Ni kweli kwamba hadi sasa hakuna mfano wa kiutendaji wa itikadi ya Kiislamu kikamilifu katika ulimwengu wa leo. Hata hivyo, Uislamu si dini wala itikadi mpya. Kinyume chake, Uislamu una rekodi ndefu zaidi ya utekelezaji kuliko itikadi yoyote nyingine. Ujamaa una uzoefu wa chini ya miaka themanini katika rekodi yake. Ubepari, katika aina yoyote au umbo lolote, una takriban miaka mia mbili tu ya utekelezaji wa vitendo katika rekodi yake. Uislamu, kwa upande mwingine, umekuwa ukitekelezwa kwa zaidi ya miaka elfu moja mia tatu. Katika kipindi hiki, umepitia nguvu na udhaifu, ushindi na kushindwa, maendeleo na kudorora. Kwa maneno mengine, muda wa itikadi ya Kiislamu katika maisha ya vitendo una data za kutosha kuthibitisha uwezo wa Uislamu wa kukabiliana na nyanja mbalimbali za maisha, kushughulikia migogoro, kutatua matatizo yanayomhusu binadamu, kupanga maisha ya binadamu, kusimamia mahusiano ya vita, na kuendesha mahusiano ya amani.

It is true that a practical model of the Islamic ideology does not fully exist in the contemporary world. However, Islam is not a new religion or ideology. On the contrary, Islam has the longest record of implementation for any single ideology. Socialism has less than eighty years of experience in its record. Capitalism, in any of its forms or shapes, barely has two hundred years of practical implementation in its record. Islam, on the other hand, had more than thirteen hundred years of implementation. During this period, it experienced strength and weakness, victory and defeat, progress and decline. In other words, the duration of the Islamic ideology in practical life has sufficient data to validate the ability of Islam to cope with various aspects of life, to deal with crisis, to resolve human-related problems, to organize the life of humans, to administer warfare relations, and to manage peaceful interrelations.

Katika kipindi chote cha utekelezaji wa Uislamu, mataifa kadhaa yaliingia chini ya utawala wa Uislamu, yakiwa na lugha, makabila, dini, rangi na asili mbalimbali. Kwa hiyo, rekodi ya utekelezaji wa Uislamu ni tajiri zaidi kuliko inavyohitajika kupima itikadi yoyote. Sehemu hii itatoa muhtasari mfupi wa historia ya itikadi ya Kiislamu katika vitendo. Kwa maelezo ya kina zaidi kuhusu historia ya dola na ustaarabu wa Kiislamu, msomaji anaweza kushauriana na machapisho mbalimbali kuhusu historia ya Kiislamu.176

Throughout the implementation period of Islam, several nations came under the rule of Islam with diverse languages, ethnicity, religions, colors, and races. So the record of implementation of Islam is far more rich than required to test any ideology. This section will provide a brief account of the history of the Islamic ideology in action. For more detailed information on the history of the Islamic state and civilization, the reader can consult a wide spectrum of publication on the Islamic history.176

Ili kuonyesha mafanikio ya itikadi ya Kiislamu katika kufikia malengo yake ya kuunda mfumo imara na wa haki, nitategemea ushahidi wa kihistoria wa wanazuoni na wanahistoria. Nitarejea pia kwenye ushahidi wa wanahistoria na wanazuoni wasio Waislamu ili kuongeza uaminifu zaidi kwa majadiliano na hitimisho.

To illustrate the success of the Islamic ideology in achieving its objectives in creating a stable and just system, I will rely on historical witnesses of scholars and historians. I will resort to the witnesses of non-Muslim historians and scholars to add more reliability to the discussion and conclusions.

Wanahistoria wengi wameweka sehemu ya uchambuzi wao kwenye haiba ya Mtume Muhammad ﷺ kama muasisi wa ustaarabu uliojengwa juu ya itikadi na dini ya Uislamu. Haiba ya kiongozi huyo na uwezo wake wa kuunda jamii kwa kuzingatia mawazo na imani zake unadhihirisha uhalisia wa itikadi hiyo. Edward Gibbon katika kitabu chake *The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire*177 anaandika kuhusu Mtume Muhammad ﷺ na kusema: “Busara ya Muhammad ﷺ ilidharau fahari ya ufalme. Mtume wa Mungu alijishusha kufanya kazi za nyumbani za familia yake; aliwasha moto, alifagia sakafu, alikamua kondoo jike, na kushona kwa mikono yake viatu na nguo zake. Akiyakataa mateso ya kujinyima na sifa za mtawa, alifuata bila juhudi yoyote ya kujionyesha lishe ya kiasi ya Mwarabu.” Edward Gibbon na Simon Oakley, katika simulizi nyingine, wanapanua uchunguzi huo kutoka sifa za kipekee za uongozi na usimamizi za Muhammad ﷺ hadi kwa wafuasi wake na uwezo wao wa kuendeleza ustaarabu kwa zaidi ya miaka elfu moja na mia mbili. Nguvu ya kimaadili ya Mtume Muhammad ﷺ inatajwa kuwa mchango mkubwa katika mafanikio ya ustaarabu aliouunda. Gibbon na Oakley wanaandika kwa heshima kubwa na kwa kustaajabu: “Si kueneza kwa dini yake bali kudumu kwake ndiko kunakostahili mshangao wetu; ile taswira safi na kamili aliyoichora Makka na Madina imehifadhiwa baada ya mapinduzi ya karne kumi na mbili na waongofu wa Kihindi, wa Kiafrika na wa Kituruki wa Qur'an.” Uthabiti wa msingi wa kinadharia wa itikadi hiyo na utekelezaji wake wa kivitendo unabainishwa na Gibbon na Oakley katika maandishi yao. “Waislamu daima wamepinga jaribu la kuishusha kitu cha imani na ibada yao hadi kiwango cha hisia na mawazo ya binadamu.” Kwa ufasaha mkubwa, wanahistoria hao walisisitiza kuwa unyenyekevu wa imani ya Uislamu (Naamini katika Mungu Mmoja na kwamba Muhammad ﷺ ni Mtume wa Mungu) ulikuwa na athari kubwa katika utekelezaji wenye mafanikio wa itikadi rahisi na isiyobadilika ya Uislamu. Taswira ya kiakili ya Mungu haijawahi kudhalilishwa na sanamu yoyote inayoonekana; heshima anazopewa Mtume ﷺ kamwe hazijapita kipimo cha wema wa kibinadamu, na mafundisho yake hai yamezuia shukrani za wafuasi wake ndani ya mipaka ya akili na dini.179

