Islam Rediscovered
21. Islam in History
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narrating?’ Mustaurid replied: ‘I narrate only
what I have heard from the Prophet.’ Amr ibn
al-As said: ‘If you say so (that is, if it is an
authentic
hadith
) then the Christians are
undoubtedly the most forbearing in times of
adversity, take no time in setting themselves
in order after a calamity and are better than
others in caring for their weak and deprived.’
(
Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Fitan
)
From these details we find that a major aim of the
revolution brought about by the Prophet and his
companions was to remove all obstacles in the path
of
da’wah
, so that such conducive conditions would
prevail as would encourage people to practice
God’s religion and invite others to the same path.
This process had to be continued from generation to
generation.
The first stage of this revolution was marked by the
coercive system being brought to an end, ushering
in the dawn of religious freedom in the world. The
second stage was embarked upon, when, by
availing of the advantages of this freedom, Muslims
disseminated Islam at the universal level. Now the
