Famous People Sayings about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

The 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:

"....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)

 (Source: M.H. Hart, THE 100: A RANKING OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS IN HISTORY, New York, 1978, p. 33)

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW:

George Bernard Shaw said about him:

  (Source: THE GENUINE ISLAM, Singapore, Vol. 1, No. 8, 1936)

Coming of the Great Prophet:

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. Started his mission of preaching the religion of Truth, Islam (submission to One God) at the age of forty and departed from this world at the age of sixty-three.

During this short period of 23 years of his Prophethood, He changed the complete Arabian Peninsula from paganism and idolatry to worship of One God, from tribal quarrels and wars to national solidarity and cohesion, from drunkenness and debauchery to sobriety and piety, from lawlessness and anarchy to disciplined living, from utter bankruptcy to the highest standards of moral excellence.

Lamartine, the renowned historian:

Lamartine, the renowned historian speaking on the essentials of human greatness wonders:

"If greatness of purpose, smallness of means and astounding results are the three criteria of human genius, who could dare to compare any great man in modern history with Muhammad? The most famous men created arms, laws and empires only. They founded, if anything at all, no more than material powers which often crumbled away before their eyes. This man moved not only armies, legislation, empires, peoples and dynasties, but millions of men in one-third of the then inhabited world; and more than that, he moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and souls....his forbearance in victory, his ambition, which was entirely devoted to one idea and in no manner striving for an empire; his endless prayers, his conversations with God, his death and his triumph after death; all these attest not to an imposture but to a firm conviction which gave him the power to restore a dogma.

This dogma was two-fold, the unity of God and the immateriality of God; the former telling what God is, the latter telling what God is not; the one overthrowing false gods with the sword, the other starting an idea with the words.

 As regards all the standards by which Human Greatness may be measured, we may well ask, IS THERE ANY MAN GREATER THAN HE?"

(Source: 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 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 measure 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 in such diverse fields of human thought and behavior in the fullest blaze of human history.

 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 excelled or equaled him in any of these different aspects of life - but it was only for the selfless personality of Muhammad (pbuh) to achieve such incredible perfections.

MAHATMA GANDHI:

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 sway over the hearts of millions of mankind....I became more than convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life.

 These and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle”

THOMAS CARLYLE:

Thomas Carlyle (December 4, 1795 - February 5, 1881) was a Scottish essayist and historian, 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:

Prof. 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 Businessman; Muhammad, the Statesman; Muhammad, the Orator; Muhammad, the Reformer; Muhammad, the Refuge of Orphans; Muhammad, the Protector of Slaves; Muhammad, the Emancipator of Women; Muhammad, the Judge; Muhammad, the Saint.

All in all these magnificent roles, in all these departments of human activities, he is alike a hero."

Muhammad (S.A.W.) The Most Influential Person in History

From the 100, a ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History : By Michael H. Hart.

My choice of Muhammad (S.A.W.) 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.

Founder of World"s Great Religions:

Of humble origins, Muhammad (S.A.W.) founded and promulgated one of the world"s great religions, and became an immensely effective political leader. Today, thirteen centuries after his death, his influence is still powerful and pervasive. The majority of the persons in this book had the advantage of being born and raised in centers of civilization, highly cultured or politically pivotal nations. Muhammad (S.A.W.), however, was born in the year 570, in the city of Mecca, in southern Arabia, at that time a backward area of the world, far from the centers of trade, art, and learning. Orphaned at age six, he was reared in modest surroundings. Islamic tradition tells us that he was illiterate. His economic position improved when, at age twenty-five, he married a wealthy widow.

Nevertheless, as he approached forty, there was little outward indication that he was a remarkable person. Most Arabs at that time were pagans, who believed in many gods. There were, however, in Mecca, a small number of Jews and Christians; it was from them no doubt that Muhammad (S.A.W.) first learned of a single, omnipotent God who ruled the entire universe.

When he was forty years old, Muhammad (S.A.W.) became convinced that this one true God (Allah) was speaking to him, and had chosen him to spread the true faith. For three years, Muhammad (S.A.W.) preached only to close friends and associates. Then, about 613, he began preaching in public. As he slowly gained converts, the Meccan authorities came to consider him a dangerous nuisance. In 622, fearing for his safety, Muhammad (S.A.W.) fled to Medina (a city some 200 miles north of Mecca), where he had been offered a position of considerable political power. This flight, called the Hegira, was the turning point of the Prophet"s life.

