Was Islam Spread by the Sword?

It is a common misconception with 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 willmake 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.
Islam has always given respect and freedom of religion to all faiths.
Freedom of religion is ordained in the Quran itself:
"There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The
right course has become clear from the wrong." (Quran2:256)
The noted historian De Lacy O'Leary wrote:[1]"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 myths that historians have
ever repeated."
The famous historian, Thomas Carlyle, in his book Heroes and Hero
worship, refers to this misconception about thespread of Islam: "The
sword indeed, but where will you get your sword? Every new opinion, at
its starting is precisely in a minority ofone; 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 tries 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."
If Islam was spread by the sword, it was the sword of intellect and
convincing arguments. Itis this sword that conquers the hearts and
minds of people. The Quran says in this connection:
"Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and
argue with them in a way that is best." (Quran 16:125)
The facts speak for themselves
Indonesia is the country that has the largest number of Muslims in the
world, and the majority of people in Malaysia are Muslims. But, no
Muslim army ever went to Indonesia or Malaysia. It is an established
historical fact that Indonesia entered Islam not due towar, but
because of its moral message. Despite the disappearance of Islamic
government frommany regions once ruledby it, their original
inhabitants have remained Muslims. Moreover, they carried the message
of truth, inviting others to it as well, and in so doing endured harm,
affliction and oppression. The same can be said for those in the
regions of Syria and Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, North Africa, Asia, the
Balkans and in Spain. This shows that the effect of Islam on
thepopulation was one of moral conviction, in contrast to occupation
by western colonialists, finally compelled to leave lands whose
peoples held only memories of affliction, sorrow, subjugation
andoppression.
Muslims ruled Spain (Andalusia) for about 800 years. During this
period the Christians andJews enjoyed freedom to practice their
respective religions, and this is a documented historical fact.
Christian and Jewish minorities have survivedin the Muslim lands of
the Middle East for centuries. Countries suchas Egypt, Morocco,
Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan all have significant Christian
and Jewish populations.
Muslims ruled India for about a thousand years, and therefore had the
power to force each andevery non-Muslim of India to convert to
Islam,but they did not, and thus more than 80% of the Indian
population remains non-Muslim.
Similarly, Islam spread rapidly on the East Coast of Africa. And
likewise no Muslim army was ever dispatched to the East Coast of
Africa.
An article in Reader's Digest 'Almanac', yearbook 1986, gives
thestatistics of the increase of the 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%, while Christianity had increased by 47%. During
this fifty-year period, there was no"Islamic conquest" yet Islam
spread at an extraordinary rate.
Today the fastest growing religion in America and Europe is Islam. The
Muslims in these lands are a minority. The only swordthey have in
their possession is the sword of truth. It is this sword that is
converting thousands to Islam.
Islamic law protects the privileged status of minorities, and that is
why non-Muslim places of worship have flourished all over the Islamic
world. Islamic law also allows non-Muslim minorities toset up their
own courts, which implement family laws drawn up by the minorities
themselves. The life and property of all citizens in an Islamic state
are considered sacred whether they are Muslims or not.
Conclusion
It is clear, therefore, thatIslam did not spread by the sword. The
"sword of Islam" did not convertall the non-Muslim minorities in
Muslim countries. In India, where Muslims ruled for 800 years, they
are still a minority. In the U.S.A., Islam is the fastest growing
religion and has over six million followers.
In his book The World's Religions, Huston Smith discusses how the
prophet Muhammad granted freedom of religion to the Jews and
Christians under Muslim rule:
The Prophet had a document drawn up in which he stipulated that Jews
and Christians"shall be protected from all insults and harm; theyshall
have an equal rightwith our own people to our assistance and good
offices," and further,"they shall practice their religion as freely as
the Muslims."[2]
Smith points out that Muslims regard that document as the first
charter of freedom of conscience in human history and the
authoritative model for those of every subsequent Muslim state.
Footnotes:
[1] In his book Islam at the Crossroads, p.8.
[2] Quoted in The World's Religions by Huston Smith, Harper Collins,
1991, p. 256