Ashraful Ambia Muhammadur Rasulullah Sallallahu A'laihi Wasallam: in the eyes of prominent Non-Muslim scholars

 

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Origins of Islam

The rise of Islam is intrinsically linked with the Prophet Muhammad, believed by Muslims to be the last in a long line of prophets that includes Moses and Jesus. Because Muhammad was the chosen recipient and messenger of the word of God through the divine revelations, Muslims from all walks of life strive to follow his example. After the holy Qur'an, the sayings of the Prophet (hadith) and descriptions of his way of life (sunna) are the most important Muslim texts.

Early Life
Muhammad was born into the most powerful tribe in Mecca, the Quraish, around 570 . The power of the Quraish derived from their role as successful merchants. Several trade routes intersected at Mecca, allowing the Quraish to control trade along the west coast of Arabia, north to Syria, and south to Yemen.

Mecca was home to two widely venerated polytheistic cults whose gods were thought to protect its lucrative trade. After working for several years as a merchant, Muhammad was hired by Khadija, a wealthy widow, to ensure the safe passage of her caravans to Syria. They eventually married.

Divine Revelations
When he was roughly forty, Muhammad began having visions and hearing voices. Searching for clarity, he would sometimes meditate at Mount Hira, near Mecca. On one of these occasions, the Archangel Gabriel (Jibra'il in Arabic) appeared to him and instructed him to recite "in the name of [your] lord." This was the first of many revelations that became the basis of the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam. These early revelations pointed to the existence of a single God, contradicting the polytheistic beliefs of the pre-Islamic Arabian Peninsula.

Initially overwhelmed by the significance of what was being revealed to him, Muhammad found unflinching support in his wife and slowly began to attract followers. His strong monotheistic message angered many of the Meccan merchants. They were afraid that trade, which they believed was protected by the pagan gods, would suffer. From that point forward, Muhammad was ostracized in Mecca. For a time, the influence and status of his wife and his uncle, Abu Talib, the chief of the clan, protected Muhammad from persecution. After they died, however, Muhammad's situation in Mecca became dire.

The Hijra
Emigration became the only hope for Muhammad and his followers' survival. In 622, they headed to Medina, another oasis town, where they were promised freedom to practice their religion. The move from Mecca to Medina is known as the hijra—the flight—and marks year 1 of the Islamic, or hijri, calendar.

Spreading the Message of Islam
In Medina, Muhammad continued to receive divine revelations and built an ever-expanding community around the new faith. The conflict with the Quraish continued, but after several years of violent clashes, Mecca surrendered. Muhammad and his followers soon returned and took over the city, destroying all its pagan idols and spreading their belief in one God.

The Night Journey and Ascension of the Prophet
Accounts of the ascension (mi'raj ) of Muhammad have captured the imaginations of writers and painters for centuries. One night, while the Prophet was sleeping, the Archangel Gabriel came and led him on a journey. Mounted on the heavenly steed Buraq, Muhammad traveled from the Ka'ba in Mecca to the "Farthest Mosque," which Muslims believe to be the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. There he prayed with other prophets such as Moses, Abraham, and Jesus, and ascended to the skies, where he was led by Gabriel through Paradise and Hell, and finally came face to face with God. He then returned to earth to continue spreading the message of Islam. According to Islamic belief, Muhammad was the only person to see Heaven and Hell while still alive.

After the Prophet's Death: Emergence of Shi'i and Sunni Sects of Islam
When Muhammad died in 632, he had not named a successor. One faction, the Shi'a, believed that only individuals with direct lineage to the Prophet could guide the Muslim community righteously. They thought that 'Ali, Muhammad's closest surviving blood male relative, should be their next leader (caliph). The other faction, the Sunnis, believed that the Prophet's successor should be determined by consensus and successively elected three of his most trusted companions, commonly referred to as the Rightly Guided Caliphs (Abu Bakr, 'Umar, and 'Uthman), as leaders of the Muslim community; 'Ali succeeded them as the fourth caliph.

Today the Islamic community remains divided into Sunni and Shi'i branches. Sunnis revere all four caliphs, while Shi'is regard 'Ali as the first spiritual leader. The rift between these two factions has resulted in differences in worship as well as political and religious views. Sunnis are in the majority and occupy most of the Muslim world, while Shi'i populations are concentrated in Iran and Iraq, with sizeable numbers in Bahrain, Lebanon, Kuwait, Turkey, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

Depictions of the Prophet Muhammad
Featured in this unit are several depictions of the Prophet Muhammad. These portrayals, while somewhat rare, are not unheard of as there were (and still are) many different attitudes toward depicting the Prophet, and humans in general, in the Islamic world. These attitudes varied dramatically from region to region and throughout history; the societies that produced the works discussed here are among those that allowed the depiction of the Prophet. Commissioned by Muslims for Muslims, these images appear in biographies of the Prophet and his family, world and local histories, and accounts of Muhammad's celestial journey (mi'raj), as well as in literary texts. In each context, they serve a distinct purpose. They illustrate a narrative in biographies and histories, while in literary texts they serve as visual analogues to written praises of the Prophet. An image of the Prophet Muhammad at the beginning of a book endows the volume with the highest form of blessing and sanctity. Thus, illustration of him was a common practice, particularly in the eastern regions of the Islamic world.