In Mecca, he had had few followers. In Medina, he had many more, and he soon acquired an influence that made him a virtual dictator. During the next few years, while Muhammad (S.A.W.) s following grew rapidly, a series of battles were fought between Medina and Mecca. This was ended in 630 with Muhammad (S.A.W.)"s triumphant return to Mecca as conqueror. The remaining two and one-half years of his life witnessed the rapid conversion of the Arab tribes to the new religion.

Most Astonishing Series of Conquests in Human History

When Muhammad (S.A.W.) passed away, in 632, he was the effective ruler of all of southern Arabia. The Bedouin tribesmen of Arabia had a reputation as fierce warriors. But their number was small; and plagued by disunity and internecine warfare, they had been no match for the larger armies of the kingdoms in the settled agricultural areas to the north. However, unified by Muhammad (S.A.W.) for the first time in history, and inspired by their fervent belief in the one true God, these small Arab armies now embarked upon one of the most astonishing series of conquests in human history. To the northeast of Arabia lay the large Neo-Persian Empire of the Sassanids; to the northwest lay the Byzantine, or Eastern Roman Empire, centered in Constantinople.

Numerically, the Arabs were no match for their opponents. On the field of battle, though, the inspired Arabs rapidly conquered all of Mesopotamia, Syria, and Palestine. By 642, Egypt had been wrested from the Byzantine Empire, while the Persian armies had been crushed at the key battles of Qadisiya in 637, and Nehavend in 642.

But even these enormous conquests-which were made under the leadership of Muhammad (S.A.W.)"s close friends and immediate successors, Abu Bakr and "Umar ibn al-Khattab -did not mark the end of the Arab advance. By 711, the Arab armies had swept completely across North Africa to the Atlantic Ocean There they turned north and, crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, overwhelmed the Visigothic kingdom in Spain. For a while, it must have seemed that the Moslems would overwhelm all of Christian Europe. However, in 732, at the famous Battle of Tours, a Moslem army, which had advanced into the center of France, was at last defeated by the Franks.

Nevertheless, in a scant century of fighting, these Bedouin tribesmen, inspired by the word of the Prophet, had carved out an empire stretching from the borders of India to the Atlantic Ocean-the largest empire that the world had yet seen. And everywhere that the armies conquered, large-scale conversion to the new faith eventually followed. Now, not all of these conquests proved permanent. The Persians, though they have remained faithful to the religion of the Prophet, have since regained their independence from the Arabs. And in Spain, more than seven centuries of warfare finally resulted in the Christians re conquering the entire peninsula. However, Mesopotamia and Egypt, the two cradles of ancient civilization, have remained Arab, as has the entire coast of North Africa.

Islam Still Continuing to Grow

The new religion, of course, continued to spread, in the intervening centuries, far beyond the borders of the original Moslem conquests. Currently it has tens of millions of adherents in Africa and Central Asia and even more in Pakistan and northern India, and in Indonesia. In Indonesia, the new faith has been a unifying factor. In the Indian subcontinent, however, the conflict between Moslems and Hindus is still a major obstacle to unity.

How, then, is one to assess the overall impact of Muhammad (S.A.W.) on human history? Like all religions, Islam exerts an enormous influence upon the lives of its followers. It is for this reason that the founders of the world"s great religions all figure prominently in this book. Since there are roughly twice as many Christians as Moslems in the world, it may initially seem strange that Muhammad (S.A.W.) has been ranked higher than Jesus. There are two principal reasons for that decision. First, Muhammad (S.A.W.) played a far more important role in the development of Islam than Jesus did in the development of Christianity.

Mohammad(S.A.W) Played important role in the development of Islam than Jesus 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 (S.A.W.), 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. Moreover, he is the author of the Moslem Holy Scriptures, the Qoran, a collection of certain of Muhammad (S.A.W.)"s insights that he believed had been directly revealed to him by Allah. Most of these utterances were copied more or less faithfully during Muhammad (S.A.W.)"s lifetime and were collected together in authoritative form not long after his death. The Qoran therefore, closely represents Muhammad (S.A.W.)"s ideas and teachings and to a considerable extent his exact words. No such detailed compilation of the teachings of Christ has survived.

Since the Quran is at least as important to Moslems as the Bible is to Christians, the influence of Muhammad (S.A.W.) through the medium of the Quran has been enormous It is probable that the relative influence of Muhammad (S.A.W.) on Islam has been larger than the combined influence of Jesus Christ and St. Paul on Christianity.

