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295 Pages·2011·2.7 MB·English

ISLAMIC
JIHAD

A Legacy of Forced Conversion,
Imperialism and Slavery

M. A. Khan

Felibri.com
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Copyright © M. A. Khan

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Based on meticulous investigation of the Quran, the author has abundantly demonstrated that
Islam—more specifically, its doctrine of Jihad or holy war—unequivocally calls for forced
conversion and enslavement of non-Muslims and for the establishment of an imperial Islamic rule
globally. Thereafter, based on extensive study of the original biographies and traditions of the
Prophet, he demonstrates how these commands of the Islamic God, of eternal relevance, were
scrupulously applied by Prophet Muhammad: he engaged in forced conversion and enslavement,
and established the first imperial Islamic state in Arabia. Through rich historical documentation,
this book further demonstrates how Muslims have expanded and perpetuated these paradigmatic
models of Jihad over vast parts of the world throughout history to this day. The author predicts
that Islamic Jihad, in all likelihood, will intensify over coming decades with serious consequences
for humankind, for the infidel and Western world in particular.
This book, I believe, will be a very important contribution for making a thorough understanding of
the rising challenges both Muslim and non-Muslim world faces from Islamic extremists.
– Ibn Warraq, Author of Why I Am Not a Muslim
This is a must read book, very important and eloquently written, that sheds light on the violent
imperialist nature of jihad: a main doctrine in Islam that can only be accomplished at the expense
of violating human rights of non-Muslims as well as Muslims… It is one of the best that I read on
Islam.
– Nonie Darwish, Author of Now They Call Me Infidel
I read this book and found it fascinating. “Islamic Jihad” is a comprehensive reference, which
entails in detail lots of facts about Islam and its prophet, in historical and current times. It is very
well documented. All that makes it a must read to all of those, who want to understand the driving
force behind Jihad and terror.
– Sami Al Raba, Author of Veiled Atrocities
I would call "Islamic Jihad" a masterpiece and a great contribution to humanity. Like a
spellbound man, I have gone through this book. I will call it a mighty weapon against Islam.
– Shamsuzzoha Manik, Scholar and author of Islam
"Islamic Jihad" is of huge magnitude, in depth and has a great scope. Much of the historical
material is largely unknown and greatly needed. It has done a remarkable job on slavery. This
work is a blessing to humanity.
– Bill Warner, Scholar and author on Islam; Director of Center for the Study of Political Islam
"Islamic Jihad" is so incredibly documented that it leaves little room to criticize the book for the
accuracy of the Islamic exposé. So do not tackle this book for reading enjoyment, rather engulf the
book to educate your self on the actual nature of Islam’s past to understand its present and predict
its future.
– Slant Right Blog
This book had me reading it intently from the very start. I enjoyed the chapters on Islam in India…
The history of Islam and its adherents throughout history is discussed thoroughly, and fairly,
taking into account all sides of the argument. A MUST read. This book is all the more important in
the world with what's happening today.
– Goddess 101 (in amzon.co.uk)
At times, the book can be quite disturbing when reading about the misfortunes and massacres of
the conquered and enslaved peoples. There is much writing that needs to be comprehended by the
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reader in order to understand the mind of the Jihadist and the bloody wars fought in the name of
Allah. Mr. Khan writes a compelling book that is very detailed, backing it up with extensive
footnotes, bibliography, and index. It is a book that should be kept as a reference source for
anyone and everyone who is interested in understanding the bloody history of Islamic Jihad and
all the consequences that have emerged from it.
– Steven B. Simpson, Writer
Khan's work stands out from the field, [it's] a goldmine. With Khan's book, you will have solid
amateur knowledge not only of Islamic history, but Islamic theology as well. For that reason, it is
a threat to those who try to keep us blinkered about the reality of Jihad. And to open eyes was
Khan's intention. He has succeeded magnificently... Khan depicts the life of Muhammad as a
microcosm of Islamic doctrine and history, and he does so brilliantly. I cannot recommend this
book highly enough. Read it and learn.
– C. C. Chrappa (on Amazon.com)
"Islamic Jihad" is well researched and scholarly written. Its strength is in its style, rich insight,
depth of analysis and the fact that it is well-sourced from Islam's own literature, including the
Quran... The book also presents powerful arguments and critical examination of the teachings of
Islam and its sanctioning of jihad. It brings to light the reality of jihad and the horrors of
surrendering to its evil known as dhimmitude. This book is an essential reading for all those, who
are interested in understanding the menace of jihad.
– Mumin Salih, Scolar of Islam and writer
"The book, "Islamic Jihad: A Legacy of Forced Conversion, Imperialism and Slavery", is M. A.
Khan's gift to mankind. It is an essential read for all of us, for it depicts the true nature of Islam
and the serious threat it poses to the safety and well-being of non-Muslims. I thank the author for
giving us such a precious gift."
– Mohammad Asghar, author of Muhammad & His Quran
"Islamic Jihad" is very scholarly, persuasive and cogent. The language is simple, easy to
understand, and engaging. Once started reading, readers would feel an urge to finish the book. No
serious readers of Islam should ignore this book. Read this book and you will grasp why the
Islamic Jihadis are doing what they are doing. Readers of the subcontinent (India, Pakistan,
Bangladesh), especially Muslims, will be shocked at the suffering their ancestors suffered at the
hands of Muslim invaders from the Middle East and Central Asia. The compelling account of
many invasions and subsequent incursions will force them to eagerly search their roots. Readers
from elsewhere in the Muslims world, and even Europe and America, would also be able make a
connection as to how Islam impacted lives of their ancestors.
This book is also a must read for today’s political leaders—both Muslim and non-Muslim—to
shake off their apathy towards the mortal danger of ascendant Islamic radicalism.
– Abul Kasem, Scholar and author of Islam
"M. A. Khan’s book, Islamic Jihad: A Legacy of Forced Conversion, Imperialism and Slavery, is
a meticulously researched masterpiece on the subject of the history of Jihad that is a must reading
for anyone interested in this topic." – Jeffry King, Author of Free Speech (upcoming)

