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Zohair
07-11-2006, 04:23 AM
he is the greatesthuman being in the history of the world

who said this? Its not only my opinion.

a group of the most renowned biographers, all non-muslim. compiled a list of people who were great. and ranked them 1 - 100. The head biographer was a christian. His name was Michael H. Hart. He would have wanted to give jesus christ number 1, but looking at the conditions, he had to give it to Muhammad. so first is muhammad and 2nd is Jesus christ.

These are Knowledgeable people, people who are professionals when it comes to researching people, in the most authentic way, and this is what they gave to Muhammad. and now you see people on this here forum bickering about little arguments about Muhammad sinning or didn't even exist or lying or cheating or killing or whatever. The people who are saying this are not experts in the field of judging people, the real experts has said that muhammad is the greatest human being in the history of the world.
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HeiGou
07-11-2006, 10:54 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by Zohair
he is the greatesthuman being in the history of the world

who said this? Its not only my opinion.

a group of the most renowned biographers, all non-muslim. compiled a list of people who were great. and ranked them 1 - 100. The head biographer was a christian. His name was Michael H. Hart. He would have wanted to give jesus christ number 1, but looking at the conditions, he had to give it to Muhammad. so first is muhammad and 2nd is Jesus christ.
Actually no on several counts. Hart was not listing the greatest people but the most influential. A big difference. Second Jesus was not second. Isaac Newton was.
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...

Muhammad founded and promulgated one of the world's great religions, and became an immensely effective political leader. Today, thirteen centuries after his death, his influence is still powerful and pervasive... Like all religions, Islam exerts an enormous influence upon the lives of its followers. It is for this reason that the founders of the world's great religions all figure prominently in this book. Since there are roughly twice as many Christians as Moslems in the world, it may initially seem strange that Muhammad has been ranked higher than Jesus. There are two principal reasons for that decision. First, Muhammad played a far more important role in the development of Islam than Jesus did in the development of Christianity. Although Jesus was responsible for the main ethical and moral precepts of Christianity (insofar as these differed from Judaism), St. Paul was the main developer of Christian theology, its principal proselytizer, and the author of a large portion of the New Testament.

Muhammad, however, was responsible for both the theology of Islam and its main ethical and moral principles. In addition, he played the key role in proselytizing the new faith, and in establishing the religious practices of Islam. Moreover, he is the author of the Moslem holy scriptures, the Koran, a collection of certain of Muhammad's insights that he believed had been directly revealed to him by Allah. Most of these utterances were copied more or less faithfully during Muhammad's lifetime and were collected together in authoritative form not long after his death. The Koran therefore, closely represents Muhammad's ideas and teachings and to a considerable extent his exact words. No such detailed compilation of the teachings of Christ has survived. Since the Koran is at least as important to Moslems as the Bible is to Christians, the influence of Muhammed through the medium of the Koran has been enormous It is probable that the relative influence of Muhammad on Islam has been larger than the combined influence of Jesus Christ and St. Paul on Christianity. On the purely religious level, then, it seems likely that Muhammad has been as influential in human history as Jesus.

Furthermore, Muhammad (unlike Jesus) was a secular as well as a religious leader. In fact, as the driving force behind the Arab conquests, he may well rank as the most influential political leader of all time... the Arab conquests of the seventh century have continued to play an important role in human history, down to the present day. It is this unparalleled combination of secular and religious influence which I feel entitles Muhammad to be considered the most influential single figure in human history.
You can see he makes no judgement about the "greatness" or even the "goodness" of Muhammed. Just his influence.

The people who are saying this are not experts in the field of judging people, the real experts has said that muhammad is the greatest human being in the history of the world.
Find me a single non-Muslim who believes that.
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Zohair
07-11-2006, 05:19 PM
I will give you MANY non muslims who believe this.

"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.

Ghandi:"I wanted to know the best of one who holds today undisputed sway over the hearts of millions of mankind... I became more than convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard for his pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle. When I closed the 2nd volume (of the Prophet's biography), I was sorry there was not more for me to read of the great life."

