15. Conversion to Islam

As per Islamic history, Mohammed received his first message from God in the year 610 AD. He started preaching Islam in Mecca in the year 613 A.D., three years after 1st message. Next nine years he strived to convince Meccans and other Arab tribes to accept Islam by reasoning and his conviction. But very few persons adopted Islam. Even Abu Talib, his uncle and leader of Banu Hashim tribe who gave safety protection to Mohammed did not convert to Islam. Death of Abu Talib  and accession of Abu Lahab to the position of leader of the Banu Hashim tribe in 619 A.D put Mohammed in unenviable condition. Abu Lahab was sworn enemy of Mohammed. He withdrew safety cover of Mohammed. So Mohammed was in physical danger for his life. He decided to shift to a safer place. A small Muslim community invited Mohammed to Medina. Mohammed first asked all Meccan Muslims to go to Medina. Then Mohammed also left Mecca under cover of night with Abu Bakr in the year 622 A.D. In Medina, newly arrived Muslims had no profession. They had no property. They had only support of a small group of Medinan Muslims. Mohammed was forced to start looting of Meccan caravans. He succeeded. Meccan attempts to defeat Mohammed did not bear fruit. Rather success after success brought prestige to the fledgling Muslim community. He also started attacking other tribes and Jewish settlements for reward and propagation of Islam. Some people joined Muslim fraternity for physical benefit and some were forced to convert after defeat. Mohammed realised what reasoning could not do, double application of force and reward in this life and promising heaven for believers who fight for Islam while hellfire for non-believers in afterlife, can achieve. Mohammed had started walking on the path of violence and never looked back.

Islam was propagated by strength of sword.

In the history of mankind, Islam came as a change. The new religion was violent in nature. Never before, force was openly recommended for religious conversion.  Never before, a religious man (Prophet Mohammed) led a band of armed men to loot and plunder. Never before a prophet ordered execution of unarmed opponents after defeating and capturing them. Never before a prophet joined ranks in raping women from a conquered community. Mohammed not only led from front, he took share of the loot, order execution of defeated men and personally rape women who lost their husbands or parents hours before. Buddha to Jesus did not preach or practice violence. They preached peace, non-violence and opposed greed and lust for others property or women. Islam is just the opposite.

Mohammed could manage only handful of followers during first nine years of self-declared prophet hood in Mecca where he used to preach Islam through reasoning and conviction. Meccan people did not like even that. Mohammed and his handful of followers had to leave Mecca in 622 AD for Medina. Mohammed and the early Muslims did not have any source of income in Medina. They took up looting of caravans passing through Medina. Local tribes started joining the band for material benefits. Mohammed’s band became powerful and waged war on other tribes residing in and around. Muslims under Mohammed managed to win most of these encounters and resorted to looting, killing and enslavement. Some were allowed to convert and join.  In next ten years Mohammed became a feared person with several thousand followers. So when Mohammed returned Mecca with ten thousand jihadis, the city surrendered without a fight.  He converted all in Mecca as an option to avoid death except those whom he thought could be his competitors. This was the beginning. Very quickly Arabian Peninsula was conquered and converted. Any resistance was crushed brutally. Men were slaughtered and women and children were enslaved. Only alternative was acceptance of Islam. Of course, it was not difficult for Arabs to convert as Islam is truly a religion meant for Arab. Quran is written in Arabic. Kaba in Mecca is centre of the Islamic faith like it was certre of earlier pagan faiths of Arabia. All social practices in 6^th century Arab were adopted including practice of slavery. Some social practices of Arabs were moderated. Number of wives that a Muslim man can keep was limited to four though Mohammed himself had eleven at one time (with God’s approval of course). But basic concept of violence of the then Arabic society was retained. Violence was however diverted to opponents. A Muslim can attack and kill, loot and enslave a Non- Muslim. In the process if he dies, he is awarded virgin Houries by God in heaven. If he wins earthly women of the defeated community are his property along with everything that they possessed. Arabia got united under the banner of Islam. United Arab used its full force on the neighbouring societies, communities and nations. After death of Mohammed, Muslim army, mainly Arabs spread out under the leadership of caliphs. Within 100 years Muslim forces captured Central Asia, Middle East, and North Africa, Sicily, Iberian Peninsula (Spain & Portugal) and border regions of India and China. Occupation followed by loot, mass killing, enslavement and conversion. All these regions are Muslim today. Islam also encouraged adoption of Arab language. Together with encouragement of Arabic, victors (Arabs) settling down in conquered land, most of the region also undergone Arabization.  Egypt, Palestein and North African countries are Arab today. Ancient people had simply vanished. Iran and Turkey adopted Islam but maintained their identity. Only Sicily & Iberian Peninsula could avoid conversion by reverse application of force. Christian forces liberated Sicily and Iberian Peninsula from Muslim occupation.

