islamic-jihad-legacy-of-forced-conversion-imperialism-slavery

Islamic JihadMuslims in India protested against his book leading to its ban in India. But Eaton would not stop spreadinghis fallacious and unfounded views about Sufis.For a rational person, the stories of spiritual and occult power of Sufis are nothing but fantasticalmyths. Such legends, upon thorough research, have indeed been found, according to Prof. Muhammad Habib,to be "latter day fabrication" (see below). Concerning conversion, historical records and circumstantialevidence lend little support to the paradigm that Sufis made great contribution in converting the infidels toIslam peacefully. In India, no historical documents mention that the Sufis converted the Hindus and otherinfidels to Islam in large numbers through peaceful means. The great liberal Sufi scholar Amir Khasrau(fourteenth century) mentions in his chronicles many incidents of enslavement of the infidels by Muslimrulers in large numbers for their conversion, but makes no mention of any incidence of peaceful preaching bya Sufi saint that drew the Hindus to Islam in significant numbers. The ideology of Indian Sufis and theirinvolvement in the conversion of the infidels will be dealt here in some detail.Origin of Sufism: Allah made Jihad a binding duty for Muslims whereby they must keep fighting untilIslam—the perfect, universal guidance to human life—becomes the sole religion in the world [Quran 2:193].Allah has purchased the life of believers, who must devote to His command and engage in Jihad—and slayand be slain in the process—in order to gain Paradise [Quran 9:111]. Allah blesses those who get slain inJihad, the martyrs, with straight landing in Paradise: ‘And say not of those who are slain in the way of Allah:They are dead. Nay, they are living, though ye perceive (it) not’ [Quran 2:154]. Allah encouraged Muslims torenounce their kindred relationships with ‘fathers, and your sons, and your brethren, and your wives, andyour tribe’, plus the allure of earthly indulgence and pleasures for single-mindedly "striving in Allah’s way"[Quran 9:24].Prophet Muhammad acted upon these commands of Allah in the course of founding his new creed:his followers dedicated themselves to the cause of Allah—to prayers and fasting etc. and more prominently, toJihad—for making Islam the only religion on the earth. After relocating to Medina, where the doctrine ofJihad was revealed by Allah, Prophet Muhammad and his militant community engaged prominently inaggressive and violent Jihad, comprising plundering raids and wars against the infidels, for founding thenascent Islamic state and lived almost solely on the spoils they captured. Martyrdom gained while fightingJihad, decreed Allah [Quran 2:154], was the surest means of gaining access to Paradise: the central aim ofMuslims’ every action in this life. Therefore, those who died in those holy wars had the best of fortune: thatis, they became martyrs earning a direct ticket to Islamic Paradise.During early years and decades of Islam, the inspiration to embrace martyrdom drew large numbersof recruits to the profession of Jihad. For securing a place in Islam’s sensual Paradise—filled with black-eyedand full-breasted celestial virgins for serving sex to the blessed [Quran 44:51–54, 78:31–33]—throughmartyrdom, these Jihadis renounced kindred and social bonds and earthly indulgence to devote themselvessolely to Allah’s cause. Their lifestyle became somewhat "ascetic"—devoid of social intercourse anddedicated to prayers, and prominently, to opportunities for engaging in Jihad for gaining martyrdom. This wasroughly the mode of the early Islamic vision of life, which Prophet Muhammad had instilled, with thesanctions of Allah, amongst his pious followers.During early Islam, particularly in the days of Prophet Muhammad, all male Muslims of fighting-ageand in good physical condition were supposed to participate in Jihad campaigns. As the Islamic state quicklyexpanded and became more organized, the state began recruiting the Jihadis as regular soldiers putting themon the state-payroll. Still others, inspired solely by the spirit of Jihad for achieving martyrdom and Paradise,dedicated themselves as volunteers for fighting in Allah’s cause. These volunteer Jihadis, variously describedas enthusiasts or adventurers, used to engage in Jihad when opportunities for war against the infidels arose.They were paid, not from state treasury, but from the zakat fund—meant solely for the religious cause. Theshare of the sacred booty also became a part of their livelihood.87