CHAPTER VII.

THE SPREAD OF ISLAM IN PERSIA AND CENTRAL ASIA.

Religious condition of Persia at the time of the Arab conquest.
Islam welcomed by many sections of the population. Points of
similarity between the older faiths and Islam. Toleration.
Conversions to Islam. The Ismā'ilians and their missionary
system. Islam in Central Asia and Afghānistān

CHAPTER VIII.

THE SPREAD OF ISLAM AMONG THE MONGOLS AND TARTARS.

PAGE

. 177

Account of the Mongol conquests. Buddhism, Christianity_and
Islam in rivalry for the allegiance of the Mongols. Their
original religion, Shamanism, described. Spread of Buddhism,
of Christianity, and of Islam respectively among the Mongols.
Difficulties that stood in the way of Islam. Cruel treatment of
the Muslims by some Mongol rulers. Early converts to Islam.
Baraka Khan, the first Mongol prince converted. Conversion of
the Ilkhans. Conversion of the Jagatay Mongols. History of
Islam under the Golden Horde: Uzbeg Khan: failure of attempts
to convert the Russians. Spread of Islam in modern times in
the Russian Empire. The conversion of the Tartars of Siberia. 185

CHAPTER IX.

THE SPREAD OF ISLAM IN INDIA.

Distribution of the Muhammadan population. Part taken by the
Muhammadan rulers in the propagation of Islam: conversion
of Rajputs and others.-The work of the Muslim missionaries in
India; in South India, proselytising labours of Ibn Malik and
his companions, forced conversions under Haydar 'Ali and Tipū
Sultan, the Mappila :-in the Maldive Islands :-in the Deccan,
early Arab settlements, labours of individual missionaries :-in
Sind, the rule of the Arabs, their toleration, account of individual
missionaries, conversion of the Khojahs and Borahs :-in Bengal,
the Muhammadan rule in this province, extensive conversions of
the lower castes, religious revival in recent times.-Particular
account of the labours of Muslim missionaries in other parts of
India. Propagandist movements of modern times. Circum-
stances facilitating the progress of Islam: the oppressiveness of
the Hindu caste system, worship of Muslim saints, etc.-Spread
of Islam in Kashmir and Thibet.

CHAPTER X.

THE SPREAD OF ISLAM IN CHINA.

Early notices of Islam in China. Authorities for the history of the
spread of Islam: Vasil'ev, De Thiersant, Sayyid Sulayman.
Intercourse of the Chinese with the Arabs; spread of Islam in
the north-west; influence of the Mongol conquest. Spread of
Islam in the south early Arab settlements: Wahab ibn Abi
Kabshah. Relations of the Chinese Muslims to the Chinese
Government. Their efforts to spread their religion.

208

242

CHAPTER XI.

THE SPREAD OF ISLAM IN AFRICA.

The Arabs in Northern Africa: conversion of the Berbers: the
mission of 'Abdu-llah ibn Yassin. Introduction of Islam into
the Sudan: rise of Muhammadan kingdoms: account of mission-
ary movements, Danfodio, 'Uthmānu-l Amir Ghani, the Qādri-
yah, the Tijaniyah, and the Sanusiyah. Spread of Islam on
the West Coast: Ashanti: Dahomey. Spread of Islam on the
East Coast: early Muslim settlements: the Galla: the Somali.
Islam in Cape Coast Colony. Account of the Muslim mission-
aries in Africa and their methods of winning converts

PAGE

258

Early intercourse between the Malay Archipelago and Arabia and
India. Methods of missionary work. History of Islam in
Sumatra; in the Malay Peninsula; in Java; in the Moluccas ;
in Borneo; in Celebes; in Mindanao and the Sulu Islands;
among the Papuans. The Muslim missionaries: traders: ḥājīs 293

CHAPTER XIII.

CONCLUSION.

Absence of missionary organisation in Islam: zeal on the part of
individuals. Who are the Muslim missionaries? Causes that
have contributed to their success: the simplicity of the Muslim
creed: the rationalism and ritualism of Islam. Islam not spread
by the sword. The toleration of Muhammadan governments.
Circumstances contributing to the progress of Islam in ancient
and in modern times

APPENDIX I.

Jihad meaning of the word: passages in the Qur'an in which it

332

Letter of Al Hashimi inviting Al Kindi to embrace Islam.

APPENDIX III.

Controversial literature between Muslims and the followers of
other faiths

APPENDIX IV.

