Islam in the Eyes of Others

By: Abdullah Adiyar
We have just gone through Annadurai's reverential remarks about Islam. It is not restricted to Annadurai, many more thinkers and intellectuals of the world have admitted the greatness of the Prophet of Arabia. From Napoleon to this day hundreds of intellectuals have paid rich tributes to Muhammad (PBUH) and talked of the supremacy of Islam and the Quran.
Napoleon said: "The day is not far off when all the thinkers of the world would jointly adopt a system of governance based on the Qur'an. The principles and teachings of the Quran are based on truth and are capable of bestowing happiness and prosperity. I am proud of God's Prophet Muhammad and the Book revealed unto him and pay my reverential tribute to him."
Gandhiji said that he read the Quran several times and was impressed by its teachings and the truth it contains.
Freedom fighter and poet Sarojini Naidu once said: "Sense of justice is one of the most wonderful ideals of Islam, because as I read in the Quran I find those dynamic principles of life, not mystic but practical ethics for the daily conduct of life suited to the whole world".
Famous Orientalist H.A.R.Gibb says:
"But Islam has a stil 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 in uniting in an equality of status, of opportunity and of endeavours so many and so various---Islam has still the power to reconcile apparently irreconcilable elements or 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."
Goethe, the great German poet, said:
"However often we turn to it (Quran), at first disgusting us each time afresh, it soon attracts, astounds, and in the end enforces our reverence---its style, in accordance with its contents and aim, is stern, terrible, ever and anon truly sublime. Thus this book will go on exercising through all ages a most potent influence."
Michael H.Hart, American scientist, in his famous book "The Hundred" said:
"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."
George Bernard Shaw, a great British dramatist and thinker has this to say :
"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 its appeal to every age. I have studies him---the wonderful man, and in my opinion far from being 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 could bring it the much needed peace and happiness".
La Martine, a French writer asks:
"If greatness of purpose, smallness of means and astounding results are the three criteria of human genius, who could dare to compare any great man in modern history with Muhammad?"