In the Quran it shows two different versions of the Prophet. First one is kind and merciful, second one is fire and brimstone.
First one exorts Muslims to be forgiving, to not hurt any living thing, and to forsake all for Allah.
It is the second version I and many non-Muslims are worried about. The one which distinctly calls forth the faithful to convert the Infidel, and when converted, to make a slave of him. And if he won't convert, to kill him. This is explicit.
I know this because I have studied the Quran, and I was member of a faith which was Islamic but not Muslim, and is rejected as heretics by all true Muslims. I left the sect when I realized that all organized religions, no matter what they believe, continue to put flawed men in positions of absolute power, which I am certain God, no matter what name you call him/her/it, does not approve of.
And oh yes, writings that predate both the Bible and the Quran call the unknowable, unnameable, Him/Her/It because, as they say, if He/She/It is unknowable, how could we put a human gender or title to Him/Her/It.
The Prophet chose not to deal with this fact, and the First Council of Nicaea (325AD) decided to consoldate God into a masculine Father image and modeled the Pope after it. Again, placing flawed men in positions of absolute power.
I believe in a power across an unknowable abyss which has an unknowable role in my life. Beyond that, I refuse to think anyone else should be beholden to what I believe. And I refuse to help any organized religion force their beliefs on any individual, by proxy or by direct action.
Living the Gypsy Life