Chapter
3
FASTEST
GROWING RELIGION TODAY
THE
SWORD OF THE INTELECT
The
enemy, the sceptic, the missionary and their passive
camp followers will not stop
bleating that "lslam was spread
at the point of the sword!"
but they will not venture to
answer our question -- "WHO
BRIBED CARLYLE!?" In 1840
when Carlyle defended Muhammad (pbuh)
and refuted the
allegation about the sword, there
was nobody around to
bribe. The whole Muslim world was
in the gutters. The
countries of Islam were all under
subjugation by the
Christians, except for a few like
-Persia, Afghanistan and
Turkey who were only nominally
independent. There were
no riches to flaunt and no petro-dollars
to bribe with!
That was
yesterday and many yesterdays ago, but what
about today, in modern times? It
is claimed from the chart
on the next page{See
Note 2 below} that "Islam is the
fastest growing
religion in the world." The
overall increase of all the sects and
denominations of Christianity was
a staggering 138 per cent
with the incredible increase of
Islam by 235 per cent in the
same period of time of
half-a-century. It is further affirmed
that in Britain and the United
States of America, Islam is the
fastest growing faith. It is said
that in Britain "There are
more Muslims than Methodists in
the country." You have
a right to ask, "What
sword?" The answer is, "THE SWORD
INDEED!" {Thomas Carlyle}1
It is the sword of intellect?
It is the fulfillment of yet
another prophecy; -
The photograph given on Page 34 shows a 235%
increase in Islam from 1934 to 1984.
1.
See full quote on page 31. No. 7.
2. The photograph given on Page 34
shows a 235% increase in Islam from 1934 to 1984.
IT
IS HE (God Almighty) WHO HAS
SENT HIS MESSENGER (Muhammad)
WITH GUIDANCE
AND THE
RELIGION OF TRUTH (Islam)
THAT HE MAY MAKE IT PREVAIL
OVER ALL RELIGIONS,
AND ENOUGH IS
GOD FOR A WITNESS. Holy Qur'an 48:28
The destiny of Islam is spelt out
here in the clearest
terms. Islam is to master,
overcome and supersede every
other faith -
That He (God
Almighty) make it (Islam)
prevail over all religions ...
In Arabic
the word is Deen1
(literally meaning "Way
of Life",), to supersede
all, whether it be Hinduism, Bud-
dhism, Christianism,2
Judaism, Communism or any other
"ism." This is the
destiny of Allah's Deen.
The same Qur'anic Verse is
repeated in chapter 61 verse 9
which ends with this slight
variation -
(Never mind) Though the
unbelievers
might be averse to it (Islam).
TRIUMPH OF ISLAM
Islam will prevail. It is the
promise of God, and His
Promise is true. But how? With
the sword? Not even if we
had the laser gun! Could we use
it? The Holy Qur'an forbids
us to use force as a means of
converting! Yet the verse
1.
Usually translated as Religion, which literally
Islam is not.
2. In the time of
Thomas Carlyle this was the team applied to
Christianity.
prophesies
that Islam would be the most dominant of
religions. The triumphs of its
doctrines have already started
and is gaining hold over the
religious ideology and doc-
trines of the various schools of
thought in the world. Though
not in the name of Islam, but in
the name of reformation
and amendments, the doctrines of
Islam are being fastly
grafted into the various
religious orders. Many things which
are exclusively Islamic and which
were formerly unknown, or
which were being opposed before
with tooth and nail by
the other creeds, are now part of
their believes.
The Brotherhood of man
The abolition of the Caste system
and
untouchability
The right of women to inherit
Opening the places of worship to
all
Prohibition of all intoxicants
The true concept of the Unity of
God etc.
etc.
Just one word on the last subject
above, before we
proceed further. Ask any theist,
polytheist,1
pantheist,2
or
trinitarian: how many Gods he
believes in? He will shudder
to say anything other than ONE!
This is the EFFECT of the
strict monotheism of Islam.
THE CREED OF MOHAMED IS FREE FROM
THE
SUSPICIONS OF AMBIGUITY AND THE
KORAN IS
A GLORIOUS TESTIMONY TO THE UNITY
OF GOD.
Gibbon in his "Decline
and Fall of the Roman Empire.''
VERDICT OF NON-MUSLIM
ORIENTALS
Almost
all the defenders of Muhammad (phuh) who
spoke out against the false
theory that he spread his religion
1.
Polytheist: One who believes in many gods.
2. Pantheist: The one who
believes that everything is god. Of course the
"trinitarian,'' you already know.
at
the point of the sword, were Westerners. Let us now
hear
what some non-Muslim Easterners
have to say on the
subject:
8a.
THE MORE I STUDY THE MORE I
DISCOVER THAT THE STRENGTH OF
ISLAM DOES NOT LIE IN THE SWORD.
