people to embrace it. People have always entered Islam willingly. The
historical presence of non-Muslim minorities living among Muslims is
evidence of tolerance in Islaam.
Islam spread in the most populated Muslim countries: Indonesia,
Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and within Africa through contact
between the natives and Muslim travellers and merchants, who brought
with them not only goods, but also Islamic values such as straight
dealing, honesty and generosity.
The impact of Muslims upon these communities was tremendous. In
Singapore, near the port where the Arab traders used to land, the
residents say that the natives used to prefer to buy from Muslim
merchants because they expected good treatment and fair prices.
As was the case in most of the areas to which Islam spread, peaceful
and voluntary reversion was far more important than conquest and force
in spreading the faith in Southeast Asia. Almost everywhere in the
islands of the region, trading contacts paved the way for reversion.
Muslim merchants and sailors introduced local peoples to the ideas and
rituals of the new faith and impressed on them how much of the known
world had already been reverted. The first areas to be won to Islam in
the last decades of the 13th century were several small port centres
on the northern coast of Sumatra. From these ports, the religion
spread in the following centuries across the Strait of Malacca to
Malaya.
It is unfair to compare the spreadof Islaam in Asia and Africa with
the spread of Islaam in the West, and blame Muslims for not
effectively promoting their religion in the West. Unlike the modern
western world, the Asians' and Africans' history was free from
hostility and enmity against Muslims, and therefore, their reversion
to Islam was natural and easy.
Could Da'wah Fail?
Allaah will guide, through Da'wah(Islamic propagation), those whoare
worthy and qualified for His Mercy; those who have good hearts and are
sincerely searching for the truth. He will turn away from it those who
do not deserve His mercy; those whochose to divert from His way.
Thisis decreed according to His perfect Wisdom and Knowledge.
The success of Da'wah is guaranteed as a fulfilment of Allaah's
promises; He Says (what means): "… And who is more truthful than
Allaah…" [Quran: 4:87]
1. Allaah promised to make the way for Da'wah easy for Prophet
Muhammad salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam and his followers alike; He Says
(what means): "And We will ease you toward ease." [Quran: 87:8]
2. Allaah also promised to preserve the Quran, His last guidance to
mankind. It is foreverprotected from any sort of distortion, change,
or modification; He Says (what means): "Indeed, it is We who sent down
the message [i.e., the Quran], and indeed, We will be itsguardian."
[Quran: 15:9]
3. Allaah promised to make Da'wah prevail and reach every place on
earth, so that all mankind will be aware that Islaam is the truth from
their Lord; He Says (what means): "We will show them Our signs in the
horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it
is the truth..." [Quran: 41:53]
4.Prophet Muhammad assured us that Islam is the religion of the future
and will spread all over the world when he said: "Indeed, Islam will
reach every place that the day and night reach. There is no house (in
city or desert) on the Earth except that Islam will enter it." [Ahmad]
Due to all of these reasons, Da'wah can never fail; that is whyProphet
Muhammad expectedhis followers to outnumber the followers of other
prophets; He said: "All of the prophets before me were given
(tangible) miracles, due to which, people believed in them. But the
miracle that has been given to me is indeed a revelation that Allaah
revealed to me [i.e., Quran and Sunnah]. So I hope, on the Day
ofJudgement, my followers will outnumber the followers of other
prophets." [Al-Bukhaari]
In order for Da'wah to be effective, the caller must have sincere
intention and, above all, astrong sense of piety. In order toshare
Islam with people, we must develop strong relationships within our
Ummah (Muslim community) to support these efforts with Da'wah
centresand well-written material. Each of us has a gift from Allaah
and we should not ignore our obligation in fear of rejection or
failure, but join together to contribute our talents and resources to
share the gift of Islaam.
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