Understanding Islam V

THE APOSTASY WARS
Bloodbaths over ‘a camel’s hobble’
Paul Stenhouse
This is the fifth in a series of seven articles

THE ‘APOSTASY wars,’ or the ‘Ridda Wars’ were to occupy the greater part of the two years’ Caliphate of Abu Bakr. Almost all of the Arabian tribes that originally accepted Islam, apart from the Quraish in Mecca and the Thaqif in Ta’if, had used Muhammad’s death as an excuse to refuse to pay tribute [sadaqah] and the wealth tax [zakat], and were declared to be ‘apostate’ [murtadd]. The penalty for apostasy was death. They had looked on Muhammad more as a political figure – the prince of Medina – than as a religious leader – a prophet – and when Muhammad died they were unwilling to accept Abu Bakr as their new prince.

Read on here: Understand Islam V

 

Already posted:

Islam I – Christians in pre-Islamic Arabia: islam-1

Islam II – Setting the stage for Muhammad and Islam: islam-2

Islam III -Islam, the sword or the tax: islam-3

Islam IV – Political Islam: The beginnings: Understand Islam IV

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