Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) claimed to be the Last Messenger of GOD, to teach the only Religion (ISLAM) approved by GOD. This presentation shows that in his character, teachings and achievements indeed proved that his claim was valid - AS ASSESSED BY UNBIASED NON-MUSLIM SCHOLARS AND HISTORIANS.

1. HE IS
BY - DR AMIR FARID ISAHAK

2. WHY HE IS THE CHOSEN
LAST MESSENGER THAT HE
CLAIMED TO BE.

3. QUR’AN 33:21
Indeed, in (the life and character of) the
Messenger of GOD, you will find the best
example to follow, for those whose hopes are in
GOD and the Last Day, and who remember GOD
always.

4. WHY SHOULD YOU KNOW HIM?
• In 610 CE, somewhere in the desert of Arabia
• He claimed to have been appointed The Last Prophet &
Messenger of GOD, and..
• That GOD revealed The Final Scripture (Qur’an) to him.
• That GOD commanded him to practise and preach The Only
Religion (Way of Life) that He approves (Islam).
• SO EVEN IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE ALL THESE, YOU SHOULD BE
CURIOUS ENOUGH TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS GUY WHO
MADE SUCH OSTENTATIOUS, AUDACIOUS, INCREDIBLE,
PREPOSTEROUS-SOUNDING CLAIMS!

5. LET’S GET TO KNOW HIM MORE
• Born 570 CE in desert of Makkah (Mecca)
• Although born into a noble family, he was illiterate, and grew up learning
and working as a trader.
• Acknowledged by his community as being truthful, with impeccable
character. Only spoke when necessary, and often meditated in seclusion.
• Was known as “Al-Amin” (The Truthful). Never told any lie.
• Was always trusted to keep valuables, and to solve disputes.
• At age 25, married his Boss, an older widow (she was 40) who was so
impressed with his perfect character that she asked him to marry her.
• They had several children but only 1 girl survived.
• At age 40 (610 CE), he made those astounding claims.

6. LET’S CHALLENGE HIM
• If he was really who he claimed to be, chosen to deliver
and exemplify the Way of Life (Religion) given and
approved by GOD, then he must be independently and
objectively (ie. not by his followers, but by others)
assessed to be THE GREATEST MAN IN HISTORY, and
nothing less (not even second best).
• The man chosen by GOD to be the teacher/exemplar
of HIS prescribed Way of Life (Religion) must become
the Greatest Man who ever lived, nothing less!
• While choosing the “greatest man” is a subjective
exercise, it can be somewhat objective if we survey the
opinions of many reputable scholars and historians.

7. REMEMBER HIS BACKGROUND
• Born to a respectable trading family. A descendent of
Prophet Ishmael (elder son of Prophet Abraham)
• In the desert of Arabia – not among the established
civilizations of that time (Europe, Persia, India, China,
etc.). The nomadic Arabs were mostly illiterate
shepherds or traders.
• Didn’t receive any formal education – couldn’t even
read or write (but could speak his native language).
• Grew up working for traders, including travelling to
nearby countries (eg. Syria) to trade.

8. WITH THIS HUMBLE BACKGROUND, HOW WAS
HE JUDGED BY UNBIASED NON-MUSLIM
SCHOLARS, THINKERS & HISTORIANS?
• There were many great men (and women) in
history. By the opinions of their own people or
followers, every one of them would have been
proclaimed the greatest in history.
• But it is only objective and valid if we look at the
opinions of those who were NOT their followers, so
that there were no elements of bias.

9. MAKING OUR ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVE
• Following various criteria of greatness, different scholars
would still have different opinions about who excelled most in
the different fields of human endeavour.
• If we then combine the opinions of reputable scholars and
historians, and find that in their assessment, one person
outshines others and keeps appearing in their choice of
being the best or among the best in many fields, then that
person is indeed the greatest person in history.
• You may not agree with their individual opinions and
conclusions. However, you cannot ignore the collective or
majority view if the assessment is done by reputable,
independent scholars or critiques.

