2. "PROPHET MUHAMMAD (sw) HONOURED BY THE UNITED STATES SUPREME
COURT ..AS ONE OF THE GREATEST LAWGIVERS OF THE WORLD IN 1935"...Adolph
Weinman, presented this written sculpture to honor Muhammad (sw), and it bears no
resemblance to Muhammad (sw) in picture.
“NOT EVERY CRITIC IS A GENIUS, BUT EVERY GENIUS IS BORN A CRITIC..GENIUS
HAS THE PROOF OF ALL RULES WITHIN ITSELF” Gotthold Lessing.
Any person who wishes to publicly share opinion abt Muhammad (sw) MUST first wish to
reach THAT height of literacy wch the most renowned scholars, rulers, orientalists, religious
experts reached OR atleast study the views quoted by these professionals.
(plz feel free to google the sources given below)
Muhammad (sw) is quoted as THE MOST GRACIOUS MAN” ever lived, in humanity, by
the people who carried the most intellect personalities in themselves.
Lamartine - Histoire de la Turquie, Paris 1854, Vol II, pp. 276-77:
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, legislations, 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... the forbearance in victory, his ambition,
which was entirely devoted to one idea and in no manner striving for an empire; his endless
prayers, his mystic conversations with God, his death and his triumph after death; all these
attest not to an imposture but to a firm conviction which gave him the power to restore a
dogma. This dogma was twofold, the unit 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 words."
"Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational
dogmas, of a cult without images; the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one
spiritual empire, that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may
be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he?"
3. Mahatma Gandhi, statement published in 'Young India,'1924.
I wanted to know the best of the life of one who holds today an undisputed sway over the
hearts of millions of mankind.... I became more than ever 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 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 second volume (of the Prophet's biography), I was sorry there
was not more for me to read of that great life.
Michael Hart in 'The 100, A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons In History,' New
York, 1978.
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 secular and religious level. ...It is probable that the relative
influence of Muhammad on Islam has been larger than the combined influence of Jesus
Christ and St. Paul on Christianity. ...It is this unparalleled combination of secular and
religious influence which I feel entitles Muhammad to be considered the most influential
single figure in human history.
Sir George Bernard Shaw in 'The Genuine Islam,' Vol. 1, No. 8, 1936.
"If any religion had the chance of ruling over England, nay Europe within the next
hundred years, it could be Islam."
“I have always held the religion of Muhammad in high estimation because of its wonderful
vitality. It is the only religion which appears to me to possess that assimilating capacity to the
changing phase of existence which can make itself appeal to every age. I have studied him -
the wonderful man and in my opinion for from being an anti-Christ, 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 the much needed peace
and happiness: I have prophesied about the faith of Muhammad that it would be acceptable to
the Europe of tomorrow as it is beginning to be acceptable to the Europe of today.”
4. James Michener in ‘Islam: The Misunderstood Religion,’ Reader’s Digest, May 1955,
pp. 68-70.
"No other religion in history spread so rapidly as Islam. The West has widely believed that
this surge of religion was made possible by the sword. But no modern scholar accepts this
idea, and the Qur‟an is explicit in the support of the freedom of conscience."
“Like almost every major prophet before him, Muhammad fought shy of serving as the
transmitter of God‟s word sensing his own inadequacy. But the Angel commanded „Read‟.
So far as we know, Muhammad was unable to read or write, but he began to dictate those
inspired words which would soon revolutionize a large segment of the earth: "There is one
God"."
“In all things Muhammad was profoundly practical. When his beloved son Ibrahim died, an
eclipse occurred and rumors of God 's personal condolence quickly arose. Whereupon
Muhammad is said to have announced, „An eclipse is a phenomenon of nature. It is foolish to
attribute such things to the death or birth of a human being'."
“At Muhammad's own death an attempt was made to deify him, but the man who was to
become his administrative successor killed the hysteria with one of the noblest speeches in
religious history: „If there are any among you who worshiped Muhammad, he is dead. But if
it is God you Worshiped, He lives for ever'.”
Karen Armstrong, Muhammad - A Biography of the Prophet page 27, 53-54
Muhammad had to start virtually from scratch and work his way towards the radical
monotheistic spirituality of his own. When he began his mission, a dispassionate observer
would not have given him a chance. The Arabs, he might have objected, were just not ready
for monotheism: they were not sufficently developed for this sophisticated vision. In fact, to
attempt to introduce it on a large scale in this violent, terrifying society could be extremely
dangerous and Muhammad would be lucky to escape with his life.
