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or development programs over the “ invaded” areas? Finally, did Arabia, all of a
sudden feel the threat of a “ population explosion” which forced the Muslims to carry
out adventurous wars and / or economic explorations?
The attempt to interpret the Muslim contacts with non- Muslims in terms of economic
needs may sound novel and worthy of sympathy, but it does not seem to have much
truth in it or carry much bearing on serious scholarship. The least reservation that can
be made as regards this attempt is that it is so far from being satisfactory and
complete. There is so much yet to be done in terms of research, investigation, analysis
and comparison. Until this is done, no critic has any moral right to pass his own
theoretical assumptions as valid or binding. This presents another gracious invitation
of Islam to all critics to make more serious attempts to search for the truth
5. There is not much need to take as serious the opinions of those who consider the
Muslim wars in terms of plunder and loot. What can be more casual or more
stereotyped than such an opinion? It is a short cut in the field of scholarship and an
easy way out of some Intellectual and moral problems, but it is so far from being the
truth. The same questions of points 3 and 4 above can be asked again, just to find out
how much loot the Muslim adventurers took or sent back to Arabia, and how many of
their men returned home with spoils. This is not to mention the flourishing, the
renaissance and prosperity of the “ looted” territories under these very “ looters” . It is
not even to mention the harsh persecutions and heavy losses of lives and properties
inflicted on Muslims, or the provocation and threats hurled at them. It is simply an
appeal to those of such an opinion to make more careful studies of the case and
present more responsible conclusions. However, they have to remember that whatever
loot collected by the Muslims was very little compared to what they had lost by
confiscation, usurpation, persecution and other provocative action inflicted on them
from the hostile camps
Whether or not the critics of these various grades accept the point of view of this
survey, the fact remains that Islam is the religion of peace in the fullest sense of the
term; that unjust war was never among its teachings; that aggression was never in its
tenets or tolerated by it; that force was never employed to impose it on anyone; that
the expansion of Islam was never due to compulsion or oppression; that
misappropriation was never forgivable by God or acceptable to Islam; and that
whoever distorts or misrepresents the Islamic teachings will do more harm to his own
self and his associates than to Islam. Because it is the religion of God and the straight
path to Him, it survived under the most difficult conditions, and it will survive to be
the safe bridge to happy eternity. Should these critics have any doubt about this fact,
they would be wise to study Islam, re-read the Qur’ an, and refresh their memory of
history
The fact that economic prosperity and cultural renaissance followed the spread of
Islam into the “ conquered” regions does not necessarily mean that the Muslims were
after economic gains and military spoils. Even if such alleged gain and spoils became
incentives in later periods of Islamic history, it still does not follow that Islam prefers
war to peace and the Muslims relish war spoils. There are better explanations. One of
these should be very clear to those who are familiar with the classical discussion of
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism where Protestantism, along with
other factors, led to the rise of modern capitalism. No serious mind would contend
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