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Was Islam spread by the sword?

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paarsurrey

Veteran Member
Was Islam spread by the sword?

No.

For example:

Spread of Islam in Jordan: [3]

More than 92 percent of population in Jordan adhered to Sunni Islam in the late 1980s. Although observance was not always orthodox, devotion to and identification with the faith was high. Islam was the established religion, and as such its institutions received government support.

Islamic Revival 1980s onward

The 1980s witnessed a stronger and more visible adherence to Islamic customs and beliefs among significant segments of the population. The increased interest in incorporating Islam more fully into daily life was expressed in a variety of ways. Women wearing conservative Islamic dress and the head scarf were seen with greater frequency in the streets of urban as well as rural areas; men with beards also were more often seen. Attendance at Friday prayers rose, as did the number of people observing Ramadan.

Women in the 1980s, particularly university students, were actively involved in expressions of Islamic revival. Women wearing Islamic garb were a common sight at the country's universities. For example, the mosque at Yarmouk University had a large women's section. The section was usually full, and women there formed groups to study Islam. By and large, women and girls who adopted Islamic dress apparently did so of their own volition, although it was not unusual for men to insist that their sisters, wives, and daughters cover their hair in public.

The adoption of the Islamic form of dress did not signify a return to segregation of the sexes or female seclusion. Indeed, women who adopted Islamic clothing often were working women and students who interacted daily with men. They cited a lag in cultural attitudes as part of the reason for donning such dress. In other words, when dressed in Islamic garb they felt that they received more respect from and were taken more seriously by their fellow students and colleagues. Women also could move more readily in public if they were modestly attired. Increased religious observance also accounted for women's new style of dress.

In the 1980s, Islamic dress did not indicate social status, particularly wealth, as it had in the past; Islamic dress was being worn by women of all classes, especially the lower and middle classes.

Several factors gave rise to increased adherence to Islamic practices. During the 1970s and 1980s, the Middle East region saw a rise of Islamic fundamentalism in response to economic recession and to the failure of nationalist politics to solve regional problems. In this context, Islam was an idiom for expressing social discontent.

In Jordan, opposition politics had long been forbidden, and since the 1950s the Muslim Brotherhood had been the only legal political party. These factors were exacerbated by King Hussein's public support for the shah of Iran in his confrontation with Ayatollah Khomeini and the forces of opposition, by continued relations with Egypt in the wake of the 1979 Treaty of Peace Between Egypt and Israel, and by the king's support for Iraq in the Iran–Iraq War.

Although Islamic opposition politics never became as widespread in Jordan as in Iran and Egypt, they were pervasive enough for the regime to act swiftly to bring them under its aegis. By the close of the 1970s and throughout the 1980s, government-controlled television regularly showed the king and his brother Hasan attending Friday prayers. The media granted more time to religious programs and broadcasts. Aware that the Islamic movement might become a vehicle for expressing opposition to the regime and its policies, and in a move to repair relations with Syria, in the mid-1980s the government began to promote a moderate form of Islam, denouncing fanatical and intolerant forms.
Islam in Jordan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I don't see any sword in spread of Islam in Jordan.

Regards
 

1robin

Christian/Baptist
Was Islam spread by the sword?

No.

For example:

Spread of Islam in Jordan: [3]

More than 92 percent of population in Jordan adhered to Sunni Islam in the late 1980s. Although observance was not always orthodox, devotion to and identification with the faith was high. Islam was the established religion, and as such its institutions received government support.

Islamic Revival 1980s onward

The 1980s witnessed a stronger and more visible adherence to Islamic customs and beliefs among significant segments of the population. The increased interest in incorporating Islam more fully into daily life was expressed in a variety of ways. Women wearing conservative Islamic dress and the head scarf were seen with greater frequency in the streets of urban as well as rural areas; men with beards also were more often seen. Attendance at Friday prayers rose, as did the number of people observing Ramadan.

Women in the 1980s, particularly university students, were actively involved in expressions of Islamic revival. Women wearing Islamic garb were a common sight at the country's universities. For example, the mosque at Yarmouk University had a large women's section. The section was usually full, and women there formed groups to study Islam. By and large, women and girls who adopted Islamic dress apparently did so of their own volition, although it was not unusual for men to insist that their sisters, wives, and daughters cover their hair in public.

The adoption of the Islamic form of dress did not signify a return to segregation of the sexes or female seclusion. Indeed, women who adopted Islamic clothing often were working women and students who interacted daily with men. They cited a lag in cultural attitudes as part of the reason for donning such dress. In other words, when dressed in Islamic garb they felt that they received more respect from and were taken more seriously by their fellow students and colleagues. Women also could move more readily in public if they were modestly attired. Increased religious observance also accounted for women's new style of dress.

