons.
At seventeen, in their practice with swords Mohammad had shown a singleness of concentration and dedication and there was no waste of effort in his smooth, flowing motion. Abu Talib took the measure of his nephew and, as he had matured, Mohammad had become wiry but very muscular and was stronger than most older men his size and he was very fast and sure.
Mohammad had acquired the aquiline facial features of his people and he had become an extremely handsome man. Abu Talib was reminded of a deadly desert hawk. To look into his eyes, one could see Mohammad’s force of will and that he could not be pushed or bullied. Mohammad was looking more like some warrior prince than a trader but he was always quiet, well-mannered and drove a hard bargain.
Mohammad wondered about the image gods. Wars were fought between tribes or clans and people said those with the strongest gods won but only men died. What happened to their gods? The conquerors sometimes smashed their enemy’s images into powder but they didn’t stink like corpses and many of them were never mentioned again. The idea of a group of different gods for every different tribe or clan (paganism) had become ridiculous to Mohammad but he kept quiet about it, religious argument was bad for business. Thinking; “All these different gods and their religions are foolishness!”
In his trading associations with the people calling themselves Christians and with those Hebrews calling themselves the covenant Chosen People of the invisible God, Mohammad sensed theirs was the one true God; “But why do The People of the Book worship the same God so differently?” Mohammad was a good businessman to the bone and to be a good businessman one had to be conscientious and meticulous and in Mohammad’s eyes all these different ways to worship many gods and the three ways to worship what he sensed was the one true God were chaos! A good trader hates chaos. “This chaos needs organized.”
If uncle Abu Talib had been able to see inside his soul he would have again been surprised. The quiet, well-mannered external Mohammad was an emotional mess. He felt a terrible need for a god to worship but there was none. (2Cor. 4:3-6) Satan’s reddened spiritual eyes bored into Mohammad’s soul with calculating, evil intellect as he diligently observed Mohammad’s thoughts, actions, reactions and emotions and made plans how he could destroy him or better still, how to use him.
The year was 588 Anno Domini (AD) and Mohammad was about to experience an event that would change his character for the rest of his life! Jesus was born at the beginning of the first year of the Anno Domini reckoning of time. Mohammad was born in 570 AD and was 18 years old; 570 + 18 = 588. (Acts 7:55-56 & Heb. 4:14-16) Jesus had been gone into heaven to take His throne of grace beside God the Father 555 years earlier and Mohammad had just turned eighteen when a different type of brigand came at them. Five is the Biblical number of grace and three is the Biblical number of completion. God’s Grace was already in effect at that time.
There had been slashing raids here and there when the thieving brigands had tried to cut off part of their caravan. Those episodes had sometimes developed into skirmishes and running fights and Mohammad had joined the fight with a grim, deadly intensity and proficiency that had surprised them all. But this band was different. A large number of riders slowly approached, lined up a scant hundred yards away and a solitary rider rode forth to confront them.
He pulled up his horse when he was close and surveyed them with mocking eyes as he looked at them grouped there ready to defend their caravan. He was a huge man, thick with muscle on his bare arms and where his clothes had pulled tight on his legs as he sat in the saddle. His neck was thick and muscular. His gaze traveled the length of the caravan and back to them. His eyes had become greedy and cruel, hard and cold, and his guttural voice challenged them; “I am Akbar Al-Ghalib (greatest conqueror) Al-Amin (truth). We vastly outnumber you but I will let you leave alive if you do not resist us.”
They had heard of this man and his band of fierce cutthroats. More than one caravan had caved in to his demands and he did let them leave alive but from that time forward those men had been disdained as cowards. Other caravans had resisted, had been slaughtered to the last man and their goods taken. It was said this man had his own djinn that protected him (in Arabian mythology the djinn is an intelligent spirit said to be able to appear in human and animal forms and to possess humans).
