(part 1 of 3)
During the centuries of the Crusades all sorts of slander against the Prophet Muhammad, God’s blessing and peace, were invented. With the birth of modern times, which was characterized by religious tolerance and freedom of thought, there was a big change in the approach of Western authors in describing his life and character. The views of some non-Muslim scholars regarding the Prophet Muhammad, which are quoted at the end, justify this opinion.
However, the West still has to go one step further to find out the greatest reality about Muhammad and that he is the true and ultimate prophet of God for all mankind. Despite all its objectivity and enlightenment, there has been no serious and objective attempt by the West to understand Muhammad’s prophecy. It is very strange that glowing tributes are paid for his historical integrity and accomplishments, but his claim to be the Prophet of God has been explicitly and implicitly rejected. Here a search with the heart is necessary and a check of the so-called objectivity is necessary. The following amazing facts from the life of Muhammad were meant to facilitate an unbiased, logical, and objective decision about his prophecy.
By the age of forty, Muhammad had not been known as a statesman, preacher, or speaker. It was never observed that he discussed the principles of metaphysics, ethics, rights, politics, economics, or sociology. There is no doubt that he had an excellent character, pleasant manners and was extremely cultivated. So there was nothing so remarkable and extraordinary about him that the men would have expected something great and revolutionary from him in the future. However, when he came back from the Hira cave, he was completely changed. Is it possible that someone with the above characteristics suddenly turns into an ‘imposter’ and claims to be the prophet of God and thus draws the anger of his people? You might be wondering why did he endure all the difficulties that were imposed on him? His people offered to make him their king and to put all the riches of the country at his feet, if only he would stop preaching about his religion. But he rejected their tempting offers and continued to preach his religion alone, despite all insults, social exclusion and even physical attacks by his own people. Wasn’t it God’s support and iron will to spread God’s message, as well as his deeply rooted belief that ultimately only Islam will emerge as the only way of life for mankind that will rock him like hostility and the conspiracy to do it remove, left standing? Furthermore, if he had come with a picture of rivalry with Christians and Jews, why did he make faith in Jesus and Moses and other prophets of God a basic requirement of faith without which no one can be a Muslim?
Is it not indisputable evidence of his prophecy that although he could not read and write and had lived a perfectly normal and quiet life for forty years, all of Arabia shook in awe and was amazed at his eloquence and language skills? It was so unsurpassable that the multitude of Arab poets, preachers, and orators of the highest format were unable to produce anything like it. And above all, how could he utter scientific truths contained in the Quran that no human being could have discovered at that time?
Finally, the last question is, why did he live such a difficult life even after gaining power and supremacy? Just think about the last words he said when he died:
“We, the community of prophets, leave no inheritance. What we leave behind is alms. ”
It is a fact that Muhammad is the last link in the chain of prophets who have been sent to different countries and times since the beginning of human life on this planet. Here are some texts by western authors about Muhammad.
Lamartine, Histoire de la Turquie, Paris 1854, Bd II, S. 276-77:
“If magnificence of purpose, modesty of means, and astonishment of results are the three criteria for human genius, we should undertake to compare any man in modern history to Muhammad. The most famous men only created weapons, laws and empires. They founded, if anything, nothing more than physical powers that crumbled enough before their own eyes. This man not only moved armies, legislation, empires, peoples and dynasties, but millions of people in a third of the world at that time; and moreover he moved the altars, the deities, the religions, the ideas, the views and the souls … forbearance in victory, his ambition, which was entirely subject to the one idea and in no way strived for an empire; his countless prayers, his mystical conversations with God, his death and his triumph after death; all of this testifies that he was not an imposter, but a firm belief gave him the strength to restore a belief. This belief was in two parts: the uniqueness of God and the immateriality of God; the first says what God is and the second says what He is not; one overthrows false gods with a sword, the other begins an idea with words. what He is not; one overthrows false gods with a sword, the other begins an idea with words. what He is not; one overthrows false gods with a sword, the other begins an idea with words.
“Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, fighter, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational beliefs, a cult without images; the founder of twenty worldly empires and one spiritual empire is Muhammad. As for all the standards by which human height can be measured, can we ask if there is any man who has been greater than him? ”
Edward Gibbon and Simon Ocklay, History of the Saracen Empire, London, 1870, p. 54:
“It is not the proclamation but the permanence of his religion that is worth admiring, the same pure and perfect impression that he left in Mecca and Medina has been preserved. After the revolutions of twelve centuries by the Indian, the African and the Turkish converts of the Qur’an … the Mohammedans [1] have consistently resisted the temptation to bring the subject of their faith and their devotion to a level with the senses and ideas of man to reduce. ‚I believe in One God and Mahomet the Messenger of God‘ is the simple and unchanging confession of Islam. The intellectual image of the deity has never been degraded by a visible idol;
Bosworth Smith, Mohammed and Mohammadanism, London 1874, S. 92:
“He was Caesar and Pope in one; but Pope without the pretensions of the Pope, Caesar without Caesar’s legions: without a firm army, without bodyguards, without a palace, without a fixed state income; if a man ever had the right to say that he was governed by divine law, it was Muhammad because he had all power without their instruments and without their means. ”
Annie Besant, The Life and Teachings of Muhammad, Madras 1932, S. 4:
“Anyone who studies the life and character of the great prophet of Arabia, who knows how he taught and how he lived, can feel nothing but awe for this powerful prophet, for one of the great messengers of the Most High. And even if many things of what I call you are already known whenever I read them again, I feel a new kind of admiration, a new feeling of awe for this powerful teacher of Arabia. ”
W. Montgomery, Mohammad at Mecca, Oxford 1953, S. 52:
“His willingness to endure the persecution for his views, the high moral character of the men who believed in him and looked up to him as their leader, and the magnificence of what he accomplished – all argue for his fundamental integrity. Taking Muhammad for an imposter creates more problems than it solves. In addition, none of the great figures in history in the West are underestimated as Muhammad. ”
James A. Michener, ‘Islam: The Misunderstood Religion’ in Reader’s Digest (American Edition), May 1955, S. 68-70:
“Muhammad, the brilliant man who founded Islam, was born about 570 AD into an Arab tribe who worshiped idols. From his birth orphan, he was always particularly concerned for the poor and needy, the widow and the orphan, the slave and the oppressed. At twenty he was already a successful trader and soon became the leader of camel caravans for a wealthy widow. When he turned twenty-five, his employer, who recognized his abilities, proposed marriage to him. Although she was fifteen years old, he married her and as long as she lived, he remained her loyal husband.
“Like almost every major prophet before him, Muhammad shyly resisted serving as the bearer of God’s Word, feeling his own inadequacy. But the angel commanded: „Read!“ As far as we know, Muhammad was unfamiliar with reading and writing, but he began to dictate the words that inspired him and would soon revolutionize a large part of the world: „There is one God.“
“Muhammad was profoundly practical in everything. When his beloved son Ibrahim died, there was darkness and rumors of God’s personal concern quickly spread. Whereupon Muhammad reportedly announced: ‚Darkness is a natural phenomenon. It’s stupid to associate things like the Tog or the birth of a human being with it. ‚
“At Muhammad’s own death, an attempt was made to deify him, but the man who was to become his administrative successor nipped hysteria with one of the noblest speeches in religious history: ‚If there is one of you who worshiped Muhammad he is dead. But if it is God you worshiped, He lives forever. ‚”
Michael H. Hart, The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History, New York: Hart Publishing Company, Inc. 1978, S. 33:
“My choice of Muhammad to top the list of the most influential people in the world may surprise some readers and might be challenged by others, but he was the only man in history to be extraordinarily successful in both the religious and secular realms is. ”
Footnotes:
[1] The term Mohammedan is a misnomer that was introduced by the Orientalists for a certain lack of understanding of Islam, analogous to Christian and Christianity.
(2 von 3)
Lamartine, Histoire de la Turquie, Paris 1854, Bd II, S. 276-77:
“If magnificence of purpose, modesty of means, and astonishment of results are the three criteria for human genius, we should undertake to compare any man in modern history to Muhammad. The most famous men only created weapons, laws and empires. They founded, if anything, nothing more than physical powers that crumbled enough before their own eyes. This man not only moved armies, legislation, empires, peoples and dynasties, but millions of people in a third of the world at that time; and moreover he moved the altars, the deities, the religions, the ideas, the views and the souls … forbearance in victory, his ambition, which was entirely subject to the one idea and in no way strived for an empire; his countless prayers, his mystical conversations with God, his death and his triumph after death; all of this testifies that he was not an imposter, but a firm belief gave him the strength to restore a belief. This belief was in two parts: the uniqueness of God and the immateriality of God; the first says what God is and the second says what He is not; one overthrows false gods with a sword, the other begins an idea with words. what He is not; one overthrows false gods with a sword, the other begins an idea with words. what He is not; one overthrows false gods with a sword, the other begins an idea with words.
“Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, fighter, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational beliefs, a cult without images; the founder of twenty worldly empires and one spiritual empire is Muhammad. As for all the standards by which human height can be measured, can we ask if there is any man who has been greater than him? ”
Edward Gibbon and Simon Ocklay, History of the Saracen Empire, London, 1870, p. 54:
“It is not the proclamation but the permanence of his religion that is worth admiring, the same pure and perfect impression that he left in Mecca and Medina has been preserved. After the revolutions of twelve centuries by the Indian, African and Turkish converts of the Qur’an … the Mohammedans have consistently resisted the temptation to reduce the subject of their faith and devotion to a level with the senses and ideas of man. ‚I believe in One God and Mahomet the Messenger of God‘ is the simple and unchanging confession of Islam. The intellectual image of the deity has never been degraded by a visible idol;
Bosworth Smith, Mohammed and Mohammadanism, London 1874, S. 92:
“He was Caesar and Pope in one; but Pope without the pretensions of the Pope, Caesar without Caesar’s legions: without a firm army, without bodyguards, without a palace, without a fixed state income; if a man ever had the right to say that he was governed by divine law, it was Muhammad because he had all power without their instruments and without their means. ”
Annie Besant, The Life and Teachings of Muhammad, Madras 1932, S. 4:
“Anyone who studies the life and character of the great prophet of Arabia, who knows how he taught and how he lived, can feel nothing but awe for this powerful prophet, for one of the great messengers of the Most High. And even if many things of what I call you are already known whenever I read them again, I feel a new kind of admiration, a new feeling of awe for this powerful teacher of Arabia. ”
W. Montgomery, Mohammad at Mecca, Oxford 1953, S. 52:
“His willingness to endure the persecution for his views, the high moral character of the men who believed in him and looked up to him as their leader, and the magnificence of what he accomplished – all argue for his fundamental integrity. Taking Muhammad for an imposter creates more problems than it solves. In addition, none of the great figures in history in the West are underestimated as Muhammad. ”
James A. Michener, ‘Islam: The Misunderstood Religion’ in Reader’s Digest (American Edition), May 1955, S. 68-70:
“Muhammad, the brilliant man who founded Islam, was born about 570 AD into an Arab tribe who worshiped idols. From his birth orphan, he was always particularly concerned for the poor and needy, the widow and the orphan, the slave and the oppressed. At twenty he was already a successful trader and soon became the leader of camel caravans for a wealthy widow. When he turned twenty-five, his employer, who recognized his skills, proposed marriage to him. Although she was fifteen years old, he married her and as long as she lived, he remained her loyal husband.
“Like almost every major prophet before him, Muhammad shyly resisted serving as the bearer of God’s Word, feeling his own inadequacy. But the angel commanded: „Read!“ As far as we know, Muhammad was unfamiliar with reading and writing, but he began to dictate the words that inspired him and would soon revolutionize a large part of the world: „There is one God.“
“Muhammad was profoundly practical in everything. When his beloved son Ibrahim died, there was darkness and rumors of God’s personal concern quickly spread. Whereupon Muhammad reportedly announced: ‚Darkness is a natural phenomenon. It’s stupid to associate things like the Tog or the birth of a human being with it. ‚
“At Muhammad’s own death, an attempt was made to deify him, but the man who was to become his administrative successor nipped hysteria with one of the noblest speeches in religious history: ‚If there is one of you who worshiped Muhammad he is dead. But if it is God you worshiped, He lives forever. ‚”
Michael H. Hart, The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History, New York: Hart Publishing Company, Inc. 1978, S. 33:
“My choice of Muhammad to top the list of the most influential people in the world may surprise some readers and might be challenged by others, but he was the only man in history to be extraordinarily successful in both the religious and secular realms is. ”
(3 of 3)
Encyclopedia Britannica:
„…. a lot of details in the early sources show that he was an honest and sincere man who deserved the respect and loyalty of others who were also honest and sincere.“ (Vol. 12)
George Bernard Shaw said about him:
“He must be called the savior of humanity. I believe that if a man like him took over the dictatorship of the modern world, he could successfully solve their problems in a way that would bring them the peace and joy they longed for. ”
(The Genuine Islam, Singapore, Bd. 1, No. 8, 1936)
He was by far the most remarkable man who ever set foot on this earth. He preached a religion, founded a state, established a nation, established a moral code, initiated numerous social and political reforms, established a vigorous and dynamic society that carried out his teachings, and he revolutionized the worlds of human thought and behavior for all times to come .