Quite few historians devoted part of their account to the personality of Mohammad the Prophet as a creator of a civilization based on the ideology and religion of Islam. The personality of the leader and his ability to mold a society based on his ideas and beliefs demonstrates the practicality of the ideology. Edward Gibbon in The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire177 writes about Prophet Mohammad and says, “The good sense of Mohammad despised the pomp of royalty. The Apostle of God submitted to the menial offices of the family; he kindled the fire; swept the floor; milked the ewes; and mended with his own hands his shoes and garments. Disdaining the penance and merit of a hermit, he observed without effort of vanity the abstemious diet of an Arab.” Edward Gibbon and Simon Oakley, in another account, extend the observation from the unique stewardship traits of Mohammad to his followers and their ability to sustain a civilization for more than twelve hundred years.178 The moral force of Mohammad the Prophet is cited as a major contributor to the success of the civilization he created. Gibbon and Oakley write with great esteem and admiration, “It is not the propagation but the permanency of his religion that deserves our wonder, the same pure and perfect impression which he engraved at Mecca and Medina is preserved after the revolutions of twelve centuries by the Indian, the African and the Turkish proselytes of the Quran.” The consistency of the theoretical foundation of the ideology with the practical implementation is noticed by Gibbon and Oakley in their writings. “The Muslims have uniformly withstood the temptation of reducing the object of their faith and devotion to a level with the senses and imagination of man.” With great elegance, the historians maintained that the simplicity of the creed of Islam (I believe in One God and Mohammad the Apostle of God) had a great impact on the successful implementation of the simple and invariable ideology of Islam. “The intellectual image of the Deity has never been degraded by any visible idol; the honors of the Prophet have never transgressed the measure of human virtue, and his living precepts have restrained the gratitude of his disciples within the bounds of reason and religion.”179

Mnamo mwaka wa 1878, Reverend Bosworth Smith, baada ya uchunguzi wa kina wa historia ya Uislamu na mtu aliyesimamia utekelezaji wenye mafanikio wa Uislamu, alimweleza Muhammad ﷺ kuwa "kiongozi wa Dola pamoja na Kanisa (au dini)", akirejelea muunganiko wa kazi za dola ndani ya Uislamu. Kwa mujibu wa Rev. Smith, Muhammad ﷺ alikuwa Kaisari na papa kwa pamoja; lakini alikuwa papa bila madai ya papa, na Kaisari bila majeshi ya Kaisari, bila jeshi la kudumu, bila walinzi binafsi, bila kikosi cha polisi, bila mapato maalum. Rev. Smith alihitimisha utafiti wake kwa ushuhuda huu: "Kama kuna mtu aliyewahi kutawala kwa haki ya Mungu, huyo alikuwa Muhammad ﷺ, kwa maana alikuwa na mamlaka yote bila msaada wake. Hakujali mapambo ya madaraka. Unyenyekevu wa maisha yake binafsi ulilingana na maisha yake ya hadharani." Kwa maneno mengine, mfumo kamili wa itikadi ya Uislamu uliungwa mkono na uongozi imara na wenye akili, ambao ulijenga historia ya mafanikio. Kwa maneno ya Reverend, "baada ya utume wake kutangazwa, tunapata kitabu (Qur'an) ambacho ni cha kipekee kabisa katika asili yake, katika uhifadhi wake, na juu ya mamlaka madhubuti ambayo hakuna aliyewahi kuweza kutilia shaka kwa uzito." Uchunguzi mwingine wa historia ya utekelezaji wa Uislamu ulifanywa na Arthur Stanley Tritton. Alichunguza dai lililotolewa na baadhi ya wanahistoria kwamba Uislamu ulienezwa kwa upanga, na kwamba Waislamu walilazimisha mataifa mengine kuingia Uislamu baada ya kushinda nchi zao. Mnamo mwaka wa 1951, A. S. Tritton aliandika, "Picha ya askari Mwislamu akisonga mbele akiwa na upanga mkononi mwake mmoja na Qur'an mkononi mwingine si ya kweli kabisa." Hitimisho hilo hilo lilifikiwa na De Lacy O'Leary katika chapisho lake Islam at the Crossroads, alipoandika, "Historia inaonyesha wazi, hata hivyo, kwamba hadithi ya Waislamu wenye msimamo mkali wakienea duniani kote na kulazimisha Uislamu kwa ncha ya upanga juu ya watu walioshindwa ni mojawapo ya hadithi za kipuuzi zaidi ambazo wanahistoria wamewahi kuzirudia." Hitimisho hili pia lilifikiwa na James Michener,185 ambaye anasema: "Hakuna dini nyingine katika historia iliyoenea kwa kasi kama Uislamu. Magharibi imeamini kwa upana kwamba wimbi hili la dini liliwezekana kwa upanga. Lakini hakuna msomi wa kisasa anayekubali wazo hili, na Qur'ani inaeleza wazi kuunga mkono uhuru wa dhamiri." Lawrence E. Browne186 pia anakataa hadithi ya kuenea kwa Uislamu kwa nguvu, na anatoa maoni yafuatayo: "Ukweli uliothibitishwa unaondoa wazo lililoenezwa sana katika maandiko ya Kikristo, kwamba Waislamu, kila waendako, waliwalazimisha watu kukubali Uislamu kwa ncha ya upanga." Dai kwamba Uislamu ulitumia upanga kueneza dini hilo halina ushahidi wowote, kama wanahistoria kadhaa wanavyothibitisha. Mwanahistoria K. S. Ramakrishna Rao, katika kitabu chake Mohammed: The Prophet of Islam (1989), anasema kwamba dai hili ni upotoshaji wa historia na halistahili hata kuchunguzwa. Anathibitisha hitimisho la wanahistoria wengine kwamba dai la kwamba Uislamu ulienea kwa nguvu ya upanga si sahihi.

