You MUST Know This Man."Every Prophet of Allah came to this world as a witness, or aharbinger of good tidings, or as a warner, or as a summonner, but never in the past there came a prophet who combined all these qualities. There were witnesses to Allah's majesty and, overlordship, like Jacob, Issac and Ishmael. Others like Abraham and Jesus were the heralds of glad tidings. There were also warners like Noah, Hud, and Shu'yeb, the main point of their warnings was terrible punishment awating the evil-doers. Then, there were the prophets like Joseph and Jonah whose teachings set the tone for those who summon to divine guidance. But the messenger par excellence who had all these marks of prophethood - a witness as well as a welcomer, a warner as well as a caller and who was a distinguished Apostle in every aspect was none other than Saidina Muhammad (pbuh). He was sent to be sent to the world as the last Prophet, the final one, after whom no other messenger was to be sent again by Allah. This is the reason why he was granted a shari'ah or the law that was perfect and final requiring no revision in the days to come.
For the teaching of the last Prophet were to be everbinding, to remain unchanged to the end of time, he was sent as a acme of perfection with over-flowing guidance and resplendent light. This is an indisputable fact attested by history."
-SAYID SULAIMAN NADWI in Muhammad The Ideal Prophet.
The non-Muslim verdict on Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)K.S Ramakrishna Rao, an Indian Professor of Philosophy in his booklet, ("Muhammad, The Prophet of Islam") calls him the:"Perfect model for human life."
Prof. Ramakrishna Rao explains his point by saying:
"The personality of Muhammad (pbuh), it is most difficult to get into the whole truth of it. Only a glimpse of it can I catch. What a dramatic succession of picturesque scenes! There is Muhammad (pbuh), the Prophet. There is Muhammad (pbuh), the Warrior, Muhammad (pbuh), the Businessman; Muhammad (pbuh), the Statesman; Muhammad (pbuh), the Orator; Muhammad (pbuh), the Reformer; Muhammad (pbuh), the Protector of Slaves; Muhammad (pbuh), the Emancipator of Women; Muhammad (pbuh), the Judge; Muhammad (pbuh), the Saint. All in all these magnificent roles, in all these departments of human activities, he is like a hero."
Michael Hart in "The 100, A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in the History," New York, 1978., p. 33 "My choice of Muhammad (pbuh) to lead the list of world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in the history who was supremely successful on both the secular and religious level. It is probable that the relative influence of Islam has been larger than the combined influence of Jesus Christ and St. Paul on Christianity. It is this unparalleled combination of the secular and religious influence which I feel entitles Muhammad (pbuh) to be considered to be the most influential single figure in human history."
M.K Gandhi, statement published in "Young India," 1924I wanted to know the best of the life of one who holds today an undisputed sway over the hearts of millions of mankind..........I became more than ever convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard for pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and his mission.
These and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle. When I closed the second volume (of the Prophet's biography), I was sorry there was no more for me to read of that great life."
THOMAS CALYLE in his HEROES AND HEROWORSHIP, was simply 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."
* insyaAllah, it is my 1st start of writing about our beloved Prophet SAW...and i'll continue in the other post...