“Philosopher, orator, apostle, 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.
“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 without its
instruments and without its supports.” Bosworth Smith, MOHAMMAD AND
MOHAMMADANISM, London, 1874, p. 92.
“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 for from being an
anti-Christ, 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 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.”
–G.B. Shaw,THE GENUINE ISLAM, Vol. 1, No. 81936.
“But
Islam has a still further service to render to the cause of humanity.
It stands after all nearer to the real East than Europe does, and it
possesses a magnificent tradition of inter-racial understanding and
cooperation. No other society has such a record of success uniting in
an equality of status, of opportunity, and of endeavours so many and
so various races of mankind . . . Islam has still the power to
reconcile apparently irreconcilable elements of race and tradition.
If ever the opposition of the great societies of East and West is to
be replaced by cooperation, the mediation of Islam is an
indispensable condition. In its hands lies very largely
the
solution of the problem with which Europe is faced in its relation
with East. If they unite, the hope of a peaceful issue is
immeasurably enhanced. But if Europe, by rejecting the cooperation of
Islam, throws it into the arms of its rivals, the issue can only be
disastrous for both.” –H.A.R.Gibb, WHITHER ISLAM, London, 1932,
p. 379.
“It
is impossible for anyone who studies the life and character of the
great Prophet of Arabia, who knows how he taught and how he lived, to
feel anything but reverence for that mighty Prophet, one of the great
messengers of the Supreme. And although in what I put to you I shall
say many things which may be familiar to many, yet I myself feel
whenever I re-read them, a new way of admiration, a new sense of
reverence for that mighty Arabian teacher.”
Annie Besant, THE
LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF MUHAMMAD, Madras,1932, p. 4.
“His
readiness to undergo persecutions for his beliefs, the high moral
character of the men who believed in him and looked up to him as
leader, and the greatness of his ultimate achievement – all argue
his fundamental integrity. To suppose Muhammad an impostor raises
more problems than it solves. Moreover, none of the great figures of
history is so poorly appreciated in the West as Muhammad.”
W.
Montgomery Watt, MOHAMMAD AT MECCA, Oxford, 1953, p. 52.
“In
little more than a year he was actually the spiritual, nominal and
temporal rule of Medina, with his hands on the lever that was to
shake the world.” John Austin, “Muhammad the Prophet of Allah,”
in T.P. ‘s and Cassel’s Weekly for 24th September 1927.
“Four
years after the death of Justinian, A.D. 569, was born at Mecca, in
Arabia the man who, of all men exercised the greatest influence upon
the human race . . . Mohammed . . . ” John William Draper, M.D.,
L.L.D., A History of the Intellectual Development of Europe, London
1875, Vol.1, pp.329-330
“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, p. 33.
“History
makes it clear however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping
through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon
conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myths that
historians have ever repeated.” –De Lacy O’Leary, ISLAM AT THE
CROSSROADS, London, 1923, p. 8.
“Sense
of justice is one of the most wonderful ideals of Islam, because as I
read in the Qur’an I find those dynamic principles of life, not
mystic but practical ethics for the daily conduct of life suited to
the whole world.” –Lectures on “The Ideals of Islam;” see
SPEECHES AND WRITINGS OF SAROJINI NAIDU, Madras, 1918, p. 167.
“Islam
is the fastest-growing religion in America, a guide and pillar of
stability for many of our people…” HILLARY RODMAN CLINTON, Los
Angeles Times, May 31, 1996, p.3
Already
more than a billion-people strong, Islam is the world’s
fastest-growing religion. ABCNEWS, Abcnews.com
“Islam
is the fastest-growing religion in the country.” NEWSDAY, March 7,
1989, p.4
“Islam
is the fastest-growing religion in the United States…” NEW YORK
TIMES, Feb 21, 1989, p.1
Moslems are the world’s fastest-growing group…”USA TODAY, The population referance bureau, Feb. 17, 1989, p.4A
“Muhammed
is the most successful of all Prophets and religious personalities. ”
Encyclopedia Britannica
“Islam
is the fastest growing religion in North America.” TIMES MAGAZINE
“Islam
continues to grow in America, and no one can doubt that!” CNN,
December 15, 1995
“The
religion of Islam is growing faster than any other religion in the
world.” MIKE WALLACE, 60 MINUTES