Why do you think Mohamed started Islam?

[MohamedLuq93]

This question has been popping up in my mind all the time. Why did he start islam? Was it a political motive? Did he want a political and social reformation? Why did he claim he was the Prophet? He also used to starve and pray Untill his legs got swollen. What do you guys think about this?

[Fernando]

Well, someone living in a primitive superstitious society who had mental or neurological problems would be very vulnerable to delusions. If he then had "visions" and was told that he was a prophet may well believe it and take it seriously. If in addition such a person was domineering, or narcissistic or an opportunist - or all three - things could get very serious and lo: a new religion could appear.
Once the thing had been set going, it could overtake its creator and drive him to extreme obedience to his own creation.
Just a guess.

[manfred]

Hi again,

Well, Mohammed started Islam effectively twice. In Mecca, he preached a version of Islam was much more peaceful and conciliatory than the version he proposed in Medina.

Some have said that Islam as a religion died on the way to Medina, and what followed cannot really be called a proper religion. Before Medina, it may be possible that Mohammed did really have a religious insight or message, but his success in the delivery of that was limited. He tried to draw people from monotheistic backgrounds and polytheistic beliefs together in a new, unifying monotheistic, religion which still used some polytheistic ideas and practices. After leaving Mecca, whatever it was Mohammed first wanted to do, changed completely. The "old" Islam was pretty much abandoned and a new version created.

While still in Mecca and married to wealthy Khadija, he had no financial worries. This changed over night when arriving in Medina, and Mohammed was faced with a big problem, not only did he need to find a way to provide for himself and his family but also for his followers.

He in effect used Islam as part of the solution. While his solution was undoubtedly creative and highly successful, it was also utterly immoral. The obvious, and only available route to an income was to do what others in the region had done many times before him: raid caravans and villages, plunder, take and sell slaves. This was a very risky way of making a living as you would pay with your life when caught, and you would make many enemies.

Mohammed's innovative and unique approach was to preach to his followers the "win-win" scenario of jihad. If you fight "in the cause of Allah" (which in reality was in the cause of Mohammed) and you die, the Allah will rush to reward you, but if you survive, the Mohammed will share out 80% of all loot to his fighters, keeping 20% for himself. Later he even proudly bragged about having convinced people to die for him. His scheme was highly successful, and he became rich and powerful.

In many way Mohammed is like other "cult leaders" through the ages. Have a look at the life story of this man:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Koresh

Like David Koresh, Mohammed used his status as a "prophet" to CONTROL people, to make them do what they wanted. One of his first big successes was to get Abu Bakr to agree to the marriage with Aisha. He was most reluctant, but in the end he had little choice, as refusing Mohammed would be insulting Allah.

In Medina. Mohammed used is ability to control his followers completely only for three things: for wealth, for sex and for power.

Have a good close look at the Qur'an and see if you can work out Mohammed's priorities from that. What is Mohammed's ACTUAL message, as the Qur'an sees it? We should first of all OBEY MOHAMMED. But to do what exactly? The most persistent message is to FIGHT for him. Slay and be slain. People outside Islam are not even properly human, they are the "worst of ANIMALS" so that killing them is not a burden on conscience. You are just exterminating vermin.

Mohammed's claim to be a prophet put people under his control. What he did with this control tells you why he started Islam.

[sum]

I totally agree with manfred who expressed my thoughts better than I could.

sum

[sum]

I think that Muhammad was evil from the start. Once that others had convinced him that he was a prophet he assumed the right to claim that there was only one god and derided and insulted those who had a different notion of deities. It was not a reasonable "softly softly" approach but aggressive in manner and only angered those who had their own belief systems. Once he threatened that he was going to bring slaughter to the Meccans it became clear that he was a false prophet.

I am lead to believe that up to this point and while he was in Mecca he had not yet received any "revelations" from his Allah and so all that he was claiming and threatening was purely the result of his own mind set.

Bukhari 9.127 “The Prophet said, ‘I have been given the keys of eloquent speech and given victory with terror so the treasures of the earth were given to me.’”

He was a very persuasive con-man who, no doubt, would be able to sell you a bridge over any river. He had seen the light all right - a future of power, wealth and women.

sum

[idesigner1]

In old forum many speculated why Mo started Islam.

According to some MO's first wife Khadijah convinced him that he is really a prophet and true guardian of Mecca not his uncles. They usurped the position because he was poor and orphan. Best way to claim ownership is to be called a prophet.

He really believed in his mission . He was not a conman or hypocrite to begin with but in order to a start religion going he had to cheat, lie and be hypocrite as situation required.

Look at many god men of present day or of past from Joseph Smith to Coresh . They believed that they were true anointed one and with divine mission. Ofcourse they all were fake whether it was Christ or a Protestant prophet nearby!

[Hombre]

Contemporary Scholars who read both - The Qur'an & Hadith (Oral History of Islam) all conclude that Mouhammad was suffering from an acute case of Schizophrenia & Epilepsy. As Fernando had alluded - it is a form of Mental illness.

[idesigner1]

Contemporary Scholars who read both - The Qur'an & Hadith (Oral History of Islam) all conclude that Mouhammad was suffering from an acute case of Schizophrenia & Epilepsy. As Fernando had alluded - it is a form of Mental illness.

If you go by that logic whether it is Moses or Christ, case can be made that they were hallucinating or Schizo. They made pretty ridiculous claim of hearing god, witnessing miracles or communicating with supreme godhead or in case of Christ sitting next to his FATHER up there and judging everyone .His disciples will later claim that he performed those ridiculous miracles walking on water or turning water into wine, bringing back dead bodies to life!

Ancient people had no scientific mind, they were not doubters and ridiculous myths sustained them, Any one who challenged was either killed or became outcaste! There were no rationalists in those days! Ancient Christians urged their Roman masters that they witness Christ after crucifixion, walking and talking. Relentless and repeated preaching convince their master and low behold Christianity or s true religion!

[Garudaman]

Islam is started by God since Prophet Adam

[iffo]

Islam is started by God since Prophet Adam

That is true folks.

[Eopithecus]

sex
power
wealth

and he used violence to get it

[Hombre]

Contemporary Scholars who read both - The Qur'an & Hadith (Oral History of Islam) all conclude that Mouhammad was suffering from an acute case of Schizophrenia & Epilepsy. As Fernando had alluded - it is a form of Mental illness.

If you go by that logic whether it is Moses or Christ, case can be made that they were hallucinating or Schizo. They made pretty ridiculous claim of hearing god, witnessing miracles or communicating with supreme godhead or in case of Christ sitting next to his FATHER up there and judging everyone .His disciples will later claim that he performed those ridiculous miracles walking on water or turning water into wine, bringing back dead bodies to life!

It could very well be true. The difference is - We all can discuss these possibilities freely & in the open w/o fear of losing our heads It has lot to do with self confidence in one's own belief.

That's not the case in Islam. Any slight hint of questioning Muhammad means certain death. The only way it can be explained - the reflection on Muhammad's own lack of self confidence - fearing oy vay if someone will call him out as a false prophet - as the case was with one his scribes - Abdallah bin Sa'ad ibn Sarh

[Eopithecus]

i don't think muhammad had anything to do with islam. abd al-malik after conquering the holy land, it dawned upon the ignorant caliph that jews have scriptures and christians have scriptures but the illiterate and savage arab invaders had no scriptures. in order to compete with more literate and more educated but conquered subjects, malik had islam created but without historical or mythological context because telling a linear narrative that makes a readable story was beyond the competence of the arabs. the only thing that gives islam any staying power at all is it's violence.

[frankie]

i don't think muhammad had anything to do with islam. abd al-malik after conquering the holy land, it dawned upon the ignorant caliph that jews have scriptures and christians have scriptures but the illiterate and savage arab invaders had no scriptures. in order to compete with more literate and more educated but conquered subjects, malik had islam created but without historical or mythological context because telling a linear narrative that makes a readable story was beyond the competence of the arabs. the only thing that gives islam any staying power at all is it's violence.

Eopithecus

On the whole I would have to agree with your appraisal E,but how do you account for the appearance of thousands of ahadiths, many of which were rejected, which
are needed to give Islam more relevance for Muslims to practice their faith just as their prophet did?

Why would anyone waste their time and lives inventing thousands upon thousands of stories about an imaginary figure they called prophet, backing up what is essentially one big lie?

That for me is the problem when it comes to accepting your valid opinion on this belief system, whilst still agreeing Islam is a man made invention.

What are your thoughts?

[Eopithecus]

hadith just 300 years of more myth making since muhammad never existed arabs also needed something to explain that trash of a book called the koran. cult of personalities work even when they are complete fabrications.

[Fernando]

how do you account for the appearance of thousands of ahadiths, many of which were rejected

Well, if thousands of admittedly false hadiths were manufactured from thin air, what does that say about the relatively few that were accepted?
It could be argued that once Islam was invented, Arabs everywhere were making up stories (or just passing them on and corrupting them) as quickly as they could, and these were later filtered to arrive at a degree of consistency. As, indeed, the Koran was filtered.

[Mughal]

An explanation about origin and development of deen of Islam with time as an urdu lecture with english subtitles for those who have time and wish to understand things.

[Hombre]

No entity or manuscript can attest the origin of Islam better then the Hebrew Bible & New Testament from which deen of Islam was plagiarized & borrowed.

Read both books and see the same stories told 1500 years before Islam was introduced.