Late Syed Abul A'la Maududi (September 1903 – September 1979)

[Translated from the book "Seerat e Sarwar e Aalam ï·º", Chapter “The Importance of Prophethood of Muhammad (pbuh)", by Syed Abul A'ala Maududi] 

For a while, close your body’s eyes and open your imaginary eyes, and turn back 1400 years back and see the condition of the world.

World Before 14 Centuries:

How few were the means of communication among human beings compared to today! Sources of contact among nations and countries were limited. Information was limited. Humanity’s thinking was incomplete. How dominant were illusion and savage! The light of knowledge was dim in the darkness of ignorance and was spreading with much difficulty by pushing into this darkness. There were no wire, telephone, radio, railways, airplanes, press, broadcast, or excess of schools and colleges in the world. No newspapers or magazines were published; no excess of books was written or published. The information of a scholar of that period in some cases was comparatively less than that of a common man. Even a person of a high society was less humble and polite compared to a laborer of the present era. A person of bright ideas of that era was a dim thinker compared to a bright person of present time. Knowledge of ancient days came with difficulty of efforts, search, and research. Information easily available with lightning speed can be obtained by even a child today, but in ancient days, people had to travel hundreds of kilometers, and sometimes their whole lives were spent in pursuit of knowledge and information. Things we think of as superstitions and myths today were accepted as knowledge in ancient times. The actions we now consider crude and barbaric were once normal routines. Behaviors intolerable to the human conscience today were, not only once permissible, but most people could not even imagine other ways.

Condition of Arabian Land:

In this dark era, there was that corner of the earth where the conduct of darkness was even worse. The countries that were civilized as per the civilization benchmark of that era, Arabia, remained the most isolated among them. Around it, some light of culture and decency, science and arts were found in Iran, Rome, and Egypt, but the big seas of sand isolated them from Arabia. Arab traders used to go on business trips to these countries by traveling on camels for months and would return with just exchange of money. No light of science and culture would come with them. There was no school, no library, no talk of education among people, and no interest of science and arts in their country. In the whole of the country, there were few people who could read and write. Even fewer people were acquainted with the science and arts of that era. They had a regular language though of a high level which had extraordinary ability to express high ideas. They also had the best literary jokes. However, the remnants of their literature show us that their information was limited. They were very low ranked in civilization, they were dominated by superstitions, ignorance and alienation were in their thoughts, and customs and their moral concepts were bad.

There was no proper government and no proper code. Every tribe was autonomous, and only the law of the jungle was followed. Whoever had the power would kill the other person and acquire his wealth. This was above the understandings of an Arab Bedouin that a person who does not belong to his tribe not be killed and his wealth not acquired.

All the concepts that they had of decency, morality, and civilization were minimal and unexpected. Their ways were brutal. Rape, gambling, alcohol, robbery, murder, and bloodshed were part of their life. They would get naked in front of each other freely. Even their women would make ‘tawaf’ (circling the holy Ka’aba) naked. They would bury alive their daughters with their own hands just because of the ignorant thinking that no one would become their son-in-law. Men would marry their stepmothers after the deaths of their fathers. They did not have simple manners of eating, dressing, purity, and dignity.

In the chapter of religion, they were shareholders in ignorance and darkness in which the world of that era was involved. Idol worship, soul worship, star worship, and other false worship were prevalent. They did not have knowledge of previous prophets and their messages. They knew of Syedna Ibrahim (Abraham) عليه السلام and Syedna Ismail (Ishmael) عليه السلام , but they did not know their religion or their God. The stories of Aad and Thamud were famous among them, and their traditions have been documented by Arab historians, but there were no signs of the teachings of Prophet Saleh عليه السلام and Prophet Hud عليه السلام. The stories of the prophets of Bani Israel reached them through the Jews and the Christians; however, the Israeli traditions were lacking in assessing the value of the prophets.

Emergence of a Personality:

In that society, a certain child lost his father, mother and grandfather and could not benefit from their training. When he became older, he grazed goats along with Bedouin children. When grown, he went into the business of trade. All interactions were with the Arabs living in darkness and ignorance, and he had no access to formal education. He could not get the companionship of a scholar as there was no concept of existence of a scholar in the whole of Arabia. The only times he left Arabia was on business trips to Syria. Perhaps he was able to observe some signs of knowledge and culture and had a chance to meet some people of knowledge on these trips, but such scattered observation and emergency meetings were not sufficient. Their impact was not enough for him to think independently from his society. It is not possible that his slight exposure to Syrian culture was enough for him to change from being an illiterate Bedouin to a world leader. Even if he benefited from outside people to some level, he could not benefit from anyone concerning values, ethics, morals, and principles that still did not exist.

