A public lecture delivered on Tuesday, 22 August 1989, at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies by Maulana Sayyid Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi. The present text is a revised rendering of an earlier translation, prepared to enhance clarity and readability for audiobook production.
EDITORIAL PREFACE:
The Qur'an describes Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, as a mercy for all the worlds. His message was neither confined to a particular people nor limited to a specific time. Its influence on the course of history has been profound and far-reaching, and its impact has been universal. No other person in history has been studied more closely or more attentively than him, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. From the very beginning of his mission, Muslims meticulously recorded information about every aspect of his life, regarding him as the ideal model to follow. Over time, an entire discipline devoted exclusively to the study of the Prophet’s sayings and actions developed—hadith and sunnah—and Muslim scholars established rigorous methods of enquiry and criticism to distinguish authentic accounts from legend.
The deep love and reverence in which Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is held are perhaps best illustrated by the fact that Muslims throughout the world invoke God’s peace and blessings upon him in their prayers five times each day. The impact of his message can also be appreciated by recalling that the Divine revelation he received, the Qur'an, remains, as Professor Mazrui recently observed, the most widely read book in human history in its original language and form.
For the Centre, the life and teachings of the Prophet are naturally a subject of great academic interest and are inseparably linked to its goal of promoting a better understanding of Islam. Rarely has this need been felt more keenly than in recent months. With this objective in mind, the Centre invited the distinguished Islamic scholar, Maulana Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi, to deliver a public lecture on the Prophet. Maulana Abul Hasan, whose writings have inspired not only fellow scholars but also a wide range of movements, graciously agreed to speak on “Mankind’s Debt to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.” Given both the context and the subject matter, the lecture attracted a large audience. As it addressed issues of considerable contemporary relevance and concern, the Centre felt it should be made available in published form. It is hoped that its publication will contribute to a better understanding of Islam and, through greater understanding, foster mutual respect and tolerance among peoples.
Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies.
October 1989.
Section 1: The Condition of Humanity Before the Advent of Islam.
Friends,
In certain parts of the world, people enjoy freedom of conscience and choice. They are free to live their lives in peace and harmony, and to devote their energies to teaching and preaching, research and discovery. Yet even these societies have not always been so tolerant, nor so free from uncivilised strife. Nor have they always shown a willingness to accommodate different peoples, sects, and groups, or demonstrated the broad-mindedness necessary to respect differences of opinion.
Throughout history, mankind has often appeared bent upon self-destruction. There have been periods when, through its own misdeeds, it seemed to have forfeited any right to survival. At times, human beings have behaved like crazed and ferocious beasts, casting aside culture and civilisation, art and literature, decency, and the principles of moral and civil law.
We are all aware that the writing of history is a relatively recent development. The pre-historic age extended over a much longer period. The decline of mankind into savagery has never been a pleasant subject for historians and chroniclers to record. Nevertheless, the pages of history contain accounts of the downfall of empires and the decay of human societies, recounted at different stages and over long intervals. The earliest of these accounts date from the fifth century A.D.; some of them are briefly discussed here.
H. G. Wells, the renowned historian, writes of the decline of the Byzantine and Sassanid Empires:
“Science and political philosophy seemed dead now in both these warring and decaying empires. The last philosophers of Athens, until their suppression, preserved the texts of the great literature of the past with an infinite reverence and want of understanding. But there remained no class of men in the world, no free gentlemen with bold and independent habits of thought to carry on the tradition of frank statement and inquiry embodied in these writings. The social and political chaos accounts largely for the disappearance of this class, but there was also another reason why the human intelligence was sterile and feverish during this age of intolerance. Both empires were religious empires in a way that greatly hampered the free activities of the human mind.”
After describing the Sassanid assault on Byzantium and the eventual Byzantine victory, Wells comments on the social and moral degradation into which both great nations had fallen:
“A prophetic amateur of history surveying the world in the opening of the seventh century might have concluded very reasonably that it was only a question of a few centuries before the whole of Europe and Asia fell under Mongolian domination. There were no signs of order or union in Western Europe, and the Byzantine and Persian empires were manifestly bent upon mutual destruction. India also was divided and wasted.”
Another writer, Robert Briffault, strikes a similar note:
“From the fifth to the tenth century Europe lay sunk in a night of barbarism which grew darker and darker. It was a barbarism far more awful and horrible than that of the primitive savage, for it was the decomposing body of what had once been a great civilization. The features and impress of that civilization were all but completely effaced. Where its development had been fullest, e.g., in Italy and Gaul, all was ruin, squalor and dissolution.”
