CHAPTER (8) DID ISLAM SPREAD BY SWORD ?

 Question: How can Islam be called a religion of peace when it is spread by sword?                                  Answer:- It is a common complaint of some non-Muslims that the number of followers of Islam in the world would not have been in millions if this religion had not been spread by force.  It is because of this that it spread rapidly throughout the world and not by sword.                                                    1. Islam means peace.  Islam is derived from the root word 'salaam' which means 'peace'.  Its second meaning is to surrender your desires to the Lord your Sustainer.  Therefore Islam is the religion of peace which is attained by surrendering one's desires before the Supreme Creator, Allah.                                           2. Sometimes force is used to establish peace.  Not every human being in this world is in favor of peace and harmony.  Many people try to disturb the peace for their petty selfishness.  Sometimes force is used to maintain peace.  That is why we keep police which uses force against criminals and anti-social elements so that peace can be established in the society.  Islam promotes peace and at the same time encourages its followers to fight against it wherever there is atrocities and oppressions.  Sometimes the use of force becomes necessary in the struggle against tyranny. In Islam, the use of force can be used only for the establishment of peace and justice.                                                            3. Views of Historian Delacy o Leary This mistaken view of Islam spread by the sword is best answered by the famous historian Delacy O'Leary, which he describes in his book Islam at the Cross Road.  cross road) "The saying that some passionate Muslims spread all over the world to convert a nation defeated by the sword to Islam makes it clear that this is one of the blatant nonsense fictions that historians have ever repeated. (p.-8)  ) and those                                                                                                    4. Muslims ruled Spain for 800 years Muslims ruled Spain for about 800 years and there they never forced anyone to accept Islam. Later Christian religious warriors came to Spain and they wiped out the Muslims.  Diya and there is not a single Muslim left who can openly give ignorance.                            5. One crore four million Arab population are ethnic Christians. Muslims were the rulers of Arabia for 1400 years. For some years there was British rule and for some years by the French.  In total, the Muslims ruled there for 1400 years.  ruled.  Even today there are one crore forty million Arab racial Christians.  If the Muslims had used the sword, there would not have been a single Arab-origin Christian left.                                                                                                                                                      6. More than 80 percent non-Muslim Muslims in India ruled India for about 1000 years.  If they wanted, they would have forced every non-Muslim in India to accept Islam because they had the power to do so.  Today 80% non-Muslims are in India who are witness to the fact that Islam did not spread by the sword.                                                                                                                                                           7. Indonesia and Malaysia Indonesia is a country with the largest number of Muslims in the world.  Muslims are the majority in Malaysia.  Here the question arises that which Muslim army went to Indonesia and Malaysia.                                                                                                                                      8. East Coast of Africa Similarly Islam spread rapidly on the east coast of Africa.  Then one can ask that if Islam spread by sword, which Muslim army went towards the east coast of Africa?                        9. Thomas Carlyle The famous historian 'Thomas Carlyle' in his book Heroes and Hero Worship (Heroes and Hero Worship) pointed to the wrong idea related to the spread of Islam and said " Sword !!  And where will you find your sword like this?  The reality is that every new idea is only a minority of one in its initial state, that is, only in the mind of a person where it is till now.  Only one person in the whole world believes in this idea, that is, there is only one human being in comparison to all human beings.  That person takes the sword and tries to preach with it, it will not prove to be of any effect to him.  Take your sword and see it against all the people.  An object expands by itself as much as it has the capacity to expand.                                                                                                                                 10. There is no coercion in religion • With which sword did Islam flourish?  Even if this sword was with the Muslim, it could not be used for the propagation of Islam.  Because in the Holy Qur'an it is said - do not force anything in religion, the truth is clearly visible from the untrue.  "(Qur'an, 2:256)   11. Sword of Wisdom This is the sword of the intellect and the mind. It is the sword that conquers hearts and minds. The Holy Qur'an says- "Call people to the path of Allah,  But with wisdom and good advice, and debate them in the way that is best and purest.  " ( Qur'an , 16 : 125 )                               12. The rise of world religions from 1934 to 1984 A.D. Almenek , Annual Book 1986 A.D. in an article in Reader's Digest All major religions of the world , about fifty years from 1934 to 1984 A.D.  The percentage increase during the period was estimated. This article was also published in the journal 'Plain Truth' in which Islam was given the best place with an increase of 235 percent and Christianity increased by only 47 percent  Here the question arises that which war happened in this century which converted millions of people to Islam.                                                                                                    13. Islam is spreading the most in America and Europe. Today the fastest growing religion in America  Islam is there and this religion is spreading the fastest in Europe too. Which sword is forcing the West to accept Islam in such large numbers?