Muslims of the first phase entered Egypt, the Egyptians at that time
spoke the Coptic language and practiced idol worship. Under the
influence of the Quran, they not only changed their religion, but
they also adopted the language of the Quran.
A British Egyptologist, Sir Arthur Keith, puts this development
in a nutshell when he says: “The Egyptians were conquered not by
the sword, but by the Quran.”
The Quran once again can play this effective role, provided
that the believers in the Quran abandon non-Quranic activities and
convey the peaceful message of the Quran to the world.
The Spring of Islam
On a visit to Kashmir in June 1989, I was reminded by a Kashmiri of
how I had once said at a meeting in Srinagar that I could envision
the spring of Islam in Kashmir. I had not made this remark in view
of the actuality of Kashmir but rather in terms of its potential.
Certain unwise leaders have caused a flare- up of negative
feeling in the Kashmiris and have then engaged them in emotional
politics. But this has never been in line with the actual temperament
of the Kashmiris, who are by nature a peace-loving people. If the
Kashmiris can be given right guidance, then certainly the ‘autumn’
will be replaced by ‘spring’. The hot air of violence will give way to
the cool, pleasant air of peace. Here, once again, political Islam will
be replaced by Rabbani Islam.
There is full potential for unleashing a
dawah
revolution in
Kashmir, but this potential cannot become a reality on its own. As
such, what is required is that the peaceful teachings of Islam should
be spread in this region. A movement of intellectual re-engineering
should be launched to bring about awareness among the people.
They have to be made to understand that hatred and violence are
not an option for them. Their only option is love and peace. Therein
lies for them success in this world and the next.
The Dream of Kashmir
In August, 2008 a young Muslim from Delhi went to Kashmir,
where he stayed for three weeks. During his stay he kept a diary to
record his daily experiences. When he came back from Kashmir, he
showed me the following entry in his diary: On August 4, 2008 I
From Stones to the Quran
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