Review: 8 Lies From “Islamic Fascism” Book
Mohamad Mostafa Nassar
Twitter:@NassarMohamadMR
This is a short review of the book, “Islamic Fascism” written by Abdel Samad Hamed. Having read some parts of this book, I was shocked to discover the claims he made in there. I must say the words and content of that book is a mirror image of anti-Muslim bigots in America/Europe, who peddle misinformation about Islam and Muslims. Let me give some quotes and I will give their respectable rebuttals.
Abdel Samad Hamed claim 1:
“the conquests the Prophet Muhammad waged in the seventh century against unbelieving Meccans and Arabia’s Jewish tribes, attacking Meccan trade caravans, stealing their goods, and either driving out, murdering, or enslaving Jews — an approach deemed legitimate since Jews and Meccans alike were unbelievers.” (Islamic Fascism [Prometheus Books,2016] by Hamed Abdel-Samad, page 45)
Answer:
Every single battle of the Prophet (p) he was engaged in or his companions partook alone, took place as a result of aggression and hostility from the other side. This is a historical fact. Not a single battle was fought because they were from a different faith, this is clearly a fabrication. See the following link on all the battles: “Early Expeditions And Battles Of Islam”
The same caravans he alludes too were owned by the Quraysh. When the Muslims fled to Madinah, many of the things that were left behind were stolen. Or other times, when some Muslims were left in Makkah they were forcefully taken. The caravans were attacked as a result of the continued aggression and hostilities of the Quraysh. Imagine fleeing persecution, but then again pursued by the Quraysh trying to murder you and attack your community: “Did Quraysh Persecute Muslims When They Fled To Madinah?” and here, “Property Of Muslims Stolen – Robbed By Quraysh In Makkah?”
Abdel Samad Hamed claim 2:
“When Mecca found itself at war with Muhammad, some of these Jews even sided with the pagan city: Muhammad retaliated by exterminating the Jews of Khaybar wholesale.” (Islamic Fascism [Prometheus Books,2016] by Hamed Abdel-Samad, page 51)
Answer:
He either has not read any Islamic history or he is blatantly lying here. The Jews of Khaybar were NOT exterminated. In-fact, they lived in that area until the reign of Umar Ibn Khattab. The issue of Khaybar was a long standing issue of them siding with polytheists and constantly attacking Muslims, hence they were conquered. See more here: “The Battle Of Khaybar”
Proof that there were still Jews in Khaybar for decades until the time of Khaybar, even when there were issues in his reign they were moved to Iraq, not “exterminated” as he claims: “Did Jews Get Expelled From Arabia?”
Abdel Samad Hamed claim 3:
“In one act of particular brutality, Muhammad sent his task force — led by his adopted son, Zayd — to put an old woman to death for calling him a liar, encouraging forty of her children and grandchildren to go to war with him. 3 Zayd personally killed all her children and grandchildren, sparing only one attractive woman as a personal slave for Muhammad, before tying the old woman in between two horses and driving them in opposing directions, tearing her in two while still alive.” (Islamic Fascism [Prometheus Books,2016] by Hamed Abdel-Samad, page 52)
Answer:
Umm Qirfa was killed due to her murdering and robbing the Prophet’s companions. It was Zayd who wanted to take revenge against her, not the Prophet (p). More evidence here: “Was Umm Qirfa Innocent?” And here it deals with the poet claims he made: “Did Muhammad Order Or Support The Killing Of Innocents?”
Abdel Samad Hamed claim 4:
“As detailed above, the Prophet spurred a radical movement, shifting in time from an admirer of Jewish customs and convictions to a committed enemy of Judaism, ordering whole tribes annihilated.” (Islamic Fascism [Prometheus Books, 2016] by Hamed Abdel-Samad, page 67)
Answer:
The Jews were NOT annihilated as he falsely claims. The Banu Qaynuqa were fought against because they helped the polytheists at the battle of Badr and Uhud against the Muslims, whilst there being a treaty with the Muslims: “Invasion of Banu Qaynuqa?“. The Banu Qaynuqa were actually exiled out of Madinah due to their hostilities and breaking of the terms of treaty.
The Banu Nadir were dealt with because the leaders attempted to assassinate the Prophet Muhammed and helped Quraysh out at the battle of Uhud: “Analysing The Banu Nadir Incident“. This group, along with the previous one (Banu Qaynuqa) were also exiled out of Madinah. Not “annihilated” as Abdel Samad Hamed falsely asserts.
The Banu Qurayza soldiers were dealt with as a result of them breaching their treaty, giving weapons to the Quraysh, and attacking the Muslim community at the battle of Khandaq: “Re-Examining Banu Qurayzah Incident”
And not all of them were killed. Historical sources tell us that only those who committed treachery were touched whereas the innocent were set free.
Abdel Samad Hamed claim 5:
“Muhammad never saw his conflict with Jews as a one-off historical episode, indeed, saying so would have undermined his leadership and politics alike. Instead, he viewed it as part of a continual — if not eternal — struggle for which his people were destined, one that would only be won for good in the end times.