On the purely religious level, then, it seems likely that Muhammad (S.A.W.) has been as influential in human history as Jesus. In fact, as the driving force behind the Arab conquests, he may well rank as the most influential political leader of all time. Of many important historical events, one might say that they were inevitable and would have occurred even without the particular political leader who guided them. For example, the South American colonies would probably have won their independence from Spain even if Simon Bolivar had never lived. But this cannot be said of the Arab conquests. Nothing similar had occurred before Muhammad (S.A.W.), and there is no reason to believe that the conquests would have been achieved without him. The only comparable conquests in human history are those of the Mongols in the thirteenth century, which were primarily due to the influence of Genghis Khan.

These conquests, however, though more extensive than those of the Arabs, did not prove permanent, and today the only areas occupied by the Mongols are those that they held prior to the time of Genghis Khan. It is far different with the conquests of the Arabs. From Iraq to Morocco, there extends a whole chain of Arab nations united not merely by their faith in Islam, but also by their Arabic language, history, and culture. The centrality of the Quran in the Moslem religion and the fact that it is written in Arabic have probably prevented the Arab language from breaking up into mutually unintelligible dialects, which might otherwise have occurred in the intervening thirteen centuries. Differences and divisions between these Arab states exist, of course, and they are considerable, but the partial disunity should not blind us to the important elements of unity that have continued to exist.

For instance, neither Iran nor Indonesia, both oil-producing states and both Islamic in religion, joined in the oil embargo of the winter of 1973-74. It is no coincidence that all of the Arab states, and only the Arab states, participated in the embargo. We see, then, that the Arab conquests of the seventh century have continued to play an important role in human history, down to the present day. It is this religious influence which I feel entitles Muhammad (S.A.W.) to be considered the most influential single figure in human history.

Historian views about Arabia and Prophet of Islam (P.B.U.H)

1. Historian"s view about Arabia

Arabia is a land of unparalleled charm and beauty, with its trackless deserts of sand dunes and mirages in the dazzling rays of a tropical sun. Its starry sky has excited the imagination of poets, travelers and mystics. It was in this land, that the Holy Prophet Muhammad, on whom be peace, was born in the city of Mecca, which is about fifty miles from the Red Sea. (Culled from Life of Muhammad by Sufi Mutiur Rahman Bengalee M.A. p.70)

It was in the latter half of the sixth century, when the world was plunged in utter darkness that the Holy Prophet Muhammad was born. The then known world stood on the verge of destruction, with chaos as the order of the day and pre-Islamic Arabia was no exception to this, rather it was in the lowest depths of abysmal darkness; infanticide was rampant, debauchery was looked upon as chivalrous, drunkenness was a common sight and all forms of evil was glorified.

1.2 J.H. Denison in his Emotions as the basis of Civilization wrote:

In the fifth and sixth centuries, the civilized world stood on the verge of chaos.... it seemed that the great civilization which had taken four thousand years to construct was on the verge of disintegration ... Civilization like a gigantic tree whose foliage had over-reached the world ... stood tottering … rotted to the core ..... It was among the Arabs that the man was born who was to unite the whole known world of the East and the South. (pp. 265-269)

The religious attachment of 6th century Arabia was idolatry, though there were a sprinkling of Atheists and worshippers of heavenly planets, who offered sacrifices to the sun, moon and other heavenly bodies. Christians and Jews were also to be found. The center of Christian activity was al-Najran, while the Jews were concentrated in Khaibar and Medina. In spite of these varied religious concepts, there was also a group who sought to follow the religion of their forefather Abraham. The administration of their affairs, like their religious beliefs was also in a state of disarray.

1.3 Sir William Muir had this to say:

The prospects of Arabia before the rise of Mohamet was as unfavorable to religious reform as they were to political union or national regeneration. (Life of Mohamet Intro. ch.2)

In spite of their religious and administrative divisions, the Arabs possessed a remarkable memory and were an eloquent people. Their eloquence and memory found expression in their poetry. Every year a fair was held for poetical competitions at Ukaz.

In his book The Literary History of the Arabs, R.A.Nicholson writing about the poetical ability of the Arabs, states: It is related that Hammad said to Caliph Walid bin Yazid: "I can recite to you, for each letter of the alphabet, one hundred long poems, without taking into account short pieces, and all of that composed exclusively by poets before the promulgation of Islam. (p. 1 32) 

It is no small wonder, therefore, that Allah chose an Arab and the Arabic language for His final dispensation and the preservation of His Word.

