The Development of World Islam Continent of Europe: from Spain to France
The Development of Islam in Continental Europe
In the description of “The Mercy of Islam for the Universe” published by the Ministry of Education and Culture, it is explained about the development of Islam in several regions of the European continent as follows:
- Andalusia (Spain)
The conquest of Andalusia is very famous for the heroic story of Tariq bin Ziyad. Although his authenticity is doubtful, Tariq is said to have struck the spirit of his soldiers by setting fire to their warships.
As a result, the Muslim soldiers fought tenaciously and succeeded in capturing Andalusia. Since then, Islam’s contact with the European continent began intensely. Moreover, after the fall of the Umayyad dynasty in the Middle East, one of the descendants of the Umayyads, Abdur Rahman, fled to Andalusia.
In Andalusia, Abdur Rahman founded the Umayyad dynasty, which lasted for 265 years, from 756-1065 AD. The Umayyad dynasty in Andalusia was a rival to the Abbasid dynasty in the Middle East. Many prominent scientists were born in the heyday of Islam in Andalusia, such as Abdur Rabbi, Ali ibn Hazm, Al-Khatib, Ibn Khaldun, Al-Bakri Al-Idrisi, Ibn Rushd, Ibn Battuta, and so on.
At that time, Andalusia became the center of civilization and culture. Many students and students from all over the world study in Granada, Cordova, Seville, and Toledo.
2. Russia
Like Andalusia, Russian territory also fell into the hands of Muslims under the rule of the Umayyad dynasty. Commander Qutaibah bin Muslim managed to break through the defenses of Russia during the Caliphate of Walid bin Abdul Malik.
After that, many Russians welcomed the da’wah of Islam. Starting from 86-91 H, all of Russia’s territory was controlled by Islam. Even its influence reached the borders of China.
The remains of Qutaibah bin Muslim that can be seen today is the Qutaibah Jami Mosque in Bukhara. Qutaibah bin Muslim was also the first to allow the translation of the Koran into the local language.
Until now, the Muslim population in Russia has been quite significant. It is estimated that as many as 18 percent of the total 25 million Russian citizens are Muslim. Seeing its rapid development, it is predicted that by 2050, Russia will become the most prominent Islamic country on the European continent.
3. English
several Islamic organizations in the UK help the Muslim population there. For example, the Islamic Council of Europe (The Islamic Council of Europe) is in England.
This organization functions as a watchdog for European culture. There is also the Union of British Islamic Organizations (The Union of Moslem Organizations), the Islamic Foundation, and the Moslem Institute, which are engaged in research.
There are about 1.5 million Muslims in the UK. Islam is the second-largest religion followed by the population, after Christianity.
Apart from the British population, most of the adherents of Islam come from or are of Arab, Turkish, Egyptian, Cyprus, Malaysian, and other descent. In 1985, in Stradford, England, the first Muslim mayor named Muhammad Ajeeb was elected. This indicates that Britain is a religion that is quite tolerant of Islam.
- France
There are many Muslims in France, even the second largest religion followed by the population after Christianity. Apart from the native French, most of the adherents of Islam are immigrants from West Africa, the Middle East, etc.
Currently, the Muslim population in France is around three to four million people, contributing to 5.6{dbc0f4dc5e688f52cde309d7634f18d42a39de32cf6e173a5dd852776500bf06} of the total population of France. There are many controversies regarding the situation of Muslims in France, ranging from the case of showing the caricature of the Prophet Muhammad in Charlie Hebdo magazine, the possibility of terrorism, to the phobia of Islam.
The French Islamic organization Le Conseil Français du Culte Musulman (CFCM) recently signed the Republican Values Charter rejecting Islamic radicalization to adapt its teachings to French secular values. Muslim women in France also face discrimination by banning wearing the veil and the burqa in public.