• 9 Non Muslim Scholars on Prophet Muhammad

 Non Muslim Scholars on Prophet Muhammad

Discovering Islam Team

26 November, 2018

The non Muslim scholar, Prof. Ramakrishna Rao, said about the Prophet:

“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 alike a hero.”

Ashraful Ambia Muhammadur Rasulullah Sallallahu A'laihi Wasallam: in the eyes of prominent Non-Muslim scholars

                                                                                 -Muhammad Sheikh Ramzan Hossain

1.      THE HISTORICAL ROLE OF ISLAM  by Manobendro Nath Roy): 

“THE APPARENTLY SUDDER RISE AND DRAMATIC EXPANTION OF MOHAMMADANISM CONSTITUTES ALMOS FASCINATING CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND”.

(Source: https://www.amazon.com/Historical-Role-Islam-M-Roy/dp/1179769694).

2.      THE GREAT RELIGIOUS TEACHER IN THE EAST by Alfred Martine.

“The way in which the ideology of Muhammad succeeded in transforming the then social system of Arabia is unparalleled in any other religious history in the world. 

 

(https://www.amazon.com/Great-Religious-Teachers-Classic-Reprint/dp/1330321553).

 

3.      MUHAMMAD-THE PROFET OF ISLAM by Professor K, S, Ramakrishna, University of Mysore, India, 1979.

“In order to be recognized as a worthy citizen of the world, it is essential to study the religions and philosophies that influence the human race in the world, which creates good relations with people of other religions”.

 https://www.amazon.com/Muhammad-Prophet-Islam-K-S-Ramakrishna/dp/B003XXA6AA

4.      Sir George Bernard Shaw in ‘The Genuine Islam,’ Vol. 1, No. 8, 1936 said that: If any religion had the chance of ruling over England, nay Europe within the next hundred years, it could be Islam. 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 far from being an anti-Christ, he must be called the Savior of Humanity. I believe that if a man like him 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.

(Source: http://muhammad.com/sir-george-bernard-shaw.html)

5.      Thomas Carlyle in ‘Heroes and Hero Worship and the Heroic in History,’ 1840 said that: The lies (Western slander) that have accumulated around this man (Muhammad) - which may well mean bigotry, are a shame for us.

 

 

Heroes, Hero-Worship and the Heroic in History, On QUICK REFERENCE

A course of six lectures by T. Carlyle, delivered 1840, published 1841. In this series Carlyle elaborates his view that ‘Universal History, the history of what man has accomplished in this world, is at bottom the History of…Great Men’, and chooses for his examples The Hero as Divinity (e.g. Odin, the ‘Type Norseman’); The Hero as Prophet (e.g. Muhammad); The Hero as Poet (e.g. Dante, Shakespeare); The Hero as Priest (e.g. Luther, Knox); The Hero as Man of Letters (e.g. Dr Johnson, Rousseau, Burns); and The Hero as King (e.g. Cromwell, Napoleon).

Heroes, Hero‐Worship and the Heroic in History, On  in  The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature »

Heroes, Hero‐Worship and the Heroic in History, On

in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7)Length: 145 words

Heroes, Hero‐Worship and the Heroic in History, On

in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3)

https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095933679

6.      ‘Young India,’1924 ‘Young India,’1924 ‘Young India,’1924 by Mahatma Gandhi, Prominent State Leader of India said that:  I wanted to know about the life of one of the best people in the world who has an undisputed place in the hearts of millions of people today. The reason for the spread of Islam was the Prophet's steadfast simplicity, selflessness, cautious thinking about the future, selfless devotion to friends and followers, his unwavering courage, fearlessness, and infinite faith in God and His (Prophet's) responsibilities. All this has helped the Muslims to overcome all obstacles”.

(Source:Young India, 1924-1926, Hardcover – January 1, 1927by Gandhi (Author)

Product details:

·         ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0008A2SM0

·         Publisher ‏ : ‎ S. Ganesan; First Edition (January 1, 1927)

·         Language ‏ : ‎ English

·         Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 1352 pages

·         Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds

·         Best Sellers Rank: #10,901,227 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

(https://www.amazon.com/Young-India-1924-1926-Gandhi/dp/B0008A2SM0)

7.     Dr. William Draper in ‘History of Intellectual Development of Europe.’ He said that:

“Four years after Justinian's death, in 569 (in Islamic counting 570), a man was born in Arabia who had the greatest influence on mankind. Being the religious head of many empires, serving as the guide of the daily life of one-third of mankind - all these prove the validity of his title as the messenger of the Creator.

