WHO WAS THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD (Peace Be Upon Him)?

Who was the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)? The illiterate orphan from Makkah who changed the whole world. With fewer than ten dedicated followers in the beginning of his mission, more than one billion people recognize him as their prophet and the most ideal role model. The whole world has changed in a very unprecedented way that will never be duplicated. Let the people who did not believe in him, speak about his attributes! ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA confirms: "... a mass of details in the early sources show that he was an honest and upright man who had gained the respect and loyalty of others who were like-wise honest and upright men." (Vol.12) Michael H.Hart in his book on ratings of men who contributed towards the benefit and upliftment of mankind writes: "My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels." (M.H Hart, The 100: A RANKING OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS IN HISTORY, New York, 1978, p.33) George Bernard Shaw said about him: "He must be called the Savior of Humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it much needed peace and happiness." (THE GENUINE ISLAM, Singapore, Vol.1, No.8, 1936) He was by far the most remarkable man that ever set foot on this earth. He preached a religion, founded a state, built a nation, laid down a moral code, initiated numerous social and political reforms, established a powerful and dynamic society to practice and represent his teachings and completely revolutionized the worlds of human thought and behavior for all times to come. He was born in Arabia in the year 570 C.E. He started his mission of preaching the religion of truth, Islam (submission to One God) at the age of forty and departed from this world at the age of sixty-three. During this short period of 23 years of his Prophethood, he changed the complete Arabian peninsula from paganism and idolatary to worship of One God, from tribal quarrels and wars to national solidarity and cohesion, from drunkenness and debauchery to sobriety and piety, from lawlessness and anarchy to disciplined living, from utter bankruptcy to the highest standards of moral excellence. Lamartine, the renowned historian speaking on the essentials of human greatness wonders: "If greatness of purpose, smallness of means and astounding results are the three criteria of human genius, who could dare to compare any great man in modern history with Muhammad? The most famous man created arms, laws and empires only. They founded, if anything at all, no more than material powers which often crumbled away before their eyes. This man moved not only by armies, legislation, empires, peoples and dynasties, but millions of men in one-third of the then inhabited world; and more than that, he moved altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and souls... his forbearance in victory, his ambition, which was entirely devoted to one idea and in no manner striving for an empire; his endless prayers, his 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. (Lamartine, HISTOIRE DE LA TURQUIE, Paris, 1854, Vol.II, pp. 276-277) The world has had its share of great personalities. But these were one-sided figures who distinguished themselves in but one or two fields, such as religious thought or military leadership. The lives and teachings of these great personalities of the world are shrouded in the mist of the time. There is so much speculation about the time and place of their birth, the mode and style of their life, the nature and detail of their teachings and the degree and masure of their success or failure that it is impossible for humanity to reconstruct accurately the lives and teachings of these men. Muhammad (pbuh) accomplished so much diverse fields of human thought and behavior in the fullest blaze of human history. Every detail of his private life and public utterances has been accurately documented and faithfully preserved to our day. The authenticity of the record so preserved are vouched for not only by the faithful followers but even by his prejudiced critics. *The prophet (pbuh) was a religious teacher, a social reformer, a moral guide, an administrative colossus, a faithful friend, a wonderful companion, a devoted husband, a loving father - all in one. No other man in history ever excellent or equaled him in any of these different aspects of life - but it was only for the selfless personality of Muhammad (pbuh) to achieve such incredible perfections. MAHATMA GANDHI, speaking on the character of Muhammad (pbuh) says in YOUNG INDIA: "I wanted to know the best of one who holds today's undisputed away over the hearts of millions of mankind... I became more than convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard for his pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission... These and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle. When I closed the 2nd volume (of the Prophet's biography), I was sorry there was not more for me to read of the great life." THOMAS CARLYLE in his HEROES AND HEROWORSHIP, was simply amazed as to: "How one man single-handedly, could weld warring tribes and wandering Bedouins into a most powerful and civilized nation in less than two decades." K.S RAMAKRISHNA RAO, an Indian Professor of Philosophy in his booklet, "Muhammad, The Prophet of Islam," calls him the "PERFECT MODEL FOR HUMAN LIFE." Prof. Ramakrishna Rao explains his point by saying: "The personality of Muhammad, it is most difficult to get into the whole truth of it. Only a glimpse of it I can catch. What a dramatic succession of picturesque scenes! There is Muhammad, The Prophet. There is Muhammad, The Warrior; Muhammad, The Busninessman; Muhammad, The Statesman; Muhammad, The Orator; Muhammad, The Reformer; Muhammad Refuge of Orphans; Muhammad, The Protector of Slaves; Muhammad, The Emancipator of Women; Muhammad, The Judge; Muhammad, The Saint. All in all these magnificient roles, in all these departments of human activities, he is alike ahero." After all this who dares to insult him! Prepared and compiled by: Unknown Source: QMT Magazine March 2006 Edition