Islam and Peace
Islam: The Ideological superpower
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2. The second well-known example of the caravan
of Islam having reached an impasse came about
with the emergence of the brute force of the Tartars
in the first half of the thirteenth century. Muslim
power was almost completely destroyed by it. It
seemed as though the journey of Islam had once
again reached a point from which there could be no
further advancement.
At exactly that point in time, the ideological power
of Islam made its appearance. Muslims, being in no
position to take up arms, re-channelized their
energies by silently engaging themselves in
peaceful da’wah work among the victorious
Tartars. This act of da’wah verified the dictum of
the Qur’an that, through dawah, the opponents of
Islam would become its supporters and friends
(41:34).
Historians have acknowledged this event in quite
clear terms. Philip K. Hitti, for instance, remarks, in
his famous book, The History of the Arabs:
“The religion of the Muslims had conquered where
their arms had failed” (p. 488)
