Qur'an: Bringing Peace to Arabia

Muhammad didn't like war. He saw it as an annoying necessity when you need to stop people who want Islam exterminated:

'Fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not commit aggression: God loves not the aggressors. Slay them wherever you fall upon them, and expel them from where they had expelled you; apostasy by force is indeed more serious than slaying. Do not fight them near the Holy Mosque unless they fight you therein. If they fight you therein, slay them: such is the reward of unbelievers. Fight them until there is no longer forced apostasy, and the religion is God's. If they desist, no aggression is permitted except against the wicked. Whoever commits aggression against you, retaliate against him in the same measure as he committed against you. Spend wealth in the cause of God and do not, with your own hands, hurl yourself into destruction. Be generous, for God loves the generous.'

There is a big debate in the Muslim world about whether the Qur'an endorses suicide bombing. From this passage, we can infer that it doesn't, and this is the general consensus. Martyrdom doesn't include suicide; those willing to die for Islam go to paradise, but not those who directly bring about their own death. Obviously, not all Muslims agree on this.

If we looked at this quote alone, and ignored the Qur'an's many endorsements of religious pluralism, we might think that Muhammad wanted everyone converted to Islam. We would be wrong: 'the religion is God's' when the different communities are working together; forced conversion is worse than killing.

After many battles between Mecca and Medina, Muhammad was sick of fighting. He decided to make the annual pilgrimage to Mecca; along with about a thousand Muslim volunteers, he marched, unarmed, into the enemy city. If the Meccans attacked the pilgrims, they would have violated their sacred duty as guardians of the Kaaba. Impressed by the peaceful protest, the Meccans signed a treaty, ending the war.

Two years later, Mecca violated the treaty by attacking one of Muhammad's allies. Ten thousand Muslims marched on Mecca, ready to fight if the Meccans didn't stop pissing about. They surrendered; Muhammad took control of Mecca. He destroyed the statues around the Kaaba and dedicated it to Allah: formerly the Most High God, now the One True God.

Tribal warfare ceased; the tribes were united under Islam. Muhammad brought peace to Arabia.