According to J. H. Denison, the civilization nurtured by the ancient religions was steadily disintegrating. In “Emotion as the Basis of Civilization”, he writes:
“In the fifth and sixth centuries the civilized world stood on the verge of chaos. The old emotional cultures that had made civilization possible, since they had given to men a sense of unity and of reverence for their rulers, had broken down, and nothing had been found adequate to take their place..... It seemed then that the great civilization which it had taken four thousand years to construct was on the verge of disintegration, and that mankind was likely to return to that condition of barbarism when every tribe and sect was against the next, and law and order was unknown..... The old tribal sanctions had lost their power..... The new sanctions created by Christianity were working division and destruction instead of unity and order. It was a time fraught with tragedy.
Civilization, like a gigantic tree whose foliage had overarched the world and whose branches had borne the golden fruits of art and science and literature, stood tottering..... rotten to the core.”
Section 2: Prophet Muhammad and the Revival of Humanity.
At a time when mankind and human civilization stood on the brink of collapse, the Lord and Creator of the world caused a man to be born in Arabia and entrusted him with a task of immense magnitude: not only to rescue humanity from imminent destruction, but also to raise it to heights beyond the knowledge of historians and the imagination of poets.
Were it not for the incontrovertible historical evidence that testifies to his achievements, their magnitude would be difficult to believe. This man was Muhammad, peace be upon him, who was born in the sixth century. He delivered mankind from a grave and imminent danger, breathed new life into human society, and inspired fresh ambition, renewed energy, and a revitalized sense of human dignity, intellect, and idealism.
Through him, a new era dawned—an era marked by spirituality in art and literature, personal sincerity, and selfless service to others. It gave rise to a culture distinguished by order, grace, and compassion. Among his greatest gifts to humanity were devotion to righteousness and aversion to evil; rejection of false gods and a passionate commitment to justice and morality; and a willingness to sacrifice one's life in pursuit of these noble ideals.
Such ideals have always been the fountainhead of genuine reform and human progress. Whatever lofty heights humanity has attained have been rooted in these noble sentiments. Indeed, all material resources, means, and methods ultimately owe their existence to human will, determination, and moral purpose.
This great benefactor of humanity replaced barbarism and brutality with compassion, magnanimity, and courtesy. He devoted himself tirelessly to the propagation of his message, showing complete disregard for personal gain, comfort, prestige, or even his own life.
It was through that struggle that, from among an uncivilized and ill-mannered people, there emerged noble-hearted men who lived lives marked by grace and kindness. They inaugurated a new era of courtesy and warmth in human history and inspired gentleness and goodness in those around them. The world gained a fresh lease of life. Justice and fairness became its hallmarks, and the weak found the courage to claim their rights from the haughty and powerful. Mercy and compassion became social norms. It was an age in which humanitarian concern became a driving force, faith and conviction took hold of human hearts, selflessness became a source of pride, and virtuous conduct became a natural habit among people.
Section 3: The Gifts of Islam to Humanity.
We may briefly enumerate some of the precious gifts of Islam that have played a vital role in the advancement of human values and civilization. Through these contributions, a new and vibrant world came into being, markedly different from the decaying and disintegrating state of humanity that existed at the time of Islam's advent:
- The clear and unambiguous doctrine of the Oneness of God.
- The concept of human equality and brotherhood.
- The affirmation of human dignity and the recognition of man as the masterpiece of God's creation.
- The acknowledgement of the proper status of women and the restoration of their legitimate rights.
- The rejection of despair and the infusion of hope and confidence into human life.
- The integration of the secular and the sacred, and the refusal to accept any division between them.
- The harmonization of religion and knowledge, making each dependent upon the other, and elevating the pursuit of knowledge by declaring it a means of attaining nearness to God.
- The emphasis on the use of intellectual faculties in religious and spiritual matters, together with the encouragement of studying and reflecting upon the natural world.
- The assignment to Muslims of the responsibility to spread virtue and goodness, and the duty to uphold truth and restore justice in the world.
- The establishment of a universal faith and culture.
I shall not attempt to elaborate on these points here. Instead, I would prefer to cite a few eminent Western thinkers and writers who have acknowledged these virtues of Islam.
