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sardarzada11 · #7 Thursday, June 22, 2006

recorded in his Bible the Quran. Perhaps Grotius was
inspired into this fairy-tale from his reading of his own Holy
Scriptures:
'Then, Jesus, when he had been
baptized (by John the Baptist in the Jordan
River), came up immediately from the
water; and behold, the heavens were
opened to him, and he saw the
Spirit of God Descending Like A
Dove and alighting upon him.
(Emphasis added) Matthew 3:16
WHERE'S THE AUTHORITY
Pococke, another respected intellectual of the time, like
"doubting Thomas" (John 20:25), wanted proof about
Muhammad (pbuh), the pigeons, and the peas? Grotius
answered "THAT THERE WAS NO PROOF!"
He just felt like inventing this story for his audience. To
him and his audience the "pigeons and peas" theory was
more plausible than that of the Archangel dictating to
Muhammad (pbuh). These falsities wringed the heart of
Carlyle. He cried:
"THE LIES, WHICH WELL-MEANING ZEAL HAS
HEAPED ROUND THIS MAN, ARE DISGRACEFUL TO
OURSELVES ONLY."
Thomas Carlyle
THE HERO PROPHET
Carlyle was a man of genius and God gifted him with
the art of articulation. In his own way, he wanted to put the
records straight. He planned to deliver a lecture and he

chose a very provocative topic"The hero as Prophet." and
he chose this hero-prophet to be the most maligned man of
his time, "MUHAMMAD (PBUH)!" Not Moses, david, Solomon,
or Jesus but Muhammad!1 To placate his overwhelming
Anglican (belonging to the Church of England) fellow
countrymen, he apologised -
"AS THERE IS NO DANGER OF OUR BECOMING,
ANY OF US, MAHOMETANS, 2 I MEAN TO SAY
ALL THE GOOD OF HIM I JUSTLY CAN."
In other words he, as well as his elite audience were
free from the fear of converting to islam, and could take a
chance in paying some compliments to Muhammad (pbuh).
If he had any fears regarding the strength of their faith, he
would not have taken that chance.
In an era of hatred and spite towards evernhing Islamic
and to an audience full of scepticism and cynicism, Carlyle
unfolded many a glowing truth about his hero -
Muhammad (pbuh). To the "praise-worthy," indeed be
praise. For that is what the very name Muhammad means -
the Praised One - the Praiseworthy. There are times when
Carlyle uses words and expressions which miqht not be too
pleasing to the believing Muslim, but one has to forgive him
as he was walking a cultural tightrope, and he succeeded
eminently.
He Paid our hero many ardent and enthusiastic tribute,
and defended him from the false charges and calumnies of
his enemies, exactly as the Prophet had done in the case of
Jesus (pbuh) and his mother.3

1. May the Peace and Blessings of God be upon all his servants.
2. "Mahometans' means Muslims
3. See -Muhummed the Natural Successor to Christ" by the author.
HIS SINCERITY
la. "THE GREAT MAN'S SINCERITY IS OF THE
KIND HE CANNOT SPEAK OF: NAY, I SUP-
POSE, HE IS CONSCIOUS RATHER OF IN-
SINCERITY; FOR WHAT MAN CAN WALK
ACCURATELY BY THE LAW OF TRUTH FOR
ONE DAY? NO, THE GREAT MAN DOES NOT
BOAST HIMSELF SINCERE, FAR FROM THAT;
PERHAPS DOES NOT ASK HIMSELF IF HE IS
SO: I WOULD SAY RATHER, HIS SINCERITY
DOES NOT DEPEND ON HIMSELF: HE CAN-
NOT HELP BEING SINCERE!" Heros and Hero-Worship, p.59
b. "A SILENT GREAT SOUL, HE WAS ONE OF
THOSE WHO CANNOT BUT BE IN EARNEST,
WHOM NATURE HERSELF HAS APPOINTED TO
BE SINCERE. WHILE OTHERS WALK IN
FORMULAS AND HEARSAYS, CONTENTED
ENOUGH TO DWELL THERE, THIS MAN COULD
NOT SCREEN HIMSELF IN FORMULAS; HE WAS
ALONE WITH HIS OWN SOUL AND THE
REALITY OF THINGS. . . SUCH SINCERITY, AS
WE NAMED IT, HAS IN VERY TRUTH SOME-
THING OF DIVINE. THE WORD OF SUCH A
MAN IS A VOICE DIRECT FROM NATURE'S
OWN HEART. MEN DO AND MUST LISTEN TO
THAT AS TO NOTHING ELSE, - - - ALL ELSE IS
WIND IN COMPARISON." Heros and Hero-Worship, p.71
In his lengthy speech, Carlyle did not have the oppor-
tunity to inform his audience about the sources of his
inferences. I may furnish just one incident from the life of
the Prophet. An incidence which reflects the highest degree

Regards,
Sardarzada