Was Islam Spread by the Sword? read carefully plz

[fadi]

there are many misconceptions about Islam. Some of them are genuine misunderstandings. Others have been deliberately and maliciously spread so that people will get a false impression about what Islam is really like.

Perhaps one of the greatest misconceptions about Islam is that it was spread by the sword. However, this idea is now so widespread that people accept it as a fact. Even the Pope, whether he intended to or not, caused great offense to Muslims throughout the world by referring to this myth of Islam being spread by the sword.

It is not the place here to discuss the Pope's ill-timed and ill-conceived remarks, but we can address your central question about whether or not Islam was spread by the sword. It is, in fact, a pleasure to do so, since Islam has nothing to be ashamed of.

Indonesia has around 450 million Muslims, which is more than the population of all the Arab countries put together. In fact, Arabs count for only around 18 percent of all Muslims. By far the greatest concentration of the world's 1.1 billion Muslims lives in Southeast Asia. Islam has been deeply rooted there for centuries.

Those who beat the drum of Islam being spread by the sword fail to mention Southeast Asia, since it does not fit into their agenda. No Muslim armies ever went there. In fact, the story of Islam being brought there is quite marvelous and well worth telling.

It was brought not by soldiers, but by merchants. The honesty and integrity of these first few Muslim merchants, whose names are celebrated as part of Indonesia's history, so impressed the people that they wanted to be like them. In closing up their businesses each day at prayer times and in the fair and just way they dealt with their customers, these Muslim merchants drew many to Islam. Their message and their fame spread quickly until millions had embraced their religion.

Soon after the death of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the death of Abu Bakr, the first caliph, the Muslim faithful were led by Caliph `Umar, one of the Prophet's Companions.

When `Umar entered Jerusalem at the head of a Muslim army in 638 CE, just six years after the Prophet's death, he entered the city on foot, as a gesture of humility in a city sacred to Muslims, Christians, and Jews. There was no bloodshed. There were no massacres or forced conversions.

On the contrary, those who wanted to leave were allowed to do so with all their possessions. Those who wanted to stay were granted protection for their lives, their property, and their places of worship. `Umar very famously declined to pray one of the five daily prayers in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, lest in years to come Muslims might try to turn it into a mosque in his memory. Instead, `Umar cleansed the so-called Temple Mount with rose water and built a small mosque there, where the Dome of the Rock now stands.

All of this is in marked contrast to what happened when the Crusader armies later took Jerusalem. Seventy thousand men, women and children were slaughtered. Any remaining Muslims and Jews were driven out. When the city was recaptured by Salah Ad-Din (Saladin), the Christian inhabitants were granted protection and were escorted to safety by the Muslim army. But those who have a different aim would have us believe that it is Islam that is cruel.

When Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) finally entered Makkah at the head of a Muslim army in AH 8, he did so not to force the Makkans to convert, but because they had violated their peace treaty with the Muslims. The Prophet entered with great humility, ordering that there should be no fighting or bloodshed. Instead, he forgave all those who had opposed him and the growth of Islam for so many years. Those who wanted to leave were allowed to do so. The whole city, so impressed by the men they had fought against for so long, converted to Islam.

Another great example that many deliberately choose to ignore is that of the Muslim presence in southern Spain for nearly eight centuries. Described as Islam's Golden Age, this was a time when the Islamic civilization flourished. It was centuries ahead of northern Europe in the way arts and sciences were encouraged and in the way cities and towns were advanced well beyond anything in Germany, France, or England at the same time.

During this Golden Age, the rights of Christians and Jews were respected and honored, and many of them rose to high positions at court. When the Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella reconquered southern Spain, Muslims and Jews were either forced to convert to Christianity or were put to death. Mosques and synagogues were desecrated and destroyed. The excesses of the Spanish Inquisition had begun.

We might ask if Islam was taken to America by the sword, or taken to Denmark or Ireland or Poland by the sword. It wasn't. And yet Islam is now the world's fastest growing religion, according to some people.

