"And most certainly, thou (O Muhammad) are of most sublime and exalted character."
(The Holy Qur’ân, 68:4)
How the Topic Arose
About ten years ago, a distant cousin
of mine - Mr. Mohamed Mehtar Farooki gave me a typed quotation by the French
historian, Lamartine. The quotation [A detailed exposition of the quotation will
be found on page 38 ] purported
to prove that Muhammad (pbuh), the prophet of Islam, was the greatest man that
ever lived. Mr. Mehtar was in the habit of passing information on to me,
believing that I might put the same to some good use at the proper time and
place. Before this he had presented me with "The Call of the
Minaret," an expensive book written by (Bishop Kenneth Cragg). By
analysing this book I discovered the masterful deceit of the Christian
Orientalists. Lamartine's tribute to our prophet inspired me and I had a
great desire to share his thoughts about our Nabee with my Muslim
brethren. The opportunity to do so was not long in coming.
I received a phone call from the
Muslim community in Dannhauser, a small
town in Northern Natal,, who were
organising a birthday celebration of the Holy Prophet. They
invited me to give a lecture on that auspicious occasion. So I deemed it an honour and a privilege, I
readily agreed. When they inquired, in view of their advertising needs, as to
the subject of my lecture, I suggested on the inspiration from Lamartine,
"Muhammad (pbuh) the Greatest."
REPEATED LET-DOWNS
On my arrival in Dannhauser, I noticed
a lot of posters advertising the meeting
which in essence said that Deedat would be lecturing on the subject
"MUHAMMAD THE GREAT." I was
somewhat disheartened and, on inquiring was told that the change in the title
was due to a printer's error.
Some two months later, I got another,
similar invitation. This time from the Muslim community of Pretoria the
administrative capital of South Africa. The subject I had mooted was the
same - "Muhammad (pbuh) the Greatest." To my dismay the topic
was again changed to "MUHAMMAD THE GREAT." Identical reasons and
excuses were given. Both these incidences happened in South Africa,
my own country. But, let me give you one more example of our inferiority
complex - so much part of the sickness of the Ummah.
USA NO DIFFERENT
On my lecture tour of the mighty
United States in 1977, 1 discovered that our soldiers in the New World also had
feet of clay. Out of the many sad experiences I have had, I think that
this one will suffice to prove the point. The Muslims of Indianapolis
were advised to organise a lecture for me on the subject "What the Bible
says about Muhammad (pbuh)" T'hey agreed to advertise just that, but their
timidity did not permit them to do so. They thought the topic was too
provocative, so they, in their wisdom (?), toned it down to "A PROPHET IN
THE BIBLE." A lifeless, insipid title you will no doubt agree. Which
Hindu, Muslim, Christian or Jew would be intrigued to attend? What
does "A PROPHET" mean? To most A PROPHET means ANY
PROPHET, and who would be interested in attending a meeting where just any
prophet in the Bible was debated?
Job, Joel, Jonah, Ezra, Elisha, Ezekiel are just a few of the many mentioned in the Bible. As was to be expected the attendance left much to be desired.
Job, Joel, Jonah, Ezra, Elisha, Ezekiel are just a few of the many mentioned in the Bible. As was to be expected the attendance left much to be desired.
INFERIORITY COMPLEX
|
What is the cause of this
sickness? This inferiority complex? "Yes!" We are an
emasculated people. Dynamism has been wringed out of us, not only by
our enemies but by our own spiritless friends. We even dare not repeat
Allah's Own testimony regarding his beloved -
And Most Certainly, Thou (O Muhammad) Are of most sublime And Exalted Character. Holy Qur’ân 68:4 |
THE MOST INFLUENTIAL
Normally, it is quite, natural for
anyone to love, praise, idolize or hero-worship ones leader, be it a guru,
saint or prophet: and very often we do.
However, if I were to reproduce here
what great Muslims have said or written about our illustrious prophet, it
could be played down as exaggeration, fancy or idolization by the sceptics and
the opponents of Islam. Therefore, allow me to quote unbiased historians,
friendly critics and even avowed enemies of that mighty Messenger of God -
Muhammad (pbuh). If the tributes of the non-Muslims do not touch your
hearts, then you are in the wrong faith. Opt out of Islam! There is
already too much deadwood on the "ship" of Islam.
In recent times, a book has been
published in America titled "The 100," or the Top One
hundred, or the Greatest Hundred in History. A certain Michael H. Hart,
described as a historian, mathematician and astronomer has written this novel
book. He has searched history, seeking for men who had the greatest
influence on mankind. In this book he gives us The hundred most
influential men, including Asoka, Aristotle, Buddha, Confucius, Hitler, Plato,
and Zoroaster. He does not give us a mere chart of the topmost "one
hundred" from the point of view of their influence on people, but
he evaluates the degree of their influence and rates them in order of their
excellence from No. 1, through to No. 100. He gives us his reasons for
the placing of his candidates. We are not asked to agree with him, but we
cannot help admire the man's research and honesty.
The most amazing thing about his
selection is that he has put our Nabee-e-Kareem, the Holy Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) as No. 1, the first of his "100!" Thus confirming,
unknowingly, God's Own testimony in His Final Revelation to the World:
MOST CERTAINLY, YOU HAVE IN THE
MESSENGER OF ALLAH AN EXCELLENT PATTERN (OF BEHAVIOUR)
Holy Qur’ân 33:21
JESUS (PBUH) No. 3!
Hart placing the Prophet of Islam as
No. 1, has naturally pleased the Muslims. But his choice as shocked the
Non-Muslims, more specially the Jews and the Christians, who consider this as
an affront. What? Jesus (pbuh) No. 3 and Moses (pbuh) No. 40! This
is for them very difficult to stomach, but what says Hart? Let us hear
his arguments –
SINCE THERE ARE ROUGHLY TWICE [The latest estimate
is that there are one thousand million Muslims in the world and
one
thousand two hundred million Christians] AS MANY
CHRISTIANS IN THE WORLD, IT MAY INITIALLY SEEM STRANGE THAT MUHAMMAD HAS BEEN
RANKED HIGHER THAN JESUS. THERE ARE TWO PRINCIPAL REASONS FOR THAT DECISION.
FIRST,
MUHAMMAD PLAYED A FAR MORE IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE EVELOPMENT OF ISLAM THAN JESUS DID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF
CHRISTIANITY. ALTHOUGH JESUS WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAIN ETHICAL AND MORAL
PRECEPTS OF CHRISTIANITY (INSOFAR AS THESE DIFFERED FROM JUDAISM), ST.
PAUL WAS THE MAIN DEVELOPER OF CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY, ITS PRINCIPAL
PROSELYTIZER, AND THE AUTHOR OF A
LARGE PORTION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.
MUHAMMAD, HOWEVER, WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR
BOTH THE THEOLOGY OF ISLAM AND ITS MAIN ETHICAL AND MORAL PRINCIPLES. IN
ADDITION, HE PLAYED THE KEY ROLE IN PROSELYTIZING THE NEW FAITH, AND IN
ESTABLISHING THE RELIGIOUS PRACTICES OF ISLAM.
Michael H. Hart in his book - "THE 100"-pages 38/39
Michael H. Hart in his book - "THE 100"-pages 38/39
PAUL THE FOUNDER OF CHRISTIANITY
According to Hart, the honor for
founding Christianity is to be shared between Jesus (pbuh) and St. Paul.
The latter he believes to be the real founder of Christianity.
I cannot help agreeing with
Hart. Out of the total of 27 Books
of the New Testament, more than half is authored by Paul. As opposed to
Paul, the Master has not written a single word of the twenty-seven books.
If you can lay your hands on what is called "'A Red Letter Bible,"
you will find every word alleged to have been uttered by Jesus (pbuh) - in red ink and the rest in normal black
ink. Don't be shocked to find that in this so called "Injeel,"
the Gospel of Jesus, over ninety percent of the 27 Books of the New Testament is
printed in black ink!
This is the candid Christian
confession on what they call the "Injeel." In actual any
confrontation with Christian missionaries, you will find them quoting one
hundred percent from Paul.
NO ONE FOLLOWS JESUS (PBUH) Jesus
(pbuh) said, "If you love me, keep
my commandments." (John 14:15)
He said further, Whosoever
therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall
teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven . .
." (Matthew
5:19)
Every Christian controversialist you
question, "Do you keep the laws and
the commandments?" will answer, "No!"
If you ask further, "Why don't you?" He will if
he is a Bible-thumper, invariably reply, "The law is nailed to the
cross!" Meaning the law is
done away with. "We are now living under
grace!"
Every time you prod him with what his
Lord and Master (pbuh) had said, he
will confront you with something from Cornithians,
Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, etc. If you ask,
"Who are they?" You will hear, 'Paul, Paul,
Paul!" "Who is your master?"
you question, and he will say, "Jesus!" But he
will ever and anon contradict his own Jesus (pbuh) by his
Paul!
No learned Christian will ever dispute
the fact that the real founder of
Christianity is St. Paul. Therefore, Michael H. Hart to be fair, had
to place Jesus (pbuh), in slot number three.
WHY PROVOKE YOUR CUSTOMER? This
placing of Christ in the number three spot by Michael
H. Hart poses a very serious question for us. Why
would an American publish a book of 572 pages in America
and selling in America for $15 each, go out of his way to
provoke his potential readers?
Who will buy his books? Surely, not the Pakistanis
and the Bangladeshis, neither the Arabs
nor the Turks! Except for a few copies here
and there, the overwhelming number of his customers will be from the 250
million Christians and the 6 million Jews of America. Then why did he
provoke his customers? Did he not hear the dictum - "the customer
is always right!" Of course he did. Then why his daring
choice. But before I close this episode of Hart, I will allow him to make
his one last apology for his "temerity."
"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 LEVEL." Michael H.
Hart "The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History",
New York: Hart Publishing Company, Inc., 1978, p.33.
WHO WERE HISTORY'S GREAT LEADERS
TIME, JULY 15, 1974
The world famous "Time"
carried the above rubic on its front cover. Inside the magazine were
numerous essays as to 'What makes a great leader?' 'Throughout
history, who qualifies?' TIME asked a variety of historians,
writers, military men, businessmen and others for their selections. Each gave
his candidate according to his "light" as objectively as is humanly
possible, depending on one's own awareness and prejudice.
WHO KNOWS DR. SALAZAR?
It is my habit and pleasurable duty to
take non-Muslims on a guided tour of the largest mosque in the
Southern Hemisphere - "The Jumma Masjid" Durban.
On one occasion I was hosting a
Portuguese couple, a husband and wife team. At some stage during the
discussion the Portuguese gentleman said that "Dr. Salazar was
the greatest man in the world!" I did not debate the point with
him as I personally knew little about Dr. Salazar except that he was a one time
dictator of Portugal albeit to many a great benefactor to his nation. My
poor visitor was, however, speaking according to his own knowledge, point of
view and prejudice.
MUHAMMAD (PBUH) AN NOT BE
IGNORED!
Among the contributors to the "Time,"
it seems that none could ignore Muhammad (pbuh).
WILLIAM McNEILL,
a United States historian, of the University of Chicago, records:
"IF YOU MEASURE LEADERSHIP BY
IMPACT, THEN YOU WOULD HAVE TO NAME JESUS, BUDDHA, MOHAMMED, CONFUCIUS, THE
GREAT PROPHETS OF THE WORLD ..."
