Islam: The Raid Growth Of Islam

Jonathan Ramirez

Western Civilization: Antiquity-1650

Final Paper

Hayden/His-101

The Raid growth of Islam

During the tenth century, Islam was the largest religion which covered more than half of the known world. According to History-world.org, a nonprofit nonpartisan website that provides well-sourced history research, “The Islamic state expanded very rapidly after the death of Muhammad through remarkable successes both at converting unbelievers to Islam” (History-world.org). Islam was beginning to grow so rapidly and began to spread all across Europe. For example, Asghar Ali wrote an article called “Causes and Spread of Islam” where he points out that, “Islam was growing at rapid rates that before it completed 100 years of its origin

it had reached right up to china in the east and up to Europe in the west” (Ali). It is then shown that Islam was spreading amongst nations at rapid rates. Which leads to the question as to what trigged such a rapid growth in Islam? The answer is that they had military man power, they traded with many different places, conquered many places, the religion was attractive, and they had higher population growth then other places did.

Population growth seemed to be greatly increasing in Islam and greatly helped them expand. For example, in a study conducted by Michael Lipka and Conrad Hackett called “Why Muslims are the World’s fastest growing religious group” the authors point out that, “The main reasons for Islam’s growth ultimately involve simple demographics. To begin with, Muslims have more children than members of the seven other major religious groups analyzed in the study” (Lipka and Hackett). Throughout the study the authors as well explain that, “Each Muslim woman has an average of 3.1 children, significantly above the next highest group (Christian at 2.7) and the average of all non-Muslims (2.3). In all major regions where there is a sizable Muslim population, Muslim fertility exceeds non-Muslim fertility” (Lipka and Hackett). It is then shown by the authors that Muslim population is projected to grow faster than members in other groups. Islam population was growing so rapidly that more and more Muslims were migrating, traveling, and spreading their culture amongst other places rather then just their home land. For example, in a book written by Bernard Lewis titled” The Muslim Discovery of Europe” the author points out that, “the flood of Muslim visitors to Europe was growing- first diplomats, then students, then many other, including after a while even political refugees” (Lewis). With this the authors shows that Muslims began to visit Europe and began to spread their culture in other places. With Muslims beginning to spread a new phase in the discovery in the discovery was beginning and it has continued until our own time (Lewis). Up until this day Muslims have a big impact in the world and they continue to grow nonstop. For example, authors Michael Lipka and Conrad Hackett point out that, “By 2050, Muslims will be nearly as numerous as Christians, who are projected to remain the world’s largest religious group at 31.4% of the global population” (Lipka and Hackett).

Another reason as to why Islam had spread at such quick rates was that they had an excess of skilled skilled military man power. For example, in a study conducted by Oxford Islamic Studies called “The Spread of Islam” the authors point out that, “The expanding Muslim army was at first only composed of Arab tribal groups, mostly infantry and some cavalry forces. Gradually it transformed itself by recruiting locally during its campaigns” (Oxford). Another example, by William O. Sharf, a researcher for Quora.com the author states that, “The tribes of Arabia had been at war with each other essentially forever. But Muhammad banned fighting among Muslims, and by the end of his reign Arabia had been unified. Islam had a huge body of men who were trained for war, who had been raised to be fighters, but who suddenly had nobody that they were allowed to fight (Sharf). While they had no one to fight the Islam man power was still feared and helped them expand into other nations.
Islam conquered many different places which is another reason as to why they grew so rapidly.

For example, in an article called “Muslim conquests” by Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia it is stated that, “The Islamic conquests began with the Islamic Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century. Where he established a new unified polity in the Arabian Peninsula which under the subsequent Rashidun and Umayyad caliphates saw a century of rapid expansion of Muslim power” (Wikipedia). Due to the Islam conquests, Islam was able to gain more power and expand rapidly. The Muslim conquests brought about the collapse of the Sassanid Empire and a great territorial loss for the Byzantine empire (Wikipedia). With Islam conquering different land and empires, they gained many believers and gained more power. For example, in an article written by Yale University Press titled “The Spread of Islam” the author discusses that, “The success of Muslim military conquest creates a context in which other people found it prudent to convert, or in which they were attracted to the religion simply because of its manifest power and triumph” (Yale). The author then shows why Islam conquering more land and being successful in power and triumph attracted more

believers.
Another big reason that Islam expanded so quickly was due to the fact that they traded with many different places. For example, according to Opposingviews.com an independent media site that publishes original journalism on politics, “Islam was similarly spread down the east coast of Africa as Muslim traders intermarried with the local population and the area's elite converted to Islam. Islam became a sign of social status and economic opportunity on the East African coast” (Opposingviews.com). Another example stated by opposingviews.com is when it states that, “Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim-majority country and the last major region to be converted to Islam. European colonization stopped the spread of Islam in the rest of Southeast Asia, but the roots of Islam were deep enough to survive the colonization of the Dutch and the British” (Opposingviews.com). It is then shown that trade brought Islam power and more opportunity to grow.

In addition, Islam also expanded very quickly and successfully due to its religion being attractive and interesting to people.

For example, in an article written by Yale University Press titled “The Spread of Islam” the author discusses that, “The religion was clearly attractive, with an explicit set of beliefs about what to do and what not to do in order to win access to heaven and avoid a lamentable eternity in hell” (Yale). It is then shown that that Islam religion was attractive to people and made them more likely to convert. Islam is known as the perfect religion and would help anyone with problems. For example, in a website titled “Convertingtoislam.com” the author points out that, “Islam is a perfect religion which provides solution to every problem and answer to every question” (Convertingtoislam.com). Another example of how the religion attracted people is, “Islam's emphasis on the importance of family life and social value is one of the key aspects that attract men and women from various cultural backgrounds, particularly those serious in true and traditional family values and moral teachings” (Convertingtoislam.com). Islam religion was simply just successful and helped Islam attract more believers and to continue to

spread.
Overall, Islam spread quickly due to all its numerous successes in military man power, trade with many different places, conquest, religion, and higher population growth then other places had. Due to all the success Islam is a very convincing religion and has spread so quickly that it’s the largest religion in todays world.