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Thus, the sword became the connecting bridge between pillage and paradise and served as the
motivating power for the Arabs to conquer and rule the world. The Battle of Badr though in itself a tiny
event, served as the major source of the Spiritual Arab Imperialism, which has been steadily rising in
magnitude for the last fourteen centuries.

Muhammad's genius lay not only in sanctifying the sword but also finding the beneficial use for it
with a view to magnetizing his own person for gathering crowds of followers around himself. An over-
whelming majority of those, who acknowledged him as their spiritual guide, were hungry, haggard and
hounded men; they would do anything to improve their economic plight and take revenge from their
Meccan oppressors, who had forced them to leave their homes to seek refuge in Medina. This migra-
tion from Mecca to Medina had been necessitated by Muhammad's aggressive preaching of his faith,
which annoyed unbelievers to the hilt.

Bitterness of the refugees had been further aggravated by the fact that they had to rely on the
Ansaars i.e. the local Muslim believers of Medina, for their sustenance. Though these refugees appreci-
ated their brotherly hospitality, they resented their dependence, which the custom held as a sign of
disrespect, derision and degradation.

Realizing the despondency of his followers, the Prophet turned it into a rage for vengeance,
which sought to plunder and persuade those, who had inflicted torture on them. However, these would-
be predators did not have to bear the blemish of impiety like other brigands and assassins because they
were told that although their acts might look putrid, they had been rendered pure, pious and perfect by
the Almighty because he categorized them as Jehad i.e. Holy War against the infidels.

Allah is so intoxicated by the love of absolutism that he does not care for justice or decency!
Who else could have the audacity to declare that murdering, looting and raping people for the sheer folly
of not believing in Muhammad, ranks as the highest act of piety. One ought to note that a person may
believe in God most sincerely yet he remains an infidel, subject to Jehad, unless he/she acknowledges
Muhammad as the Prophet. Obviously, the pivot of faith is Muhammad and not Allah!

This commandment of holy loot also served as an effective way of boosting their moral sky-high
because they believed that they were doing all this to please Allah and not line their own pockets.
Therefore, a soldier of God had to be at least twice as brave, boisterous and bullish as an ordinary
fighter. Thus the Prophet revealed Allah's pleasure:

"Assuredly, God will defend those who believe, surely God loves not any traitor. Leave is
given to those who fight because they were wronged -- surely God is able to help them --
who were expelled from their habitations without right.... Assuredly God will help him
who helps Him -- surely God is All-strong, All-mighty." (The Pilgrimage: XXII:38)

Note Allah's promise to help the Muslims in taking revenge from those who had wronged them.
What is surprising is the fact that here vengeance means helping Allah! It smells of divine stratagem,
which as we shall see, lays down the principle of looting and murdering non-Muslims as the righteous
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