was assassinated. He is responsible for firmly establishing Islam on the Arab Peninsula, the first written version of the Qur'an and fulfilling Muhammad's command that " no two religions are to exist on the Arab Peninsula." All these events were carried out through the act of offensive war also known as jihad. This is one of many verses found in the Qur'an that supports jihad.
YUSUFALI: Fighting is prescribed for you, and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not.
Abu Bakr's successor, Umar, Islam expanded the Muslim Empire also through jihad. This included the conquest of Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Persia (Iran) and Jerusalem. Umar ruled for ten years.
After Umar's death Islam continued to claim country after country. City after city fell to the Muslim armies. Most of Spain fell, all of North Africa fell and France was now under threat, if France falls this would lead to an easy defeat of Italy. Damascus fell, Constantinople would fall after many years of fighting. Southern Italy was under attack.
The Battle of Tours.
The Christian commander Charles Martel (The Hammer) defeats a large army of Spanish Moors, who were Muslims, near Poitiers France. The battle which took place in 732 AD, halted the Muslim advance into Western Europe. The Muslim commander Abd-ar-Rahman was killed in the fighting, the moors retreated, and never again returned in such force.
Where Islam ruled, Christian churches were burned, Holy Sites were destroyed. Christians were required to pay the "submission tax" to the Muslims. Those who were spared death by beheading would be sold as slaves and their property confiscated. In the year 1064 seven thousand Christians were ambushed on the way to worship in Jerusalem, which was under the control of Islam, most of which were killed.
In 1076 Christians on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to visit the Holy Places, those that had not yet been destroyed by the Muslims, found that the pilgrimage had become more difficult. A poll-tax had been imposed on visitors, some were harassed, others robbed and some were even enslaved.
On June 8,632 AD, Muhammad died, throughtout the next four hundred and sixty three years, Christians of Europe suffered under both the rule of Islam, and the relentless attacks of Muslims determined to bring both Christians and non-believers to an involuntary submission to Allah.
It was time for Christians to rise up and defend themselves and their faith. Thus the Christian Crusades were begun.
The first Major Christian Crusade (Holy War) began in 1096 the last crusade 1258. The total number of Crusades recorded by historians is nine. The Crusades centered around the city of Jerusalem, and reclaiming the lands that had been lost to Islam. During these Crusades Christian Crusaders killed both Muslim and Jews.
Richard the Lionhearted recaptured Jerusalem in 1187, which was once again under Muslim control. He executed 2,700 Muslim prisoners in one day.
The Christian Crusades were just as brutal as the Muslim Crusades and most Historians agree that the Christian Crusades were a very limited success.
Islam on the Defensive.
As the ottoman Empire declined, along with the Berlin Conference of 1884, in which the Colonial powers divided Africa among themselves, and began the era of Colonial reign. Great Britain took most of Muslim north Africa, France and Italy took control of areas that were formally under Muslim control. Many modern national boundaries were laid during this conference. This lead to Islam losing control of these lands and the Muslims found themselves on the defensive. The sending of Christian Missionary's into these countries is considered a crime by most Muslims even today.
The final insult came when Britain granted the Jewish people a homeland in Palestine, and Muslims lost control of Jerusalem.
There are some Historians, and most Muslims agree, have written that the Crusades ended four hundred sixty three years peaceful co-existence between Islam and Christianity.
Peace under Islam for the Christian means two things. One that the Christian pays the "protection tax" or "submission tax," and secondly that the Christians follow the mandates that are set in place by the Muslim leadership.
Under Umar Christians did have some degree of protection. Churches and cross were not to be demolished, and Christians were not to be attacked nor were Christians compelled to revert (convert to Islam).
On the surface this sounds like a suitable arrangement that Christians could live with. However there is more, Christians have no right to build new places of worship, nor can they remodel a church in Muslim control lands. Muslims have the right to destroy every church in the conquered land if they so choose, Christens could not share their faith. Any Christian that violated these rules could be put to death.
This is verified in the Qur'an:
PICKTHAL: And if they incline to peace, incline thou also to it, and trust in Allah. Lo! He, even He, is the Hearer, the Knower. Surah 008:061
PICKTHAL: Fight against such of those who have been given the Scripture as believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, and forbid not that which Allah hath forbidden by His messenger, and follow not the Religion of Truth, until they pay the tribute readily, being brought low. Surah 009:029
The very nature of Islam is that of conquest and domination. Some historians have been very critical of the Christian Crusades, while ignoring the fact that Islam is determined to bring the world under submission to Allah. The mission and message of Islam is ongoing.