The condition of the world in general and Arabia in particular is graphically put in the Holy Qur"an, when Allah says:

This is the condition which is painted by all the historians, in so many words, about the sixth century.

2. Birth of the Great leader Prophet Mohammad(P.B.U.H)

Before the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, an Abyssinian army was on the verge of conquering Mecca, but were totally annihilated by small-pox, reference of which is in the Holy Qur"an chapter 105. This occurred fifty three days before the birth of our Holy Prophet, on whom be peace.

His father"s name was Abdullah who died before his birth. His mother"s name was Amina. A few days after his birth, as was the custom among the nobility of the Arabs, he was given to the care of a Bedouin wet nurse, whose name was Halima. For two years, he grew up under her care, after which , she took him back to his mother, but due to an epidemic in Mecca, he went back with Halima for another three years.

When he returned to his mother, she took him for a visit to Medina, but on the return journey, she died. At the age of six, he was entrusted to the care of his grandfather Abdul Muttalib who expired two years later. At this stage he was placed under the care of his uncle Abu Talib. In his early youth, he used to tend his uncle"s flocks.

During his youth, he joined a society whose aims were, to help the poor and the needy, safeguard the rights of the oppressed and support and uphold the cause of justice. He was also launched into commercial enterprises and undertook journeys with caravans to Yemen and Syria. His honesty and integrity earned him the title of Al-Amin - The Trustworthy. At the age of twenty-five, he was married to Khadija - a wealthy widow, whose caravans he commanded.She offered her hand to him in marriage, after she received very good reports about his conduct and honesty in the discharge of his duties as the leader of her caravans.

3. Divine Call: The Revelation

The Divine Call came to him in his fortieth year and depicting the state of mind of the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, Thomas Carlyle in his book Heroes and Hero worship writes:

The great mystery of existence… glared in upon him, with its terrors, with its splendors; no hear say could hide that unspeakable fact `Here am I". Such sincerity, as we named it has in very truth something divine. The word of such a man is a voice from nature"s own heart. Men do and must listen to that and to nothing else - All else is wind in comparison. From of old a thousand thoughts, in his pilgrimings and wanderings, had been in this man: What am l? What is this unfathomable thing I live in, which men call Universe? The grim rocks of Mount Hira, of Mount Sinai, the stern solitudes answered not. The great heavens rolling silently overhead, with its blue glaring stars, answered not. There was no answer. The man"s soul and what of God"s inspiration dwelled there had to answer. (pp. 63-64)

The first persons to have accepted his call , were his wife Khadija, his cousin Ali, a freed slave Zaid and his friend Abu Bakr. For three years after receiving the Divine Call, the preaching was conducted rather quietly with the number of his followers increasing rapidly. After this rather quiet start, the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, was commanded to proclaim his message which he received from Allah, publicly. Accordingly, he addressed his message about the Unity of God and of his being the Messenger of God from every available quarter.

Since this belief was threatening their very existence, the pagan Arabs started to mount pressure on the Holy Prophet, and his followers to renounce their cause and take to idol-worshipping. On one occasion, they sent a delegation to the Holy Prophet"s uncle that he should restrain the Holy Prophet, from preaching his message. They threatened Abu Talib with their combined opposition. Finding himself in this state, he sent for the Holy Prophet, and explained to him the situation. The Holy Prophet, answered with these memorable words:

Impressed with his nephew"s firm determination and high resolve, Abu Talib replied:

Not being satisfied, they sent one of their chiefs to entice the Holy Prophet, and in the following words addressed the Holy Prophet:

O Muhammad, if you want to sit on the throne of Arabia we shall elect you our monarch; if you want money we shall give you no end to it and if you desire the hand of a beautiful woman, we are ready to present you the most beautiful lady in the land.

The Holy Prophet was far above any worldly temptations and in reply he recited some verses of the Holy Quran proclaiming the Unity of Allah and his claim of being a true Messenger of Allah.

The Meccans were alarmed at the prospects of trying to halt the progress of Islam, so they went to physical torment and boycott. Many influential personalities were being converted and a great mass of following were joining the religion of Islam. This in itself was a mortal threat to the existence of the Meccan chiefs, since their source of livelihood depended from the trade which came from the traffic of idol-worshippers.

