During the past 20 years, the number of Muslims in the world has increased considerably.
The 1973 statistics indicate that world population of Muslims was 500 million, q reaches today, the 1500 billion. Currently, one in four people is Muslim. Is likely to continue growing Muslim population and Islam will become the largest religion in the world.
The reason for this continued growth is not only the increasing population in Muslim countries, but the large number of people who convert to Islam, a phenomenon that has increased, especially after the attacks on the Twin Towers on 11 September 2001 (henceforth 9 / 11). This attack, condemned by the world, especially the musulames, has attracted the attention of people (especially Americans) to Islam.
People in the West talks about what kind of religion is Islam, which is what the Koran says that Muslims happen obligations as are carried out.
This interest has naturally led to a worldwide increase of people who convert to Islam.
So, the common prediction after the 9 / 11 “this attack changed the course of world history” begins to take shape.
The process of returning to religious and spiritual values that the world has been experiencing for a long time, it has been possible by conversion to Islam.
The extraordinary nature of this fact taken place, we observe the trend that we’ve begun to read the newspapers or heard on television.
This event, usually only news and daily agenda, is now an important indicator of Islamic moral values increase throughout the world.
Just as in the rest of the world, Islam is growing rapidly in Europe.
This event has attracted attention in recent years, as evidenced by many reports, articles published in “The place of Muslims in Europe” and “dialogism between European society and Muslims.”
For these reports, the media has frequently published articles about Islam and Muslims.
The root of this interest lies in the continued growth in Europe’s Muslim population, and this increase is not only due to immigration. While immigration certainly influences the growth of the Muslim population, many studies indicate that it is due to another cause: the large number of converts.
On June 20, 2004, NTV News said that “Islam is the fastest growing religion in Europe”, according to a report published by the French domestic intelligence agency. The report stated that the number of converts in the West had increased, particularly since the attacks of 9 / 11. For example, the number of converts to Islam in France had increased from 30 to 40,000 in the last year.
- The Catholic Church and the Growth of Islam.
The Roman Catholic Church, centered in the Vatican is an institution that follows the trends of conversos.
One of the principal topics of the meeting held in October 1999, comprised mainly by Catholic clergy, was the position of the Church in the new millennium. The main theme of the conference was the rapid growth of Islam in Europe. National Catholic representation reported that some radical individuals raised as the only way to prevent the growing power of Muslims in Europe was being intolerant towards Islam and Muslims, another objective punctuated by rational individuals, was that between the two religions that believed in one God, there could be no conflict or struggle between them.
In one session, Archbishop Karl Lehmann German emphasized that there was an internal pluralism in Islam beyond what Christians perceived, and that such radical claims were not based on truth (1).
Considering the position of Muslims once clarified the position of the Church in the new millennium, according to a poll showed in 1999 by the United Nations between 1989 and 1998 the population of European Muslims had grown over 100%.
Reported that today, there are 13 million Muslims living in Europe, 3.2 million in Germany, 2 million in Great Britain, 4-5 million in France and the rest scattered throughout Europe, but especially in the Balkans. This representation has to be more than 2% of the European population.
- Awareness of Islam grows in Europe.
Relevant research shows that while the number of Muslims in Europe grows, there is also a deep religious consciousness among Muslims. According to the survey conducted by the French newspaper Le Monde in October 2001 compared with 1994 data, concluded that many musulames performed their prayers, went to the Mosque and fasted. Even more acute awareness among college students.
In the report published in 1999, the Turkish magazine Aktufel, said that according to polls in the West believed that in the next 50 years Europe will become one of the main areas of expansion of Islam.
- Islam an inseparable part of Europe.
According to sociological and demographic data, we must not forget that Islam is not something that has happened only recently, Islam today is an inseparable part of Europe.
Europe and the domination of Islam have had a close relationship for centuries. First, the state of Andalusia (756-1492) in the Iberian Peninsula, and later the Crusades (1095 – 1291) and the capture of Ottman in the Balkans (1389), building a constant interplay between the two companies.