Mahatma Gandhi - the father of modern
India, in "Young India."
b. THEY {Muhammad's critics} SEE FIRE
INSTEAD OF LIGHT, UGLINESS
INSTEAD
OF GOOD. THEY DISTORT AND PRESENT
EVERY GOOD QUALITY AS A GREAT
VICE. IT REFLECTS THEIR OWN
DEPRAVITY... 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.
Pandit Gyanandra Dev Sharma Shastri, at a meeting in
Gorakhpur lndia). 1928
c. HE PREFERRED MIGRATION TO FIGHTING
HIS OWN PEOPLE, BUT WHEN
OPPRESSION WENT BEYOND THE PALE
OF TOLERANCE HE TOOK UP HIS SWORD
IN SELF-DEFENCE. 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.
A Sikh journalist in "Nawan Hindustan,"
Delhi, 17 November 1947.
It
was Rudyard Kipling who said, "East is East and
West Is West, never the twain
shall meet!" He was
wrong! In the defence of Muhammad
{pbuh}, all, who are
not blinded by prejudice will
converge.
THREE OTHER STANDARDS
Fourteen
years after Thomas Carlyle had delivered his
lecture on his Hero Prophet, a
Frenchman by the name of
Lamartine wrote the history of
the Turks. Incidentally, the
Turks being Muslims, Lamartine
touched on some aspects of
Islam and its founder. Like our
Jules Wasserman (see page
10) of current times, who had
conceived three objective
standards for discovering
greatness of leadership; Lamartine
had over 2 century ago thought of
three other objective
standards for conferring
GREATNESS. We must give credit to
the Westemer for this type of
insight. Lamartine opines:
9. IF GREATNESS OF PURPOSE, SMALLNESS OF
MEANS AND ASTOUNDING RESULTS1
ARE
THE THREE CRITERIA OF HUMAN
GENIUS, WHO
COULD DARE TO COMPARE ANY GREAT
MAN
IN MODERN HISTORY WITH MUHUMMED?
{Lamartine ends his lengthy
segment of literary
masterpiece with the words): . .
. PHILO-
SOPHER, ORATOR, APOSTLE,
LEGISLATOR, WAR-
RIOR, CONQUEROR OF IDEAS,
RESTORER OF
RATIONAL BELIEFS, OF A CULT
WITHOUT
IMAGES: THE FOUNDER OF TWENTY
TERRES-
TRIAL EMPIRES AND OF ONE
SPIRITUAL EMPIRE,
THAT IS MUHUMMED. AS REGARDS ALL
STANDARDS BY WHICH HUMAN
GREATNESS
MAY BE MEASURED, WE MAY WELL ASK,
IS
THERE ANY MAN GREATER THEN HE?
Lamartine, "Historie
de la Turquie," Paris 1854
1. The
full quotation from Lamartine's book will be found
in appendix''B" page 61.
The
answer to his question, "Is there any man
greater
than he?" is reposed in the
question itself. By implication he
is saying . . . "there is no
man greater than Muhammad.
Muhammad is the greatest man that
ever lived!"
MOST CERTAINLY THOU HAST, O MY
LORD!
Before we absolve Lamartine of
any favouritism, par-
tiality, or of the charge of
being bribed, we will scrutinize
his three standards, and whether
they can be justified in the
case of Muhammad {pbuh).
1. GREATNESS OF PURPOSE
History of the time will tell you
that it was the darkest
period in the history of mankind
when Muhammad {pbuh}
was commanded to declare his
mission. The need was for
the raising of prophets in every
corner of the world, or the
sending of one Master Messenger
for the whole of mankind,
to deliver them from falsehood,
superstition, selfishness,
polytheism, wrong and oppression.
It was to be the recla-
mation of the whole of humanity.
And God Almighty in His
wisdom chose His prophet from the
backwaters of Arabia as
His universal Messenger. Thus He
records in His Noble
Book -
AND WE SENT THEE NOT {O Mubammad},
BUT AS A MERCY
UNTO {all} THE WORLDS.
Holy Quran 21:107
"There is no question now of
race or nation, of a
"chosen people" or the
"seed of Abraham," or
the "seed of David": or
of Hindu Arya varta; of
Jew
or Gentile. Arab or 'Ajam {Persian), Turk or
Tajik, European or Asiatic, White
or Coloured;
Aryan, Semitic, Mongolian, or
African: or Ame-
rican, Australian, or Polynesian.
To all men and
creatures who have any spiritual
responsibility,
the principles universally
apply."
Abdulbh Yusut Ali1
JESUS {PBUH) DlSCRIMINATES
Muhammad's (pbuh) immediate
predecessor advised his
disciples, "Give not that
which is holy unto the dogs"
(meaning non-Jews}, "Neither
cast ye your pearls before
swine" (meaning non-Jews,
Matthew 7:6). The Gospel writers
are unanimous in recording that
Christ lived by the precepts
which he preached. In his
lifetime he did not preach to a
single non-Jew. In fact he
spurned a gentile woman who
sought his spiritual blessings
{"the woman was a Greek''
Mark 7:26). Then during the
"Passover" season in Jerusalem
when the master with his
disciples had congregated for the
occasion, certain Greeks hearing
of his reputation sought an
audience with him for spiritual
enlightenment, but Jesus
{pbuh} gave them the "cold
shoulder''2 as narrated by St.
