WAS_ISLAM_SPREAD_BY_THE_SWORD?

#_WAS_ISLAM_SPREAD_BY_THE_SWORD?
.
#Question:
How can Islam be called the religion of peace
when it was spread by the sword?
.#Answer:
It is a common complaint among some non-
Muslims that Islam would not have millions of
adherents all over the world, if it had not been
spread by the use of force. The following points
will make it clear, that far from being spread by
the sword, it was the inherent force of truth,
reason and logic that was responsible for the
rapid spread of Islam.
1. #Islam means peace.
Islam comes from the root word ‘salaam’, which
means peace. It also means submitting one’s will
to Allah (swt). Thus Islam is a religion of peace,
which is acquired by submitting one’s will to the
will of the Supreme Creator, Allah (swt).
2. #Sometimes force has to be used to maintain
peace.
Each and every human being in this world is not
in favour of maintaining peace and harmony.
There are many, who would disrupt it for their
own vested interests. Sometimes force has to be
used to maintain peace. It is precisely for this
reason that we have the police who use force
against criminals and anti-social elements to
maintain peace in the country. Islam promotes
peace. At the same time, Islam exhorts it
followers to fight where there is oppression. The
fight against oppression may, at times, require
the use of force. In Islam force can only be used
to promote peace and justice.
3. Opinion of historian De Lacy O’Leary.
The best reply to the misconception that Islam
was spread by the sword is given by the noted
historian De Lacy O’Leary in the book “Islam at
the cross road” (Page 8):
“History makes it clear however, that the legend
of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world
and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon
conquered races is one of the most fantastically
absurd myth that historians have ever repeated.”
4. #Muslims ruled Spain for 800 years.
Muslims ruled Spain for about 800 years. The
Muslims in Spain never used the sword to force
the people to convert. Later the Christian
Crusaders came to Spain and wiped out the
Muslims. There was not a single Muslim in Spain
who could openly give the adhan , that is the call
for prayers.
5. #14_million Arabs are Coptic Christians.
Muslims were the lords of Arabia for 1400 years.
For a few years the British ruled, and for a few
years the French ruled. Overall, the Muslims ruled
Arabia for 1400 years. Yet today, there are 14
million Arabs who are Coptic Christians i.e.
Christians since generations. If the Muslims had
used the sword there would not have been a
single Arab who would have remained a Christian.
6. #More than 80% non-Muslims in India.
The Muslims ruled India for about a thousand
years. If they wanted, they had the power of
converting each and every non-Muslim of India to
Islam. Today more than 80% of the population of
India are non-Muslims. All these non-Muslim
Indians are bearing witness today that Islam was
not spread by the sword.
7. #Indonesia and Malaysia.
Indonesia is a country that has the maximum
number of Muslims in the world. The majority of
people in Malaysia are Muslims. May one ask,
“Which Muslim army went to Indonesia and
Malaysia?”
8. #East Coast of Africa.
Similarly, Islam has spread rapidly on the East
Coast of Africa. One may again ask, if Islam was
spread by the sword, “Which Muslim army went
to the East Coast of Africa?”
9. Thomas Carlyle.
The famous historian, Thomas Carlyle, in his book
“Heroes and Hero worship”, refers to this
misconception about the spread of Islam: “The
sword indeed, but where will you get your sword?
Every new opinion, at its starting is precisely in a
minority of one. In one man’s head alone. There it
dwells as yet. One man alone of the whole world
believes it, there is one man against all men.
That he takes a sword and try to propagate with
that, will do little for him. You must get your
sword! On the whole, a thing will propagate itself
as it can.”
10. #No_compulsion in religion.
With which sword was Islam spread? Even if
Muslims had it they could not use it to spread
Islam because the Qur’an says in the following
verse:
“Let there be no compulsion in religion:
Truth stands out clear from error”
[Al-Qur’an 2:256]
11. #Sword of the Intellect.
It is the sword of intellect. The sword that
conquers the hearts and minds of people.
The Qur’an says in Surah Nahl, chapter 16 verse
125:
“Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord
with wisdom and beautiful preaching;
and argue with them in ways that are
best and most gracious.”
Al-Qur’an 16:125]
12. Increase in the world religions from 1934 to
1984.
An article in Reader’s Digest ‘Almanac’, year book
1986, gave the statistics of the increase of
percentage of the major religions of the world in
half a century from 1934 to 1984. This article
also appeared in ‘The Plain Truth’ magazine. At
the top was Islam, which increased by 235%, and
Christianity had increased only by 47%. May one
ask, which war took place in this century which
converted millions of people to Islam?
13. Islam is the fastest growing religion in
America and Europe.
Today the fastest growing religion in America is
Islam. The fastest growing religion in Europe in
Islam. Which sword is forcing people in the West
to accept Islam in such large numbers?
14. #Dr._Joseph Adam Pearson.
Dr. Joseph Adam Pearson rightly says, “People
who worry that nuclear weaponry will one day fall
in the hands of the Arabs, fail to realize that the
Islamic bomb has been dropped already, it fell the
day MUHAMMED (pbuh) was born”.