10. ON HIS CHARACTER
“..he was a great man by nature”.

11. God declares that Muhammad was sent as
a Mercy to all the Worlds.
(Qur’an 21:107)

12. WHAT ABOUT HIS ACHIEVEMENTS?

13. MUHAMMAD WAS THE GREATEST LEADER IN
HISTORY - Jules Masserman,
TIME Magazine, 15 July 1974
• Prof Jules Masserman, a Jewish scholar, was asked by Time
Magazine to evaluate the greatest leaders in history.
• “Leaders must fulfill three functions —provide for the well-being
of the led, provide a social organization in which people feel
relatively secure, and provide them with one set of beliefs. People
like Pasteur and Salk are leaders in the first sense. People like
Gandhi and Confucius, on one hand, and Alexander, Caesar and
Hitler on the other, are leaders in the second and perhaps the
third sense. Jesus and Buddha belong in the third category alone.
• “Perhaps the greatest leader of all times was Mohammed, who
combined all three functions. To a lesser degree, Moses did the
same”.

14. MUHAMMAD WAS THE GREATEST
LEADER IN HISTORY

15. • John William Draper was an English-born American
scientist, philosopher, physician, chemist, historian and
photographer. He is credited with producing the first clear
photograph of a female face and the first detailed
photograph of the moon in 1840.

16. MUHAMMAD WAS THE MOST
INFLUENTIAL PERSON IN HISTORY –
Dr William Draper (1874)
• “Four years after the death of Justinian, was born in
Mecca, in Arabia, the man who, of all men,
has exercised the greatest influence upon the human
race... To be the religious head of many empires, to
guide the daily life of one-third of the human race, may
perhaps justify the title of a Messenger of God.”
•
(Dr. William Draper in 'History of the Intellectual
Development of Europe' 1874, 5th Edition)

17. • Over 100 years later: Michael H. Hart* came to the same
conclusion. Muhammad was the Most Influential Person in History.
• *American astrophysicist and author, most notably of The 100: A
Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History. He has described
himself as a white separatist and is active in white separatist causes.

19. MUHAMMAD WAS THE MOST
INFLUENTIAL PERSON IN HISTORY –
Michael Hart (1978)
• Over 100 years later, Michael H. Hart (1978) wrote:
•
“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 secular and religious
levels. ...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. ...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.”
•
(M H. Hart, The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in
History, New York, 1978, pp. 33)

20. MUHAMMAD IS THE SAVIOUR OF
HUMANITY- George Bernard Shaw (1936)
• “I have always held the religion of Muhammad in high estimation because
of its wonderful vitality. It is the only religion which appears to me to
possess that assimilating capacity to the changing phase of existence which
can make itself appeal to every age. I have studied him - the wonderful
man and in my opinion far from being an anti-Christ, he must be called the
Saviour of Humanity."
•
"I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the
modern world he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that
would bring it the much needed peace and happiness: I have prophesied
about the faith of Muhammad that it would be acceptable to the Europe
of tomorrow as it is beginning to be acceptable to the Europe of today.”
• (Sir George Bernard Shaw - interview in 'The Genuine Islam,' Vol. 1, No. 8,
1936).

22. MUHAMMAD FOUNDED THE FIRST LEAGUE OF
NATIONS – Prof C. Snouck Hurgronje (1857-1936)
•
Prof. Hurgronje: "The League of Nations founded by the prophet of Islam
put the principle of international unity and human brotherhood on such
universal foundations as to show candle to other nations ... the fact is that
no nation of the world can show a parallel to what Islam has done towards
the realization of the idea of the League of Nations."
• The world has not hesitated to raise to divinity individuals whose lives and
missions have been lost in legend.
• Historically speaking, none of these legends achieved even a fraction of
what Muhammad accomplished. And all of his striving was for the sole
purpose of uniting mankind for the worship of the one God on the codes
of moral excellence.
• Muhammad or his followers never at any time claimed that he was a son of
God, a God-incarnate, or a man having a divine nature - he always was and
is even today considered as only a human messenger chosen by God.

23. • Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje (8 February 1857 – 26 June
1936) was a Dutch scholar of Oriental cultures and languages
and Advisor on Native Affairs to the colonial government of
the Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia).

24. Descartes (1596-1650):
• “The Union of theorist, organizer and leader in one
man, is the rarest phenomenon on this earth;
Therein consists greatness… In the person of the
Prophet of Islam the world has seen this rarest
phenomenon walking on the earth, walking in
flesh and blood”.
• René Descartes was a French philosopher, mathematician, and
scientist.

25. THERE IS NO MAN IN HISTORY GREATER
THAN MUHAMMAD - Lamartine (1854)
Alphonse de Lamartine, renowned French historian
• "If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and
astonishing results are the three criteria of human
genius, who could dare compare any great man in
history with Muhammad?”
• “As regards all the standards that Human
Greatness may be measured, we may well ask:
IS THERE ANY MAN GREATER THAN HE?”