His name is Muhammad. He was born in Arabia in 570 AD, began his task at the age of forty to preach the religion of truth, Islam (surrender to the one God) and died from this world at sixty-three. During that brief twenty-three year period of his prophecy, he changed the entire Arabian Peninsula, paganism and idolatry to worship One God, tribal feuds and wars to national solidarity and cohesion, drunkenness and debauchery to sobriety and piety from lawlessness and Anarchy to disciplined lives, from total bankruptcy to the highest levels of moral excellence.
LaMartine, the famous historian, talks about the essentials of miracles of human size: “If magnificence of purpose, modesty of means, and astonishment of results are the three criteria for human genius, we should undertake to compare any man in modern history to Muhammad. The most famous men only created weapons, laws and empires. They founded, if anything, nothing more than physical powers that crumbled enough before their own eyes. This man not only moved armies, legislation, empires, peoples and dynasties, but millions of people in a third of the world at that time; and furthermore he moved the altars, the deities, the religions, the ideas, the views and the souls … the leniency in victory, his ambition, who was entirely subject to the one idea and in no way aspired to an empire; his countless prayers, his mystical conversations with God, his death and his triumph after death; all of this testifies that he was not an imposter, but a firm belief gave him the strength to restore a belief. This belief was in two parts: the uniqueness of God and the immateriality of God; the first says what God is and the second says what He is not; one overthrows false gods with a sword, the other begins an idea with words. ” rather, a firm conviction gave him the strength to restore a belief. This belief was in two parts: the uniqueness of God and the immateriality of God; the first says what God is and the second says what He is not; one overthrows false gods with a sword, the other begins an idea with words. ” but a firm conviction gave him the strength to restore a belief. This belief was in two parts: the uniqueness of God and the immateriality of God; the first says what God is and the second says what He is not; one overthrows false gods with a sword, the other begins an idea with words. ”
“Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, fighter, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational beliefs, a cult without images; the founder of twenty worldly empires and one spiritual empire is Muhammad. As for all the standards by which human height can be measured, can we ask if there is any man who has been greater than him? ”
(Lamartine, Histoire de la Turqui, Paris, 1854, Vol. II, pp. 276-277)
The world has its share of great personalities. But these were one-sided figures that stood out in one or two areas, such as religious thought or military leadership. The lives and teachings of these great personalities of the world are hidden in the fog of time. There is so much speculation about the time and place of their birth, their fashion and their lifestyle, the nature of their teachings and the degree and degree of their success or failure that it is impossible for humanity to understand the lives and teachings of these men understand exactly.
Not so with this man. Muhammad, God’s blessings and peace be upon him, accomplished so much in various areas of human thought and behavior in the fullest glow of human history. Every detail of his private life and his public statements has been carefully documented and faithfully preserved to our day. Not only the believing followers vouch for the authenticity of the reports that have been preserved in this way, but also its biased critics.
Muhammad was a religious teacher, a reformer of society, a moral leader, administrative giant, a loyal friend, a wonderful companion, a devoted husband, a loving father – all in one. No other man in history has ever surpassed or even resembled him in these different aspects of life – but it was only the selfless personality of Muhammad who could achieve such incredible perfection.
Mahatma Gandhi said in „Young India“ when he spoke about the character of Muhammad:
“I wanted to know who is the undisputed best and who controls the hearts of millions of people… I became more and more convinced that it was not the sword that gained a place for Islam in these days of the life plan. It was sheer simplicity, the extreme self-sacrifice of the Prophet, the conscientious keeping of his promises, his intense dedication to his friends and companions, his fearlessness, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. This and not the sword has overcome everything before them and every obstacle. When I finished the second volume (from the Prophet’s biography), I was sad not to be able to read more of his great life. ”
Thomas Carlyle describes in his book „Heroes and Heroworship“ that he was simply amazed.
