The External Target

2. The Call to God and Unity ~ 46 ~ were, however, nations like Ethiopia, Maldives, Indonesia and Malaysia who desisted from wielding arms against the Muslims, thus allowing Islam to flourish in these countries. The process of the popularisation of Islam among the earlier non-Muslim nations began soon after the death of the Prophet, and continued successfully for about three decades. This entire span of time witnessed the Muslims’ concerted and united efforts to communicate the message of Islam among other nations. YEAR OF UNITY The process of popularizing Islam through the collective efforts of Muslims was hampered in the last days of the third pious caliph ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan when Muslims, in an excess of zeal over the internal crusade, diverted their attention to the domestic sphere. There they entered into conflict with their own rulers in the name of political reform. The internal dispute heightened to such an extent that the people of a particular Muslim sect did not shrink even from assassinating their own caliph.