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Islamic Jihad

Preface

I was born and brought up in a conservative Muslim society. After graduating in India, I moved to the West
for furthering my education. Despite my conservative Muslim background, I grew up with a liberal outlook.
In my school and university days, my closest friends were Hindus and Sikhs: I felt more comfortable with
them as they were more liberal, easy-going and humble with fewer religious scruples. I had wholly given up
religious rituals by the time I completed my university studies: they just didn’t attract me.
When the 9/11 attacks occurred in the U.S., I had lived in a liberal society for over a decade. I had
become consciously convinced that religious rituals—prayers, fasting, pilgrimage—were all meaningless. I
should be rewarded, I felt, for working hard, and intelligently, not for aping some wasteful rituals, which
brings good to nobody. Non-Muslims were my best friends; shocking my Muslim peers, I ate haraam
(prohibited) foods, drank alcohol (in moderation).
Despite the kind of a liberal person I had become, let me be honest that I was not excluded from
those Muslims who felt that the 9/11 attacks were justified, although I felt that those perished in it died
undeserving deaths. Muslim societies universally portray America as a mortal enemy of Islam, particularly for
its stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict. America’s mindless support for Israel has been causing terrible
oppression and untold sufferings to Palestinian Muslims. There was, undoubtedly, an overriding sense of
justification for the 9/11 attacks amongst Muslims; it gave the unjust superpower a bloody nose: I, so little a
Muslim, thought that way too.
Weird as it may sound, I still believed in Islam. I thought that the terrorists, who are acting in the
name of Islam, were misguided. After 9/11, I slowly started reading about Islam: the Quran, Sunnah and
Prophet Muhammad’s biographies; I hadn’t read them in the thirty-five years of my life. I was shocked. I had
been told all my life that Prophet Muhammad was the ideal human being: most merciful and just; that Islam is
the most peaceful religion; and I believed it. But the Quran reads like a manifesto of open-ended war against
non-Muslims for converting them to Islam, or for subjugating them into horribly degraded dhimmi subjects. In
his prophetic career, especially during the critical last ten years, Prophet Muhammad was anything but what a
peace-loving, merciful and just person stands for.
My curiosity grew. Over the past years, I have done extensive research on Islamic theology as well
as on Islamic history: from Prophet Muhammad to modern times. It has been a harrowing tale of forced
conversion, brutal imperialism and devastating slavery. It’s a saga of great human tragedy—all in the name of
Islamic holy war or Jihad, the foundational creed of Islam. This tragic tale is the subject of this book.

