Muḥammad appeared in the desert of Hijaz in the Arabian Peninsula, which was a desolate, sterile wilderness, sandy and uninhabited. Some parts, like Mecca and Madina, are extremely hot; the people are nomads with the manners and customs of the dwellers in the desert, and are entirely destitute of education and science. Muḥammad Himself was illiterate, and the Qur’án was originally written upon the blade bones of sheep, or on palm leaves. These details indicate the condition of the people to whom Muḥammad was sent.
These Arab tribes were in the lowest depths of savagery and barbarism. Muḥammad was reared among these tribes, and after enduring thirteen years of persecution from them, He fled (to Madina). But this people did not cease to oppress; they united to exterminate Him and all His followers. It was under such circumstances that Muḥammad was forced to take up arms.
This is the truth: personally we are not bigoted and do not wish to defend Him, but we are just, and we say what is just. Look at it with justice.
If Christ Himself had been placed in such circumstances among such tyrannical and barbarous tribes, and if for thirteen years He with His disciples had endured all these trials with patience culminating in flight from His native land—if in spite of this these lawless tribes continued to pursue Him, to slaughter the men, to pillage their property, and to capture their women and children, what would have been Christ’s conduct with regard to them? If this oppression had fallen only upon Himself He would have forgiven them, and such an act of forgiveness would have been most praiseworthy; but if He had seen that these cruel and blood-thirsty murderers wished to kill, to pillage and to injure all these oppressed ones, and to take captive the women and children, it is certain He would have protected them, and would have resisted the tyrants. What objection, then, can be taken to Muḥammad’s action?
Muḥammad never fought against the Christians; on the contrary, He treated them kindly and gave them perfect freedom. A community of Christian people lived at Najran who were under His care and protection. Muḥammad said, “If anyone infringes their rights, I myself will be his enemy, and in the presence of God I will bring a charge against him.” In the edicts which He promulgated it is clearly stated that the lives, properties, and laws of the Christians and Jews are under the protection of God.
Briefly, in such a country, and amidst such barbarous tribes, an illiterate man produced a Book in which, in a perfect and eloquent style, He explained the divine attributes and perfections, the prophethood of the Messengers of God, the divine laws, and some scientific facts.
Thus, you know that before the observations of modern times, that is to say, during the first centuries and down to the fifteenth century of the Christian era, all the mathematicians of the world