One of the foundations of culture and civilization—one that fosters gentility, refinement, and civility in both conduct and literature—is the recognition of truth, appreciation of the achievements of others, and gratitude toward those who have conferred benefits upon us. The day this noble sentiment is banished from our lives, our literature, our ethical standards, and our intellectual pursuits, even the right to express our thoughts freely will lose its meaning. Such a world would not be worth living in or dying for. It would be a world of beasts and brutes, where the dominant concern is merely self-preservation. No sentiment would remain except the fulfilment of carnal desires. The properly ordered relationships between teacher and student, benefactor and beneficiary, physician and patient, and even between parents and children, would gradually lose their significance and decay.
Gratitude, according to William H. Davidson, a contributor to the Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, is a spontaneous and natural sentiment arising from kindness received and benefits conferred by others. It is an abiding and universal human virtue. Davidson writes:
“Gratitude has been defined as that delightful emotion of love to him who has conferred a kindness on us, the very feeling of which is itself no small part of the benefit conferred. (Thomas Brown, op. cit., lxiii). Gratitude is an unselfish joyous response to kindness—a response that is immediate and spontaneous; the ultimate meaning of which is that human nature is so constituted that affection and unity between persons is the foundation of it, ill-will and enmity (all indications to the contrary notwithstanding) being abnormal and depraved.”
Ingratitude, therefore, is a moral failing and a distortion of human nature. It is a sign of a numbed conscience. The lowest form of this vice is the ingratitude shown toward the founders of religions, the teachers of morality, and the greatest benefactors of humanity. Deliberately offensive language and grotesque caricature are inappropriate when directed at any individual, let alone those noble souls who founded religions. Such attacks wound the feelings of millions who not only follow them but are also prepared to make the greatest sacrifices for them. Moreover, such offensiveness often amounts to a denial of truth itself. No cultured people, nation, or society should tolerate or defend conduct that is so devoid of conscience, decency, and respect.
Let us now turn to the tributes paid to the greatest benefactor of humanity by some distinguished men of letters from this part of the world. Among these candid and perceptive voices was the French writer Lamartine, who wrote in praise of the prophethood of Muhammad, peace be upon him:
“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? The most famous men created arms, laws and empires only. They founded, if anything at all, no more than material powers which often crumbled away before their eyes. This man moved not only armies, legislations, empires, peoples and dynasties, but millions of men in one-third of the then inhabited world; and more than that, he moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and souls. On the basis of a Book, every letter of which has become law, he created a spiritual nationality which blended together peoples of every tongue and of every race. He has left us as the indelible characteristic of this Muslim nationality, the hatred of false gods and the passion for the One and immaterial God. This avenging patriotism against the profanation of Heaven formed the virtue of the followers of Muhammad; the conquest of one-third of the earth to his dogma was his miracle; or rather it was not the miracle of man but that of reason. The idea of the unity of God, proclaimed amidst the exhaustion of fabulous theogonies, was in itself such a miracle that upon its utterance from his lips it destroyed all the ancient temples of idols and set on fire one-third of the world.”
John William Draper, the renowned author of A History of the Intellectual Development of Europe, writes:
“Four years after the death of Justinian, A.D. 569, was born at Mecca, in Arabia, the man who, of all men, has exercised the greatest influence upon the human race.”
He further observes:
“Muhammad possessed that combination of qualities which more than once has decided the fate of empires..... Asserting that everlasting truth, he did not engage in vain metaphysics, but applied himself to improving the social condition of the people by regulations respecting personal cleanliness, sobriety, fasting and prayer.”
The eminent historian and philosopher A. J. Toynbee likewise acknowledged:
“The extinction of race consciousness as between Muslims is one of the outstanding achievements of Islam, and in the contemporary world there is, as it happens, a crying need for the propagation of this Islamic virtue.”
It is a remarkable coincidence that, more than a century ago, Thomas Carlyle chose Muhammad, peace be upon him, as the supreme hero, and that in the closing decades of the twentieth century Michael H. Hart, of the United States, compiled a list of the most influential persons in history and placed the Prophet at its head.
Section 4: Islam and the Preservation and Advancement of Civilization.
The Prophet of Islam and his followers rendered services to humanity that played an unforgettable role in the advancement of culture and civilization. Among these contributions, we shall mention only two, both abundantly supported by historical evidence.
Students of history are aware that, in the thirteenth century, the civilized world—then largely divided between the two great religious civilizations of Christianity and Islam—was suddenly confronted by a crisis that threatened both with destruction. Vast empires, together with their arts and sciences, culture and morality—in short, all that humanity had painstakingly achieved over centuries—faced imminent ruin. The accomplishments of mankind seemed on the verge of being swept away, reducing civilization once more to barbarism.
