ISLAMISM – A historical background: The Saudi Angle

By R. Upadhyay

http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/papers33/paper3282.html

A peep into the Arabian history during the time of Prophet Mohammad suggests that Mecca, the chief city of Hidjaz in Arabian Peninsula which was his birth place - was the assembly point of the caravans on the land route from southern Arabia and also the centre of annual pilgrimage to Kaba in a ritual called Hajj. Before the advent of Islam, Kaba was the sanctuary of over 300 idols representing the gods of various warring idolatrous Arab nomads who used to fight among themselves not only for their supremacy over each other but also for supremacy of their respective idol gods housed in Kaba which were supposed to be catering to every taste of pagan diversion. Thus, the warring Arabs used to fight for the custody of Kaba to prove the superiority of their respective gods. In fifth century AD, one Qosaiy belonging to the Hashimite sect of Quraysh tribe comprising of some scattered Bedouin clans in central Hizaz seized the Kaba and became its custodian. Qosaiy was said to be a descendent of Abraham and Ishmael the legendary forefathers of the Arabs.

Prophet Mohammad (570-632), belonging to the Hashim clan of Quraysh tribe was born in Mecca in 570 AD. Growing up in the chaotic social environment he developed a feeling to bring unity in Arab society. Accordingly, he used to meditate and felt that multiplicity of gods was the main reason behind such chaos. Since Allah was the main deity of the Qraysh tribe and his father's name was also Abdallah conjugated from Abd Allah which translates as slave of Allah, Mohammad with a view to perpetuate his father's memory chose this word from among the many pre-Islamic Arab deities and accepted it as the sole deity. It is said that nursing an imperialistic ambition to establish the domination of Arabian Quraysh over entire world he adopted a strategy to bring unity among the various tribes by uniting the concept of various gods into one. It is said that in course of meditation he began getting revelations from the year 610 AD at frequent intervals till his death in 632 AD.

In between a number of revelations to him was the war strategy for capturing Kaba in the city of Mecca. With first revelation – `La ilah ilallah Mohummadur Rasullah'(There is no god but Allah and Mohammad is his Prophet) in 610 AD, he made his journey by preaching among his own people in Mecca. However, he failed to convince the idolatrous Meccans, as the harsh and barren desert environment of Arab society which had not only shaped the temperament of its people but also of their mental make up by the dictum – "Kill or be killed". Facing humiliation and danger he fled to Medina and turned into a `warrior priest' by enticing some of the people around him under the banner of Islam. With a view to capture Kaba as his first target, he led his people by formulating the concept of Jihad (Literally meaning struggle) as "exertion on the path of Allah" and led them to invade the Meccan caravans. His first Jihad from Medina is known as the Battle of Badre when he lauded his followers against the army of opponents saying - "Fight and fear not, the gates of Paradise are under the shade of sword" (`The Arabs' by Anthony Nutting, Hollis & Carter, London, page 23). The defeat of Meccans in this war in 624 was the first victory of Islamic Jihad. In fact by using Islam as a violent political tool he led his followers to destroy the opponents who refused obeisance to it.

Encouraged with his first victory Mohammad made a tactical truce with the Omayyad sect of Quraysh tribe led by Abu Sufyan, the then custodian of Kaba and eventually succeeded in capturing Mecca in 630 AD. After the surrender of Abu Sufyan and obedience to Islam, Mohammad captured Kaba and demolished all the pre-Islamic idols except a black stone around which the Arabs were doing seven rounds, the customary pagan practice. As a part of his political strategy to establish the hegemony of Meccans, he also allowed the pre-Islamic pagan practice of circumambulation to continue as the focal point of Haz pilgrimage. Similarly, allowing the pre-Islamic Arab traditions like drinking water from the Zamzam well, throwing 21 stones at pillars representing evil spirits (Satan) on a holy mountain and sacrifice of camels and sheep, the Prophet prescribed these rituals as well as pilgrimage to this place once in a year for all the Muslims of world as the mandatory rites. Once he became the custodian of the Kaba he also became the temporal and spiritual head of both Mecca and Medina and allowed the old customs like slaves, concubines to continue.

In the last address to his companions before his death, Mohammad pronounced, "I was ordered to fight all men until they say `there is no god but Allah'. (Prophet Mohammad's farewell address, March 632 – Islamic Imerialism – A History – Efraim Karsh, Yale University Press London, 2006, page 2). Since the Prophet adopted the path of violent war to establish Islam in his home town Mecca, his followers have no inhibition in taking the similar path. In fact the first battle of Badr and his last address became the perpetual advice and inspiring events for all the Muslims for any political conquest anywhere in the world.

Prophet Mohammad forbade the entry of non-Muslimsto Mecca to complete its full Islamisation. His war strategy for imperial expansion of Islam with Medina as administrative centre of Islamic Empire was a novel form of socio-political communal concept of Ummah, a divinely ordained brotherhood bound by something stronger than geographical boundary. Perhaps tying up Islam with pagan reverence to the city of Mecca and a number of its pre-Islamic traditions and customs was not only political expediency of the time but also a strategy to make the Arabs as the super most power of the world. Such imperialistic political design which had nothing to do with the spiritual aspect of the faith latter turned into civilisational clash in different parts of the world.

After the occupation of Mecca, Mohammad declared it as the holiest city for the Muslims and fell ill. Although, the followers of Mohammad obeyed his writ till his death in 632 AD, political dispute over the superiority among the clans for succession began immediately. Fight for superiority which they had inherited from their pre-Islamic gene, divided the Ummah (Muslim community) into various sects. This was the first sign of deviation b