The Preaching of Islam: A History of the Propagation of the Muslim FaithArnold, Thomas Walker, Sir
Islamic
The Preaching of Islam: A History of the Propagation of the Muslim Faith
Arnold, Thomas Walker, Sir
Islam -- History; Islam -- Missions -- History; Islam -- Relations
But these conquerors would appear to have had very little of that “love
for souls” which animates the true missionary and which has achieved
such great conquests for Islam. The Khiljīs (1290–1320), the Tughlaqs
(1320–1412), and the Lodīs (1451–1526) were generally too busily
engaged in fighting to pay much regard to the interests of religion, or
else thought more of the exaction of tribute than of the work of
conversion. [831] Not that they were entirely lacking in religious
zeal: e.g. the Ghakkars, a barbarous people in the mountainous
districts of the North of the Panjāb, who gave the early invaders much
trouble, are said to have been converted through the influence of
Muḥammad Ghorī at the end of the twelfth century. Their chieftain had
been taken prisoner by the Muhammadan monarch, who induced him to
become a Musalman, and then confirming him in his title of chief of
this tribe, sent him back to convert his followers, many of whom having
little religion of their own were easily prevailed upon to embrace
Islam. [832] According to Ibn Baṭūṭah, the Khiljīs offered some
encouragement to conversion by making it a custom to have the new
convert presented to the sultan, who clad him in a robe of honour and
gave him a collar and bracelets of gold, of a value proportionate to
his rank. [833] But the monarchs of the earlier Muhammadan dynasties as
a rule evinced very little proselytising zeal, and it would be hard to
find a parallel in their history to the following passage from the
autobiography of Fīrūz Shāh Tughlaq (1351–1388): “I encouraged my
infidel subjects to embrace the religion of the Prophet, and I
proclaimed that every one who repeated the creed and became a Musalman
should be exempt from the jizyah, or poll tax. Information of this came
to the ears of the people at large and great numbers of Hindus
presented themselves, and were admitted to the honour of Islam. Thus
they came forward day by day from every quarter, and, adopting the
faith, were exonerated from the jizyah, and were favoured with presents
and honours.” [834]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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