A Look at Non-Muslim Scholars' Views on the Sincerity of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

Bismillah, here are some sayings from non-Muslim researchers that show how many agree on the genuine sincerity of our beloved Prophet, peace be upon him: "It seems to me that Muhammad was a true enthusiast, fully convinced of his divine mission. He believed so strongly in uniting all faiths for the good of people that he saw every event as divine inspiration. There's no sign of trickery-this idea completely took over his mind, heart, and will." - Abraham Geiger (1896), *Judaism and Islam* "The old idea that the Prophet was just a scheming impostor, a fake, and his religion pure nonsense, is really starting to fall apart... For a great man, I'd say it's impossible for him to be anything but true. I think a deep, real sincerity is the first mark of all heroic figures." - Thomas Carlyle (1841), *On Heroes, Hero-Worship & The Heroic in History* (Note: Carlyle wasn’t an academic, but his thoughts had a big impact in the West, so I thought it’s worth adding.) "Muhammad truly believed he was called to replace the false idol worship of the Arabs with a higher, soul-saving religion." - Theodor Nöldeke and Friedrich Schwally (1909), *Geschichte des Qorans* "There's no doubt about the genuineness and sincerity of Muhammad's devotion and his honest belief in his calling." - Tor Andrae (1936), *Mohammed: The Man and His Faith* "A modern historian can't easily think such a huge movement was started by a selfish fake. Instead, we should look for the worldly reasons behind the new faith's quick spread." - Bernard Lewis (1950), *The Arabs in History* "Muhammad had good reason to strongly deny being a poet; he wasn't just dodging the idea of being the author, but sincerely saw his message as divine..." - A. J. Arberry (1953), *The Holy Koran: An Introduction With Selections* "His willingness to face persecution, the upright character of his followers, and the greatness of what he achieved all point to his basic honesty. Calling Muhammad an impostor just creates more problems than it solves." - W. Montgomery Watt (1953), *Muhammad At Mecca* "The charge of dishonesty against the Prophet, leveled over centuries with varying harshness, is pretty easy to disprove. Muhammad was not a deceiver." - Rudi Paret (1957), *Mohammed und der Koran* "Muhammad was completely sure that the Qur'an came from God, and that conviction built his authority... There's no question about his essential sincerity." - Richard Bell (1970), *Bell's Introduction to the Qur'an* "A sincere Muhammad is much easier to make sense of than a fraudulent one." - Maxime Rodinson (1971), *Muhammad* "The strongest force in Muhammad's life and the real key to his amazing success was his unshakeable belief that God had called him. Such a firm conviction, once set, leaves no room for doubt and has a huge effect on others. The certainty with which he acted as God's executor gave his words a compelling authority." - Alford T. Welch (1993), "Muhammad," in *The Encyclopedia of Islam* "A lot about Muhammad is uncertain, but we can still say quite a bit with confidence. Most of all, we can be pretty sure the Qur'an is a set of messages he shared, convinced they were revealed to him by God." - Patricia Crone (2008), "What Do We Actually Know About Mohammed?" "After the Enlightenment, there was a shift, and the Prophet came to be seen again as a sincere seeker of God with no false motives..." - Angelika Neuwirth (2019), *The Qur'an and Late Antiquity* May these insights, even from outside our faith, help us appreciate the truthfulness of our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. And Allah knows best.