M. A. Khan
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Acknowledgment

First, I must acknowledge my wife’s encouragement and patient sacrifice in the course of this work; without
her support, this book would not have been possible.
This work has been based on the works of human and superhuman scholars and authors; and most of
the credit should go to them. Prominent mention must be made of Allah, the author of the Quran, of al-
Bukhari, Abu Muslim, and Abu Dawud, the compliers of prophetic traditions, of Ibn Ishaq and al-Tabari, the
authors of prophetic biographies, and of Muhammad Ferishtah, Ibn Battutah, HM Elliot and J Dawson,
Jawaharlal Nehru, KS Lal, Giles Milton, Bernard Lewis, VS Naipaul, GD Khosla, PK Hitti, M Umaruddin,
Andrew Bostom, RM Eaton, Baharistan-i-Shahi and Aberuni’s India amongst others.
I am also no less indebted to my friends, namely Abul Kasem, Mohammad Asghar, Syed Kamran
Mirza, Sher Khan, Mumin Salih, C Lee, Warner Mackenzie and many others, who have given me tremendous
encouragement in the course of this work. Many of them have given me valuable feedbacks and suggestions.
Special thanks go to C Lee for sharing his large collection of books with me, which has been very helpful to
my research.
The topics discussed in this work are of universal interest but the historical data presented more
extensively from India mainly for two reasons: firstly, a good body of historical information on India is
available from the works of contemporaneous scholars; secondly, not to make the book too voluminous.
While reading it, readers should bear in mind that the treatment of non-Muslims by Muslim rulers was the
mildest in India; elsewhere, it was worse except rare instances (Spain).
There will remain some linguistic errors in this book, which, I hope, will not be too distracting to
readers.

