Sword as a Cultural Symbol or Weapon of Violence in Islam: An analysis

Orientalists like Washington Irving and Wilfred Cantwell Smith coined the idea and spread through their virulent writings that Islam spread through sword. This notion has been once again circulating in the media immediately after the incident of 9/11. Ori- entalists appear to have been uncomfortable with this allegation as they knew very well that political subjugation of people by sword was possible but winning over the hearts of the people by force was impossible. Historically, the Prophet’s (s.a.w.) achievement was the total transformation of man individually as well as socially from all angles, fa-milial, social, economic, cultural, intellectual, educational, moral, political, and spiritual etc. Many well-known scholars have already rebutted the allegation concerning sword of Islam. This paper looks into another dimension of the significance of sword in Arab culture. It tries to trace the socio-cultural value of sword in the history of Arabian Pen- insula.