In 1878, Reverend Bosworth Smith,180 after a thorough investigation of the history of Islam and the man behind the successful implementation of Islam, described Mohammad as “head of the State as well as the Church (or religion)” in a reference to the integration of the state functions within Islam. According to Rev. Smith, Mohammad was Caesar and pope in one; but he was pope without the pope’s pretensions, and Caesar without the legions of Caesar, without a standing army, without a bodyguard, without a police force, without fixed revenue. Rev. Smith concludes his finding with the following testimony: “If ever a man ruled by a right divine, it was Mohammad, for he had all the powers without their supports. He cared not for the dressings of power. The simplicity of his private life was in keeping with his public life.” In other words, the comprehensive ideology of Islam was backed by a strong and intelligent leadership, which created a story of success. In the Reverend’s words, “after his mission had been proclaimed, we have a book (Quran) absolutely unique in its origin, in its preservation, on the Substantial authority of which no one has ever been able to cast a serious doubt.” Another investigation of the history of the implementation of Islam was conducted by Arthur Stanley Tritton.181 He examined the claim made by some historians that Islam was spread by the sword, and that Muslims forced other nations into Islam after the conquest of their lands. In 1951, A. S. Tritton wrote, “The picture of the Muslim soldier advancing with a sword in one hand and the Qur’an in the other is quite false.”182 The same conclusion was made by De Lacy O’Leary183 in his publication Islam at the Crossroads184 where he wrote, “History makes it clear, however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myths that historians have ever repeated.” This conclusion was also made by James Michener,185 where he says, “No other religion in history spread so rapidly as Islam. The West has widely believed that this surge of religion was made possible by the sword. But no modern scholar accepts this idea, and the Quran is explicit in the support of the freedom of conscience.” Lawrence E. Browne186 also dismisses the myth surrounding the spread of Islam by force and makes the following remarks: “Well-established facts dispose of the idea so widely fostered in Christian writings that the Muslims, wherever they went, forced people to accept Islam at the point of the sword.” The claim that Islam used the sword to spread the religion has no evidence whatsoever as asserted by several historians. Historian K. S. Ramakrishna Rao, in Mohammed: The Prophet of Islam (1989), says that this claim is a distortion of history and it is not even worth the investigation. He confirms the conclusions of other historians about the incorrectness of the claim that Islam had spread by the power of the sword.

