WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT ISLAM

Islam, as revealed to Muhammad (pbuh), is the continuation and culmination of all preceding revealed religions. It is thus the perfect religion for all times and for all peoples. Such a claim is supported by several facts.
First, there is no other revealed book that is extant in its original form and content. Second, no other revealed religion has a convincing claim to provide guidance in all walks of human life for all times. Islam, however, addresses humanity at large and offers basic guidance on all human problems. Moreover, it has withstood the test of fourteen hundred years and has the potential to establish once again an ideal society, as it did under the leadership of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
It was a miracle that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) could win even his toughest enemies over to the fold of Islam without adequate material resources. Worshippers of idols, blind followers of the ways of their forefathers, promoters of tribal feuds, abusers of human dignity and blood Ð these were Muhammad's (pbuh) people. By the time of his death, however, he had transformed them into the most disciplined nation under the guidance of Islam and its prophet.
Islam opened vistas of spiritual heights and human dignity by declaring righteousness as the sole criterion of merit and honor. Islam shaped its followers social, cultural, moral, and commercial life with those basic laws and principles that are in complete conformity with human nature. As human nature does not change, Islam is applicable in all times and for all peoples. It is unfortunate that the Christian West, instead of making an honest attempt to understand the phenomenal success of Islam, has always considered it a rival religion. During the Crusades, this opposition gained a great deal of strength and force, which led to the generation of a genre of anti-Islamic polemical literature based on ignorance and hostility and designed to distort the image of Islam. But such hostility has not prevented Islam from unfolding its genuineness to those modern scholars whose bold and objective observations have begun to set the record straight.
Here we furnish some observations on Islam that have been made by acknowledged non-Muslim scholars of our own time. We hope that their comments will contribute to an unbiased and open-minded dialogue between followers of other religions who are interested in gaining a true understanding of Islam.