Islam Rediscovered
21. Islam in History
~ 375 ~
The followers of Christ wholeheartedly adopted
this teaching of their Prophet. This special feature of
their
missionary
character
contributed
extraordinarily to the spread of the Christian
religion. They made such headway, that they gave
new meaning to the principle of peaceful
proselytism. And then, along with their teaching,
they engaged in such social service as proved an
effective means of bringing the
madu’
closer to
them. It was the result of this particular
da’wah
style
that Christianity spread all over, becoming the
greatest world religion.
There is a tradition recorded in
Sahih Muslim
which
foretells us this rapid spread of the Christian
religion:
Mustaurid Qarashi related that he heard the
Prophet say that Doomsday would not come
until the Christians were the greatest in
number. When these words of the Prophet
were conveyed to Amr ibn al-As (a senior
companion of the Prophet and the conqueror
and governor of Egypt) he asked Mustaurid:
‘What is the nature of these traditions you are