Islam made a unique combination of state and religion. In the beginning, Mohammed and initial Caliphs had absolute authority of both state and religion. Slowly Muslim state became too large to govern resulting in independent kingdoms. However, all Muslim states used to accept the supreme authority of Caliphs. Though influence of Caliph reduced over time, no Muslim ruler could function without influence of some or other Muslim religious men. These religious men followed path shown by Mohammed and considered looting, killing and raping persons of different faith are in order. Conversion by force thereafter became an accepted norm for Islam. They would guide rulers to kill, maim or torture men and rape women to press conversion. These men of religion were demons to non-Muslims. They were revered by Muslims for they bestowed riches earned from loot of others. Many Dargas of Sufi saints are frequented by Hindus who do not know that their ancestors were mercilessly tortured, killed or converted at the instance of the same person.

Sultan of Kashmir forcibly converted Hindus to Islam and massacred on refusal, writes Hasan, a Muslim chronicler. Sultan was praised as Gaji for he had slain thousands of idolaters. Hasan further observes, "And Sikandarpora (a city laid out by Sultan Sikandar) was laid out on the debris of the destroyed temples of the Hindus. In the neighbourhood of the royal palaces in Sikandarpora, the Sultan destroyed the temples of Maha-Shri built by Praversena and another by Tarapada. The material from these was used for constructing a 'Jami' mosque in the middle of the city."

Khwaja Moinudeen Chishti and his forty disciples settled down in Ajmer. This city was completely alien to Islam; no Muslims lived within the city. Raj Prithviraj was the local king. He not only permitted establishment of khanqah by Khwaja Moinudeen Chishti but also allowed preaching. Very soon Khwaja changed the entire civic atmosphere.  The locals were attracted by his magic. They flocked to him for miracles. He started conversion. King opposed and warned him. Khwaja Moinudeen Chishti then invited Sultan Shahabuddin, and instructed him to capture the raja alive and his kingdom taken over. The raja was defeated and captured alive and brought to Khwaja who ordered him executed. 

Shah Jalal journeyed eastward and reached India in 1300. In Ajmer, he met the Sufi mystic Kwaja Moinuddin Chisty. He also met with NizamUddin Awlia (1236-1325), a prominent Sufi, in Delhi. Nizamuddin requested him to go to Sylhet to rescue Sheikh Burhanuddin. The Sheikh had a handful of Muslims living in the kingdom of a Hindu King, Gaur Govindha. He secretly slaughtered a cow to perform his son's christening. It is said that a crow carried a piece of meat and dropped it in the king's yard. The enraged king ordered killing of the Sheikh's son and the Sheikh himself was imprisoned.

Shah Jalal reached Sylhet with 360 followers. Knowing that Shah Jalal was advancing toward Sylhet, the king removed all ferry boats from the river Surma. Muslim forces were defeated by the king twice earlier. But in this third battle king was defeated by the force led by Shah Jalal with local help. Poet Hazrat Amir Khosru wrote that warrior-disciples of Shah Jalal had no means of subsistence, except the booty. They used to attack, kill and loot unsuspecting villagers to sustain themselves.  In fact, reference to his having made “a portion for everybody” suggests that sort of behavior befitting a tribal chieftain. Shah Jalal and his cohorts settled down by marrying local women subsequently. Local women might be those who were captured or looted.

