Please note: The following excerpt is drawn from my book, “Trojan Religion: The Final Prophetic Warning to the West“. Complete sources, citations, and references are documented within the book itself.

The question of Muhammad’s character isn’t just a matter of history; it’s central to the ongoing ideological and spiritual tensions between Islam and the West. For Muslims, Muhammad is seen as the perfect example of how to live and behave—the ultimate role model. Every action he took, every word he spoke, and every directive he issued is considered perfect, timeless, and divinely inspired. Thus, the life of “prophet” Muhammad is not merely informative—it is prescriptive. Understanding who Muhammad truly was, therefore, is essential for understanding Islam itself and its followers today.

The Man Behind the “Prophet”

Muhammad was born around AD 570 in Mecca, a bustling trade city in the Arabian Peninsula. His early life was marked by tragedy and hardship. Orphaned at a young age, he was raised by his uncle Abu Talib. As a young man, he earned a modest living as a merchant. Around age twenty-five, Muhammad married Khadijah, a wealthy widow fifteen years his senior, providing him stability and economic security. It was not until around AD 610, at the age of forty, that Muhammad reported receiving supernatural revelations from the angel Gabriel, marking the beginning of his self-proclaimed prophetic mission.

At first, Muhammad’s message was largely rejected — even by his own tribe, the Quraysh. Facing persecution and ridicule, Muhammad moved from Mecca to Medina in AD 622—an event known as the Hijra, which marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. Once established in Medina, Muhammad’s attitude dramatically shifted. Failing to become a spiritual leader, he became a political and military leader instead. Under his command, Islam rapidly expanded throughout the Arabian Peninsula, most often by force.

Muhammad’s shift from peaceful preacher to military leader raises a critical question: can Muhammad’s later actions be reconciled with the few early ideals he initially preached—ideals that are often the only ones Muslims highlight when presenting Islam to Western audiences, while quietly obscuring many of his later teachings? More importantly, do those later actions genuinely reflect the character of a prophet sent by a loving God?

A prophet can be understood as someone who brings divine revelation and, in doing so, represents the will of God. However, the Bible also warns repeatedly about false prophets—those who claim to speak for God but mislead people away from His truth (Deuteronomy 18:20–22). Jesus likewise warns in Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

With this in mind, let’s examine Muhammad’s life and message—allowing you to reflect and decide for yourself whether Muhammad was a true prophet of God or a false one.

Violence as Prophetic Behavior

Muhammad personally participated in dozens of battles, raids, and skirmishes. These are recorded not by external critics, but by revered Islamic sources such as the Hadith collections of Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. His followers carefully documented his violent behavior, establishing his acts as an everlasting example.

Among these acts were assassinations of critics, mass executions of prisoners, and raids on caravans. For instance, after conquering the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza in Medina, Muhammad ordered the execution of approximately six hundred Jewish men and adolescents. The women and children were enslaved and distributed among the Muslim victors. Islamic scholars do not dispute these facts; they rationalize and romanticize them. Yet the fundamental problem remains—these acts are considered eternally commendable examples by millions of Muslims worldwide.

Contrast this with Jesus Christ, whose actions consistently taught non-violence, forgiveness, and self-sacrifice. Jesus explicitly rejected violence even when facing arrest and crucifixion, demonstrating a radical ethic of love. Muhammad’s use of violence to achieve religious objectives raises a serious moral question: can such behavior truly represent a prophet of God? If so, why do none of the earlier prophets employ anything comparable? Furthermore, does Islam inherently legitimize violence simply because its “God-sent” prophet engaged in it?

Muhammad’s Marriage to Aisha

Another great ethical concern is Muhammad’s marriage to Aisha, who was six years old at the time of marriage and only nine when the marriage was consummated. This troubling fact is not the invention of anti-Islamic propaganda—it is explicitly documented in Islam’s own most authoritative sources, including Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. If someone behaved that way in the West, they would be recognized as a rapist and sentenced to years in prison.

This marriage is deeply problematic, not merely by modern Western standards but by any objective moral standard. Even Islamic apologists struggle with this issue, resorting to explanations rooted in cultural relativism. However, cultural relativism cannot adequately address the fundamental moral concern: Muhammad’s actions, by Islamic definition, are timeless examples for all Muslims. Even today, child marriage remains a persistent issue in many Islamic-majority countries, where Muhammad’s behavior is invoked as justification.

The implications are clear: Muhammad’s personal moral decisions continue to shape ethical norms in Muslim societies, perpetuating practices widely recognized as profoundly harmful. If Muhammad’s morality is timeless, as Islam insists, then it becomes impossible to condemn actions that modern civilization overwhelmingly rejects.

