I wanted to know how did Islam spread, thanks. ?

Question

http://islambyquestions.net/crossroads/crossroads.htm

It is a striking fact of history that within three centuries, after Prophet Muhammad started preaching Islam in Mecca, Islam spread over the area of three continents; Asia, Africa and Europe. There are many reasons why people have been, from past to the present embracing Islam. Muhammad Asad, a Jewish convert to Islam, says:

“Islam appears to me like a perfect work of architecture. All its parts are harmoniously conceived to complement and support each other, nothing lacking, with the result of an absolute balance and solid composure. Everything in the teaching and postulates of Islam is in its proper place.” (Islam at the Crossroads, p.5)

In the race for the propagation of religion, Islam has always won over Christianity, in spite of the latter’s sophisticated and well-organized missionary activities. This has been the case in the course of fourteen centuries. As a result, most of the Christian missionaries started depicting Islam as a regressive, vulgar religion of savage people which was spread by the sword.

Yet, an unbiased Western Christian writer has written:

“…We may feel certain that if Western Christians, instead of the Saracens and the Turks, had won the dominion over Asia, there would be today not a trace left of the Greek Church, and that they would never have tolerated Muhammadanism as the 'infidels' have tolerated Christianity there. We (Christians) enjoy the fine advantage of being far better versed than others in the art of killing, bombarding and exterminating the Human Race." (Bayle P., Dictionary, 'the article Mahomed', 1850)

Among the reasons for the rapid and peaceful spread of Islam was the simplicity of its doctrine. Islam calls for believing in only One God, worthy of worship. It also repeatedly instructs man to use his powers of intelligence and observation. Within a few years after the dawn of Islam, great civilizations and universities were flourishing under its influence, for according to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), “seeking knowledge is an obligation for every Muslim man and woman”.

The zeal for understanding God’s creative power, as realized in the universe, led the followers of this religion to new ideas, new realms of knowledge and great advances in medicine, mathematics, physics, astronomy, geography, architecture, art, literature, and history.

We find that the spread of Islam was not limited to its miraculous early expansion outside of Arabia. During later centuries, the Turks embraced Islam peacefully, as did a large number of the people of the Indian subcontinent, as well as the people of Malaysia and Indonesia.

In Africa too, Islam spread during the past two centuries, while under the mighty power of European colonial rulers. Today Islam continues to grow, not only in Africa, but also in Europe and the Americas as well. Islam is the fastest growing religion now, with a following of about one and a half billion people.

Mr. Lamaan Ball, editor of Ask About Islam, adds:

Although in the early years of the expansion of the Islamic state much land came under the rule of the Muslims, conversion to Islam of its inhabitants took several generations. This is because conversion by force is explicitly forbidden in the Qur'an:

Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in God hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And God heareth and knoweth all things.

Surah 2 Verse 256

In more recent times such as in the case of Indonesia, conversions to Islam happened in the absence of an Islamic state and where the rulers were Dutch Christians. Commentators and historians have to acknowledge the fact of Islam's peaceful spead even if they dislike it. A classic example of such a grudging acknowledgment is in the book "The Legacy of Islam" edited by Joseph Schacht with C.E. Bosworth (1974) p145:

"... the general picture of the spread of Islam so far as we know it. This is often said to resemble an oil stain: gradual yet effective. Many, too, have praised its peaceful nature. Again so far as we know, the acceptance of Islamic doctrine has been a gradual process, partly thanks to the practice of conversion prior to indoctrination"

The false allegations that Islam was spread by the sword is just part of unfounded propaganda. To which the best reply is perhaps the Qur'an itself. In particular this verse comes to mind:
Their intention is to extinguish God's Light (by blowing) with their mouths: But God will complete (the revelation of) His Light, even though the Unbelievers may detest (it).

Surah 61 Verse 8

Answer 1

Catholics turn to Islam as faith conversions rise
By Jonathan Petre

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?ac=000140326706927&rtmo=LlS7GKid&atmo=LlS7GKid&pg=/et/00/9/3/nrel03.html

PEOPLE are converting from one religious denomination or faith to
another at a faster rate than ever, with 1,000 swapping every week,
according to a new study.

Despite the decline in formal church attendance, the remaining
"religious traffic" is "heading in all directions", Rabbi Jonathan Romain claims
in a book to be published next month. Traditional barriers between religions
are crumbling in a multi-faith, consumerist society, he says in Your
God Shall Be My God.

Anglicans are becoming Roman Catholics, and vice versa, Jews are
becoming Buddhists, Muslims are becoming Anglicans and Roman Catholics Jews.
Between 10 and 30 per cent of converts to Buddhism are Jewish,
according to official estimates. Such converts are referred to as a "Jew-Bu".