And Diwan Chand Sharma wrote in "The Prophets of the East":

"Muhammad was the soul of kindness, and his influence was felt and never forgotten by those around him"

and there is more where that came from, if you want quotes from other people, just ask :)
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Allah-creation
07-12-2006, 12:49 PM
His political leadership and tacticts were amazing. When he would go to war, he would lecture the muslims not to kill any children or womans. And not to cut down any treas nor destroy their properties, or kill the prisoners of war. He would make a deal with them for their freedmon. Teach 10 muslims how to read and write and they'll be free. And when they make war he would request his enemies to go to an isolated area, to keep the innocent civiliand out of harm ways.

HieGou, Muhammad (PBUH) is not the author of Koran, Allah(SWT) is. And the reason why Islam spread in an enormous speed, is because Allah(SWT) wanted the muslims to spread Islam. Though, the influence of Muhammad(PBUH) help aid them in war. Muhammad(PBUH) goodness and kindness, and mercy, and trustness charecter influence Islam to people hearts. And the Koran beautiful poerty and greatness also influenced people to Islam. The Arabs back then loved poerty and Arabic so much. So, when the Quran was revealed to Muhammad by Allah, they respected its greatness and beautifulness.
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Allah-creation
07-12-2006, 01:08 PM
doesn't it sound strange how a human being( Muhammed(PBUH) ) get a higher rank then Jesus(PBUH) which the christians believe him to be god. If god is all-knowing, all-Wise, All-powerfull, and more.Then How can a human being have a higher rank then god?!?!?
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Umar001
07-12-2006, 01:15 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Allah-creation
doesn't it sound strange how a human being( Muhammed(PBUH) ) get a higher rank then Jesus(PBUH) which the christians believe him to be god. If god is all-knowing, all-Wise, All-powerfull, and more.Then How can a human being have a higher rank then god?!?!?
The reply is simple, who gave Muhammed a higher rank? other humans.
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duskiness
07-12-2006, 02:40 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Allah-creation
doesn't it sound strange how a human being( Muhammed(PBUH) ) get a higher rank then Jesus(PBUH) which the christians believe him to be god. If god is all-knowing, all-Wise, All-powerfull, and more.Then How can a human being have a higher rank then god?!?!?
Like Isa said - is simple:
Muhammed won (and lost..) battles - Jesus didn't
Muhammed found empire on Earth - Jesus didn't ("My kingdom is not of this world...")
Muhammed died as a sucessful man - Jesus died on cross, left by most of his disciples
In "human" terms Muhammed achieved much more than Jesus.

If you like statements made by historians about religious figures:
"This Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander, Caesar, Mohammed, and Napoleon; without science...he shed more light on things human and divine than all philosophers and scholars combined; without the eloquence of schools, he spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since, and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet; without writing a single line, he set more pens in motion, and furnished themes for more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art, and songs of praise than the whole army of great men of ancient and modern times."
Philip Schaff


but what now? will you find another quote? then maybe i'll find different, then you again one more....what will it change?
n.
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Zohair
07-12-2006, 03:09 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by duskiness


but what now? will you find another quote? then maybe i'll find different, then you again one more....what will it change?
n.
The purpose of these quotes are not to prove one religion right over the other. It is to show the great character of the Prophet Muhammad. If you don't believe him to be a messenger of god, at least believe that he was a great man.
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duskiness
07-12-2006, 05:19 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Zohair
If you don't believe him to be a messenger of god, at least believe that he was a great man.
i think He was a very influential man. Probably great man. But it isn't thanks to few quotes stating what some historians think about Muhammed.
If you want to shape nonMuslims opinion about Prophet direct them to books about His life and Islam's history.
What's worth judgment based on few little quotes? You can easily find some with exactly opposite view

Bless you
n.
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HeiGou
07-12-2006, 05:52 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Allah-creation
His political leadership and tacticts were amazing. When he would go to war, he would lecture the muslims not to kill any children or womans. And not to cut down any treas nor destroy their properties, or kill the prisoners of war. He would make a deal with them for their freedmon. Teach 10 muslims how to read and write and they'll be free. And when they make war he would request his enemies to go to an isolated area, to keep the innocent civiliand out of harm ways.
Please correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Muhammed do all those things? Isn't there a Hadith where his soldiers admit to killing women and children but Muhammed shrugs it off saying "they are from them"? He is certainly said to have cut down trees in the seige of Khaybar isn't he? He did have some (a few I admit) prisoners killed as well.

HieGou, Muhammad (PBUH) is not the author of Koran, Allah(SWT) is.
Didn't say he was.

