Islam Rediscovered
10. Islam As It Is
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Byzantine empires. In the wake of this Islamic
action, the coercive system was abolished forever in
the major part of the inhabited world of the time.
This war waged by the Prophet Muhammad, may
peace be upon him, and his companions was not a
war as is commonly understood, but rather a divine
operation, which was carried out by a people who
possessed a high standard of moral character.
However, this operation was certainly only
temporary in nature. Its goal was to put an end to
the age of religious persecution and usher in the age
of religious freedom. This end was fully achieved
during the early period of Islam, the age of the
pious Caliphs. Afterwards the time came to keep
the sword in its sheath and engage in
da‘wah
work,
that is, the call to God, which was the real and
permanent goal of Islam. According to the explicit
command of the Qur’an, the call to God is the true
and eternal mission of Islam, whereas war is only
temporary and allowed only in exceptional cases.
Here it would be pertinent to refer to a great
companion of the Prophet. After the period of the
pious Caliphate, a group of Muslims once again
