The greatest....

Ever since Man learnt how to make measurements, we have strived to be the best. We started recording our greatest achievements. We wanted to know how we stacked up against our peers. Somehow, we wanted to know if we could be the fastest, tallest, farthest, heaviest - errr, maybe not the last one. But we all wanted to be numero uno.

Throughout history, there were many names which stood out - Jesus, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Admiral Zheng He, Christopher Columbus, Napoleon, Albert Einstein, George Washington and Dwight D Eisenhower to name a few. We know all these men and their exploits and what they were famous for. Yeap, they were all great. Many people will have different criterions for measuring greatness. A National Geographic program shown a month or two ago also analysed this topic. And their conclusion? Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). And I concur, not because I am a Muslim, but because I am hard-pressed to find anyone, living or dead, who comes close to his achievements and legacy.

No doubt the names I mentioned prior were great, in their own way. None were great in every aspect of life as Muhammad (PBUH) was. Jesus was a great man. He, however did not define or create Christianity. Christianity saw the light of day only after Jesus's death. Alexander, Genghis Khan and Napoleon were great conquerors. However, what remains of their conquests are now consigned to history book. Zheng He and Columbus were adventurers and discovered new lands for their people, and that was it. George Washington and Eisenhower were great military commanders and statesmen, but they still did not measure up. In fact, the way he lived his life is being followed by Muslims around the world - right down to the way he ate.

He created and perfected a religion of love and peace. He negotiated peace treaties between wrring tribes and united a disunited Arab people under Islam. He created a constitution for the city of Madinah guaranteeing equal rights to its citizens. All decisions were made through a council of likewise esteemed men in the community. Even before his prophethood, he was well-known in Makkah as a fair, righteous and honest man. He advocated the spread of Islam through peaceful means, picking up the sword only in defence or as a last resort. In his last years, he oversaw the spread of Islam to nearby regions. And the spreading of Islam is still ongoing, even now. Not bad for an illiterate, don't you think?

Muslims treat Muhammad (PBUH) with reverence, hence the phrase peace be upon him everytime his name is said or written. Images of him and anything to depict his likeness is considered blasphemous. Even slandering him is blasphemy. This is simply because, Muslims regard the great man with all the love in the world. He is the one man all Muslims dream of meeting and kissing his hands.

So, it saddens me to see caricatures of the great man as depicted by Jyllands-Posten, a Danish paper. It's not so much about the blasphemy which angers me, but the insensitivity shown by the editors of the paper. To do something that impinges on the sensitivites of the Muslim populace, without regard for its consequences is very irresponsible, especially at a time when Muslim frustration at the West is at an all-time high.

Imagine someone defacing a statue of George Washington or someone suggesting that George Washington is a paedophile. The American public would be up in arms against that person. Ditto for the Muslims. Western publications consistently publishes caricatures of famous people and poking fun at them. So, why not Muhammad (PBUH)? Simply because, the memory of the man transcends any national, racial and religious boundaries. Here is a man, guided by God, who has nevver put a wrong foot in whatever he did. A man so revered by Muslims around the world that his image and likeness is outlawed.

I am not so sure if a Pandora's Box has indeed been opened. We are, however, taking a step closer to that if such insensitivities are allowed to take place. Think of it this way, how can we find peace in the world when the very people you hope to have peace with are the very people you keep provoking?