The Arabs back then loved poerty and Arabic so much. So, when the Quran was revealed to Muhammad by Allah, they respected its greatness and beautifulness.
Thirteen years he preached in Mecca and all he had was, what?, five dozen converts? They weren't that impressed by the poetry of the Quran.
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Allah-creation
07-13-2006, 12:56 AM
Hello, HieGou

First of all, your statement says
Media Tags are no longer supported
Doesnt it say Muhammad is the Author?

Second of all, The companions of the prophet would sometime cry when hearing the Quran. Even to this day the Quran impresses the muslims with its beautiful poetry. Scientest these days are impressed by the Quran as well. The Quran was one of the majore influence tacitc that converted Arab to Islam. Muslims to this day still sometimes cry when hearing it. How can they not be that impressed by a book that to this day people are unable to wright something better than it.
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Allah-creation
07-13-2006, 01:02 AM
Sorry i am new here i made an error. Ill just put your statement and tell you why i think it says that Muhammad(PBUH) is the author of Quran.
Moreover, he is the author of the Moslem holy scriptures, the Koran, a collection of certain of Muhammad's insights that he believed had been directly revealed to him by Allah.

If muhammad is not the Author, then why u wrote that muhammad is the author of the muslim holy scripture, Quran?
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searchingsoul
07-13-2006, 01:10 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by Allah-creation
doesn't it sound strange how a human being( Muhammed(PBUH) ) get a higher rank then Jesus(PBUH) which the christians believe him to be god. If god is all-knowing, all-Wise, All-powerfull, and more.Then How can a human being have a higher rank then god?!?!?
Jesus was human.
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Ansar Al-'Adl
07-14-2006, 03:18 AM
Hi HeiGou,
You initially asked for a single non-muslim who spoke of Prophet Muhammad pbuh being the greatest in history. Br. Zohair clearly answered your challenge with the quotation of Alphonse de LaMartaine. I didn't see any response from you to Zohair. Shall we take this as an acknowledgement that your challenge has been met?

There are many more quotes from non-muslims on the Prophet Muhammad pbuh here:
Load-Islam: Quotes from Non-Muslims about Prophet Muhammad
format_quote Originally Posted by HeiGou
Please correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Muhammed do all those things? Isn't there a Hadith where his soldiers admit to killing women and children but Muhammed shrugs it off saying "they are from them"? He is certainly said to have cut down trees in the seige of Khaybar isn't he? He did have some (a few I admit) prisoners killed as well.
No, the hadith speaks about the potential injuries which may befall non-combatants in the event of a night raid against opposing forces - a few significant details conveniently omitted above. From Shaykh Abdullah Al-Manî'î:
Those who are not generally engaged in fighting – like women, children, the elderly, the handicapped, and others who do not participate in the fighting – are not to be killed. The Prophet (peace be upon him) prohibited this. His prohibition of the killing of women and children is clearly related by Ibn `Umar in Sahîh al-Bukhârî (3015) and Sahîh Muslim (1744).

The only exception to this is where such people participate directly in the fighting or are so intermixed with the fighters that it is impossible to separate them from those who are fighting. This exception is indicated by the hadîth of al-Sa`b b. Jathâmah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked about the women and children of the polytheists who were among them and who would be injured if the enemy was attacked. He said: “They are of them.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (3021) and Sahîh Muslim (1475)]

In short, non-Muslims living in Muslim lands, those who are under covenant, and those with whom we have peace cannot be attacked. As for those who are at war with us, the combatants may be fought and killed. Those who are not combatants cannot be killed or targeted for killing. The only way that they can be killed is as an unintentional consequence of fighting against the enemy combatants.

Indeed, the hadîth in question actually shows us that the general rule is not to kill non-combatants, even when they are present on the battlefield. The only exception is when the non-combatants are so mixed in with the fighters in the theatre of combat that it is impossible to fight against the combatants without the possibility of some non-combatants inadvertently being killed. This is only out of dire necessity.

Ibn Hajar writes in his commentary on this hadîth in Fath al-Bârî (6/146):

His statement “They are of them” means that they are construed as such under those circumstances. It does not mean that it is permissible to deliberately target them.