McNeill does not go into details, nor
does he give us any explanation as to why he placed Jesus (pbuh) first and
Muhammad (pbuh) number three. Perhaps it was by force of habit. It
is very likely that McNeill is a Christian. However, we will not argue
with him. Then comes -
JAMES GAVIN,
described as a United States army man, a retired lieutenant general. He
says - "AMONG LEADERS WHO HAVE MADE THE GREATEST IMPACT THROUGH AGES, I
WOULD CONSIDER MOHAMMED, JESUS CHRIST, MAYBE LENIN, POSSIBLY MAO. AS FOR
A LEADER WHOSE QUALITIES WE COULD MOST USE NOW, I WOULD CHOOSE JOHN F.
KENNEDY."
The General does not say much more, yet
we have to salute him. It calls for tremendous fortitude to pen the name
Muhammad before that of Christ (peace be upon them both). It surely, was
no slip of the pen.
JULES MASSERMAN,
United States psychoanalyst and professor of the Chicago University, gives us,
unlike the other contributors, the basis for making his selection. He
gives us his reason for choosing his greatest LEADER of all times. He wants us
to find out, what we are really looking for in the man, the qualities that sets
him apart. We may be looking for any sets of qualities. As in the
case of Michael H. Hart, he was looking for a person wielding the MOST
Influence.1
However, Masserman does not want us to
depend on our fancies or prejudices: he wants to establish objective standards
for judging, before we confer greatness upon anybody.
He says that "Leaders must
fulfill three functions--"
No. 1 THE
LEADER MUST PROVIDE FOR THE WELL-BEING OF THE LEAD ...
The leader, whoever he is, must be
interested in your welfare. He must not be looking for milking cows for
his own greed like the Rev. Jim Jones of Jonestown, Guyana, of the
"Suicide Cult" fame. You will remember him as the man who committed
suicide together with 910 of his followers, all at the same time EN MASSE!
The United States Government was on
his trail and he was on the verge of being caught for certain felonies.
But before they could apprehend him, he thought it wise to eliminate himself,
together with all his followers, so that no one would be left to testify
against him. He laced lemonade with cynide and inspired his devotees to
drink it, and so they did and they all died in disgrace! In the meantime,
it was discovered that the Rev. Jim Jones had salted away fifteen million
dollars and stacked it in his own account in banks throughout the world.
All his victims were his milking cows and he was exploiting them to satisfy his
own lust and greed. Masserman's hero must be found to benefit his sheep,
his flock, and not himself
No. 2 THE LEADER OR WOULD BE LEADER
MUST PROVIDE A SOCIAL ORGANIZATION IN WHICH PEOPLE FEEL RELATIVELY SECURE ...
Unlike the Marxist, the Facist, the
Nazi, the Neo-Nazi the Ashkenazi, [The Jews from Germany, Central Europe
and Eastern Europe, mostly from Russia who are in unlawful occupation of
Palestine. There is something prophetic in the name itself - the Jews are
doing to the people of the occupied territories exactly what the Nazis did to
them. What an irony!] the Zionist, and their
fellow-travellers, Professor Masserman, in his brief essay in the TIME
magazine, did not spell this out. But his beliefs and feelings are
abundantly clear. He is in search of a Leader who will provide a social
order free of self, and greed and racism: for all these "isms" carry
within them the seeds of their own destruction.
There's still with us much sorrow and
sin, Injustice, Oppression, wrong and hate. Still does Arrogance deaden
Conscience Rob struggling souls of e'en the crumbs Of Pity, and make, of
loathsome flesh And crumbling dust, fair-seeming Idols For worship. Still
does Ignorance blow A mighty Horn and try to shame True Wisdom. Still do
men drive Slaves,
- - Protesting smoothly the end of Slavery!
Still does Greed devour the substance Of helpless ones within her power. Nay,
more, - -
the fine Individual Voice Is smothered
in the raucous din Of groups and Crowds that madly shout What they call Slogans
New, - - Old Falsehoods long discredited ... Abdullah Yusuf Ali
No. 3 THAT THIS LEADER
MUST PROVIDE HIS PEOPLE WITH ONE SET OF BELIEFS
It is easy to talk of the Fellowship
of Faith and the Brotherhood of Man, but in South Africa today,
there are a thousand different sects and denominations among the Whites (people
of European descent) and three thousand among the Blacks (of African descent).
The White Churches in my country are Spawning "Black" Bishops, fast,
but in the first three hundred years of European conquest, they did not produce
a single Black Bishop. Even now, the Black, the White, the Colored and
the Indian cannot pray together in most of the Dutch Reformed Churches.
The hatred between the Christian sects was aptly described by the Christian
Emperor Julian, who said: "NO WILD BEASTS ARE SO HOSTILE TO MAN AS
CHRISTIAN SECTS IN GENERAL ARE TO ONE ANOTHER." Sayed Amir Ali in his
"Spirit of lslam,"- page 1 ii.
With the foregoing three standards,
Masserman searches history and analyses Louis Pasteur, Salk, Gandhi, Confucius,
Alexander the Great, Caesar, Hitler, Buddha, Jesus and the rest; finally
coming to the conclusion that - PERHAPS THE GREATEST LEADER OF ALL TIMES WAS
MUHAMMED, WHO COMBINED ALL THREE FUNCTIONS. (and) TO A LESSER DEGREE, MOSES DID
THE SAME
We cannot help marveling at Masserman,
that as a Jew he condescends to scrutinize even Adolf Hitler, the
arch-enemy of his people. He considers Hitler to be a great leader.
His race, the mighty German nation of 90 million people, was ready to
march to destiny or destruction at his behest. Alas, he lead them to ruin.
Hitler is not the question. The question is why would Masserman, as an
American Jew, a paid servant of the Government proclaim to his countrymen of
over two hundred million Jews and Christians that not Jesus, not
Moses but Muhummed was "The greatest Leader of all times!"
ACCOUNT FOR THAT!
WHAT SAY THE SCEPTICS?
Michael H. Hart put Muhammad No. 1 on
his list and his own Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (pbuh) No. 3. Why? -"He
was bribed!"(?) William McNeill considers Muhammad as worthy of
honour in his list of the first three names of his. Why? "He was
bribed!" (?) James Gavin puts Muhammad (pbuh) before Christ
(pbuh). Why? "He was bribed!" (?) James Masserman
adjudges Muhammad (pbuh) No. 1 and his own hero Moses (pbuh) a close
second. Why? "He was bribed!" (?) "ARE WE TO
SUPPOSE THAT ALL THE GLOWING ADULATION OF MUHAMMAD (PBUH) WAS A MISERABLE PIECE
OF INTELLECTUAL LEGERDEMAIN, HOCUS POCUS . . . I, FOR MY PART, CANNOT FORM ANY
SUCH SUPPOSITION ... ONE WOULD BE ENTIRELY AT A LOSS WHAT TO THINK OF MANKIND
AT ALL IF QUACKERY SO GREW AND FLOURISHED IN THE WORLD."1
Yet the scoffers bemoan anyone who has
anything good to say about Muhammad (pbuh) or Islam AS HAVING BEEN BRIBED by
the Arabs! They are giving too much credit to my brethren. I repeat:
"It is possible, but it is improbable!"
During the Second World War, Norway
produced only one "Quisling." He was tried for treason and
executed. It is unlikely that America and the Western world have just
reached puberty to spawn a breed of Quislings nurtured by hot petrodollars from
the Middle East. Please do not demean your honest, courageous men, who
without fear or favour are prepared to suffer obloquy for their convictions. We
must all admire them! We can now justifiably conclude that the God of Mercy,
Who forever recognises the sincere efforts of His servants, is only fulfilling
His Promise to Muhammad (pbuh), His Chosen Messenger -
AND HAVE WE NOT RAISED HIGH THE ESTEEM
(IN WHICH) THOU (ARE HELD)? Holy Qur’ân 94:4
Alternative renderings:
(a) Have We not exalted thy fame?
(b) And have We not raised thy name for thee?
(c) Have We not given you high renown?
Friends and foes alike, as if by
some secret compulsion are made to pay unsolicited tributes to this mighty
Messenger of God. But the Almighty commanders even the devil into His
service, as He had done in the time of Jesus (pbuh), (Matthew 4:1 -11).
Even the devil sometimes speaks Gospel truths. Professor K. S. Ramakrishna Rao,
a Hindu philosopher in his book "MUHUMMED - The Prophet of lslam",
quotes the arch-devil himself, yes, Adolf Hitler, to prove the unique greatness
of Muhammad (pbuh). The Professor, like Jules Masserman who had evaluated
the Prophet of Islam on three grounds (see appendix "C" on page
63) also saw in Hitler's "Mein Kamp!" a three faceted
jewel, a rare commodity which he found in our hero under discussion.
Quoting Hitler, he says:
"A GREAT THEORIST IS SELDOM A
GREAT LEADER. AN AGITATOR IS FAR MORE LIKELY TO POSSESS THESE QUALITIES.
HE WILL ALWAYS BE A BETTER LEADER. FOR, LEADERSHIP MEANS THE ABILITY TO
MOVE MASSES OF MEN. THE TALENT TO PRODUCE IDEAS HAS NOTHING IN COMMON
WITH THE CAPACITY FOR LEADERSHIP." HITLER CONTINUES, "THE UNION OF
THE THEORIST, ORGANISER, AND LEADER IN ONE MAN IS THE
RAREST PHENOMENON ON THIS EARTH; THEREIN CONSISTS GREATNESS." PROFESSOR
RAO CONCLUDES, IN HIS OWN WORDS, "IN THE PERSON OF THE PROPHET
OF ISLAM THE WORLD HAS SEEN THIS RAREST PHENOMENON ON EARTH, WALKING
IN FLESH AND BLOOD."
SHARE THE ANGER
Before anyone assails the Professor of
undue bias and "bribery," let
me give them a few more names of admirers of Muhammad (pbuh).
1. "MUHUMMAD WAS THE SOUL OF
KINDNESS, AND HIS INFLUENCE WAS FELT AND NEVER
FORGOTTEN BY THOSE AROUND HIM." A Hindu scholar - Diwan Chand
Sharma in his "The Prophets of the East," Calcutta 1935, p.
122.
2. "FOUR YEARS AFTER THE DEATH OF
JUSTINIAN, A.D. 569, WAS BORN AT MAKKAH, IN ARABIA THE MAN WHO, OF ALL MEN
EXERCISED THE GREATEST INFLUENCE UPON THE HUMAN RACE ... MOHAMMED ..."
John William Draper, M.D., LLD., in his "A History of the lntellectual
Development of Europe",- London 1875.
3. "I DOUBT WHETHER ANY MAN WHOSE
EXTERNAL CONDITIONS CHANGED SO MUCH EVER CHANGED HIMSELF LESS TO MEET
THEM." R. V. C. Bodley in "The Messenger,"- London 1946,
p.9.
4. "I HAVE STUDIED HIM - THE
WONDERFUL MAN - AND IN MY OPINION FAR FROM BEING AN ANTI-CHRIST, HE MUST BE
CALLED THE SAVIOUR OF HUMANITY." George Bernard Shaw, in "The Genuine
Islam,- Vol. 1, No. 81936.
5. "BY A FORTUNE ABSOLUTELY
UNIQUE IN HISTORY, MOHAMMED IS A THREEFOLD FOUNDER OF A NATION, OF AN EMPIRE,
AND OF A RELIGION." R. Bosworth-Smith in "Mohammed and
Mohammedanism".- 1946.
