I you are like ME.....not that much, right?
 
I just finished reading "The Truth About Muhammad" by Robert Spencer.  It's a simple read that ALL Christians and US citizens and our country's leaders should ALL read.  Oh, if that was only possible ??
 
I did not realize:
 
1) How Islam came out of (supposedly) our Bible and the Jewish Torah (our Old Testament.) Now, I knew their roots somehow went back into the Old Testament, but that's about where my understanding stopped.
2) How Mohammed received so many "convenient revelations" from Allah to speak to his people on any subject.  It reminded me of Mormonism.....and the revelations Joseph Smith received all the time.  Many of Mohammad's revelations had to do with justification for his own (Mohammad's) actions on earth; such as who he would be allowed to marry, like his adopted son's ex-wife; or the 6 year old girl;  Or to commend or condemn his followers for various reasons;  or to justify hating/killing/running out of town Jews and Christians.  Or why they lost, or won, a battle.  But, these ARE the reasons muslems do what they do TODAY.  They see Mohammad's life as THE way to live.
 
3) That the Quran does not stand ALONE to define the religion.....that "hadiths" had to be given to clarify it.
WOW......  Again.....starts to sound like the book or mormon that is an "add-on" to the Bible.... Mohammad's biography is also part of the trio of literature that defines his life and the Islam religion.
 
So.....because of hadiths, and the WIDE interpretation using hadiths to say what the Quran really said, is there any wonder why we hear Imams around the world calling for jihad against Isreal and America?.....and yet "everyone" is saying Islam is a relgion of peace... ????
 
4) The Quran says that Jesus spoke as a baby to say things about Mohammed, the Prophet to come after him.  WOW........
 
5) That the hatred between the Jews and Muslems ran so deep.  Mohammad's revelations from allah spoke to the issue that:  Jews KNEW from their holy writing (Torah) that Mohammed was spoken of as their Messiah, but that once they knew this was true, they changed their writings.  Oh my gosh.....  Another, convenient, but untrue revelation from allah.
 
6) What a violent life Mohammad had.   Or that from the inception of his first revelation, it was 8 years until he captured Mecca, where it all began, and they had run him out of town...his own people!
 
7) I knew about the Shia's and Sunnis...but didn't know their differences went back to this: WHO would be the legitiamte heir to Mohammad after his death.  No wonder they hate each other so much.  The Shia's make up only 15% of the Muslems.....85% for the Sunnis.  (Just like the percentage in Iraq.  Yet, Iran is almost ALL Shia's.)
 
8) That Mohammad sent a letter to non-believers BEFORE he invaded; thus giving them a chance to convert FIRST.   Hmmmmmmmm, didn't the president of Iran send a letter to Bush last year??????
 
And so on...and so on.....good book!
 
I saw an article on the internet tonight about a church in Tennessee who invited some muslems in to discuss: "Your God is our God."   Ouch.....  A question was asked of them, "why do you pray 5 times a day?" Their answer: becuase the Quran tells us to do so.  Well.....the Quran also tells them that:  you can scourge your wife if she is not following your directions;  you can treat non-believers in one of 3 ways: 1) convert them 2) make them pay a financial cost for being allowed to live amongst them, but to live as 2nd class citizens; or 3) if they won't do 1 or 2, then kill them.
 
I was amazed how forthright the quran is about such matters.
 
My take-away from this is:  Mohammad was quite the leader for his time to bring so much of his people together under his leadership using this new religion as the "ultimate" source of authority.  He was quite the warrior leader to take control by force.  He used his first big victory where they were severely outnumbered to use allah as the reason for that victory.  When they lost, he said in a revelation from allah, it was due to their LACK OF ADHERENCE TO THE TENANTS OF FAITH.  Wow....a convenient excuse..but effective for control of the people.  And, so....what does even bin Laden say about why the muslems are so put-upon by the rest of the world for so many centuries????  Because they have stayed from thier faith!!
 
Ayway....this is just a few of my recollections.  I heartily recommend the book.
 
YFIC,  Randy