It is a matter of agreement among scholars that a person’s unbelief is not reason for that person to be killed. There is considerable evidence for this. Aside from the Prophet’s prohibition of killing non-combatants, we have where Allah says: “Let there be no compulsion in religion.” [Sûrah al-Baqarah: 256]

And Allah knows best.
As for Khaybar, the cutting of the trees was not part of wanton destruction of civilian property, which was prohibited, it was part of the economic siege on the fortress. And the Prophet pbuh was more merciful than anyone with war prisoners. Execution was imposed as state penalty to such war criminals as could not possibly released without further endangering the community.
Thirteen years he preached in Mecca and all he had was, what?, five dozen converts? They weren't that impressed by the poetry of the Quran.
You fallaciously assume that it was indifference to the Qur'anic style which was the factor in holding them back from conversion. It is sufficient to mention one counterexample, such as that of Utbah ibn Rabî'ah who was clearly impressed by the Qur'anic recitation as noted by his friends.
From Rahîq Al-Makhtûm:
Quraish’s Representative negotiates with the Messenger of Allah [pbuh]

One day some of the important men of Makkah gathered in the enclosure of Al-Ka‘bah, and ‘Utbah bin Rabi‘a, a chief among them, offered to approach the Prophet [pbuh] and contract a bargain with him whereby they give him whatever worldly wealth he asks for, on condition that he keep silent and no longer proclaim his new faith. The people of Quraish endorsed his proposal and requested him to undertake that task. ‘Utbah came closer to Muhammad [pbuh] and addressed him in the following words:
We have seen no other man of Arabia, who has brought so great a calamity to a nation, as you have done. You have outraged our gods and religion and taxed our forefathers and wise men with impiety and error and created strife amongst us. You have left no stone unturned to estrange the relations with us. If you are doing all this with a view to getting wealth, we will join together to give you greater riches than any Qurai****e has possessed. If ambition moves you, we will make you our chief. If you desire kingship we will readily offer you that. If you are under the power of an evil spirit which seems to haunt and dominate you so that you cannot shake off its yoke, then we shall call in skilful physicians to cure you.
"Have you said all?" asked Muhammad [pbuh]; and then hearing that all had been said, he spoke forth, and said:
"In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. Hâ-Mîm. [This is] a revelation from the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. A Book whose verses have been detailed, an Arabic Qur'an for a people who know; As a giver of good tidings and a warner; but most of them turn away, so they do not hear. And they say, "Our hearts are within coverings from that to which you invite us …" [Al-Qur'an 41: 1-5]
The Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] went on reciting the Chapter while ‘Utbah sitting and listening attentively with his hand behind his back to support him. When the Messenger reached the verse that required prostration, he immediately prostrated himself. After that, he turned to ‘Utbah saying: "Well Abu Al-Waleed! You have heard my reply, you are now free to do whatever you please." ‘Utbah then retired to his company to apprise them of the Prophet’s attitude. When his compatriots saw him, they swore that he had returned to them with a countenance unlike the one he had before meeting the Prophet [pbuh] . He immediately communicated to them the details of the talk he gave and the reply he received, and appended saying: "I have never heard words similar to those ones he recited. They definitely relate neither to poetry nor to witchcraft nor do they derive from soothsaying. O people of Quraish! I request you to heed my advice and grant the man full freedom to pursue his goals, in which case you could safely detach yourselves from him. I swear that his words bear a supreme Message. Should the other Arabs rid you of him, they will then spare you the trouble, on the other hand if he accedes to power over the Arabs, then you will bask in his kingship and share him his might." These words of course fell on deaf ears, and did not appeal to the infidels, who jeered at ‘Utbah and claimed that the Prophet [pbuh] had bewitched him. [Ibn Hisham 1/293,294]

In another version of the same event, it is related that ‘Utbah went on attentively listening to the Prophet [pbuh] until the latter began to recite Allâh’s Words:
"But if they turn away, they say (O Muhammad [pbuh] ): "I have warned you of a torment like the torment which overtook ‘Ad and Thamûd (people)." [Al-Qur'an 41:13]
Here ‘Utbah stood up panicked and stunned putting his hand on the Prophet’s mouth beseeching him: "I beg you in the Name of Allâh and uterine ties to stop lest the calamity should befall the people of Quraish." He then hurriedly returned to his compatriots and informed them of what he had heard. [Tafseer Ibn Kathir 6/159-161]
Regards
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HeiGou
07-14-2006, 10:05 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by Ansar Al-'Adl
You initially asked for a single non-muslim who spoke of Prophet Muhammad pbuh being the greatest in history. Br. Zohair clearly answered your challenge with the quotation of Alphonse de LaMartaine. I didn't see any response from you to Zohair. Shall we take this as an acknowledgement that your challenge has been met?
Well no. I have been less than happy with the quality of quotations from Muslim websites in the past. I would need to check what he says and make sure he was not a Muslim.