6. "MOHAMMED WAS THE MOST
SUCCESSFUL OF ALL RELIGIOUS PERSONALITIES." Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th
Edition
Chapter
2
FROM THE HISTORICAL PAST
It is not difficult to reproduce a
further dozen or more eulogies by the admirers and critics of Muhammad (pbuh).
Despite all their objectivity, jaundiced minds can always conjure up some
aspersions. Let me take my readers deep down in past history.
It was Friday the 8th of May, 1840,
that is about a hundred and fifty years ago, at a time when it was a sacrilege
to say anything good about Muhammad (pbuh), and the Christian West was rained
to hate the man Muhammad (pbuh) and his religion, the same way as dogs were at
one stage trained in my country to hate all black people. At that time in
history, Thomas Carlyle, one of the greatest thinkers of the past century
delivered a series of lectures under the theme - "Heroes and
Hero-worship."
DEVELOPED SICKNESS
Carlyle exposed this blind prejudice
of his people at the beginning of his talk. He made reference to one of
the literary giants a Dutch scholar and statesman, by the name of Hugo Grotius,
[From
page 57 of the book - "On Heroes Hero-worship and the Heroic in
History" by Thomas Carlyle, London 1959.] who had written a bitter and abusive
invective against the prophet of Islam. He had falsely charged that the
Holy Prophet had trained pigeons to pick out peas from his ears, so that he
could by this trick bluff his people that the Holy Ghost in the shape of a dove
was revealing God's Revelation to him,
which he then had them recorded in his Bible the Qur’ân. Perhaps Grotius
was inspired into this fairy-tale from his reading of his own Holy Scriptures:
'Then, Jesus, when he had been baptized (by John the Baptist in the Jordan
River), came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened
to him, and he saw the Spirit of God Descending Like A Dove
and alighting upon him. (Emphasis added) Matthew 3:16
WHERE'S THE AUTHORITY
Pococke, another respected
intellectual of the time, like "doubting Thomas" (John 20:25), wanted
proof about Muhammad (pbuh), the pigeons, and the peas? Grotius answered
"THAT THERE WAS NO PROOF!" He just felt like inventing this story for
his audience. To him and his audience the "pigeons and peas"
theory was more plausible than that of the Archangel dictating to Muhammad
(pbuh). These falsities wringed the heart of Carlyle. He cried: "THE LIES,
WHICH WELL-MEANING ZEAL HAS HEAPED ROUND THIS MAN, ARE DISGRACEFUL TO OURSELVES
ONLY." Thomas Carlyle
THE HERO PROPHET
Carlyle was a man of genius and God
gifted him with the art of articulation. In his own way, he wanted to put
the records straight. He planned to deliver a lecture and he chose a very
provocative topic "The hero as Prophet." and he chose this
hero-prophet to be the most maligned man of his time, "MUHAMMAD
(PBUH)!" Not Moses, david, Solomon, or Jesus but Muhammad!
To placate his overwhelming Anglican (belonging to the Church of England)
fellow countrymen, he apologised - "AS THERE IS NO DANGER OF OUR BECOMING,
ANY OF US, MAHOMETANS, I MEAN TO SAY ALL THE GOOD OF HIM I JUSTLY
CAN."
In other words he, as well as his
elite audience were free from the fear of converting to Islam, and could take a
chance in paying some compliments to Muhammad (pbuh). If he had any fears
regarding the strength of their faith, he would not have taken that chance. In
an era of hatred and spite towards evernhing Islamic and to an audience full of
scepticism and cynicism, Carlyle unfolded many a glowing truth about his hero -
Muhammad (pbuh). To the praise-worthy," indeed be praise. For
that is what the very name Muhammad means - the Praised One - the
Praiseworthy. There are times when Carlyle uses words and expressions,
which might not be too pleasing to the believing Muslim, but one has to
forgive him as he was walking a cultural tightrope, and he succeeded eminently.
He Paid our hero many ardent and enthusiastic tribute, and defended him from
the false charges and calumnies of his enemies, exactly as the Prophet had done
in the case of Jesus (pbuh) and his
mother.
HIS SINCERITY
l a. "THE GREAT MAN'S
SINCERITY IS OF THE KIND HE CANNOT SPEAK OF: NAY, I SUPPOSE, HE IS CONSCIOUS
RATHER OF INSINCERITY; FOR WHAT MAN CAN WALK ACCURATELY BY THE LAW OF
TRUTH FOR ONE DAY? NO, THE GREAT MAN DOES NOT BOAST HIMSELF SINCERE, FAR
FROM THAT; PERHAPS DOES NOT ASK HIMSELF IF HE IS SO: I WOULD SAY RATHER, HIS
SINCERITY DOES NOT DEPEND ON HIMSELF: HE CANNOT HELP BEING SINCERE!" Heros
and Hero-Worship, p.59
b. "A SILENT GREAT SOUL, HE WAS
ONE OF THOSE WHO CANNOT BUT BE IN EARNEST, WHOM NATURE HERSELF HAS APPOINTED TO
BE SINCERE. WHILE OTHERS WALK IN FORMULAS AND HEARSAYS, CONTENTED ENOUGH
TO DWELL THERE, THIS MAN COULD NOT SCREEN HIMSELF IN FORMULAS; HE WAS ALONE
WITH HIS OWN SOUL AND THE REALITY OF THINGS . . . SUCH SINCERITY, AS WE NAMED
IT, HAS IN VERY TRUTH SOMETHING OF DIVINE. THE WORD OF SUCH A MAN IS A
VOICE DIRECT FROM NATURE'S OWN HEART. MEN DO AND MUST LISTEN TO THAT AS
TO NOTHING ELSE, - - - ALL ELSE IS WIND IN COMPARISON." Heros and
Hero-Worship, p.71
In his lengthy speech, Carlyle did not
have the opportunity to inform his audience about the sources of his
inferences. I may furnish just one incident from the life of the
Prophet. An incidence which reflects the highest degree of his sincerity
in recording a Revelation in the Holy Qur’ân even if it seems to reprove him for
some natural and human zeal.
ADMONITION AS REVEALED
|
It was in the early days of his
mission in Makkah. Muhammad (pbuh) was deeply engrossed in trying to wean the
leaders of the pagan Quraish to his teachings. Apparently one of them
was giving him an attentive hearing when a poor blind man by the name Of
Abdullah lbn Umm-1- Maktum tried to barge in into the discussion and wanting
to draw attention to himself. The blessed Prophet said nothing, but a
thought went through his mind (why don't you have a little patience, can't
you see (sense) that because of your impatience I might lose these
customers). I believe that lesser men, sinners and saints, will not be
questioned for such lapses, but not so for Muhammad (pbuh). Did not God
choose him and honour him with that lofty status as recorded? And
Most Certainly Thou
(O Muhammad) Are
of Most sublime And
Exalted Character.
Holy Qur’ân 68:4
|
HE FROWNED
Whilst in the midst of the
conversation with his pagan fellow tribesmen, God Almighty sends Gabriel, the
Angel of Revelation, with this admonition:
(THE PROPHET) FROWNED AND TURNED AWAY,
BECAUSE THERE CAME TO HIM HE BLIND MAN (INTERRUPTING). BUT WHAT COULD
TELL THEE THAT PERCHANCE HE MIGHT GROW (IN SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING)? OR THAT HE
MIGHT RECEIVE ADMONITION, AND THE TEACHING MIGHT PRORT HIM? Holy Qur’ân 80:1-4
The holy Prophet (pbuh) had naturally
disliked the interruption. Perhaps the poor man's feelings were
hurt. But he whose gentle heart ever sympathised with the poor and the
afflicted, got new Light (Revelation) from his Lord, and without the
least hesitation, he immediately published it for all eternity! Subsequently,
every time he met this blind man, he received him graciously and thanked him
that on his account the Lord had remembered him. During Muhammad's (pbuh)
absences from Madinah, the blind man was made the Governor of the City
twice. Such was the sincerity and gratitude of Carlyle's Hero Prophet.
HIS FIDELITY
2. "IT IS A BOUNDLESS FAVOUR.HE
NEVER FORGOT THIS GOOD KADIJAH. LONG AFTERWARDS, AYESHA HIS YOUNG
FAVOURITE WIFE, A WOMAN WHO INDEED DISTINGUISHED HERSELF AMONG THE MOSLEMS, BY
ALL MANNER OF QUALITIES, THROUGH HER WHOLE LONG LIFE; THIS YOUNG BRILLIANT
AYESHA WAS, ONE DAY, QUESTIONING HIM.'NOW AM NOT I BETTER THAN KADIJAH?
SHE WAS A WIDOW; OLD, AND HAD LOST HER LOOKS: YOU LOVE ME BETTER THAN YOU DID
HER?' 'NO, BY ALLAH!' ANSWERED MAHOMET: 'NO, BY ALLAH! SHE BELIEVED IN ME WHEN
NONE ELSE WOULD BELIEVE. IN THE WHOLE WORLD I HAD BUT ONE FRIEND, AND SHE
WAS THAT!... Heros and Hero-Worship, p. 76 It would have been easier to
repel the temptation of the devil than to succumb to the ego of a young,
loving, brilliant and beautiful wife like lady Ayesha Siddiqa. Why not
let her hear the soft soothing balm of flattery-, it will not harm anyone.
Even the soul of Bibi Khadija, the mother of the Faithful, would look
light-heartedly at the ruse. There is no shamming, no innocent
"white lies" with Muhammad (pbuh). Traits of this kind show us
the genuine man, brother of us all, brought visible through fourteen centuries,
- - - the veritable son of our common mother.
'AL AMEEN. THE
FAITHFUL'
3 a. "A MAN OF TRUTH AND
FIDELITY; TRUE IN WHAT HE DID, IN WHAT HE SPAKE AND THOUGHT. THEY NOTED
THAT HE ALWAYS MEANT SOMETHING. A MAN RATHER TACITURN IN SPEECH; SILENT
WHEN THERE WAS NOTHING TO BE SAID; BUT PERTINENT WISE, SINCERE, WHEN HE DID
SPEAK; ALWAYS THROWING LIGHT ON THE MATTER. THIS IS THE ONLY SORT OF
SPEECH WORTH SPEAKING!" Heros and Hero-Worship, p. 69
b. "MAHOMET NATURALLY GAVE
OFFENCE TO THE KOREISH, KEEPERS OF THE KAABAH, SUPERINTENDENTS OF THE
IDOLS. ONE OR TWO MEN OF INFLUENCE HAD JOINED HIM:
1. “THE THING SPREAD SLOWLY, BUT
IT WAS SPREADING, NATURALLY HE GAVE OFFENCE
TO EVERYBODY."[The Jews hated the Prophet: the Christians hated the Prophet: the mushriks (the Polytheists) hated the Prophet, and the Munafiqeen (the hypocrites) hated the Prophet. It is the nature of Falsehood to hate the Truth. Light dismisses Darkness, but darkness does not take kindly to light. ] Heros and Hero-Worship, p. 77 c.
TO EVERYBODY."[The Jews hated the Prophet: the Christians hated the Prophet: the mushriks (the Polytheists) hated the Prophet, and the Munafiqeen (the hypocrites) hated the Prophet. It is the nature of Falsehood to hate the Truth. Light dismisses Darkness, but darkness does not take kindly to light. ] Heros and Hero-Worship, p. 77 c.
