Tribute to Mohammed¹³

The world is celebrating the birthday of Mohammed, the great prophet. On behalf of the United Nations Meditation Group I wish to offer our soulful salutations to this great prophet.

Mohammed was the founder of the world religion, Islam. When he first saw the light of day, he saw the face of poverty too. Poverty dogged him and tortured him practically from the start to the finish of his earth-journey.

He prayed on Mount Hira. Illumination dawned. The angel Gabriel appeared and declared him the prophet of God. In Mohammed and with Mohammed a new and true religion-flower began to blossom. The prophet offered two courses, lower and higher. The lower course ran like this:

"The sword is the answer to the world’s problem-question. Conquest is the answer to the world’s difference-opinion. No compromise, no compromise. Declare war and conquer once and for all.
If you really want to keep the world-citizens at your feet, under your feet, to grant them your own illumination in your own way, then fight, fight. Victory-dawn, satisfaction-sun are for the brave.
O Muslims, O followers of mine, indeed, you are those dauntless soldiers of true Truth."

Mohammed’s higher course ran like this:

"Abandon idolatry. Conquer the pleasure-life in yourself. Conquer the sense-world in yourself. Replace them with purity’s beauty."

Yes, like other mighty prophets, Mohammed too had a world-illumining message:

"There is one God and He is great. Alahu Allah Akbar. Worship the One, the one true God. Nothing more. Nothing less. He is everything in everything and everything of everything."

The Koran, the great voice of his good soul, was fed sumptuously and energised considerably by the lighthouse of the Old Testament. To our sorrow, the Cross and the Crescent are not good friends. Blind rivalry reigns supreme. But to our joy, one is serving the Father and illumining mankind according to its height of compassion-salvation. The other is serving Allah and illumining mankind according to its height of dedication-satisfaction.

Mohammed, O world prophet, to you we offer our soul’s obeisance.

UV 14. 25 March 1975, Chapel of the Church Center for the United Nations↩

Sri Chinmoy, Union-Vision, Agni Press, 1975

The Sri Chinmoy Library

Tribute to Mohammed13

Tribute to Mohammed¹³