It appears that there may be two distinct stages of Islam: The stage of weakness and the stage of Jihad (Holy War)

Mohammed Hassanein Heikal, the noted Egyptian author, refers to this concept in his book "Autumn Furor". He states:

"So the element of Jihad emerged in the ideology.... [there are] two separate stages a Muslim community goes through: "The [first stage is] the stage of weakness - In it a Muslim community is unable to take charge of its own destiny. In this case - according to his thinking - they must withdraw for the purpose of preparing themselves to be capable of executing the second stage. The second stage is the Jihad stage, and it will come when the Muslim community has completed its prepardness and is ready to come out of its isolation to take charge, through Jihad. **** There is a ... comparison between the two stages of weakness and Jihad on the one hand, and on the other hand, Mohammed's struggle in Mecca then in Medina."

Historians agree that there is a big difference between Mohammed's personality in Mecca and his personality after his migration to Medina.

In Mecca Mohammed was weak, struggling to be accepted, often mocked at and ridiculed. He tried to appeal to the people of Mecca by being compassionate and loving. His teachings condemned violence, injustice, neglect of the poor. However, after he moved to Medina and his followers grew in strength and number, he became a relentless warrior, intent on spreading his religion by the sword.

This change in Mohammed's personality becomes apparent by comparing the Meccan and the Medinan surahs. The following are some examples:

In surah 73:10 God tells Mohammed to be patient with his opponents "Be patient with what they say, and part from them courteously." While in surah 2:191 God orders him to kill his opponents "Kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from wherever they drove you out..."

In surah 2:256 God tells Mohammed not to impose Islam by force "There is no compulsion in religion." While in verse 193 God tells him to kill whoever rejects Islam "Fight (kill) them until there is no persecution and the religion is God's."

In surah 29:46 God tells Mohammed to speak nicely to people of the Book (Christians and Jews) "Argue with people of the Book, other then evil doers, only by means of what are better! and say, we believe in what has been sent down to us and sent down to you. Our God is the same as your God, and we are surrendered to him." While in surah 9:29 God tells him to fight the people of the Book, "Fight those who do not believe in God and the last day...and fight People of the Book, who do not accept the religion of truth (Islam) until they pay tribute by hand, being inferior."

To justify this sudden change in the Quran's mood from peaceful to militant, conciliatory to confrontational, Mohammed claimed that it was God who told him so. It was God who abrogated the peaceful verses and replaced them by harsh ones.


Other examples of the "Medinian" teachings of Islam:

  • Men are superior to women (surah 2:228).

  • Women have half the rights of men: in court witness (surah 2:282) and in inheritance (surah 4:11).

  • A man may punish his wife by beating her (surah 4:34).

  • A man may marry up to four wives at the same time (surah 4:3).

  • A wife is a sex object for her husband (surah 2:223).

  • Muslims must fight until their opponents submit to Islam (surah 9:29).

  • A Muslim must not take a Jew or a a Christian for a friend (surah 5:51).

  • A Muslim apostate must be killed (surah 9:12).

  • Adultery is punished by public flogging (surah 24:2).

  • Resisting Islam is punished by death, crucifixion or the cutting off of the hands and feet (surah 5:33).



Therefore, it is entirely possible that there are "two" Islam religions:
  • the "religion of peace"
  • the religion that, sadly, seems to have taken hold in large parts of the mideast and elsewhere.


What percentage subscribes to the violent "jihad" ideology?
Some people have estimated only 10 percent, which sounds comforting until you realize there are about 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide.

Therefore, losing the "low" estimate there are 100 million "radical" Muslims out there.