Uploaded January 2023 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Prophet of Islam had a rare combination of talents which laid the foundation for a movement that would rapidly expand inside and outside of Arabia at a pace unheard of up to its time.
But being successful in numerous spheres of human activity, as was Muhammad, is not without its fair (and sometimes unfair) share of criticism. Which leads us to the topic of discussion on this current edition of Real Talk with Terron Poole.
For some outsiders to the religion of Islam this happens to be one of the most controversial aspects in the Life of the Prophet Muhammad, as well as being one of the more contentious among a considerable number of Muslims. And that is on the topic of Muhammad and war.
To help navigate this subject, and based on the research from his latest publication titled The Warrior Prophet: Muhammad & War, we have Professor Joel Hayward with us to share his thoughts on what I believe to be very insightful and thought provoking conversation on a subject with great interest to a number of people.
Professor Joel Hayward is a New Zealand-born British scholar and author who currently serves as Professor of Strategic Thought at the Rabdan Academy in the United Arab Emirates. The daily newspaper Al Khaleej called him “a world authority on international conflict and strategy”. Kirkus Reviews said that he “is undeniably one of academia’s most visible Islamic thinkers”. He is considered to be one of “the world’s five hundred most influential Muslims,” with his listing in the 2023 edition of The Muslim 500 noting that “he weaves together classical Islamic knowledge and methodologies and the source-critical Western historical method to make innovative yet carefully reasoned sense of complex historical issues that are still important in today’s world.”
Professor Joel Hayward is the author/editor of seventeen books and major monographs and dozens of peer-reviewed articles, mainly in the fields of strategic studies, military history, the Islamic ethics of war and conflict, and Islamic and western history. His best-selling books include a major analysis of German airpower during the Stalingrad campaign and a thematic investigation of Horatio Lord Nelson and his way of war. His recent books include Warfare in the Qurʾan (2012), War is Deceit: An Analysis of a Contentious Hadith on the Morality of Military Deception (2017), Civilian Immunity in Foundational Islamic Strategic Thought: A Historical Enquiry (2019), and The Leadership of Muhammad: A Historical Reconstruction. The latter won the prestigious prize of “Best International Non-Fiction Book” at the 2021 Sharjah International Book Awards. His newest book (on which much of this discussion will be had) The Warrior Prophet: Muhammad and War released recently (2023)
Prophet of Islam had a rare combination of talents which laid the foundation for a movement that would rapidly expand inside and outside of Arabia at a pace unheard of up to its time.
But being successful in numerous spheres of human activity, as was Muhammad, is not without its fair (and sometimes unfair) share of criticism. Which leads us to the topic of discussion on this current edition of Real Talk with Terron Poole.
For some outsiders to the religion of Islam this happens to be one of the most controversial aspects in the Life of the Prophet Muhammad, as well as being one of the more contentious among a considerable number of Muslims. And that is on the topic of Muhammad and war.
To help navigate this subject, and based on the research from his latest publication titled The Warrior Prophet: Muhammad & War, we have Professor Joel Hayward with us to share his thoughts on what I believe to be very insightful and thought provoking conversation on a subject with great interest to a number of people.
Professor Joel Hayward is a New Zealand-born British scholar and author who currently serves as Professor of Strategic Thought at the Rabdan Academy in the United Arab Emirates. The daily newspaper Al Khaleej called him “a world authority on international conflict and strategy”. Kirkus Reviews said that he “is undeniably one of academia’s most visible Islamic thinkers”. He is considered to be one of “the world’s five hundred most influential Muslims,” with his listing in the 2023 edition of The Muslim 500 noting that “he weaves together classical Islamic knowledge and methodologies and the source-critical Western historical method to make innovative yet carefully reasoned sense of complex historical issues that are still important in today’s world.”
Professor Joel Hayward is the author/editor of seventeen books and major monographs and dozens of peer-reviewed articles, mainly in the fields of strategic studies, military history, the Islamic ethics of war and conflict, and Islamic and western history. His best-selling books include a major analysis of German airpower during the Stalingrad campaign and a thematic investigation of Horatio Lord Nelson and his way of war. His recent books include Warfare in the Qurʾan (2012), War is Deceit: An Analysis of a Contentious Hadith on the Morality of Military Deception (2017), Civilian Immunity in Foundational Islamic Strategic Thought: A Historical Enquiry (2019), and The Leadership of Muhammad: A Historical Reconstruction. The latter won the prestigious prize of “Best International Non-Fiction Book” at the 2021 Sharjah International Book Awards. His newest book (on which much of this discussion will be had) The Warrior Prophet: Muhammad and War released recently (2023)
