a series of raids on the surrounding tribes, and defeated a
large force from his own tribe, the Quraysh, at Mecca. Other
victorious battles followed. By 628 Muhammad had reached
an accord with the Quraysh and returned to Mecca, where
he smashed all the pagan idols in the Ka’aba. (According to
legend, he ordered an icon of Jesus and His Mother to
remain untouched.)
As may be expected of a seventh century military
leader, he could be harsh and unforgiving. When his uncle
Abu Lahab publicly rejected his prophetic message, he
cursed him and his wife in words that have become an entire
sura of the Koran: ‘‘May the hands of Abu Lahab perish!
May he himself perish! Nothing shall his wealth and gains
avail him. He shall be burnt in a flaming fire, and his wife,
laden with faggots, shall have a rope of fibre around her
neck!’’ (Sura 111:1–5). This is an important element of the
example that Muhammad has given to the Muslim world.
24. I have heard about Shiite and
Sunni Muslims. What are the main
differences between these groups?
There are several key groups in Islam today. Three of
the largest and most well known are:
- Sunnis. These comprise around 85 percent of Muslims
worldwide. The word Sunniis related to Sunna, or
‘‘tradition.’’ Sunni Muslims follow doctrines and practices