Sheik Yusuf Estes on his regular broadcasts, speaks out about
the prophet of Islam, Muhammad, and his message.
Read what famous personalities
have said about Muhammad, peace be upon him, over the ages:
Encyclopedia Britannica confirms:
"...a mass of detail in the early sources shows that
he was an honest and upright man who had gained the respect and
loyalty of others who were likewise honest and upright men."
(Vol. 12)
George Bernard Shaw said about him: "He
must be called the Savior of Humanity. I believe that if a man
like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world,
he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring
it much needed peace and happiness". (The Genuine
Islam, Singapore, Vol.1, No.8, 1936)
Lamartine, the renowned historian, speaking
on the essentials of human greatness, wonders: "If
greatness of purpose, smallness of means and astounding results
are the three criteria of human genius, who could dare to compare
any great man in modern history with Muhammad? The most famous
men created arms, laws and empires only. They founded, if anything
at all, no more than material powers which often crumbled away
before their eyes. This man moved not only armies, legislation,
empires, peoples and dynasties, but millions of men in one-third
of the then inhabited world; and more than that, he moved the
altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and souls...his
forbearance in victory, his ambition, which was entirely devoted
to one idea and in no manner striving for an empire; his endless
prayers, his mystic conversations with God, his death and his
triumph after death; all these attest not to an imposture but
to a firm conviction which gave him the power to restore a dogma.
This dogma was two-fold, the unity of God and the immateriality
of God; the former telling what God is, the latter telling what
God is not; the one overthrowing false gods with the sword, the
other starting an idea with the words.
Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior,
conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational dogmas, of a cult without
images, the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual
empire, that is MUHAMMAD.
As regards all the standards by which Human
Greatness may be measured, we may well ask, IS THERE ANY MAN GREATER
THAN HE?" (Lamartine, Historire de la Turquie,
Paris, 1854, Vol. II pp. 276-277)
Mahatma Gandhi, speaking on the character
of Muhammad (PBUH) says in 'YOUNG INDIA': "I wanted
to know the best of one who holds today undisputed sway over the
hearts of millions of mankind...I became more than convinced that
it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days
in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter
self-effacement of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard for his
pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his
intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in
his own mission. These and not the sword carried everything before
them and surmounted every obstacle. When I closed the 2nd volume
(of the Prophet's biography), I was sorry there was not more for
me to read of the great life."
Thomas Calyle in his 'Heroes
and Heroworship', was simply amazed as to "how one man single
handedly, could weld warring tribes and wandering Bedouins into
a most powerful and civilized nation in less than two decades."
Diwan Chand Sharma wrote, "Muhammad
was the soul of kindness, and his influence was felt and never
forgotten by those around him" (D.C. Sharma, "The
Prophets of the East", Calcutta, 1935, pp. 12)
Edward Gibbon and Simon Ockley, on the
profession of ISLAM, write: "I BELIEVE IN ONE GOD,
AND MAHOMET, AN APOSTLE OF GOD' is the simple and invariable profession
of Islam. The intellectual image of the Deity has never been degraded
by any visible idol; the honor of the Prophet have never transgressed
the measure of human virtues; and his living precepts have restrained
the gratitude of his disciples within the bounds of reason and
religion." (History of the Saracen Empires, London,
1870, p. 54)
Speaking on the aspect of equality before
God in Islam, the famous poetess of India, Sarojini Naidu says:
"It was the first religion that preached and practiced
democracy; for, in the mosque, when the call for prayer is sounded
and worshippers are gathered together, the democracy of Islam
is embodied five times a day when the peasant and king kneel side
by side and proclaim: 'God Alone is Great'...I have been struck
over and over again by this indivisible unity of Islam that makes
man instinctively a brother." (S. Naidu, Ideals
of Islam, vide Speeches &Writings, Madras, 1918, p. 169)
In the words of Professor Hurgronje: "the
league of nations founded by the prophet of Islam put the principle
of international unity and human brotherhood on such universal
foundations as to show candle to other nations." He
continues, "the fact is that no nation of the world
can show a parallel to what Islam has done towards the realization
of the idea of the League of Nations."
The world has not hesitated
to raise to divinity, individuals whose lives and missions have
been lost in legend. Historically speaking, none of these legends
achieved even a fraction of what Muhammad (PBUH) accomplished.
And all his striving was for the sole purpose of uniting mankind
for the worship of One God on the codes of moral excellence. Muhammad
(PBUH) or his followers never at any time claimed that he was
a son of God or the God-incarnate or a man with divinity - but
he always was and is even today considered as only a Messenger
chosen by God.
Michael H. Hart, in his recently
published book on ratings of men who contributed towards the benefit
and upliftment of mankind writes: "My choice of Muhammad
to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise
some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only
man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious
and secular levels." (M.H. Hart, "The 100: A-Ranking
of the Most Influential Persons in History", New York, 1978, p.
