An Invitation to Peace
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<strong>An</strong> <strong>Invitation</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Peace</strong><br />
his living precepts have restrained the gratitude of his disciples within<br />
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the bounds of reason and religion.”<br />
This lesson had been learnt thoroughly by the followers of Muhammad<br />
(PBUH):<br />
“At Muhammad's own death an attempt was made <strong>to</strong> deify him,<br />
but the man who was <strong>to</strong> become his administrative successor killed the<br />
hysteria with one of the noblest speeches in religious his<strong>to</strong>ry: ‘Hear<br />
well! If any had worshipped Muhammad, let him know that<br />
Muhammad is dead and no more; but if it be God that you worship,<br />
65<br />
then know that truly God lives and never dies.’”<br />
64<br />
Edward Gibbon and Simon Ocklay, His<strong>to</strong>ry of the Saracen Empire, London, 1870, p. 54<br />
65<br />
James A. Michener, Islam: The Misunders<strong>to</strong>od Religion, in Reader's Digest (American edition), May<br />
1955, p. 70; I have reworded the quotation of Muhammad’s successor, Abu Bakr, according <strong>to</strong> the<br />
original as related by al-Bukhari, v. 3, p. 1341.<br />
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