His Character:

This person, born among those people, spent his childhood with them, grew up among them, interacted with them, and did transactions with them was different from them from the start in habits and ethics. He never lied. The whole nation bore witness to his honesty. His worst enemy never accused him of dishonesty. He never abused or uttered bad words to anyone. No one ever heard him say anything vulgar or abusive. He never got into any arguments. Instead of harshness in his words, there were kindness and gentleness.  In business, he never took anyone’s money fraudulently, and his business acquaintances trusted him completely. The people, who did transactions with him, all had trust in his honesty. He was modest, humble, moral, and courteous. He never touched alcohol or gambling. He hated misbehavior and filth; purity and cleanliness were found in every work of his. He was so compassionate that he had profound empathy for everyone’s sadness and pain. He helped the orphans and widows and hosted the travelers. He was a peace-lover among barbaric people, and he fretted over the violence and bloodshed in his nation. He would guard himself from the fights of his tribe and would be in the forefront in attempts of reconciliation. He was such a person of sound mind and sanity among idol worshippers; he did not see anything in the earth and sky worth worshipping. He never bowed in front of any creature. He never ate the offerings made to idols. His heart itself hated prostration, worshiping creatures and idols.

In this condition, he would be so distinguished like the brightness of a candle in darkness or a diamond shining in a heap of stones.

Mental and Spiritual Change:

After spending forty years of his life in such a pure and civilized manner, there came a revolution in his being. He despaired of the darkness and ignorance around him and wanted to swim clear of the horrible sea of corruption, immorality, idolatry, and disorder surrounding him. He found society out of harmony with his soul. He withdrew alone to the hills, spending days and nights in total seclusion and meditation. He fasted so that his soul and his heart may become still purer and nobler. In a state of meditation, he searched for a light to melt away the encompassing darkness. He wanted the power to bring about the downfall of the corrupt and disorderly world of his day and lay the foundations of a new and better world.

Message of Revolution:

Suddenly his heart became illuminated with the Divine Light, empowering him with a message for all people. He came from the confinement of his cave, went to the people, and addressed them: “These idols which you worship are a sham. Stop worshipping them from now on. No mortal being, no star, no tree, no stone, no spirit is worthy for you to worship them, bow towards them, and obey them. The entire universe with everything that it contains belongs to Allah Almighty. He alone is the Creator, the Nourisher, the Sustainer and, consequently, the real Sovereign before whom all should bow down and to whom all should pray and render obedience. Thus, worship Him alone and obey only His commands. Loot and plunder, murder and rapine, injustice and cruelty —all the vices in which you indulge— are crimes in the eyes of Allah. Leave your evil ways. He hates them all. Speak the truth. Be just. Do not kill anyone. Do not rob anyone. Take your lawful share. Give what is due to others in a just manner. You are human beings, and all human beings are equal in the eyes of Allah. None is born with the slur of shame on his face; nor has anyone come into the world with the mantle of honor hung around his neck. He alone is high and honored who is God-fearing and pious, true in words and deed. Distinctions of birth and race are no criteria of greatness and honor. One who fears Allah and does good deeds is the noblest of human beings. One who does not love Allah and is steeped in bad ways is doomed. There is an appointed day after your death when you shall have to appear before your Lord. You shall be called to account for all your deeds, good or bad, and you shall not be able then to hide anything. The whole record of your life shall be an open book to Him. Your fate shall be determined by your good or bad actions. In the court of the True Judge —the Omniscient Allah— the question of unfair recommendation and favoritism does not arise. You will not be able to bribe Him. No consideration will be given to your pedigree or parentage. True faith and good deeds alone will stand you in good stead at that time. He who has them shall take his abode in the Heaven of eternal happiness, while he who is devoid of them shall be cast in the fire of Hell.”

Response of the Nation:

The ignorant nation turned against him. Abuse, stones, and cruelty were showered on him for thirteen long, troubled years. Finally, he was exiled, but he was not given respite even then. He was tormented in various ways in his place of refuge. The whole of Arabia was incited against him. He was persecuted and hounded continuously for fully eight years there in his place of exile, but he never budged from the message he delivered.