"NOT A MEALYMOUTHED MAN! A CANDID
FEROCITY, IF THE CASE CALLS FOR IT, IS IN HIM; HE DOES NOT MINCE MATRERS!
THE WAR OF TABUC IS A THING HE OFTEN SPEAKS OF:HIS MEN REFUSED, MANY OF THEM,
TO MARCH ON THAT OCCASION; PLEADED THE HEAT OF THE WEATHER, THE HARVEST, AND SO
FORTH; HE CAN NEVER FORGET THAT. YOUR HARVEST? IT LASTS FOR A
DAY. WHAT WILL BECOME OF YOUR HARVEST THROUGH ALL ETERNITY? HOT
WEATHER? YES, IT WAS HOT; 'BUT HELL WILL BE HOTER!' SOMETIMES A ROUGH
SARCASM TURNS UP: HE SAYS TO THE UNBELIEVERS, YE SHALL NOT HAVE SHORT
WEIGHT!" Heros and Hero-Worship, p. 95/6.
Remember, Thomas Carlyle uttered these
words, and many more to a shocked and bewildered Christian audience in England,
a hundred and fifty years ago. History did not record for us the lively
arguments and debates which his lecture must naturally have caused. He
kept to his promise: "I mean to say all the good of him (his Hero
Prophet) I justly can'" and he went on in his talk to I defend
Muhammad (pbuh) against the false charges, slander and calumnies of his
enemies:
CHARGE OF FALSITY
4a. "A FALSE MAN FOUND A
RELIGION? WHY, A FALSE MAN CANNOT BUILD
A BRICK HOUSE! IF HE DOES NOT KNOW AND FOLLOW TRULY THE PROPERTIES OF MORTAR,
BURNT CLAY AND WHAT ELSE HE WORKS IN, IT IS NO HOUSE THAT HE MAKES, BUT A
RUBBISH HEAP. IT WILL NOT STAND FOR TWELVE CENTURIES,[Now, fourteen centuries]
TO LODGE A HUNDRED-AND EIGHTY MILLIONS; [A thousand million today.]
IT WILL FALL STRAIGHTAWAY . SPECIOSITIES
ARE SPECIOUS [Specious: Having the ring of truth or
plausibility but actually false.]. . . IT
IS LIKE A FORGED BANK NOTE; THEY GET IT PASSED OUT OF THEIR WORTHLESS
HANDS: OTHERS, NOT THEY, HAVE TO SMART FOR IT. NATURE BURSTS-UP IN FIRE-FLAMES,
FRENCH REVOLUTIONS AND SUCH-LIKE, PROCLAIMING WITH THE TERRIBLE VERACITY THAT
FORGED NOTES ARE FORGED." Heros and Hero-Worship ), p.58
b."IT GOES GREATLY AGAINST THE
IMPOSTER THEORY, THE FACT THAT HE LIVED IN THIS ENTIRELY UNEXCEPTIONABLE,
ENTIRELY QUIET AND COMMON PLACE WAY, TILL THE HEAT OF HIS YEARS WAS DONE. HE
WAS FORTY BEFORE HE TALKED OF ANY MISSION FROM HEAVEN . . ALL HIS 'AMBITION,' SEEMINGLY, HAD BEEN, HITHERTO, TO
LIVE AN HONEST LIFE; HIS 'FAME,' THE MERE GOOD OPINION OF NEIGHBOURS THAT KNEW
HIM..." Heros and Hero-Worship, p.
70
"AMBITION? WHAT COULD ALL ARABIA
DO FOR THIS MAN; WITH THE CROWN OF GREEK
HERACLIUS, OF PERSIAN CHOSROES, AND ALL THE CROWNS IN EARTH; - WHAT COULD THEY
ALL DO FOR HIM? IT WAS NOT OF THE HEAVEN ABOVE AND OF THE HELL BENEATH. ALL
CROWNS AND SOVEREIGNTIES WHAT- SOEVER, WHERE WOULD THEY IN A FEW BRIEF YEARS
BE? TO BE SHEIK OF MAKKAH OR ARABIA, AND HAVE A BIT OF GILT WOOD PUT INTO YOUR
HAND, - - - WILL THAT BE ONES SALVATION? I DECIDEDLY THINK, NOT, WE WILL LEAVE
IT ALTOGETHER, THIS IMPOSTER HYPOTHESIS, AS NOT CREDIT- ABLE: NOT VERY
TOLERABLE EVEN, WORTHY CHIEFLY OF DISMISSAL BY US." Heros and
Hero-Worship, p. 72/3
CHARGE OF SINNING
5. "FAULTS? THE GREATEST OF
FAULTS, I SHOULD SAY, IS TO BE CONSCIOUS OF
NONE. READERS OF THE BIBLE ABOVE ALL, ONE WOULD THINK, MIGHT KNOW
BETTER. WHO IS CALLED THERE 'THE MAN ACCORDING TO GOD'S OWN HEART'? DAVID, THE
HEBREW KING HAD FALLEN INTO SINS ENOUGH; BLACKEST CRIMES; THERE WAS NO WANT OF SINS.[This is the Jewish and Christian
concept of God's prophets. They charge their prophets
with
incest, adultery and even murder. They impure horrendous crimes to them on the
authority
of the Holy Bible.] AND THEREUPON THE UNBELIEVERS SNEER
AND ASK, IS THIS YOUR MAN ACCORDING TO GOD'S HEART? THE SNEER, I MUST SAY, SEEMS TO ME BUT A SHALLOW
ONE. WHAT ARE FAULTS, WHAT ARE THE
OUTWARD DETAILS OF A LIFE; IF THE INNER SECRET OF IT, THE REMORSE, TEMPTATIONS,
TRUE, OFTEN-BAFFLED, NEVER ENDED STRUGGLE OF IT BE FORGOTTEN? 'IT IS NOT IN MAN
THAT WALKETH TO DIRECT HIS STEPS.' OF ALL ACTS, IS NOT, FOR A MAN, REPENTANCE
THE MOST DIVINE? THE DEADLIEST SIN, I SAY, WERE THE SAME SUPERCILIOUS
CONSCIOUSNESS OF NO SIN; THAT IS DEATH; THE HEART SO CONSCIOUS IS DIVORCED FROM
SINCERITY, HUMILITY, AND FACT; IS DEAD:
IT IS 'PURE' AS DEAD DRY SAND IS PURE."
Heros and Hero-Worship. p. 61
CHARGE OF "THE SWORD"
The greatest crime, the greatest
"sin" of Muhammad (pbuh} in the eyes of the Christian West is that he
did not allow himself to be slaughtered, to be "crucified" by his
enemies. He ably defended himself, his family and his followers; and finally
vanquished his enemies. Muhammad's (pbuh} success is the Christians' gall of
disappointment: he did not believe in any vicarious sacrifice for the sins of
others. He believed and behaved naturally.IN THE STATE OF NATURE, EVERY ONE HAS
A RIGHT TO DEFEND HIS PERSON AND POSSESSIONS, AND EXTEND HIS HOSTILITIES TO A
REASONABLE AMOUNT OF SATISFACTION AND RETALIATION," says Gibbon, the
master historian in his "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire." His
struggle and victory over the forces of unbelief and evil made the editors of
the Encyclopedia Britannica to exclaim, Muhammad (pbuh} to be - - - "THE
MOST SUCCESSFUL OF ALL RELIGIOUS PERSONALITIES."
How can the enemies of Islam account for Muhammad's phenomenal achievements except to decry that he spread his religion at the point of the sword? He forced Islam down peoples' throats!?
6a. "HISTORY MAKES IT CLEAR HOWEVER, THAT THE LEGEND OF FANATICAL MUSLIMS SWEEP- ING THROUGH THE WORLD AND FORCING ISLAM AT THE POINT OF THE SWORD UPON CONQUERED RACES IS ONE OF THE MOST FANTASTICALLY ABSURD MYTHS THAT HISTORIANS HAVE EVER REPEATED." De Lacy O'Leary in "Islam at the Crossroads'' London, 1923, p.8 You do not have to be a historian like O'Leary to know that the Muslims ruled Spain for 736 years. The longest the Christians ever ruled over Muslims was 500 years in Mozambique, a territory captured from an Arab governor by the name of Musa-bin-baique, a name they could not properly pronounce, hence the name Mozambique. Even today, after five centuries of Christian overlordship the country is still 60 percent Muslim.
However, after eight centuries in Spain the Muslims were totally eliminated from that country so that not even one man was left to give the Azan {the Muslim call to prayer}. If the Muslims had used force, military or economic there would not have been any Christian left in Spain to have kicked the Muslims out. One can blame the Muslims for exploitation if you like but one cannot charge them with using the sword to convert Spaniards to the Islamic religion.Today, Islam is still spreading all over the world and Muslims have NO sword!! The Muslims were also the masters of India for a thousand years, but eventually when the sub-continent received independence in 1947, the Hindus obtained three quarters of the country and the Muslims the balance of the one-quarter. Why? Because the Muslims did not force Islam down the Hindus' throats! In Spain and in India, the Muslims were no paragons of virtue, yet they obeyed the Qur'anic injunction to the letter
LET THERE BE NO COMPULSION IN RELIGION: FOR TRUTH STANDS OUT DISTINCT FROM ERROR. Holy Quran 2:256
How can the enemies of Islam account for Muhammad's phenomenal achievements except to decry that he spread his religion at the point of the sword? He forced Islam down peoples' throats!?
6a. "HISTORY MAKES IT CLEAR HOWEVER, THAT THE LEGEND OF FANATICAL MUSLIMS SWEEP- ING THROUGH THE WORLD AND FORCING ISLAM AT THE POINT OF THE SWORD UPON CONQUERED RACES IS ONE OF THE MOST FANTASTICALLY ABSURD MYTHS THAT HISTORIANS HAVE EVER REPEATED." De Lacy O'Leary in "Islam at the Crossroads'' London, 1923, p.8 You do not have to be a historian like O'Leary to know that the Muslims ruled Spain for 736 years. The longest the Christians ever ruled over Muslims was 500 years in Mozambique, a territory captured from an Arab governor by the name of Musa-bin-baique, a name they could not properly pronounce, hence the name Mozambique. Even today, after five centuries of Christian overlordship the country is still 60 percent Muslim.
However, after eight centuries in Spain the Muslims were totally eliminated from that country so that not even one man was left to give the Azan {the Muslim call to prayer}. If the Muslims had used force, military or economic there would not have been any Christian left in Spain to have kicked the Muslims out. One can blame the Muslims for exploitation if you like but one cannot charge them with using the sword to convert Spaniards to the Islamic religion.Today, Islam is still spreading all over the world and Muslims have NO sword!! The Muslims were also the masters of India for a thousand years, but eventually when the sub-continent received independence in 1947, the Hindus obtained three quarters of the country and the Muslims the balance of the one-quarter. Why? Because the Muslims did not force Islam down the Hindus' throats! In Spain and in India, the Muslims were no paragons of virtue, yet they obeyed the Qur'anic injunction to the letter
LET THERE BE NO COMPULSION IN RELIGION: FOR TRUTH STANDS OUT DISTINCT FROM ERROR. Holy Quran 2:256
The Muslim conquerors understood from
this command that "compulsion" was incompatible with true religion:
because
because
(a} Religion depends on faith and
will, and these would be meaningless if induced by force. Force can conquer but
cannot convert.