His uncle Abu Talib started to step forward but Mohammad’s hand on his forearm stopped him and Mohammad stepped forth. The brigand leader’s amused eyes looked upon this youngster barely out of childhood and his amusement caused him to miss Mohammad’s hot, expectant eyes and he did not feel the chill coming from Mohammad that was so plain to the men of the caravan who were closest to Mohammad. The chill was tangible and terrifying and it gave them the feeling Mohammad was teetering on the edge of some indescribable cruelty and deadliness.
Mohammad’s voice sounded low but it had a ringing quality that carried and no one, not even the impatient riders behind their chief could miss a word. “It is said you are a man of your word. If you give it you keep it.” The bandit leader visibly swelled and his deep voice boomed; “When I say a thing that thing will be done.” “It is said you are a courageous man and have killed many men?” “That is truth, I am and I have!” Mohammad’s voice did not change its pitch and intensity but its character was filled with a hot, eager, deadly, ferocity. He spoke slowly so no man could possibly misunderstand.
“Well said; SO; I say; If I let you live will you take your men and go? Or, if not, if you are unafraid, you will fight me man to man for the contents of this caravan. The winner takes all including the loser’s life.” In the spirit world, Satan, the brigand’s djinn slapped his spiritual hands in glee; “I’ve got him now! I’ve watched Al-Amin fight many times and Mohammad is already carrion.” Uncle Abu Talib’s sharply indrawn breath was audible to many, thinking; “Mohammad is dead and my caravan is gone.” Al-Amin, the bandit chief, rocked back in his saddle at the insult then leaned forward; “I will cut you into pieces and feed you to the shakhs jadir bial’iizdira (buzzards)!”
Al-Amin dismounted and stomped forward with a swagger, his huge shoulders rocking and his face a sneer of absolute confidence. Mohammad appeared to almost flow forward with the terrible and wonderful catlike power and grace of a concentrated and coordinated force beautiful to behold. They fought then on the rough ground beside the caravan trail. Back and forth, around and around they whirled. Al-Amin like some huge, violently angry bull and Mohammad like an elusive will-o’-the wisp that could not be reached nor touched.
The observers were amazed that one as slight as Mohammad actually had the strength to parry Al-Amin’s powerful blows then his own sword would flicker forth like some strange, glittering adder and more of Al-Amin’s blood would stain another scarlet streak upon his clothes. They began to realize Mohammad had missed several chances to kill Al-Amin with a fatal thrust and they doubted his ability but then came the awful realization Mohammad was expressing a strange, terrible and shocking cruelty; “He’s butchering Al-Amin alive!”
Finally, Al-Amin lowered his mighty sword until the point touched the dirt and bloody, exhausted, sagging and cut to pieces he stared at Mohammad. Mohammad was still but they could see he almost vibrated with a fierce ferocity and cruelty. The fighters faced each other for several achingly endless seconds. Al-Amin was afraid of what he finally saw in Mohammad’s eyes; “Will you now kneel and kiss my feet?”
Enraged, Al-Amin staggered forward with his sword half raised. It was then that Mohammad chose to kill him and like a shooting star his blade entered Al-Amin’s chest and out his back. Al-Amin’s strengthless hand dropped his sword. From just a few inches, Mohammad looking slightly upward, the two men stared into each other’s eyes and Mohammad coldly watched the light of life fade and die in Al-Amin’s (truth’s) eyes. Truth had died by Mohammad’s hand!
The man’s body fell away from his impalement on Mohammad’s blade. He turned and faced the brigand’s warriors, raised his sword and motioned them to come to him but from the oldest to the youngest they turned and rode away. Mohammad strode back toward his own men. He looked like the old Mohammad but something fierce and elemental still glowed from the cauldrons of his searing eyes and more than one of them felt a small chill of fear. A certain force of assurance, arrogance, contempt, and cruelty toward mankind had rooted deep into Mohammad’s character.
Yonder, so far yonder in the spirit world, yet right there with them Satan’s mind raced; “My best man could not kill Mohammad (Eph. 6:11-12) now I must use all my wiles (trickery, to lie in wait) and devices (perception, purpose, intellect) to attract and delight him and to blind him.”