John:
And there were certain Greeks
among them that came up to
worship at the feast:
The same came therefore to
Philip
. . . and desired him saying,
Sir, we
would see Jesus.
1.
Get your copy now of Yusuf Ali's English translation
and cornrnentary, with over 6000 annotations. Obtain
a copy for your non-Muslim friend, also.
2. Means a deliberately unkind or
unfriendly treatment; a slight; a snub.
Philip
cometh and telleth Andrew:
and again Andrew and Philip tell
Jesus.
John 12:20-22
SELF GLORIFICATION
The verses that follow do not
even record the courtesy
of "Yea,yea;" or
"Nay, nay;" (Yes, yes or no, no of
Matthew 5:37). They continue with
his own praise -
And Jesus answered them (Andrew and
Philip), saying, The hour is
come, that
the son of man (referring to
himself}
should be glorified.
John
12:23
HIGHEST STANDARDS
Muhammad (pbuh) could never
afford any such lati-
tudes. Remember, how the Almighty
reminded him of the
highest etiquette required from
him. Even the thought of
being ruffled by the untimely
intrusion of a blind man, was
not accepted from him {see page
22 "He frowned']. As a
universal Messenger, God set for
him the most lofty
standards:
And Most Certainly,
Thou (O Muhammad)
Are of most sublime
And Exalted Character.
Holy Quran 68:4
And his diocese, his field of mission? The whole of
mankind!
And
We sent thee not (O Muhammad), but as a mercy unto
(all) the worlds. Holy Quran 21:107
UNIVERSAL
MESSENGER
These are not mere platitudes; beautiful sentiments
bereft of action. Muhammad (pbuh) practised
what he preached. Among his first Sahabas
(companions) and converts, beside the Arabs can be
counted Bilal the Abyssinian, Salman the Persian and
Abdullah Bin-Salaam the Jew. The sceptics may
say that his outreach was simply incidental but what
can they say about the historical fact that before
his demise, he sent out five epistles, one to each
of the five surrounding countries, inviting them to
accept the religion of Islam.
1.
The Emperor of Persia
2. The King of Egypt
3. The Negus of Abyssinia
4. The Emperor Hiraclius at Constantinople, and
5. The King of Yemen
Thus he set the example for the fulfilment of his
impelling mission, his "greatness of
purpose," the reclamation of the whole of
humanity into the Master's fold. Is there
another example of such universality in another
religion? Muhammad (pbuh) was not out to set
or to break any records, he was simply carrying out
the trust that was reposed in him by the Lord of
Creation!
2.
SMALLNESS OF MEANS
Muhammad (pbuh) was born with no
silver spoon in his mouth.
His life begins with infinitesimal support.
His father
had
died before he was bom. His mother dies by the
time he was six years old. He was
doubly-orphaned at this tender age, his grandfather
Abdul-Muttalib takes charge of the child, but within
three years he also died. As soon as he was
able, he began to look after his uncle Abu Talib's
sheep and goats for his keep. Contrast this
poor, double-orphaned Arab child with some of the
great religious personalities that preceded him, and
you must marvel at what Destiny had in store for
him!
Abraham
(pbuh) the spiritual father of Moses, Jesus and
Muhammad (May the peace of God be upon them all),
was the son of a very successful businessman of his
time. Moses (pbuh) was reared in the house of
Pharoah. Jesus (pbuh) though described as
"a carpenter and the son of a carpenter,"
was well endowed with learning as well as material
means. Peter, Philip, Andrew, etc. all downed
tools and followed him to be at his beck and call,
not because he had any halo1
on his head; there was no such thing, but because of
his affluent attire and princely bearing. He
could command mansions in Jerusalem for himself and
his disciples even during the height of the festive
season; and have sumptuous suppers arranged; and you
could hear him reproach the materialistic Jews -
And
when they found him (Jesus)
on the other side of the sea, they
said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come
here?"
Jesus
answered them and said, "most
assuredly, I say to you, you seek me,
1.
Halo.- An imaginary luminous ring or disc
surrounding the head of saintly men and women in
religious paintings.
not
because you saw the signs,1
but
because you ate of the loaves and
were filled. John 6:25-26
NOTHING
TO OFFER
Muhammad (pbuh) had no bread nor meat to offer, no
sugar-plums of any kind, in this world or the next!
The only thing he could offer his bedraggled, poor
shepherd people was trial and tribulations and the
strait-jacketing of their lives here on earth and
the good pleasures of God in the Hereafter.
The life of the Prophet was an open book before
them. He had shown them as to what he was; the
nobility of his character, his integrity of purpose,
his earnestness and fiery enthusiasm for the truth
he had come to preach revealed the hero; and they
followed him. Mr. Stanley Lane Poole's
estimate of our hero is so beautiful and yet so
truthful that I cannot resist the temptation of
quoting it here:
HE
WAS AN ENTHUSIAST IN THAT NOBLEST SENSE WHEN
ENTHUSIASM BECOMES THE SALT OF THE EARTH, THE ONE
THING THAT KEEPS MEN FROM ROTTING WHILST THEY LIVE.