Seeing that these could not be of any help, they decided to exert more pressure to the degree that when the sufferings of the Muslims became unbearable, the Holy Prophet decided to send some of his followers to Abyssinia to take refuge. The Meccans in their quest to put an end to the new religion sent a deputation to the king, seeking the return of the refugees. The king summoned the refugees and questioned them about their beliefs. Being satisfied, that they were no threat to the state, he refused to hand them over and was convinced that the revelations of the Holy Prophet and that of Jesus sprang from the same fountain.

The failure of the Abyssinian delegation, humiliated the Meccans. They pledged to completely boycott the family who defended the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace. Every kind of relationship was cut off; even food and water were denied them. The family who defended the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, were in a desperate situation and they along with the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, and his followers had to take refuge in the Vale of Abu Talib from where they could not escape for fear of their lives. They suffered starvation, personal indignities and humiliation of every kind. This siege continued for three years; in the meantime, the Declaration of Boycott which was hung on the walls of the Ka`ba had been destroyed and the hearts of some of the enemies were appeased. These new-found friends were bold enough to rescue the innocent sufferers from their plight.

With the boycott ended, the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, and a companion went to Taif to invite the people there to Islam, but he faced the same fate of rejection. The chiefs of Taif sent some youths after them.

 They were stoned mercilessly, to the point of fainting and the body of the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, was cut and he was bleeding profusely. The Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, and his companion Zaid, took shelter in a garden belonging to two Meccans, who, after seeing their plight, sent some grapes with a slave who was an inhabitant of Nineveh. The message of Islam was conveyed to the slave who readily accepted it.

3.1 Sir William Muir remarked on this journey to Taif:

There is something lofty and heroic on this journey of Mohamet to Taif; a solitary man, despised and rejected by his own people, going boldly forth in the name of God, and summoning an idolatrous city to repent and support his mission. It sheds a strong light on the intensity of his belief in the divine origin of his calling. (Life of Mohamet p.109)

4. Migration to Medina leading to success

Returning to Mecca, the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, and his followers, faced mounting persecution, the intensity of which exceeded the limits bearable by any human. At this juncture, having had assurance from some of the chiefs and people of Medina, of his and his followers" safety, he immigrated to that city with his followers. The importance of this memorable event of migration marks the reckoning of the Islamic calendar.

The Meccans did not leave the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, and his followers to live peacefully in Medina. They sent numerous expeditions against them and waged wars against the Muslims. Every advance of the Meccans against the Muslims was crushed and they suffered humiliating defeats in their wars with the Muslims. Having been totally humiliated in their desire to crush Islam, they fell before the banner of Islam and Mecca was conquered peacefully when the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, at the head of ten thousand of his followers entered the gates of Mecca and demolished the idols which infested the Holy Ka`ba, thus fulfilling a prophecy mentioned in the Bible as follows:

The Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, did not let the achievement of victory un-nerve his equilibrium in acting in a manner which would have justifiably been done in these so-called modern and advanced times. Today, many a nation and party which when placed under the said circumstances as was the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, and his followers, would unleash a calculated and total annihilation of its enemies when it gains power and victory. Unlike these modern barbaric tendencies, when victory was the Holy Prophet"s, he never sought to seek out all those who had committed the most heinous of crimes against him and his followers. With one stroke, he forgave them all, except those few who had committed the most barbaric and unspeakable crimes against humanity.

History bears testimony to the fact, that at every step, the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, sought to achieve peace. He even accepted a treaty which appeared to be at a disadvantage to him and his followers, simply with the intention that peace may prevail and that all forms of strife may be eliminated.

His memorable words at the Fall of Mecca are worth to be inscribed in letters of gold, studded with the most precious of gems. He said:

The teachings which were vouchsafed to him, in the form of the Holy Qur"an, lay down the principles and mechanics for the attainment of peace and the elimination of war. It says that if two parties are fighting, then peace should be made between them and the dispute settled amicably. If one or both of the parties, fail to yield to the award and all efforts of persuasion have failed, then force should be administered as a last resort, to bring the recalcitrant party or parties to submit to a peaceful settlement.

This system has laid the foundation of a powerful League of Nations, unlike the present U.N.O. whose resolutions are looked upon scornfully by defaulting nations. The U.N.O. is so structured and composed, that it is quite impotent to bring peace to the world. The two superpowers, for obvious reasons, side with one or the other of the disputing parties. If they can achieve their goal of pedaling their influence, then without any justification, they would side with any of the parties, world opinion means nothing in the present context, only might is right. The teachings of the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, are, therefore, the only solution for the attainment of world peace and no Muslim or Muslim state which does not strive for the achievement of peace can rightfully claim a place in the body-politic of the Islamic nation and therefore cannot with any justification be among his true followers.