Muhammad’s View of Women

A broader examination of Muhammad’s life reveals consistent patterns of troubling treatment of women. Muhammad’s “timeless” teachings also institutionalized gender inequality in Islamic society.

Women in Islamic law, derived directly from Muhammad’s sayings and actions, inherit half of what men inherit, their testimony is legally valued at half that of a man’s, and husbands are explicitly permitted to discipline their wives physically. Muhammad’s revelations in Surah 4:34 of the Quran explicitly allow men to beat their wives if they show rebellion or disobedience.

Islamic apologists often attempt to soften these harsh realities by arguing for historical context, but again the problem emerges: Muhammad’s words and deeds are not historical artifacts but eternally applicable standards. For hundreds of millions of Muslims today, these teachings remain unquestionably valid and often very painful.

In addition, compare that with Jesus’ treatment of women in a much earlier society—He honored them as equals, and women became the first witnesses to His resurrection, entrusted as the initial messengers of the most central event of the Christian faith.

Muhammad’s Contradictions and Self-Serving Revelations

Another troubling aspect of Muhammad’s prophethood is how conveniently some of his revelations seemed to align with his personal desires or political ambitions. A striking example is the “revelation” permitting Muhammad to marry Zaynab, the divorced wife of his adopted son Zayd. This marriage deeply shocked even Muhammad’s close followers, as adopting a child traditionally made their spouse permanently off-limits. Yet Muhammad “received” a convenient revelation (Surah 33:37-38) specifically permitting him this marriage, overriding established social norms.

Similarly, Muhammad declared through revelation (Surah 33:50) that he alone was permitted unlimited wives, whereas other Muslim men were limited to four. Critics have long pointed to such convenient revelations as evidence of Muhammad’s manipulation of military and religious authority to fulfill personal desires.

Contrasting Jesus and Muhammad

For those in the West — believers and secular alike — who’ve grown up learning of Jesus’ ethic of sacrificial love, humility, and compassion, the life and legacy of Muhammad present a stark and troubling contrast. While Islam presents its prophet as the “ideal human” (al-insan al-kamil), a closer examination of the earliest Islamic sources reveals a pattern of actions that sharply diverge from the moral and spiritual example of Christ. From ordering assassinations to condoning slavery, from marrying a child to orchestrating massacres, Muhammad’s biography — when taken seriously — demands an honest reckoning. This is not a polemic built on hearsay or prejudice, but a sober inquiry based on Islam’s own most respected historical texts. Each example is followed by a brief comparison, not to score points, but to highlight how radically different these two figures are in moral vision, treatment of enemies, and the spiritual path they left behind.

Massacre of the Banu Qurayza tribe

After the Siege of the Trench, sources claim that Muhammad approved the execution of the adult male members of the Jewish tribe Banu Qurayza, numbering between 400 and 900, and took women and children captive as slaves. In contrast, Jesus never killed or ordered executions of his enemies—but instead taught forgiveness, loving of enemies, and turning the other cheek when someone mocks you (Matthew 5:38–39).

Marriage to Aisha under contentious age claims

As previously mentioned, Aisha was betrothed at age six and the marriage consummated when she was nine. In contrast, Jesus upheld the sanctity and dignity of children; and the ideas of child marriage and sexual relations are completely foreign to Judeo-Christian ethics.

Assassination of dissenting poets or critics

Some Islamic sources record that Muhammad or his close followers had poets and critics who opposed him executed or punished (e.g. Ka’b ibn al‑Ashraf). In contrast, Jesus responded to criticism with intellect and reasoning—even when confronted by religious adversaries.

Use of deception or dissimulation (taqiyya or tactical trickery)

In some early battles and treaties, Muhammad is alleged by critics to have permitted tactical deception (e.g. usage of broken treaties or surprise attacks). Muhammad is recorded to have made treaties (e.g. with Quraysh) and later abrogated them when convenient. In contrast, Jesus taught honesty and integrity: “Let your ‘yes’ be yes, and your ‘no,’ no” (Matthew 5:37).

Enslavement of captives and use of booty

After some battles, Muhammad reportedly distributed prisoners (women and children) as slaves and shared war spoils among his supporters. This is the main reason for and the way in which Islam spread. In contrast, Christian teaching affirms human dignity and is historically at the forefront of the abolition movement (e.g. Galatians 3:28, Imago Dei).

Forced conversion (or death) threat

Some interpretations of Islamic history claim that Muhammad or his successors used coercion or implied death for refusal to convert (jihad doctrines). In contrast, Jesus declared, “No one comes to the Father except through me,” but offered it as an invitation—not a demand enforced by torture or death. He taught a way of love, not coercion: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).

