By
S. H. Pasha
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 be upon him)-and he
accomplished all these wonders in the unbelievably short span of twenty-three years.
Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was born in Arabia in
570 C.E., 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.” George Bernard Shaw said, “if Muhammad (peace and
blessings be upon him) were alive today, he would succeed in solving all those problems which
threaten to destroy human civilization in our times.” Thomas Carlyle 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.
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 (peace
and blessings be upon him). 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.
Muhammad 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.
Today, after the lapse of some 1400 years, the life and teachings
of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), 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 (peace and blessings be upon him) 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 (peace and blessings be upon him) 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.
* Excerpted with slight modifications from You
Must Know Him
