# Was Islam spread by the sword? *Was Islam spread by the sword? Yasir Qadhi's talk on empire and conversion* - URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/_dsmpiar0bm/s/1/ - Date: 2019-12-16 · Kind: question · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: A Response to Yasir Qadhi: "Islam was spread by the sword" | Mufti Abu Layth (0:01–3:11) - Status: general teaching - Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dSMPIAR0BM&t=1s - Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/_dsmpiar0bm/ **Topics:** Orthodoxy and how Islam spread; Exchanges with Yasir Qadhi **Question as asked:** A question about compulsion: Yasir Qadhi has said in a recent talk that Islam was spread by force and that people embraced Islam because their kings did; is that the case? **Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Mufti Abu Layth says it is simply not true that Islam was spread by the sword, though there was surely compulsion in some places, and that it was wrong. **Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says the claim that Islam was spread by the sword is simply not true, though he is sure there was compulsion in certain places. **Evidence, his words at 2:32:** “the truth is that that's that that is no way the case it isn't simply not true now I'm not saying that there was never compulsion I'm sure there was compulsion in certain places it would have been wrong” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dSMPIAR0BM&t=152s) ## Longer summary Mufti Abu Layth takes up a question about compulsion prompted by a recent talk by Yasir Qadhi, which he says has delighted many ex-Muslims and some Islamophobes. He says that, from the part he listened to, Qadhi seems to say that Islam was spread by force and by empire, that people by and large embraced Islam because their kings did, and that while not everyone was forced, most people probably were; he thinks Qadhi may be trying to do a good thing by provoking critical thought in his audience, and says he considers him a friend. He describes a YouTube video by a critic, whose name the transcript does not render, who plays the clip and thanks Qadhi for saying Islam was not peace and love but spread by the sword. He then says this is simply not true, while adding that he is sure there was compulsion in certain places, which would have been wrong, as in any human society, and notes that Qadhi mocks the 'Sunday school' story that places such as Malaysia embraced Islam through traders. ## Sources and names cited - Yasir Qadhi ## Transcript (machine tier, 0:01–3:11) [0:01] right yes and I'll be let's take a look at this question somebody asked about compulsion right Yasir Qadhi sure sure yes sir Adi Sahib dammit Mercato hialeah so she has a card he has done a talk recently that has been much to the delight of many ex-muslims and some Islamophobes where he seems to be kind of if I listen to not the entire thing but I listened to those that part ways discussing this about Islam where [0:40] he seems to be stating that Islam that Islam was spread by force and he seems to be saying yes and it was and what like you know he's I think he might be trying to do a good thing he I think what he's trying to do is provoke critical thought in his audience but this is what the lecture goes out like so the lecture was more like oh you know that there was all right right so the [1:17] lecture was about I mean it gets to this point where says how do you think Islam was spread it says by Empire thank you and you know people embraced Islam because their kings embraced Islam by and large this is how he says it and so I watched a video vid clips about this clip about this we a video on YouTube where he's posing and he's going through this whole kind of speech and he's encouraging is very grateful to share here Sephardi for having made these statements that Islam it wasn't really lovey-dovey wasn't peace and love and [1:54] all that hippie stuff it was really about just spread by the sword in essence he said I'm not saying mediate said look I'm not I mean I like video it's you know I consider him a friend but I'm in the just say video it's a I'm not saying everybody was forced but I would assume or he'd assume that most people probably were now and this seems to echo what she has her god he is saying in his speech because he's playing the clip that seems to be what yes of how do you sing so what do we [2:32] think about this now the truth is that that's that that is no way the case it isn't simply not true now I'm not saying that there was never compulsion I'm sure there was compulsion in certain places it would have been wrong but I'm sure there was I mean just like in any other human society you're going to get good politics bad politics you're going to get things but that was never the case and I think it's not you know the questions that are being asked like yes of Carly says oh the stories they tell you in Sunday school by traders they ## Cite Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment _dSMPIAR0BM/s/1. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/_dsmpiar0bm/s/1/ Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. 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