Labda, mojawapo ya masimulizi kamili zaidi ya historia ya Uislamu kwa upande wa msingi wa kiitikadi, Nabii wa Uislamu (Mohammad SAW), na ustaarabu wa Kiislamu ilitolewa na Alphonse de Lamartine.187 Katika makala yake maarufu “Historie de la Turquie,”188 Lamartine alifikia hitimisho lifuatalo kuhusu Nabii Mohammad ﷺ: “Hakuna mtu ambaye amejiwekea, kwa hiari au bila hiari, lengo tukufu zaidi, kwani lengo hili lilikuwa la kibinadamu zaidi ya uwezo wa binadamu; kuondoa ushirikina uliowekwa kati ya binadamu na Muumba wake, kumrudisha Mungu kwa binadamu na binadamu kwa Mungu.” Lamartine alivutiwa na uwezo wa Mohammad ﷺ wa “kurejesha wazo la busara na takatifu la uungu katikati ya machafuko ya miungu ya kimwili na iliyopotoshwa ya ibada ya masanamu.” Akiunganisha nadharia na vitendo, Lamartine aliandika, “Hakuna mtu ambaye ameanzisha kazi ya kupita uwezo wa binadamu kwa njia dhaifu namna hii, kwani yeye (Mohammad ﷺ) hakuwa na chombo chochote katika kufikiria na kutekeleza mpango mkubwa kama huo isipokuwa nafsi yake mwenyewe, wala msaada mwingine isipokuwa kundi dogo la watu wanaoishi kona moja ya jangwa.” Mwanahistoria huyo wa Kifaransa alipongeza kwa shukrani kubwa jinsi nadharia na itikadi zilivyogeuzwa kuwa mapinduzi na kujenga ustaarabu wa kudumu: “Hakuna mtu ambaye ameleta mapinduzi makubwa na ya kudumu duniani kiasi hicho, kwani ndani ya chini ya karne mbili tangu kuanza kwake, Uislamu, kwa imani na kwa silaha, ulitawala Arabia yote, na kushinda, kwa jina la Mungu, Persia, Khorasan, Transoxania, India ya Magharibi, Syria, Misri, Abyssinia, bara lote lililojulikana la Afrika Kaskazini, visiwa vingi vya Bahari ya Mediterania, Hispania, na sehemu ya Gaul.” Akihitimisha maoni yake, na kulinganisha na mifumo na itikadi za wakati wake, Lamartine anamtunukia Mohammad ﷺ bila shaka cheo cha ukuu, si tu kwa nadharia madhubuti na yenye mantiki aliyoitangaza, bali pia kwa mfumo aliojenga juu ya msingi huo. Maoni yake yanafupishwa kama ifuatavyo: “Ikiwa ukuu wa lengo, udogo wa njia, na matokeo ya kushangaza ndivyo vigezo vitatu vya fikra ya kibinadamu, ni nani angethubutu kumlinganisha mtu yeyote mkuu katika historia na Muhammad ﷺ? Watu maarufu zaidi waliunda silaha, sheria, na himaya tu. Walianzisha, ikiwa chochote, nguvu za kimwili tu ambazo mara nyingi zilisambaratika mbele ya macho yao. Mtu huyu aliihamisha si majeshi, sheria, himaya, watu, nasaba tu, bali mamilioni ya watu katika theluthi moja ya dunia iliyokaliwa wakati huo; na zaidi ya hayo, aliihamisha madhabahu, miungu, dini, mawazo, imani na roho.” Nguvu ya Uislamu na uwezo wake wa kuunda mataifa na kuleta umoja miongoni mwa watu kwa nguvu ya mawazo yake yenyewe yanafafanuliwa zaidi na Lamartine, pale anaposema: “Juu ya msingi wa Kitabu, kila herufi iliyokuwa sheria, aliunda utaifa wa kiroho unaounganisha watu wa kila lugha na jamii. Ameacha alama isiyofutika ya utaifa huu wa Kiislamu: chuki dhidi ya miungu ya uongo na shauku ya Mungu Mmoja, asiye na umbile. Uzalendo huu wa kulipiza kisasi dhidi ya kuvunjiwa heshima kwa Mbingu ndio uliounda fadhila za wafuasi wa Muhammad ﷺ; kushindwa kwa theluthi moja ya dunia kwa imani hii ndiko kulikokuwa muujiza wake; au tuseme, haikuwa muujiza wa binadamu bali wa akili.”

Lamartine alitoa maoni kuhusu nguvu ya itikadi ya Kiislamu ya umoja wa Mungu, na akadai kwamba yenyewe ni muujiza wa kiasi kwamba, lilipotamkwa kutoka kwenye midomo yake, liliharibu mahekalu yote ya kale ya masanamu. Fundisho hili lilikuwa la sehemu mbili: umoja wa Mungu na kutokuwa na umbile kwa Mungu. La kwanza linaeleza Mungu ni nani, na la pili linaeleza Mungu si nani; la kwanza likiangusha miungu ya uongo kwa upanga, na la pili likianzisha wazo kwa maneno.

Lamartine commented on the power of the Islamic creed of the unity of God, and purported that it was in itself such a miracle that upon its utterance from his lips, it destroyed all the ancient temples of idols. This dogma was twofold the unity of God and the immateriality of God: the former telling what God is, the latter telling what God is not; the one overthrowing false gods with the sword, the other starting an idea with words.

Mahatma Gandhi,189 kiongozi mkuu wa mageuzi wa India, alitoa tafsiri yake ya ustaarabu wa Kiislamu na msingi wake wa kiitikadi chini ya uongozi wa Mtume Muhammad ﷺ, akisema kwamba kuenea kwa Uislamu kulitokana na nguvu ya mawazo badala ya nguvu ya upanga. Gandhi alifupisha matokeo yake kwa maneno haya: “Nilitaka kujua mambo bora ya maisha ya yule (Muhammad ﷺ) ambaye leo anashika mioyo ya mamilioni ya wanadamu bila shaka. Nilizidi kuamini kwamba haikuwa upanga uliopatia Uislamu nafasi katika mfumo wa maisha siku zile. Ilikuwa ni unyenyekevu mkali, kujinyima kabisa kwa Mtume ﷺ, heshima kamili kwa ahadi, upendo wake mkubwa kwa marafiki na wafuasi wake, ujasiri wake, kutokuwa na hofu kwake, na imani yake kamili kwa Mungu na kwa utume wake mwenyewe. Haya, na si upanga, ndiyo yaliyoshinda kila kitu na kuvuka kila kizuizi. Nilipofunga juzuu ya pili (ya wasifu wa Mtume ﷺ), nilijutia kwamba hakukuwa na zaidi cha kusoma kuhusu maisha hayo makubwa.” Mshindi wa Tuzo ya Nobel kutoka Ireland, Sir George Bernard Shaw,190 alitoa maoni yafuatayo kuhusu uwezo wa Uislamu wa kutimiza malengo yake yaliyotangazwa ya haki na usawa: “Ikiwa dini yoyote ingepata nafasi ya kutawala Uingereza, naam, Ulaya, ndani ya miaka mia ijayo, huenda ikawa Uislamu.” Bernard Shaw aliendelea kueleza, “Daima nimeiheshimu sana dini ya Muhammad ﷺ kwa sababu ya nguvu yake ya ajabu ya uhai. Ni dini pekee ambayo inaonekana kwangu kuwa na uwezo huo wa kujumuisha na kubadilika kulingana na hali zinazobadilika za maisha, jambo linaloiwezesha kuvutia kila zama. Nimemsoma – mtu huyo wa ajabu – na kwa maoni yangu, mbali na kuwa mpinga-Kristo, lazima aitwe Mwokozi wa Ubinadamu.” Utafiti wake wa Uislamu katika vitendo na itikadi ya Kiislamu katika utekelezaji ulimfanya Shaw aeleze hisia zake kuhusu uwezo wa Uislamu wa kutoa mfumo unaoweza kukidhi mahitaji ya binadamu wakati wowote na mahali popote; anasema, "Ninaamini kwamba ikiwa mtu kama yeye angechukua udikteta wa dunia ya kisasa, angefanikiwa kutatua matatizo yake kwa namna itakayoleta amani na furaha inayohitajika sana: Nimetabiri kuhusu imani ya Muhammad ﷺ kwamba itakubalika kwa Ulaya ya kesho kama inavyoanza kukubalika kwa Ulaya ya leo."