ENTHUSIASM
IS OFTEN USED DESPITEFULLY, BECAUSE IT IS JOINED TO
AN UNWORTHY CAUSE, OR FALLS UPON BARREN GROUND AND
BEARS NO FRUIT. SO WAS IT NOT WITH MOHAMMED.
HE WAS AN ENTHUSIAST WHEN ENTHUSIASM WAS THE ONE
THING NEEDED TO SET THE WORLD AFLAME, AND HIS
ENTHUSIASM WAS NOBLE FOR A NOBLE CAUSE.
1.
The veracity of the Messiah's message and his
mission.
HE
WAS ONE OF THOSE HAPPY FEW WHO HAVE ATTAINED THE
SUPREME JOY OF MAKING ONE GREAT TRUTH THEIR VERY
LIFE-SPRING.
HE
WAS THE MESSENGER OF THE ONE GOD, AND NEVER TO HIS
LIFE'S END DID HE FORGET WHO HE WAS, OR THE MESSAGE
WHICH WAS THE MARROW OF HIS BEING. HE BROUGHT
HIS TIDINGS TO HIS PEOPLE WITH A GRAND DIGNITY
SPRUNG FROM THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF HIS HIGH OFFICE,
TOGETHER WITH A MOST SWEET HUMILITY, WHOSE ROOTS LAY
IN THE KNOW-LEDGE OF HIS OWN WEAKNESS."
It
may easliy be conceded that Muhammad (pbuh) was
blessed with the flimsiest of human resources.
In fact the odds were loaded against him. But
what about his fortune towards the end of his
earthly sojourn? He was the overlord of the
whole of Arabia! What about the endless means
at
his disposal then? We will allow a Christian
missionary to answer that -
HE
WAS CAESAR AND POPE IN ONE, BUT HE WAS POPE WITHOUT
THE POPE'S PRETENTIONS, AND 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 POWERS WITHOUT ITS INSTRUMENTS AND
WITHOUT ITS SUPPORTS." R. Bosworth Smith
-Mohammad and Mohammadanism", London 1874, p.
92
HIS
HANDICAPS
His
"weakness" was his strength. The
very fact that he had no material means of support
made him to put his entire trust in God, and God the
Merciful did not forsake him. His success was
all the more staggering. May not the Muslims
justly say, the entire work was the work of God?
And Muhammad (pbuh) his Instrument?
3.
OUTSTANDING RESULTS
In the words of Thomas Carlyle -
"One man against
all men,"1
to a hundred and twenty four thousand at the
Farewell pilgrimage alone. How many
were left behind of men, women and children,
believers all?
On the 12th of RABI I., in the 11 th year after the
Hijra,2
approximating to the 8th of June 632 of the
Christian Era, whilst praying earnestly in whisper,
the spirit of the great Prophet took flight to the
"blessed companion-ship on high" (Ibn
Hisham).
Hazrat
Omar (May Allah be pleased with him), on receiving
the sad news of the demise of the Holy Prophet, lost
his bearings. He was so shocked that he
blurted out "if anyone says that Muhammad is
dead, I will chop off his head!" Hazrat Abu
Bakr As-Siddiq presently verified that the Master
had indeed departed from this world; and coming out
from the Prophet's apartment announced to the
gathering throng outside, that, "Muhammad (pbuh)
had indeed passed away. Those that worshipped
Muhammad," he said, "'Let them know that
Muhammad is dead, but those who worship Allah, let
them know that Allah lives for ever!"
1.
See full quotation by Thomas Carlyle on page 31.
2. Hijra literally means Migration.
This
brought Omar al-Farooq (R.A.) back to his senses.
Could this man who was to become the second great
Khaleefah of Islam at this moment imagine that
fourteen hundred years later there would be a
thousand million followers of Muhammad (pbuh) at one
time? Could he have visualized that the
religion of the Prophet would be the fastest growing
religion in the world?1
Christianity
had a 600-year start on Islam. Numerically the
Christians claim to outnumber the followers of any
other faith; this is true but let us look at the
picture in its true perspective -
THERE
ARE MORE PROFESSING CHRISTIANS IN THE WORLD
THAN PROFESSING MUSLIMS, BUT THERE ARE MORE PRACTISING
MUSLIMS IN THE WORLD THAN PRACTISING
CHRISTIANS.
(Emphasis added) R.V.C. Bodley (the American) in
"The Messenger: The Life of
Mohammed." U.S.A. 1969
1
understand from the above that Mr. Bodley is trying
to tell us that there are people in the world who,
when filling their census forms, will tick off the
term Christian under "Religion." It is not
necessarily that they believe in the dogmas of
Christianity. They could actually be atheists
or bush-Baptists,2
as opposed to being a Jew or Hindu or Muslim; coming
from a Christian background they would for the
purpose of convenience label themselves
"Christian." From that point of view, and
from the point of view that a person who practises
what he believes, there would be more Muslims in the
world than Christians.
