Professor Thomas Arnold presents 438 pages of evidence to show the existence of peaceful missionary efforts to spread the faith of Islam during the last five centuries. Sometimes indeed the sword has been drawn by a few misguided souls, in support of the cause of religion, but preaching and persuasion rather than force and violence has been the overwhelmingly dominant and main characteristic of the missionary movement of Islam.
The marvelous success that Islam has achieved in gaining converts outside of Arabia (its birth place), namely in Persia, Central Asia, India, China and Malay Archipelago, has been largely the work of traders and merchants, who won their way into the hearts of the natives, by learning their language, adopting their manners an customs, and began quietly and gradually to spread the knowledge of their religion by first converting the native women they married and the person associated with them in their business relations. Instead of holding themselves apart in proud (or fearful) isolation, they gradually melted into the mass of the population, employing all their superiority of intelligence, skills, culture and civilization for the work of conversion and making such benevolent and beneficial interactions as were needed to recommend Islam to the people they wished to attract. In fact, as buckle said of them, “The Mohametan missionaries are very judicious.”
Reflecting on this point, I had no idea how Businesses can be an incredible a platform for Da’wah that has the potential of changing the lives of the people. There are so many aspects that allow businesses to actually make a lasting impact. When there is a God-fearing, Allah conscious individual in charge of a thriving business, he/she will bring economic transformation and barakah (blessings) to the region. The owner will provide employment, goods and services to locals and thereby hold their respect and trust. This will open doors for deeper relationships to be made and create free space for the exchange of knowledge, culture, ideas, and most importantly, religious understanding to be shared in a comfortable setting.
Even though not all Muslims are business owners, we are surrounded by people everywhere. We pass them on the street, visit them at work or school, and travel among them in buses. No matter their orientation or their worldview, the people around us are our brothers and sisters in humanity. Allah created them with perfection and love, then He placed us in their midst so we can carry the light of Islam to them in our words and actions. When we exercise our faith in the simple things that we do every day, we become a reflect of God’s Truths. With our personal prayers, acts of charity, fairness and kindness, we edify people on the good morals and virtuous ethics Islam.
Arnold points out that prior to the 19th century, all major religions thrived under Muslim governments and monarchs. The religiously diverse populations were protected and enjoyed intense levels of freedoms and respect. The exemplary kind treatment motivated a plethora of conversations among the Christian populations in Western Asia, Spain, and Europe.
I especially blown away by the chapter on the spread of Islam among the Mongols and Tartars. Arnold explained that In the event that Muslims governments were invaded or overthrown and oppressed, such as during the tyrannical rule of the Mongols and the Tartars, the Muslims turned around to convert their conquerors through the strength of their argument and character. The descendants of Gheniz Khan (remember Noyan from Drilis Ertugul series, now multiple that with 100 million in the amount of devastation and death he wrecked over the Muslim world) converted to Islam. Their military and political prowess was invincible. It was not physical force that inspired their conversion but peaceful preaching and the integrity with which Muslims conducted themselves.
Ya Rabb (My Master), reform the governments systems and political leadership of the Muslim world and guide the monarchs and the laymen and women among us, to the path of Islam: peaceful submission to You and peaceful brotherhood towards each other. Save us from the darkness towards the light, save us from all kinds of obscenity; the apparent as well as the hidden, bless our hearing, our sight, our hearts, our spouses and our children. Turn in mercy towards us, indeed You are the One Who greatly accepts repentance, Ya ArRahman (O the Most Merciful). Make us grateful to You for Your blessings (especially the blessing of faith), ones praising You for these (blessing), ones who speak about these (blessing) and perfect these (blessings) upon us. Aameen.