History of the intellectual development of Europe. By John William Draper. Paperback – November 30, 2006

by John William Draper  (Author)

5         out of 5 stars    1 rating

---

(https://www.amazon.com/History-intellectual-development-Europe-William/dp/1425566677).

 8.     Alphonse de La Martaine in ‘Historie de la Turquie,’ Paris, 1854  said that: Who would dare to compare Muhammad with any other great man in history, if the greatness of purpose, the smallness of the means of attaining the goal, and the astonishing results are the three characteristics of an extraordinary man? Most celebrities have only created armies, laws and empires. If they have established something, it is nothing more than worldly power, which is often shattered before their very eyes.

This man not only led the army, the law, the empire, the rulers, the manpower, but also moved the lives of millions of people in the world at that time; 

Muhammad is the philosopher, the orator, the messenger, the legislator, the inventor of new ideas / the embodiment of ideas, the restorer of real beliefs… the founder of twenty worldly and a spiritual empire. Considering the many criteria by which human excellence is measured, we can ask ourselves - is there anyone better than Muhammad?

 Alphonse de LAMARTINEHistoire de la Turquie

 Alphonse de LAMARTINE

Histoire de la Turquie

Librairie du Constitutionnel, Paris 1854, 11,3x17,6cm, 8 volumes reliés.

https://www.edition-originale.com/fr/histoire/xixeme-siecle/lamartine-histoire-de-la-turquie-1854-63731

9. Montgomery Watt in ‘Muhammad at Mecca,’ Oxford, 1953. He said that:

Enduring all kinds of hardships to establish one's own ideals, the high character traits of those who believed in him and followed him as a leader, and the enormity of Muhammad's achievements - all testify to his honesty. 

Moreover, no other historical figure like Muhammad has been so underestimated in the West, not only on the basis of what has been narrated, but if we want to understand Muhammad even a little, we must judge him with the necessary honesty and fairness.

 Muhammad at Mecca.

Author:	W Montgomery Watt
Publisher:	Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1953. https://www.worldcat.org/title/muhammad-at-mecca/oclc/757132

Muhammad at Mecca. By W. Montgomery Watt. Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1953. 18s.

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 February 2009

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/scottish-journal-of-theology/article/abs/muhammad-at-mecca-by-w-montgomery-watt

D. G. Hogarth in ‘Arabia’ said that important or trivial, his every day behavior has created a discipline that millions of people consciously follow even today. No other human being has been considered as ideal by any part of mankind and has never been followed as closely as Muhammad. The conduct of the founder of Christianity did not control the lives of his followers. Moreover, no founder of any religion has left such a unique feature to the Muslims as the Prophet.

 Library of Congress:

The penetration of Arabia; a record of the development of western knowledge concerning the Arabian Peninsula,

About this Item

Title

The penetration of Arabia; a record of the development of western knowledge concerning the Arabian Peninsula,

Summary

David George Hogarth (1862-1927) was a British archaeologist and scholar who between 1887 and 1907 worked on excavations in Cyprus, Greece, and several countries of the Middle East. In 1904 he published The Penetration of Arabia, a work which, as the subtitle indicates, was an attempt to chronicle the growth of Western knowledge about the Arabian Peninsula, rather than a first-hand account based on travel to the region. The book has two sections. "The Pioneers" analyzes the historical geography of the region from the time of Claudius Ptolemy (second century), and includes discussions of explorations by 18th- and early-to-mid-19th-century travelers such as Carsten Niebuhr (1733-1815) and Domingo Badia y Leblich (1766-1818). The second section, entitled "The Successors," covers the travels of mid-19th-century to early 20th-century explorers, including Richard Francis Burton, Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje, William Gifford Palgrave, Wilfrid Scawen Blunt, Lady Anne Blunt, and Charles Montague Doughty. The book is organized not by the explorers, however, but by regions, for example, "Western Borderlands," "Southern Borderlands," "The Centre," and so forth. Each chapter ends with a bibliography, and all of the chapters contain illustrations, maps, or photographs. During World War I, Hogarth was an associate of T.E. (Thomas Edward) Lawrence (1888-1935), better known as Lawrence of Arabia, with whom he worked in planning the early stages of the 1916 Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Turks. World Digital Library.

Contributor Names: Hogarth, D. G. (David George), 1862-1927.