How did his nation become his bitter enemy? Was there any dispute about money or land? Did he ask anything from them? No! The whole enmity was based on the fact that he had asked them to worship the One True Allah and to lead lives of righteousness, piety, and goodness. He had preached against idolatry and the worship of other beings besides Allah, and he had denounced their way of life. He had cut the roots of priest-craft. He had inveighed against all distinctions of high and low among human beings, and he had condemned the prejudices of tribe and race as sheer ignorance, and he wanted to change the whole structure of society which had been handed down to them from time immemorial. In return, his countrymen told him that the principles of his mission were hostile to their ancestral traditions and asked him either to give them up or to bear the worst consequences.

Why Endure Hardship?

Why did he suffer all those hardships? His nation offered to accept him as their king and to lay all the riches of the land at his feet if only he would stop preaching his religion and spreading his message. But he chose instead to refuse the tempting offers and to suffer for his cause. Why? What had he to gain if those people became pious and righteous? Why was it that he cared nothing for riches and luxury, kingship and glory, and ease and plenty? Was he playing for some higher material gains so that these blessings sank into insignificance in comparison with them? Were those so tempting that he could elect to go through fire and sword and bear tortures of the soul and torments of the body with equanimity for 21 years? Ponder over it deeply to find an answer. Can you imagine a higher example of self-sacrifice and kindheartedness towards his fellow-beings that a man may ruin his own happiness for the good of others, while those very people for whose betterment he is striving his utmost should stone him, no quarter even in his exile, and that, in this all, he should refuse to refrain from striving for their well-being?

Then see. Can any liar undergo so much suffering for a false cause? Can any dishonest speculator and visionary exhibit such firmness and determination for his ideal as to stick to his guns to the very last and remain unruffled and unperturbed in the face of dangers and torture when a whole country rises up in arms against him? This faith, this perseverance, and this resolution, with which he led his movement to ultimate success, are, therefore, an eloquent proof of the supreme truth of his cause. Had there been the slightest touch of doubt and uncertainty in his heart, he could never have been able to brave the storm which continued in all its fury for twenty-one long years.

This is one side of the revolution that came in him. The other is even more wonderful and remarkable.

Second Side of the Revolution of the Condition:

For forty years he lived as an Arab among Arabs. In that long period, he was not known as an orator. He was never seen discoursing upon the principles of metaphysics, ethics, law, politics, economics, and sociology. He had uttered no word about God, the angels, the revealed Book, the early prophets, the bygone nations, the Day of Judgment, the life after death, Hell and Heaven. No doubt he possessed an excellent character and charming manners and was highly cultured; yet, there was nothing so deeply striking and so radically extraordinary in him at the age of forty which could make men expect something great and revolutionary from him in the future. He was known among his acquaintances as a sober, calm, gentle, law-abiding citizen of good nature. But after forty years when he came out of the cave with a new message, he was completely transformed.

Now he was preaching a message and the whole of Arabia stood in awe. It was so impressive and captivating that his worst enemies were afraid of hearing it, lest it should penetrate deep into the recesses of their hearts. It was so matchless that the whole legion of Arab poets, preachers, and orators of the highest caliber failed to bring forth its equivalent in beauty of language and splendor of diction when he threw the challenge to his opponents to produce even a single verse like the one he recited. Such an unmatched word was unheard by the Arabs.

Now suddenly he appeared as a unique philosopher, a wonderful reformer, a renowned moulder of culture and civilisation, an illustrious politician, a great leader, a judge of the highest eminence, and an incomparable general. This unlettered dweller of the desert spoke with such learning and wisdom the like of which none had said before and none could say after him. He expounded the intricate problems of theology. He delivered speeches on the principles of the decline and fall of nations and empires, supporting his thesis by the historical data of the past. He reviewed the achievements of the old reformers, passed judgments on the various religions of the world, and gave verdicts on the differences and disputes among nations. He taught ethical canons and principles of culture. He formulated such laws of social culture, economic organisation, group conduct, and international relations that even eminent thinkers and scholars could grasp their true wisdom only after life-long research and vast experience of men and things. Their beauties, indeed, unfold themselves progressively as man advances in theoretical knowledge and practical experience.

