BIRTH OF ISLAM 5appears in the Medina surahs in the frequent negative references to the
Hebrews and hypocrites. Prior to this time, the Qilbah, or place toward
which the Muslims faced when in prayer, was Jerusalem. The Hebrews
had interpreted this as an indication of leaning toward Judaism and that
Muhammad required their instruction in religious matters. However, prob-
ably because of the looming conflict, Muhammad received a new com-
mandment from God to change the Qilbah from Jerusalem to the KaÛbah
at Mecca.
As ruler of a state, Muhammad immediately turned his attention to
establishing the proper method of public worship and laid down the foun-
dation of the state. He did not, however, forget his enemies in Mecca nor
that he had been commanded by God to fight against them until they
abandoned their persecution of Islam. To this end he began making mili-
tary preparations. The Meccan followers of Muhammad had been, for
thirteen years, pacifists, and it is clear that many of them had a strong
hatred for warfare, even if fighting in self-defense. If Muhammad was to
overcome his enemies in Mecca he must also overcome this strain of
pacifism. Surah II was revealed to him at this time, and the notable passage
II, 216 (see the top of the first page of this chapter) is the most relevant
passage in this surah to what was about to come. Some cynics believe
that Muhammad had a convenient revelation to suit his purposes, while
true-believing Muslims consider it divine revelation.
The commandment to warfare having been received, Muhammad began
a process of training his new army. Small expeditions led by him or by
other, closely trusted fugitives from Mecca went out. These armed bands,
however, consisted solely of Meccans and no Medina men. These recon-
naissance missions served both to explore the region and to meet and
persuade surrounding tribes not to side with the Meccans. Though military
operations, these excursions do not appear to have resulted in any major
battles, though in one instance blood was shed and booty taken. This was
apparently against Muhammad’s orders; these were intended more as
training exercises designed to build up the morale and inject some fighting
spirit into Muhammad’s followers. Still, the call to loot would be a pow-
erful and natural inclination to the soldiers of the day. In later years as
Muslim armies occupied the rich Persian and Byzantine holdings to the
north, loot and fervor would be powerful twin pillars of Muslim success.
In the second year of the Hijrah, now that his hold on power was firm
and his army exercised, Muhammad sought to take advantage of the pe-
riods of “holy truce” which served pilgrims to the Ka’bah. He used this
truce as a screen to attack a wealthy summer caravan as it returned from
Syria to Mecca. This was not just a looting foray, but a strike at the vital
commercial interests of the Meccans.