Philosopher, Orator, Apostle, Legislator, Warrior, Conqueror of ideas,
the Restorer of rational beliefs, the Preacher of a religion without
images, the Founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one heavenly
Empire, that is Muhammad. As regards all standards [I repeat, "ALL"]
by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, "Is there
any man greater than he?" [Alphonse Lamartine, French poet]
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? Mohammad established a
system based upon true and immortal ideology. Is there any like he?
[Alphonse Lamartine]
People like Pasteur and Salk are leaders in the first sense. People
like Gandhi and Confucius, on one hand, and Alexander, Caesar and
Hitler on the other, are leaders in the second and perhaps the third
sense. Jesus and Buddha belong in the third category alone. Perhaps
the greatest leader of all times was Mohammed, who combined all three
functions. To a lesser degree, Moses did the same. [Jules Masserman,
Professor of History]
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. [Michael H. Hart, The 100]
I believe that if a man like Mohammad's caliber 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. [George Bernard Shaw]
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, he must be called the
Savior of Humanity. [George Bernard Shaw]
He was Caesar and Pope in one; but he was Pop 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 Mohammad, for he had all the power without its
instruments and without its supports. [Reverend B. Smith]
Mohammad never assigned himself a status more than a common man and a
messenger of God. People had faith in him when he was surrounded by
poverty and adversity and trusted him while he was the ruler of a
great Empire. He was a man of spotless character who always had
confidence in himself and in God's help. No aspect of his life
remained hidden nor was his death a mysterious event. [M.H. Hyndman]
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 like a hero. [Prof. K. S. Ramakrishna Rao]
I become more than ever convinced that it was not the sword that won a
place for Islam in those days in the scheme for 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 his own mission. These and not the sword, carried everything
before them and surmounted every trouble. [Mahatma Gandhi]
An honest man, as the saying goes, is the noblest work of God,
Mohammad was more than honest. He was human to the marrow of his
bones. Human sympathy, human love was the music of his soul. To serve
man, to elevate man, to purify man, to educate man, in a word to
humanize man - this was the object of his mission, the be-all and end
all of his life. In thought, in word, in action he had the good of
humanity as his sole inspiration, his sole guiding principle. [Prof.
K. S. Ramakrishna Rao]
The supremacy of the East was not only military. Science, philosophy,
poetry, and the arts, all flourished in the Muhammadan world at a time
when Europe was sunk in barbarism. Europeans, with unpardonable
insularity, call this period `the Dark Ages': but it was only in
Europe that it was dark -- indeed only in Christian Europe, for Spain,
which was Muhammadan, had a brilliant culture. [Bertrand Russell]
It was in the Islamic Middle East that Indian numbers were for the
first time incorporated in the inherited body of mathematical
learning. From the Middle East they were transmitted to the West,
where they are still known as Arabic numerals, honoring not those who
invented them but those who first brought them to Europe. To this rich
inheritance scholars and scientists in the Islamic world added an
immensely important contribution through their own observations,
experiments, and ideas. In most of the arts and sciences of
civilization, medieval Europe was a pupil and in a sense a dependent
of the Islamic world, relying on Arabic versions even for many
otherwise unknown Greek works. [Prof. Bernard Lewis]
It must be owned that all the knowledge whether of Physics, Astronomy,
Philosophy or Mathematics, which flourished in Europe from the 10th
century was originally derived from the Arabian schools, and the
Spanish Saracen may be looked upon as the father of European
philosophy. [John Davenport]
It is highly probable that but for the Arabs, modern European
civilization would have never assumed that character which has enabled
it to transcend all previous phases of evolution. For although there
is not a single aspect of human growth in which the decisive influence
of Islamic culture is not traceable, nowhere is it so clear and
momentous as in the genesis of that power which constitutes the
paramount distinctive force of the modern world and the supreme course
of its victory -- natural sciences and the scientific spirit. What we
call sciences arose in Europe as a result of a new spirit of inquiry;
of new methods of investigation, of the method of experiment,
observation, measurement, of the development of Mathematics in a form
unknown to the Greeks. That spirit and those methods were introduced
into the European world by the Arabs. [Robert Briffault]
Mohammad was the greatest Executive Officer for implementation of the
Divine Will. Like other prophets he knew that time will come when all
mankind will become one community. [H.N. Spalding]
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. [S. P. Scott]
Muhammad adhered meticulously to the charter he forged for Medina,
which - grounded as it was in the Qur'anic injunction, "Let there be
no compulsion in religion" (2:256) - is arguably the first mandate for
religious tolerance in human history. [Huston Smith]
Mohammad introduced the concept of such Glorious and Omnipotent God in
Whose eyes all worldly systems are pieces of straw. Islamic equality
of mankind is no fiction as it is in Christianity. No human mind has
ever thought of such total freedom as established by Mohammad. [Dr.
