Did Islam Spread by the Sword? Myth and Reality

28/09/2026| IslamWeb

Among the most widely held misconceptions about Islam in the West is the belief that Islam spread primarily through forced conversion.

Some people believe that the widespread presence of Islam throughout the world is the result of campaigns of violence carried out by early Muslims to convert non-Muslims. According to this view, non-Muslims were given only two choices: Islam or death.

How should we respond to such misconceptions? First, there is no need for us to be apologetic. As Muslims, we should seek the truth and present it as it is. This is how we have been instructed by Allah Almighty (which means): “Say: The truth from your Lord and let him who will believe and let him who will reject” [Quran 18:29].

Islam is the religion of Truth, and the Quran is the Book that testifies to the Truth. Allah says (what means): “We sent down the Quran in Truth and in Truth has it descended” [Quran 17:105].

And (what means): “Put your trust in Allah, for you are on the path of the manifest Truth” [Quran 27:79].

Therefore, we should ask ourselves: What is the truth? Did Muslims really force others to convert to Islam? Is there evidence of systematic forced conversion throughout Islamic history?

The historical record is more complex than the popular image of Islam spreading simply through force. Many distinguished historians have examined the spread of Islam and have pointed to a variety of factors, including trade, preaching, intellectual exchange, social relationships, political developments, and the appeal of Islamic beliefs and practices. Among the scholars who have discussed these questions are Sir Thomas W. Arnold in his book The Preaching of Islam, Marshall G. Hodgson in The Venture of Islam, Albert Hourani in A History of the Arab Peoples, Ira Lapidus in A History of Islamic Societies, L. S. Stavrianos in A Global History: The Human Heritage, and many others.

The spread of Islam took place over many centuries and across diverse societies. It reached the Middle East, North Africa, Spain, West Africa, East Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Afghanistan, India, Western China, and the Malay Archipelago. In these regions, Muslims encountered established religious traditions including Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Paganism, and Animism.

The question, therefore, is not simply how Islam spread, but also why its message attracted people in such diverse societies.

One important factor was the simplicity and rationality of Islamic belief. As Professor Hodgson explains:

“Muslims made a personal appeal to people's religious consciousness. On the level of straight argument, they often put forward the populistic intelligibility of Islam. Muslims commonly ridiculed, in the name of intellectual good sense, the more mythically convoluted teachings of older traditions. This could seem attractively straightforward to people dissatisfied with taking things on faith from a learned priest whose mysteries they could not comprehend.

“A single Creator, to be worshipped by each person for himself, based on revelation that had been given to a famous prophet whom millions already acknowledged. This was at once intelligible and plausible.”

The unambiguous belief in the Unity, Greatness, and Wisdom of God, the Creator of the universe, is central to Islam. The French professor Edouard Montet said:

“The dogma of the unity of God...has always been proclaimed in the Quran with a grandeur, a majesty, an invariable purity and with a note of pure conviction which is hard to find surpassed outside the pale of Islam. A creed so precise, so stripped of all theological complexities and so accessible to the ordinary understanding might be expected to possess and does indeed possess a marvelous power of winning its way into the consciences of men.”

In addition to its beliefs, Islam offers a distinctive set of acts of worship and religious practices. Salah [prayer], Zakah [alms tax distributed to the poor], Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah), and Siyaam (fasting in Ramadan) are central aspects of Muslim life.

The second pillar of Islam, Salah [prayer], has been described as follows by Sir Arnold:

“The religion of the Muslim is continuously present with him and, in the daily prayer, manifests itself in a solemn and impressive ritual which cannot leave either the worshipper or the spectator unaffected.”

These practices have also played an important role in the religious experience of converts to Islam. Some converts have spoken of being impressed by the discipline of prayer, the social responsibility represented by Zakah, the unity expressed during Hajj, and the spiritual experience of fasting during Ramadan.

Thus, the combination of Islamic belief and religious practice has been an important part of the appeal of Islam to many people throughout history.

Another important factor is the Quran itself. Muslims believe the Quran to be the revealed word of God, and its language, message, and spiritual impact have been important factors in the faith of Muslims and in the conversion of many people to Islam.

The famous Jewish-American convert to Islam, Maryam Jameelah, cited the Quran as a major factor in her conversion. After studying both the Old Testament and the Quran, she described the contrast between the two scriptures as increasingly evident to her, eventually leading her to believe that the Quran was God's message to humanity.

Conversion stories such as hers illustrate that people come to Islam for different reasons. Some are attracted by its concept of God, others by the Quran, its system of worship, its moral teachings, or the sense of purpose and meaning they find in its worldview.

A Muslim sister from California, who was a practicing Christian and an active member of her local Presbyterian church, described her own experience of discovering Islam. She said that, despite her active affiliation with the church, she had serious questions about the fundamentals of Christianity that she found difficult to resolve. She discussed these questions with her friends, but remained unsatisfied with the answers she received. When she later took a course about Islam, she found that many of her questions had been addressed.

She said:

“This class brought back all of the concerns that I had about Christianity. As I learned about Islam, all my questions were answered. All of us are not punished for Adam's original sin. Adam asked God for forgiveness and our Merciful, Loving God forgave him. God doesn't require a blood sacrifice in payment for sin. We must sincerely ask for forgiveness and amend our ways. Jesus wasn't God; he was a prophet like all of the other prophets. This answered all of my questions about the Trinity and the nature of Jesus. I found a teaching that put everything in its proper perspective and appealed to my heart and my intellect. It seemed natural. It wasn't confusing. I had been searching and I had found a place to rest my faith.”

The history of Islam is therefore not adequately explained by the idea that people converted simply because they were forced to do so. The spread of Islam involved many different societies, periods, and circumstances, and the reasons people embraced Islam were likewise diverse.

For Muslims, the strength of Islam lies in its message: the worship of One God, the continuity of revelation, accountability before God, moral responsibility, and a direct relationship between the individual and the Creator.

The Quran expresses this principle clearly: “There is no compulsion in religion” [Quran 2:256].

Understanding the history of Islam requires looking beyond simplified narratives and examining the historical circumstances of different regions and periods. It also requires recognizing that the experience of conversion is ultimately personal: people embrace a religion because they find its beliefs and teachings convincing and meaningful.

For Muslims, the message of Islam continues to invite people to reflect, seek the truth, and worship the One God.

By Dr. Sharif Mohammed