THE NOBLE PROPHET (S.A.W.A.S.) LEADS THE LIST OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS IN HISTORY

According to the Muslim faith, the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) was the last Messenger of the Creator to guide the humanity till the Day of Judgment in the light of the Divine Revelation embodied in the Glorious Qur’an.

Michael H. Hart compiled a book in 1978 “The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History”. In that book, he had placed the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) as number one individual who influenced the human beings. A revised edition of the book was published in the year 1992.

Although we do not agree with a non-Muslim’s views about the Messenger and the Glorious Qur’an, but we should appreciate their recognition of his secular and religious influence on humanity.

In the first two paragraphs about the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.), Michael H. Hart writes:

                “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.

                Of humble origins, 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.”

Michael H. Hart explains the reason why he ranked the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) higher than Prophet E’isa or Jesus:

                “How ,then, is one to assess the overall impact of Muhammad on human history? Like                 all religions, Islam exerts an enormous influence upon the life 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 Muslims 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. It was St. Paul who was the main developer of Christian                          theology, its principal proselytizer, and the author of a large portion of New                                  Testament.

                Muhammad was responsible for both the theology of Islam and its main ethical and                    moral principles. Further more, 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.”