Prophet Muhammad

Muslim is an Arabic word that means one who submits and suurenders to God the Creator. Accordingly, Adam is the first Muslim on earth who submitted to God. However, per God Quran revelation to prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in year 610 AD, Abou Bakr is the first man to become Muslim (of course after prophet Muhammad PBUH) and Ali Ibn Abou Taleb is the first boy to become Muslim.

_________________________________________________________________

Bismillah (In the name of God) The first person that became Muslim, is Khadījah al-Kubra (pbuh), the wife of prophet Mohammad (pbuh). It is believed that Khadijah (pbuh) was a Christian before converting to Islam.

_________________________________________________________________

Adam was the first Muslim man and Eve, the first Muslim woman.

__________________________________________________________________________

Abou-Bakr, who ruled as the first Caliph after death of prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

_______________________________________________________________________

Prophet Muhammad, God bless him and grant him peace, was the first person to become Muslim. Although 'Ali was the second male revert to Islam after Prophet Muhammad, God bless him and grant him peace, the was only 12 at the time and hence considered the first boy to convert to Islam. Abu Bakr is generally regarded to be the first man to revert to Islam. The second person, on the other hand, was Khadija, may Allah be pleased with her, Prophet Muhammad's first wife.

- It's an undeniable fact that the most important reason behind the spread of Islam is its distinguishing features. The reasonable, harmonic beautiful features of this religion have always been able to attract people to embrace it. Muhammad PBUH was alone, sooner His message could gain more people despite the very difficult circumstances at the very beginning of Islam when the Muslims were threatened & persecuted by the pagans of Makkah.

- Years had progressed & Muslims were increasing despite the different obstucles created by the enemies of Islam. After the treaty of Al-Hudaibiya (6 Hijri), the assaults of the pagans against Muslims were reduced & the preaching of Islam started at a higher level by the messages of the prophet Muhammad PBUH that He sent to the rulers of many areas. Generally, when a ruler converted to Islam,his people followed him.

- The city of Makka converted to Islam after an act of grace, a historical remission from the prophet Muhammad PBUH who entered the city with His companions without fighting & forgave its people in spite of their huge harm to Muslims since the very beginning of His message. This historical event occurred in 8 Hijri (630 AD).

- In the following year (9 Hijri) many Arabian tribes embraced Islam & that continued to happen abundantly in the following year which is historically known as, "ِAam Al-wofood " which means (The year of delegations) in which so many delegations from the Arabs came to the prophet Muhammad in Madina to embrace Islam. By the year (10 Hijri) the whole Arabic Peninsula converted to Islam.

- Islam started to widely spread directly after the death of Prophet Muhammad. Muslims had their fair wars against Rome & Persia who were worried about the new power in the world. Muslims could convert many regions to Islam like Syria, Iraq & Persia by the appeal of their religion & not by force. An evidence for that is the existence of non-Muslims from different beliefs living peacefully in the Islamic Empire.

Note: The first battle between Muslims & Romans broke out due to the killing of the messenger of the prophet Muhammad to the king of Bosra (Syria) by Roman's ally.

- The Muslim merchants had played a key role in the spread of Islam as their high morals & benevolent values could be persuasive enough to spread their religion in many areas in Africa & in the east of Asia like for example, Indonesia, the largest Islamic country. (This is actually a very important principal reason).

- Preaching is a factor in spreading any religion,Islam is not an exception. But actually it didn't play that role in spreading Islam as it wasn't carried out in wide organised ways like those with the other religions. True Islam preaches itself !

In Islam, preaching is ruled by mainly two verses: According to the Qur'an itself, Preaching must be done with wisdom and good manner, since it says: "Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for thy Lord knoweth best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance."

(Holy Quran, 16:125)

As it also says:

"Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error:..."

(Holy Quran, 2 :256)

- Contacting with good real Muslims like Suffis, traders, travellers...etc.

Thomas Arnold in his famous book "The preaching of Islam" states that the two primary reasons for the spread of Islam all over the world were merchants and the Sufis, two groups of people who went out, worked with humanity and gently invited others to their faith.