This catastrophe was precipitated by the sudden rise of Genghis Khan (Temüjin), the chieftain of the nomadic Mongol tribes. Endowed with extraordinary leadership abilities, he overcame all opposition in his path. In 616 A.H./1219 A.D., Genghis Khan turned his attention toward the civilized lands of the West and North, devastating them with fire and sword.
The severity of the blow inflicted by the Mongol invasions upon religion, learning, arts, crafts, industry, and social progress in these civilized regions can be appreciated from the vivid descriptions of Mongol devastation and slaughter recorded by Harold Lamb, the biographer of Genghis Khan:
“...Cities in his path were often obliterated, and rivers diverted from their courses. Deserts became crowded with the fleeing and the dying, and when he had passed, wolves and ravens were often the only living creatures left in lands that had once been densely populated.
Consternation filled all Christendom a generation after the death of Genghis Khan, when the terrible Mongol horsemen swept across Western Europe. Boleslas of Poland and Béla of Hungary fled from shattered battlefields, while Henry, Duke of Silesia, fell beneath a storm of arrows alongside his Teutonic Knights at Liegnitz, sharing the fate of the Grand Duke George of Russia.
Such details are too horrifying to dwell upon today. It was war carried to its utmost limits—limits that were approached only centuries later during the great European wars. It was the slaughter of human beings without hatred, simply for the sake of annihilation.
Unchecked by human valour, the Mongols overcame the terrors of vast deserts, the barriers of mountains and seas, the severities of climate, and the ravages of famine and pestilence. No danger could appal them, no fortress could withstand them, and no plea for mercy could move them.
His achievements are recorded largely by his enemies. So devastating was his impact upon civilization that, in much of the world, history had virtually to begin anew. The empires of Cathay, Prester John, Black Cathay, and Khwarezm—and, after his death, the Caliphate of Baghdad, Russia, and for a time the principalities of Poland—ceased to exist. When this indomitable barbarian conquered a nation, all other warfare came to an end. The entire order of things, whether good or bad, was transformed, and among the survivors of a Mongol conquest, peace often endured for a long time.”
Harold Lamb rightly observes that the impact of the Mongols under Genghis Khan was aptly summarized by the authors of The Cambridge Medieval History in the following words:
“This ‘new power in history’—the ability of a single man to alter the course of human civilization—began with Genghis Khan and ended with his grandson Kublai, when the Mongol Empire began to disintegrate. It has not reappeared since.”
The terror of the Mongol invasion was not confined to Turkistan, Iran, and Iraq alone. Mongol atrocities spread fear even to distant regions of the world where no one could reasonably have expected the Mongols to carry their conquests. Edward Gibbon writes in The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire:
“The Latin world was darkened by this cloud of savage hostility; a Russian fugitive carried the alarm to Sweden; and the remote nations of the Baltic and the ocean trembled at the approach of the Tartars, whom their fear and ignorance were inclined to separate from the human species.”
The Mongols first attacked Bukhara and reduced it to rubble. Few, if any, of its inhabitants were spared. They then turned upon Samarkand, laying it waste and slaughtering much of its population. Similar devastation befell other major urban centres of the Islamic world.
The Tartars might well have overrun the whole of Christendom, then politically fragmented and afflicted by many of the social weaknesses already described. As H. G. Wells observed:
“A prophetic amateur of history surveying the world in the opening of the seventh century might have concluded very reasonably that it was only a question of a few centuries before the whole of Europe and Asia fell under Mongolian domination.”
Harold Lamb likewise writes:
“We only know that the German and Polish forces broke before the onset of the Mongol standard, and were almost exterminated; Henry and his barons died to a man, as did the Hospitallers..... In less than two months they had overrun Europe from the headwaters of the Elbe to the sea, had defeated three great armies and a dozen smaller ones and had taken by assault all the towns excepting Olmutz.”
Then a remarkable turn of events altered the course of history. It not only enabled the civilized world to breathe a sigh of relief but also made possible the rebuilding of culture and civilization. The hearts of the seemingly invincible Mongols were won by the faith of the very peoples they had conquered and stripped of power. As Thomas W. Arnold writes in The Preaching of Islam:
“In spite of all difficulties, however, the Mongols and savage tribes that followed in their wake were at length brought to submit to the faith of those Muslim peoples whom they had crushed beneath their feet.”