No, the hadith speaks about the potential injuries which may befall non-combatants in the event of a night raid against opposing forces - a few significant details conveniently omitted above.
....
The only exception to this is where such people participate directly in the fighting or are so intermixed with the fighters that it is impossible to separate them from those who are fighting. This exception is indicated by the hadîth of al-Sa`b b. Jathâmah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked about the women and children of the polytheists who were among them and who would be injured if the enemy was attacked. He said: “They are of them.”
Sorry for the cutting but I am having trouble following this clearly. OK. I have no problem with that. The position put forward then needs to be clarified. It is not that Muhammed was opposed to all killing of women and children. He simply restricted it to certain specific and narrow circumstances.

It is a matter of agreement among scholars that a person’s unbelief is not reason for that person to be killed. There is considerable evidence for this. Aside from the Prophet’s prohibition of killing non-combatants, we have where Allah says: “Let there be no compulsion in religion.” [Sûrah al-Baqarah: 256]
Surely that needs to be nuanced a little as well. What about Zindiqs and atheists? Pagans?

As for Khaybar, the cutting of the trees was not part of wanton destruction of civilian property, which was prohibited, it was part of the economic siege on the fortress. And the Prophet pbuh was more merciful than anyone with war prisoners. Execution was imposed as state penalty to such war criminals as could not possibly released without further endangering the community.
So we are basically in agreement I think. Although I am worried about that economic seige. It is not so much that there was a blanket ban on any of these things, but there was restrictions of varying degrees of toughness. Killing women and children is forbidden unless you have to. Wanton destruction of civilian property is forbidden, but destroying their economy is not. Execution is forbidden unless it is required.

You fallaciously assume that it was indifference to the Qur'anic style which was the factor in holding them back from conversion. It is sufficient to mention one counterexample, such as that of Utbah ibn Rabî'ah who was clearly impressed by the Qur'anic recitation as noted by his friends.
I don't think that refutes my position. One person does not prove that all Arabs were susceptible to poetry. It proves one person was.
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Allah-creation
07-14-2006, 11:37 AM
HeiGOu, Are you saying that the Quran did not impress all Arabs?

When propther Muhammad areed on the request of Quraish, which to keep peace and forbid war for 10 years. Islam spread rapidly that in less then 10 years he was able to conqure Quraish, due to them breaking the agreement. Islam was such an influence that it converted thousands of tribes to Islam. The Quran was offcourse one of the main Influence of Islam. If the Quran did not impress Arabs that much, then how is it that muhammad was able to roughly convert 100 thousand Arabs to Islam and conqure Quraish. And not long after that he was able to convert the whole Arabian penensula to Islam. Obviously if the Quran did not impress Arabs that much, then Muhammad wouldn't of been capable to convert that many Arabs to Islam. Prophet Muhammad miracle was the Quran, his attributes were the Quran, and his voice was the best at reciting the Quran. Are people so blinded that they would deny Muhammad to be a prophet, even though he was able to convert the whole Arabian penensula to Islam in less then 23 years. And now days there are billions of muslims people. What more proof do you want?
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Allah-creation
07-14-2006, 12:13 PM
HeiGOu, after looking at you profile i have no choice but to conclude that you have hatred toward Islam.
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HeiGou
07-14-2006, 02:02 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Allah-creation
HeiGOu, Are you saying that the Quran did not impress all Arabs?
Well not so much I'd care to get banned over it. As Maududi said, Muhammed made few converts by persuasion. Then he picked up the sword and made quite a lot.

When propther Muhammad areed on the request of Quraish, which to keep peace and forbid war for 10 years. Islam spread rapidly that in less then 10 years he was able to conqure Quraish, due to them breaking the agreement.
Well I could quibble about who broke that treaty, but let's stick with it for now. He did not make the Meccans Muslims by persuading peacefully them but by conquering Mecca after the Treaty was broken. Can we agree on that?