Special privileging of Muslims over non-Muslims in legal status (dhimmitude in later Islamic history, influenced by precedent)

Although the formal dhimmi status is a post‑Muhammadan legal development, critics argue Muhammad’s own dispensations and treaties laid groundwork for preferential treatment of believers. In contrast, Jesus and Christian teaching emphasized “there is no Jew or Greek… slave or free” (Galatians 3:28), advocating equality before God.

Polygamy and multiple marriages

Muhammad had many wives (reports as many as 11 or more simultaneously), often marrying daughters of tribal leaders for political alliance. In contrast, Jesus upheld the Genesis ideal of monogamy (Matthew 19:4–6) and never practiced polygamy.

In summary, a comparative glance at Jesus and Muhammad further underscores critical moral differences. Jesus explicitly rejected political and military power. When the crowds attempted to make him king, he refused, emphasizing spiritual rather than earthly authority. Jesus consistently taught love, humility, sacrifice, and forgiveness as foundational to human conduct.

Muhammad, conversely, established and governed a political state and repeatedly sanctioned violence, revenge, and coercion to advance his cause. Where Jesus taught his followers to love enemies, Muhammad instructed his followers to fight and kill them. The ethical chasm separating these two foundational figures is immense.

Muhammad’s Legacy and the Islamic World Today

Muhammad’s life and teachings continue to influence the Islamic world profoundly. Islam’s foundational texts and historical records do not hide or obscure Muhammad’s controversial acts. Instead, these behaviors are justified, celebrated, and upheld as exemplary. Today, countless actions we in the West view as morally objectionable—child marriage, subjugation of women, and violence toward non-believers—find justification in Muhammad’s personal example.

The Western fallacy comes from assuming that Islam, as it is practiced, can move beyond its foundational realities once it encounters Western ethics. However, Islamic theology explicitly prevents this, asserting the timeless perfection of Muhammad’s example. Islamic reformers who have attempted to reinterpret or soften these troubling aspects find themselves ostracized, silenced, or worse.

Moreover, the violent and oppressive behavior exhibited by radical Islamic groups today—ISIS, Boko Haram, Hamas, and others—is not a deviation from Muhammad’s teachings; it is a direct reflection of his prophetic legacy. Jihadists invoke Muhammad’s personal actions to justify atrocities precisely because the texts undeniably support their claims.

Conclusion: Facing the Truth—Prophet or Problem?

Just as Christians regard Jesus as the ideal model of human conduct, Islam teaches that Muhammad was the perfect example—divinely guided in every aspect of life. Yet when viewed through a Judeo-Christian lens, or even through a neutral, objective one, Muhammad emerges as a far more controversial figure. Many of his recorded actions stand in sharp tension with the moral and ethical standards that Western societies now consider universal.

Muhammad’s violent conduct, his problematic sexual relationships with women and children, his marriage to a child, and his politically convenient revelations collectively raise fundamental moral questions. Western audiences, unfamiliar or uncomfortable with these facts, often avoid addressing them openly. But refusing to acknowledge Muhammad’s deeply problematic legacy blinds the West to the true nature of Islam and prevents any realistic assessment of its potential integration into democratic, pluralistic societies.

The question at the heart of this chapter is still vital: Was Muhammad genuinely a prophet sent by a compassionate and just God, or does his example serve as a root cause for the harmful, oppressive, and violent behaviors seen in Islam today?

To answer this honestly and courageously is vital, not only for understanding Islam but for protecting the freedoms and moral values at the heart of Western civilization itself. If the answer isn’t already clear to you, this may help:

Jesus:

Love your enemies… (Matthew 5:44)
Forgive them… (Matthew 6:14)
Bless them… (Luke 6:28)
Pray for them… (Luke 6:28)
Help them… (Luke 10:29-37)
Give to them… (Luke 6:35)
Do good to them… (Luke 6:27)
Be merciful to them… (Luke 6:36)

Muhammad:

Kill them… (Surah 4:89, 9:5)
Crucify them… (Surah 5:33)
Slay them… (Surah 2:191, 9:5)
Fight them… (Surah 8:39)
Slaughter them… (Surah 47:4)
Besiege them… (Surah 9:5)
Terrorize them… (Surah 3:151)
Maim them… (Surah 5:33)
Enslave them… (Surah 4:3, 4:24)
Violate them… (Surah 23:5–6)

In conclusion, one thing is certain: Muhammad stands as the founder of what is arguably the world’s most intolerant religion.

This was an excerpt from my book “Trojan Religion: The Final Prophetic Warning to the West“: