Islam Rediscovered
21. Islam in History
~ 356 ~
The Egyptians were conquered not by the
Sword but by the Qur’an.
This is true not only of the Egyptians, but also of all
other nations which entered the fold of Islam. A
detailed account of this peaceful spread of God’s
religion is given in
The Preaching of Islam
, by British
historian, T.W. Arnold. This work, running to 508
pages, was first published in 1896. In this matter,
the policy of Islam is to keep political activity
separate and at a distance from the task of
propagation, in order that the communication of the
divine message may continue unhampered.
Wherever there is political power, the element of
coercion cannot be far away: political confrontations
must, therefore, be avoided at all costs if the process
of
da’wah
is to be set in motion and continue in an
atmosphere of freedom.
The Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him,
foresaw that religious coercion would not be used
as a weapon by secular rulers. His insight told him
that in future in the secular sphere the principle of
religious freedom would become so established and
thoroughly consolidated that no secular ruler