Muhammad: Victory and DeathGnostic Bardesan (d. ca. 224-230 AD) wrote that even those suspected of
adultery were stoned to death by the Arabs of his day, and it i^51 s at least
probable that this punishment was still being practiced by pagan Arabs
contemporary with Muhammad. In any event, early Islam theologians were
faced with the difficulty of deciding whether or not the alleged verse of
stoning was abrogated by Qur'an 24:2f. A solution to this p^52 roblem was
found in the judgment that the punishment of stoning was for married
adulterers and adulteresses, while flogging was the punishment for the
unmarried transgressors.^53
Sura 58Sura 58Sura 58Sura 58 begins with a certain divorce case (vv. 1f), in which^54 the heathen
statement of divorce is essentially declared to be ineffectual. The vv. 4f
describe the punishment for those who continue to use such statements, and
the vv. 6f give a warning not to disobey Allah and Muhammad. The v. 8
shows that God knows everything (even what is spoken in secret
discussions), and v. 9 mentions some who held secret discussions although
they were forbidden to do so; these also greet Muhammad with other than
Allah's greeting. The vv. 10f are against gossip, and declare that secret
conversations are of Satan, The v. 12 commands to make room for others in
the mosque (place of prayer), and to stand up when told to do so. The v. 13
dictates that those wishing to speak with Muhammad should pay alms first;
those who do not are to perform the prayer, give alms and obey Allah and
Muhammad (v. 14). The vv. 15f seem to deal with the hypocrites who had
Jewish protectors, who (the hypocrites) will be heavily^55 punished, because
they turn others from Allah's way; Satan is in them and they are Satan's
allies. The v. 21b declares that Allah and Muhammad will be victorious,
and v. 22 claims that those who believe in God and the Judgment would not
love those who oppose Allah and Muhammad; the believers will be sent to
Paradise, they are said to be Allah's allies. The v. 8 of this sura is at least
remotely similar to Mt. 18:20 and Avot 3,7.^56
Some of the exiled of the Banu Nadir are said to have gone and encouraged
the Meccans, Ghatafan and Sulaym to attack the Muslims in Medina.
In the 57th month after the Hijra, a Meccan force under Abu Sufyan with its
allies is said to have advanced on Medina. The Meccans and their allies are
reported to have numbered 10,000 men, and the Muslims are said to have
had 3000 men. As part of the defences of Medina, Muhammad is said to
have commanded the digging of a ditch (as a hindrance to attackers), whose
construction was reportedly suggested by the Persian Salman al-Farisi. The