Author: T W Arnold
Publisher: LP Publications
Year: 1998
Language: English
Pages: 467
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8186142754
Description
This work examines a commonly held prejudice that phenomenal spread of Islam in medieval times was effected by the sword.
The study of the phenomenal spread of Islam has tended to be dominated by historians who have assumed it to have been concomitant of the Muslim political conquests. Yet a closer look reveals that in fact Islam has won its spiritual conquests in places where its political power was at its lowest ebb.
The other intriguing aspect is the motives of the converts. The work examines evidences to ascertain what were the political, economic, social - other than religious - motives that were manifested.
Hitherto Islam has suffered from the image of being a faith imposed by the sword. To help dispel this grossly unfair interpretation, this objective study, now reprinted, is a singular contribution.