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Synopsis:
The labyrinth of history has produced some remarkable leaders in its long course; figures who rose up
during their time to inspire the population around them to work towards a common objective.
Many were military geniuses renowned for their brilliant conquests, some were prominent due to their
tireless efforts working for equality and justice, while others were fountains of spiritual enlightenment who
tried to purge the world free from darkness. However, perhaps the most outstanding of all those leaders, has
been the man Muhammad, who has made an indelible impression on all conceivable aspects of human life,
and was a leader who moulded all the excellences of human achievement into one personality, to be one of
After his claim of being an Apostle of God, history witnessed one of its most phenomenal turns, when in the
space of twenty-three years Muhammad had transformed his barbaric Arabian people to men and women of
faith and of the highest of morals, and had consequently taken complete leadership over the Arabian
Peninsula. From there an Empire, inspired by his ideals grew exponentially and was an illuminating light
for centuries, excelling in every sphere of life from astronomy, mathematics, medicine and many others
besides, and eventually laying the platform for the European Renaissance. What made him all the more a
great personality was not only his achievements, but his moral side to life which very few other leaders in
history have emulated; his exceeding generosity to the poor and needy, his flowing humbleness, compassion
and simplicity, which warmed the hearts of all those around him, not a grain of arrogance ever entered his
Such was the man Muhammad, one of the most spectacular leaders history has witnessed.
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The Greatest Leader in the Annals of History
If one takes an unprejudiced glance at the great leaders which history has produced throughout the
ages, there would appear on the surface, a number of validate candidates. However as one begins to sift
throughly through the lives of each one of these influential men, scrutinizing their overall contribution
to civilization, and analyzing their consequent influence reverberating through the centuries, it is
evident that one man stands clear from the rest. A man who emerged from the most humble of origins,
yet through his leadership created profoundly deep impressions on multifarious aspects of life.
A man who was a philosopher, statesman, military genius, teacher of morals, spiritual guide, one who
transcended his immediate surroundings to purify humanity of all indecency, a man who orchestrated
one of the most dazzling revolutions, without the momentum of history and surrounding favourable
conditions on his side. This man was Muhammad, who with the aid of a magnificently powerful
message entrusted to him by God as he claimed, laid the foundations of a stunning era of human
development; one which saw unrivalled intellectual activity in the field of literature, history, linguistics,
medicine, astronomy and mathematics. A man who inspired a spiritual empire which spanned across
three continents, and continues to influence the lives of hundreds of millions around the world; he is
without any doubt the greatest leader history has had the honour to produce.
If one assiduously analyzes all other leaders of history it is instantly discernible that none of
them possessed a genius capable of making a deep impression on more than one or two aspects of
human life. Some were exponents of theories and ideas but were deficient in practical action, others
displayed a keen military proficiency or were renowned statesmen but lacked in areas of moral
development of human society. Some devoted their lives to ethical and spiritual verities but ignored
economics and politics. While conversely others took to economics and politics but failed to
simultaneously mould a spiritual and moral side of life. In short, one comes across leaders who are
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experts exhibiting proficiency in one walk of life only; Muhammad is the only example where all
excellences of human achievement have been blended into one single personality. He was a
philosopher and a seer, one who was a living embodiment of his own teachings. He was a great
statesmen as well as a military genius, he was a legislator and a teacher of morals. He was a spiritual
luminary as well as a religious guide. His vision penetrated every aspect of life, and adorned everything
which he touched. His orders and commandments covered a vast field from the regulation of
international relations down to the simple habits of life like eating, drinking and maintaining
cleanliness. He founded and established a civilization which produced such a fine equilibrium in the
conflicting aspects of life that there is to be found no flaw, deficiency or incompleteness. 1 Can anyone
point to another example of a leader with such a perfect and all-round personality?
In the cavalcade of world history this man Muhammad's sublime figure towers so high above all
other great leaders that it makes them almost dwarf-like in comparison. 2 This is no exaggerated claim;
Michael Hart in in his monumental work 'The 100, a Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in
History' ranks Muhammad as his number one choice, superseding all other personalities which have
“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
Alphonse de La Martaine a famous French poet and politician also writes in his 'Historie de la Turquie',
“If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astonishing results are the three criteria of a human
genius, who could dare compare any great man in history with Muhammad? The most famous men
1 Maududi, S.A 1960, Towards Understanding Islam, Alhuda Publishers, New York
2 Maududi, S.A 1960, Towards Understanding Islam, Alhuda Publishers, New York
3 Hart, M 1978, viewed 26 July 2010,
<http://www.themodernreligion.com/quotes_muhammad.htm#hart>.
