You Must Know This Man
"WE HAVE SENT YOU (O MUHAMMAD) ONLY AS A MERCY FOR ALL THE WORLDS." Qur'an (21:107)
THE BIRTH of the Prophet of Islam (P.B.U.H.), and the dawn of his Prophethood was not the birth of a Prophet alone, nor was it the rise of a new nation, nor yet the beginning of a new era, but it was the genesis of a new world which is destined to last till the end of time.

The influence of his Prophethood is visible in everything that the world now contains, the beliefs and the patterns of thought, culture and civilization, the morals and modes of living, the knowledge and learning, in short, all spheres of human endeavor.

You may be an atheist or an agnostic, a communist or a freedom fighter, a Muslim or a Christian. No matter what religious belief's you have or what religion you follow, YOU MUST STILL KNOW THIS MAN. Strange indeed, therefore, that so many people on the face of the earth today have little or no knowledge of the life and mission of this last great Prophet of Allah and his historical impact on the world we live in.

He is by far the most remarkable man to ever set foot on the face of 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 completely revolutionized the worlds of human thought and action for all times to come.

The Encyclopedia Britannica calls him 'the most successful of all religious personalities of the world". Bernard Shaw said about him that if Muhammad were alive today he would succeed in solving all those problems which threaten to destroy human civilization in our times. Thomas Carlyle 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. Napoleon and Gandhi never tired of dreaming of a society along the lines established by this man in Arabia thirteen centuries ago.

A 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. 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 of God Almighty be upon him.

Endless are the words which have been spoken to describe his noble life and personality. No one can fail to be moved or inspired by the magnificence of his radiant character: even Muhammad's greatest enemies had to admit that no fault could be found in his behavior or integrity.

In addition, those Western scholars and historical figures who over the centuries were brave enough to gaze with an honest heart at the miracle of Muhammad's life and achievements have testified to this. Some of their observations are remarkable. For example, George Bernard Shaw said:
"I believe that if a man like him were so assume site dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving the problems in a way that would bring the much-needed peace and happiness. Europe is beginning so be enamored of the creed of Muhammad. In the next century it may go further in recognizing the utility of that creed in solving its problems."
Lamartine in his lengthy tribute to the Prophet wrote:
"If greatness of purpose, smallness of means and astounding results are the three criteria of human genius, who could claim to compare any great man in modern history with Muhammad?"
Perhaps most telling of all, Gandhi wrote the following about the Prophet of al-Islam:
I become more than ever convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days. 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 and his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle.
Michael H Hart in his book "The 100-A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History" has ranked the great men in history with respect to their influence on human history. ("I have ranked these 100 persons in order of importance: that is, according to the amount of influence that each of them had on human history and on the everyday lives of other human beings...they were the people who changed our lives and formed our world.") For the second time he ranked The Holy Prophet as the most influential man in the human history. In the Introduction he writes:
"Muhammad had a much greater personal influence on the formulation of the Moslem religion that Jesus had on the formulation of the Christian religion".

My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels.
Jules Masserman, a famous US psychoanalyst, writing under the heading, "Who were History's Great Leaders", Time Magazine, July 1974 writes"
"Leaders must fulfill three functions: (1) provide for the well-being of the led, (2) provide a social organization in which people feel relatively secure, and (3) provide them with one set of beliefs. People like Pasteur and Salk are leaders in the first sense; people like Gandhi and Confucius, on the one hand, Alexander, Caesar and Hitler, on the other, are leaders in the second or perhaps the third sense. Jesus and Buddha belong to the third category alone. Perhaps the greatest leader of all times was Muhammad who combined all the three functions. To a lesser degree Moses did the same."
In no way am I capable of putting down his life history, but if only this can kindle a spark of light and understanding and inspire the seeker of truth to proceed further along the Way of Guidance that leads to Allah and earn His Pleasure and Mecry.

As the Muslim world commemorates the coming to this world of the Prophet (s) who surpasses all other prophets, the Perfect Man, whose advent signified the end of Ignorance and Darkness and the coming of the Age of Enlightenment and Salvation for mankind, lets pray to Allah to forgive us for any sins and ask Him for His pardon; praying for his guidance and by the will of Allah to follow His Messenger. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. May He send His choicest salutations and peace on the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad, and upon his Family and Companions together, Ameen.