Why were conquered people willing to convert to Islam?

Answer 1

The Africans found the invading Muslims more truthful, more honest, more considerate and more caring than their former rulers who maltreated them and considered them uncivilized. The Muslims treated them nicely and kindly. They gave them self respect, honor and dignity. This sympathetic treatment of the Muslims forces and the honest dealings of the Muslim merchants, traders and businessmen affected the Africans and they eagerly accepted Islam-a religion of peace, harmony, brotherhood and charity.

Answer 2

They converted to Islam when

• they knew about Islam and its truthfulness,
• they knew about good morals of Islam,
• they knew about the authenticity of Quran and that it reflects real God words revelation to prophet Muhammad (PBUH) without single letter alterations, and
• they knew that Islam is against racism and that superiority is only based on piety and good deeds.

In all cases, it remains the basic Islam rule and Quran Golden rule that:

There is No Compulsion in Religion

[Quran, chapter 2, verse 256]

Accordingly, in all Islam history, never one of any religion was forced to convert to Islam. Per Quran, Muslims holy book, and Islam teachings, there is no compulsion in religion and one if chooses to convert to Islam should be first convinced in the Islam teachings and basic rules.

Of course, one way of convincing people is to point out that believing in Islam is better than being killed:

"[F]ight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, an seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practise regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful." (Qur'an 9:5, Yusuf Ali translation)

And remember that conversion to Islam is a one way street:

"[T]he Prophet said, 'If somebody (a Muslim) discards his religion, kill him.'" - Hadith Sahih Bukhari 4:52:260 (The Hadith Sahih are the true, verified sayings of Muhammad, pbuh, and form the basis for Islamic law, along with the Qur'an)

Answer 3

I Africa?

Islam found so many converts everywhere; and it still is. Islam is the fastest growing religion.

If you want to know why, then just pick up a copy of the translation of the Qur'an. Read it carefully, and slowly; and think about what it is saying.

Then you may understand why.

Answer 4

The Africans found the invading Muslims more truthful, more honest, more considerate and more caring than their former rulers who maltreated them and considered them uncivilized. The Muslims treated them nicely and kindly. They gave them self respect, honor and dignity. This sympathetic treatment of the Muslims forces and the honest dealings of the Muslim merchants, traders and businessmen affected the Africans and they eagerly accepted Islam-a religion of peace, harmony, brotherhood and charity.

Answer 5

Answer 1

Muslims are experts in Brainstroming. If you see what they have done over years they train Imams(experts in brain stroming) . when they are in minority in any country they act like innocent and try to impress others that Islam is good and they hate those who use Islam for bad(inside almost every muslim is same except a few). Once they become Majority they will harres other religion to die by killing men, kidnapping, force marriage or raping men.

As said by many muslims If Islam is peace why so called good muslims raise their voice when evil is being done by other muslims. what is stuck in there way to teach peace to their own community. Is there any incident punished or objected by those called good muslims. This shows really How many good muslims are there.

From childhood they are brain stromed to convert(when in minority) or kill( when is majority).

Answer 2

It depends on where the conversion took place and the individual converting. The above answers already detail the Islamic claims to being the correct religion and being desirable for society, so there is no need to rehash those claims. However, there are reasons for conversion both currently and historically that were not mentioned.

Forcible Conversion
As to the claim of forcible conversion even between sects of Islam, there is quite a bit of evidence to show that this did occur. It was never the dominant form of conversion to Islam, but it existed. There are those perpetrated by the Almohads throughout their Empire. 120,000 Muslims were killed in addition to Jews and Christians in the city of Marrakesh alone due to their "incorrect belief". There were also massacres in Safavid Persia against the Jews. There is also Aurangzeb's forcible conversion of Hindus in India and his slaughter of several groups of Hindus who lived outside of his direct authority. There was repression and consistent attacks by the Ottomans of Christian vassals in Europe. Finally, the Ottoman act of Devshirme, ripping Christian boys and girls away from their families to serve the Sultan, is a violation of a person's inalienable right to family.

Additionally, Polytheists were forced to convert to Islam with some rare exceptions (such as the Hindus in India under Akbar the Great). Zoroastrianism was the majority faith in Iran until Islam almost completely extinguished it, both by sword, economic inequality, and brutal repression of Zoroastrian customs (unless they could be Islamicized like Nourouz).

To Escape Dhimmi Status

The Dhimmi, or non-Muslim under Muslim occupation was required by Islamic Law to pay a number of taxes that were connected with his Dhimmi status. The most famous was the jizya, which was a tax that Dhimmi had to pay for Muslims for the right to not be killed where they stood for not acknowledging Mohammed's Prophecy; it was a form of humiliation. Additional taxes included the kharaj, which was a tax on non-Muslim land-holdings in the Muslim World. The kharaj was so untenable that most Dhimmi were forced to live in the cities where the tax would not be applicable. Justice was also unequal. On paper, a Christian or Jew could testify against a Muslim, but in reality, such testimony was not acceptable and the attempt to defame a Muslim would receive retribution. Christians and Jews were not allowed to build new houses of worship, restore old houses of worship, proselytize in any way (this included religious debate or dialogue), or allow wine or pigs to be shown in public.

If such a person converted to Islam, all of these inequalities would drop away. Islamic States have historically created a set of benefits that only Muslims could partake, making a choice to be Muslim tied to choices about economic viability (which trades you could work - especially in government) or tied to choices of social standing. These would strongly weight the choice and produce a steady stream of converts by their very nature.

Social Benefits
The majority of Islamic converts in India came from the Untouchable and Sudra Hindu Castes who never would have had a chance to be treated well in Hindu society. However, in Islam all men were equal before God, making conversion an escape from this social suppression. There were similar conversions among slaves in order to find a way to escape from slavery, since it is much more difficult for a Muslim to justify having a Muslim slave than a non-Muslim slave, according to Islamic Law.

Answer 6

Because anyone would be willing to accept any religion when it is presented by force and violence. Being murdered was their only other option.