Indeed, Muhammad was frequently in deadly peril and his survival was a near-miracle. But
he did succeed. By the end of his life he had laid an axe to the root of the chronic cycle tribal
violence that afflicted the region and paganism was no longer a going concern. The Arabs
were ready to embark on a new phase of their history.
(Muhammad - A Biography of the Prophet page 53-54)
Finally it was the West, not Islam, which forbade the open discussion of religious matters. At
the time of the Crusades, Europe seemed obsessed by a craving for intellectual conformity
and punished its deviants with a zeal that has been unique in the history of religion. The
witch-hunts of the inquisitors and the persecution of Protestants by the Catholics and vice
versa were inspired by abtrusetheoligical opinions which in both Judaism and Islam were
seen as private and optional matters. Neither Judaism nor Islam share the Christian
conception of heresy, which raises human ideas about the divine to an unacceptably high
level and almost makes them a form of idolatry. The period of the Crusades, when the
5. fictional Mahound was established, was also a time of the great strain and denial in Europe.
This is graphically expressed in the phobia about Islam.
(Muhammad - A Biography of the Prophet page 27)
Montgomery Watt, Mohammad at Mecca, Oxford 1953, p. 52:
"His readiness to undergo persecutions for his beliefs, the high moral character of the men
who believed in him and looked up to him as leader, and the greatness of his ultimate
achievement – all argue his fundamental integrity. To suppose Muhammad an impostor raises
more problems than it solves. Moreover, none of the great figures of history is so poorly
appreciated in the West as Muhammad."
Sir William Muir, Life of Muhammad, pp. 510-13
His form, though little above mean height, was stately and commanding. The depth of feeling
in his dark black eyes, and the winning expression of a face otherwise attractive, gained the
confidence and love of strangers, even at first sight. His features often unbended into a smile
full of grace and condescension. He was, says an admiring follower, the handsomest and
bravest, the brightest faced and most generous of men. It was as though the sunlight beamed
in his countenance. His gait has been likened to that of one descending a hill rapidly. When
he made haste, it was with difficulty that one kept pace with him. He never turned, even if his
mantle caught in a thorny bush; so that his attendants talked and laughed freely behind him
secure of being unobserved.
Thorough and complete in all his actions, he took in hand no work without bringing it to a
close. The same habit pervaded his manner in social intercourse. If he turned in a
conversation towards a friend, he turned not partially, but with his full face and his whole
body. In shaking hands, he was not the first to withdraw his own; nor was he the first to break
off in converse with a stranger, nor to turn away his ear. A patriarchal simplicity pervaded his
life. His custom was to do everything for himself. If he gave an alms he would place it with
his own hands in that of the petitioner. He aided his wives in their household duties, mended
his clothes, tied up the goats, and even cobbled his sandals. His ordinary dress was of plain
white cotton stuff, made like his neighbours'. He never reclined at meals. Muhammad, with
his wives, lived, as we have seen, in a row of low and homely cottages built of unbaked
bricks, the apartments separated by walls of palm branches rudely daubed with mud, while
curtains of leather, or of black haircloth, supplied the place of doors and windows. He was to
all of easy access even as the river's bank to him that draweth water from it. Embassies and
deputations were received with the utmost courtesy and consideration. In the issue of
rescripts bearing on their representations, or in other matters of state, Muhammad displayed
all the qualifications of an able and experienced ruler. What renders this the more strange is
that he was never known himself to write.
A remarkable feature was the urbanity and consideration with which Muhammad treated even
the most insignificant of his followers. Modesty and kindliness, patience, self denial, and
6. generosity, pervaded his conduct, and riveted the affections of all around him. He disliked to
say No. If unable to answer a petitioner in the affirmative, he preferred silence. He was not
known ever to refuse an invitation to the house even of the meanest, nor to decline a
proffered present however small. He possessed the rare faculty of making each individual in a
company think that he was the favoured guest. If he met anyone rejoicing at success he would
seize him eagerly and cordially by the hand. With the bereaved and afflicted he sympathised
tenderly. Gentle and unbending towards little children, he would not disdain to accost a group
of them at play with the salutation of peace. He shared his food, even in times of scarcity,
with others, and was sedulously solicitous for the personal comfort of everyone about him. A
kindly and benevolent disposition pervaded all those illustrations of his character.