So what about North Africa? What about the Muslim armies that swept across North Africa, forcing all in their way to become Muslim or die? The army of Muslim general `Amr ibn Al-`Aas entered Egypt in 642 CE. He built in Cairo the first mosque in the whole of Africa. He also ordered that the Muslims had a duty to protect the rights of the Christians living in Egypt.

It was to be another two centuries before the population of Egypt became Muslim. To this day, there are nearly seven million Christians living there. For 14 centuries they have lived in peace with their Muslim neighbors and they were never forced to convert.

Islam is a religion of peace. It is the natural religion of mankind and has existed since the beginning of time.

In some countries today we see violence on a massive scale. We see tragedy in Afghanistan and Iraq as the people r espond to the invasion of their countries by foreign armies. We see violence in Palestine as the Palestinians respond to oppression and injustice.

Let it be clear that Islam does not condone violence against innocent people. Perhaps those driven to violence are being mistaken for Islam itself. If individual Muslims present a distorted image of Islam, all Muslims in the world must not be labeled as violent. When IRA violence was at its height in Northern Ireland and Britain in the 1970s and 1980s, no one spoke of Christian terrorists. The ETA bombing campaign in northern Spain is not labeled Catholic. So why are all Muslims linked with violence?

Islam has a very proud history. If Muslims have acted in a less than perfect way, Islam itself has nothing to be ashamed of. Islam teaches respect for all religions. In fact, for Muslims, Abraham, David, Solomon, and Jesus are all prophets of Islam. All of them, according to Islam, taught the worship of one God. The greeting that Muslims give is "as-salamu `alaykum" (peace be upon you).

Islam is not a religion of violence. It is sad that Pope Benedict XVI failed to quote from the many wonderful examples of Islam spreading peace and encouraging learning and tolerance. Instead, he quoted from an obscure source, which was wrong.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not ever give the command to spread Islam by the sword. The strongest and also the gentlest of men ever to have lived, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) left behind a legacy of worshiping one God and of respecting all people of good will. His detractors try repeatedly to distort the facts and to paint a different picture. Islam is both very beautiful and very sweet, and its followers spend their whole lives trying to serve Allah and their brothers and sisters.

[Danyet]

Blah, blah, blah!!

That is official "Muslim" version of history. Of course it neglects to mention slaughter of Iranians and Hindus in India. The Indonesians converted for ECONOMICAL gains!

Oh, and nothing about the fact that Jews and Christians were only allowed to exist as second class peoples who were forced to pay a special fee in order to live!

[MissLT]

Fadi, read the forum's description. You have to post the right topic in the right forum. This topic belongs to the General Discussion or Middle East forum. Please read the descriptions, so the moderator's work could be easier.

Also, it's plagiarism if you don't quote the source of what is not your own writing. Is this article your own writing?

[Danyet]

How short your memory is! (by the way, for the list of Islamic battles prior to 1400AD check the Middle East Forum.

1453,May 29, 10,000's Constantinople, all slain. Priceless libraries and irreplaceable works of art were burned, even in the Hagia Sophia, the greatest Christian church in the world at that time.

1600’s - 100,000’s India, Shah Jahan (builder of the Taj Mahal)launched 48 military campaigns against non-Muslims in just 30 years. In just one town, Banares, Jahan destroyed 76 Hindu temples. He also demolished Christian churches at Agra and Lahore. When he captured Hugh, a Portuguese enclave near Calcutta, he had 10,000 inhabitants “blown up with powder, drowned in water or burned by fire.” Another 4,000 were enslaved and offered Islam or death. Those who refused to convert were killed.

1600’s – Thousands,Poland, Hungary and Germany invaded, Europeans slain by muslims.