Hint: The answer above is not true and absolutely groundless, for the following reasons:

• Indonesia is the country with the highest Muslim population in the world (Muslims in Indonesia account for about 13% of Muslim world. Did Islam spread in Indonesia by war? sure not.
• Did Islam in China, the phlippines, Malaysia, west Africa, etc spread by war? sure not.
• If Islam spread by war what prevents those Muslims to convert back to their former religions to faiths after the apparent current weak powers of Muslims
• Why Islam till now is spreading?
• How do you explain the convert to Islam by many public figures of other religion followers.
• Refer to the related questions below for more information.

• "Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for thy Lord knoweth best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance." (Yusuf Ali, 16:125)

• And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better (than mere disputation), unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury): but say, "We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; Our Allah and your Allah is one; and it is to Him we bow (in Islam)." (Yusuf Ali, 29:46)

Many times, The Koran stresses that there is no compulsion in religion:

• "Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things." [2:256]

• "And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed - all of them entirely. Then, [O Muhammad], would you compel the people in order that they become believers?" [10:99]

• "And say, "The truth is from your Lord, so whoever wills - let him believe; and whoever wills - let him disbelieve." [18:29]
• "So remind, [O Muhammad]; you are only a reminder.", "You are not a compeller, etc. over them."[88:21-22]

• "Again and again will those who disbelieve, wish that they had bowed (to God's will) in Islam. Leave them alone, to enjoy (the good things of this life) and to please themselves: let (false) hope amuse them: soon will knowledge (undeceive them)." [15:2-3]

• "Say: O ye that reject Faith! I worship not that which ye worship, Nor will ye worship that which I worship. And I will not worship that which ye have been wont to worship, Nor will ye worship that which I worship. To you be your Way, and to me mine." [109:1-6]

Arab Emperors firstly entered countries on the command of the Koran, to fight those who fight them, and to fight those who fight them, and more specially, Jews and Christians, until they pay the Jizyah, or between them is peace.

• "Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress. Indeed. Allah does not like transgressors." [2:190]

• "And if they incline to peace, then incline to it [also] and rely upon Allah . Indeed, it is He who is the Hearing, the Knowing." [8:61]
• "Would you not fight a people who broke their oaths and determined to expel the Messenger, and they had begun [the attack upon] you the first time? Do you fear them? But Allah has more right that you should fear Him, if you are [truly] believers." [9:13], Then this continues to 9:29 which says:
• "Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture - [fight] until they give the jizyah willingly." [9:29]

Basically, All the laws of War are found to be in the "Sword Verse", The Sword verse is the verse which all verses about war boil down to, and consits of 3 verses, 9:4-6, It states:

• "Excepted are those with whom you made a treaty among the polytheists and then they have not been deficient toward you in anything or supported anyone against you; so complete for them their treaty until their term [has ended]. Indeed, Allah loves the righteous [who fear Him]." [9:4]
• "And when the sacred months have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them and capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they should repent, establish prayer, and give zakah, let them [go] on their way. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." [9:5]
• "And if any one of the polytheists seeks your protection, then grant him protection so that he may hear the words of Allah . Then deliver him to his place of safety. That is because they are a people who do not know." [9:6]

And when entering countries, A Person had three choices:

1. to be a dhimmi, have rights, etc. but, pay the Jizyah as an equalivent to Zakat.
2. to be a Muslim, have rights, etc. but, pay the Zakat as an equalivent to Jizyah.
3. to fight until death.

Based on the above evidence, It is pretty clear that how Islam was spread, It was:

• Muslims enter countries which refuse peace, and fight them.
• Persons had to be either a dhimmi, Muslim (basic rights for each) or to fight.
• Islamic Missionaries entered and preached with good ways and arguing with better words.
• No one can be compelled to become a Muslim.
• and thus, Islam was spread by preaching with good ways and there was no compulsion at all.

When Muslims tried to use forced conversion, It failed highly failed, Karen Armstrong asserts that after Muhammad's death, nobody in the Islamic empire was forced to accept the Islamic faith. [Armstrong, A History of God: from Abraham to the Present: the 4000-year Quest for God, 1993, p. 185]

There is no real evidence that "forced conversion were very common during Islamic times", this is ridiculous and without actual evidence.

