THE CHRISTIAN MODEL

Modern technology and communication have rendered the propagation of Islam possible at a global level. There are innumerable such developments that are totally in favour of Islam and they have all been the products of Western civilization. Whereas, according to the Christian model as mentioned in the Quran, Muslims should have adopted the peaceful method. They should have abandoned the battlefield of violence and adopted the peaceful field of dawah (conveying the message of God). They held these colonial powers as their enemies and engaged in violent confrontation against them. Instead they should have considered these powers as their madu (one to whom the divine message is to be conveyed) and peacefully conveyed the divine message to them. Had they done so, without doubt the prediction of the Quran with respect to the Christians would have come true for them as well. “We supported the believers against their opponents and they triumphed over them.” (61: 14) The second model set by the Christians ensued after the Crusades. After their defeat in the Crusades, the Christians had devoted themselves to the peaceful field of scientific research and for the first time in the world, the laws of nature were uncovered bringing modern civilization into existence. As a result, all of humankind benefited in countless ways. Muslims failed completely in following this second example also. In the Christian model related in the Quran, there was a message for the Muslims that if their efforts in confronting the Western powers was proving futile, they should have revised their policy. It is this revision which is referred to in the Quran as, “Turning to God in repentance, every one of you.” (24: 31) This act of revision would require Muslims to turn away from the field of confrontation and devote themselves completely in constructive activities. However, Muslims in their extreme hatred for the West failed to comprehend this constructive thinking. Had Muslims shed their negativity and developed positive thinking, they would have discerned that the accomplishments of the Christian nations were precisely in their favour. The resulting modern civilization that has come into existence has opened the doors to the service of religion and dissemination of the divine message of Islam. The Prophet of Islam had predicted that in times to come, God would make secular people play a supporting role in favour of His religion. These feats of the Western Christian nations must be acknowledged as such a supporting