A few, who are unaware of the reality below the surface of
events, who cannot feel the pulse of the world under their fingers, who do not
know what a massive dose of truth must be administered to heal this chronic old
disease of falsehood, believe that the Faith can only be spread by the sword,
and bolster their opinion with the Tradition, “I am a Prophet by the sword.”
If, however, they would carefully examine this question, they would see that in
this day and age the sword is not a suitable means for promulgating the Faith,
for it would only fill peoples’ hearts with revulsion and terror. According to
the Divine Law of Muhammad, it is not permissible to compel the People of the
Book to acknowledge and accept the Faith. While it is a
sacred obligation devolving on every conscientious believer in the unity of God
to guide mankind to the truth, the Traditions “I am a Prophet by the sword” and
“I am commanded to threaten the lives of the people until they say, ‘There is
none other God but God’” referred to the idolaters of the Days of Ignorance,
who in their blindness and bestiality had sunk below the level of human beings.
A faith born of sword thrusts could hardly be relied upon, and would for any
trifling cause revert to error and unbelief. After the ascension of Muhammad,
and His passing to “the seat of truth, in the presence of the potent King,” [Qur’án
54:55] the tribes around Medina apostatized from their Faith, turning back to
the idolatry of pagan times. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘The Secret of Divine
Civilization’)