Eid al-Adha meaning feast or sacrafice, or "Festival of Sacrifice" or "Greater Eid" is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to commemorate the willingness of prophet Abraham(Ibrahim) to sacrifice his son Ishmael (Isma'il) as an act of obedience to God, before The merciful God intervened to provide prophet Abraham with a ram to sacrifice instead. This is also found in the bible as well as the Torah(Hebrew Bible. Allah means God and therefore is NOT a separate God from the Christians and Jews. All

three of these faiths worship the same God. How ever there are some christians who

worship Mary and Jesus, Which is very wrong as it contradicts with the first 2 of the

10 commandments.

The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2-17 NKJV)1"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.2"You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My Commandments.

The meat is divided into three parts. The family retains one third of the share; another third is given to relatives, friends and neighbors; and the other third is given to the poor and needy.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

Allah (swt) says regarding the character and position of his noble messenger Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him):

And you (Muhammad) (stand) on an exalted standard of character. [068:004]

And exalted for you your esteem? [094:004] To the Believers is he (Muhammad) most kind and merciful. (9:128) Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Apostle of God, and the Seal of the Prophets: and God has full knowledge of all things. [033:040] Allah (swt) in the above verses says that prophet Muhammad (PBUH) exalted the esteem of his messenger Mohammad (PBUH).As a matter of fact Allah (swt) always speaks the truth, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) is known to be the most beloved and most successful prophet in the history. Taking the above promise of Allah (swt) in to consideration, lets see what Famous personalities like Scientists, Writers, Scholars, and Leaders have to say about the character and success of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH): Muhummad (pbuh) was the "Most Influential Man in History" - Michael M. Hart;Muhummad (pbuh) was the "Most Successful of all Religious Personalties" - Encyclopaedia Britannica 11th Ed;Muhummad (pbuh) was the "Greatest Leader of all Times" -Jules Masserman in the "TIME" Magazine; Muhummad (pbuh) was the "Greatest Man that ever Lived" - Lamartine in his "History of the Turks"; Professor K.S Ramakrishna Rao says: The personality of Muhammad, it is most difficult to get into the whole truth of it. Only a glimpse of it I can catch. What a dramatic succession of picturesque scenes? There is Muhammad the Prophet. There is Muhammad the General; Muhammad, the King Muhammad, the Warrior Muhammad, the Businessman Muhammad, the Preacher Muhammad, the Philosopher Muhammad, the Statesman Muhammad, the Orator Muhammad, the Reformer Muhammad, the Refuge of Orphans Muhammad, the Protector of Slaves Muhammad, the Emancipator of Women Muhammad, the Judge Muhammad, the Saint And all these magnificent roles, in all these departments of human activities, he is like a HERO. [By an Indian non-Muslim Professor K.S Ramakrishna Rao in his book Muhammad the prophet of Islam].Jules Masserman says:Leaders must fulfill three functions- 1: Provide for the well-being of the led. 2: Provide a social organization in which people feel relatively Secure. 3: Provide them with one set of beliefs. People like Pasteur and Salk are leaders in the first sense. People like Gandhi and Confucious. On one hand, and Alexander, Caesar and Hitler on the other. Jesus and Buddha belong in the third category alone. Perhaps the greatest leader of all times was Muhammad (PBUH) who combined all three functions. To a lesser degree, Moses did the same. [From an essay leadership Gap By JULES MASSERMAN, U.S. Psychoanalyst july/15/1975] George Bernard Shaw Says: "I have always held the religion of Muhammad in high estimation because of its wonderful vitality. It is the only religion, which appears to possess that assimilating capability to the changing phases of existence which can make itself appeal to every age. I have prophesied about the faith of Muhammad that it would be acceptable tomorrow as it is beginning to be acceptable to the Europe of today. Medieval ecclesiastics, either through ignorance of bigotry, painted Mohammadanism in the darkest colors. They were in fact; trained to hate both the man Muhammad and his to them was anti-Christ. I have religion studied him. The wonderful man, and in my opinion far from being an anti-Christ he must be called the savior of humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world he would succeed in solving the problems in a way that would bring it the much-needed peace and happiness. Europe is beginning to be enamored of the creed of Muhammad. In the next century I may go still further in recognizing the utility of that creed in solving its problems, and it is in this sense that you must understand my prediction". [' A collection of writings of some of the Eminent Scholars' p.77, by the Working Muslim Mission, 1993 edition].

A:

Belief in scriptures is a matter of faith and does not require proof. Mathematics can no more prove the Qur'an than any other scripture, but that does not mean the Qur'an is necessarily wrong.