33)
K.S. Ramakrishna Rao, an Indian professor
of Philosophy, in his booklet "Muhammad the Prophet of Islam"
calls him the "perfect model for human life."
Professor Ramakrishna Rao explains his point by saying, "The
personality of Muhammad, it is most difficult to get into the
whole truth of it. Only a glimpse of it I can catch. What a dramatic
succession of picturesque scenes. There is Muhammad the Prophet.
There is Muhammad the Warrior; Muhammad the Businessman; Muhammad
the Statesman; Muhammad the Orator; Muhammad the Reformer; Muhammad
the Refuge of Orphans; Muhammad the Protector of Slaves; Muhammad
the Emancipator of Women; Muhammad the Judge; Muhammad the Saint.
All in all these magnificent roles, in all these departments of
human activities, he is alike a hero."
|
Muhammad
- A Brief description:
You
may be a Christian Protestant, Catholic, Jew, an atheist or an
agnostic; or you may belong to any of many different religious
denominations existing in today's world. You might even be a coummunist
or believe in man's democracy as the rule on earth.
Whoever
you are and whatever ideological or political beliefs, social
habits you may hold, there is no doubt -
You Must Know This MAN - MUHAMMAD (peace
be upon him).
He was by far the most remarkable man
that ever set foot on this earth. He preached a religion, founded
a state, built a nation, laid down a moral code, initiated numerous
social and political reforms, established a powerful and dynamic
society to practice and represent his teachings and completely
revolutionized the worlds of human thought and behavior for all
times to come.
"HIS NAME IS MUHAMMAD" May Peace of God Be Upon Him (PBUH)
He was born in Arabia in the year 570 C.E. (common era), started
his mission of preaching the religion of Truth, Islam (submission
to One God at the age of forty and departed from this world at
the age of sixty-three.
During this short period of 23 years of his prophethood, he changed
the complete Arabian peninsula from paganism and idolatry to worship
of One God, from tribal quarrels and wars to national solidarity
and cohesion, from drunkenness and debauchery to sobriety and
piety, from lawlessness and anarchy to disciplined living, from
utter bankruptcy to the highest standards of moral excellence.
Human history has never known such a complete transformation of
a people or a place before or since - and IMAGINE all these unbelievable
wonders in JUST OVER TWO DECADES.
The world has had its share of great personalities.
But these were one sided figures who distinguished themselves
in but one or two field, such as religious thought or military
leadership. The lives and teachings of these great personalities
of the world are shrouded in the mist of time. There is so much
speculation about the time and place their birth, the mode and
style of their life, the nature and detail of their teachings
and the degree and measure of their success or failure that is
impossible for humanity to reconstruct accurately the lives and
teachings of these men.
Not so this man. Muhammad (PBUH) accomplished
so much in such diverse fields of human thought and behavior in
the fullest blaze of human history. Every detail of his private
life and public utterances has been accurately documented and
faithfully preserved to our day. The authenticity of the records
so preserved are vouched for not only by the faithful followers
but even by his prejudiced critics.
Muhammad (PBUH) was a religious teacher,
a social reformer, a moral guide, an administrative colossus,
a faithful friend, a wonderful companion, a devoted husband, a
loving father - all in one. No other man in history ever excelled
or equaled him in any of these different aspects of life - but
it was only for the selfless personality of Muhammad (pbuh) to
achieve such incredible perfection.
Muhammad (PBUH) was nothing more or less than
a human being. but he was a man with a noble mission, which was
to unite humanity on the worship of ONE and ONLY ONE GOD and to
teach them the way to honest and upright living based on the commands
of God. He always described himself as, 'A Servant and Messenger
of God' and so indeed every action of his proclaimed to be.
Today after a lapse of fourteen
centuries, the life and teachings of Muhammad (PBUH) have survived
without the slightest loss, alteration or interpolation. They
offer the same undying hope for treating mankind's many ills,
which they did when he was alive. This is not a claim of Mohammed's
(PBUH) followers, but the inescapable conclusion forced upon by
a critical and unbiased history.
The least YOU can do as a thinking and
concerned human being is to stop for a moment and ask your self:
Could these statements sounding so extraordinary and revolutionary
really be true? And supposing they really are true and you did
not know this man MUHAMMAD (PBUH) or hear about him, isn't it
time you responded to this tremendous challenge and put in some
effort to know him?
It will cost you nothing, but it may prove to be the
beginning of a completely new era in your life. By Eng. Husain
Pasha.
We invite you to make a discovery of this wonderful man,
MUHAMMAD (PBUH), the like of whom never walked on the face of
this earth.
For
more information about Muhammad, the prophet of Allah,
[click] More About Muhammad
[click] Muhammad A-Z (NEW!)
[click]
Printable Version of this page
or write to AskIslam@aol.com
|