Converts to Islam that have not come under direct missionary
influences

TITLES OF WORKS CITED BY ABBREVIATED REFERENCES
INDEX

359

361

· 373

• 384

EVER since Professor Max Müller delivered his lecture in Westminster Abbey, on the day of intercession for missions, in December, 1873, it has been a literary commonplace, that the six great religions of the world may be divided into missionary and non-missionary; under the latter head will fall Judaism, Brahmanism and Zoroastrianism, and under the former Buddhism, Christianity and Islam; and he has well defined what the term,a missionary religion,-should be taken to mean, viz. one "in which the spreading of the truth and the conversion of unbelievers are raised to the rank of a sacred duty by the founder or his immediate successors. . . . It is the spirit of truth in the hearts of believers which cannot rest, unless it manifests itself in thought, word and deed, which is not satisfied till it has carried its message to every human soul, till what it believes to be the truth is accepted as the truth by all members of the human family."1

It is such a zeal for the truth of their religion that has inspired the Muhammadans to carry with them the message of Islam to the people of every land into which they penetrate, and that justly claims for their religion a place among those we term missionary. It is the history of the birth of this missionary zeal, its inspiring forces and the modes of its activity that forms the subject of the following pages. The 173 millions of Muhammadans

1 A note on Mr. Lyall's article: "Missionary Religions." Fortnightly Review, July, 1874.

B

scattered over the world at the present day are evidences of its workings through the length of twelve centuries.

An eternal and life-bringing truth, the message of the One God was proclaimed to the people of Arabia in the seventh century, by a prophet under whose banner their scattered tribes became a nation; and filled with the pulsations of this new national life, and with a religious fervour and enthusiasm that imparted an almost invincible strength to their armies, they poured forth over three continents to conquer and subdue. Syria, Palestine, Egypt, North Africa and Persia were the first to fall before them, and pressing westward to Spain and eastward beyond the Indus, the followers of the Prophet found themselves, one hundred years after his death, masters of an empire greater than that of Rome at the zenith of its power.

Although in after years this great empire was split up and the political power of Islam diminished, still its spiritual conquests went on uninterruptedly. When the Mongol hordes sacked Baghdad (A.D. 1258) and drowned in blood the faded glory of the 'Abbasid dynasty, when the Muslims were expelled from Cordova by Ferdinand of Leon and Castile (A.D. 1236), and Granada, the last stronghold of Islam in Spain, paid tribute to the Christian king,Islam had just gained a footing in the island of Sumatra and was just about to commence its triumphant progress through the islands of the Malay Archipelago. In the hours of its political degradation, Islam has achieved some of its most brilliant spiritual conquests on two great historical occasions, infidel barbarians have set their feet on the necks of the followers of the Prophet,the Saljuq Turks in the eleventh and the Mongols in the thirteenth century, and in each case the conquerors have accepted the religion of the conquered. Unaided also by the temporal power and innocent of any political motive, Muslim missionaries have carried their faith into Central Africa, China and the East India Islands.

At the present day the faith of Islam extends from Morocco to Zanzibar, from Sierra Leone to Siberia and China, from Bosnia to New Guinea. Outside the limits of strictly Muhammadan countries and of lands, such as China and Russia, that contain a large Muhammadan population, there are some few small communities of the followers of the Prophet, which bear witness to the faith of Islam in the midst of unbelievers. Such are the

Polish-speaking Muslims of Tartar origin in Lithuania, that inhabit the districts of Kovno, Vilno and Grodno ; the Dutchspeaking Muslims of Cape Colony; and the Indian coolies that have carried the faith of Islam with them to the West India Islands and to British and Dutch Guiana. In recent years, too, Islam has found adherents in England (where the numbers of the converts had risen in 1894 to 137), in North America and Australia.

The spread of this faith over so vast a portion of the globe is due to various causes, social, political and religious: but among these, one of the most powerful factors at work in the production of this stupendous result, has been the unremitted labours of Muslim missionaries, who, with the Prophet himself as their great ensample, have spent themselves for the conversion of unbelievers.

The duty of missionary work is no after-thought in the history of Islam, but was enjoined on believers from the beginning, as may be judged from the following passages in the Qur'an,-which are here quoted in chronological order according to the date of their being delivered.

"Summon thou to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and with kindly warning: dispute with them in the kindest manner. (xvi. 126.)

"They who have inherited the Book after them (i.e. the Jews

and Christians), are in perplexity of doubt concerning it. "For this cause summon thou (them to the faith), and walk uprightly therein as thou hast been bidden, and follow not their desires and say: In whatsoever Books God hath sent down do I believe: I am commanded to decide justly between you: God is your Lord and our Lord: we have our works and you have your works between us and you

let there be no strife: God will make us all one: and to Him shall we return." (xlii. 13-14.)

Similar injunctions are found also in the Medinite Surahs, delivered at a time when Muḥammad was at the head of a large army and at the height of his power.

"Say to those who have been given the Book and to the

ignorant, Do you accept Islam? Then, if they accept Islam, are they guided aright: but if they turn away, then 1 Reclus, vol. v. p. 433.