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| Prophet Mohammad |
You may be an atheist or
an agnostic or you may belong to any of the religious denominations
that exist in the world today. You may have been a Communist
or a believer in democracy and freedom. No matter what you
are, and no matter what your religious and political beliefs,
personal and social habits happen to be— YOU STILL MUST
KNOW THIS MAN!
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 numberless social
and political reforms, established a dynamic and powerful
society to practice and represent his teachings, and he revolutionized
the worlds of human thought and human action for all time.
His name was Muhammad (peace and blessings of Almighty Creator
be upon him)—and he |
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accomplished
all these wonders in the unbelievably short span of twenty-three
years.
Muhammad (pbuh) was born in Arabia in 570 CE, and when he
died at the age of 63, the whole of the Arabian Peninsula
had changes from paganism and idol worship to the 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 moral bankruptcy to the highest standards of moral
excellence.
Human history has never known such a complete transformation
of a people or a place before or since.
The Encyclopedia Britannica calls him "the most successful
of all religious personalities of the world." Bernard
Shaw said, "if Muhammad (pbuh) were alive today, he would
succeed in solving all those problems which threaten to destroy
human civilization in our times." Thomas Carlysle was
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. Napoleon and Gandhi never
tired of dreaming of a society along the lines established
by this man in Arabia fourteen centuries ago.
Indeed no other human being ever accomplished so much, in
such diverse fields of human thought and behavior, in so limited
a space of time, as did Muhammad (pbuh). He was a religious
teacher, a social reformer, a moral guide, a political thinker,
a military genius, 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 difficult departments of life.
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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. None of
the other great leaders of the world ever combined within himself
so many different qualities to such an amazing level of perfection
as did Muhammad (pbuh).
The lives and teachings of other great personalities of the world
are shrouded in the mist of time. There is so much speculation about
the time and the 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
today to reconstruct accurately and precisely the lives and teachings
of those men.
Not so this man Muhammad (pbuh). Not only was he born in the fullest
blaze of recorded history, but every detail of his private and public
life, of his actions and utterances, has been accurately documented
and faithfully preserved to our day. The authenticity of the information
so preserved is vouched for not only by faithful followers but also
by unbiased critics and open-minded scholars.
At the level of ideas there is no system of thought and belief—secular
or religious, social or political —which could surpass or
equal ISLAM—the system which Muhammad (pbuh) propounded. In
a fast-changing world, while other systems have undergone profound
transformations, Islam alone has remained above all change and mutation,
and retained its original form for the past 1400 years. What is
more, the positive changes that are taking place in the world of
human thought and behavior truly and consistently reflect the healthy
influence of Islam in these areas.
| It is not given to the best
of thinkers to put their ideas completely into practice, and
to see the seeds of their labors grow and bear fruit in their
own lifetime. Except of course, Muhammad (pbuh), who not only
preached the most wonderful ideas but also successfully translated
each one of them into practice. At the time of his death his
teachings were not mere precepts and ideas straining for fulfillment.
They had become the very core of the life of tens of thousands
of perfectly trained individuals. At what other time or place
and in relation to what other political, social, religious
system, philosophy or ideology—did the world ever witness
such a perfectly amazing phenomenon? Except of course, ISLAM,
which was established as a complete way of life by |
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Muhammad (pbuh)himself.
History bears testimony to this fact and the greatest skeptics
have no option but to concede this point.
In spite of the phenomenal success which crowned his efforts,
he did not for a moment claim to be God or God's incarnation
or Son —but only a human being who was chosen and ordained
by the Creator to be a teacher of truth to mankind and a complete
model and pattern for their actions. |
He was a man with a noble and exalted mission —and his unique
mission was to unite humanity in the worship of the One and only
God and to teach them the way to honest and upright living in accordance
with the laws and commands of God. He always described himself as
a Messenger and servant of God, as indeed every single action and
movement of his proclaimed him to be.
A world which has not hesitated to raise to Divinity individuals
whose very lives and missions have been lost in legend and who,
historically speaking, did not accomplish half as much—or
even one tenth—as was accomplished by Muhammad (pbuh), should
stop to take serious note of this remarkable man's claim to be God's
messenger to mankind.
Today, after the lapse of some 1400 years, the life and teachings
of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), have survived without the slightest
loss, alteration or interpolation. Today they offer the same undying
hope for treating mankind's many ills which they did when Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) was alive. This is our honest claim and this is
the inescapable conclusion forced upon us by a critical and unbiased
study of history.
The least YOU should do as a thinking, sensitive, concerned human
being is to stop for one brief moment and ask yourself: Could it
be that these statements, extraordinary and revolutionary as they
sound, are really true? Supposing they really are true, and you
did not know this man Muhammad (pbuh) or hear about his teachings?
Or did not know him well and intimately enough to be able to benefit
from his guidance and example? Is it not time you responded to this
tremendous challenge and made some effort to know him? It will not
cost you anything but it may well prove to be the beginning of a
completely new era in your life.
Come, let us make a new discovery, the life of this wonderful man
Muhammad (pbuh), the like of whom never walked on this earth, and
whose example and teachings can change YOUR life and OUR world for
the better. May God shower His choicest blessings upon him! Written
by S. H. Pasha
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