(b) Truth and Error have been so
clearly shown up by the Mercy of God that there should be no doubt in the minds
of any person of goodwill as to the fundamentals of faith.
(c) God's protection is continuous and
His Plan is always to lead us from the depths of darkness into the clearest
light.[(a), (b} and (c) are Yusuf Ali's comments on verse 256. Obtain his
translation with over 6000 explanatory footnotes from the IPCI. ]Except
for some eccentrics here and there, the Muslims as a whole adhered to the
commandment of God in the lands over which they held sway. But what can the
enemy say about countries where no single Muslim soldier had set foot?
(i) INDONESIA: It is a fact that over a
hundred million Indonesians are Muslim, yet no conquering Muslim army ever
landed on any of its over two thousand islands.
(ii} MALAYSIA: The overwhelming number
of its people in this country are Muslims yet no Muslim soldier had landed
there either.
(iii} AFRICA: The majority of the
people on the East coast of Africa as far down as Mozambique, as well as the
bulk of the inhabitants on the West coast of the continent are Muslims, but
history does not record any invading hoards of Muslims from anywhere. What sword? Where was the sword? The Muslim
trader did the job. His good conduct and moral rectitude achieved the miracle
of conversion. "All what you say
seems incontrovertible, Mr. Deedat," says the Christian controversialist,
"but we are talking about Islam at
its very beginning, the way in which your prophet converted the pagans to his
faith! How did he do it if not with the sword?"
ONE AGAINST ALL?
ONE AGAINST ALL?
We can do no better than to allow
Thomas Carlyle himself to defend his Hero Prophet against this false
charge; - - -
7. "THE SWORD INDEED: BUT WHERE WILL YOU GET YOUR SWORD! EVERY NEW OPINION, AT ITS STARTING, IS PRECISELY IN A MINORITY OF ONE. IN ONE MAN'S HEAD ALONE, THERE IT DWELLS AS YET. ONE MAN ALONE OF THE WHOLE WORLD BELIEVES IT; THERE IS ONE MAN AGAINST ALL MEN. THAT HE TAKE A SWORD, AND TRY TO PROPAGATE WITH THAT, WILL DO LITTLE FOR HIM. YOU MUST FIRST GET YOUR SWORD! ON THE WHOLE, A THING WILL PROPAGATE ITSELF AS IT CAN. WE DO NOT FIND, OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION EITHER, THAT IT ALWAYS DISDAINED THE SWORD, WHEN ONCE IT HAD GOT ONE. CHARLEMAGNE'S CONVERSION OF THE SAXONS WAS NOT BY PREACHING." Heroes and Hero-Worship. p. 80
charge; - - -
7. "THE SWORD INDEED: BUT WHERE WILL YOU GET YOUR SWORD! EVERY NEW OPINION, AT ITS STARTING, IS PRECISELY IN A MINORITY OF ONE. IN ONE MAN'S HEAD ALONE, THERE IT DWELLS AS YET. ONE MAN ALONE OF THE WHOLE WORLD BELIEVES IT; THERE IS ONE MAN AGAINST ALL MEN. THAT HE TAKE A SWORD, AND TRY TO PROPAGATE WITH THAT, WILL DO LITTLE FOR HIM. YOU MUST FIRST GET YOUR SWORD! ON THE WHOLE, A THING WILL PROPAGATE ITSELF AS IT CAN. WE DO NOT FIND, OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION EITHER, THAT IT ALWAYS DISDAINED THE SWORD, WHEN ONCE IT HAD GOT ONE. CHARLEMAGNE'S CONVERSION OF THE SAXONS WAS NOT BY PREACHING." Heroes and Hero-Worship. p. 80
|
At the age of forty when Muhammad
{pbuh} declared his mission from heaven, there was no political party, or
royalty, and certainly no family or tribe to back him up. His people - the
Arabs, immersed in idol-worship and fetishism were not by any means a docile
people, they were no easy meat. They were a very volatile people. given to
internecine and fratricidal wars: subject to "all kinds of fierce
sincerities - " {Carlyle}. One man, single-handed, to wean such a people
required nothing short of a miracle. A miracle did happen. God alone could
have made Islam and Muhammad {pbuh} to triumph through with flimsy, gossamer
support. God fulfilling His promise:
And have We not raised high the esteem in which thou O Muhammad are held? Holy Quran 94:4 |
Chapter
3
FASTEST
GROWING RELIGION TODAY
THE SWORD OF THE INTELECT
The enemy, the sceptic, the missionary and their passive camp followers will not stop bleating that "lslam was spread at the point of the sword!" but they will not venture to answer our question -- "WHO BRIBED CARLYLE!?" In 1840 when Carlyle defended Muhammad (pbuh) and refuted the allegation about the sword, there was nobody around to bribe. The whole Muslim world was in the gutters. The countries of Islam were all under subjugation by the Christians, except for a few like Persia, Afghanistan and Turkey who were only nominally independent. There were no riches to flaunt and no petro-dollars to bribe with!
That was yesterday and many yesterdays ago, but what about today, in modern times? It is claimed that "Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world." The overall increase of all the sects and denominations of Christianity was a staggering 138 per cent with the incredible increase of Islam by 235 per cent in the same period of time of half-a-century. It is further affirmed that in Britain and the United States of America, Islam is the fastest growing faith. It is said that in Britain "There are more Muslims than Methodists in the country." You have a right to ask, "What sword?" The answer is, "THE SWORD INDEED!" {Thomas Carlyle}1 It is the sword of intellect? It is the fulfillment of yet another prophecy; IT IS HE (God Almighty) WHO HAS SENT HIS MESSENGER (Muhammad) WITH GUIDANCE AND THE RELIGION OF TRUTH (Islam) THAT HE MAY MAKE IT PREVAIL OVER ALL RELIGIONS, AND ENOUGH IS GOD FOR A WITNESS.
Holy Qur'an 48:28
The destiny of Islam is spelt out here
in the clearest terms. Islam is to master, overcome and supersede every other
faith - That He (God Almighty) make it (Islam)
prevail over all religions … In
Arabic the word is Deen [Usually translated as Religion, which
literally Islam is not.] (literally meaning "Way of Life",), to
supersede all, whether it be Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianism, [In the time of Thomas Carlyle this was the
team applied to Christianity. ] Judaism,
Communism or any other "ism." This is the destiny of Allah's Deen.
The same Qur'anic Verse is repeated in chapter 61 verse 9 which ends with this
slight variation - (Never mind) Though the unbelievers
might be averse to it (Islam).
TRIUMPH OF ISLAM
Islam will prevail. It is the promise
of God, and His Promise is true. But how? With the sword? Not even if we had
the laser gun! Could we use it? The Holy Qur'an forbids us to use force as a
means of converting! Yet the verse prophesies that Islam would be the most
dominant of religions. The triumphs of its doctrines have already started and
is gaining hold over the religious ideology and doctrines of the various
schools of thought in the world. Though not in the name of Islam, but in the
name of reformation and amendments, the doctrines of Islam are being fastly
grafted into the various religious orders. Many things which are exclusively
Islamic and which were formerly unknown, or which were being opposed before
with tooth and nail by the other creeds, are now part of their believes. The
Brotherhood of man The abolition of
the Caste system and untouchability
The right of women to inherit
Opening the places of worship to all.
Prohibition of all intoxicants The true concept of
the Unity of God etc. etc.
Just one word on the last subject
above, before we proceed further. Ask any theist, polytheist, [.
Polytheist: One who believes in many gods] pantheist, [Pantheist:
The one who believes that everything is god. Of course the "trinitarian,''
you already know ] or trinitarian: how many Gods he believes in? He will
shudder to say anything other than ONE!
This is the EFFECT of the strict monotheism of Islam.
THE CREED OF MOHAMED IS FREE FROM THE SUSPICIONS OF AMBIGUITY AND THE KORAN IS A GLORIOUS TESTIMONY TO THE UNITY OF GOD.
THE CREED OF MOHAMED IS FREE FROM THE SUSPICIONS OF AMBIGUITY AND THE KORAN IS A GLORIOUS TESTIMONY TO THE UNITY OF GOD.
Gibbon in his "Decline and
Fall of the Roman Empire.''
VERDICT OF NON-MUSLIM ORIENTALS
Almost all the defenders of Muhammad
(phuh) who spoke out against the false theory that he spread his religion at
the point of the sword, were Westerners. Let us now hear what some non-Muslim
Easterners have to say on the subject:
8a. THE MORE I STUDY THE MORE I DISCOVER THAT THE STRENGTH OF ISLAM DOES NOT LIE IN THE SWORD.
Mahatma Gandhi - the father of modern
India, in "Young India."
b. THEY {Muhammad's critics} SEE FIRE
INSTEAD OF LIGHT, UGLINESS INSTEAD OF GOOD. THEY DISTORT AND PRESENT EVERY GOOD
QUALITY AS A GREAT VICE. IT REFLECTS THEIR OWN DEPRAVITY... THE CRITICS ARE
BLIND. THEY CANNOT SEE THAT THE ONLY ‘SWORD' MUHAMMAD WIELDED WAS THE SWORD OF
MERCY, COMPASSION, FRIENDSHIP AND FORGIVENESS - THE SWORD THAT CONQUERS ENEMIES
AND PURIFIES THEIR HEARTS. HIS SWORD WAS SHARPER THAN THE SWORD OF STEEL.
Pandit Gyanandra Dev Sharma Shastri,
at a meeting in Gorakhpur lndia). 1928
c. HE PREFERRED MIGRATION TO FIGHTING
HIS OWN PEOPLE, BUT WHEN OPPRESSION WENT BEYOND THE PALE OF TOLERANCE HE TOOK
UP HIS SWORD IN SELF-DEFENCE. THOSE WHO BELIEVE RELIGION CAN BE SPREAD BY FORCE
ARE FOOLS WHO NEITHER KNOW THE WAYS OF RELIGION NOR THE WAYS OF THE WORLD. THEY
ARE PROUD OF THIS BELIEF BECAUSE THEY ARE A LONG, LONG WAY AWAY FROM THE TRUTH.
It was Rudyard Kipling who said,
"East is East and West Is West, never the twain shall meet!" He was
wrong! In the defence of Muhammad {pbuh}, all, who are not blinded by prejudice
will converge.
THREE OTHER STANDARDS
Fourteen years after Thomas Carlyle
had delivered his lecture on his Hero Prophet, a Frenchman by the name of
Lamartine wrote the history of the Turks. Incidentally, the Turks being
Muslims, Lamartine touched on some aspects of Islam and its founder. Like our
Jules Wasserman (see page 10) of current times, who had conceived three
objective standards for discovering greatness of leadership; Lamartine had over
2 century ago thought of three other objective standards for conferring
GREATNESS. We must give credit to the Westemer for this type of insight.
