As-Salamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu: Inform me of the infrastructure Muhammad(SAW) had, to wage war or react in defense. Astaghfirullah for bringing a question with pertinence to war. I have heard many accusations; one being that RasulAllah was a raider and funded the Muslims with stolen items. I know that one or more instances of raiding was to get back items that the Makkans had confiscated and were on the way to selling. Allahumma Yahdinee Jami\’a.Ameen

All praise be to Allah,
Dear Enquirer,
Islam does not favor war as a solution for human problems; Allah said:
قال تعالى: (( وإن جنحوا للسلم فاجنح لها وتوكل على الله إنه هو السميع العليم. وإن يريدوا أن يخدعوك فإن حسبك الله))
“But if they incline to peace, you also incline to it, and (put your) trust in Allah. Verily, He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.” (Anfal 61)
The Messenger of Allah said: “Don’t wish to confront your enemies, but if you had to, be steadfast” (Reported by al-Bukhari)
Yet, being a balanced mixture between idealism and realism, Islam recognizes that just was is sometimes warranted; Allah said:
(( وقاتلوا في سبيل الذين يقاتلونكم ولا تعتدوا إن الله لا يحب المعتدين))
“And fight in the Way of Allah those who fight you, but transgress not the limits. Truly, Allah likes not the transgressors.” (2/190)
And since the Muslims live for his greater cause, not for themselves, they don’t only fight for themselves, but Allah commanded them to give victory to the oppressed, He said:
(( وما لكم لا تقاتلون في سبيل الله والمستضعفين من الرجال والنساء والولدان الذين يقولون ربنا أخرجنا من هذه القرية الظالم أهلها واجعل لنا من لدنك وليا واجعل لنا من لدنك نصيرا))
“And why would you fight not in the Cause of Allah, and for those weak, ill-treated and oppressed among men, women, and children, whose cry is: “Our Lord! Rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from You one who will protect, and raise for us from You one who will help.“ (4/75)
They just did that, and that is according to the testimony of the peoples of the lands opened to the light of Islam. The Preaching of Islam by Thomas Arnold pp. 54,55, Michael the Elder, Jacobite Patriarch of Antioch, writing in the latter half of the twelfth century, said: “This is why the God of vengeance. Who alone is all powerful , and changes the empire of mortals as He will, giving it to whomsoever He will and uplifting the humble, beholding the wickedness of the Romans who, throughout their dominions, cruelly plundered our churches and our monasteries and condemned us without pity brought from the region of the south the sons of Ishmael, to deliver us through them from the hands of the Romans.”
The Muslims did not fight all of the people of the earth, those they fought were the tyrants of the land; the prophet (blessings be upon him) said:
”دعوا الحبشة ما ودعوكم و اتركوا الترك ما تركوكم.“
“leave alone the Abyssinians as long as they leave you alone, and leave alone the turks as long as they leave you alone“ (Reported by Abu-Dawood and authenticated by al-Albani)
Here is what Washington Irving had to say about the conquests of the Prophet in ‘Life of Muhammad,’ New York, 1920, “His military triumphs awakened no pride nor vain glory as they would have done had they been effected by selfish purposes. In the time of his greatest power he maintained the same simplicity of manner and appearance as in the days of his adversity. So far from affecting regal state, he was displeased if, on entering a room, any unusual testimonial of respect was shown to him.“
That is not strange to be said about the one who taught humanity not only to fight only for a just cause but to uphold the highest standards of the etiquettes of fighting; he said:
“Move in the Name of Allah and by his help and upon and according to the way of his Messenger; Do not kill an older man, a child or a woman and do not steel from the booty and compile it all; Do righteousness and show kindness for Allah loves those who are kind.” (Reported by Abu Dawood from Anas, and Ibn Majjah who added “do not kill a non combatant in the company of the army (‘Aseef)”)
Allah allowed his messenger and the believers to take the booty of war so that they can advance against the tyrants. It would not be just to ask a smaller less equipped army to stand up against the most tyrannical forces in the land, and then tie their hands behind their backs.
Besides, nothing of what the Messenger (blessings be upon him) and his companions did was foreign to the previous religions and messengers; here is some examples from the Bible:
Deuteronomy (20:10)
10 When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace. 11 If they accept and open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject to forced labor and shall work for you. 12 If they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city. 13 When the LORD your God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it. 14 As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves. And you may use the plunder the LORD your God gives you from your enemies. 15 This is how you are to treat all the cities that are at a distance from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.
Joshua 6:24
24 Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the Lord`s house.
Certainly, the war in Islam was different, and the people were set free when they surrendered.
I hope this answer is sufficient for you.
Allah knows best