the people of Medina for “war against all and sundry”.^194
It is astonishing that a Kuffar Westerner would claim that the
Pagan Meccans were abusive and aggressive, when the most
authoritative Muslim biographer of Mohammed (cited by
that Western scholar himself) clearly shows that before
Muslims left Mecca, the Muslims were the people who were
rude, abusive, and aggressive. It was Muslims who were
preparing for war against everyone else.
Ten years after making this alliance for “war against all
and sundry”, Mohammed returned to take Mecca with an
army of 10,000 mercenaries. The transformation Islam
underwent in Medina meant that Mohammed was able to
go from 150 followers (men and women) to 10,000 (or
more) male soldiers. With this huge military force
Mohammed was able to take control of Mecca (and the
Kabaa) from the Pagans. He achieved this phenomenal
growth in Islam by making robbery and killing
components of Islam: those involved in the attacks on
non-Muslims could keep 80% of their booty (which
included taking people as slaves), whilst 20% of the
profits of these raids went to Mohammed (as a kind of tax
to fund his Islamic State and to propagate Islam
further).^195 Isn’t it clear from the historical record
preserved by Muslims for over 1000 years that politics
and war are intrinsic parts of Islam?
The army with which Mohammed invaded and
occupied Mecca was a huge army for the time. He was able
to take control with no resistance from the Meccans, not
just because of the size of this army, but because of
Mohammedʼs already terrifying reputation for