„How can a man single-handedly create an extremely powerful and civilized nation from warring tribes and migrating Bedouins in less than two decades.“
Diwan Chand Sharma wrote:
„Muhammad was the soul of kindness and his influence felt and unforgettable by those around him.“
(DC Sharma, The Prophet of the East, Calcutta, 1935, p. 12)
Edward Gibbon and Simon Ockley talk about the creed of Islam by writing:
“I believe in One God and Mohammad, a Prophet of God, is the simple and unchangeable creed of Islam. The intellectual image of the deity has never been degraded by a visible idol; the Prophet’s honors have never exceeded the level of human virtue and his living commandments have tamed his disciples‘ gratitude within the limits of reason and religion. ”
(History of the Saracan Empires, London, 1870, p. 54)
Muhammad was no more and no less than his human being. But he was a man with a noble mission, which was to unite humanity in worship for the One and Only God and to teach them the way of honest and upright life based on God’s orders. He described himself as a „servant and messenger of God“ and, in fact, was every of his proclaimed acts.
When speaking about the aspect of equality before God in Islam, the famous Indian poet Sarojini said:
“It was the first religion to preach and practice democracy because in the mosque when the call to prayer is heard and the prayers gather, the democracy of Islam is embodied five times a day when the peasant and the king kneel and speak side by side : ‚God alone is great‘ … I am always fascinated by this indivisible unity of Islam, which instinctively turns people into brothers. ”
(S. Naidu, Ideals of Islam, vide Speeches & Writings, Madras, 1918, p. 169)
In the words of Prof. Hurgronje:
„The League of Nations, founded by the Prophet of Islam, has introduced the principle of international unity and human fraternity that shine to other nations.“ He continues, „The fact is that no nation in the world can show anything similar to what Islam did to implement the idea of the United Nations.“
The world has not hesitated to elevate individuals to divinity whose lives and missions have been lost in legend. Historically, none of these legends has achieved a fraction of what Muhammad has achieved. And all his endeavors were aimed at the unification of mankind in the worship of the One God on the basis of moral excellence. Muhammad or his followers never claimed that he was a son of God – God’s rebirth or a person with divinity – but he was and is still considered only as his Messenger of God.
Michael H. Hart writes in his recently published book, in which he assessed men according to their utility and impact on humanity.
“My choice of Muhammad to top the list of the most influential people in the world may surprise some readers and might be challenged by others, but he was the only man in history to be extraordinarily successful in both the religious and secular realms is. ”
(MH Hart, The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History, New York, 1978, p. 33)
KS Ramakrishna Rao, an Indian professor of philosophy wrote in his booklet „Muhammad, The Prophet of Islam“ he calls it
“Perfect role model for human life.”
Prof. Ramakrishna Rao explains his view by saying:
“The personality of Muhammad is extremely difficult to grasp in all of its truth. I can only give a glimpse of it. What a dramatic sequence of picturesque scenes! It is Muhammad the Prophet. It is Muhammad the fighter; Muhammad, the businessman; Muhammad, the leader; Muhammad, the speaker; Muhammad, the shelter for orphans; Muhammad, the protector of the slaves; Muhammad, the deliverer of women; Muhammad the judge; Muhammad, the saint. All of these great roles in all of these areas of human activity. He is a hero.“
Today, after fourteen centuries, the life and teachings of Muhammad have survived without the slightest loss, change or addition. They offer the same immortal hope for treating human diseases as he did when he was alive. This is not a claim by the followers of Muhammad, but the inevitable conclusion that is drawn from a critical and unbiased story.
The least you can do as a thinking and conscious person is to take a break and ask yourself: could these statements, which sound so extraordinary and revolutionary, really be true? And assuming they’re really true and you didn’t know or hadn’t heard of this man, Muhammad, isn’t it time you took up the big challenge and tried to get to know him?
It won’t cost you anything, but it will mark a completely new beginning in your life.
Source: https://www.islamland.com/deu/articles/was-sie-ber-muhammad-sagten