“The [last] hour will not be established until you fight with the Jews,” Muhammad reportedly told his followers, “and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say, ‘O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him.’” (Islamic Fascism [Prometheus Books,2016] by Hamed Abdel-Samad, page 67)
Answer:
There is a very good article on this claim which has been responded too here: “The Myth of An Antisemitic Genocide In Muslim Scripture”
Abdel Samad Hamed claim 6:
“When one the Prophet’s soldiers asked his permission to take a female sex slave, his eye on the beautiful Safiyya, another of Muhammad’s companions told him she was the daughter of the tribe’s leader, and so Muhammad decreed Safiyya belonged to him. He raped her the same day he had her father, husband, and brothers decapitated — which was an act of sexual jihad, so to speak, given that the wombs of the tribe’s women mattered as much to him as did wiping out its men.” (Islamic Fascism [Prometheus Books,2016] by Hamed Abdel-Samad, page 107)
Answer:
He can’t stop talking about sex throughout his book. I challenge this pervert to bring one quote in the 10.000 of Hadith we have available where it mentions any of the filth he tried to pin on the Prophet (p). The following are historical facts,
1. The Prophet asked Safiyya’s hand in marriage. She accepted it. She married the Prophet (p) freely.
2. Safiyya’s husband and father were ONLY dealt with as a result of them constantly attacking and murdering Muslims, see evidence here: “Safiyyah, Huyayy, Kinana And Khaybar Affair”
Abdel Samad Hamed claim 7:
“from their dwellings; and prior to his death, the Prophet promised to “rid Arabia of Jews and Christians,” 6 allowing no one except Muslims to live in the region.” (Islamic Fascism [Prometheus Books, 2016] by Hamed Abdel-Samad, page 184)
Answer:
This Hadith that is quoted here, the Prophet (p) referred to those who break a treaty. This is more explained here: “Did Jews Get Expelled From Arabia?” And here is a article written by a non-Muslim academic scholar on the same issue: “Holy Ground: Jews And Christians Expelled From Arabia?”
Abdel Samad Hamed claim 8:
“According to his biography, Muhammad waged between seventy and ninety wars during the last eight years of his life — approximately one per month. 9 He left Arabia Christian- and Jew- free, enforcing Islam by the sword and once having between four and nine hundred unarmed Jews beheaded on a single day — by modem standards, a crime against humanity.” (Islamic Fascism [Prometheus Books,2016] by Hamed Abdel-Samad, page 187)
Answer:
This is not true. The Prophet before he died gave his shield to a Jew in order to purchase food. How could his claims be true, when there are reports mentioning that there were Jews in Madinah just before the Prophet’s demise, and he, the Prophet (p) had business transactions with them? His claims of Arabia being “Jew free” are not true. Ahmad Ibn Hanbal reports the incident of Prophet Muhammed (p) interacting with Jews just before his demise:
“Imam Ahmad stated that Abd al-Samad related him, quoting Thabit, quoting Hilal, from Ikrama, from Ibn Abbas who said, ‘The Prophet (SAAS) gazed towards Mt. Uhud and said, ‘By Him who holds my soul in His hand, how it would please me if Mt. Uhud belonged to Muhammad’s people and I could spend it in God’s cause!
The day I die I would have two dinars worth of it; these, however, I would set aside for debt.’ He did die, but did not leave a dinar, a dirham, a slave, nor a slave-born female. He left his armour still pledged to a Jew for thirty sa’s weight of barley.’” (Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyya, by Ibn Kathir, volume 4, page 404)
Furthermore, Jews were still in Khaybar and other parts part of Arabia after the Prophet’s demise. See point “CLAIM 7”. In fact there are reports where the Prophet (p) throughout his life in Madinah and after his demise continued giving charity to Jewish families:
(1992) “… that the Messenger of God (p) used to give charity to a household of the Jews, and it continues to be given (that is after his death (p).” (Kitab al-Amwaal by Abu Ubayd al-Qasim Ibn Sallam, page 556)
More on this here: “Prophet Muhammed’s Charity To Non-Muslims”
As for his claims on Banu Qurayza, he is clearly misrepresenting this incident as he has done so with all the ones before. The Banu Qurayza were dealt with as a result of them (1) breaking a treaty (2) handing weapons over to the Quraysh polytheists (3) attacking the Muslim community at the battle of Khaybar: “Re-Examining Banu Qurayzah Incident”
The numbers of “400 – 900” are based on speculation and sources that do not agree with each other. The above link answers all the questions in regards to this incident in detail.
There are many more things that can be picked up from the book and refuted. The above claims are clear opposite of what our historical sources tell us. Whatever the motives of this man may be, he did not present Islam, nor the Prophet (p) in a accurate and truthful manner.
Source Kaleef karim
Related Articles:
(1) – “Generosity Towards Non-Muslim Neighbours”
(2) – “Social Conditions: Christians And Jews In Early Period Of Islam”