Mahatma Gandhi,189 the great Indian reformer, gave his interpretation of the Islamic civilization and ideological foundation under the leadership of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), asserting that the spread of Islam was due to the power of ideas rather than the power of sword. Gandhi sums up his findings in these words: “I wanted to know the best of the life of one (Mohammad) who holds today an undisputed sway over the hearts of millions of mankind. I became more than ever convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet the scrupulous regard for pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle. When I closed the second volume (of the Prophet’s biography), I was sorry there was not more for me to read of that great life.” The Irish Noble Prize winner Sir George Bernard Shaw190 makes the following remarks on the ability of Islam to deliver its declared objectives of justice and fairness: “If any religion had the chance of ruling over England, nay Europe within the next hundred years, it could be Islam.” Bernard Shaw further explains, “I have always held the religion of Mohammad in high estimation because of its wonderful vitality. It is the only religion which appears to me to possess that assimilating capacity to the changing phase of existence which can make itself appeal to every age. I have studied him—the wonderful man and in my opinion far from being an anti-Christ, he must be called the Savior of Humanity.” His study of Islam in action and the Islamic ideology in practice led Shaw to express his feelings about the ability of Islam to deliver a system capable of addressing the needs of humans at any time and at any place; he says, “I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it the much needed peace and happiness: I have prophesied about the faith of Mohammad that it would be acceptable to the Europe of tomorrow as it is beginning to be acceptable to the Europe of today.”.

Michael Hart alimweka Nabii Muhammad ﷺ juu kabisa ya orodha ya watu mia moja wenye ushawishi mkubwa zaidi katika historia ya binadamu. Hart alihalalisha uamuzi wake wa kumchagua Muhammad ﷺ aongoze orodha ya watu wakuu kwa maelezo yafuatayo: "Alikuwa mtu pekee katika historia aliyefanikiwa sana katika ngazi zote mbili, ya kidunia na ya kidini. Inawezekana kwamba ushawishi wa Muhammad ﷺ juu ya Uislamu umekuwa mkubwa kuliko ushawishi wa pamoja wa Yesu Kristo na Mtakatifu Paulo juu ya Ukristo. Ni mchanganyiko huu usio na kifani wa ushawishi wa kidunia na wa kidini ambao, kwa maoni yangu, unamstahilisha Muhammad ﷺ kuchukuliwa kuwa mtu mmoja mwenye ushawishi mkubwa zaidi katika historia ya binadamu." Kama Michael Hart, Dk. William Draper anasema kwamba Nabii Muhammad ﷺ ameleta ushawishi mkubwa zaidi kwa jamii ya binadamu. Katika utangulizi wa tafsiri yake ya Qur'ani Tukufu, John Rodwell alitoa maoni kama hayo kuhusu maisha ya Muhammad ﷺ, akiyaona kuwa mfano wa ajabu wa nguvu na uhai unaomilikiwa na yule mwenye imani thabiti kwa Mungu na katika ulimwengu usioonekana. Rodwell anasema: "Yeye (Muhammad ﷺ) daima atatambuliwa kuwa mmoja wa wale ambao wamekuwa na ushawishi juu ya imani, maadili na maisha yote ya kidunia ya wenzao, ushawishi ambao hakuna mtu isipokuwa mtu mkuu kweli aliwahi kuutekeleza au anaweza kuutekeleza; na juhudi zake za kueneza ukweli mkubwa zitafanikiwa." Akitoa maoni kuhusu mtazamo wa kawaida wa watu wa Magharibi juu ya maisha ya Muhammad ﷺ na uwezo wake wa kuongoza taifa kuelekea ustawi, utulivu na kufikia ulimwengu mzima, W. Montgomery Watt anastaajabia uadilifu wa Muhammad ﷺ, unaodhihirika katika utayari wake wa kuvumilia mateso kwa ajili ya imani yake, katika tabia njema ya hali ya juu ya watu waliomwamini na kumtazama kama kiongozi, na katika ukubwa wa mafanikio yake ya mwisho. Zaidi ya maoni haya, Montgomery anaamini kwamba ndani ya Qur'ani na katika udhihirisho mwingine wa mtazamo wa Kiislamu kumo hazina kubwa ya ukweli wa Mwenyezi Mungu (SWT), ambayo yeye na Wazungu wengine bado wana mengi ya kujifunza kutoka kwake. Kwa mtazamo wake, Uislamu ni mgombea imara wa kutoa msingi wa dini moja ya wakati ujao.