Lamartine opines:
9. IF GREATNESS OF PURPOSE, SMALLNESS OF
MEANS AND ASTOUNDING RESULTS [The full quotation from Lamartine's
book will be found in appendix''B" page 61. ] ARE THE THREE CRITERIA OF
HUMAN GENIUS, WHO COULD DARE TO COMPARE ANY GREAT MAN IN MODERN HISTORY WITH
MUHUMMED? {Lamartine ends his lengthy segment of literary masterpiece with the
words): . . . PHILOSOPHER, ORATOR, APOSTLE, LEGISLATOR, WARRIOR, CONQUEROR OF
IDEAS, RESTORER OF RATIONAL BELIEFS, OF A CULT WITHOUT IMAGES: THE FOUNDER OF
TWENTY TERRESTRIAL EMPIRES AND OF ONE SPIRITUAL EMPIRE, THAT IS MUHUMMED. AS
REGARDS ALL STANDARDS BY WHICH HUMAN GREATNESS MAY BE MEASURED, WE MAY WELL
ASK, IS THERE ANY MAN GREATER THEN HE? Lamartine, "Historie de la
Turquie," Paris 1854
|
The answer to his question, "Is
there any man greater than he?" is reposed in the question itself. By
implication he is saying . . . "there is no man greater than Muhammad.
Muhammad is the greatest man that ever lived!" And
have We not raised high the esteem (in
which) thou (O Muhammad are
held)?
|
MOST CERTAINLY THOU HAST, O MY
LORD! Holy Quran
94:4
Before we absolve Lamartine of any
favouritism, partiality, or of the charge of being bribed, we will scrutinize
his three standards, and whether they can be justified in the case of Muhammad
{pbuh).
1. GREATNESS OF PURPOSE
History of the time will tell you that
it was the darkest period in the history of mankind when Muhammad {pbuh} was
commanded to declare his mission. The need was for the raising of prophets in
every corner of the world, or the sending of one Master Messenger for the whole
of mankind, to deliver them from falsehood, superstition, selfishness,
polytheism, wrong and oppression. It was to be the reclamation of the whole of
humanity. And God Almighty in His wisdom chose His prophet from the backwaters
of Arabia as His universal Messenger. Thus He records in His Noble Book
AND WE SENT THEE NOT {O Mubammad}, BUT
AS A MERCY UNTO {all} THE WORLDS. Holy Quran 21:107
"There is no question now of race
or nation, of a "chosen people" or the "seed of Abraham,"
or the "seed of David": or of Hindu Arya varta; of Jew or Gentile.
Arab or 'Ajam {Persian), Turk or Tajik, European or Asiatic, White or Coloured;
Aryan, Semitic, Mongolian, or African: or American, Australian, or Polynesian.
To all men and creatures who have any spiritual responsibility, the principles
universally apply."
Abdulbh Yusut Ali [Get your copy now of Yusuf Ali's English translation and cornrnentary, with over 6000 annotations. Obtain a copy for your non-Muslim friend, also.]
Abdulbh Yusut Ali [Get your copy now of Yusuf Ali's English translation and cornrnentary, with over 6000 annotations. Obtain a copy for your non-Muslim friend, also.]
JESUS {PBUH) DlSCRIMINATES
Muhammad's (pbuh) immediate
predecessor advised his disciples, "Give not that which is holy unto the
dogs" (meaning non-Jews}, "Neither cast ye your pearls before
swine" (meaning non-Jews, Matthew 7:6). The Gospel writers are unanimous
in recording that Christ lived by the precepts which he preached. In his
lifetime he did not preach to a single non-Jew. In fact he spurned a gentile
woman who sought his spiritual blessings {"the woman was a Greek'' Mark
7:26). Then during the "Passover" season in Jerusalem when the master
with his disciples had congregated for the occasion, certain Greeks hearing of
his reputation sought an audience with him for spiritual enlightenment, but
Jesus {pbuh} gave them the "cold shoulder'' [Means a deliberately unkind
or unfriendly treatment; a slight; a snub.] as narrated by St.
John:
|
And there were certain Greeks
among them that came up to
worship at the feast:
The same came therefore to Philip . . . and desired him saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.
Philip cometh and telleth Andrew:
and again Andrew and Philip tell
Jesus.
John 12:20-22
|
|
|
SELF GLORIFICATION
The verses that follow do not even
record the courtesy of "Yea,yea;" or "Nay, nay;"
(Yes, yes or no, no of Matthew 5:37).
They continue with his own praise
And Jesus answered them (Andrew and
Philip), saying, The hour is come, that
the son of man (referring to himself}
should be glorified. John 12:23
HIGHEST STANDARDS
Muhammad (pbuh) could never afford any
such latitudes. Remember, how the Almighty reminded him of the
highest etiquette required from him. Even the thought of being ruffled by the untimely intrusion of a blind man, was not accepted from him {see page 22 "He frowned']. As a universal Messenger, God set for him the most lofty standards: And Most Certainly, Thou (O Muhammad) Are of most sublime And Exalted Character. Holy Quran 68:4
highest etiquette required from him. Even the thought of being ruffled by the untimely intrusion of a blind man, was not accepted from him {see page 22 "He frowned']. As a universal Messenger, God set for him the most lofty standards: And Most Certainly, Thou (O Muhammad) Are of most sublime And Exalted Character. Holy Quran 68:4
And his diocese, his field of mission?
The whole of mankind!
And We sent thee not (O Muhammad), but
as a mercy unto (all) the worlds. Holy Quran
21:107
UNIVERSAL MESSENGER
These are not mere platitudes;
beautiful sentiments bereft of action. Muhammad (pbuh) practised what he
preached. Among his first Sahabas (companions) and converts, beside the
Arabs can be counted Bilal the Abyssinian, Salman the Persian and Abdullah
Bin-Salaam the Jew. The sceptics may say that his outreach was simply
incidental but what can they say about the historical fact that before his
demise, he sent out five epistles, one to each of the five surrounding
countries, inviting them to accept the religion of Islam.
1. The Emperor of Persia
2. The King of Egypt
3. The Negus of Abyssinia
4. The Emperor Hiraclius at Constantinople, and
5. The King of Yemen
Thus he set the example for the
fulfilment of his impelling mission, his "greatness of
purpose," the reclamation of the whole of humanity into the Master's
fold. Is there another example of such universality in another
religion? Muhammad (pbuh) was not out to set or to break any records, he
was simply carrying out the trust that was reposed in him by the Lord of
Creation!
1. SMALLNESS OF MEANS
Muhammad (pbuh) was born with no
silver spoon in his mouth. His life begins with infinitesimal support.
His father had died before he was bom. His mother dies by the time he was
six years old. He was doubly-orphaned at this tender age, his grandfather
Abdul-Muttalib takes charge of the child, but within three years he also
died. As soon as he was able, he began to look after his uncle Abu
Talib's sheep and goats for his keep. Contrast this poor, double-orphaned
Arab child with some of the great religious personalities that preceded him,
and you must marvel at what Destiny had in store for him!
Abraham (pbuh) the spiritual father of
Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (May the peace of God be upon them all), was the son
of a very successful businessman of his time. Moses (pbuh) was reared in
the house of Pharoah. Jesus (pbuh) though described as "a
carpenter and the son of a carpenter," was well endowed with learning as
well as material means. Peter, Philip, Andrew, etc. all downed tools and
followed him to be at his beck and call, not because he had any halo [Halo.-
An imaginary luminous ring or disc surrounding the head of saintly men and
women in religious paintings.] on his head; there was no such thing, but
because of his affluent attire and princely bearing. He could command
mansions in Jerusalem for himself and his disciples even during the height of
the festive season; and have sumptuous suppers arranged; and you could hear him
reproach the materialistic Jews -
And when they found him (Jesus)
on the other side of the sea, they
said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?"
Jesus answered them and said,
"most assuredly, I say to
you, you seek me, not because you saw
the signs, [The veracity of the Messiah's message
and his mission.] but because
you ate of the loaves and were filled.
John 6:25-26
NOTHING TO OFFER
Muhammad (pbuh) had no bread nor
meat to offer, no sugar-plums of any kind, in this world or the next! The
only thing he could offer his bedraggled, poor shepherd people was trial and
tribulations and the strait-jacketing of their lives here on earth and the good
pleasures of God in the Hereafter. The life of the Prophet was an open
book before them. He had shown them as to what he was; the nobility of
his character, his integrity of purpose, his earnestness and fiery enthusiasm
for the truth he had come to preach revealed the hero; and they followed
him. Mr. Stanley Lane Poole's estimate of our hero is so beautiful and
yet so truthful that I cannot resist the temptation of quoting it here:
HE WAS AN ENTHUSIAST IN THAT NOBLEST
SENSE WHEN ENTHUSIASM BECOMES THE SALT OF THE EARTH, THE ONE THING THAT KEEPS
MEN FROM ROTTING WHILST THEY LIVE.
ENTHUSIASM IS OFTEN USED DESPITEFULLY,
BECAUSE IT IS JOINED TO AN UNWORTHY CAUSE, OR FALLS UPON BARREN GROUND AND
BEARS NO FRUIT. SO WAS IT NOT WITH MOHAMMED. HE WAS AN ENTHUSIAST
WHEN ENTHUSIASM WAS THE ONE THING NEEDED TO SET THE WORLD AFLAME, AND HIS
ENTHUSIASM WAS NOBLE FOR A NOBLE CAUSE. HE WAS ONE OF THOSE HAPPY FEW WHO HAVE
ATTAINED THE SUPREME JOY OF MAKING ONE GREAT TRUTH THEIR VERY LIFE-SPRING.
HE WAS THE MESSENGER OF THE ONE GOD,
AND NEVER TO HIS LIFE'S END DID HE FORGET WHO HE WAS, OR THE MESSAGE WHICH WAS
THE MARROW OF HIS BEING. HE BROUGHT HIS TIDINGS TO HIS PEOPLE WITH A
GRAND DIGNITY SPRUNG FROM THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF HIS HIGH OFFICE, TOGETHER WITH A
MOST SWEET HUMILITY, WHOSE ROOTS LAY IN THE KNOW-LEDGE OF HIS OWN
WEAKNESS."
It may easliy be conceded that
Muhammad (pbuh) was blessed with the flimsiest of human resources. In
fact the odds were loaded against him. But what about his fortune towards
the end of his earthly sojourn? He was the overlord of the whole of
Arabia! What about the endless means at his disposal then? We will
allow a Christian missionary to answer that -
HE WAS CAESAR AND POPE IN ONE, BUT HE
WAS POPE WITHOUT THE POPE'S PRETENTIONS, AND CAESAR WITHOUT THE LEGIONS OF
CAESAR: WITHOUT A STANDING ARMY, WITHOUT A BODYGUARD, WITHOUT A PALACE, WITHOUT
A FIXED REVENUE; IF EVER ANY MAN HAD THE RIGHT TO SAY THAT HE RULED BY THE
RIGHT DIVINE, IT WAS MOHAMMAD, FOR HE HAD ALL THE POWERS WITHOUT ITS
INSTRUMENTS AND WITHOUT ITS SUPPORTS." R. Bosworth Smith -Mohammad and
Mohammadanism", London 1874, p. 92
HIS
HANDICAPS
His "weakness" was his
strength. The very fact that he had no material means of support made him
to put his entire trust in God, and God the Merciful did not forsake him.
His success was all the more staggering. May not the Muslims justly say,
the entire work was the work of God? And Muhammad (pbuh) his Instrument?
OUTSTANDING RESULTS
In the words of Thomas
Carlyle - "One man against all men," [See full quotation
by Thomas Carlyle on page 31.] to a hundred and twenty four thousand at the
Farewell pilgrimage alone. How many were left behind of men, women and
children, believers all?
On the 12th of RABI I., in the 11 th
year after the Hijra, [Hijra literally means Migration.]
approximating to the 8th of June 632 of the Christian Era, whilst praying
earnestly in whisper, the spirit of the great Prophet took flight to the
"blessed companion-ship on high" (Ibn Hisham).
