© Copyright 2007-2008 The Straight Path
Posted by: "MF" mfurkank@yahoo.com mfurkank
Date: Sun Apr 29, 2007 7:06 am ((PDT))

By Professor Shahul Hameed

It is a striking fact of history  that within three centuries, after Prophet Muhammad started preaching Islam in  Mecca, Islam spread over the area
of three continents; Asia, Africa and Europe.  There are many reasons why people have been, from past to the present embracing  Islam.
Muhammad Asad, a Jewish convert to Islam, says:  “Islam appears to me like a perfect work of architecture. All its parts are  harmoniously
conceived to complement and support each other, nothing lacking,  with the result of an absolute balance and solid composure. Everything in the
teaching and postulates of Islam is in its proper place.” (Islam at the  Crossroads, p.5)

In the race for the propagation of religion, Islam has always won over Christianity, in spite of the latter’s sophisticated and well-organized
missionary activities. This has been the case in the course of fourteen centuries. As a result, most of the Christian missionaries started depicting  
Islam as a regressive, vulgar religion of savage people which was spread by the  sword. Yet, an unbiased Western Christian writer has written:
“…We may feel certain that if Western Christians, instead of the  Saracens and  the Turks, had won the dominion over Asia, there would be today
not a trace left  of the Greek Church, and that they would never have tolerated Muhammadanism as  the 'infidels' have tolerated Christianity
there. We (Christians) enjoy the fine  advantage of being far better versed than others in the art of killing,  bombarding and exterminating the
Human Race." (Bayle P., Dictionary, 'the  article Mahomed', 1850)

Among the reasons for the rapid and peaceful spread of Islam was the simplicity of its doctrine. Islam calls for believing in only One God, worthy
of  worship It also repeatedly instructs man to use his powers of intelligence and  observation. Within a few years after the dawn of Islam, great
civilizations and universities were flourishing under its influence, for according to Prophet  Muhammad (peace be upon him), “seeking knowledge
is an obligation for every  Muslim man and woman”.

The zeal for understanding God’s creative power, as realized in the universe,  led the followers of this religion to new ideas, new realms of  
knowledge and  great advances in medicine, mathematics, physics, astronomy, geography,  architecture, art, literature, and history.

We find that the spread of Islam was not limited to its miraculous early  expansion outside of Arabia. During later centuries, the Turks embraced
Islam peacefully, as did a large number of the people of the Indian subcontinent, as  well as the people of Malaysia and Indonesia. In Africa too,
Islam spread during the past two centuries, while under the  mighty power of European colonial rulers. Today Islam continues to grow, not  only
in Africa, but also in Europe and the Americas as well. Islam is the  fastest growing religion now, with a following of about one and a half billion  
people. Mr. Lamaan Ball, editor of Ask About Islam, adds: Although in the early years of the expansion of the Islamic state much land  came under
the rule of the Muslims, conversion to Islam of its inhabitants took  several generations. This is because conversion by force is explicitly forbidden  
in the Qur'an: Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands  out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in God hath grasped
the  most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And God heareth and knoweth all  things. (Surah 2 Verse 256)

In more recent times such as in the case of Indonesia, conversions to Islam  happened in the absence of an Islamic state and where the rulers were
Dutch  Christians. Commentators and historians have to acknowledge the fact of Islam's  peaceful spead even if they dislike it. A classic example of
such a grudging  acknowledgment is in the book "The Legacy of Islam" edited by Joseph Schacht  with C.E. Bosworth (1974) p145: "... the general
picture of the spread of Islam so far as we know it. This is  often said to resemble an oil stain: gradual yet effective. Many, too, have  praised its
peaceful nature. Again so far as we know,
the acceptance of Islamic doctrine has been a gradual process, partly thanks to the practice of conversion  prior to indoctrination" The false
allegations that Islam was spread by the sword is just part of  unfounded propaganda. To which the best reply is perhaps the Qur'an itself. In  
particular this verse comes to mind: Their intention is to extinguish God's Light (by  blowing) with their mouths: But God will complete (the
revelation of) His Light,  even though the Unbelievers may detest (it). (Surah 61 Verse 8)

Mahatma Gandhi wrote in Young India – 1920: ‘I became more than ever convinced that it was not the sword that won a place  in Islam in those
days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the  utter self-effacement of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard for his pledges, his  intense
devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his  fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and his own mission. These and not the  sword
carried everything before them
and surmounted every trouble.’

By Professor Shahul Hameed

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