The names of only a few of those devoted servants of Islam who brought the fierce Tartars into the fold of their faith are known today. Yet their undertaking was no less courageous, nor their achievement any less significant, than that of a great and successful reform movement. Their memory deserves to be cherished not only by Muslims but by Christendom and, indeed, by all humanity. For they helped rescue the world from the barbarism of a destructive power and from the insecurity of widespread upheaval, making it possible once again to establish social and political stability.
With the restoration of order, humanity was able to resume its journey of cultural development. The arts and crafts flourished anew; learning and teaching revived; and intellectual, spiritual, and literary pursuits once again found fertile ground in which to grow.
After the death of Genghis Khan, his vast empire was divided into four dominions ruled by his grandsons. Islam gradually spread throughout these four Mongol realms, and before long large sections of the Mongol peoples had embraced the faith.
The Tartars did not merely accept Islam; from among them emerged distinguished scholars, writers, poets, mystics, and warriors devoted to the service of God. Their conversion brought about a profound transformation in their outlook, character, and attitude toward humanity and civilization. The benefits of this change were felt not only throughout the Islamic East but also in Christendom and India.
During the thirteenth century, the Tartars launched nine or ten invasions of India. On each occasion, however, they were repelled by the Turkish Sultans of Delhi, among whom Alauddin Khilji (d. 716 A.H./1316 A.D.) and his commander, later Sultan, Ghiyathuddin Tughluq (d. 725 A.H./1324 A.D.), were particularly prominent. Owing to their efforts, the cultural and intellectual heritage of this ancient and prosperous land was preserved from destruction, and the two great religious traditions of the subcontinent, Islam and Hinduism, continued to flourish.
This transformation of the Tartars into a civilized people was one of Islam's great services to humanity. It was essentially a defensive achievement, benefiting mankind in general and the West in particular.
Another accomplishment of Islam, different in character but no less significant, was the introduction of a new method of thought and learning. Like a flash of light in the Dark Ages of Europe, it helped prepare the way for the Renaissance. Its influence extended far beyond Europe, ultimately benefiting the whole human race through new discoveries and advances in knowledge.
A new era of empirical science was inaugurated, one that would eventually transform the face of the earth. The intellectual inheritance of the ancient world—particularly in philosophy, mathematics, and medicine—reached Europe largely through Muslim Spain. Along with this inheritance came a method of inquiry founded upon observation, experimentation, and inductive reasoning. This approach gradually displaced reliance on purely deductive methods and brought about a profound change in European thought.
Modern science and technology grew out of this new intellectual orientation. The discoveries resulting from European scientific exploration, and indeed much of humanity's success in understanding and harnessing the forces of nature, are closely linked to the development of inductive reasoning—a mode of thought that Europe encountered and cultivated through its contact with Islamic civilization in Spain.
The noted French historian Gustave Le Bon writes regarding the Arab contribution to modern Europe:
“Observation, experimentation and inductive logic which form the fundamentals of modern knowledge are attributed to Roger Bacon but it needs to be acknowledged that this process of reasoning was entirely an Arab discovery.”
Robert Briffault reached a similar conclusion when he wrote:
“There is not a single aspect of European growth in which the decisive influence of Islamic civilization is not traceable.”
Elsewhere he observes:
“It is not science only which brought Europe back to life. Other and manifold influences from the civilization of Islam communicated its first glow to European life.”
Those who have studied the history of the Catholic Church and the Reformation are well aware of the profound influence that Islamic teachings exerted upon many of the minds that initiated reform within Christendom. Traces of this influence can be discerned in the thought and outlook of Martin Luther's Reformation movement. Likewise, the revolt against autocratic ecclesiastical authority in medieval Europe reflects, to some extent, the example of Islam, which developed without an organized church hierarchy.
Section 5: Civility, Respect, and the Limits of Freedom of Expression.
Friends,
It is our moral duty to acknowledge these two great services rendered by Islam, both of which have had far-reaching and transformative consequences for the world. When speaking of those who conferred these benefits, or when reassessing their achievements, we must remain mindful of the standards of courtesy accepted by civilized peoples, nations, and intellectual traditions. We should not abandon the principles of politeness, moderation, dignity, and truthfulness. These virtues have been commended by the scriptures of all religions, by moral philosophers, and by the greatest writers and critics throughout history.
