Short Description
Muhammad challenged both men and jinn to produce the like of the Quran and this was the strongest indication to the truth of his message.
He was a French Orientalist and a director of the Algerian Library. Among his works, a mention may be made of La Vie De Mahomet (The Life of Muhammad) (Paris 1929), one of the most accurate writings made by an Orientalist about the Prophet Muhammad [peace be upon him]; and Muhammad and the Islamic sunnah (Paris 1955).
He also published much research in such famous magazines as The Annals of Oriental Studies Institution; and The Bulletin of Arabic Studies. His research includes Traditions of North Africa (The African Magazine 89 1945); al-Harrâli, a 13th century Sufi, Scientist, Philosopher and Poet (The Annals of Oriental Studies Institution 7 1948); Abu Bakr ash-Shibli, a mystic Poet from Baghdad (the previous source 1948-1950); Memoirs of Prince ‘Abd-al-Qâdir (The Bulletin of Arabic Studies 9 1949); The Secret Associations in Algeria (The African Magazine 97 1953); Mythology of Divine Love after Prostitution in the Folklore of North Africa (The African Magazine 89 1947); Story of the King of Madness, His Daughter and the Son of the Sultan in cooperation with Muhammad al-Fâsi (Magazine of Islamic world 62 1925); Concerning the Permanent and Current Values of Islamic Civilization (Islam and the West 1947); The Guardians of the Mountain (The Round Table 126 1958); and The Men of the Cave in cooperation with others (The Magazine of Islamic Studies 1959-1962).
From La Vie De Mahomet (The Life of Mahomet):
It shakes the entire soul
“Muhammad regarded himself a means to convey the divine revelation and was extremely eager to be but an attentive trustee, truthful register or infallible repeater of what he heard of the words of the bright shade and soundless voice of the eternal discourse in a worldly form of God’s speech which is the Mother of the Book, the speech memorized by the honored angels of the seventh heaven. Each Prophet should have an indication to his message and a challenging miracle. The Qur’an is Muhammad’s only miracle. Its inimitable style and strong investigations still move anyone reciting it even if he is not among the pious worshippers. Muhammad challenged both men and jinn to produce the like of it and this was the strongest indication to the truth of his message. Undoubtedly, each verse of the Qur’an, even if about the finest delicacy of his life, came to him with a mental miracle which shook the soul entirely. The mystery lying behind its influence and great success still needs to be studied.”[1]
That is the indication of the Qur’an’s Divine source
“Muhammad, who never composed the Qur’an by himself, would sometimes even uselessly wait for the divine revelation to come down to him. This, without doubt, pained him and he wished that the angel would come to him ceaselessly.”[2]
That is the correct Christianity
“The Christ has a high position in the Qur’an. His birth was not normal as that of ordinary people. He is the Messenger of God who communicated with Him loudly about his purposes and divulged that to the first one talking to him. He is God’s word speaking not in abridgement with the revelation only. The Qur’an means the true Christianity when it tells that Jesus is God’s word or spirit which He breathed into Mary and that he is a human being. It condemns the doctrine which supports the divine nature of the Christ and that which tells about offering bread to Mary before all partake in eating it as sacrament … to the end of those doctrines of atheism rather than true Christianity. A Christian could but accept the Qur’anic denunciation of the trinity consisting of God, Jesus and Mary.”[3]
That is the state of the woman
“Without doubt, Islam raised the affair of the woman in the Arab territories and improved her state. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattâb said: “We continued to regard the woman no more than a source of enjoyment until God clarified her affairs and states in His revelation.”[4] The Prophet said: “The believers who have the most perfect faith are those who have the best manners and the best among you are those who treat their women according to the best manners.” It is true that the Prophet advised the wives to obey their husbands, but he also ordered men to be kind to them and forbade giving girls in marriage by coercion and eating their wealth under threat or upon divorce.”[5]
The sermon is the indication of greatness
“In this brilliant journey, the farewell Hajj, the message of this Prophet with its far-reaching magnificence and extensive authority seemed clear after ten years of unyielding persecution and further ten years of unrelenting troublesome wars. But he remains the Prophet who made of all fighting tribes one nation.”[6]
Their [inner] selves were convinced thereof
“In reality, there remains no doubt about the truth of Muhammad, as evidenced from his entire life. However, the real magnificence of Muhammad lies in what he received from God by the divine inspiration which was cast into his heart.”[7]
Guidance rather than a gain
“Although he obtained richness, authority and glory, he was never arrogant because of that. The faith of even one man in Islam was, to him, far better than the greatest booty.”[8]
Kindhearted humanitarian
“Some may find fault with Muhammad that he tended much to women. Indisputably, Muhammad was neither lustful, nor arrogant, nor fanatic nor led by covets. He was rather a forbearing, kindhearted humanitarian.”[9]
A simple question
“Which is better: legal polygamy or illegal sexual intercourse? No doubt, having more than one wife cancels out prostitution and puts an end to risky women’s spinsterhood.”[10]
Justice is a prerequisite
“The Prophet made it permissible to have more than one wife. However, he never enjoined it upon men and gave leave for it only on condition that one should be just with all his wives in the sense that he should not favor any of them to another with anything even as trivial as a needle.”[11]
The indication of the sun
“Muhammad begot a child from his Coptic slave-girl, Mariyyah, but he died when he was still young. He grieved so much and wept for him and buried him with his own hands. His death coincided with the eclipse of the sun, thereupon the Muslims said that the sun eclipsed because of his death. But Muhammad was too sublime to refute that claim. He said to them: “No doubt, the sun and the moon are among God’s signs and never eclipse because of the death of anyone.”[12]Such a statement could not be produced by a lying imposter.”[13]
[1] Emile Dermenghem, La Vie De Mahomet, (the Arabic translation), 195.
[2] Ibid. 285.
[3] Ibid. 131-132.
[4] at-Tirmithi, no. 1162; Ahmad, no. 7396; ibn Hibbân, no. 4176.
[5] Ibid. 329-330.
[6] Ibid. 359.
[7] Op. cit.
[8] Ibid. 360.
[9] Ibid. 183.
[10] Ibid. 331.
[11] Ibid. 330.
[12] al-Bukhâri, no. 1001; Muslim, no. 901.
[13] Ibid. 318.
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