1.
See chart on page 34
2. Bush-Baptist: There are
forty different Baptist Churches in the United
States of America. But bush-Baptists are
people with strong religious feelings yet will not
go to any Church; and will not affiliate with any
sect or denomination.
Chronologically,
Islam is six hundred years behind Christianity, but
amazingly it is at least a very close second, and is
catching up fast - the fastest growing religion in
the world today (see chart on page 34).
"One Billion!" The figure is outstanding
and the sincerity and practise of the Believers
astonishing!
Taking into account his own three objective
standards:
(a) "greatness of purpose;" (b)
"smallness of means;"
and (c) "outstanding results;" does
Lamartine dare to produce another candidate greater
than Muhammad (pbuh)? He further awes his
readers with the multifarious roles of Muhammad (pbuh)
in which he excelled, ie. Philosopher, Orator,
Apostle, Legislator, Warrior, Conqueror of Ideas,
the Restorer of Rational Beliefs, of a Cult without
Images, the Founder of twenty Terrestrial Empires
and of one Spiritual 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?"
(Emphasis added).
No!
Muhammad (pbuh) was the greatest man that ever
lived! According to Lamartine the French historian.
And God Almighty questions -
And
Have We not raised high
the esteem (in which) thou
(O Muhammad) are held?
Holy
Quran 94:4
MOST
ASSUREDLY THOU HAST, O MY LORD!
THE
OUALITY OF MERCY
The
Christian propagandists make the wild boast that
there is nothing in the history of mankind to
compare with the merciful and forgiving cry of Jesus
(pbuh) on the cross ...
"Father,
forgive them, for they know not what they
do."
Luke
23:34
Amazing as it may sound, of the four writers of the
Canonical Gospels, only St. Luke was inspired by the
Holy ghost (?) to pen these words. The other
three - Matthew, Mark and John never heard these
words or they felt them to be too insipid or not
important enough for recording. St. Luke was
not even one of the twelve disciples selected by
Jesus (pbuh). According to the revisers of the
Revised Standard Version (RSV) of the Bible, these
words are not in the most ancient manuscripts which
by implication means that they are an interpolation.
In "The New King James Version,"
(Copyrighted by the Thomas Nelson Publishers inr
1984), we are told that these words are "not in
the original text" of the Greek manuscripts of
St. Luke. In other words they have been
fabricated by some pious gentleman. Although
the quotation is unauthentic, we will still
entertain it because it demonstrates great piety of
loving one's enemies and of unsurpassed forgiveness
as preached by the Master himself.
For forgiveness to be of any worth, the forgiver
must be in a position to forgive. If the
victim of injustice is still in the clutches of his
enemies; in that helpless position and he would cry
out, "I FORGIVE YOU!" it would be
meaningless. But if the aggrieved party had
turned the tables on his enemies and was in a
position of taking revenge or exact retribution, and
yet say "I forgive you!", only then would
it mean something!
MUHAMMAD'S
(PBUH) CLEMENCY
Contrast
the alleged forgiveness from the "cross"
with the historical bloodless conquest of Makkah by
Muhammad
(pbuh)
at the head of ten thousand "saints"1
(his companions).
"THE
CITY WHICH HAD TREATED HIM SO CRUELLY, DRIVEN HIM
AND HIS FAITHFUL BAND FOR REFUGE AMONGST STRANGERS,
WHICH HAD SWORN HIS LIFE AND THE LIVES OF HIS
DEVOTED DISCIPLES, LAY AT HIS FEET. HIS OLD
PERSECUTERS RELENTLESS AND RUTHLESS, WHO HAD
DISGRACED HUMANITY BY INFLICTING CRUEL OUTRAGES UPON
INOFFENSIVE MEN AND WOMEN, AND EVEN UPON THE
LIFELESS DEAD, WERE NOW COMPLETELY AT HIS
MERCY. BUT IN THE HOUR OF HIS TRIUMPH EVERY
EVIL SUFFERED WAS FORGOTTEN, EVERY INJURY INFLICTED
WAS FORGIVEN, AND A GENERAL AMNESTY WAS EXTENDED TO
THE POPULATION OF MAKKAH ..."
Sayed Amir Ali in "The Spirit of Islam"
Calling
before him the populace of the vanquished city, he
addressed them with "What do you expect at my
hands today?" His people had known him too
well, even from his childhood so they replied,
"Mercy, 0 generous brother and nephew!"
Tears came into the eyes of the Prophet, and he
said, "I will speak to you as Joseph spoke unto
his brethren, I will not reproach you today: go you
are free!"
And
now a scene was enacted of which there is really no
parallel in the history of the world. Hosts
upon hosts came forward and adopted the religion of
Islam. God Almighty testifies as to the lofty
and exalted behaviour of His Messenger -
1.
