Most early conversions to Islam were passive failures to keep sacraments, not choices

Evidence

While we have stories of prominent individuals who actively sought out conversion to Islam, in many cases the “conversion” was probably passive: by not seeking the liminal Christian sacraments of baptism and the Eucharist, many ceased to be Christian without choosing to “convert” to Islam. The number of dhimmi gradually, steadily diminished, and the number of Muslims grew in proportion. — John V. Tolan, Saracens, 278

Categorization

• DEFINE: Introduces the concept of passive conversion via lapsed sacramental practice, reshaping how ‘conversion’ is understood.
• DEEPTHINKING: The mechanism of passive apostasy — decline through ritual neglect rather than doctrinal choice — subtly reframes how religious majorities historically formed and deserves rereading.
• SEED: Article angle: religious identity as attrition through ritual drift rather than conversion by belief — comparable to modern secularization patterns.