It is upon such civilized conduct that healthy relations between different religions, communities, and nations depend. Only through such conduct can meaningful dialogue take place between people who hold differing views. In its absence, serious scholarship, criticism, and intellectual exchange risk degenerating into sensationalism, vulgarity, and offensive caricature. Such writings can unleash destructive forces that are not only harmful to genuine intellectual endeavour but also liable to embitter relations between communities, nations, and states.
The argument that any limitation on freedom of expression necessarily amounts to coercion, an infringement of personal liberty, or a violation of constitutional rights in a free society is difficult to sustain without qualification. Obscene or deliberately offensive portrayals of humanity's great benefactors, prophets, and reformers—especially when they contradict established historical facts—can deeply wound the feelings of millions who honour and revere them. Such portrayals may also contribute to discord between different groups within a society and even between nations.
This constitutes a serious affront to moral values and an injury to the spirit of mutual respect upon which harmonious coexistence depends. No peace-loving society committed to preserving goodwill among its diverse ethnic and religious communities can afford to ignore such consequences.
Moreover, many Western political thinkers themselves have not endorsed an unrestricted conception of freedom of expression. They have argued that absolute liberty in this sphere may, under certain circumstances, prove more harmful than reasonable limitations imposed for the protection of public order and social harmony. Although this subject could be discussed at much greater length, I shall confine myself to citing two authorities who have explained why certain limitations on freedom of expression are necessary for the maintenance of public order.
Isaiah Berlin explains the two concepts of liberty in the following words:
“To protest against the laws governing censorship or personal morals as intolerable infringements of personal liberty presupposes a belief that the activities which such laws forbid are fundamental needs of men as men, in a good (or, indeed, any) society. To defend such laws is to hold that these needs are not essential, or that they cannot be satisfied without sacrificing other values which come higher—satisfy deeper needs—than individual freedom, determined by some standard that is not merely subjective, a standard for which some objective status—in principle or a priori—is claimed.
The extent of a man's or a people's liberty to choose to live as they desire must be weighed against the claims of many other values, of which equality, justice, happiness, security, and public order are perhaps the most obvious examples. For this reason, it cannot be unlimited.”
A similar principle underlies the classical understanding of freedom of expression in Anglo-American legal thought. Blackstone's formulation, which exerted considerable influence on later legal discussions of press freedom, states:
“Every free man has an undoubted right in law to air what sentiment he pleases before the public; to forbid this is to destroy the freedom of the press. But if he publishes what is improper, mischievous, or illegal, he must take the consequences of his own temerity. To subject the press to the restrictive power of a licenser ... is to subject all freedom of sentiment to the prejudices of one man, and make him the arbitrary and infallible judge of all controversial points in learning, religion, and government. But to punish ... any dangerous or offensive writings which, when published, shall on a fair and impartial trial be adjudged of pernicious tendency, is necessary for the preservation of peace and good order, of government and religion, the only solid foundations of civil liberty. Thus, the will of individuals is still left free; the abuse only of that free will is the object of legal punishment.”
Section 6: Conclusion.
Friends,
I would like to conclude my talk with an inspiring poem by Dr. Muhammad Iqbal, known throughout the Muslim world as the Poet of the East. In these verses, he beautifully portrays the immense and unparalleled blessings that the prophethood of Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, bestowed upon humanity:
Touched by the breath
of the Unlettered One,
The sands of Arabia burst forth in tulips.
Under his care,
freedom was nurtured;
The today of nations springs from his yesterday.
He breathed a heart
into the body of man,
And lifted the veil from before his face.
Every false god of old
he overthrew;
Every withered branch blossomed through his grace.
The ardour of Badr and
Hunayn,
Of Haider and Siddiq, Farooq and Hussain.
The majesty of the
Adhan amid the clash of battle,
The recitation of As-Saffat at the point of the sword.
The scimitar of Ayub,
the vision of Bayazid,
The key to the treasures of this world and the next.
Ecstasy of heart and
mind from a single goblet,
The union of Rumi’s rapture and Razi’s thought.
Knowledge and wisdom,
faith and law,
Statesmanship and governance;
The aspirations
concealed within restless hearts,
The yearning of the human spirit fulfilled.
The Alhambra and the
Taj, breathtaking in beauty,
Before which even angels pay tribute.
These, too, are but
fragments of his priceless legacy,
Merely a glimpse of his countless gifts.
These wondrous sights
belong only to his outward influence;
Of his inward reality, even the enlightened remain unaware.
Boundless praise be to
the blessed Messenger,
Who bestowed faith upon a handful of dust and raised it to greatness.