1922 – 300,000,Smyrna, Christians slain by muslims

1915-1916 -over 100,000, Lebanon & Syria, Maronite Christians slain by muslims

1915 – 1,500,000 Christian Armenians slain by muslims

1881 – 10,000’s, Alexandria, Christians slain by muslims

1877 – 200,000, Armenian Christians by Turks in Bayazid

(1877), Alashgurd

(1879), Sassun

(1894), Constantinople

(1896), Adana

(1909), Armenia

(1895-1896)
1876 – 14,700,

Bulgaria
1876 – 7000, Batao, 5000 were put to the sword

1860 – 120,000 Lebanon, Christians slain by muslims

1850 – 10,000’s, Mossul, Christians slain by muslims

1823 – 8750 1000's, Missolonghi, Christians slaughtered 1822 – 10’s of thousands,Island of Chos, entire population slain by muslims

1881 – 10,000’s, Alexandria, Christians slain by muslims


(1909), Armenia

(1895-1896)
1894 to 1896, 150,000 Armenian Christians killed by Abdul Hamid, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire

1915-1916 -over 100,000, Lebanon & Syria, Maronite Christians slain by muslims

1915 – 1,500,000 Christian Armenians slain by muslims

1922 – 300,000,Smyrna, Christians slain slain by muslims

1960 – present 30,000 Mauritanians slain by muslims

[fadi]

Fadi, read the forum's description. You have to post the right topic in the right forum. This topic belongs to the General Discussion or Middle East forum. Please read the descriptions, so the moderator's work could be easier.

Also, it's plagiarism if you don't quote the source of what is not your own writing. Is this article your own writing?

no.,.but i read it all before posting it.,.it gives true information about what we r tlaking about.,.,.,.,.,by the way tell danyet the Jews person to stop giveing fake information about islam.,.,.he is not muslim so he doesnt know islam as we know it.,.,.,.so tell him to stop post his untrue history of islam.,.also the only country in the world that doent has history is israel that i dont believe in it

[MissLT]

Fadi, read the forum's description. You have to post the right topic in the right forum. This topic belongs to the General Discussion or Middle East forum. Please read the descriptions, so the moderator's work could be easier.

Also, it's plagiarism if you don't quote the source of what is not your own writing. Is this article your own writing?

no.,.but i read it all before posting it.,.it gives true information about what we r tlaking about.,.,.,.,.,

This forum's description: For issues related to Canada and USA

I think I kinda have an idea of what in your mind to make you think this topic belongs in this forum, but I still would like to ask you why you think this topic belongs here and not General Discussion, Ideas and Opinions, or Middle East forum?

by the way tell danyet the Jews person

Danyet is Danyet. There is no Danyet the Jew, Christian, Buddhist, Jehovah's Witness, Hindu, Taoist, etc. to me.

[fadi]

Fadi, read the forum's description. You have to post the right topic in the right forum. This topic belongs to the General Discussion or Middle East forum. Please read the descriptions, so the moderator's work could be easier.

Also, it's plagiarism if you don't quote the source of what is not your own writing. Is this article your own writing?

no.,.but i read it all before posting it.,.it gives true information about what we r tlaking about.,.,.,.,.,

This forum's description: For issues related to Canada and USA

I think I kinda have an idea of what in your mind to make you think this topic belongs in this forum, but I still would like to ask you why you think this topic belongs here and not General Discussion, Ideas and Opinions, or Middle East forum?

by the way tell danyet the Jews person

Danyet is Danyet. There is no Danyet the Jew, Christian, Buddhist, Jehovah's Witness, Hindu, Taoist, etc. to me.

i was sure that u will say that as u and danyet from the sam country which called America

[fadi]

i will make in your advice by the way LennyTran
so tell me.,the people of America know little about Islam.,.i want them to know the real Islam not the one in danyets mind.,.Islam is not realted to any special forum it related to all of EC so members can knwo the truth so plz dont disturb me i respect USA and respect Christian people all over the world so plz when u write your opinions about islam ..,write it in respctable way as we r all here want to improve and learn english from any topic writtin here

we r all friends here.,.arent we?????

[Tora]

Danyet is Danyet. There is no Danyet the Jew, Christian, Buddhist, Jehovah's Witness, Hindu, Taoist, etc. to me.

And Lennye is Lennye - I'll quote you, my favourite!
I liked this part very much!

[MissLT]

i was sure that u will say that as u and danyet from the sam country which called America

Have I ever once called you fadi the Muslim? Or have I called any Muslim member, for example, cityyoung, romantic, or mr_love the Muslim? Or have I ever called vince the Christian?

Please, be sensible. You're making a fool of yourself with this narrow-minded reply.