Muhammad: The Failed Prophet

7th century Mecca was a highly tolerant and religiously pluralistic society but only Muslims were allowed into Mecca once Muhammad got control. A non-Muslim saint wouldn't be allowed into Mecca but a Muslim mass murderer would have no problems. As the Quran says:

"Oh you who believe! Truly the idolaters are unclean; so let them not, after this year, approach the Sacred Mosque …" - Quran (9:28)

From the very first revelation, Allah threatened anyone who believe in him with hell.

Hast thou seen if he denieth (Allah's guidance) and is froward? Is he then unaware that Allah seeth? Nay, but if he cease not We will seize him by the forelock - The lying, sinful forelock - Then let him call upon his henchmen! We will call the guards of hell. - Quran (96:13)

Muhammad was allowed to preach his new religion in Mecca but he didn't have the golden tongue he thought he had. "Frankly, Muhammad, I don't give a damn" was the general response. Before long he was seriously pissed and he couldn't help himself repeating the nastier parts of his revelations, "I'm the greatest man of all time, your religions are shit, you're fucked, pilgrims to Mecca are fucked and all your dead relatives are already being burning in hell … forever and so will you. Christians and Jews will be okay if they just do what I tell them." It wasn't in those exact words but the message was the same, over and over again and it's understandable Muhammad pissed a few people off. Not great for the Meccan tourist trade but even so he was allowed to preach for 13 years. Muslims claim he was severely persecuted but, come on, he was still preaching his hateful message after 13 years so how bad could the hassling have been? He can't have been very good at revelating as he failed miserably - gaining a few converts a year, mostly relatives and riff-raff.

He even went off to other towns looking for converts. Humiliating failures. Muhammad assures us though that after his humiliation in Ta'if where he was literally chased out of town the angel Gibreel came to him and made an offer from Allah. Muhammad recounted a revenge fantasy that a child might have after humiliation and failure. Muhammad, being a legend in his own mind, magnaminously demurred thereby showing he was almost as all-Forgiving as Allah but that was in his fantasy life. In his real life he was un-Forgiving.

Allah has heard your people's saying to you, and what they have replied back to you, Allah has sent the Angel of the Mountains to you so that you may order him to do whatever you wish to these people.' The Angel of the Mountains called and greeted me, and then said, "O Muhammad! Order what you wish. If you like, I will let Al-Akh-Shabain (i.e. two mountains) fall on them. - Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 54, Number 454)

Muhammad was also a big-noter with a bad attitude. He boasted that the poetry of his revelations was divine and no human could copy it. Muslims still claim that and also say that the Quran cannot be translated from ancient Arabic - other languages just aren't good enough. Actually we can be sure that Muhammad's revelations were lousy poetry because the greatest authorities on 7th century Arabic - the poets and cultured citizens of 7th century Mecca - were decidedly unimpressed and ridiculed him. Some of them really regretted that just before they were murdered at Muhammad's command. Others, more fortunate, were murdered in their sleep.

In a particularly pathetic and embarrassing attempt to assert the authenticity of his Prophethood Muhammad claimed that Jews and Christians did recognise that he was a bona fide messenger receiving revelations from God but pretended they didn't for nefarious reasons of their own.

Those to whom We have given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) recognize him (i.e. Muhammad SAW as a Messenger of Allah, and they also know that there is no Ilah (God) but Allah and Islam is Allah's Religion), as they recognize their own sons. Those who destroy themselves will not believe. - Quran (6:20)

However, during his time in Mecca, Muhammad recited all the revelations that people now use to show that Islam is really and truly a "Religion of Peace" and no doubt nearly all of them believe it. However this religion of peace was abrogated and overruled by the new and improved Islam of Jihad and Conquest that Muhammad revealed after he sneaked off in the night to Yathrib (renamed Medina). Muhammad very quickly morphed into an Arabian combination of Genghis Khan and Adolph Hitler - though he died before he could get the Jihad Express to full speed. It was this Islam that burst out of Arabia at Muhammad's orders and it was his 4 closest companions, the "Rightfully Guided Caliphs" that controlled the armies and ruled the new empire until usurpers had Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, Ali, murdered and took over. We have a copy of a reverse chronology Quran here to make study of abrogation easy. The second last revelation (which appears second) is all you need to read to learn everything about Islam and violent jihad.