Hazrat Omar (May Allah be pleased with
him), on receiving the sad news of the demise of the Holy Prophet, lost his
bearings. He was so shocked that he blurted out "if anyone says that
Muhammad is dead, I will chop off his head!" Hazrat Abu Bakr As-Siddiq
presently verified that the Master had indeed departed from this world; and
coming out from the Prophet's apartment announced to the gathering throng
outside, that, "Muhammad (pbuh) had indeed passed away. Those that
worshipped Muhammad," he said, "'Let them know that Muhammad is dead,
but those who worship Allah, let them know that Allah lives for ever!"
This brought Omar al-Farooq (R.A.)
back to his senses. Could this man who was to become the second great
Khaleefah of Islam at this moment imagine that fourteen hundred years later
there would be a thousand million followers of Muhammad (pbuh) at one
time? Could he have visualized that the religion of the Prophet would be
the fastest growing religion in the world?1
Christianity had a 600-year start on
Islam. Numerically the Christians claim to outnumber the followers of any
other faith; this is true but let us look at the picture in its true
perspective -
THERE ARE MORE PROFESSING
CHRISTIANS IN THE WORLD THAN PROFESSING MUSLIMS, BUT THERE ARE MORE PRACTISING
MUSLIMS IN THE WORLD THAN PRACTISING CHRISTIANS.
(Emphasis added) R.V.C. Bodley (the American) in "The Messenger: The Life of Mohammed." U.S.A. 1969
(Emphasis added) R.V.C. Bodley (the American) in "The Messenger: The Life of Mohammed." U.S.A. 1969
1 understand from the above that Mr.
Bodley is trying to tell us that there are people in the world who, when
filling their census forms, will tick off the term Christian under
"Religion." It is not necessarily that they believe in the dogmas of
Christianity. They could actually be atheists or bush-Baptists,
[Bush-Baptist: There are forty different Baptist Churches in the
United States of America. But bush-Baptists are people with strong
religious feelings yet will not go to any Church; and will not affiliate with
any sect or denomination.]as opposed to being a Jew or Hindu or Muslim; coming
from a Christian background they would for the purpose of convenience label
themselves "Christian." From that point of view, and from the point
of view that a person who practises what he believes, there would be more
Muslims in the world than Christians. Chronologically,
Islam is six hundred years behind Christianity, but amazingly it is at least a
very close second, and is catching up fast - the fastest growing religion in
the world today (see chart on page 34). "One Billion!" The
figure is outstanding and the sincerity and practise of the Believers
astonishing!
Taking into account his own three
objective standards: (a) "greatness of purpose;" (b) "smallness
of means;" and (c) "outstanding results;" does Lamartine dare to
produce another candidate greater than Muhammad (pbuh)? He further awes
his readers with the multifarious roles of Muhammad (pbuh) in which he
excelled, ie. Philosopher, Orator, Apostle, Legislator, Warrior,
Conqueror of Ideas, the Restorer of Rational Beliefs, of a Cult without Images,
the Founder of twenty Terrestrial Empires and of one Spiritual Empire, that Is
Muhammad. As regards ALL standards (I repeat "ALL") by which
Human Greatness may be measured, we may well ask, "IS THERE ANY MAN
GREATER THAN HE?" (Emphasis added).
No! Muhammad (pbuh) was the greatest
man that ever lived! According to Lamartine the French historian. And God
Almighty questions –
And Have We not raised high
the esteem (in which) thou (O
Muhammad) are held?
MOST ASSUREDLY THOU HAST, O MY
LORD! Holy Quran 94:4
THE QUALITY OF MERCY
The Christian
propagandists make the wild boast that there is nothing in the history of
mankind to compare with the merciful and forgiving cry of Jesus (pbuh) on the
cross ... "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they
do."
Luke 23:34
Amazing as it may sound, of the four
writers of the Canonical Gospels, only St. Luke was inspired by the Holy ghost
(?) to pen these words. The other three - Matthew, Mark and John never
heard these words or they felt them to be too insipid or not important enough
for recording. St. Luke was not even one of the twelve disciples selected
by Jesus (pbuh). According to the revisers of the Revised Standard
Version (RSV) of the Bible, these words are not in the most ancient manuscripts
which by implication means that they are an interpolation.
In "The New King James
Version," (Copyrighted by the Thomas Nelson Publishers inr 1984), we are
told that these words are "not in the original text" of the Greek
manuscripts of St. Luke. In other words they have been fabricated by some
pious gentleman. Although the quotation is unauthentic, we will still
entertain it because it demonstrates great piety of loving one's enemies and of
unsurpassed forgiveness as preached by the Master himself.
For forgiveness to be of any worth,
the forgiver must be in a position to forgive. If the victim of injustice
is still in the clutches of his enemies; in that helpless position and he would
cry out, "I FORGIVE YOU!" it would be meaningless. But if the
aggrieved party had turned the tables on his enemies and was in a position of
taking revenge or exact retribution, and yet say "I forgive you!",
only then would it mean something!
MUHAMMAD'S (PBUH) CLEMENCY
Contrast the alleged forgiveness from
the "cross" with the historical bloodless conquest of Makkah by
Muhammad (pbuh) at the head of ten thousand "saints" [A
fulfilment of another prophecy in Muhammad (pbuh). "...He came from
mount Paran (that is in Arabia), and he came with ten thousand saints..."
Deuteronomy 33:2.] (his companions).
"THE CITY WHICH HAD TREATED HIM SO CRUELLY, DRIVEN HIM AND HIS FAITHFUL BAND FOR REFUGE AMONGST STRANGERS, WHICH HAD SWORN HIS LIFE AND THE LIVES OF HIS DEVOTED DISCIPLES, LAY AT HIS FEET. HIS OLD PERSECUTERS RELENTLESS AND RUTHLESS, WHO HAD DISGRACED HUMANITY BY INFLICTING CRUEL OUTRAGES UPON INOFFENSIVE MEN AND WOMEN, AND EVEN UPON THE LIFELESS DEAD, WERE NOW COMPLETELY AT HIS MERCY. BUT IN THE HOUR OF HIS TRIUMPH EVERY EVIL SUFFERED WAS FORGOTTEN, EVERY INJURY INFLICTED WAS FORGIVEN, AND A GENERAL AMNESTY WAS EXTENDED TO THE POPULATION OF MAKKAH ..." Sayed Amir Ali in "The Spirit of Islam"
Calling before him the populace of the
vanquished city, he addressed them with "What do you expect at my hands
today?" His people had known him too well, even from his childhood so they
replied, "Mercy, 0 generous brother and nephew!" Tears came into the
eyes of the Prophet, and he said, "I will speak to you as Joseph spoke
unto his brethren, I will not reproach you today: go you are free!"
And now a scene was enacted of which
there is really no parallel in the history of the world. Hosts upon hosts
came forward and adopted the religion of Islam. God Almighty testifies as
to the lofty and exalted behaviour of His Messenger - Ye
have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct). Holy
Quran 33:21
How well has Lamartine1
unknowingly echoed these sentiments -
"AS REGARDS ALL STANDARDS BY
WHICH HUMAN GREATNESS MAY BE MEASURED, WE MAY WELL ASK, IS THERE ANY MAN
GREATER THAN HE?"
In reply, we too can say once more,
"No! there is no man greater than Muhammad (pbuh). Muhammad (pbuh)
was the greatest man that ever lived!"
So far, our hero has earned the
unsolicited and ungrudging tributes from many non-Muslims of different
religious persuasions and from varying intellectual fields of endeavour.
But all this still remains incomplete without the Master's verdict; Muhammad's
(pbuh) predecessor - Jesus Christ, (pbuh). We will now apply his own
standard for evaluating greatness.
JOHN
THE BAPTIST
1. John the Baptist, ["JOHN- not
to be confused with John the disciple of Jesus (pbuh). A very common name
among the Jews and Arabs, even today, like Tarik Aziz the recent Iraqi Minister
of Foreign Affairs. Real name Tarik Hanna Aziz; Hanna short for Yuhanna meaning
John. No one in the non-Arab Muslim world knowing that our friend is a
Christian Marxist.] Known throughout the Muslim world as Hazrat Yahya
Alaihis-salaam (Peace be upon him) was a contemporary prophet of the
Messiah. They were also cousins. Here is what the Master has to say
of him:
2. Full quotation of Larmartine will be found in
Appendix "B" on page 61.
Verily I say unto you, Among them that
are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist:Matthew
11:11
Every son of man is "born of
women." By this very fact John the Baptist is greater than Moses, David,
Solomon, Abraham or Isaiah; none of the Israelite prophets excluded. What
gives John this ascendancy over every other prophet? It could not be any
miracle, because the Bible records none to his credit. It could not be
his teachings, because he brought no new laws or regulations. Then what
makes him the greatest? Simply because he was the heralder, a pre-cursor,
a harbinger of the happy news of the coming of the Messiah. This is what
made John the greatest, but Jesus (pbuh) claims that he himself was even
greater than the greatest (ie. John). Why?
But I have greater witness than that
of John (the Baptist): For The Works which the Father hath given me to
finish: (Emphasis added) John 5:36
It is the "witness," the
commission which God Almighty had entrusted him with, which makes Jesus (pbuh)
greater than even John. Applying these very standards as enunciated by
the Master, we find that -
1. John the Baptist was the greatest of all the Israelite prophets, because he heralded the mighty Messiah (Jesus pbuh). Similarly Jesus (pbuh) would be greater than even John because he heralded "The Spirit of Truth, the Comforter," who was to guide mankind into all Truth (of the Gospel of St. John, chapter 16). [ For a detalted explanation about this prophecy, obtain today your FREE copy of the book -MUHUMMED (pbuh) the Natural Successor to CHRIST (pbuh) from the IPCI.]
1. John the Baptist was the greatest of all the Israelite prophets, because he heralded the mighty Messiah (Jesus pbuh). Similarly Jesus (pbuh) would be greater than even John because he heralded "The Spirit of Truth, the Comforter," who was to guide mankind into all Truth (of the Gospel of St. John, chapter 16). [ For a detalted explanation about this prophecy, obtain today your FREE copy of the book -MUHUMMED (pbuh) the Natural Successor to CHRIST (pbuh) from the IPCI.]
2. The diocese, the mission of Jesus
(pbuh), or "the works which God had given him to accomplish," was
limited to the Lost sheep of the House of Israel (Matthew 15:24), whereas
the mission of Muhammad (pbuh) was universal. He had been told -
And we have sent thee not (O
Muhammad), but as a Mercy unto (all) the worlds. Holy Quran
21:107
In keeping with his grand commission,
Muhammad (pbuh) consistently delivered his Message to one and all who would
hear, irrespective of race, class or creed, He welcomed them all in the
religion of God, without any discrimination. He had no thought of
dividing the creatures of God into "dogs and pigs" (Matthew 7:6) or
into "sheep and goats" (Matthew 25:32). He was the Messenger of
the One True God, who was sent as a Mercy unto all mankind, nay, unto the whole
universe (H.Q. 21:107 above). And, he never forgot this mission even
right up to his dying day.
Towards the end of his earthly
sojourn, when he could look back to a hectic and dangerous past, now crowned
with success; he now feels that he could sit back and enjoy the fruits of his
toil; he dreams of a life free from turmoil and full of satisfaction and
relaxation. Not for him! There is no time to rest or relax.
