The Prophet of Mercy Website

By Yusuf Estes, Former Christian Preacher

What Others Say about him

This "A-Z" on Muhammad r deals with well established facts about the Prophet r but certainly does not include everything there is to know about him. Journals, encyclopaedias and even libraries have been dedicated to present the picture of this great man.

Before We Begin our "A to Z of Muhammad" - Let's See What 12 Famous People Have Said About Muhammad r Throughout the Centuries . . .

1. His complete biography has been authenticated and circulated amongst scholars around the world, starting from while he was still alive and continuing up until today. One of the first examples we quote from is the Encyclopaedia Britannica, which writes regarding Muhammad r:

". . . a mass of detail in the early sources shows that he was an honest and upright man who had gained the respect and loyalty of others who were likewise honest and upright men." (Vol. 12)

2. Another impressive tribute to Muhammad r is in the famous work of Michael H. Hart, "The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History."

He states that the most influential person in history was Muhammad r with Jesus u coming second. Examine his actual words:

"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 level."

(Michael H. Hart, THE 100: A RANKING OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS IN HISTORY, New York: Hart Publishing Company, Inc., 1978, page. 33).

3. According to the Qur'an, Prophet Muhammad r was the most excellent example for all of humanity. Even non-Muslim historians recognize him to be one of the most successful personalities in history. Read what Reverend R. Bosworth-Smith wrote in his book, "Muhammad & Muhammadanism" in 1946:

"Head of the state as well as the Church, he was Caesar and Pope in one; but, he was pope without the pope's claims, and 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 a Right Divine, it was Muhammad, for he had all the power without instruments and without its support. He cared not for dressing of power. The simplicity of his private life was in keeping with his public life."

4. While we are reviewing statements from famous non-Muslims about Prophet Muhammad r consider this:

"Philosopher, orator, Messenger of Allah, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational dogmas, of a cult without images; the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he?"

Lamartine, HISTOIRE DE LA TURQUIE, Paris, 1854, Vol. II, pp. 276-277.

5. And then we read what George Bernard Shaw, a famous writer and non-Muslim says:

"He must be called the Saviour 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 much needed peace and happiness."
(The Genuine Islam, Singapore, Vol. 1, No. 8, 1936)

6. Then we found that K. S. Ramakrishna Rao, an Indian (Hindu) professor of Philosophy, in his booklet "Muhammad the Prophet of Islam" calls him the "perfect model for human life."

Professor Ramakrishna Rao explains his point by saying:

"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 Servants; 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."

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