M. A. Khan
15 Oct. 2008

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Contents

Chapter I .............................................................................................................................................................. 1
Jihad: The Controversies ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Chapter II ............................................................................................................................................................ 5
Basic Beliefs in Islam .......................................................................................................................................... 5
Chapter III ........................................................................................................................................................... 9
Life of Prophet Muhammad and the Birth of Jihad ........................................................................................... 9
THE BIRTH AND EARLY LIFE (c. 570–610) ....................................................................... 10
Was Muhammad driven out of Mecca?.................................................................................................... 12
Were the Meccans a cruel people? .......................................................................................................... 15
Exemplary tolerance of Meccans ............................................................................................................. 18
MUHAMMAD’S CAMPAIGN OF TERROR AGAINST MECCANS (623–630) .......................... 19
The Seeding of Jihad ................................................................................................................................ 19
The raid of Nakhla ................................................................................................................................... 21
The great Battle of Badr .......................................................................................................................... 22
The disastrous Battle of Ohud.................................................................................................................. 23
The Battle of the Ditch (Trench) .............................................................................................................. 24
The Conquest of Mecca and capture of the Ka’ba ................................................................................... 25
Muhammad’s exemplary forgiveness of Meccans ................................................................................... 28
MUHAMMAD’S DEALING WITH THE JEWS ..................................................................... 30
Jewish influence on Muhammad’s mission .............................................................................................. 30
Muhammad’s Exhortation to draw the Jews to Islam .............................................................................. 31
Jewish doctrines in good light in Islam ................................................................................................... 31
Muhammad’s bitterness with the Jews..................................................................................................... 32
Muhammad’s violence against the Jews .................................................................................................. 33
MUHAMMAD’S DEALING WITH THE CHRISTIANS ......................................................... 37
Christian Influence on Muhammad’s mission and creed ......................................................................... 38
Influence of other beliefs and legends on Muhammad’s creed ................................................................ 41
Christian thoughts in Islam ...................................................................................................................... 43
Condemnation of Christianity in the Quran ............................................................................................ 44
Muhammad’s hostility toward Christians ................................................................................................ 45
Muhammad’s anti-Christian hostility in his death-bed ........................................................................... 46
Muhammad’s threatening missives to Christian rulers ........................................................................... 47
Muhammad’s expeditions against Christians .......................................................................................... 47
Muhammad’s dealing with Christian delegations ................................................................................... 48
STATUS OF NON-MUSLIMS IN ISLAM AS ACCORDED BY MUHAMMAD ......................... 49
Idolaters in Islam ..................................................................................................................................... 49
Jews in Islam............................................................................................................................................ 50
Christians in Islam ................................................................................................................................... 50
Chapter IV ......................................................................................................................................................... 53
Propagation of Islam: By Force or Peacefully? ................................................................................................. 53
THE EARLY WARS FOR SPREADING ISLAM ................................................................... 53
MUSLIM SCHOLARS ON THE WARS FOR SPREADING ISLAM ......................................... 59
Protecting sovereignty of the Islamic state .............................................................................................. 60
Overcoming tyranny of foreign rulers ..................................................................................................... 61
Freeing weak countries from oppressive rulers ....................................................................................... 63
Removing tyranny and oppression ........................................................................................................... 63
Welcome in Spain .................................................................................................................................... 66
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Jihad: The Controversies
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WHY SO MANY PEOPLE IN INDIA ARE STILL HINDUS? .................................................. 72
HOW CONVERSION TOOK PLACE IN INDIA? ................................................................... 73
Conversion by the sword ......................................................................................................................... 73
Conversion through enslavement ............................................................................................................ 75
Enslaved women as reproduction tools ................................................................................................... 75
Humiliation & economic burdens contributing to conversion ................................................................ 77
Conversion under brutal Aurangzeb ....................................................................................................... 81
Brutal Conversion in Kashmir................................................................................................................. 82
DECEPTIVE PROPAGANDA ABOUT CONVERSION .......................................................... 83
Voluntary conversion .............................................................................................................................. 83
Conversion of lower caste Hindus ........................................................................................................... 83
Peaceful conversion by Sufis ................................................................................................ 85
Conversion by traders in Southeast Asia ................................................................................................. 99
What enabled the conversion of the otherwise resistant infidels of Southeast Asia to Islam so quickly
after Muslims gained political power? .................................................................................................. 103
CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................... 108
Chapter V ........................................................................................................................................................ 111
The Arab-Islamic Imperialism ........................................................................................................................ 111
ISLAMIC IMPERIALISM: QURANIC COMMANDS & PROPHETIC MODEL ........................ 112
