Was Islam in India and SE Asia Spread by Violence

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Question:

Was Islam in India and Southeast Asia spread by violence and forced conversions? - An investigation of claims that Islam spread in India and Southeast Asia through forced conversions and violence, compared to historical evidence of trade and Sufi influence. :::

Answer:

Introduction

This is baseless allegation often repeated against Islam and Muslims. Also these allegations of violence & forced conversions are attributed mostly to Mughals who invaded India and were Rulers for around 800 years. So, let us first understand that most of the Mughals who invaded India were un-Islamic.

Mughals in general were un-Islamic

Mughals principle aim was loot plunder & enjoyment which also resulted in their downfall. They did not come to India to propagate Islam rather they came here for power, money and beauty.

So a person who is himself un-islamic how do you expect him to try to propagate Islam ? let me give few examples

In fact Akbar invented a new religion called deen-e-elahi - even a small student of islam knows that such an act constitutes disbelief in Islam. SO basically he was a Kaafir (not a muslim) Even regarding Aurangzeb who is considered as a hardliner following can be found from wiki link: Historian Katherine Brown has noted that “The very name of Aurangzeb seems to act in the popular imagination as a signifier of politico-religious bigotry and repression, regardless of historical accuracy.” The subject is controversial and, despite no proof, has resonated in modern times. Many Mughals constructed Tombs and Mausoleums (like Taj Mahal, Humayuns Tomb etc), whereas it is forbidden to make graves as tombs and to make it place of worship Forceful conversion:

Most of the accounts of mughals forcing people to Islam or destroying temples etc. is disputed and not agreed by many historians. Secondly, acts of individuals can’t be attributed to religion unless it can be proven that this act was in line with what is mentioned in religious scriptures. A good muslim is the one who has knowledge about Islam and tries to follow it to the best of his ability. So a muslim who has bare minimum knowledge of Islam also knows that fact that there is no compulsion in religion. So a good muslim will never go against the teaching of Islam by forcing people to convert If a person is not a good muslim himself why will he be bothered to convert others ? and even if he does then he is trying to do what he thinks as Islam but in reality it is not Islam so why blame Islam for it ? So in either case there is no possibility for forced conversion by Islam and it has NEVER happened nor it is going to happen - this is just a ploy to spread phobia against Islam and muslims by people who cant find a better job.

What was the religion of these countries before Islam

Muslims believe that mankind originated from Adam & Hawwa Alaihessalam and both were muslims. Indonesia is the country that has the largest number of Muslims in the world, and the majority of people in Malaysia are Muslims. But, no Muslim army ever went to Indonesia or Malaysia. It is an established historical fact that Indonesia entered Islam not due to war, but because of its moral message. Despite the disappearance of Islamic government from many regions once ruled by it, their original inhabitants have remained Muslims. Moreover, they carried the message of truth, inviting others to it as well, and in so doing endured harm, affliction and oppression. Current Situation

Even today Islam is the fastest growing religion across the world by conversion including western countries like US and more women than men are converting to Islam. So who is forcing these people to convert ? An article in Reader’s Digest ‘Almanac’, yearbook 1986, gives the statistics of the increase of the percentage of the major religions of the world in half a century from 1934 to 1984. This article also appeared in The Plain Truth magazine. At the top was Islam, which increased by 235%, while Christianity had increased by 47%. During this fifty-year period, there was no “Islamic conquest” yet Islam spread at an extraordinary rate.