Mawde Royden]
The Book revealed to Muhammad is one and unique of its kind. It has
left indelible impression on the hearts of humanity. Nothing can
overcome its majesty. The Qura'n has given new dimensions to human
thinking - Surprising reforms, stunning success! [Rev. B. Margoliouth]
Muhammad saved the human civilization from extinction. [J.H. Denison]
He laid the foundation of a universal government. His law was one for
all. Equal justice and love for everyone. [George Rivorie]
Islam is the only religion that gives dignity to the poor. [Ramsey
Clark, Former U.S. Attorney General]
The message of Mohammad, Islam, is nothing but a blessing for mankind
- The usher from darkness to light and from Satan to God. [Rev E.
Stephenson]
In Islam the believer is a worshiper and a soldier ever ready to go to
the battlefield but only for that battle which is waged to eradicate
the evil. [H.N. Spalding]
Mohammad's religion reformed all existing dogmas and brought the Arabs
ahead of the super powers of the time. [Dr. Marcus Dods]
Islam does not set impossible goals. There are no mythological
intricacies in this message. No hidden meanings or secrets and
absolutely no priesthood. [Phillip K. Hitti, American historian and
philosopher]
Kingdom of God on Earth! God's messenger serving as the greatest
proponent of human brotherhood, His viceroy on earth in the form of
Muhammad. [Philip K. Hitti]
Between the middle of the eighth and the beginning of the thirteenth
centuries, as we have noted before, the Arabic-speaking peoples were
the main bearers of the torch of culture and civilization throughout
the world. Moreover they were the medium through which ancient science
and philosophy were recovered, supplemented and transmitted in such a
way as to make possible the renaissance of Western Europe. In all
this, Arabic Spain had a large share. [Philip K. Hitti]
During the almost 1,000 years that science was dormant in Europe, the
Arabs, who by the 9th century had extended their sphere of influence
as far as Spain, became the custodians of science and dominated
biology, as they did other disciplines. [Encyclopaedia Britannica]
Muhammad was the most successful of all religious personalities.