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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, 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 the souls.”
He also writes, “Philosopher, Orator, Apostle, Legislator, Conqueror of Ideas, Restorer of Rational
beliefs.... 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
It is evident from the quotes of these prominent learned men that Muhammad was truly a phenomenal
character. Most of the great leaders of the world are said to be products of their environment, but his
case is incredibly unique. His environment seems to have played no part in the making of his
personality; Arabia was at the time a regressive civilization of barbarism rampant with violent
tribalism. Centuries of free and independent life in sandy deserts had bred and nourished extreme
ignorance among them, making them steeped in a sea of superstitious beliefs and worship of numerous
gods. Yet it was in this very environment that the orphan of the humblest origins was born, who was
known by those around him as 'Al-Amin' - The Trustworthy. No philosophy in the world can explain
how such an environment could produce a man whose mission was to teach the best morals, to purify
humanity of all indecency, and to wipe out prejudices and superstitions of the days of ignorance.
One who looked beyond the compartments of race, nationality, and country of birth, who laid the
foundations of a moral, spiritual, cultural and political superstructure for the good of the world and not
for his country alone, who practically, not theoretically, placed business transactions, civics, politics,
and international relations on moral grounds and produced such a balanced synthesis between worldly
life and spiritual advancement, that even to this day it is considered a masterpiece of wisdom and
What makes the man Muhammad even more unprecedented as the greatest leader the world has
seen, is the sheer individual role he played in making such an indelible impression on human history; if
one scans the lives and circumstances of the great leaders of the world who brought about revolutions,
one will find that on each such occasion, the forces of revolution were already gathering momentum
before the elevation of their persona rising to a sphere of influence and executing the ultimate
upheaval. All other revolutionaries merely played the part of an actor for whom the stage and role was
already set. Muhammad was the only man who had to find the means himself to orchestrate and
engineer the revolution he caused; who had to mould and produce the kind of men wanted for his
purpose, as the very spirit of revolution were non-existent among the people he lived among. He made
a riveting imprint on the hearts of thousands of his disciples via his irresistible personality and moulded
them accordingly to the nature of the task which he envisaged.6 Can anyone cite another example of a
maker of history possessing such brilliance in leadership and astonishing resolve to achieve what he
envisioned?
To further grasp the full extent of the incredible leader Muhammad was, one must then
recognize the simply breathtaking impact he made on the course of history. From being an illiterate
man, and living the life of a merchant with no definitive direction in life, he suddenly at the age of
forty, after claiming to be the Messenger of God had a completely new objective and purpose in life.
Within twenty-three years he had propagated his message so successfully that all of Arabia had
professed him as their Prophet. From there his legacy could be witnessed in one of the most glorious
civilizations history has ever seen: an Empire which encircled the Mediterranean Sea from Syria and
5 Maududi, S.A 1960, Towards Understanding Islam, Alhuda Publishers, New York
6 Maududi, S.A 1960, Towards Understanding Islam, Alhuda Publishers, New York
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the Euphrates Valley and which spread East to Southern China and Western India, south through what
had been the Persian Empire and Saudi Arabia, west through Egypt and across North Africa, and north
through Spain to the Pyrenees. This Empire, based on his teachings, provided a platform for a golden
period of unrivalled intellectual activity in the fields of literature, history, and liguistics.7 At a time
when Europe was living through the Dark Ages, the Islamic world created the greatest legacy of
scientific knowledge seen in history to that date. The sciences of medicine, geometry, algebra,
astronomy and even sociology were developed systematically for the first time and it was during this
time the most decisive scientific inventions were made.8 For the West, much of the history of Islam has
been obscured behind a veil of fear and misunderstanding. Yet Islam's history is deeply and surprisingly
interwoven with Western civilization. In an article published in Salon.com, a prominent voice of the
liberal American media, author George Rafael writes in an article titled ‘A Is For Arabs’;
“From algebra and coffee, to guitars, optics and universities... the West owes to the People of the
Crescent Moon...
A millennium ago, while the West was shrouded in darkness, Islam enjoyed a golden age. Lighting in
the streets of Cordoba when London was a barbarous pit; religious tolerance in Toledo while pogroms
raged from York to Vienna. As custodians of our classical legacy, Arabs were midwives to our
Renaissance. Their influence, however alien it might seem, has always been with us, whether it's a cup
It was a time where scientific discoveries were made in their thousands, artistic creativity explored,
great architectural feats built, huge libraries, hospitals, universities, mapping of the world, and the
discovery of the sky and its secrets were all delved into detail. A time when the names of Al-Biruni, Al-
Khwarizmi, Ibn Sina, Al-Razi, Ibn Khaldun, Al-Khazin, Al-Ghazali, Al-Jazari and hundreds more
7 Matthews, Z 2004, The Golden Age of Islam, A Splendid Tapestry, viewed 27 July 2010,
<http://robtshepherd.tripod.com/islamic.html>.