There is work still to be done. God Almighty reminds him - - WE HAVE NOT
SENT THEE (O MUHAMMAD) BUT TO THE WHOLE OF MANKIND.
AS A GIVER OF GLAD TIDINGS AND AS A
WARNER,
BUT MOST OF MANKIND STILL DO NOT KNOW.
Holy Quran 34:28 [This is
your last chance to memorize the text and the translation of this verse.
It you are lackadaisical, we can only mourn your loss.]
How was he to respond to this new
challenge in his ripening old age? There were no electronic gadgets of
modern communication methods at his disposal; there were no telex and fax
machines which he could exploit. What could he do? Being an ummi
(unlettered), he called the scribes and dictated five letters, one each to the
Emperor at Constantinople, the King of Egypt, the Negus of Abyssinia, the King
of Yemen and to the Emperor in Persia. He called forth five Sahaaba (his
holy companions) with five Arab steeds and set them out in five different
directions inviting the nations of the world to the universal religion of God.
I had the good fortune of seeing one
of those holy epistles in the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul (old Constantinople)
Turkey. That letter is collecting dust! Materially the Turks have
preserved the parchment. But the Message is collecting dust, as I have
said.
The letter begins, "From
Muhammad the Messenger of God, to Heraclius the Emperor at Constantinople:
Accept Islam and be benefited." followed by this exhortation from the Book of God - -
Accept Islam and be benefited." followed by this exhortation from the Book of God - -
SAY: "O PEOPLE OF THE BOOK! ["People of the Book," stands
for the Jews and the Christians. You will never have it so good for
learning Allah's Kalaam. Don't ignore this opportunity. Memorize
the verses as they occur.]
COME TO COMMON TERMS AS BETWEEN US AND
YOU:
THAT WE WORSHIP NONE BUT GOD;
THAT WE ASSOCIATE NO PARTNERS WITH
HIM;
THAT WE ERECT NOT, FROM AMONG
OURSELVES, LORDS AND PATRONS OTHER THAN GOD."
IF THEN THEY TURN BACK, SAY YE:
"BEAR WITNESS THAT WE (AT LEAST) ARE MUSLIMS (BOWING TO GOD'S WILL) Holy
Quran 3:64
After the above Quranic insertion in
the letter, it is concluded with felicitation in the Prophet's own words,
ending with a seal on which is inscribed - "There is no other object of
worship but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger."
The letter in Turkey arouses our
curiosity; and interest with regards to its preservation, but the preservation
itself is lost upon the sightseer. The same Quranic Message is in almost
every Muslim home; being read and re-read a thousand times over without the
reader being moved to deliver its Message to the addressees!
Glance once more at the above
verse. It is addressed to the "ahle-Kitaab," - the
People of the Book, the Jews and the
Christians. But, for over a thousand years we have utterly ignored that
great directive at our own peril. We are sitting on that Message like a
cobra on a pile of wealth, keeping the rightful heirs at bay. This utter
neglect will continue to inflict untold suffering to the Ummah for generations
to come.
After over fourteen hundred years of
our reading, and chanting the Quran in every rhythmic style, we still hear this
poignant cry:
But Most of mankind still do not know.
Holy Quran 34:28
This is the concluding phrase of the
verse revealed fourteen hundred years ago. It was the factual situation
of the then religious world. The question which must be asked is if
it is any different today? Not at all! There are today more Mushriks
in the world than there are believers in the One True God.
Is there any hope of changing this
situation? Allah commanded His Prophet then as He is commanding us now
through the first seven verses of Sura Muddaththir (chapter 74).
1. 0 THOU WRAPPED UP (IN A
MANTLE)! "As usual, there is these wonderful early mystical verses
(including the ones that follow), a triple thread of thought:
(a) A particular occasion or person is referred
to
(b) a general
spiritual lesson is taught, and
(c) a more profound
mystical reverie is suggested.
As to (a), the Prophet was now past
the stage of personal contemplation. Wearing his mantle; he was now to go
forth and boldly deliver his Message and publicly proclaim Allah The One True
God. His heart had always been purified, but now all his outward doings
must be dedicated to God, and conventional respect for ancestral customs or
worship must be thrown aside. The work of his Messengership was the most
generous that could flow from his personality, but no reward or appreciation
was to be expected from his people, but quite the contrary, there would be much
call on his patience, but his contentment would arise from the good pleasure of
God.
As to (b), similar stages arise in a
minor degree in the life of every good man, for which the Prophet's life is to
be a universal pattern.
As to (c), the Sufis
understand, by the mantle and outward wrappings, the circumstances of our
phenomenal existence, which are necessary to our physical comfort up to a
certain stage; but we soon outgrow them, and our inner nature should then
boldly proclaim itself, not that it brings any credit or reward with men; the
very hope of expectation of such would be inconsistent with our higher nature,
which should bear all checks and rejoice in the favour of God."
2. ARISE AND DELIVER THY WARMING!
3. AND THY LORD DO THOU MAGNIFY!
4. AND THY GARMENTS KEEP FREE FROM
STAIN!
5. AND ALL ABOMINATION SHUN!
"(a) Rujz or Rijz means
abomination and is usually understood to mean idolatry. It is even
possible that there was an idol called RUJZ. But these days it has a wider
significance as including a mental state opposed to true worship, a state of
doubt or indecision."
6. NOR EXPECT, IN GIVING, ANY
INCREASE (FOR THYSELF)!
"(b) The legal and commercial
formula is that you give in order to receive what is worth to you a little more
than you give, but expect nothing from the receiver. You serve God and
God's creatures."
7. BUT, FOR THY LORD'S (CAUSE) BE
PATIENT AND CONSTANT! (c) [Remember
to memorize Allah's Kalaam with its
meaning]
Holy Quran 74:1-7
"(c) Our zeal for God's Cause
itself requires that we should not be impatient, and that we should show
constancy in our efforts for His Cause. For we have faith, and we know
that He is All-Good, All-Wise, and All-Powerful, and everything will ultimately
be right." AbdullahYusuf Ali [The English translation and the
commentaries were by Abdullah Yusuf Ali. Obtain your volume from the IPCI
at a specially subsidised price. Ako order a volume for your non-Muslim
friends.]
To the Arabs in general and to our
Holy Prophet in particular "a mantle" was the protective covering
used for protection against the sun, wind and sand. He was so to say
girding himself, rolling up his sleeves, to accomplish his task. Although
most of the Muslims in the world do not cover themselves with shawls (mantles),
in their day to day living, they carry a host of mantles in the way of
inferiority complexes.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE GOD'S LIGHT
SHINE FORTH THROUGH THE DARKNESS AROUND US?
WE MUST FIRST LET IT SHINE IN OUR OWN TRUE SELVES WITH THAT LIGHT IN THE NICHE OF OUR INMOST HEARTS WE CAN WALK WITH STEPS BOTH FIRM AND SURE: WE CAN HUMBLY VISIT THE COMFORTLESS AND GUIDE THEIR STEPS. NOT WE, BUT THE LIGHT WILL GUIDE! BUT OH! THE JOY OF BEING FOUND WORTHY TO BEAR THE TORCH, AND TO SAY TO OUR BRETHREN- "I TOO WAS IN DARKNESS, COMFORTLESS, AND BEHOLD, I HAVE FOUND COMFORT AND JOY IN THE GRACE DIVINE!" THUS SHOULD WE PAY THE DUES OF BROTHERHOOD, - - BY WALKING HUMBLY SIDE BY SIDE, IN THE WAYS OF THE LORD, WITH MUTUAL AID AND COMFORT, AND HEARTFELT PRAYER,
BACKED BY ACTION, THAT GOD'S GOOD PURPOSE MAY BE ACCOMPLISHED, IN US ALL TOGETHER!
WE MUST FIRST LET IT SHINE IN OUR OWN TRUE SELVES WITH THAT LIGHT IN THE NICHE OF OUR INMOST HEARTS WE CAN WALK WITH STEPS BOTH FIRM AND SURE: WE CAN HUMBLY VISIT THE COMFORTLESS AND GUIDE THEIR STEPS. NOT WE, BUT THE LIGHT WILL GUIDE! BUT OH! THE JOY OF BEING FOUND WORTHY TO BEAR THE TORCH, AND TO SAY TO OUR BRETHREN- "I TOO WAS IN DARKNESS, COMFORTLESS, AND BEHOLD, I HAVE FOUND COMFORT AND JOY IN THE GRACE DIVINE!" THUS SHOULD WE PAY THE DUES OF BROTHERHOOD, - - BY WALKING HUMBLY SIDE BY SIDE, IN THE WAYS OF THE LORD, WITH MUTUAL AID AND COMFORT, AND HEARTFELT PRAYER,
BACKED BY ACTION, THAT GOD'S GOOD PURPOSE MAY BE ACCOMPLISHED, IN US ALL TOGETHER!
BUT MOST OF MANKIND
STILL DO NOT KNOW
Thus spake, inspired our Holy
prophet, Muhammad (pbuh) on whom
we invoke God's blessings for ever and ever -
AAMEEN!
APPENDIX
"A"
He attained the
height of eminence by his perfection;
He dispelled the
darkness (of the world) by his grace;
Excellent were all
his qualities,
Pray for blessings
on him and his descendants.
Shaikh Sa'di Sheeraazi (RA)
APPENDIX
"B"
"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 Muhammed
moved not only armies, legislations, empires, peoples nd dynasties, but
millions of men; and more than that the altars, the gods, the religions, the
ideas, the beliefs and the souls. On the basis of a Book, every letter of which
has become law, he created a spiritual nationality which blended together
peoples of every tongue and of every race ... The idea of the unity of God,
proclaimed amidst the exhaustion of fabulous theologies, was in itself such a
miracle that upon its utterance from his lips it destroyed all the ancient
superstitions ... 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 twofold, the unity of God and the Immateriality of God; the former telling
what God is, the latter telling what God is not ...
... "PHILOSOPHER, ORATOR,
APOSTLE, LEGISLATOR, WARRIOR, CONQUEROR OF IDEAS, RESTORER OF RATIONAL BELIEFS,
of a cult without images; the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one
spiritual empire, that is Muhammed. AS REGARDS ALL STANDARDS BY WHICH HUMAN
GREATNESS MAY BE MEASURED, WE MAY WELL ASK, IS THERE ANY MAN GREATER THAN
HE?"
(Lamartine, Historie de la Turquie,
Paris 1854, Vol II pp.276-277).
APPENDIX "C"
JULES MASSERMAN, U.S. psychoanalyst
TIME, JULY 15, 1974
Leaders must fulfil three functions -
- - provide for the well-being of the led, provide a social organization in
which people feel relatively secure, and provide them with one set of
beliefs. People like Pasteur and Salk are leaders in the first sense.
People like Gandhi and Confucius, on
one hand, and Alexander, Caesar and Hitler on the other, are leaders in the
second and perhaps the third sense. Jesus and Buddha belong in the third
category alone. PERHAPS THE GREATEST LEADER OF ALL TIMES WAS MOHAMMED,
WHO COMBINED ALL THREE FUNCTIONS. To a lesser degree Moses did the
same. (Emphasis added)
APPENDIX "D"
Fidelity is said to be a human
attribute,
Which makes the modern gentleman
distinguished from the brute,
But that supreme fidelity, inborn in
every hound, Which is the mark of man's best friend, In man, it's rarely found!
A South African Poet.
No comments:
Post a Comment