Was Islam Spread By The Sword?

Yes, Islam Spread by the Sword. It is the Sword of the intellect. The sword that conquers the minds and hearts of the people all over the world.

Pic: Islam Spread By Sword?

✹ Highlights:

Common Misconceptions about the spread of Islam.
Every Human mind is not in the favour of maintaining peace.
De Lacy O'Leary Reply in his book "Islam at the cross road".
Muslims in Spain never used the sword to force the people to convert.
14 million Arabs are Christians since generations.
Non-Muslim Indians are bearing witness that Islam was not spread by the sword.
Which Muslim army went to Indonesia and Malaysia?
From 1934 to 1984, Islam Spread by 235℅.
Islamic bomb has been dropped already: Dr. Joseph Adam Pearson

It is a common misconception among some non-Muslims that Muslims would not have been in millions of all over the world if Islam had not been spread by the use of force. The following below facts 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 this great religion(Islam).

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✦ Meaning Of Islam:

Islam comes from the root word ‘salaam’, which means peace. It also means submitting one’s will to the Supreme God (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).

Pic: Was Islam Spread By Sword ? Islam Won Hearts and Minds.

✦ Sometimes force is required 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 harmony and peace for their own vested interests. Sometimes force has to be used to maintain peace. It is because of 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 teaches its 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.
Today, many groups attribute their violent activities to Islam's teaching. However, Islam clearly disowns these types of barbarism according to the above facts.

✦ What the historian De Lacy O'Leary said about Islam?

(De Lacy O'Leary On Islam Spread by the Sword)

Pic: Islam Spread By Sword. Debunked By De Lacy.

The best reply to the misconception that Islam was spread by the sword is given by the noted historian De Lacy O’Leary in his 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.” (Islam at the cross road, Page No-8)

✦ Muslims In Spain ruled 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 swept out the Muslims. There was not a single Muslim in Spain who could openly give the adhan, that is the call for prayers.

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✦ 14 million Arabs are Christians Since Generations:

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.

✦ More than 80% people are 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.

✦ The story of Indonesia and Malaysia- Spread Of Islam:

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?”

✦ Islam on the East Coast Of Africa:

8. Islam on the 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?”

✦ Thomas Carlyle's "Heroes and Hero worship"

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.”

Pic: Islam Spread By Sword : From Heroes and Hero Worship.

✦ There is 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 forbids Muslims in the following verse:

Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from error” [Al-Qur’an 2:256]

✦ Islam spread by the Sword of the Intellect:

It is the sword of intellect. The sword that conquers the hearts and minds of people. The Qur’an says:

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]

Pic: Dawah: Islam Spread By Sword? Certainly NOT!

✦ 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 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%, and Christianity had increased only by 47%. May one ask, which war took place in this century which converted millions of people to Islam?

✦ 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?

✦ Dr Joseph Adam Pearson's Views:

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”.

Conclusion: Above are the satisfactory and sufficient information regarding the spread of Islam. Now, people of honest and logical minds can easily jump to the conclusion whether Islam Spread by the Sword of force or intellect?

Disclaimer: There are many articles on this topic flooded in the internet. Posted above is not copied from any copyrighted websites or books. However, EduIslam obtained informational data from the book "Answers to non-Muslims' common questions about Islam" released by IRF for which it has Creative Common Licence. We have edited those according to the readers' compatibility so that can be easily absorbed by everyone.