Later that year, in 588AD while Mohammad was still eighteen, his uncle, Abu Talib, assigned him to manage a caravan north and the uncle stayed home. Word had spread among the Gatie Tarig (brigands); “Leave Abu Talib’s caravans alone. They are not worth dying for!” It was a success and Mohammad’s uncle made good profit on both ends of the trip. Mohammad made several successful trips for his uncle and had earned himself a very good reputation as a businessman, a terrible fighter and as a caravan manager. Mohammad had become a driving force in his uncle’s business.
In the far future, in late 624AD, in his jihads Mohammad would still always lead from the front. (See Wikipedia ->) In the second battle with the Meccans, led by Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, Mohammad’s archers disobeyed his orders and deserted him on the slopes and plains of Mount Uhud. The Meccan cavalry overran the Muslim ranks, many Muslims were killed and Mohammad was badly wounded as he fought with deadly ferocity on the front rank. The word went out; “Mohammad’s invisible god failed him!” He would have to fight harder to prove them wrong. The archers paid with their heads.
Over the years Mecca had become a trade center in itself because the leaders of the clan that ruled Mecca were also astute businessmen. Mohammad, now in his very early twenties, started his own business managing caravans for other businessmen. Mohammad possessed an excellent memory and, (See: aboutislam.net/counseling/ask-about-islam/prophet-muhammad-illiterate >) though illiterate, his thought process was shrewd, meticulous and discerning.
Satan diligently observes, learns by experience, predicts by using present indicators such as a person’s thoughts, actions, reactions and emotions as a guide. There in the spirit world that is all around us Satan watched Mohammad and was pleased. Satan loves pride.
(Isa. 14:12-14 esp. V.13-14 keywords: I will= pride then Ezek. 28:13-17 esp. V.17 keywords: lifted up= pride) “I showed God in Eden and I’ve shown Him here, just look at the religions of the world!” (John 8:44) “I have murdered men by lying to them and causing them to murder each other and I will do it again” and Satan turned his baleful, spiritual gaze ever more intently toward Mohammad.
After his day’s work was done many times Mohammad would think about religion. The chaos of the known methods of worship offended his sense of meticulous order. He wondered about the unseen God. He looked at the meticulous order of nature and of the moon, sun and stars and sensed a guiding hand, a Creator, but why the vast differences in worship? And he would think; “One God, one worship? How?” Mohammad grew more curious concerning those he labeled the people of the book.
He was pleased when he met those of the book calling themselves Hebrews. They explained their writings, lineages, covenant, history, laws and prophesy. He was also pleased when he met those who called themselves Christians and their books and especially what they called their New Covenant. “Why would one God issue two covenants?” Mohammad was on his way financially and spiritually.
There in the spirit world Satan was angry. He hated the people of the book. He hated the book. (John 4:24) “I know many of them worship God correctly and I’ve got to keep Mohammad away from them or somehow use him against them.” Satan, the devil, intensified his investigation into Mohammad’s thinking.
(See: www.britannica.com/biography/Khadijah) Everybody in Mecca knew about Khadija bint Khawalayd. Her much older merchant husband had died and she was a very wealthy widow running the family business. Twenty-four-year-old Mohammad was surprised when one of Khadija’s agents approached him and proposed a meeting with her to discuss a business proposition.
People had said Khadija was an extremely beautiful woman but Mohammad had never seen her up close and his heart thumped within him when he met her. He hardly noticed her precious silk shawl; he was well aware of the value of silk from their connection to the silk road in the north where they traded. It was more than her beauty; as far as Mohammad was concerned there was simply a specialness about her that transcended physical beauty or wealth. His expression showed nothing but his eyes gave him away.
Khadija smiled inwardly. A good business person learned to quickly read people and Khadija was an excellent businesswoman. She well knew the ways of men. Though his face showed nothing Khadija saw the soft, warm look that had come into this handsome young man’s eyes and she thought; “Only love has that glow.”