Islam was such an influence that it converted thousands of tribes to Islam.
Hmmm. Did they get any plunder out of becoming Muslims? Did they get to join the Muslims in raids on other Arabs? Did those tribes immediately try to break away from the Muslim state when Muhammed died and did they, in fact, have to be forced to return to the fold by armed force? What would you say the main influence on those tribes who did try to break away was?

The Quran was offcourse one of the main Influence of Islam. If the Quran did not impress Arabs that much, then how is it that muhammad was able to roughly convert 100 thousand Arabs to Islam and conqure Quraish. And not long after that he was able to convert the whole Arabian penensula to Islam.
I would stress that word "conquer" myself. Do you think that the army of the Muslims was not an important factor, among many, in the conversion of Arabia? He preached for 13 years in Mecca - how many converts did he make?

Obviously if the Quran did not impress Arabs that much, then Muhammad wouldn't of been capable to convert that many Arabs to Islam.
Only if the Quran was the only reason to convert. Suppose that Muhammed's personality was another factor. You could have people converting in large numbers because they were impressed with Muhammed's character without any of them being impressed by the Quran couldn't you? How many factors do you think were at work in the time of Muhammed?
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Ansar Al-'Adl
07-14-2006, 03:09 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by HeiGou
Well no. I have been less than happy with the quality of quotations from Muslim websites in the past. I would need to check what he says and make sure he was not a Muslim.
Alphonse de Lamartine was quite clearly not a Muslim. If you have some bias against Muslim websites, by all means, go to a non-muslim website. Here is the exact same quote taken from wikipedia, untranslated:
Philosophe, orateur, apôtre, législateur, guerrier, conquérant d'idées, restaurateur de dogmes rationnels, d'un culte sans images, fondateur de vingt empires terrestres et d'un empire spirituel, voilà Muhammad!A toutes les échelles où l'on mesure la grandeur humaine, quel homme fut plus grand ?

(Lamartine Histoire de la Turquie, Paris, 1854. Tome 1 et Livre 1-p.280.)

Sorry for the cutting but I am having trouble following this clearly. OK. I have no problem with that. The position put forward then needs to be clarified. It is not that Muhammed was opposed to all killing of women and children. He simply restricted it to certain specific and narrow circumstances.
No he was opposed to the killing of women of woman and children but recognized the possibility of such injuries befalling non-combatants in situations like night-raids. This is what is referred to in modern warfare as 'collateral damage' and everyone recognizes that this is often inescapable, despite all our modern technologies. In Islam it should be avoided at all costs as it is deemed abhorrent.

And you propagate misunderstandings when you choose vague sentences. Is it fair to say about someone who supports euthanasia that they support the killing of innocent human beings?! That would be a grievious misportrayal of their views and leads to further misunderstandings.
Surely that needs to be nuanced a little as well. What about Zindiqs and atheists? Pagans?
No. We don't kill them because they don't believe in Islam. Zindîq is used in different contexts - what did you have in mind?
So we are basically in agreement I think. Although I am worried about that economic seige. It is not so much that there was a blanket ban on any of these things, but there was restrictions of varying degrees of toughness. Killing women and children is forbidden unless you have to.
Every military leader accepts the possibility of collateral damage - all your comments apply equally against them.
Wanton destruction of civilian property is forbidden, but blocking of economic resources in the event of a military siege is not if those resources are being used to strengthen opposing forces
That is more accurate.
Execution is forbidden unless it is required.
Execution is forbidden unless criminal offences merit such a state imposition to protect the community. You have to be clear about the exception.
I don't think that refutes my position. One person does not prove that all Arabs were susceptible to poetry. It proves one person was.
Only one counterexample is sufficient to refute an assertion. You claimed that it was the Qur'an's lack of literary appeal which held the Quraysh back from converting. I provided a counterexample so we see that this is not true even for one of the most prominent chiefs of the Quraysh. You have yet to provide an example to prove that it was true for any of the Quraysh.
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Allah-creation
07-14-2006, 07:25 PM
HeiGou, i want to make this clear to you. It is against Islam teaching to force people into Islam. When the muslim army invaded countries, the would not force the civilians to convert to Islam. The people would convert to Islam out of their own desire. When the civilians witness the justice and peace of Islam, they tend to like it and as a result some convert to Islam. In Islam it teaches us to treat other people nice, even if they are not muslims.
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