religion of Moses, then of the religion of Esa [Jesus], may
peace be upon them.’’[14]
22. Did Muhammad claim to be
divine?
No. Muhammad claimed to be a messenger from Allah
and a warner of His impending punishment of unbelievers
(Sura 7:188). He emphatically insisted that he was only a
human being, and not in any way divine. In the Koran,
Allah directs him: ‘‘Say: ‘I am but a man like yourselves,
but the inspiration has come to me that your God is one
God’ ’’ (Sura 18:110).
23. Is it true that Muhammad was an
army leader or general?
Yes. Muhammad was a political and military leader as
well as a preacher of his word. It was common among
religious leaders of his day to have both prophetic and
military roles. Muhammad led thirty two raids and fought
three major wars.
In fact, Islam begins its calendar not from the date of
Muhammad’s first revelation, nor from his birth. Instead, it
begins with the date of Muhammad’s flight from Mecca to
Medina (the hegira), when he became the head of a
community and an army for the first time. In 624, he began