Conversion by fraud

Islam also adopted fraud as a means of conversion. Islam says if the intent is right then deceit in the process to achieve the intent is justified. Conversion in the eyes of Islam is right intent. Therefore all kind of fraud is allowed. In 2014, a group of Christians in an Indonesian island were offered food in lieu of stating something in Arabic. After meal, they were told that they are all converted. These Christians lodged a case of fraud against the perpetrators in a religious court. Verdict is only one. As per Muslim law stating Sahada completes conversion. Once converted, nobody can renounce Islam as that will be apostasy, punishable by death. If it can happen in 21^st century, why it could not happened in preceding centuries.

Pir Ali Khan, governor of Jessore in Bengal, asked Purusottam Thakur his courtesan whether smelling of food is considered half eating in Hindu Shashtra. When Purusottam Thakur replied in affirmative (GranenongArdhabhojonam),  Pir Ali ordered to bring cooked beef and forced him and his brother to smell it. Then Pir Ali told them that now you have taken beef and lost your Brahmin status. Both brothers were then converted by force. Other brothers of Purushottam Thakur fled fearing conversion. Descendants of this Hindu branch of the family were known as Pirali Brahmin and had a low status. Rabindranath Thakur was the most well-known Pirali Brahmin.

A group of Brahmin in the west coast were tricked into believing that Mohammed is Kalki Avatar, the last incarnation of Vishnu, which is predicted in Vishnu-puran and that Islam is actually new Vaishnavism. The entire community converted.

Once Mohammed tried to convert one Arabian tribe who had already embraced Christianity. He reasoned with them in a meeting. No agreement could be reached on first day. The second day Mohammed came back with a story of a dream where God has ordained him to inform the community leaders that they ought to convert. Community leaders converted.

Sufi saint Allauddin visited court of Arakan king. He was offered a glass of poisonous drink. He drank the entire content. Nothing happened. Entire court got converted seeing the miracle. It is so easy to understand that Allauddin could manipulate somebody in court to replace the poison. This single magic is said to be the reason of conversion of nobility of Arakan state. Similar stories are many in history of rural Bengal.

Constant persecution

Third and by far the strongest reason for conversion was constant persecution of non-Muslim in Muslim occupied land. Mohammed advised tolerance to the people of books, meaning Christians and Jews. These people were allowed to practice their religion in Muslim land. But they had to live in subjugation and without any outward show of affluence. In addition they must pay a punishing tax, called Jijiya. After conquering South Asia, Hindus were also treated as people from books and were tolerated in lieu of Jijiya tax for protection. In addition Hindus were to also pay pilgrimage tax in India. These taxes were a constant financial burden to all non-Muslims. Non-Muslims also could not give witness against any Muslim. They could not show any kind of opulence, build any conspicuous structure, gather in large number or show any religious symbol. Further, any Muslim could anytime usurp all property and loot the women of the house of Hindus. This was an unbearable pressure and continued for generations. Some people embraced conversion to escape persecution. Even today, a Muslim can forcibly take away a non-Muslim girl, convert her and marry in Pakistan or Bangladesh or in any Muslim country.

There were some Incentives to become a convert. Only Muslims were appointed to higher posts. Muslims were granted free land to farm. Muslims were also entitled for assistances from state or Muslim Waqf body which is a trust for and by Muslims under ruler’s supervision.

Apart from getting freedom from persecution a new convert is presented with favours from court and society. It has resulted in many conversions.