[Encyclopedia Britannica, 4th & 11th editions]
The Message of Mohammad is not a set of metaphysical phenomena. It is
a complete civilization. [W.A.R. Gibb]
The Christian World came to wage crusades against Muslims but
eventually knelt before them to gain knowledge. They were spellbound
to see that Muslims were owners of a culture that was far superior to
their own. The Dark Ages of Europe were illuminated by nothing but the
beacon of Muslim civilization. [F.J.C. Hearushaw]
The power that created in Muslims a ravenous appetite for knowledge
sprung from the Qur'an. [Rev. B. Margoliouth]
The solution to all international conflicts lies only in embracing
Islam en masse because Islam is the only religion that can transcend
nationalism. I see, with great dismay, that nationalism is gaining
grounds even among the bearers of the Qur'an. I will hope for the day
when all humanity will break this idol and unite all as the children
of God. [Arnold J. Toynbey]
Fellow inhabitants of the planet! Search for the ideal Prophet, who in
the 7th century, has shown you the way to total success. [Lewis
Mumford]
All religions, save the word of Muhammad, are broken boats. They
cannot take humanity to the shore of serenity. [Dr. E.B. Hocking]
Mohammad was the soul of kindness, and his influence was felt and
never forgotten by those around him. [Diwan Chand Sharma]
I hope the time is not far off when I shall be able to unite all the
wise and educated men of all the countries and establish a uniform
regime based on the principles of Qur'an which alone are true and
which alone can lead men to happiness. [Napoleon Bonaparte]
The Islamic teachings have left great traditions for equitable and
gentle dealings and behavior, and inspire people with nobility and
tolerance. These are human teachings of the highest order and at the
same time practicable. These teachings brought into existence a
society in which hard-heartedness and collective oppression and
injustice were the least as compared with all other societies
preceding it. Islam is replete with gentleness, courtesy, and
fraternity. [H.G. Wells]
The Creed of Mohammad is free from ambiguity and the Qur'an is a
glorious testimony to the unity of God. [Edward Gibbon, British
historian]
The greatest crime, the greatest `sin' of Mohammad in the eyes of the
Christian West is that he did not allow himself to be slaughtered, to
be `crucified' by his enemies. He only defended himself, his family
and his followers; and finally vanquished his enemies. Mohammad's
success is the Christians' gall of disappointment: He did not believe
in any vicarious sacrifices for the sins of others. [Edward Gibbon]
The towering personality of Muhammad has left bright and indelible
imprints on all mankind. [John William Draper]
The man who of all men exercised the greatest influence upon the human
race--Muhammad. [John William Draper]
Among leaders who have made the greatest impact through ages, I would
consider Muhammad before Jesus Christ. [James Gavin, Speeches of a
U.S. Army General]
Absolutely unique in history, Muhammad is a threefold founder of a
nation, of an empire and of a religion. [Reverend B. Smith]
The noble founder of a nation, an empire and a religion. The
unlettered one bestowed upon the world the Book which is a miracle,
the eternal miracle and the true miracle. [Reverend B. Smith]
In the person of the prophet of Islam we see the rarest phenomenon on
earth walking in flesh and blood i.e. the union of the theorist, the
organizer and the leader in one man. [Prof. K.S. Ramakrishna Rao]
A man of truth and fidelity, true in what he did, in what he speaks
and thought - this is the only sort of speech worth speaking. [Thomas
Carlyle, British author]
The lies that we (Christians) have heaped round this man (Muhammad)
are disgraceful to ourselves only. [Thomas Carlyle]
The word of Mohammad is a voice direct from nature's own heart - all
else is wind in comparison. [Thomas Carlyle]
The sword indeed, but where will you get your sword? Every new
opinion, at its starting is precisely in a minority of one. In one
man's head alone. There it dwells as yet. One man alone of the whole
world believes it, there is one man against all men. That he takes a
sword and try to propagate with that, will do little for him. You must
get your sword! On the whole, a thing will propagate itself as it can.
[Thomas Carlyle]
History makes it clear however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims
sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword
is the most fantastically absurd myth that historians have ever
repeated. [De Lacy O' Leary]
He was the Messenger of the One True God: And never to his life's end
did he forget for a moment who he was! He was one of those happy few
who have attained the supreme joy of making one great truth their very
life-spring. [Stanley Lane Poole]
Mohammad was an enthusiast in the noblest sense. [Stanley Lane Poole]
The Renaissance of Europe did not take place in the 15th century.
Rather, it began when Europe learned from the culture of the Arabs.
The cradle of European awakening is not Italy. It is the Muslim Spain.
[Robert Briffault]
The height of human achievement and glory, Mohammad. [Pringle Kennedy]
Under his influence people became united in one bond which they knew
not, the bond of true monotheism. [L.E. Browne]
Mohammad brought an end to idol worship. He preached Monotheism and
infinite Mercy of God, human brotherhood, care of the orphan,
emancipation of slaves, forbidding of wine. No religion achieved as
much success as Islam did. [Sir William Muir]
The Arabian Prophet Mohammad is the founder of a revolution
unparalleled in history. He founded a political state that will
ultimately embrace the entire planet. The law of that Government will
rest on justice and kindness. His teachings revolve around human
equality, mutual cooperation and universal brotherhood. [Raymond
Lerouge]
Islam is a forceful spiritual energy. Its true meaning will manifest
itself when it will be implemented on a large scale. [Tor Andre]
The Book revealed to Muhammad defines an unalterable guide to
individual and collective lives of people. [Sir Richard Gregory]
Think and ponder! Which person is it who taught mankind the way to
establish the greatest society; the society in which blessings descend
upon every individual? [J.H. Dennison]
The message of Mohammad is flowing toward its noble destination like a
pure, fresh and transparent rivulet. [Johann Goethe]
The critics are blind. They cannot see that the only `sword' Muhammad
wielded was the sword of mercy, compassion, friendship and forgiveness
- the sword that conquers enemies and purifies their hearts. His sword
was sharper than the sword of steel. But the biased critics of Islam
are prejudicial and partisan, who are narrow minded and whose eyes are
covered by a veil of ignorance. They see fire instead of light,
ugliness instead of beauty and evil instead of good. They distort and
present every good quality as a great vice. It reflects their own
depravity. [Pandit Gyanandra Dev Sharma Shastri]
Some people say that Islam was preached by the sword, but we cannot
agree with this view. What is forced on people is soon rejected. Had
Islam been imposed on people through oppression, there would have been
no Islam today. Why? Because the Prophet of Islam had spiritual power,
he loved humanity and he was guided by the ideal of ultimate good. [A
Hindu Editor of Sat Updaish]
In the beginning the Prophet's enemies made life difficult for him and
his followers. So the Prophet asked his followers to leave their homes
and migrate to Medina. He preferred migration to fighting his own
people, but when oppression went beyond the pale of tolerance he took
up his sword in self-defense. Those who believe religion can be spread
by force are fools who neither know the ways of religion nor the ways
of the world. They are proud of this belief because they are a long,
long way away from the Truth. [Sikh Journalist, Nawan Hindustan]
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 how I shall
say many things which may be familiar to many, yet I myself feel
whenever I re-read them, a new admiration, a new sense of reverence
for that mighty Arabian teacher. [Dr. Annie Besant]
But do you mean to tell me that the man who in the full flush of
youthful vigor, a young man of four and twenty (24), married a woman
much his senior, and remained faithful to her for six and twenty years
(26), at fifty years of age when the passions are dying married for
lust and sexual passion? Not thus are men's lives to be judged. And
you look at the women whom he married, you will find that by every one
of them an alliance was made for his people, or something was gained
for his followers, or the woman was in sore need of protection. [Dr.
Annie Besant]
No great religious leader has been so maligned as Prophet Mohammed.
Attacked in the past as a heretic, an impostor, or a sensualist, it is
still possible to find him referred to as `the false prophet'. A
modern German writer accuses Prophet Mohammed of sensuality,
surrounding himself with young women. This man was not married until
he was twenty-five years of age, then he and his wife lived in
happiness and fidelity for twenty-four years, until her death when he
was forty-nine. Only between the age of fifty and his death at
sixty-two did Prophet Mohammed take other wives, only one of whom was
a virgin, and most of them were taken for dynastic and political
reasons. Certainly the Prophet's record was better than the head of
the Church of England, Henry VIII. [Geoffrey Parrinder]
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. [Montgomery
Watt]
Of all the world's greatest men none has been so much maligned as
Muhammad. It is easy to see how this has come about. For centuries
Islam was the great enemy of Christendom, for Christendom was in
direct contact with no other organized states comparable in power to
the Muslims. [Montgomery Watt]
It was the first religion that preached and practiced democracy; for
in the mosque, when the call for prayer is sounded and worshippers are
gathered together, the democracy of Islam is embodied five times a day
when the peasant and king kneel side by side and proclaim: `God Alone
is Great' … I have been struck over and over again by this indivisible
unity of Islam that makes man instinctively a brother. [Sarogini
Naidu]
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. 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
worshipped Muhammad, he is dead. But if it is God you worshipped, He
lives forever." [James A. Michener]
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. [Major A. Leonard]
Every honest Jew who knows the history of his people cannot but feel a
deep sense of gratitude to Islam, which has protected the Jews for
fifty generations, while the Christian world persecuted the Jews and
tried many times `by the sword' to get them to abandon their faith.
[Uri Avnery, A Jew]
The teachings of Islam can fail under no circumstances. With all our
systems of culture and civilization, we can not go beyond Islam and,
as a matter of fact, no human mind can go beyond the Qur'an. [Johann
Goethe]
People who worry that nuclear weaponry will one day fall in the hands
of the Arabs, fail to realize that the Islamic bomb has been dropped
already, it fell the day Muhammad was born. [Dr. Joseph Adam Pearson]
The greatest success of Mohammad's life was effected by sheer moral
force without the stroke of a sword. [Edward Gibbon]
The picture of the Muslim soldier advancing with a sword in one hand
and the Qur'an in the other is quite false. [A. S. Tritton]
Islam is a religion that is essentially rationalistic in the widest
sense of this term considered etymologically and historically....the
teachings of the Prophet, the Qur'an has invariably kept its place as
the fundamental starting point, and the dogma of unity of God has
always been proclaimed therein with a grandeur a majesty, an
invariable purity and with a note of sure conviction, which it is hard
to find surpassed outside the pale of Islam....A creed so precise, so
stripped of all theological complexities and consequently so
accessible to the ordinary understanding might be expected to possess
and does indeed possess a marvelous power of winning its way into the
consciences of men. [Edward Montet]
It was the genius of Muhammad, the spirit that he breathed into the
Arabs through the soul of Islam that exalted them. That raised them
out of the lethargy and low level of tribal stagnation up to the high
watermark of national unity and empire. It was in the sublimity of
Muhammad's deism, the simplicity, the sobriety and purity it
inculcated the fidelity of its founder to his own tenets that acted on
their moral and intellectual fiber with all the magnetism of true
inspiration. [Arthur Glyn Leonard]
He was sober and abstemious in his diet and a rigorous observer of
fasts. He indulged in no magnificence of apparel, the ostentation of a
petty mind; neither was his simplicity in dress affected but a result
of real disregard for distinction from so trivial a source. In his
private dealings he was just. He treated friends and strangers, the
rich and poor, the powerful and weak, with equity, and was beloved by
the common people for the affability with which he received them, and
listened to their complaints. [Washington Irving]
The sayings of Muhammad are a treasure of wisdom not only for Muslims
but for all mankind. [Mahatma Gandhi]
The principles of universal brotherhood and doctrine of the equality
of mankind which he proclaimed represents one very great contribution
of Mohammad to the social uplift of humanity. All great religions have
preached the same doctrine but the prophet of Islam had put this
theory into actual practice and its value will be fully recognized,
perhaps centuries hence, when international consciousness being
awakened, racial prejudices may disappear and greater brotherhood of
humanity come into existence. [Prof. K. S. Ramakrishna Rao]
The number of verses in Qur'an inviting close observation of nature
are several times more than those that relate to prayer, fasting,
pilgrimage etc. all put together. The Muslim under its influence began
to observe nature closely and this gives birth to the scientific
spirit of the observation and experiment which was unknown to the
Greeks. [Prof. K. S. Ramakrishna Rao]
The Qur'an says that God has created man to worship him but the word
worship has a connotation of its own. God's worship is not confined to
prayer alone, but every act that is done with the purpose of winning
approval of God and is for the benefit of the humanity comes under its
purview. [Prof. K. S. Ramakrishna Rao]
How often the words came in Qur'an -- Those who believe and do good
works, they alone shall enter paradise. Again and again, not less than
fifty times these words are repeated as if too much stress can not be
laid on them. Contemplation is encouraged but mere contemplation is
not the goal. Those who believe and do nothing can not exist in Islam.
[Prof. K. S. Ramakrishna Rao]
My problem to write this monograph is easier because we are not
generally fed now on that (distorted) kind of history and much time
need not be spent on pointing out our misrepresentations of Islam. The
theory of Islam and sword, for instance, is not heard now in any
quarter worth the name. The principle of Islam, there is no compulsion
in religion, is well known. [Prof. K. S. Ramakrishna Rao]
The sword of Islam is not the sword of steel. I know this by
experience, because the sword of Islam struck deep into my own heart.
It didn't bring death, but it brought a new life; it brought an
awareness and it brought an awakening as to who am I and what am I and
for what am I here? [Ahmed Holt, a convert]
In Islam I found suitable replies to nagging queries arising in my
mind with regard to the theory of creation, status of woman, creation
of universe, etc. The life history of the holy Prophet attracted me
very much and made easy for me to compare with other world leaders and
their philosophies. [Vengatachalam Adiyar, now Abdullah Adiyar]
I have lived under different systems of life and have had the
opportunity of studying various ideologies, but have come to the
conclusion that none is as perfect as Islam. None of the systems has
got a complete code of a noble life, only Islam has it' and that is
why good men embrace it. Islam is not theoretical; it is practical. It
means complete submission to the will of God. [Herbert Hobohm, now
Aman Hobohm]
It will be wrong to judge Islam in the light of the behavior of some
bad Muslims who are always shown on the media. It is like judging a
car as a bad one if the driver in the car is drunk and he bangs it
into the wall. Islam guides all human beings in daily life - in its
spiritual, mental and physical dimensions. But we must find the
sources of these instructions, the Qur'an and the example of the
Prophet. Then we can see the ideal of Islam. [Cat Stevens, now Yusuf
Islam]
Islam appears to me like a perfect work of Architecture. All its parts
are harmoniously conceived to complement and support each other.
Nothing is superfluous and nothing lacking, with the result of an
absolute balance and solid composure. [Leopold Weiss, a Jew; now
Mohammed Asad]
The message of Islam envisaged and brought life to a civilization in
which there was no room for nationalism, no 'vested interests', no
class divisions, no Church, no priesthood, no hereditary nobility; in
fact, no hereditary functions at all. [Mohammed Asad]
For some time now, striving for more and more precision and brevity, I
have tried to put on paper in a systematic way, all philosophical
truths, which in my view, can be ascertained beyond reasonable doubt.
In the course of this effort it dawned on me that the typical attitude
of an agnostic is not an intelligent one; that man simply cannot
escape a decision to believe; that the createdness of what exists
around us is obvious; that Islam undoubtedly finds itself in the
greatest harmony with overall reality. Thus I realize, not without
shock, that step by step, in spite of myself and almost unconsciously,
n feeling and thinking I have grown into a Muslim. Only one last step
remained to be taken: to formalize my conversion. As of today I am a
Muslim. I have arrived. [M. Hoffman, PhD in law, Harvard; now Murad
Hoffman]
Medieval Islam was technologically advanced and open to innovation. It
achieved far higher literacy rates than in contemporary Europe; it
assimilated the legacy of classical Greek civilization to such a
degree that many classical books are now known to us only through
Arabic copies. It invented windmills, trigonometry, lateen sails and
made major advances in metallurgy, mechanical and chemical engineering
and irrigation methods. In the middle-ages the flow of technology was
overwhelmingly from Islam to Europe rather from Europe to Islam. Only
after the 1500's did the net direction of flow begin to reverse.
[Jared Diamond a world renowned UCLA sociologist and physiologist won
the Pulitzer Prize for his book: "Guns, Germs, and Steel."]
It seems to me that Muhammad was a very ordinary man. He could not
read or write. In fact, he was illiterate. We are talking about 1400
years ago. You have someone who was illiterate making profound
pronouncement and statements and are amazingly accurate about
scientific nature. I personally cannot see how this could be mere
chance. There are too many accuracy's and, like Dr. Moore, I have no
difficulty in my mind in concerning that this is a divine inspiration
or revelation which led him to these statements. [Professor T.V.N.
Persaud, Head of the Department of Anatomy, University of Manitoba]
Thinking about many of these questions and thinking where Muhammad
came from, he was after all a Bedouin. I think it is almost impossible
that he could have known about things like the common origin of the
universe, because scientists have only found out within the last few
years with very complicated and advanced technological methods that
this is the case. [Professor Alfred Kroner, a famous geologist]
It has been a great pleasure for me to help clarify statements in the
Qur'an about human development. It is clear to me that these
statements must have come to Muhammad from Allah, because almost all
of this knowledge was not discovered until many centuries later. This
proves to me that Muhammad must have been a messenger of God or Allah.
[Professor Keith Moore, one of the world's prominent scientists of
anatomy and embryology. University of Toronto]
It follows, I think, that not only is there no conflict between
genetics and religion, but in fact religion can guide science by
adding revelation to some traditional scientific approaches. That
there exist statements in the Qur'an shown by science to be valid,
which supports knowledge in the Qur'an having been derived from Allah.
[Professor Joe Leigh Simpson, Obstetrics and Gynecology at the North
Western University in Chicago]
I am impressed that how remarkably some of the ancient writings seem
to correspond to modern and recent Astronomy. There may well have to
be something beyond what we understand as ordinary human experience to
account for the writings that we have seen. [Professor Armstrong,
Scientist works at NASA]
It is difficult to imagine that this type of knowledge was existing at
that time, around 1400 years back. May be some of the things they have
simple idea about, but do describe those things in great detail is
very difficult. So, this is definitely not a simple human knowledge.
[Professor Durga Rao]
No other society has such a record of success in uniting in an
equality of status, of opportunity and Endeavour so many and so varied
races of mankind. The great Muslim communities of Africa, India and
Indonesia, perhaps also the small community in Japan, show that Islam
has still the power to reconcile apparently irreconcilable elements of
race and tradition. If ever the opposition of the great societies of
the East and west is to be replaced by cooperation, the mediation of
Islam is an indispensable condition. [H.A.R. Gibb]
Sense of justice is one of the most wonderful ideals of Islam, because
as I read in the Qur'an I find those dynamic principles of life, not
mystic but practical ethics for the daily conduct of life suited to
the whole world. [Sarojini Naidu]
The doctrine of brotherhood of Islam extends to all human beings, no
matter what color, race or creed. Islam is the only religion which has
been able to realize this doctrine in practice. Muslims wherever on
the world they are well recognize each other as brothers. [R. L.
Mellema, Holland, Anthropologist, Writer and Scholar]
The essential and definite element of my conversion to Islam was the
Qur'an. I began to study it before my conversion with the critical
spirit of a Western intellectual. There are certain verses of this
book, the Qur'an, revealed more than thirteen centuries ago, which
teach exactly the same notions as the most modern scientific
researches do. This definitely converted me. [Ali Selman Benoist,
France, Doctor of Medicine]
I have read the Sacred Scriptures of every religion; nowhere have I
found what I encountered in Islam: perfection. The Holy Qur'an,
compared to any other scripture I have read, is like the Sun compared
to that of a match. I firmly believe that anybody who reads the Word
of Allah with a mind that is not completely closed to Truth, will
become a Muslim. [Saifuddin Dirk Walter Mosig]
from www.turntoislam.com