In the 1980s, Islamic dress did not indicate social status, particularly wealth, as it had in the past; Islamic dress was being worn by women of all classes, especially the lower and middle classes.

Several factors gave rise to increased adherence to Islamic practices. During the 1970s and 1980s, the Middle East region saw a rise of Islamic fundamentalism in response to economic recession and to the failure of nationalist politics to solve regional problems. In this context, Islam was an idiom for expressing social discontent.

In Jordan, opposition politics had long been forbidden, and since the 1950s the Muslim Brotherhood had been the only legal political party. These factors were exacerbated by King Hussein's public support for the shah of Iran in his confrontation with Ayatollah Khomeini and the forces of opposition, by continued relations with Egypt in the wake of the 1979 Treaty of Peace Between Egypt and Israel, and by the king's support for Iraq in the Iran–Iraq War.

Although Islamic opposition politics never became as widespread in Jordan as in Iran and Egypt, they were pervasive enough for the regime to act swiftly to bring them under its aegis. By the close of the 1970s and throughout the 1980s, government-controlled television regularly showed the king and his brother Hasan attending Friday prayers. The media granted more time to religious programs and broadcasts. Aware that the Islamic movement might become a vehicle for expressing opposition to the regime and its policies, and in a move to repair relations with Syria, in the mid-1980s the government began to promote a moderate form of Islam, denouncing fanatical and intolerant forms.
Islam in Jordan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I don't see any sword in spread of Islam in Jordan.

Regards
Good grief, how do you turn this thing off?
 

paarsurrey

Veteran Member
The funny thing is that OP tries to disprove the "Spread of Islam through warfare" by showing us examples of Areas that were conquered by Muslims and their devine warfare.

If OP would just concentrate on those countries who converted due to trade with Muslim countries everything would be alright.

Islam spread fast and continues spreading fast due to its simple and easy teachings.

Islam’s opponents sometimes misread the situation. I don’t deny that some Monarchs might have for some political reasons made conquests, not for any specific teachings of Quran/Islam/Muhammad to convert other people, as Islam/Quran/Muhammad unequivocally never supported to convert others by force.

Later righteous traders/dervishes happened to visit such regions independently for trade purposes as they were doing elsewhere in other regions and their exemplary moral character attracted, influenced and convinced people to join Islam, naturally.

Regards
 

icehorse

......unaffiliated...... anti-dogmatist
Premium Member
Islam spread fast and continues spreading fast due to its simple and easy teachings.

Islam’s opponents sometimes misread the situation. I don’t deny that some Monarchs might have for some political reasons made conquests, not for any specific teachings of Quran/Islam/Muhammad to convert other people, as Islam/Quran/Muhammad unequivocally never supported to convert others by force.

Later righteous traders/dervishes happened to visit such regions independently for trade purposes as they were doing elsewhere in other regions and their exemplary moral character attracted, influenced and convinced people to join Islam, naturally.

Regards

Well paarsurrey, this is a start. But isn't it the case that you have your opinion about the nature of Islam and those conquerors had a different opinion? Isn't it the case that the leaders of ISIS and Boko Haram just have a different opinion of Islam than you do?

I've said this before, but seriously, having read the Quran, I think that in a debate, radical Islamists would have an easier time defending their interpretation of the Quran than you would.
 

paarsurrey

Veteran Member
Well paarsurrey, this is a start. But isn't it the case that you have your opinion about the nature of Islam and those conquerors had a different opinion? Isn't it the case that the leaders of ISIS and Boko Haram just have a different opinion of Islam than you do?

I've said this before, but seriously, having read the Quran, I think that in a debate, radical Islamists would have an easier time defending their interpretation of the Quran than you would.

But isn't it the case that you have your opinion about the nature of Islam and those conquerors had a different opinion?

Sure everybody has his own opinion. That is why the discussion is made. The valid question is to prove the thing one believes in to be right.

I give valid, reasonable and rational arguments.

Regards
 

paarsurrey

Veteran Member
Was Islam spread by the sword?

No.