Many historians and sociologists claim that Islam was the main cause of the European movement of the passage of the darkness of the Middle Ages to the Renaissance splendor.
In an era where Europe expressed its decline in medicine, astronomy, mathematics and many other fields, Muslims possessed a vast treasure of knowledge and great development potential.
- Join in a common word: monotheism
The growth of Islam is also recently reflected in the growth of interfaith dialogue. These dialogues begin based on the three monotheistic religions that have a common denominator and that can create a link. Since these dialogues have been relatively successful, has engendered an important rapprochement, especially between Christians and Muslims. In the Qur’an, Allah informs us that Muslims invite the People of the Book (Christians and Jews) to unite in a common word:
Say: People of the Book! Come to a common word for everyone: worship only Allah, not associating anything with Him and we do not take one another as lords instead of Allah.
And if they turn away, say:! Bear witness that we are Muslims! (Quran 3-64).
The three monotheistic religions have similar beliefs and common moral values. Existecia believe in God and His unity, Angels, Prophets, the Last Day, Paradise and Hell, all basic pillars of faith. In addition to personal sacrifice, humility, love, tolerance, respect, compassion, honesty, avoid evil and injustice and to act according to conscience, are all commonly considered as moral qualities. Why, since all three religions are on the same level, must work together to eradicate discord, conflict and any damage caused by non-religious ideologies.
Considered from this point of view, interfaith dialogue assumes more and more importance.
The seminars and conferences that bring together representatives of these faiths are regular since the mid-90′s in them, are common messages of peace and brotherhood.
- A current was blessed
When we put all the factors, reveals a strong trend toward Islam in many countries, becoming one of the most embergadura issues for global interests.
This development indicates that the world revolves around a new era, in which the will of God, the increasing importance of Islam and the Qur’an’s moral teachings spread rapidly. Importantly, this significant growth of Islam was announced in the Qur’an 14 centuries ago:
“They want to shut their mouths in the light of Allah, but Allah rejects everything that is not complete their light, though the unbelievers are averse.
It is He Who sent His Messenger with guidance and practice of true worship to make it prevail over all other forms of worship, though the unbelievers are averse. “(Qur’an 9: 32-33)
The spread of Islamic morality is one of God’s promises to believers. Along with these Quranic verses, many sayings of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) declared that the moral teachings of the Koran would prevail. In the last days before the end of the world, humanity will experience a period of injustice, deception, fraud, wars, conflicts, and moral degeneration spread.
Some of his sayings, are listed below:
During this (period), my ummah (people) enjoy a comfortable life, worry-free than ever before possessed.
(The land) will bear fruit and will not stay with nothing, producing a large cluster of them. (Sunan Ibn-I Majah).
The inhabitants of the heavens and the earth will be satisfied. The earth will bear fruit, and the heavens will provide plenty of rain. Of all the good that God granted to the inhabitants of the land, living there wanted the dead back to life again. (Muhkhtasar Tazkirah Qurtubi, p. 437)
The earth will be like a silver tray of growing vegetation (Sunan Ibn-I Majah)
The earth is filled with equality and justice as it was formerly of oppression and tyranny. (Abu Dawud).
Justice will prevail and all q possession has been taken by force back to its owner, is more, the properties of people, however small they may be, will be returned to their owners.
Security is spread throughout the land and even some women can perform their hajj without the company of a man. (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar, p. 23)
Based on these statements, the Golden Age will be full of justice, wholeness, abundance, kindness, security, peace and brotherhood prevail in all mankind, and all experience love, self-sacrifice, tolerance, compassion, mercy and faithfulness.
In the words of our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) this blessed period will occur thanks to Mahdi, who will come to the end of time to save the world from chaos, injustice and moral collapse. Eradicate pagan ideologies and ends with the prevailing injustice. What’s more, he’ll make the religion as it was in time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the Qur’an’s moral teachings will prevail in humanity, establishing peace and good work throughout the world.
The growth that Islam is currently experiencing, along with Turkey’s role in this new era, are signs that the period announced in the Quran and the sayings of the Prophet are very close. It is our sincere desire that God will make us witness this blessed time.