In the year 632 A.D. after fulfilling his mission which was entrusted to him by Allah, the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, passed away.

Different Aspect of Islam of prophet Mohammad(P.B.U.H)

From the first, Islam has said that it is the last message, and Muslims have accepted this fact with wisdom and with love, and have realized that Islam is the last manifestation of revelation prophethood and the culmination of the former pure religions Also, all Muslims, on the basis of ayahs in the Qur"an and hadith believe that the prophet of Islam (S.A.) is the last messenger of Allah who was the recipient of human leadership. The great Qur"an has explained the universality of the pure religion of Islam in many ayahs and has shown that Muhammad (S.A.) is the last emissary sent by God:

Muhammad is not the father of any of one of your men, but the messenger of Allah and the seal of the Prophets; and Allah has knowledge of everything" (XXXIII:40).

It has been said in a hadith from the Prophet to `Ali: "In all respects your relation to me is like that of Harun to musa (i.e. if Harun was muse"s brother, I also take you as a brother according to the rules of brotherhood; if he was musa"s successor, you also will be my successor). Except that musa was not the last prophet, and I am the last." (It is an authentic hadith accepted by both the shi`a and the sunnis, see al-ghadir, vol`3. p.196-202).

Imam `Ali (A.S.) said in Nahg al-Balaghah, the great book of learning and knowledge: "with the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (S.A.), revelation come to an end." (sermon133).

The eighth leader, the true Imam, Hazrat Rida (A.S.) said: "The pure religion of Muhammad (S.A.) will not be abrogated till the Day of Resurrection, and also no Prophet will follow him." (Bihar al-anwar, vol.II, p.34)

What we have just recounted is only a sample of tens of hadith which clearly and succinctly explain the conclusive status of the Prophet (S.A.) and the Perpetuity of his pure religion; they leave no room for doubt.

The universality of Islam

one of the greatest causes of Islam"s ever-lastingness is its `all-inclusiveness". Islam is a comprehensive project based on the human disposition, and it embraces all aspects of life: individual, social, material, spiritual, doctrinal, emotional, economic, legal and so forth and it explains the basis of each in the most acceptable way, most realistically , for all peoples and all levels of people, in every time and place. Thus European Islamicists, each with his deep view and research, have all acknowledged the omni-sidedness of Islamic laws and its universality. Now let us investigate some aspects of this universality.

The God of Islam and the Quran

The God of Islam is the Preserver of all worldly things. He is not the god of a tribe, for` some special group only. At prayer we say: `al-hamduli"llahi rabbi"l- alamin" praise be to Allah, the lord of the worlds." Every moment, in every place, whenever he wants, He brings into existence; there is no limitation on His Essence. He has authority over all existent things.

"Blessed be He in Whose hand is the kingdom. He is powerful over everything" (lxvll:1 ).

He is aware of the manifest and the concealed, the past and the future, and everything, even what is in our hearts.

"He knows whatever is in the heavens and the earth, and He knows you conceal and what you declare, and Allah knows what is in the breasts" (LXIV:4 ).

Being with Him is possible in every place: there is no need to travel or to pass by a doorman. He is nearer to us than anything.

"We are nearer to him (man) than his jugular vein" (L:16 )

He is a reality without parallel, beyond all human attributes and likenesses; He is not like the gods of other altered religions who have become man-like or like something created. Therefore He has no place, for He created place. He is not contained in time, for He is the creator of time. He is not associated, nor has He any beginning or ending. therefore, He has no like or similitude.

"Like him there is naught; He is the All-hearing, the All-seeing." (XLII:11 ).

His Essence is beyond sleep, tiredness, remorse and so forth

"slumber seizes him not, neither sleep." (II:255 ).

"Say: He is Allah, one." (CXII:I).

He is one without equal: He has no son or mother or father, neither partner or associate. This is the reality in surah tawhid, which Muslims recite many times each day in prayer so as to be far from the possibility of associating something with Him (shirk). The god of Islam is a god with all the attributes assigned to by the pure, sweet tongue of the Qur"an, with an understanding wider, more magnificent greater than can be conceived by created intelligences, free from want, without partner, prevailing, close, supreme, compassionate, most compassionate, available to all so that anyone at any time may communicate with Him, bring his needs before Him, ask whatever he wishes of Him, that He may make available what is of benefit and what is expedient, as He Himself said:

"And verily, Allah is to you all-gentle, All-compassionate." (LVII:9).