A fulfilment of another prophecy in Muhammad (pbuh).
"...He came from mount Paran (that is in
Arabia), and he came with ten thousand
saints..." Deuteronomy 33:2
Ye
have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful
pattern (of conduct). Holy Quran 33:21
How well has Lamartine1
unknowingly echoed these sentiments -
"AS
REGARDS ALL STANDARDS BY WHICH HUMAN GREATNESS MAY
BE MEASURED, WE MAY WELL ASK, IS THERE ANY MAN
GREATER THAN HE?"
In
reply, we too can say once more, "No! there is
no man greater than Muhammad (pbuh). Muhammad
(pbuh) was the greatest man that ever lived!"
So
far, our hero has earned the unsolicited and
ungrudging tributes from many non-Muslims of
different religious persuasions and from varying
intellectual fields of endeavour. But all this
still remains incomplete without the Master's
verdict; Muhammad's (pbuh) predecessor - Jesus
Christ, (pbuh). We will now apply his own
standard for evaluating greatness.
JOHN
THE BAPTIST
John
the Baptist,2
known throughout the Muslim world as Hazrat Yahya
Alaihis-salaam (Peace be upon him) was a
contemporary prophet of the Messiah. They were
also
cousins. Here is what the Master has to say of
him:
1.
Full quotation of Larmartine will be found in
Appendix "B" on page 61.
2. "JOHN- not to be confused
with John the disciple of Jesus (pbuh). A very
common name among the Jews and Arabs, even today,
like Tarik Aziz the recent Iraqi Minister of Foreign
Affairs. Real name Tarik Hanna Aziz; Hanna short for
Yuhanna meaning John. No one in the non-Arab
Muslim world knowing that our friend is a Christian
Marxist.
Verily
I say unto you, Among them that are born of women
there hath not risen a greater than John the
Baptist:
Matthew 11:11
Every son of man is "born of
women." By this very fact John the Baptist is
greater than Moses, David, Solomon, Abraham or
Isaiah; none of the Israelite prophets excluded.
What gives John this ascendancy over every other
prophet? It could not be any miracle, because
the Bible records none to his credit. It could
not be his teachings, because he brought no new laws
or regulations. Then what makes him the
greatest? Simply because he was the heralder,
a pre-cursor, a harbinger of the happy news of the
coming of the Messiah. This is what made John
the greatest, but Jesus (pbuh) claims that he
himself was even greater than the greatest (ie.
John). Why?
But
I have greater witness than that of John (the
Baptist): For The Works which the Father hath
given me to finish: (Emphasis added)
John 5:36
It is the "witness," the commission which
God Almighty had entrusted him with, which makes
Jesus (pbuh) greater than even John. Applying
these very standards as enunciated by the Master, we
find that -
1. John the Baptist was the greatest of all the
Israelite prophets, because he heralded the mighty
Messiah (Jesus pbuh).
Similarly
Jesus (pbuh) would be greater than even John because
he heralded "The Spirit of
Truth,
the Comforter," who was to guide mankind into
all Truth (of the Gospel of St. John, chapter 16).1
2.
The diocese, the mission of Jesus (pbuh), or
"the works which God had given him to
accomplish," was limited to the Lost sheep of
the House of Israel (Matthew 15:24), whereas the
mission of Muhammad (pbuh) was universal. He
had been told -
And
we have sent thee not (O Muhammad), but as a Mercy
unto (all) the worlds. Holy Quran 21:107
In keeping with his grand commission, Muhammad (pbuh)
consistently delivered his Message to one and all
who would hear, irrespective of race, class or
creed, He welcomed them all in the religion of God,
without any discrimination. He had no thought
of dividing the creatures of God into "dogs and
pigs" (Matthew 7:6) or into "sheep and
goats" (Matthew 25:32). He was the
Messenger of the One True God, who was sent as a
Mercy unto all mankind, nay, unto the whole universe
(H.Q. 21:107 above). And, he never forgot this
mission even right up to his dying day.
Towards
the end of his earthly sojourn, when he could look
back to a hectic and dangerous past, now crowned
with success; he now feels that he could sit back
and enjoy the fruits of his toil; he dreams of a
life free from turmoil and full of satisfaction and
relaxation. Not for him! There is no
time to rest or relax. There is work still to
be done. God Almighty reminds him - -
1.
For a detalted explanation about this prophecy,
obtain today your FREE copy of the book -MUHUMMED
(pbuh) the Natural Successor to CHRIST (pbuh) from
the IPCI.
WE
HAVE NOT SENT THEE
(O MUHAMMAD) BUT TO THE
WHOLE OF MANKIND.
AS
A GIVER OF GLAD TIDINGS AND AS A WARNER,
BUT
MOST OF MANKIND STILL DO NOT KNOW.
Holy
Quran 34:28[1]
How was he to respond to this new challenge in his
ripening old age? There were no electronic
gadgets of modern communication methods at his
disposal; there were no telex and fax machines which
he could exploit. What could he do?
