Tabligh Guide — Page 81
(American Edition) 81 without its instruments and without its supports. ”(Reginald Bosworth Smith, Mohammad and Mohammadanism, P 92) “I wanted to know the best of th e 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 Islām 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 in his own 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 not more for me to read of that great life. ” (Mahatma Gandhi, published in ‘Young India,’ 1924) “He was the most faithful protector of those he protected, the sweetest and most agreeable in conversation. Those who saw him were suddenly filled with reverence; those who came near him loved him; they who described him would say, “I have never seen his like either before or after. ” He was of great ta citurnity, but when he spoke it was with emphasis and deliberation, and no one could forget what he said. . . ” “The day of Muḥammad’s greatest victory over his enemies was also the day of the grandest victory over himself. He freely forgave the Quraysh all the year of sorrow and cruel scorn with which they had afflicted him, and gave an amnesty to the whole population of Mecca… No house was robbed, no woman insulted. One thing alone suffered destruction. Going to the Ka’abah, Mu ḥ ammad stood before each of the three hundred and sixty idols, and pointed to them with his staff saying, ‘Truth is come, and falsehood is fled away!’ and at these words his attendants hewed them down and all the idols and household gods of Mecca and round about were destroyed. ” (Lane-Po ole in ‘Speeches and Table Talk of the Prophet Mu ḥammad’) “Muḥ ammad had to start virtually from scratch and work his way towards the radical monotheistic spirituality of his own. When he began his mission, a dispassionate observer would not have given him a chance. The Arabs, he might have objected, were just not ready for monotheism: they were not sufficiently developed for this sophisticated vision. In fact, to attempt to introduce it on a large scale in this violent, terrifying society could be extremely dangerous and Mu ḥ ammad would be lucky to escape with his life.