Mohammad was again surprised when she mentioned that he was a well-known, trusted, very astute businessman. It had never entered his mind that someone of Khadija’s wealth and social status would pay any attention to him.” That started the business conversation which ended with Khadija hiring Mohammad to manage a trade goods caravan into Syria for her. Mohammad was successful and upon his return Khadija invited him, except for her servants soundlessly serving them, to a private supper with her to discuss business.
After that supper there were other very successful, lucrative business ventures and other suppers as they grew into a closer and closer friendship. Khadija was deeply impressed by Mohammad’s character, honesty, intelligence, force and strength of will and conscientious business practices. But what impressed her most of all was that Mohammad was a decent man, his affection for her was obvious but he was always courteous, he respected her and he never tried to take advantage of her physically or financially. “It is so easy to love a man like that.”
When her husband had died it appeared her world had ended and she threw herself into their business; “I’ll never find another man to love and respect me like him.” But her gods had smiled upon her and she had found one. SO: In 595AD, when Mohammad was twenty-five, she proposed that they became married. They had become friends, then to liking and treasuring, then on to loving and wanting.
Mohammad gladly accepted her proposal. Theirs was a loving, comforting, fulfilling, marriage. Her husband had been old and there were no children. Mohammad was young, achingly handsome, beautifully muscular with great endurance, he was gentle and caring and night after night he brought her to shrieking, breathless climaxes. But even with Khadija Mohammad he was filled with unspoken doubt; “I have found someone to love and she loves me and satisfies my every need. When will death also take her away? And I have no god!”
He brought his customers into their business and as the years passed Mohammad intensified his investigation into what he considered the very sensible idea of one invisible God. Mohammad, hired an overseer and his times of investigation, reflection and searching grew longer. It delighted him to no end when he met a Hebrew or a Christian who had the ability of languages and would stay in his house for days or weeks at a time to read to him translating into his language from the words in their books.
(John 6:44 & 12:32 keyword in both: draw) For ‘some reason’ Mohammad was especially delighted when he met one of the hidden Dissenter Christians and entertained him for weeks in Mohammad’s home. (Rom. 8:6-17 esp. V.9 & Eph. 1:13-23 esp. V.13 keyword: sealed) Mohammad was thrilled and drawn toward that God when they told him the one True God inhabited them through His Spirit and spoke to them through that Spirit! Also, in his understanding, Mohammad realized a man they called Jesus had brought those words and knowledge and he thought; “He must be the greatest prophet of all!”
(1Chron. 21:1 & 2Cor. 11:14) Satan intensified his examination of Mohammad (John 8:44 key: Satan, the devil is a murderer and a liar) and started forming an attack plan of lies to destroy Mohammad. God thought to Himself; “Mohammad will have his chance at salvation if he will just listen to Me through My drawing Spirit and by My words!” Mohammad did not know he was caught in the middle of two god’s war for his eternal soul!
The idea of fasting and prayer appealed to Mohammad. The traditional idolatry of his clan in Mecca bothered him; “There has got to be more than this.” At the beginning of his intensified search for the invisible God. With his impressive knowledge of the book Mohammad remembered a cave called Hira on mount Jabal an-Nour near Mecca he had found as a child. It was 609AD.
There in the cave he found a type of peace in its solitude and it became his retreat to fast and meditate. He could not help but wonder why his and Khadija’s first two babies, boys, had died in infancy. It was his time to be alone in his search for a god. Mohammad would stay a few days and meditate; “Does the one invisible God even love us?”
Khadija’s work was not overwhelming because the servants helped with the children and the overseer who operated their business was a hardworking, very astute, trust worthy intelligent man and Mohammad had much free time to visit his meditation cave. When he periodically returned from the cave for some days or some weeks his business associates and friends noticed and whispered among themselves that he was becoming more taciturn and somber. At home there were long moments when he was quiet but usually he was the same old Mohammad to his dear family; loving, a little humorous, patient, kind and generous and they loved him as always.
Mohammad possessed above average intelligence, a superb memory, an amazing ability to focus intellectually and physically, great courage and cruelty, the ability to lead and organize far above the average man and that he could kill a man or men without qualm or guilt. BUT; “I cannot find a god!”
