Did Islam Spread by the Sword? Based on an article by Hassan Munir Islam Spread by the Sword. This statement is often repeated to further the idea that
Muslims follow an inherently violent and barbaric faith. But is it accurate? Historians have discredited the claim that the prevalence of Islam in the world today
is a result of forced conversion. How else would Islam have spread so far and wide? Why would so many people adopt Islam if they were not coerced into it?
Five prominent factors can explain how non-Muslims were exposed to the spread of Islam and three factors explain why many non-Muslims came to embrace Islam worldwide.
One, Dawah. The act of inviting others to engage with the message of Islam. The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said about spreading the message,
Be tolerant, not harsh, spread the word, and do not alienate them. Following in this tradition, Muslims have given Dawah in different ways everywhere they have gone.
Dawah has been the most important factor in the spread of Islam. Two, Trade. Muslim merchants traveling the most important trade routes introduced non-Muslims to their beliefs, values, and ways of life.
Three, Migration. Wherever Muslims went, whether as slaves, refugees, or voluntary migrants, they brought their embodied knowledge of Islam with them.
Four, Influencers. Social, political, and or personal influencers' conversions to Islam drew their followers, admirers, and subjects closer to Islam. One example of an influencer spreading
the message of Islam is the famous Chinese Muslim admiral, Cheng Ho, who during his journeys established mosques throughout Southeast Asia, especially on the island of Java.
Today, there are over 100 million Javanese Muslims. Five, Intermarriage. Conversion to Islam through intermarriage established many Muslim communities.
Most converts to Islam via marriage between Muslims and non-Muslims have been women. Now we know how the message of Islam spread, but why was it accepted? What about Islam made
people embrace a new faith? We've identified three of the motivations that were arguably most prominent. One, Islam's emphasis on justice. Islam's promise of changing economic, social,
and spiritual realities and of giving the same status to people regardless of their race, wealth, or gender held wide appeal, especially for historically disadvantaged people.
Two, Islam's emphasis on unity. Unity was an integral part of Islam that kept Muslims connected to other Muslims, irrespective of their distance from each other. Practicing
the obligatory pillars of Islam helped keep individual Muslims and the small, emergent Muslim communities in far-off regions united. Salah, daily prayers, helped the Muslims unify locally, and Hajj helped them identify as integral
members of a global ummah. Three, the universality of Islam. The Islamic principle known as Urf meant that all cultural customs were permissible by default
unless explicitly forbidden, making it culturally friendly and timeless across the globe. Taken together, all of these factors had the cumulative effect of spreading Islam across
the globe over a period of centuries. Rather than the quick, brutal conquest and forced conversion narrative that is common, the process was much more gradual and organic.
We need to stop glossing over history by subscribing to shallow, demonizing narratives such as, Islam was spread by the sword, or for that matter, that clans were the ones
who were the most powerful, or that the sword was never used at all.
The truth is to be found somewhere in the messy grey area between them, a grey area
that conscientious and truth-seeking people must roll up our sleeves to diligently explore.
