Islamic Legacy in Early Years and Other Cultures

Hasan Yahya, Ph.D

  This articles describes the impact of Islam on other cultures. Islam in fact, was a new movement rejected initially like any other movement for change. It was rejected for political and tribal supremacy reasons. The main idea behind rejection was changing perceptions of worship from several idols to One God. The second reason was to release a new concept for freedom of slavery and treating slaves on equal basis with their owners. [this concept was practiced in late times in America Lincoln] In so doing, anarchy and resistance to this strange unacceptable concept in that time [the seventh century A.D], was organized and launched to defeat it. The struggle of early years created a chaos among early followers of Islam. Islam was close to be defeated. The idea of changing to better environment was only possible through migration from the place of rejection and resistance, to the more secure place, [Medina Munawwarah-Enlightened city].

Even though the beginnings of Islam go back to Muhammad’s nativity after his move to Medina in the year 622 A.D., Islam was established not simply as a body of private religious belief but involved a whole community spectrum of government, laws, and institutions with than year. Muslims recognized and adopted that year as their first year of Islamic Calendar.

The new community in virtually short time controlled all Western Arabia and ;looked around to conquer new worlds. The Persian and Roman up-north of the Arabian Peninsula.

It is obvious that one can be forced to follow other religion, but not in the case of Islam, the total populations in the newly opened societies have followed Islam for internal and external social and political reasons. The idea of forcing people to be Muslims is against the Will of God. Because God of Islam gave the freedom for people to worship One God. If they choose otherwise, the punishment was postponed to the Day of Judgment. Where two categories of people were destined to Heaven or destined to Hell according to God’s will.

Take for example, Egypt, however in four years after Muhammad’s death was added to the new Muslim empire. And Persia, India, all Syria and Iraq within six years were tributary to Medina.

 Alexander the Great began in Greece, his conquer reached the known world in his time, Ganges Khan did the same, with the great differences of goals and consequences, Britain was the largest commonwealth on earth, America and Soviet Union in the so-called Cold War period did the same as Muhammad for years, but not for religious reasons, but for political one, domination and exploiting other people. Millions of people came to America and adopted the American style and worldview, the same can be said to the Soviet Union, other people rejected both and tried to be non-aligned to West or East, such as Egypt, Yugoslavia [in Titu’s times], India and tens of other countries in the 1950s and 1960s. Both systems were attacked  as brutal toward the other who resist their worldview. All these forces were defeated with no religious consequences. Why then Islam is accused by the same nations today, when it comes to religion, but not to politics. Islamic invasion to those countries convert to Islam, and they had the choice to get rid of Islam as soon as Arabs left the countries. But they did not. This point have to be discussed further to find more deficiencies among invaders other than Muslims. Where Islam remained in far lands a religion, after the collapse of Muslim Empire. (598 words) www.hasanyahya.com