THE PERCEPTION OF ISLAMIC RULE ............................................................................ 115
WHY ISLAMIC RULE IS NOT COLONIALISM? ................................................................ 117
ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION IN ISLAMIC EXPANSION ................................................... 119
THE CULTURAL IMPERIALISM OF ISLAM ..................................................................... 124
CONTRIBUTION OF ISLAM TO CONQUERED LANDS ..................................................... 130
Prohibition of intellectual pursuits in Islam .......................................................................................... 133
Islam egalitarian or racist? ................................................................................................................... 135
Islam’s extirpation of egalitarian Buddhism ......................................................................................... 138
How the Muslim world excelled intellectually and materially? ............................................................ 139
CALLING THE COLONIES HOME ................................................................................... 141
Chapter VI ...................................................................................................................................................... 145
Islamic Imperialism in India ........................................................................................................................... 145
THE ISLAMIC CONQUEST AND RULE ........................................................................... 147
INDIA BEFORE THE COMING OF ISLAM ....................................................................... 153
An advanced civilization ....................................................................................................................... 153
Muslim code of war ............................................................................................................................... 157
Tolerance & chivalry of Hindu rulers during the Muslim period ......................................................... 160
HINDU-MUSLIM DIVIDE: A BRITISH INVENTION? ........................................................ 164
HINDU-MUSLIM DISCORD, PARTITION OF INDIA & BRITISH COMPLICITY ................... 167
The Mopla Rebellion ............................................................................................................................. 170
Direct Action riots in Calcutta .............................................................................................................. 172
Anti-Hindu riots move to East Bengal ................................................................................................... 175
Hindu counterattack in Bihar ................................................................................................................ 176
Riots move to Pakistan .......................................................................................................................... 177
Sikh and Hindu Retaliation ................................................................................................................... 180
Premeditated ethnic cleansing of Hindus and Sikhs .............................................................................. 181
Ethnic cleansing of Muslims .................................................................................................................. 183
Who bears the responsibility? ............................................................................................................... 185
ISLAM’S IMPACT ON THE SOCIAL, INTELLECTUAL & CULTURAL LIFE OF INDIA ........ 186
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Islamic Jihad
On Education and learning .................................................................................................................... 186
Caste system worsened .......................................................................................................................... 188
Islam created the practice of Jauhar ..................................................................................................... 190
Sati worsened under the Muslim rule .................................................................................................... 191
Islam promoted child-marriage ............................................................................................................. 191
Islam created the deadly thuggee cult.................................................................................................... 192
ISLAM’S IMPACT ON RELIGIOUS DEMOGRAPHICS: PAST & PRESENT .......................... 195
LEGACY ....................................................................................................................... 199
Chapter VII ...................................................................................................................................................... 203
Islamic Slavery ................................................................................................................................................ 203
THE QURANIC SANCTION OF SLAVERY ....................................................................... 204
THE PROPHETIC MODEL OF SLAVERY ......................................................................... 206
SLAVERY IN THE ANCIENT WORLD ............................................................................. 207
ENSLAVEMENT BY MUSLIMS IN INDIA ........................................................................ 209
ENSLAVEMENT BY MUSLIMS ELSEWHERE .................................................................. 217
THE OTTOMAN DEWSHIRME ....................................................................................... 219
STATUS OF SLAVES ..................................................................................................... 221
SUFFERING OF SLAVES ................................................................................................ 222
FATE OF SLAVES ......................................................................................................... 228
SEX-SLAVERY & CONCUBINAGE ................................................................................. 235
ISLAMIC SLAVE-TRADE ............................................................................................... 241
EUROPEAN SLAVES ..................................................................................................... 244
THE VIKING SLAVE-TRADE & MUSLIM CONNECTION ................................................. 246
EUROPEAN SLAVE-TRADE & ISLAMIC COMPLICITY .................................................... 248
DENIALS OF ISLAMIC SLAVERY .................................................................................. 249
Humane treatment of slaves in Islam ..................................................................................................... 252
Islam aggravated slavery ....................................................................................................................... 253
Slavery, theologically & historically, an integral part of Islam ............................................................ 253
SPECIAL CRUELTY AND CASUALTY OF ISLAMIC SLAVERY ........................................ 255
ABOLITION OF SLAVERY & ISLAMIC RESISTANCE ...................................................... 256
EUROPEAN STRUGGLE AGAINST ISLAMIC SLAVERY IN NORTH AFRICA .................... 257
The British struggle ............................................................................................................................... 257
The British-led European strike-back .................................................................................................... 263
MUSLIM RESISTANCE AGAINST THE OTTOMAN BAN ON SLAVERY ............................ 264
CONTINUATION & REVIVAL OF SLAVERY IN MUSLIM COUNTRIES ............................. 265
MUSLIMS BRING SLAVERY TO THE WEST ................................................................... 267
CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................... 268
Chapter VIII .................................................................................................................................................... 269
The Last Word ................................................................................................................................................. 269
Bibliography .................................................................................................................................................... 273
Index ................................................................................................................................................................ 277

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