This silent and peace-loving trader who had never handled a sword before, who had no military training, who had but once participated in a battle and that also just as a spectator, turned suddenly into such a brave soldier that he did not even once retreat in the fiercest battles. He became such a great general that he conquered the whole of Arabia in nine years. He developed such a high pitch and the military spirit which he infused and the military training which he imparted to Arabs (who had no equipment worth the name) wrought such a miracle that within a few years they overthrew the two most formidable military powers of the day.

This reserved and quiet man who, for full forty years, never gave indication of any political interest or activity, appeared suddenly as a great political reformer and statesman that, without the aid of radio and wireless and press, he brought together the scattered inhabitants of a desert of twelve hundred thousand square miles. They were a people who were warlike, ignorant, unruly, uncultured, and plunged in internecine tribal warfare.  He brought them under one banner, one law, one religion, one culture, one civilization, and one form of government within 23 years. He changed their modes of thought, their very habits, and their morals. He changed the barbarous into the civilised, the evildoers and bad characters into pious, God-fearing, and righteous persons. Their unruly and stiff-necked natures were transformed into models of obedience and submission to law and order. An unsterile nation, which had not produced a single great man worth the name for centuries, gave birth, under his influence and guidance, to thousands of noble souls who went forth to far-off corners of the world to preach and teach the principles of religion, morals, and civilization.

Moral Way of Working:

He accomplished this feat –not through any worldly lure, oppression or cruelty—but by his captivating manners, his endearing moral personality, and his convincing manners, his endearing moral personality, and his convincing teaching. With his noble and gentle behavior, he befriended even his enemies. He captured the hearts of the people with sympathy and kindness. He ruled justly. He did not swerve from truth and righteousness. He never deceived or made treachery in war. He did not oppress even his deadly enemies who were after his life, who had pelted him with stones, who had turned him out of his native place, who had pitched the whole of Arabia against him nay, not even those who had chewed raw the liver of his dead uncle in a frenzy of vengeance. He forgave them all when he triumphed over them. He never took revenge on anyone for his personal grievances.

Despite his becoming the ruler of his country, he was so selfless and modest that he remained very simple and sparing in his habits. He lived poorly, as before, in his humble thatched mud-cottage. He slept on a mattress, wore coarse clothes, ate the simplest food of the poor, and sometimes went without any food at all. He used to spend whole nights standing in prayer before his Lord. He came to the rescue of the destitute and the penniless. He was not ashamed to work as a labourer. Till his last moments, there was not the slightest tinge of kingly pomp and show or hauteur of the high and the rich in him. Like an ordinary man, he would sit and walk with people and share their joys and sorrows. He would mingle with the crowd so that a stranger would find it difficult to point out the leader of the people and the ruler of the nation from the rest of the company. Despite his greatness, his behaviour with the humblest person was that of an ordinary human being. In the struggles and endeavours of his whole life he did not leave his entire estate for his own person. He dedicated it to his whole Ummah. He did not ask his adherents to earmark anything for him or his descendants, so much so that he forbade his progeny from receiving the Zakat (or poor-tax), lest his followers of any future time may dole out the whole share of Zakat to them.

Founder of the Modern Era:

The achievements of this great man do not end here. In order to arrive at a correct appraisal of his true worth, one has to view it in the background of the history of the world as a whole. That would reveal that this unlettered dweller of the desert of Arabia, who was born in the ‘dark ages’ some 1400 years ago, was the real pioneer of the modern age and the true leader of humanity. He is not only the leader of those who accept his leadership but of those also who do not acclaim him as such. The only difference is that the latter are unaware of the fact the person against whom they speak, his guidance is still imperceptibly influencing their thoughts and their actions and is the governing principle of their lives and the very spirit of the modern times.