Being an ummi (unlettered), he called the scribes
and dictated five letters, one each to the Emperor
at Constantinople, the King of Egypt, the Negus of
Abyssinia, the King of Yemen and to the Emperor in
Persia. He called forth five Sahaaba (his holy
companions) with five Arab steeds and set them out
in five different directions inviting the nations of
the world to the universal religion of God.
I had the good fortune of seeing one of those holy
epistles in the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul (old
Constantinople) Turkey. That letter is
collecting dust! Materially the Turks have
preserved the parchment. But the Message is
collecting dust, as I have said.
The letter begins, "From Muhammad the Messenger
of God, to Heraclius the Emperor at Constantinople:
Accept Islam and be benefited."
followed
by this exhortation from the Book of God - -
1.
This is your last chance to memorize the text and
the translation of this verse. It you are
lackadaisical, we can only mourn your loss.
SAY:
"O PEOPLE OF THE BOOK! [1]
COME
TO COMMON TERMS
AS BETWEEN US AND YOU:
THAT
WE WORSHIP
NONE BUT GOD;
THAT
WE ASSOCIATE
NO PARTNERS WITH HIM;
THAT
WE ERECT NOT,
FROM AMONG OURSELVES,
LORDS AND PATRONS
OTHER THAN GOD."
IF
THEN THEY TURN BACK,
SAY YE: "BEAR WITNESS
THAT WE (AT LEAST) ARE
MUSLIMS (BOWING TO GOD'S WILL) Holy Quran 3:64
After the above Quranic insertion in the letter, it
is concluded with felicitation in the Prophet's own
words, ending with a seal on which is inscribed - "There
is no other object of worship but Allah, and
Muhammad is His Messenger."
The letter in Turkey arouses our curiosity; and
interest with regards to its preservation, but the
preservation itself is lost upon the sightseer.
The same Quranic Message is in almost every Muslim
home; being read and re-read a thousand times over
without the reader being moved to deliver its
Message to the addressees!
Glance once more at the above verse. It is
addressed to the "ahle-Kitaab," -
the People of the Book, the Jews and
1.
"People of the Book," stands for the Jews
and the Christians. You will never have it so
good for learning Allah's Kalaam. Don't ignore
this opportunity. Memorize the verses as they
occur.
the
Christians. But, for over a thousand years we
have utterly ignored that great directive at our own
peril. We are sitting on that Message like a
cobra on a pile of wealth, keeping the rightful
heirs at bay. This utter neglect will continue
to inflict untold suffering to the Ummah for
generations to come.
After over fourteen hundred years of our reading,
and chanting the Quran in every rhythmic style, we
still hear this poignant cry:
But
Most of mankind still do not know. [1]
Holy
Quran 34:28
This is the concluding phrase of the verse revealed
fourteen hundred years ago. It was the factual
situation of the then religious world. The
question which must be asked is if it is any
different today? Not at all! There are
today more Mushriks in the world than there
are believers in the One True God.
Is there any hope of changing this situation?
Allah commanded His Prophet then as He is commanding
us now through the first seven verses of Sura
Muddaththir (chapter 74).
1.
0 THOU WRAPPED UP (IN A MANTLE)!
"As
usual, there is these wonderful early mystical
verses (including the ones that follow), a triple
thread of thought:
(a)
A particular occasion or person is referred to;
1.
For the full context of this verse, see page 54.
(b)
a general spiritual lesson is taught, and
(c)
a more profound mystical reverie is suggested.
As
to (a), the Prophet was now past the stage of
personal contemplation. Wearing his mantle; he
was now to go forth and boldly deliver his Message
and publicly proclaim Allah The One True God.
His heart had always been purified, but now all his
outward doings must be dedicated to God, and
conventional respect for ancestral customs or
worship must be thrown aside. The work of his
Messengership was the most generous that could flow
from his personality, but no reward or appreciation
was to be expected from his people, but quite the
contrary, there would be much call on his patience,
but his contentment would arise from the good
pleasure of God.
As
to (b), similar stages arise in a minor degree in
the life of every good man, for which the Prophet's
life is to be a universal pattern.
As
to (c), the Sufis understand, by the mantle
and outward wrappings, the circumstances of our
phenomenal existence, which are necessary to our
physical comfort up to a certain stage; but we soon
outgrow them, and our inner nature should then
boldly proclaim itself, not that it brings any
credit or reward with men; the very hope of
expectation of such would be inconsistent with our
higher nature, which should bear all checks and
rejoice in the favour of God."
2.
ARISE AND DELIVER THY WARMING!
3.
AND THY LORD DO THOU MAGNIFY!
4.
AND THY GARMENTS KEEP FREE FROM STAIN!
5.
AND ALL ABOMINATION SHUN! (a)
"(a)
Rujz or Rijz means abomination and is usually
understood to mean idolatry. It is even
possible that there was an idol called RUJZ. But
these days it has a wider significance as including
a mental state opposed to true worship, a state of
doubt or indecision."
