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Islamic History - the Khilafah, its return, Battle of Badr, Battle of Uhud - was Islam spread by the sword?

Islamic history is an entire field of study on its own, from the great victorious battles, to the start of modern thinking. Islam was and always has been at the forefront of the way we think today. Read about how this religion has been shaped in history.

Battle of Badr Parts I and II by Martin Lings
In the history of the Arabs many a battle had been averted at the last minute, even when the two forces were drawn up face to face. But the Prophet was now certain that the battle would take place, and that this formidable array was the one of the two parties that he had been promised. The vultures also knew that carnage was imminent and they were already in wait to feed on the carcasses of the slain, some wheeling overhead and others perched on the rocky slopes in the rear of either army. It was, moreover, clear from the movements of Quraysh that they were preparing to attack. They were already near and now halted within easy reach of the cistern which the Muslims had made. It seemed likely that their first move would be to take possession of it. "Battle of Badr by Martin Lings" read more >>>

Ward the Pirate by Abdal-Hakim Murad
Were they pirates, or were they warriors for Islam? For centuries, historians have debated the significance of one of the most stirring episodes in the history of Britain’s Muslim minority. Men such as Captain John Ward of Kent astounded their compatriots by proudly adopting Islam to fight the Inquisition and the expansionist powers of Europe. Contemporaries called such men ‘corsairs’; they themselves considered themselves mujahidin. Some were among the most pious Muslims this country has yet produced. Others were famous drunkards and lechers. Ward the Pirate by Abdal-Hakim Murad read more >>>