8 Islam Knowledge and Science, viewed 26 July 2010, <http://www.pre-renaissance.com/intro.html>.
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scientists came into being.9
In essence what many inhabitants of the current world now take for granted have arisen from the
Islamic Empire, which was laid down on the teachings of the man they believed was their Prophet; the
very structure of society, from the laws which regulated it right down to the moral fibre which was
ingrained in the masses, the man Muhammad was a stirring force in it all materializing into shape.
So wide and far has is influence been! Can one imagine an illiterate in the desert of Arabia to be the
driving force behind the pioneers of the modern age?! Can one point to any other leader in the annals of
history who has shaped society with such meticulous splendour, who influenced so many walks of life
Another defining characteristic of the personality of Muhammad was his amazing character,
extraordinary humility and perfect morals despite being a leader who held immense power at his
disposal. He was the most patient and bravest among men, and was surrounded by people with varying
characters and temperaments, and treated everyone around him with respect, paying attention to their
It was this compassionate, tolerant, understanding and patient attitude which warmed the hearts of his
followers and instilled in them a genuine love for him.10 No one could equal him in his generosity and
charity, he never turned away one who would come to his house empty-handed, and always gave
preference to the needy over his own needs, and would in turn preach these noble values to his
disciples. He is once reported to have said, "The believer is not the one who eats when his neighbor
beside him is hungry". In his book 'The History of Muhammedanism and Its Sects', W.C Taylor writes,
“So great was his liberality to the poor that he often left his household unprovided, nor did he content
sympathy for their sufferings. He was a firm friend and a faithful ally.”11
His hand never touched a strange woman, and he would mend his own shoes. He would join his wives
in their labours and help them cut meat and prepare food. He accepted invitations of slaves, widows
and the poor. He would bind his stomach with stones to appease his hunger and would consider milk
sufficient if there was not enough food available. His wife 'Aisha is reported to have once said,
“He always joined in household chores and would at times mend his clothes, repair his shoes and
sweep the floor. He would milk, tether and feed his animals.”
He would not eat leaning against a pillow or upon a high table, and would visit distant places to visit
the sick and sit with the poor and destitute, conversing with them.12, He was the most modest without
pride and would at times walk bare-footed, and at other times take his servant behind his back on his
horse. He would sleep on a mat which would cause him to have marks on his side13; such was his
humility and simplicity. Can one point to another single figure in the course of history who lived so
simply and humbly, whose character was embedded with such noble qualities, yet at the same was such
In conclusion it can be said without the shred of a doubt, that Muhammad was indeed the
greatest leader history has ever witnessed. His irrevocable genius in making a timeless imprint in so
many spheres of life, the immense role he played in causing a spiritual revolution; moulding and
preparing its ground tirelessly himself. His role in creating one of the most dazzling civilizations which
excelled in every area of life; from the various sectors of learning which illuminated the world in the
fields of science, mathematics, geography and architecture, a civilization which sowed the seeds of the
European Renaissance and paved the way for discoveries which influence the lives of hundreds of
11 Taylor, W.C, viewed 26 July 2010, <http://www.themodernreligion.com/quotes_muhammad.htm#taylor >.
12 Ghazzali, I 1003AD, Ihya-Ulum-Id-Din, Darul-Ishaat, Karachi, Pakistan
13 Al-Sheha, A 2006, Muhammad the Messenger of Allah, The Islamic Propagation Office in Rabwah, Riyadh
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millions to this very day. His spiritual and moral side to life which enabled him to warm the very cores
of the companions around him, the profound austerity, humility, simplicity ingrained in his character.
His willingness to help the poor and visit the sick; qualities he displayed all while a kingdom lay at his
feet. Thus, all these incredible multifarious attributes and achievements of the humble man
Muhammad, indeed emphatically exemplify the absolutely unique personality that he was, and it can be
said in all fairness that he was indeed the greatest leader which the course of history has ever
witnessed.
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Bibliography
Al-Sheha, A. 2006, Muhammad the Messenger of Allah, The Islamic Propagation Office in
Rabwah, Riyadh
A. Zahoor and Z. Haq, “Quotations From Famous People” The Modern Religion, 1997,
<http://www.themodernreligion.com/quotes_muhammad.htm>. 26 July 2010
Maududi, S.A. 1960, Towards Understanding Islam, Alhuda Publishers, New York
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