610AD had almost ended (Koran 53:4-9) when Mohammad had several indistinct visual experiences in the cave called Hira (defined: confusion, bewilderment, perplexity, etc.: see internet for more) that shook him to the core of his being; (2Cor. 4:4-6) “Am I seeing into the spirit world?” When he returned to Mecca he told Khadija about them when they were snuggled in their bed far into the night. Khadija had worried about his rejection of the gods of their clan, she shivered uneasily and Mohammad held her close. The priests of her religion taught that jinn could possess men; “Beware of the jinn!” Khadija offered sacrifice and begged her gods to protect Mohammad. But her god Satan did not listen because he had other plans.
NOTE: POSSIBLY the people of the Book Mohammad talked to had never read (1Cor. 14:33) to Mohammad which says; “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.” OR: With all the uproar, confusion, bewilderment and perplexity in the Christian world maybe they were ashamed to read it and explain it to Mohammad. And they surely did not read and explain (1John 4:1) “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try (test) the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” to Mohammad because of the conflict and confusion between the Catholic Church and what would become the Protestant Church and Judaism ! END OF NOTE.
It had bothered her to no end that Mohammad would not attend the Kaaba in Mecca and worship the invisible jinn (in Arabian mythology the djinn was an intelligent spirit said to be able to appear in human and animal forms and to possess humans) and their more than three hundred other graven images of their gods Hubal, Al-lat, Al-Uzza, Manat and a host of other lesser gods and goddesses. She made one excuse after another to keep Mohammad away from the cave; “This needs your attention.” “That needs your attention.” “Baby daughter Fatimah may be getting sick.”
She ran out of excuses and in very early 611AD Mohammad went back to cave Hira. Khadija was worried when he left and she was shocked when he returned late in the evening two days later. He was in a strangely somber solitude and he seemed far away from her. “What happened?” No answer. He was silent even with the children and they finally went to bed. In their bed that night she knew he was not asleep by his tenseness. She lay rigid next to him and she was terrified, thinking; “Oh my gods Hubal and Al-Uzza has an evil jinni possessed my dear husband? Protect him! Please protect him!”
(Read these-> Gen. 3:5 & 2Cor. 11:14 keywords: angel of light) Finally, Mohammad spoke softly and hesitantly; “An overpowering presence visited me from the spirit world.” Khadija felt as if her heart had stopped and she suddenly felt far, far away. “He spoke words to me that were of such beauty and force they burned into my soul.” Khadija lay motionless and voiceless and dread filled her as Mohammad repeated the words the spirit had said to him. They lay in silence until sleep finally claimed them. Neither of them knew Mohammad was suffering the spiritual birth pains that would result in the physical birth of the Koran.
Mohammad stayed away from his meditation cave for several weeks but he could not resist the drawing from that cave. Mohammad was gone for a week; the spirit had come again and Mohammad revealed to Khadija the beautiful words the spirit had told him. This time they discussed the words. The periodic revelations continued for the next two years and he and Khadija had many conversations concerning their content. Khadija was his first convert.
From the very beginning every word was burned into his brain and as he recited them his faithful wife wrote them down. When Mohammad told Uncle Abu Talib about the spirit that was visiting him his uncle, who had many friends and acquaintances among all three divisions of the People of the Book, told Mohammad it had to be the angel Gabriel who was visiting Mohammad (Luke 1:26-37) because the people of the book said Gabriel was a messenger angel. Mohammad thought about it, prayed about it and accepted it as truth. Uncle Abu Talib was his second convert. Spiritual Islam had been born into the physical world.
NOTE: (Dan. 8:15-19 & 9:21-22 then Luke 1:19 & 26) In the Holy Bible the angel Gabriel’s name is given when he brings a revelation. The spirit who visited Mohammad did not give his name, Mohammad didn’t know who or what the spirit was who brought him his revelation until his uncle Abu Talib suggested it might be Gabriel one of the messengers of the people of the book. It is a part of human nature to convince oneself that what they already want to believe is the absolute truth. END OF NOTE.
