Page 55 - MY GREAT LOVE FOR JESUS LED ME TO TROUTH

worldly attractions so that he would abandon his call to Islam. However, he declined all
this and instead chose to sacrifice everything in an attempt to spread God's message to
mankind. Later on, after Allah granted him power and authority following the spread of
Islam, he still led a very simple, ascetic life even though he could have lived like a king
had he wanted to. He slept on a rough mat and lived in a mud house. He and his family
would even go to bed hungry for several successive nights because there was nothing
for them to eat for dinner, and most of the bread they contented themselves with was
made from barley. (At-Tirmidhee, 2400) He even passed away when his shield was still
pawned to a Jewish man in exchange for barley to make bread for his family.
He dedicated all of his life and efforts to ensure that people do only that for which they
were created in the first place, namely, to believe in Allah as the only true God and to
worship Him alone. As the Qur'an (51/56) states, "And I did not create the jinn and
mankind except to worship Me." In fact, this was the only way to save them from
misery and to lead them to true happiness in this life and in the hereafter.
Prophet Muhammad, the last of All God's prophets and messengers, died in the year 632
CE, leaving with us the Qur'an, God's final message, and his teachings to guide all of
humanity until the Day of Resurrection. In his book The 100: A Ranking of the Most
Influential Persons in History, American writer Michael Hart, states that Muhammad, who
topped the list, "was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the
religious and secular levels." This unique combination entitled him to be classed as the
greatest, most influential character in the world. In his book The Life of
Muhammad, William Muir, the notable Scottish historian, praises the clarity of the words
of Prophet Muhammad and the ease of his religion, stating that he accomplished
wonderful deeds and that there was no other man in history who succeeded in wakening
souls and reviving good morals and virtue in such a short time as he did.
Renowned historian and playwright George Bernard Shaw, in his book, The Genuine
Islam, vol. 1, no. 8, 1936, states, "The world was in desperate need of a man who
had Muhammad's intellect, as he was the prophet who always placed his faith in a place
of respect and honor." He adds, "Islam was the religion most able to accommodate all
civilizations at all times and that it would claim more ground in Europe in spite of the fact
that the clergy of medieval times painted a dark picture of Muhammad and considered
him an enemy to Christianity." Shaw further states, "I have studied him – the wonderful
man – and in my opinion, far from being an anti-Christ, he must be called the Savior of
Humanity." He continues, "I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship