Mohammed

I did read a third of the Koran maybe 25 years ago. I found much of it like Isiah in the Old Testament, full of high-level language with all sorts of symbols and allusions. Hard to understand without a good background in history. Maybe I should try again. I still have that book.

The "conquering to spread Islam" sounds like a warlike mentality. I am sure there are a few evangelical Christians who could justify holding people at gunpoint to get them to convert or recant. But there are laws that prevent them from doing so.

Conquering is what strong nations did in those days. There was probably a lot of peer pressure for young men to join the army and help conquer weaker nations. Maybe the "spread of Islam" softened the warlike intent. It sounds like a "political spin" to me.

Even in pagan Europe, the initial spread was quite peaceful, with the missionaries winning the minds and hearts of the people and rulers. Only after Christianity became established did all those religious wars start in Europe.