Islam (part2)

The point that Islam is a religion of peace, and the waging of war for converting people is not allowed in Islam, will be dealt with more fully later while explaining the true significance of the term ''Jihad'' ; but we many mention here that  the age-old calumny that Islam spread by the sword is now being refuted, not by Muslims, but by enlightened and unbiased non-Muslims, and even by some of the bitterest critics of Islam, who have given their own reasons for the phenomenal spread of Islam. It may be interesting to give a few quotation here :- 

Edward Gibbon, in his book ''The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'' Observes : A pernicious tenet has been imputed to the Muhammadans, the duty of extirpating all other religions by the sword. This charge of ignorance and bigotry is refuted by the Koran, By the History of the Musalman conquerors, and by their public and legal toleration of the christian worship'' (op. cit. Vol. 6, page 40).

Will Durant in his ''The age of Faith'' has this to say :- ''Despite or because of this policy of tolerance in early Islam, the new faith won over to itself in time most of the Christians, nearly all the Zoroastrians and pagans, and many of the Jews, of Asia, Egypt and North Africa....From China, Indonesia, and India through Persia, Syria, Arabia, and Egypt to Morocco and Spain, The Muhammadan faith touched the heart and fancies of a hundred of peopled, governed their morals and molded their lives, gave them consoling hopes and strengthening pride..'' (op. cit. page 219).

Another writer, Jean L'heureux in his book: ''Etude sur L'Islamisme'' has observed : ''Islam had the power of peacefully conquering souls by the simplicity of its theology, the clearness of its dogma and principles, and the definite number of the practices which it demands...'' (op. cit. page 35).

Even a critic like H.G. Wells had to admit that : "Islam established in the world a great tradition of dignified fair-dealing and created a society more free from wide-spread cruelty and social oppression than any society had been in the world before". (The Outline of History, page 325).

Arnold Toynbee too has, in his book ''Civilization on Trial" admitted that racial intolerance and antipathy are wholly absent is the Islamic Civilization, whatever the racial stock of its adherents. Some of his actual observation are :- "Islam's creative gift to mankind is monotheism and we surely dare not throw this gift away.....Islam remains, with a mighty spiritual mission still to carry out......in the struggle with each of these evils (race consciousness and alcohol) the Islamic spirit has a service to render which might prove, If it were accepted, to be of high moral and social value. The extinction of race consciousness as between Muslims is one of the outstanding moral achievements of Islam...." (op. cit. see page 87,88, 205-209).

Islam A Complete Code of Life

Islam is not merely a system of faith and worship, rites and ceremonials, but it is a complete code governing every aspect of man's life on this earth ; and that is why a Muslim is asked to enter into Islam whole-heartedly.

Muslims Required to Believe In Previous Apostles and Earlier Scriptures

Islam has the distinction of being the only religion in the world whose followers are required to believe not only in Allah, Who is proclaimed to be the Lord and Cherisher of all the worlds, and in the last of the Prophets , Hazrat Muhammad(PBUH) but also to believe in all the previous apostles and to make no distinction between one and another of Allah's apostles ; and to believe not only in the Holy Qur'an revealed by Allah to the Holy Prophet, but also in all the previous scriptures.

Certain Other Distinctive Features of Islam

Islam is the only religion in which there are no divinely ordained, or formally canonized, priests ; and the Muslim society is not divided into two distinct classes - the clergy and the laity. According to the Holy Qur'an, Allah is nearer to man than his jugular vein (50 : 16) ; He has declared:.... ''I am indeed close (to them); I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when He called on Me..." (2 : 186). Every one has direct access to Allah ; and, there is, therefore, no need for any intermediary.

Then, There is no monasticism in Islam (57 : 27).

Further, there is no colour bar in Islam ; there is no discrimination of any sort based on race, nationality, language, colour of one's skin etc. the only distinction is that of piety and righteousness (49 : 13). All are Equal.

The Holy Book declares : ''The believers are but a single brotherhood..." (49 : 10). Every Muslim is a brother of every other Muslim.

That all these precepts are actually acted upon will be clear from a perusal of what follows.