In 613AD Mohammad decided to reveal them to certain members of his clan. (Luke 3:21-23) His message was resolutely monotheistic in that there was only one god and that god’s messenger spirit was talking to him. A few believed him but the word was out that Mohammad was founding a new religion of only one God just like the people of the book. The elders of his clan knew all about the people of the book and decided Mohammad had copied from parts of their book and was founding his own new religion based on their religion. They called him; “Mutasanie” (phony).
Mohammad had started teaching his type of worship in the open-air markets and other public places. Most of the citizens of Mecca disregarded his preaching and the elders of his clan met his preaching with sour pessimism but here and there, now and then, Mohammad would convince someone to join him in his type of worship.
The elders were having none of it and they called a secret meeting to discuss Mohammad and his one invisible god. Their debate started with hot, furious comments defending their gods and goddesses and they unanimously decided their own gods had made them rich not some invisible God of the people of the book. A certain clan and worship leader in the Kaaba called for quiet and their meeting got down to the business of what to do with Mohammad. Mohammad’s uncle, Abu Talib, a slightly wealthy trader and leader, one of Mohammad’s first converts, had not been invited to their meeting.
They were well aware of Mohammad, his deadly sword, his temper and his cold, cruel ferocity and that was taken into consideration when they carefully laid their plans against Mohammad. In a few days one of Mohammad’s original and most loyal customers told Mohammad he had decided to run his own caravans. Two of Khadija’s customers decided to take their business elsewhere.
As the years passed Mohammad gained a few more followers. After much prayer and discussion in many meetings they gradually decided Mohammad’s revelations were from God and one of them who knew many of the people of the book explained (Dan. 8:15-16 & Luke 1:19-20) and said Mohammad’s messenger had to be the angel Gabriel. Muhammad remembered what his uncle had said about Gabriel and steadily stared straight into the man’s eyes for several long seconds, the man’s gaze did not waver and Mohammad murmured quietly; “And our Allah is the only Allah and all the other Allah’s are figments of men’s imaginations (khayal).”
One night as they disbursed from their meeting place two of his followers were viciously assaulted. That’s the way it went for the next few years as their businesses slowly hemorrhaged customers and the noose of financial strangulation slowly tightened around them. Then, horror upon horror, beautiful Khadija died in 619AD and his uncle Abu Talib died a few months later that same year. In spite of finally finding his god, Mohammad had never felt so heart broken and alone and it was then that Mohammad began to realize his Allah did not love man unless man proved his love first.
Perhaps the people of the book had not told Mohammad (John 3:16-18) or maybe, because of the death of his loved ones, he simply ignored (John 3:16-18) that said; “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
The persistent persecution continued and rose into a crescendo one night in 622AD when an assassination attempt was made upon Mohammad’s life and Mohammad left his butchered assassin bleeding and gurgling out his life in the dark street. The next week Mohammad and his followers left Mecca and traveled to Yathrib where Mohammad and his preaching were well received and soon the town’s name was changed to Medina (the city of the Prophet).
As he gained converts, built a Muslim community and gained strength Mohammad would sometimes go to the flat rooftop of his house, look toward Mecca and whisper; “I will return and tame you, great whore. I will tame you with Allah’s word (Koran) and with my sword.” He was planning his first jihad, his Holy War for Allah.
Mohammad’s opinion that his Allah did not love mankind would grow stronger because: After Khadija’s death Mohammad would accumulate twelve more wives and only one of them. Maria al-Qibtiyya, would bear him a son who would also die in infancy. He would outlive three of his daughters by Khadija and only Fatimah, his baby daughter by Khadija, would continue his lineage in the form of Sayyid and Sharif.
Sayyid is a Muslim who claims descent from Mohammad through his grandson Hussein, Fatima’s second son. It is also a term of respect. Sharif is a descendant of Mohammad through Fatima and is entitled to wear a green turban. It can also mean a Muslim ruler, magistrate, or religious leader.