Tabligh Guide — Page 80
(American Edition) 80 true and which alone can lead men to happiness. ” (Napoleon Bonapart e, Quote in “Christian Cherfils”) “The league of nations founded by the prophet of Islām put the principle of international unity and human brotherhood on such universal foundations as to show candle to other nations … The fact is that no nation of the world can show a parallel to what Islām has done towar ds the realization of the idea of the League of Nations. ” (Professor Hurgronje) “The more one reflects on the history of Muḥ ammad and of early Islām, the more one is amazed at the vastness of his achievement. Circumstances presented him with an opportunity such as few men have had, but the man was fully matched with the hour. Had it not been for his gifts as a seer, statesman, and administrator and, behind these, his trust in God and firm belief that God had sent him, a notable chapter in the history of mankind would have remained unwritten. It is my hope that this study of his life may contribute to a fresh appraisal and appreciation of one of the greatest of the sons of Adam. ” (William Montgomery Watt - Mu ḥ ammad at Madinah P 334-335) “Philosopher, orator, apo stle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational dogmas, the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is Mu ḥ ammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may ask, is there any man greater than he? ” “If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and outstanding results are the three criteria of human genius, who could dare to compare any great man in modern history with Mu ḥ ammad? The most famous men created arms, and empires only. They founded, if any at all, no more than material power which often crumbled away before their eyes. This man merged not only armies, legislation, empires, peoples and dynasties but millions of men in one third of the inhabited world, and more than that, moved 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 of every tongue and of every race. ” (Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine, Historie de la Turqu. ) “He was Caesar and Pope in one; but he was Pope without Pope’s pretensions, 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 Mohammed, for he had all the power