Another myth: "Islam was spread by the sword"
Here's a popular myth: The common image of Islam being spread by an Arab on camelback in the desert, with a Qur'an in one hand and a curved sword in the other, offering a choice of either accepting Islam or losing one’s head. This was in a couple of movies, and I'm ashamed to see, in a Television drama after 9/11. Obviously, this is false, for a number of reasons.
First and foremost, Islam doesn't allow or accept forced conversions. The Qur'an itself commands "Let there be no compulsion in religion. Truth stands out clear from falsehood." (2:256) This is accepted by all scholars and something all Muslims must follow. As a corollary, another myth; "the terrorists all want us to be Muslim or die! That's why they attack us!" is, as they like to say on the TV show Mythbusters, busted.
In History, there were military confrontations between the Muslim empire and the existing world powers of Rome and Persia. However, the areas conquered were put under Muslim administration and the populations were free to maintain their own beliefs. Muslims ruled Egypt, Palestine and Lebanon from the 8th century and sizeable Christian communities continued to exist over the past 13 centuries, and still exist today. Muslims ruled Spain for 700 years, and historians today call that period the "Golden Age of Judaism" because Jewish people flourished under the Muslim rule, compared to the ostracism and threats they faced in Christian Europe. Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides lived under a Muslim government, and published some of the most famous Torah commentary while living under that religious freedom. India was ruled by the Muslims for 1000 years without the vast majority of the population converting to Islam. In fact, India is 85% Hindu today.
If anyone is in doubt whether Islam was spread through violence, look at Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country with over 200 Million citizens. Those islands never saw a Muslim soldier. Islam spread there and in Malaysia and Philippines by trade. This was also the case of Islam’s spread in West African countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Chad and Niger. Also, Islam is the fastest growing religion in America and the world today, with a conversion rate over 400% more than conversion to all other religions combined. It's said that there are anywhere between 300 and 500 converts daily in North America. This is taking place without any soldiers or even missionaries.
When the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was in Medina, Non-Muslims were given equality with Muslims under the laws, and are left to their own beliefs. The Islamic state even used money from its own budget for the upkeep of churches and synagogues. Muslims can marry "people of the scripture" (i.e. Jews, Christians, some say Zoroastrians) and can do business with non-Muslims. Muhammad himself (pbuh) used to conduct business deals with the nearby Jewish tribes and always fulfilled them, and also would hire non-Muslims. If a Muslim man is allowed to marry a non-Muslim woman and required by the Charter of Privileges to allow her to freely practice her religion, then clearly there is nothing in the religion allowing Muslims to murder non-Muslims.
"God forbids you not, with regards to those who fight you not for [your] faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them; for God loveth those who are just." (Quran, 60:8) The meaning of this is that God has not forbidden anybody to be kind to or fair to non-Muslims who are good people, and Islam requires fairness to all humans and living creatures. There is no command to shun all non-Muslims, and certainly no command to kill anyone for simply being non-Muslim.
First and foremost, Islam doesn't allow or accept forced conversions. The Qur'an itself commands "Let there be no compulsion in religion. Truth stands out clear from falsehood." (2:256) This is accepted by all scholars and something all Muslims must follow. As a corollary, another myth; "the terrorists all want us to be Muslim or die! That's why they attack us!" is, as they like to say on the TV show Mythbusters, busted.
In History, there were military confrontations between the Muslim empire and the existing world powers of Rome and Persia. However, the areas conquered were put under Muslim administration and the populations were free to maintain their own beliefs. Muslims ruled Egypt, Palestine and Lebanon from the 8th century and sizeable Christian communities continued to exist over the past 13 centuries, and still exist today. Muslims ruled Spain for 700 years, and historians today call that period the "Golden Age of Judaism" because Jewish people flourished under the Muslim rule, compared to the ostracism and threats they faced in Christian Europe. Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides lived under a Muslim government, and published some of the most famous Torah commentary while living under that religious freedom. India was ruled by the Muslims for 1000 years without the vast majority of the population converting to Islam. In fact, India is 85% Hindu today.
If anyone is in doubt whether Islam was spread through violence, look at Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country with over 200 Million citizens. Those islands never saw a Muslim soldier. Islam spread there and in Malaysia and Philippines by trade. This was also the case of Islam’s spread in West African countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Chad and Niger. Also, Islam is the fastest growing religion in America and the world today, with a conversion rate over 400% more than conversion to all other religions combined. It's said that there are anywhere between 300 and 500 converts daily in North America. This is taking place without any soldiers or even missionaries.
When the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was in Medina, Non-Muslims were given equality with Muslims under the laws, and are left to their own beliefs. The Islamic state even used money from its own budget for the upkeep of churches and synagogues. Muslims can marry "people of the scripture" (i.e. Jews, Christians, some say Zoroastrians) and can do business with non-Muslims. Muhammad himself (pbuh) used to conduct business deals with the nearby Jewish tribes and always fulfilled them, and also would hire non-Muslims. If a Muslim man is allowed to marry a non-Muslim woman and required by the Charter of Privileges to allow her to freely practice her religion, then clearly there is nothing in the religion allowing Muslims to murder non-Muslims.
"God forbids you not, with regards to those who fight you not for [your] faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them; for God loveth those who are just." (Quran, 60:8) The meaning of this is that God has not forbidden anybody to be kind to or fair to non-Muslims who are good people, and Islam requires fairness to all humans and living creatures. There is no command to shun all non-Muslims, and certainly no command to kill anyone for simply being non-Muslim.
posted by Sulayman at
7:22 PM
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6 comments