Muhammad was a faithful friend. He loved Abu Bakr with the close affection of a brother;
Ali, with the fond partiality of a father. Zaid, the freedman, was so strongly attached by the
kindness of the Prophet, that he preferred to remain at Makkah rather than return home with
his own father. 'I will not leave thee,' he said, clinging to his patron, 'for thou hast been a
father and mother to me.' The friendship of Muhammad survived the death of Zaid, and his
son Usama was treated by him with distinguished favour for the father's sake. Uthman and
Umar were also the objects of a special attachment; and the enthusiasm with which, at
Hudaibiyya, the Prophet entered into the Pledge of the Tree and swore that he would defend
his beleaguered son in law even to the death, was a signal proof of faithful friendship.
Numerous other instances of Muhammad's ardent and unwavering regard might be adduced.
His affections were in no instance misplaced; they were ever reciprocated by a warm and self
sacrificing love.
In the exercise of a power absolutely dictatorial, Muhammad was just and temperate. Nor was
he wanting in moderation towards his enemies, when once they had cheerfully submitted to
his claims. The long and obstinate struggle against his pretentions maintained by the
inhabitants of Makkah might have induced its conqueror to mark his indignation in indelible
traces of fire and blood. But Muhammad, excepting a few criminals, granted a universal
pardon; and, nobly casting into oblivion the memory of the past, with all its mockery, its
affronts and persecution, he treated even the foremost of his opponents with a gracious and
even friendly consideration. Not less marked was the forbearance shown to Abdullah and the
disaffected citizens of Madinah, who for so many years persistently thwarted his designs and
resisted his authority, nor the clemency with which he received submissive advances of tribes
that before had been the most hostile, even in the hour of victory.
Again he wrote:
It is strongly corroborative of Muhammad's sincerity that the earliest converts to Islam were
not only of upright character, but his own bosom friends and people of his own household
who, intimately acquainted with his private life could not fail otherwise to have detected
those discrepancies which even more or less exist between the profession of the hypocritical
deceiver abroad and his actions at home".
7. Annie Besant, The Life and Teachings of Muhammad, Madras 1932, p. 4
"It is impossible for anyone who studies the life and character of the great Prophet of Arabia,
who knows how he taught and how he lived, to feel anything but reverence for that mighty
Prophet, one of the great messengers of the Supreme. And although in what I put to you I
shall say many things which may be familiar to many, yet I myself feel whenever I re-read
them, a new way of admiration, a new sense of reverence for that mighty Arabian teacher."
Reverend Bosworth Smith in 'Muhammad and Muhammadanism,' London, 1874.
"Head of the State as well as the Church, he was Caesar and Pope in one; but he was Pope
without the Pope's pretensions, and Caesar without the legions of Caesar, without a standing
army, without a bodyguard, without a police force, without a fixed revenue. If ever a man
ruled by a right divine, it was Muhammad, for he had all the powers without their supports.
He cared not for the dressings of power. The simplicity of his private life was in keeping with
his public life."
"In Mohammadanismevery thing is different here. Instead of the shadowy and the
mysterious, we have history....We know of the external history of Muhammad....while for his
internal history after his mission had been proclaimed, we have a book absolutely unique in
its origin, in its preservation....on the Substantial authority of which no one has ever been able
to cast a serious doubt."
Edward Gibbon and Simon Oakley in ‘History of the Saracen Empire,’ London, 1870
"The greatest success of Mohammad‟s life was effected by sheer moral force."
“It is not the propagation but the permanency of his religion that deserves our wonder, the
same pure and perfect impression which he engraved at Mecca and Medina is preserved after
the revolutions of twelve centuries by the Indian, the African and the Turkish proselytes of
the Koran....The Mahometans have uniformly withstood the temptation of reducing the object
of their faith and devotion to a level with the senses and imagination of man. „I believe in
One God and Mahomet the Apostle of God‟ is the simple and invariable profession of Islam.
The intellectual image of the Deity has never been degraded by any visible idol; the honors of
the prophet have never transgressed the measure of human virtue, and his living precepts
have restrained the gratitude of his disciples within the bounds of reason and religion.”
Rev. Bosworth Smith, Mohammed and Mohammadanism, London 1874, p. 92
8. "He was Caesar and Pope in one; but he was Pope without Pope's pretensions, 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 Mohammed, for he had all the power without its instruments and without its supports."