Michael Hart191 placed Prophet Mohammad on the top of the first one hundred most influential people in the history of mankind. Hart justified his decision to pick Mohammad to top the list of the greatest people by giving the following account: “He was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the secular and religious level. It is probable that the relative influence of Mohammad on Islam has been larger than the combined influence of Jesus Christ and St. Paul on Christianity. It is this unparalleled combination of secular and religious influence which I feel entitles Mohammad to be considered the most influential single figure in human history.” Similar to Michael Hart, Dr. William Draper192 asserts that Prophet Mohammad has exercised the greatest influence upon the human race. In the preface to his translation of the Holy Quran, John Rodwell193 made similar observations on Prophet Mohammad’s career as a wonderful instance of the force and life that resides in him who possesses an intense faith in God and in the unseen world. Rodwell asserts that “he (Mohammad) will always be regarded as one of those who have had that influence over the faith, morals and whole earthly life of their fellow men, which none but a really great man ever did, or can exercise; and whose efforts to propagate a great verity will prosper.” Commenting on the common view held by Western people about the life of Mohammad and his ability to lead a nation into prosperity, stability, and global outreach, W. Montgomery Watt194 admires Mohammad’s integrity which is manifested through his readiness to undergo persecution for his beliefs and through the high moral character of the men who believed in him and looked up to him as a leader, and the greatness of his ultimate achievement. Further to these remarks, Montgomery believes that embedded in the Quran and other expressions of the Islamic vision are vast stores of divine truth from which he and other occidentals have still much to learn. In his views, Islam is a strong contender for the supplying the basic framework of the one religion of the future.

Moja ya mafanikio na michango mikubwa zaidi ya Uislamu ilikuwa uwezo wake wa kugeuza makabila ya Waarabu wahamaji kuwa jamii iliyostaarabika yenye upeo wa kimataifa. Kabla ya Uislamu, Waarabu walikuwa hasa makabila yaliyotawanyika jangwani ambayo hayakuacha athari yoyote kubwa ya ustaarabu. Mabadiliko ya Kiislamu ya Waarabu kuwa chombo kipya cha kimataifa chenye dhamira iliyo wazi na mbinu iliyostaarabika yalitambuliwa na mwanahistoria wa Kiingereza Arthur Glyn Leonard katika kitabu *Islam, Her Moral and Spiritual Values*. Anaeleza: "Ilikuwa ni kipaji cha Muhammad ﷺ, roho aliyowapulizia Waarabu kupitia nafsi ya Uislamu, ndiyo iliyowainua. Iliwatoa kwenye usingizi na kiwango cha chini cha kudumaa kwa kikabila hadi kilele cha umoja wa kitaifa na dola. Ilikuwa katika utukufu wa imani ya Muhammad ﷺ ya Mungu mmoja, katika unyenyekevu, kiasi na usafi aliouingiza, na katika uaminifu wa mwanzilishi wake kwa kanuni zake mwenyewe, ndiyo iliyogusa uti wa maadili na akili zao kwa mvuto wote wa msukumo wa kweli." Mabadiliko ya kiitikadi ya Waarabu kuwa taifa lenye tabia bora, lililopita wengi wa mataifa yaliyokuwepo wakati huo, pia yalitambuliwa na profesa mstaafu wa fasihi ya Kisemiti katika Chuo Kikuu cha Princeton, Philip K. Hitti, katika kitabu chake *History of the Arabs: From the Earliest Times to Present*. Kulingana na Hitti: "Ndani ya kipindi kifupi cha maisha ya kibinadamu, Muhammad ﷺ aliliibua, kutoka katika nyenzo zisizoahidi, taifa ambalo halijawahi kuunganishwa hapo awali; katika nchi iliyokuwa hadi wakati huo ni usemi wa kijiografia tu, alianzisha dini ambayo katika maeneo makubwa iliondoa Ukristo na Uyahudi, na kuweka msingi wa dola iliyokaribia kuyajumuisha ndani ya mipaka yake mipana mikoa mizuri zaidi ya ulimwengu uliostaarabika wa wakati ule." Miongoni mwa sababu kuu za utekelezaji wenye mafanikio wa itikadi ya Kiislamu ni kutenganishwa kwa uthabiti kati ya nia binafsi za ubinafsi na malengo ya jumla ya dhamira ya Uislamu. Hii ilibainishwa na mwanahistoria wa Kimarekani Washington Irving196 katika makala yake “Mahomet and His Successors.” Irving anaeleza uadilifu na tabia ya kiitikadi ya Mtume Muhammad ﷺ kwa maneno haya: “Katika mambo yake binafsi alikuwa mwadilifu. Alishughulika na marafiki na wageni, matajiri na maskini, wenye nguvu na wanyonge, kwa uadilifu, na alipendwa na watu wa kawaida kwa upole ambao aliwapokea nao na kusikiliza malalamiko yao.” Tabia hii ya kipekee iliipa Uislamu msukumo wenye nguvu ulioendelea kwa karne nyingi baadaye. Irving anaendelea kusema, “Ushindi wake wa kijeshi haukuamsha kiburi wala fahari ya bure, kama ungefanya hivyo ikiwa ungelenga manufaa binafsi. Katika kipindi cha nguvu zake kubwa alidumisha unyenyekevu uleule wa mienendo na mwonekano wake kama wakati wa shida zake. Mbali na kujifanya mfalme, aliudhika iwapo, anapoingia chumbani, alionyeshwa heshima isiyo ya kawaida. Ikiwa alilenga utawala wa ulimwengu mzima, ulikuwa ni utawala wa imani; kwa upande wa utawala wa kidunia uliokua mikononi mwake, kwa kuwa aliutumia bila majivuno, hakuchukua hatua yoyote ya kuudumisha katika familia yake.” Moja ya mafanikio makubwa ya Uislamu katika historia yake yote ya utekelezaji ni uwezo wake wa kuyayeyusha mataifa na jamii nyingi kuwa taifa moja la Kiislamu (Ummah) kwa vifungo vya udugu na imani. Canon Taylor,197 katika karatasi aliyoisoma mbele ya Mkutano wa Kanisa huko Wolverhampton mwaka 1887, anatoa uchunguzi ufuatao: “Uislamu unatoa matumaini kwa mtumwa, udugu kwa binadamu, na utambuzi wa ukweli wa msingi wa asili ya binadamu.” Ukweli huu pia ulitambuliwa na mwanahistoria R. L. Mellema, ambaye anabainisha kwamba mafundisho ya udugu wa Uislamu yanawahusu binadamu wote, bila kujali rangi, kabila au imani. Pia anasisitiza kwamba Uislamu ndio dini pekee iliyoweza kulitekeleza fundisho hili kivitendo. Hakika, Waislamu, popote walipo duniani, watatambuana kama ndugu, hata pale Uislamu kama itikadi usipokuwa katika ngazi ya utawala.