6.
NOR EXPECT, IN GIVING,
ANY INCREASE (FOR THYSELF)! (b)
"(b)
The legal and commercial formula is that you give in
order to receive what is worth to
you
a little more than you give, but expect nothing from
the receiver. You serve God and God's
creatures."
7.
BUT, FOR THY LORD'S (CAUSE)
BE PATIENT AND CONSTANT! (c) [1]
I
Holy
Quran 74:1-7
"(c)
Our zeal for God's Cause itself requires that we
should not be impatient, and that we should show
constancy in our efforts for His Cause. For we
have faith, and we know that He is All-Good,
All-Wise, and All-Powerful, and everything will
ultimately be right." AbdullahYusuf
Ali [2]
1.
Remember to memorize Allah's Kalaam with its
meaning!
2.
The English translation and the commentaries were by
Abdullah Yusuf Ali. Obtain your volume from
the IPCI at a specially subsidised price. Ako
order a volume for your non-Muslim friends.
To
the Arabs in general and to our Holy Prophet in
particular "a mantle" was the protective
covering used for protection against the sun, wind
and sand. He was so to say girding himself,
rolling up his sleeves, to accomplish his task.
Although most of the Muslims in the world do not
cover themselves with shawls (mantles), in their day
to day living, they carry a host of mantles in the
way of inferiority complexes.
WHAT
CAN WE DO TO MAKE GOD'S LIGHT
SHINE FORTH THROUGH THE DARKNESS AROUND US?
WE MUST FIRST LET IT SHINE IN OUR OWN TRUE
SELVES WITH THAT LIGHT IN THE NICHE OF OUR INMOST
HEARTS WE CAN WALK WITH STEPS BOTH FIRM AND SURE:
WE CAN HUMBLY VISIT THE COMFORTLESS
AND GUIDE THEIR STEPS. NOT WE, BUT THE LIGHT
WILL GUIDE! BUT OH! THE JOY OF BEING FOUND
WORTHY TO BEAR THE TORCH, AND TO SAY
TO OUR BRETHREN- "I TOO WAS IN DARKNESS,
COMFORTLESS, AND BEHOLD, I HAVE FOUND
COMFORT AND JOY IN THE GRACE DIVINE!"
THUS SHOULD WE PAY THE DUES OF BROTHERHOOD, - -
BY WALKING HUMBLY SIDE BY SIDE,
IN THE WAYS OF THE LORD,
WITH MUTUAL AID AND COMFORT,
AND HEARTFELT PRAYER,
BACKED BY ACTION,
THAT GOD'S GOOD PURPOSE
MAY BE ACCOMPLISHED,
IN US ALL TOGETHER!
Abdullah
Yusuf Ali
BUT
MOST OF MANKIND
STILL DO NOT KNOW
Thus
spake, inspired our Holy
prophet, Muhammad (pbuh) on
whom we invoke God's blessings for
ever and ever - AAMEEN!
Ahmed
Deedat
25/11/90
APPENDIX
"A"
He
attained the height of eminence by his perfection;
He dispelled the darkness (of the world) by
his grace;
Excellent were all his qualities,
Pray for blessings on him and his
descendants.
Shaikh
Sa'di Sheeraazi (RA)
APPENDIX
"B"
Muhammad (PBUH) The Greatest
"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 Muhammed moved not only armies,
legislations, empires, peoples nd dynasties, but
millions of men; and more than that the altars, the
gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and the
souls.
On the basis of a Book, every letter of which has
become law, he created a spiritual nationality which
blended together peoples of every tongue and of
every race ...
The idea of the unity of God, proclaimed amidst the
exhaustion of fabulous theologies, was in itself
such a miracle that upon its utterance from his lips
it destroyed all the ancient superstitions ...
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 unity of
God and the Immateriality of God; the former telling
what God is, the latter telling what God is not ...
... "PHILOSOPHER, ORATOR, APOSTLE, LEGISLATOR,
WARRIOR, CONQUEROR OF IDEAS, RESTORER OF RATIONAL
BELIEFS, of a cult without images; the founder of
twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual
empire, that is Muhammed. AS REGARDS ALL
STANDARDS BY WHICH HUMAN GREATNESS MAY BE MEASURED,
WE MAY WELL ASK, IS THERE ANY MAN GREATER THAN
HE?"
(Lamartine,
Historie de la Turquie, Paris 1854, Vol II
pp.276-277).
APPENDIX
"C"
JULES
MASSERMAN, U.S. psychoanalyst
TIME,
JULY 15, 1974
Leaders must fulfil three functions - - - provide
for the well-being of the led, provide a social
organization in which people feel relatively secure,
and provide them with one set of beliefs.
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.
(Emphasis added)
APPENDIX
"D"
Fidelity
is said to be a human attribute,
Which
makes the modern gentleman distinguished from the
brute,
But
that supreme fidelity, inborn in every hound,
Which is the mark of man's best friend,
In man, it's rarely found!
A
South African Poet.
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