What were the Muslim armies doing in a country like Spain, which is so far from Arabia? I don’t suppose their presence there or in other far-off countries could be justified on the grounds of self-defence. Do we take it, and I’m sure that we don’t, that they were there to spread Islam by the sword? You see, the two parts of the question are welded together forcibly.
They do not naturally belong to each other. What were the armies of the United States doing in Vietnam only recently? A few years ago, while Vietnam is much farther apart from America, then Spain is from the Arabian Peninsula. Just a moment. Now, if I finish this question by adding, if not for spreading Christianity by sword, then what? Would that be a genuine question? Certainly not. It was a political conquest of a region, or an ideological aid to a people who were considered to be defenceless.
So, there are so many factors in political life, of political people and countries, etc., where wars take place, and they have no religious reason whatsoever. So, the conquests which follow the first spread of Islam, that is the second phase conquest, which were done only in name under caliphate, and when true caliphate, which is Khilafat-e-Rashidah, was no longer there, could not be ascribed to religion. Like the western world was fighting, and still is fighting, each other and others. And nobody attacked Christianity.
So, nobody has a right to attack Islam for these wars, which are political wars. The main reason why people do so is because of the stupidity of Muslim ulema, who are so enthusiastic about mixing religion with politics. And they forcibly let the world believe that every war which a Muslim undertakes is a holy war, and this is for the sake of God.
So, the censure should be directed against these stupid ulema, not against Islam. Now you get it? Thank you. Just a minute. You wanted to say something? Yes sir. That means it is not such, these wars were not such Islamic wars. No. These wars were not jihad in the Islamic terms. These wars were political wars, like the rest of the humanity has always been involved in. That’s right. Yes.
