Islam Rediscovered
20. The Revolutionary Role of Islam
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French historian, Henri Pirenne, has expressed it
thus: “Islam changed the face of the globe. The
traditional order of history was overthrown.”
The Qur’an, in defining the objective of the divine
intervention, has this to say:
It is He that has sent forth His Prophet with
guidance and the true faith, so that he may
exalt it above all religions. God is the All-
sufficient witness (48:28).
This has found expression in a
hadith
recorded in
Sahih al-Bukhari:
He will not depart from this world as God has
decreed, unless and until these people are
brought to the straight path. (
Fathul Bari
449-8).
This shows that, for the prophets of the past,
communication alone was required, whereas for the
Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, not
just communication but also implementation was
required.
The task of the earlier prophets was completed with
the full communication of the message to the