Mwanahistoria wa Uingereza H. A. R. Gibb198 anaona kwamba Uislamu una urithi mkubwa wa kuelewana na kushirikiana kati ya jamii za rangi tofauti, kwa namna ambayo hakuna jamii nyingine yenye rekodi ya mafanikio ya kuunganisha watu wengi wa jamii mbalimbali za binadamu katika usawa wa hadhi, wa fursa, na wa juhudi. Kumbuka kwamba nguvu hii inatokana na msingi wa Uislamu, ambao, ukitumiwa, bado una uwezo wa kupatanisha mambo yanayoonekana kutopatana ya rangi na mila yanayoikabili jamii ya dunia leo. Kutoweka kwa fahamu ya rangi miongoni mwa Waislamu ni moja ya mafanikio mashuhuri ya Uislamu. Katika ulimwengu wa sasa, unaoumizwa na mgawanyiko wa kirangi, kuna haja kubwa ya kueneza fadhila hii ya Kiislamu. Fadhila hii ya Uislamu ilipata kuthaminiwa na wanahistoria maarufu, akiwemo Arnold Toynbee,199 aliyechambua ustaarabu wa dunia kwa uchunguzi wa kina.

The British historian H. A. R. Gibb198 observes that Islam possesses a magnificent tradition of interracial understanding and cooperation, in a manner that no other society has such a record of success uniting in an equality of status, of opportunity, and of endeavors so many and so various races of mankind. Note that this power stems from the foundation of Islam, which, if utilized, still has the capacity to reconcile apparently irreconcilable elements of race and tradition faced by the world community today. The extinction of race consciousness as between Muslims is one of the outstanding achievements of Islam. In the contemporary world, which is ravaged by racial divides, there is a crying need for the propagation of this Islamic virtue. This virtue of Islam gained the appreciation of prominent historians, including Arnold Toynbee,199 who analyzed with great scrutiny world civilizations.

Kinyume na dhana potofu inayoenezwa katika vyombo vya habari vya kimataifa kwamba ugaidi umekita mizizi katika Uislamu, historia ya ustaarabu wa Kiislamu katika vipindi vya utawala wa Kiislamu inaonyesha upande mwingine. Mwanahistoria wa Kiingereza Wells (1866-1946)200 alithamini ukweli kwamba mafundisho ya Kiislamu yanajumuisha mila kuu za mwenendo na tabia za haki na upole. Kwa mujibu wa Wells, itikadi ya Kiislamu huwatia watu moyo wa utukufu na uvumilivu. Wells pia anastaajabia maadili ya hali ya juu kabisa yaliyotetewa na Uislamu, ambayo wakati huo huo yanaweza kutekelezeka. Pia anabainisha kwamba Uislamu ulianzisha jamii ambayo ukatili wa moyo na dhuluma na uonevu wa kijumuiya vilikuwa vichache zaidi ikilinganishwa na jamii nyingine zote. Mwanahistoria huyo wa Kiingereza anahitimisha kwa ushuhuda huu: "Uislamu umejaa upole, adabu, na udugu." Mwanasiasa na mwanaharakati wa Kihindi Sarojini Naidu201 naye alithamini haki iliyomo ndani ya ujumbe wa Uislamu. Alitafakari kwamba hisia ya haki ni mojawapo ya maadili mazuri zaidi ya Uislamu. Aliandika: "Ninaposoma Qur'ani ninaona kanuni hai hizo za maisha, si za kifumbo bali maadili ya vitendo kwa mwenendo wa kila siku wa maisha, yanayofaa dunia nzima."202

Contrary to the myth propagated in the mass media that terrorism is rooted within Islam, the history of the Islamic civilization during the periods of Islamic rule points to the other direction. The British historian Wells (1866-1946)200 appreciated the fact that the Islamic teachings integrate great traditions for equitable and gentle dealings and behavior. According to Wells, the Islamic doctrine inspires people with nobility and tolerance. Wells further admires the highest order values advanced by Islam and at the same time practicable. He also notes that Islam brought into existence a society in which hard-heartedness and collective oppression and injustice were the least as compared with all other societies. The British historian concludes with this testimony, “Islam is replete with gentleness, courtesy, and fraternity.” The Indian politician and activist Sarojini Naidu201 also appreciated the justice inherent within the message of Islam. She contemplated that the sense of justice is one of the most wonderful ideals of Islam. She wrote, “As I read in the Qur’an I find those dynamic principles of life, not mystic but practical ethics for the daily conduct of life suited to the whole world.”202

