Author: Abd Al-Da'em Al-Kaheel

Translated by: Magdy Abd Al-Shafy

Edited by Defending-Islam.com staff

(Original Source: http://www.55a.net/firas/en1/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=108:-prophet-Mohammed-predicted-the-swift-spread-of-islam&catid=61:historical&Itemid=90 )

An overall look on the past and the present of Islam

Here is a new astounding prophecy; in this prophecy Prophet Muhammad (Salla Allahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) predicted the swift spread of Islam and that Islam would cover the whole of the earth. We will get to know this through the modern statistics regarding the number of Muslims all over the world.

Islam has begun with just one person: he was prophet Muhammad (Salla Allahu Alayhi Wa Sallam). The number of Muslims has become more than one billion four hundred million Muslims now!!! What is the reason behind this astounding swift spread of the number of Muslims and what do the international statistics says about the number of Muslims nowadays?

There are more than 4200 religions all over the world (1) and the statistics says the Islam is the most widely –spread religion as in 1999 the number of Muslims reached 1200 million Muslims (2), Nowadays the number of Muslims is growing increasingly in the six known continents as follows (3):

In Asia, the total number of Muslims has reached 780 Million.

In Africa, the total number of Muslims has reached 308 Million.

In Europe, the total number of Muslims has reached 32 Million.

In America, the total number of Muslims has reached 7 Million.

In Australia, the total number of Muslims has reached 358 thousand.

The growth of the Moslem population (rate)

The number of Muslims was  less than the number of Christians in 1900 , but the number of the Muslims will be more than the number of the Christians because of the great growth the Islamic religion .(4)
In 1900 the percentage of Muslims was 12.4% while the number of Christians was 26.9%.

In 1980 the percentage of Muslims all over the world was 16.5% while the percentage of Christians was 30%.

In 2000 the percentage of Muslims was 19.2% while the percentage of Christians was 29.8%.

But in 2025 the percentage of the Muslims will be 30% but the percentage of Christians will be 25%.

And now we come to the conclusion that Islam is increasing at the rate of 2.9%
a year and this is the highest rate of growth in the world. (5)

How did the prophet discuss this matter?

Through an astounding prophetical miracle , our great prophet showed  that Islam will cover the whole of the earth , prophet Muhammad (Salla Allahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said " Islam will go as far as day and night go" and this means that Islam will reach every part in the earth that day and the night reach and this is what has happened because in every country now you can find Muslims , and if we remember that  prophet Muhammad (Salla Allahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said these words when the Muslims were very few in number, in addition to their weakness, also they were in conditions that  were so hard that no one could expect that Islam would spread to reach each corner of the earth, and thus we will understand the greatness of this miracle . This hadith (traditional saying of the prophet) - to Muslims - was a consolation over their weakness and their being few in number. If Muhammad (Salla Allahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) hadn't been a prophet sent from Allah, he would not have dared to tell his companions that Islam would stretch to every corner in the earth – how could he be sure of this?!
Only Allah, who knows the Unseen, told Muhammad (Salla Allahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) of this fact so as to tell his companions about it more than 1400 years ago and also to be a true sign of his prophethood.

Also one of the indications of this miracle is that prophet Muhammad (Salla Allahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) associated the spread of Islam with day and night, and as you know that day and night reach every point in the earth, Islam does that too. This was something that could not be imagined at that time. Another important scientific miracle is latent in the above mentioned words of prophet Muhammad (Salla Allahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) is that no one – at that time –knew how far day and night go at that time, and no one knew at that time that the earth is round in shape and no one dared to imagine that Islam would stretch to every corner in the earth.

How did the holy Qu'ran comment on this matter?

Allah says in the Holy Qu'ran: " Fain would they put out the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah disdaineth (aught) save that He shall perfect His light, however much the disbelievers are averse. He it is who hath sent His messenger with the guidance and the Religion of Truth, that He may cause it to prevail over all religions, however much the idolaters may be averse. "

After you contemplate about this verse "He may cause it to prevail over all religions" don't you think that it is a sign that Islam will be the most widely-spread religion all over the world? And this is what will happen soon, by the will of Allah!  Statistics says that Islam will be the most widely-spread religion by numbers in the year 2025 and this fact is accurate and not an overstatement,
as these statistics were made by non-Muslims scientists.

References:

(1) www.adherents.com

(2) CAIR (Council on American-Islamic relations) (1999)

(3) Britannica Yearbook, 1997

(4) Muslim Population Statistics, www.muslim-canada.org

(5) Sato Tsugitaka, Muslim Societies, Routledge,UK, 2004.