Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian novelist and philosopher, who, among many others, searched beyond the fallacious claims of missionaries about Prophet Muhammad, . Tolstoy studied the life of this great man deeply, and came to appreciate the magnitude of the transformation Arabia underwent during his Prophetic mission.
In the days of Jaahiliyyah (pre-Islamic Age of Ignorance), the Arabian Peninsula was steeped in paganism, superstition, ignorance and the worship of many different idols, with a handful of the population following Haneefiyyah, the true religion of Ibraaheem, may Allah exalt his mention, and scattered groups of adherents to Judaism and Christianity. One man, with the aid of Allah The Almighty, then his followers and Companions, spread the call of Islam throughout Arabia, and in a matter of 1400 years the call had spread to the farthest corners of the earth.
Tolstoy, after educating himself about the life of the Prophet, , and the rich legacy and wealth of knowledge he left behind, wrote Selected Sayings of the Prophet, wherein he compiled anecdotes and quotes of the Prophet, . In his book, he said, “Anyone who wants to verify the tolerance in Islam should only read the Quran carefully. Its verses are indicative of the high spirit of Islam, such as (which mean): {And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among your-selves; and remember with gratitude Allah’s favor on you; for you were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace, you became brethren; and you were on the brink of the pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah make His Signs clear to you, that you may be guided}[Quran, 3: 103)].”
He also said, “I am one of those who are very much impressed by Prophet Muhammad who was chosen by the One God to have His last message revealed through his soul, heart and mind. He chose him to be the last prophet; hence, no other prophets would come after him. His acknowledgement of the prophets who had been sent by God before him to produce the global social building for which Muhammad had been sent to complete, is indubitable evidence that he came with Islam to conclude the social building for the entire humanity everywhere.”
He further stated, “There has been no prophet who gained the respect of his enemies save Prophet Muhammad. This is why a lot of them embraced Islam later on. It seems surprising that those who declared themselves enemies of him certainly knew that he was trustworthy and was calling them to the truth; they even respected him in the depth of their hearts, but they concealed this respect for they did not want to be accused of leaving their faiths.”
In addition, Tolstoy expressed his admiration of the Prophet, , as a reformer, “Undoubtedly, Prophet Muhammad is one of the greatest reformers who rendered extensive service to the human community. As an indication of his greatness, it suffices to mention that he guided an entire nation to the light of truth and made it incline to serenity and peace and opted to live a life of asceticism. He forbade acts of bloodshed or human sacrifice. He opened up for his nation the way to progress and civilization. That was a great feat which nobody – no matter how powerful he may be – is able to achieve. Such a man, indeed, is highly respectable and estimable.”
Some of the sayings of the Prophet, , that Tolstoy mentioned in his book include:
· “Those who show mercy have Allah’s mercy shown to them. Have mercy on those here on earth, and the One in heaven will have mercy on you”
· “A kind word is charity”
· “Practice humility until no one oppresses or belittles another”
· “A believer is not one who eats his fill while his next door neighbor goes hungry”
· “Whoever fails to care for our youth, respect our aged, enjoin right, and denounce wrong is not counted among us”.
Many of the sayings of the Prophet, , also emphasized the meaning of what it is to be one Ummah (Islamic nation), with a bond that went beyond blood or marriage relations and transcended race and culture.
The noble character and profound teachings of the Prophet, , left a lasting impact on Tolstoy; yet his opinions on Islam and its Prophet, , and his undisguised admiration for them, have been far less widely discussed and circulated.