Edward Gibbon and Simon Ocklay - History of the Saracen Empire, London, 1870, p.
54:
"It is not the propagation but the permanency of his religion that deserves our wonder, the
same pure and perfect impression which he engraved at Mecca and Medina is preserved, after
the revolutions of twelve centuries by the Indian, the African and the Turkish proselytes of
the Koran...The Mahometans have uniformly withstood the temptation of reducing the object
of their faith and devotion to a level with the senses and imagination of man. 'I believe in One
God and Mahomet the Apostle of God', is the simple and invariable profession of Islam. The
intellectual image of the Deity has never been degraded by any visible idol; the honors of the
prophet have never transgressed the measure of human virtue, and his living precepts have
restrained the gratitude of his disciples within the bounds of reason and religion."
Pringle Kennedy, Arabian Society at the Time of Muhammad, pp.8, 10, 18, 21:
Muhammad was, to use a striking expression, the man of the hour. In order to understand his
wonderful success, one must study the conditions of his times. Five and half centuries and
more had elapsed when he was born since Jesus had come into the world. At that time, the
old religions of Greece and Rome, and of the hundred and one states along the
Mediterranean, had lost their vitality. In their place, Caesarism had come as a living cult. The
worship of the state as personified by the reigning Caesar, such was the religion of the
Roman Empire. Other religions might exist, it was true; but they had to permit this new cult
by the side of them and predominant over them. But Caesarism failed to satisfy. The Eastern
religions and superstitions (Egyptian, Syrian, Persian) appealed to many in the Roman world
and found numerous votaries. The fatal fault of many of these creeds was that in many
respects they were so ignoble ...
When Christianity conquered Caesarism at the commencement of the fourth century, it, in its
turn, became Caesarised. No longer was it the pure creed which had been taught some three
centuries before. It had become largely de spiritualised, ritualised, materialised .......
How, in a few years, all this was changed, how, by 650 AD a great part of this world became
a different world from what it had been before, is one of the most remarkable chapters in
human history .... This wonderful change followed, if it was not mainly caused by, the life of
one man, the Prophet of Mecca ....
Whatever the opinion one may have of this extraordinary man, whether it be that of the
devout Muslim who considers him the last and greatest herald of God's word, or of the
fanatical Christian of former days, who considered him an emissary of the Evil One, or of
certain modern Orientalists, who look on him rather as a politician than a saint, as an
9. organiser of Asia in general and Arabia in particular, against Europe, rather than as a
religious reformer; there can be no difference as to the immensity of the effect which his life
has had on the history of the world.
To those of us, to whom the man is everything, the milieu but little, he is the supreme
instance of what can be done by one man. Even others, who hold that the conditions of time
and place, the surroundings of every sort, the capacity of receptivity of the human mind,
have, more than an individual effort, brought about the great steps in the world's history,
cannot well deny, that even if this step were to come, without Muhammad, it would have
been indefinitely delayed.
J. H. Denison, Emotions as the Basis of Civilisation, pp. 265 9
In the fifth and sixth centuries, the civilised world stood on the verge of chaos. The old
emotional cultures that had made civilisation possible, since they had given to man a sense of
unity and of reverence for their rulers, had broken down, and nothing had been found
adequate to take their place. ..... It seemed then that the great civilisation which had taken
four thousand years to construct was on the verge of disintegration, and that mankind was
likely to return to that condition of barbarism where every tribe and sect was against the next,
and law and order were unknown ....... The new sanctions created by Christianity were
creating divisions and destruction instead of unity and order .... Civilisation like a gigantic
tree whose foliage had over reached the world .....stood tottering ..... rotted to the core .... Was
there any emotional culture that could be brought in to gather mankind once more to unity
and to save civilisation? ... It was among the Arabs that the man was born who was to unite
the whole known world of the east and south.
S. P. Scott, History of the Moorish Empire in Europe, p. 126, 1904
If the object of religion be the inculcation of morals, the diminution of evil, the promotion of
human happiness, the expansion of the human intellect, if the performance of good works
will avail in the great day when mankind shall be summoned to its final reckoning it is
neither irreverent nor unreasonable to admit that Muhammad was indeed an Apostle of God.
Major A G Leonard, Islam, its Moral and Spiritual Values, p. 9; 1909, London
“If ever any man on this earth has found God; if ever any man has devoted his life for the
sake of God with a pure and holy zeal then, without doubt, and most certainly that man was
the Holy Prophet of Arabia”.