It was he who turned the course of human thought from superstition-mongering, love for the unnatural and the inexplicable, and monasticism towards rational approach, love for reality, and a pious, balanced worldly life. It was he who, in a world which regarded only supernatural happenings as miracles and demanded them for the verification of the truth of a religious mission, inspired the urge for rational proof and the faith in them as the criterion of truth. It was he who opened the eyes of those who had been accustomed till then to look for the signs of God in the natural phenomena. It was he who, in place of baseless speculation, led human beings to the path of rational understanding and sound reasoning on the basis of observation, experiment, and research. It was he who clearly defined the limits and functions of sense perception, reason, and intuition. It was he who brought about a rapprochement between the spiritual and the material values. It was he who harmonised faith with knowledge and action. It was he who created the scientific spirit with the power of religion and who evolved true religiosity on the basis of the scientific spirit. It was he who eradicated idolatry, man-worship, and polytheism in all forms so thoroughly and created such a firm faith in the Unity of God that even those religions which were based entirely on superstitions and idolatry were compelled to adopt a monotheistic theme. It was he who changed the basic concepts of ethics and spirituality. To those who believed that asceticism and self-annihilation alone formed the standard of moral and spiritual purity, that purity could not be achieved except by running away from worldly life, disregarding all the urges of the flesh, and subjecting the body to all types of tortures. It was he who showed the path of spiritual evolution, moral emancipation, and attainment of salvation through active participation in the practical affairs of the world around them. It was he who brought home to man his true worth and position; those who acknowledged only a God incarnate or a son of God as their moral preceptor or spiritual guide were told that a human being like them having no pretension to Godhead could become the vicegerent of God on earth; those who proclaimed and worshipped powerful personages as their gods were made to understand that their false lords were mere human beings. It was he who stressed the point that no person could claim holiness, authority, and over lordship as birth right, and that none was born with the stigma of untouchability, slavery, or serfdom on his person. It was he and his teaching which inspired the thoughts of the unity of mankind, equality of human beings, true democracy, and real freedom in the world.

Leaving aside the concepts and moving a bit further, one will find countless practical results of the leadership of this unlettered person firmly impressed on the laws and ways of the world. So many principles of good behaviour, culture and civilisation, purity of thought and deed, which are prevalent in the world today, owe their origin to him. The social laws which he gave have infiltrated deep into the structure of human social life, and this process continues up to this day. The basic principles of economics which he taught have ushered in many a movement in world history and hold out the same promise for the future. The laws of governance which he formulated brought about many an upheaval in the political notions and theories of the world and continue to assert their influence even today. The fundamental principles of law and justice which bear the stamp of his genius have influenced to a remarkable degree the administration of justice and form a perpetual source of guidance for all legists till date. This unlettered Arab was the first person who set on foot for the first time practically the whole framework of international relations, and regulated the laws of war and peace. For no one had previously even the remotest idea that there could be an ethical code of war also and that relation between different nations could be regulated on the ground of common humanity.

Comprehensive Perfection Personality:

In the cavalcade of world history, the sublime figure of this wonderful person towers so high above all the great men of all times who are famous as heroes of nations, that they appear to be dwarfs when contrasted with him. None of them possessed a genius capable of making any deep impression on more than one or two aspects of human life. Some are the exponents of theories and ideas but are deficient in practical action. Some others are men of action but suffer from paucity of knowledge. Some are renowned as statesmen only; others are masters of strategy and manoeuvring. Some have concentrated on one aspect of social life in a manner that other aspects have been overlooked. Some others have devoted their energies to ethical and spiritual verities but have ignored economics and politics. Some others have taken to economics and politics, but neglect morals and the spiritual side of life. In short, one comes across heroes who are adepts and experts in one walk of life only. His is the only example where all the excellences have been blended into one personality. He is a philosopher and a seer and also a living embodiment of his own teachings. He is a great statesman as well as a military genius. He is a legislator and also a teacher of morals. He is a spiritual luminary as well as a religious guide. His vision penetrates every aspect of life and there is nothing which he touches and does not adorn. His orders and commandments cover a vast field from the regulation of international relations down to the habits of everyday life like eating, drinking, and cleanliness of the body. On the foundations of his theories he established a civilisation and a culture and produced such a fine equilibrium in the conflicting aspects of life that there is to be found not even the slightest trace of any flaw, deficiency, or incompleteness. Can anyone describe any other example of such a perfect and all-round personality?

