Understanding Islam — Page 40
IS ISLAM A VIOLENT RELIGION? 40 state of war, they did not exceed 1400 in number. It was in the three lunar years of relative peace that followed the treaty of Hudaibiya that the Muslim numbers grew to well over 10,000 33 by the time of the victory of Makkah (8 A. H. or 630 AD). 34 In other words, it was not war that caused them to spread. It was the period of peace when they actually spread. Furthermore, it was this increase in their numbers that caused their enemies to become ever more jealous of the spread of their faith within and even beyond Arabia. If the frequency of battles in the later part of the life of Prophet Muhammad sa increased, one reason was the rapidly growing Muslim community that caused anxiety and distress to the violently disposed enemies of Muslims who considered the expansion of Islam an anathema to their pagan traditions, and wished to annihilate the Muslims once and for all. Painting the image of a bloody religion with violent ambitions is an unprincipled allegation and the most horrid distortion of facts. It may suffice to quote the words of the famous British Orientalist De Lacy O’ Lear: