|
 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 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.
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 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 |