Created / Published: New York, F. A. Stokes [1904] https://www.loc.gov/item/04008296/

4. এক্ষেত্রে বিখ্যাত ঐতিহাসিক তথা চিন্তাবিদ” গীবন-এর উক্তি প্রনিধানযোগ্য তার ভাষায় ইসলামের অভ্যুর্থানে পৃথিবীর ইতিহাসে বিরাট বিপ্লবের সৃষ্টি করেছিল। মানবসমাজে যার প্রভাব ও সুদুরপ্রসারী।

Famous 

Gibbon's narrative on Islam in the The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol. 1 that “ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE REVOLUTIIONS WHICH IMPRESSED A NEW AND LASTING CHARACTER ON THE NATIONS OF THE GLOBE”.- 

 

·        

http://qern.org/gibbon-decline-roman-islam/The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol. 1

The first volume of a 12 volume set of Gibbon’s magisterial history of the end of the Roman Empire, one of the greatest works of history written during the Enlightenment.

https://oll.libertyfund.org/title/gibbon-the-history-of-the-decline-and-fall-of-the-roman-empire-vol-1

 

 

 

 

Summary

The book consists of 100 entries as well as an appendix of Honorable Mentions. Each entry is a short biography of the person, followed by Hart's thoughts on how this person was influential and changed the course of human history. He gave additional credit for importance for people whose actions Hart felt were unusual, unlikely, or ahead of their time compared to a hypothesized course of history had this person not lived.

Founders and shapers of successful religions thus figured among the most influential in Hart's view, as these shaped many people's lives quite strongly over a long period of time. The first person on Hart's list is the Islamic prophet Muhammad.^[7][8] Hart asserted that Muhammad was "supremely successful" in both the religious and secular realms, being responsible for both the foundations of Islam as well as the Early Muslim conquests uniting the Arabian Peninsula and eventually a wider caliphate after his death. Hart also believed that Muhammad played an unusually singular and personal role in the development of Islam.^[9][10] The development of Christianity, by contrast, has its influence split between Jesus's initial teachings and foundational work, and Paul the Apostle, who played a pivotal role in the early spread of Christianity as well as distinguishing its doctrines and practices from Judaism and the other Greek and Roman religions of the time period.^[11] Buddha, Confucius, and Moses all placed highly as well due to their role in establishing religions.

One of the most notable omissions was Abraham Lincoln, which Hart relegated to the "Honorary Mentions" in the appendix. The 1992 revisions included the demotion of figures associated with Communism after the Revolutions of 1989, such as Vladimir Lenin and Mao Zedong, and the introduction of Mikhail Gorbachev. Hart took sides in the Shakespearean authorship issue and substituted Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford for William Shakespeare in the 1992 version. Hart also substituted Niels Bohr and Henri Becquerel with Ernest Rutherford. Henry Ford was promoted from the "Honorary Mentions" list, replacing Pablo Picasso. Finally, some of the rankings were re-ordered, although no one listed in the top ten changed position.^[4]

The book was first published in 1978 as imprint from "Hart Publishing Company".^[1][2] According to the Calgary Herald, at least 60,000 copies were sold.^[12] The book has been translated into many languages.^[13]

 Michel H. Hart's Top 10 (from the 1992 edition)

 

Rank	Name	Time Frame	Image	Occupation	Influence
1	Muhammad	c. 570–632		Spiritual and political Leader	Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of the world religion of Islam.
2	Isaac Newton	1643–1727		Scientist	English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian. His law of universal gravitation and three laws of motion laid the groundwork for classical mechanics.
3	Jesus	4 BC–33 AD		Spiritual leader	The central figure of Christianity, revered by Christians as the Son of God and the incarnation of God. Also regarded as a major prophet in Islam.
4	Buddha (Siddartha Gautama)	563–483 BC		Spiritual leader	Spiritual teacher and philosopher from ancient India born in Nepal. Founder of Buddhism. Popularly known as the Light of Asia.
5	Confucius	551–479 BC		Philosopher	Chinese thinker and social philosopher, founder of Confucianism, whose teachings and philosophy have deeply influenced Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese and Indonesian thought and life.
6	Paul of Tarsus	5–67 AD		Christian apostle	One of the most notable of early Christian missionaries, credited with proselytizing and spreading Christianity outside of Palestine (mainly to the Romans) and author of numerous letters of the New Testament of the Bible.
7	Cài Lún	50–121 AD		Political official in imperial China	Widely regarded as the inventor of paper and the papermaking process.
8	Johannes Gutenberg	1398–1468		Inventor	German printer who invented the European mechanical printing press.
9	Christopher Columbus	1451–1506		Explorer	Italian navigator, colonizer and explorer whose voyages led to general European awareness of the American continents.
10	Albert Einstein	1879–1955		Scientist	German-born theoretical physicist, best known for his theory of relativity and specifically mass–energy equivalence, expressed by the equation E = mc2.