Dharmachavi Vishvapani, 35, a Jew who changed his name from Simon
Blomfield to join the Western Buddhist Order, said he preferred
Buddhism because it focused on practice rather than dogma. He said: "Not long
after my barmitzvah, at the age of 15, I took up meditation. It all happened
quite quickly after that. Judaism did not seem relevant to my life. It
was more about sustaining a culture than living a good life."

A high proportion of the 1,500 to 2,500 converts to Islam every year
are Catholics. According to Sarah Jacobs, a former Catholic who is now a
Muslim, the leap between the two faiths is not as great as it seems.
She was confirmed in the Catholic Church, the faith of her mother, at 13.
When one of her brothers married a Muslim she was horrified, but three years
ago she followed him, to the dismay of the rest of her family. She
said: "What appealed to me was the incredible simplicity and clarity of
Islam."

Dr Ahmed Andrews, a lecturer in the sociology of religion at Derby
University and another convert from Catholicism to Islam said: "There
are between 5,000 and 10,000 white Muslim converts in this country, and
most of the ones I know are former Catholics." Rabbi Romain maintains that
Islam is not the only beneficiary: of the 300 to 400 coverts to Judaism
every year, about a fifth are Catholics.

Catholicism has also had some high-profile converts, including the
Duchess of Kent and Ann Widdecombe, the shadow Home Secretary. Defections from
Anglicanism to Rome, dubbed "crossing the Tiber", reached a peak after
the Church of England's decision to ordain women. The traditionalist
umbrella group Forward in Faith, believes about 350 clergy and thousands of lay
people have switched.

Many conversions follow marriage, as in the high-profile cases of the
society girl Santa Palmer-Tomkinson, who became a Jew after she married
the writer Simon Sebag-Montefiore, and Jemima Goldsmith, the daughter
of the half-Jewish tycoon Sir James, who became a Muslim after marrying
the former cricketer Imran Khan.

Rabbi Romain, minister of Maidenhead synagogue, Berkshire, says in his
book: "Not only is Britain a multi-faith society, but it is proudly so.
People previously used to one faith are now presented with an array of
different religious options that were hardly thought of beforehand." He
says that a further spiritual impetus has been created by the
Millennium.

"While there has been a decline in knowledge about religion, the
spiritual yearning for answers to questions of the meaning of life and personal
direction remain. People feel a spiritual vacuum so they look outside
their own religious backgrounds, and there is a lot more on offer."

The biggest growth is being experienced by Islam and Buddhism, and
movements such as New Age and paganism. Rabbi Romain believes that
Britain is more fruitful territory for the "new religious movements", or cults,
than the United States. An estimated 400 have spring up since 1945, and
there are 3.2 cults per million of the population in this country
compared with 2.3 per million in the US. "Britain also has the distinction of
being the country in Europe with the highest number of Indian and Eastern
cult centres and communities," he adds.

Peter Brierley, of Christian Research, said the rate of
cross-fertilisation appeared to have increased. He added: "What we
don't know is whether people, having changed, are not changing back again
five years later."

Answer 2

It spread from the Cult of the Black Rock , when Mohamed took over into 2 types of believers , I believe , into Shia and Sunni disciplines ! It reached around the Southern Coast of the Mediterranean up Spain into France until it was defeated by El Cid , see the film with Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren ! However ; fasting called Ramadan is a sure way of defeating the Western addictions of alcohol and tobacco and drugs ! Ironic that Alexander took poppies to Afghanistan 300 bc ish , Christians in the Crusades believed in going to heaven if they died in battle !

Answer 3

The Quran may (and I have not read it) say these things that you have typed, but that does not mean that every Imam puts emphasis on the same things. Just as different branches of Christianity puts emphasis on different things.

Just because one person is not aware of the killing and dhimmitude practiced against Christians and Jews does not mean that it did not and does not exist, then as now.

If you take a close look at Darfur in recent news, the crisis is caused by muslims indiscriminantly killing large numbers of Christians in the name of Jihad and the UN and West are doing nothing.

In Baghdad right now al Qaeda, Sunni, and Shiite are killing each other more than they are killing non-muslims because of the strict belief that actions will get them to heaven.

What muslims will never understand about Christianity is that while there are ideals to aspire, no action on your part can save you. Only the grace of God (forgiveness) and faith in Christ.

Answer 4

well i dont know what you are asking but first i like your summary but i have to disagree with peaceful spread of islam, islam spread by the "sword" through the ummayad and abbasid caliphates. the first caliphate spread conquering a persian empire and spread rapidly by the muslim fighters after muhammad's death, but on the contrary to many conquerors they did not massacre or force conversions as long as the nonbeleivers payed their headtax they were left alone.

Answer 5

the people of mecca knew mohammad from his birth. did they love him, no, they are several haddiths that tell how they disliked him. why did it take a army of 10,000 to get them to love him and convert to islam? why did mohammad go to the kaba and destroy the gods they had worshipped for centuries.

Answer 6

By violence . The French stopped them from conquering Europe at the Battle of Tours.