The Equality of all in Islam

Superiority of race or segregation is not only eliminated and void in the eyes of Islam, but the equality of man is an absolute reality from the point of view of Islam, and it says that all men are equal, all are from one father and one mother and are members of one family, and from the aspect of nobility, origin and connections they are equal partners. no one is better than anyone else, except in purity and devoutness.

"O mankind, we have created you male and female, and appointed you races and tribes that you may know one another. Surely the noblest among you in the sight of Allah is the most godfearing of you; Allah is All-knowing All-aware." (XLiX:13).

Islam and freedom of Thought

Islam is a firm supporter of logic, rational argument and freedom of thought. Imposition of ideas or beliefs, or the stifling of voices does not exist in Islam.

"No compulsion is there in religion. Rectitude has become clear from error". (II:256).

In Islam, investigation of the foundations of beliefs is a duty for every individual, and it is an obligation for everyone not to accept anything without proof, and if some commands and precepts are obligatory and must be accepted without why and wherefore, it is because they are from the source of revelation which cannot be in error, and because they have been stated through the Prophet and the pure Imams. Islam censures those who blindly follow the beliefs of their fathers and ancestors, and commends self-investigation and deep examination. It rejects feeble-mindedness and vain speculation, and urges only to the persual of knowledge and certainty.

"and pursue not that thou hast no knowledge of; the hearing, the sight, the heart-all of these shall be questioned of". (XVII:36).

Islam grants its opponents the right to set forth their queries in reasonable discussion and to enumerate their proofs and listen to the answers.

This was the reason that many Jews, Christians and those from other groups who took a stand against Islam, came to the Prophet or the pure Imams, and sat down and discussed their religious ideas.

Islam and the Invitation to Thought and Education

Islam lends great value to thinking. It asks the learned and wise to think and think again about creation, time, night and day, the sky, the earth, animal life, man and the universe and what is in it.

"surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of night and day, and the ship that runs in the sea with profit to men, and the water Allah sends down from the sky therewith reviving the earth after it is dead, and His scattering abroad in it all manner of crawling thing, and the turning about of the winds and the clouds compelled between heaven and earth, surely there are signs for a people having understanding". (II;164).

Also it asks them to research into the lives of those who come before, their thoughts and the causes of their decline and fall, so that they may keep far from the precipices of their destruction.

"Divers institutions have passed away before you; journey in the land and behold how was the end of those that cried lies. This is and exposition of mankind, and a guidance and an admonition for the god fearing." (III;136-7).

In short, Islam desires that man should think deeply and freely and travel across the far horizons of thought and knowledge and take everything that is best for the improvement of his being. For this reason Islam values scientific advances and discoveries which are for the help of humanity, and this is why scientists and scholars rose up in the centuries following the advent of Islam, to decorate the high road of human civilization with the jewel of their scientific endeavors, so much so that their great names will shine forever at the summit of scientific history.

They include Jabir ibn Hayyan, Razi, Ibn Sina ( Avicenna) and Khwajah Nasir ad-Din tusi, who were celebrated in all the sciences of their times: the intellectual sciences, natural science, astronomy, chemistry, etc. The books of Ibn Sina were even being taught in European universities up to the end of the last century. Jurji Zaydan, the famous Christian Lebanese writer, says on page 598 of his history of Islamic civilization: "As soon as Islamic civilization found its feet, and the now sciences spread among the Muslims, Muslim scholars appeared whose thinking was more important that the founders of some of the branches of the sciences. in fact these sciences took on a fresh colour with the new researches of Islamic scientists, and progressed due to Islamic civilisation."

Islam's Life-concept

From the view of Islam, there is no opposition between the material and the spiritual life, the world and religion. Similarly, those who do not work in this world make no effort are not approved of, although those who do not think of anything apart from individual benefit and consumption and profit are also detested from the point of view of Islam. Imam Sadiq (A.S.) the sixth imam, said: "He who abandons this world for the next - i.e. he who withdraws from the activities of life in the name of asceticism- and he who gives up the next world for this world both are not from among us` "(Wasa"ilash-shi`a,vol.12,p.49). So it can be said that in this matter Muslims should adjust their actions with equal movement in this world, advancing with its happiness, and in the spiritual world. Therefore in Islam there is no monasticism, being a burden on society, social withdrawal, egoism or seclusion. The Prophet (S.A.) said: "There is no monasticism for us; the monasticism for my followers is jihad in the way of Allah." (Bihar al-anwar,vol.p114).

