Good Deeds And Violence In Early Islamic Religion

The most predominant themes of early Islamic history include the roles of good deeds and violence. While some might consider these to be opposites, the Islamic community treats them differently. Good deeds form the foundation of the Islamic religion. Humans ought to be good to the poor and the weak and help those in need. Violence, on the other hand, should only take place for righteous reasons, such as the survival of the community or self defense. The early history of Islam is riddled with examples of encouraging good deeds and enacting violence in the name of Allah.
The importance of good deeds in Islamic life cannot be overstated. Muhammad, the great prophet, lived a humble life and gave much of his attention to aiding the poor and needy. When Muhammad began preaching in public around 610 AD (12 BH), his
Muhammad claimed that submission to God meant "giving up debauchery, drunkenness, cruelty, and tyranny; attending the plight of the weak and the meek; helping the poor; sacrificing for justice; and serving the greater good (Ansary, 20). Thus, being a good person and helping those in need was at the forefront of Islamic teachings. This trend continued even after Muhammad’s death. During Omar's "reign" as caliph, the Muslim community had many successes in battle. One natural spoil of success in battle was wealth. The victorious Muslims were able to loot the villages and empires they destroyed and enacted a tax, allowing them to continue to receive financial compensation long after the wars were over. Ansary suggests that "[o]ne-fifth of the plunder went back to Medina. . . . [M]uch of that money was distributed immediately to the poor and needy" (Ansary, 48). The structure of this religio-political system