RENAISSANCE NOVEMBER 2019

33 Monthly Renaissance November 2019 Reflections Amruhum sh ū r ā baynahum : Common Criticisms and Misconceptions (3) Dr Junaid Hassan Dominance of Islam in the World ﻫﻮَ هَ Oَ° ۡ ﻠﻪٖ وَ ﻟَﻮ ~ ﻟﺪﻳۡﻦ 2َ¨َ ﻟَﺬيۡۤ َرۡﺳَﻞَ رَﺳﻮۡﻟَﻪ \ ﺑﺎﻟۡﻬﺪٰي وَ دﻳۡﻦ ﻟۡﺤَﻖ ﻟﻴﻈۡﻬﺮَه \ ﻋ َ ﻮۡن ZOۡ ﻟۡﻤ . ) ٦١ : ٩ ( He is the one who has sent His Messenger with [pure] guidance and true religion to make it prevail over all religions, however hateful this may be to these Polytheists. (61:9) 1 Based on this verse, it is argued that God sent the Prophet (sws) to ensure Islam’s dominance over all other worldviews, religions, and ideologies. He accomplished that not only by peacefully inviting people to Islam but by using force, too, when necessary. True believers, therefore, must follow in his footsteps and struggle likewise for the dominance of Islamic law in Muslim countries as well as the rest of the world. As for using force, it needs to be remembered that the Prophet and his Companions ( ﻋﻨﻬﻢ ﷲ œÑ ر ) received the political authority of Medina merely through preaching. As Medinan chiefs accepted Islam, they invited the Prophet to migrate to Medina and take charge as a head of state. Thereafter, believers were permitted for the first time to fight the Meccans in self-defence (Qur’ ā n 22:39-40). Without political authority, neither Muhammad (sws) in Mecca nor Moses (sws) in Egypt 2 was 1. This verse also occurs at two other places in the Quran, 9:33 & 48:28. 2. Later, however, as Moses and his followers formed a polity