Person Above Conditions:

Most of the famous personalities of the world are said to be the products of their environment. But his case is unique. His environment seems to have played no part in the making of his personality. It also cannot be proved that historically his birth synchronised with the order of things in Arabia at that time. What one can say at the most is that the circumstances in Arabia cried aloud for the appearance of such a person who could weld together the warring tribes into one nation and lay the foundation of their economic solidarity and well-being by bringing other countries under their sway -in short, a national leader who would have all the traits of an Arab of those days and, through cruelty, oppression, bloodshed, deceit, and hypocrisy, or by any other fair or foul means, could have enriched his own people, and left a kingdom as a heritage for his successors. You cannot prove any other crying need of the history of Arabia of that time. You can say at the most in the light of Hegel’s philosophy of history or Marx’s historical materialism is that the time and environment demanded the emergence of a leader who could create a nation and build up an empire. But the Hegelian or Marxian philosophy cannot explain how such an environment could produce a man whose mission was to teach the best morals, to purify humanity of all dross, and to wipe out prejudices and superstitions of the days of ignorance and darkness, who looked beyond the borders of race, nation, and country, 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 and temperate synthesis between worldly life and spiritual advancement that even to this day it is considered a masterpiece of wisdom and foresight exactly in the same way as it was considered in his lifetime. Can you honestly call such a person as the product of the all-pervading darkness of Arabia?

Historic Figure:

He does not only appear to be independent of his environment; rather, when we look at his achievements we are irresistibly drawn to the conclusion that he actually transcends all limitation of time and space. His vision breaks through all temporal and physical barriers, passes beyond centuries and millenniums, and comprehends within itself entire human activity and the whole of human history. He is not one of those whom history has cast into old, and he is praised only because he was just a good leader in his own time. He is that unique and incomparable leader of humanity who marches with the time, who is modern in every age and era, as he was in his own age of history.

Except for the true prophets of God, those considered ‘makers of history’ are in fact only ‘creatures of history’. In fact, in the whole history of mankind, Prophet Muhammadï·º (peace upon him) was the only ‘maker of history’. If you scan the lives and circumstances of the great leaders of the world who brought about revolutions, you will find that on each such occasion the forces of revolution were gathering momentum for the destined upheaval, were taking their course in certain directions and were only waiting for propitious moment to burst out. In harnessing these forces in time for action the revolutionary leader played the part of an actor for whom the stage and the role is set beforehand. On the other hand, amidst all ‘makers of history’ and revolutionary figures of all times, he is the only person who had to find ways and means to bring together the wherewithal of revolution, who had to mould and produce the kind of men he wanted for his purpose because the very spirit of revolution and its requisite paraphernalia were nonexistent in those people among whom his lot was cast. He made an indelible impression on the hearts of thousands of his disciples by his forceful personality and moulded them according to his liking. By his iron he prepared the ground for revolution, moulded its shape and features, and directed the currents into a channel as he wished and desired. Can anyone cite another example of a maker of history of such brilliance and splendour?

High Level of His Righteousness:

Now ponder over this matter and wonder how, in the dark ages 1400 years back in a benighted region of the earth like Arabia, an unlettered Arab trader and herdsman came to possess such light, such knowledge, such power, such capabilities, and such finely developed moral virtues. You may say that there is nothing peculiar about his message. It is the product of his own mind. If it is so, then he should have proclaimed himself as God. And if he had made such an assertion at that time, the peoples of the earth who did not hesitate in calling Krishna and Buddha as gods and Jesus as the Son of God, just out of their own fancy, and who could without compunction worship even the forces of nation like fire, water, and air would have readily acknowledged such a wonderful person as the Lord God Himself. But see what he is saying. He is not taking credit for any of his perfections. He says that he is a human being like you and that he has not brought anything to you of his own accord. The message, the like of which the whole humanity had never before seen, every word of it has been sent down by God and all glory to Him whose message it is. He announced that all the wonderful achievements, which stand to his credit in our eyes, all the laws which he had given, all the principles he enunciated and taught were not from him. He credited God alone. He declared himself thoroughly incompetent for producing such things out of his sheer personal ability and capabilities. He looked to divine guidance in all matters.

See what a wonderful and inspiring example of honesty, truth, and honour it is. A liar and a hypocrite generally tries to ascribe to himself all the credit for the deeds of others, even when the falsehood of his statement can be easily proved. But this great man does not appropriate the credit of any of these achievements to his own person even when none could contradict him, as there was no method of finding out the source of his inspiration. What more proof of perfect honesty of purpose, uprightness of character, and sublimit of soul can there be? Who else can be a more truthful person than he who received such unique gifts and embellishments through a secret channel, and still he points out the source of all his enlightenment and inspiration? Why should not we endorse him?

--Author Syed Abul A'ala Maududi, compiled in Urdu by Naeem Siddiqui, and Abdul Wakeel Alvi, compiled in English by Syed Jawed Anwar.

-This article is translated by Ibrahim Usmani and edited by Linda iLham Barto.