Eneo lingine la mjadala ni jinsi Waislamu na Uislamu wanavyoshughulika na wasio Waislamu. Hofu kwamba Uislamu na Waislamu huenda wakawakandamiza wasio Waislamu kwa mateso na kuwanyima haki zao za msingi kama raia haina msingi. Kinyume chake, ustaarabu wa Kiislamu katika kipindi chake chote cha kutawala ni ushahidi mkubwa wa haki ya Uislamu kwa wasio Waislamu. Addison James Thayer alisoma uhusiano kati ya Waislamu na wasio Waislamu, na anahitimisha kwamba hata baada ya vita vya Msalaba, watawala Waislamu mara chache waliwafanya raia wao Wakristo wateseke kwa sababu ya Vita vya Msalaba.203 Anaandika: "Waislamu walipoirejesha tena Palestina chini ya udhibiti wao kamili, Wakristo walipewa hadhi nzuri na walipata haki yenye mwanga." Addison James pia anabainisha kwamba chini ya Wakristo wa Msalaba, Wakristo walizuiwa kuingia kwenye maeneo matakatifu, na hadi pale ushindi wa Waislamu ulipopatikana ndipo waliweza kufurahia haki zao kama Wakristo.

The other area of contention is the way Muslims and Islam deal with non-Muslims. The fear that Islam and Muslims may subjugate non-Muslims to hardships and deny them their basic rights as citizens is not founded. On the contrary, the Islamic civilization throughout its prevailing period is a great testimony to the fairness of Islam towards non-Muslims. Addison James Thayer studied the relations between Muslims and non-Muslims and concludes that even after the crusade wars, Muslim rulers seldom made their Christian subjects suffer for the Crusades.203 He writes, “When the Muslims resumed full control of Palestine, the Christians were given a good status and experienced enlightened justice.” Addison James also notes that under the Crusaders, Christians were forbidden access to the shrines, and not until the Muslim victories could they enjoy their rights as Christians.

Kiwango cha maendeleo kilichofikiwa na itikadi ya Kiislamu katika kipindi chote cha utekelezaji wake kinatambuliwa sana na wasomi na wanahistoria. Profesa Jared Diamond204 wa UCLA, mwanasosholojia na mwanafiziolojia, ameeleza kwa ufupi wa ajabu jinsi Uislamu ulivyofanikiwa wakati Ulaya ilikuwa nyuma. Anaandika, “Uislamu wa zama za kati ulikuwa umeendelea kiteknolojia na ulikuwa wazi kwa ubunifu. Ulipata viwango vya juu zaidi vya kujua kusoma na kuandika kuliko Ulaya ya wakati huo; ulichukua urithi wa ustaarabu wa Kigiriki wa kale kiasi kwamba vitabu vingi vya kale sasa tunavijua tu kupitia nakala zake za Kiarabu. Uligundua mitambo ya upepo, trigonometria, matanga ya lateen, na ulipiga hatua kubwa katika metallurgy, uhandisi wa mitambo na kemikali, pamoja na mbinu za umwagiliaji. Katika zama za kati mtiririko wa teknolojia ulikuwa mkubwa kutoka Uislamu kwenda Ulaya kuliko kutoka Ulaya kwenda Uislamu. Ni baada ya miaka ya 1500 tu ndipo mwelekeo wa jumla wa mtiririko ulianza kubadilika.”

The level of advancement achieved by the Islamic ideology throughout its implementation is widely recognized by scholars and historians. UCLA professor of sociology and physiology Jared Diamond204 remarkably summarized how Islam excelled at the time when Europe lagged behind. He writes, “Medieval Islam was technologically advanced and open to innovation. It achieved far higher literacy rates than in contemporary Europe; it assimilated the legacy of classical Greek civilization to such a degree that many classical books are now known to us only through Arabic copies. It invented windmills, trigonometry, lateen sails and made major advances in metallurgy, mechanical and chemical engineering and irrigation methods. In the middle-ages the flow of technology was overwhelmingly from Islam to Europe rather from Europe to Islam. Only after the 1500’s did the net direction of flow begin to reverse.”.

Ushuhuda wa ukweli kuhusu ustaarabu wa Kiislamu katika suala la uvumilivu, udugu, haki, usawa, ustawi, maendeleo na haki za binadamu ni mwingi. Lengo hapa si kutoa somo la historia. Badala yake, ni kupunguza hofu iliyoyakumba mioyo ya wengi kutokana na uhusiano unaodaiwa kati ya Uislamu na ugaidi, au Uislamu na ukosefu wa haki kwa watu, au Uislamu na kurudi nyuma. Maoni yaliyotolewa na wanahistoria, wanasiasa, wanazuoni na waandishi yote yanaonyesha kwamba Uislamu na ustaarabu wake uko mbali sana na maana hizo hasi.

The testimonials facts on the Islamic civilization in terms of tolerance, brotherhood, justice, fairness, prosperity, advancement, and human rights are abundant. The idea here is not to provide a lesson of history. Rather, it is to quell the fear that has swamped the hearts of many due to links between Islam and terrorism, or Islam and unfair treatment of people, or Islam and backwardness. The observations made by historians, politicians, scholars, and writers all indicate that Islam and its civilization is far from any of these negative connotations.