27. WHAT DID THE NON-MUSLIM SCHOLARS SAY ABOUT HIM?
BY OBJECTIVE, UNBIASED SCRUTINY, HE WAS JUDGED TO BE:
• - The Greatest Leader in History (Jules Masserman 1974)
• - The Most Influential Person in History (William Draper 1874 &
Michael Hart 1978)
• - The Saviour of Humanity (George Bernard Shaw 1936)
• - The Rarest Phenomenon Walking on Earth (Descartes)
• - The Greatest Man in History (Alphonse de Lamartine 1854)
• - Founded the first Nation-state with a written Constitution
• - Founded the first model of The League of Nations.

28. CONCLUSION
• Could it be a coincidence that a man from the
Arabian desert who claimed to be the chosen last
Prophet and Messenger of GOD to deliver the Final
Revelation (Qur’an) and to teach humanity the true
religion of GOD (Islam); and who GOD honours in
the Qur’an as “The best example for mankind to
follow” actually was objectively and scholarly
judged by many unbiased non-Muslim critics to be
the most influential man, the most successful
secular and spiritual personality, the man who
accomplished most as a human being, the greatest
leader, the saviour of mankind, and also the
greatest man who ever lived?

29. CONCLUSION
• Was it also a coincidence that he was the first
leader ever in the history of mankind to establish a
nation-state with a written constitution (The
Medina Constitution) and his teachings led to the
establishment of the first League of Nations, in
accordance to his claimed divine mission to unite
mankind in the worship of the one GOD under the
guidance of the Religion of Peace through
Submission to GOD (Islam)?

30. •
Or is it because he actually was the last Prophet and
Messenger that he claimed to be, who understood and
practised perfectly the religion of GOD that he was
chosen to teach and lead by example?
•
Indeed if religion is the guidance or way of life for a
human’s existence in this world, then the founder or
prophet of the true religion of GOD must become the
greatest and most successful human being, and nothing
less.
• Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was exemplary in all the
important spheres of human life.
• HIS ACHIEVEMENTS (AS INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED)
MATCHED THAT REQUIRED TO PROVE HIS CLAIMS!

31. EVEN IF YOU DISAGREE WITH THEIR
OPINIONS, YOU CANNOT IGNORE HIM!
• You may not agree with their opinions and conclusions.
• However, you cannot afford to ignore this man after reading the list of
accolades given by unbiased non-Muslims who had nothing to gain by
being untruthful in their praises of him.
• Other great men & women have also been called “greatest this & that”,
but nobody else was proclaimed by so many scholars, in so many spheres
of life.
• The list mentioned here is only a small portion of a bigger list of
commendations.
• There are of course many who have also written negatively about him,
but none of these critics come close to be considered as serious scholars
or historians.

32. I BELIEVE HIS CLAIMS ARE PROVEN.
I BELIEVE HE WAS THE GREATEST MAN IN HISTORY –
BY OBJECTIVE, INDEPENDENT CRITERIA.
I BELIEVE HE WAS INDEED THE LAST PROPHET &
MESSENGER OF GOD, AS HE HAD CLAIMED.
THEREFORE,
I BELIEVE AND FOLLOW THE RELIGION THAT HE
TAUGHT, AND TRY TO EMULATE HIS EXAMPLE.
(For those who disagree, we respectfully agree to disagree, as
we even disagree on who or what GOD is, or if He exists!)

33. SOME WISE TEACHINGS OF
PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PBUH)
• While Muslims believe the Qur’an is Revelation and
God’s words (verbatim), the explanations,
demonstrations and advice of the Prophet regarding its
teachings are compiled in a separate collection called
the Hadiths.
• The exemplary life of the Prophet which the Muslims
are commanded to follow is called the Sunnah.
• The Life Story of the Prophet (which may include non-
religious matters) is called the Seerah.

34. THE PROPHET COMMANDED US TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER:

35. “No one is a true believer
until he loves all of
humanity, all of
creation”
(Authentic Hadith)

39. THE GREATEST MAN IN HISTORY
WHAT NON-MUSLIMS SAY ABOUT
PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PBUH)

53. IS THERE ANY MAN GREATER THAN HE?
THE LAST PROPHET & MESSENGER OF GOD