Growth of Muslim Population in Medieval India, A.D. 1000–1800 c20.s1.8

c20.s1.8

Side by side the government's. efforts was the proselytizing activity of the Muslim missionaries. It is however not clear how far Sufi and other Mashaikh were interested in the work of conversion and what amount of success they achieved in this regard. Following in the footsteps of T.W. Arnold,⁸ Titus, Aziz Ahmad and Mujeeb assert that conversions to Islam were mainly a result of the labours of the mystics.⁹ On the other hand Mohammad Habib and A.A. Rizvi say that Sufi Mashaikh were not interested in effecting conversions. Prof. Habib says, "The Musalmans have no missionary labours to record......*We find no trace of any missionary movements for converting non-Muslims* (italics by the author himself). Medieval Islam was a converting creed, but it failed to develop any missionary activity...... So far as our country is concerned we have to confess frankly that no trace of a missionary movement for the conversion of non-Muslims has yet been discovered." In a footnote he adds : "Some cheap mystic books now current attribute conversion to Muslim mystics on the basis of miracles they performed. So in order to believe in the conversions one has to believe in the miracles also. But all such books will be found on examination to be later-day fabrications".¹⁰ Prof. Rizvi arrives at the same conclusion. He simply says that "the early mystic records (*Malfuzat* and *Maktubat*), contain no mention of conversion of the people to Islam by these saints."¹¹