had been but as the ruffling here and there of the surface of a quiet lake; all remained still and motionless below. The people were sunk in superstition, cruelty, and vice … Their religion was a gross idolatry; and their faith the dark superstitious dread of unseen beings … Thirteen years before the Hegira, Mecca lay lifeless in this debased state. What a change had those thirteen years now produced … Jewish truth had long sounded in the ears of the men of Medina; but it was not until they heard the spirit-stirring strains of the Arabian Prophet that they too awoke from their slumber, and sprang suddenly into a new and earnest life”.52
“A more disunited people it would be hard to find till suddenly the miracle took place! A man arose who, by his personality and by his claim to direct Divine guidance, actually brought about the impossible — namely, the union of all these warring factions”.53
“It was the one miracle claimed by Mohammed — his ‘standing miracle’ he called it: and a miracle indeed it is”.54
“Never has a people been led more rapidly to civilization, such as it was, than were the Arabs through Islām”.55
“The Qur’ān is unapproachable as regards convincing power, eloquence, and even composition … And to it was also indirectly due the marvelous development of all branches of science in the Moslim world”.56
Certain religious scholars (Ulamā) have held that the Holy Qur’ān should not be translated into any language, but this position is clearly untenable. The Holy Book is plainly intended for all the nations; it is again and again called “ a Reminder for all the nations” (68:52; 81:27; etc.), and the Holy Prophet is spoken of as “a warner for the nations” (25:1). No warning could be conveyed to a nation except in its own language, and the Holy Qur’ān could not be spoken of as a reminder for the nations unless its message was meant to be given to them in their own language. Its translation into other languages was, therefore, contemplated by the Holy Book itself.57
52 Muir’s Life of Mahomet, pp. 155, 156.
53 Ins and Outs of Mesopotamia.
54 Bosworth Smith’s Mohammed, p. 290.
55 Hirschfeld’s New Researches, p. 5.
56 Ibid., pp. 8, 9.
57 Translations have actually been done into many languages by Muslims themselves. A Persian translation is attributed to Shaikh Sa‘dī, while another rendering into Persian was the work of the famous Indian saint, Shāh Walī Allāh who died over 150 years ago. Translations were made into Urdu by other members of Shāh Walī Allāh’s family, Shāh Rafi‘ al-Din and Shāh ‘Abd al-Qādir, while many more have been added recently. Translations also exist in many other languages. The earliest translations in European languages have been listed as follows in Hughes’ Dictionary of Islām:
“The first translation attempted by Europeans was a Latin version translated by an Englishman, Robert of Retina, and a German, Hermann of Dalmatia. This translation, which was done at the request of Peter, Abbot of the Monastery of Clugny, A.D. 1143, remained hidden nearly 400 years till it was published at Basle, 1543, by Theodore Bibliander, and was afterwards rendered into Italian, German and Dutch … The oldest French translation was done by M. Du Ryer (Paris, 1647). A Russian version appeared at St. Petersberg in 1776 … The first English Qur’ān was Alexander Ross’s translation of Du Ryer’s French version (1649-1688). Sale’s well-known work first appeared in 1734 … A translation by the Rev. J.M. Rodwell … was printed in 1861 … Professor Palmer, of Cambridge, translated the Qur’ān in 1880” (p. 523).