Islamic commands and the Advance of Time

The transformation, evolution and development of the means of living and progress in the various elements of civilization have no kind of incompatibility with the eternity of the commands of Islam, because the incompatibility of a law with this kind of progress is because the law depends on fundamental means and special factors. For example, if one makes a law: only the hand must be used when writing, only a donkey must be used for travel, etc. , this kind of law cannot come into action when science and civilization advance but if it is not in contradiction with fundamental means, and at the time of making the law these were only used as examples, they will not clash with the occurrence of now means and the advance of civilization.

Islamic laws are of this latter category that is to say they do not look especially at the means of one period in history. For example, they say: one must be unconquerable with regard to foreign powers so as to defend one"s vital and human rights. This law, although it was declared in the time of the sword, never depends on the instruments of that time, i.e. Islam never says: The Islamic jihad must only be with swords. Thus it is practicable today. Similarly with business transactions, trade, word, etc. So, however much civilization and its means and elements expand, it will never leave the domain of inclusion in the laws of Islam, and this is one of the secrets of eternity of Islam.

Does Islam Dispense with contemporary Idealogies and systems of Thought?

There is no doubt that man has progressed far in the way of knowledge, but scientists themselves confess that what they know in the world of creation is not comparable with what they do not know and basically, since their vision is limited, they cannot find out all the secrets of the world. Moreover, each leap forward that man makes is not immune from error.

Therefore, in the area of human aspirations, not everything that comes forward, in every field, can be one hundred percent imbued with certainty, because it is possible that environmental factors and other unforeseen thing have an effect on man"s thinking and outlook and take him far from reality. But the fundamental project of Islam, since it grows from the root of revelation, has nothing to do with the possibility of mistake, and can give trustworthy guidance at all times of course, with the condition that these pure laws are not inserted within the framework of other deviated systems, whereupon they the become completely incapable of deriving advantage.

The continuation of Divine Assistance

Some imagine that the meaning of the conclusive nature of the prophet"s mission is that after him connection with the hidden, divine world has been interrupted and stopped. This is not valid because the meaning of its conclusiveness is only that after the prophet of Islam (S.A.), no other prophet or religion will come, not that in a general way connections with the unseen world are also severed. For with the understanding of shi`a Muslims, whereby we believe in the Imamate and wilayat of the twelve pure Imams this connection is everlasting and is continued by means of these pure ones. And this is one of the distinctive points of the shi"a school. Mulla Sadra has written in Mafatih al-ghayb - keys of the unseen _ : "Revelation, that is to say the descent of the angel to the delegated and prophetic eyes, has been eyes, has been forever cut off, but the door of inspiration and illumination has not and will never be closed, and it is not possible for it to be interrupted."

How can Islam be practiced in the present Day and age?

Although corruption in our world is greater today, and although as time rolls on it becomes greater, and in the end more destructive and more annihilating, we must remember that generosity and magnanimity are found in difficulty. so our independence and individuality demand that we struggle with the aberrations of the our times. Basically, control and reform of the environment can be considered as one of the most pressing duties. The prophets have also taught us by their lives the lesson of the struggle against the aberrations of the times. They never followed the perverse desires of the pulsation of their own societies or the various passions of the environment; eventually they made the environment their own environment.

The prophet of Islam (S.A.) struggled constantly against the aberrant and amoral customs of the ignorance of his time, till he built another society and environment. Class differences, the inferiority of women, idol-worship, tribal wars, and tens of other kinds of amorality were among the conventions and customs and beliefs of the people of those days, but the courage of the prophet saw that all of them were destroyed. some of the chiefs of the quraysh, such as` utbah, were very unhappy about the prophet"s method, so they arranged a meeting and after they conferred together with him to make him deviate from his way by promise and threat, the prophet replied to them: " This is what I was delegated to do. I swear by Allah that even if the sun were put in one of my hands and the moon in the other I would not deviate from my way, nor give up my faith, till victory or deaths ensue." So let us follow the way of the iron-willed leader and envoy of Allah.

(The Roots of Religion, p. 158-169)