For example:

Spread of Islam in Circassians: [1]

The Circassians are a North Caucasian ethnic group[20] native to Circassia, who were displaced in the course of theRussian conquest of the Caucasus in the 19th century, especially after the Russian–Circassian War in 1864. The term "Circassian" includes the Adyghe (Circassian: Адыгэ, Adyge) and Kabardian people.[21]

The Adyghe mainly speak the Adyghe language, a Northwest Caucasian language with numerous dialects. The Adyghe also speak Turkish and Arabic in large numbers and various other languages of the Middle East, having been exiled byRussia to lands of the Ottoman Empire, where the majority of them today live, and to a lesser extent neighboring Persia, where most of them came either deported en masse by the Safavids and Qajars, or to a lesser extent as muhajirs in the 19th century like in Ottoman Turkey.[22][23][24][25][26]

The predominant religion amongst Circassians is Sunni Islam.
There remain about 700,000 Circassians in historical Circassia (the republics of Adygea, Kabardino-Balkaria,Karachay-Cherkessia, and the southern half of Krasnodar Krai), as well as a number in the Russian Federation outside these republics. The 2010 Russian Census recorded 718,727 Circassians, of which 516,826 are Kabardians, 124,835 are Adyghe proper, 73,184 are Cherkess and 3,882 Shapsugs.[6]

The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization estimates that there are as many as 3.7 million "ethnic Circassians" in the diaspora outside the Circassian republics (meaning that only one in seven "ethnic Circassians" lives in the homeland), of whom about 2 million live in Turkey, 700,000 in the Russian Federation, about 150,000 in theLevant and Mesopotamia, and about 50,000 in Europe and the United States.

Circassians - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I don't see any sword in spread of Islam in Circassians.

Regards
 

Looncall

Well-Known Member
Sure everybody has his own opinion. That is why the discussion is made. The valid question is to prove the thing one believes in to be right.

I give valid, reasonable and rational arguments.

Regards

So do the terrorists.

That is the fatal flaw in religion. There is no way to fact check religious propositions (see my signature).
 

gnostic

The Lost One
paarsurrey said:
Sure everybody has his own opinion. That is why the discussion is made. The valid question is to prove the thing one believes in to be right.

I give valid, reasonable and rational arguments.

looncall said:
So do the terrorists.

That is the fatal flaw in religion. There is no way to fact check religious propositions (see my signature).

Except that terrorists wouldn't bother to discuss anything with anyone with different opinion. He would sooner cut off your head than debate with you.

And a terrorist with religious fervour is worse.

paarsurrey said:
I give valid, reasonable and rational arguments.

*cough* *cough* *gag* :eek: *choke* *cough* :thud:
 
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paarsurrey

Veteran Member
Except that terrorists wouldn't bother to discuss anything with anyone with different opinion. He would sooner cut off your head than debate with you.

And a terrorist with religious fervour is worse.

*cough* *cough* *gag* :eek: *choke* *cough* :thud:

So it is easy to know peaceful from the terrorist.

What is the difficulty then?

Regards
 

Sees

Dragonslayer
Brother paarsurrey, you should address why Ahmadis would be safer living among non-Muslims rather than with Muslims...and if the same is true for the many diverse religious minorities in general.

We went over in other threads how it isn't dealing with politics, resources, etc. especially when it deals with different flavors of Islam going after each other. No matter how it is in theory or with rose-colored glasses. Lofty perception and original intentions doesn't change whether something is simply a bad product.
 

paarsurrey

Veteran Member
Brother paarsurrey, you should address why Ahmadis would be safer living among non-Muslims rather than with Muslims...and if the same is true for the many diverse religious minorities in general.

We went over in other threads how it isn't dealing with politics, resources, etc. especially when it deals with different flavors of Islam going after each other. No matter how it is in theory or with rose-colored glasses. Lofty perception and original intentions doesn't change whether something is simply a bad product.

Jesus was a Jew and he did not originate any new religions, he was a follower of Moses and only reform Judaism to its origin, yet the Jews and their corrupt clergy did not tolerate him and put him on the Cross.

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad 1836-1908 did not originate any new teachings and wanted to reform Muslims to its origin. You may ascertain the reason from the above.

Regards
 

icehorse

......unaffiliated...... anti-dogmatist
Premium Member
I like this idea of religions as being "products". Like an automobile is a product. The people that start a new automobile company might have the best intentions to make the best car ever! It should be the cheapest, safest, best fuel efficiency and so on. But if they make a bad car, it's just a bad car.

So what purpose is religion supposed to serve, and does it do a good job?

Is religion supposed to provide morality? If so, it does a horrible job of that.
Is religion supposed to provide comfort against mortality? Also, not a good job.
Maybe it's supposed to offer spirituality? It's really bad at that...
 

Flankerl

Well-Known Member
Jesus was a Jew and he did not originate any new religions, he was a follower of Moses and only reform Judaism to its origin, yet the Jews and their corrupt clergy did not tolerate him and put him on the Cross.

So you dont believe that Jesus' representation in the Christian Bible is correct. But you believe that the Jews and their clergy were out to get him of which we got exactly one written report, which is the Christian Bible.


:rolleyes:
 
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