This is a common accusation made by ignorant Islamophobes, who are often just parroting low-lifes who have no credibility themselves. But when this accusation is scrutinized, it inevitably falls apart. First, there is literally no evidence that the Prophet “robbed” the Quraysh caravans. In most of the encounters, the two parties avoided fighting. In one instance, a man from the Quraysh was killed and the Prophet actually paid compensation to his father! Would a “robber” do that?
But there is another reason why the “robber” accusation doesn’t work. When the Prophet was leaving Makkah for Yathrib (later renamed Madinah), he had possession of people’s goods that they had trusted him to hold for them, sort of like how a bank has safe-deposit boxes. Had the Prophet wanted, wouldn’t he have stolen those goods and take them to Yathrib? Instead, he arranged for Ali Ibn Abu Talib to return those goods to their rightful owners. This shows the sincerity, honesty, and integrity of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). See below.
Oh you haters, come to your senses. You have been fooled into hating Islam and Muhammad (ﷺ) by the devils you look up to. But they will lead you to only one place: hell. Use your reason. Don’t blindly accept what the liars tell you.
Additional information: https://youtu.be/8IxHYq6uXS4


Interesting tidbit I learned today as well. The caravan attacks may have also been a response to blocking Muslims in Mecca from praying at Masjid al Haram:
” The Quraysh, furthermore, were guilty of “averting [people] from the way of Allah and disbelief in Him and [preventing access to] al-Masjid al-Harām and the expulsion of its people therefrom” (2:217). The strategy of intercepting caravans may also have emerged organically as a way to counter the Quraysh’s prevention of Muslims from visiting the Sacred Mosque, as suggested in a report in which the chief of al-Aws Saʿd b. Muʿādh, a friend of the Meccan Umayyah b. Khalaf, went to perform ʿUmrah and stayed with Umayyah. While performing the circling of the Kaʿba, trying not to be noticed, Saʿd was accosted by Abū Jahl. Perhaps not knowing that Saʿd too had embraced Islam, Abū Jahl challenged him, “I see you wandering about safely in Mecca while sheltering men who have changed their religion and have claimed that you will help and support them. By Allah, if you were not in the company of Abū Ṣafwān, you would not be able to return to your folk safely.” Saʿd retorted stoutly, “By Allah, if you should stop me from doing this, I will prevent you from something which is more valuable for you, that is, your passage through Medina.” (Al-Bukhārī, no. 3950.)
https://yaqeeninstitute.org/read/paper/the-constitution-of-medina-translation-commentary-and-meaning-today
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