Lure of sex

Role of sex in propagation of Islam is less appreciated. Islam promotes male domination and considering that it is a religion conceptualised in sixth century it is hardly surprising. But the extent of male domination is such that Islam attracted criminality. Mohammed solemnized his marriage with Ayesha when she was six years old and consummated when she was barely nine years old. He had eleven wives at one time and all other Muslims are allowed four at a time. Furthermore, Muslims are allowed to have sex with slave girls whom they capture in battle or purchase from market.  These sex slaves are not counted as wives. Mohammed had several over and above platoon of wives. He had a son from one such slave woman. No religion will permit such acts. Islam does. Therefore we find, Boko Haram, a fundamentalist organisation of Nigeria captured 250 girls from a residential school in June, 2014 and declared their intention of using them as sex slaves or selling them to sex trade. They claim that they are following Islamic tradition. Today, people get converted for marrying second time when divorce from the first is not coming, since Islam allows four marriages. It is easy to visualize that conversion to Islam could be easy way out in the past also to regularise unlawful possession of married woman. Mohammed set an example by taking lead to rape conquered women, sometime within a few hours of slaying their husbands and children. May be this type of moral turpitude was not uncommon among men of sixth century. But such acts were not given religious sanction anywhere. Certainly holy men did not indulge in such heinous acts.

Moreover Islam talks of Houries in the after world. If a Muslim dies in the act of holy war he becomes a martyr and goes straight to Heaven. There he is served by beautiful virgin women. These women regain virginity every morning to give pleasure to Muslim men everyday in afterlife. So Islam promises you sex all the way. If you win you capture women and if you die God sanctions you virgin houries. Lure of sex makes Islam a different religion.

Concept of equality

Islam is also very attractive because of its concept of equality of all men. From time immemorial all great men tried to bring equality. Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism and Jainism also preach equality of all men. Hindus were attracted to Buddhism and Jainism due to equality in the early years of the 1^st millennium. But they reconverted back to Hinduism by seventh century to reap the benefits of caste system. Caste system is based on social position and livelihood and helped people to get identity and occupation. All could practice their specific trade without fear.

Equality in Islam is false equality. Muslim and non-Muslim are not considered equal. Man and Woman are not equal in Islamic view. Also there is inequality among Muslim men. There is Ashraf and Ajlaaf. Indian Muslims of foreign descents are considered superior and are known as Ashraf. Among Ashrafs Syeds are at the top. Syeds are supposed to be descendant of Mohammed from Fatima. Then come Sheiks who are of Arab descent. It follows by Turks, Pathans, Mugals and Upper caste Hindu converts.  Ajraaf are converted Muslims from artisan castes of Indian origin. Of course there are Dalit Muslim too. Arzaals do scavenger job among Muslims. Muslims consider that Arabic is the chosen language of God. Therefore an Arab Muslim is definitely more equal than others. Anybody who loves his mother tongue will hate to accept such position. Different sects of Islam also consider other sects as non-Muslim and heretics, killing the spirit of equality.

However, equality of Islam was projected to attract low castes converts in India.  It now cannot be denied that equality of all men in Islam attracted many followers. Bengali farmers were possibly attracted due to the spirit of equality. Similarly low castes of Hindu population converted to Islam everywhere in India. However their social position did not change after conversion. They are now categorised as Ajlaf/Arzal in addition to their Hindu caste.

The concept of equality in Islam, however, was absorbed in Hinduism and propagated through great saints of Bhakti movement. Guru Nanak, Kabir, Haridas, Chaitanya, Rahim, Surdas to name a few preached equality of all beings. During British period also Brahmo Samaj and Arya Samaj preached equality of all men and women. Great Bengali poet Badu Chandidas declared supremacy of  humanity alone.

Breeding

Islam is also propagated and now getting propagated by simple high rate of breeding. Islam does not believe in family planning. It encourages more children. Actually Islam treats women as object of pleasure and child bearing machine. The idea was required to supply large number of men to fight wars in sixth century. Today, uncontrolled population explosion may be suicidal for a country with limited means. But it can change demographic proportion of a mixed country. High rate of breeding can make Muslim from less than forty per cent to majority in one generation. In a country like India population war is under progress which can be won in a century or two. Muslim cleric promotes breeding. They know that growth of twentieth century Islam is by breeding.

In 1872 Bengal had 52% Hindu but in 1947 Muslims constituted a majority of 53%. Today Bengali speaking population of the world is about 300 million, 70% of Muslim faith. This population gain is not by conversion. It is by breeding. It is also being helped by educated Hindus who have adopted single child family.

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