Islam Rediscovered
21. Islam in History
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extinction which could put an end to it. However
the believers launched these campaigns against the
empires in defence. The aggression had been
initiated by these empires themselves. This
oppression soon bore fruit during the rule of the
second Caliph, Umar Faruq. During his caliphate,
the light of these two despotic empires was forever
extinguished.
The French historian, Henri Pirenne, has rightly
observed that, if the Arab Muslims of the seventh
century had not liquidated the Sassanid and
Byzantine empires, mankind might never have been
freed from tyranny, and the world might never
perhaps have witnessed the age of human freedom
with its sweeping intellectual revolution.
Abdullah ibn Umar, a companion of the Prophet
Muhammad, may peace be upon him, and son of
the second Caliph, observed on one occasion: “we
fought according to the Qur’anic injunction to end
fitna
, religious persecution, until
fitna
was abolished
from the face of the earth forever.” (
Sahih al-
Bukhari
).
