Let us also take a look at what the philosopher Edmund Burk said, "The Mohammedan Law which is binding on all from the crowned head to the meanestsubject is a law interwoven with a system of the wisest, the most learned andthe most enlightened jurisprudence that ever existed in the world."
It is true that his words highly appreciate the noble Islamic Sharee'ah (Islamic law), yet, it would be better if he substituted the word "Mohammedan law" with "Islamic law" or "the heavenly law which has been revealed to Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention )" … etc. It is worth mentioning that the mistake in the previous example is a common one in the writings of Western scholars, even among those who are unbiased. They attribute the teachings and the Islamic doctrine, which has been revealed by Allah The Almighty, to Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ). They even labeled the Quran "the Mohammedan book" and called the religion of Islam, "Mohammedanism".
In fact, this misconception has resulted due to two reasons:
The first is that some of them did not mean the literal meaning of the word which refers to the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) as the inventor of this religion. However, they meant the religion of which Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is the Prophet and Messenger, or the religion which has been brought at the hands of Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ). Some of them explicitly stated this fact, in spite of naming Islam "Mohammedanism". So, it is an attribute of connection, not an attribute of invention and creation. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {So I swear by what you see And what you do not see [That] indeed, the Quran is the word of a noble Messenger. And it is not the word of a poet; little do you believe. Nor the word of a soothsayer; little do you remember. [It is] a revelation from the Lord of the worlds}. [Quran, 38-43].
Ibn Kathir may Allaah have mercy upon him said in his exegesis of the Holy Quran,
Allah The Almighty swears by His creation, in which some of His signs can be seen in His creatures. These visible signs indicate the perfection of His Names and Attributes. He then swears by the hidden things that they cannot see. This is an oath swearing that the Quran is His Speech, His inspiration and His revelation to His Slave and Messenger, whom He chose to convey His Message, and the Messenger carried out this trust faithfully.
Thus, Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {"So I swear by what you see And what you do not see [That] indeed, the Quran is the word of a noble Messenger. "} referring to Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ). Allah The Almighty gave this description to him, a description which carries the meaning of conveying, because the Messenger's role is to convey from the sender. Therefore, Allah gave this description to the angelic Messenger in Chapter At-Takweer : (The Rolling), where He Says (what means): {" [That] indeed, the Quran is a word [conveyed by] a noble messenger [Who is] possessed of power and with the Owner of the Throne, secure [in position], Obeyed there [in the heavens] and trustworthy."} [Quran, 81:19-21] And here, He refers to Jibreel, may Allah exalt his mention.
Then Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {"And your companion is not [at all] mad."} [Quran, 81:22] meaning, Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ).
{" And he has already seen Gabriel in the clear horizon."} [Quran, 81:23] meaning, Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) saw Jibreel, may Allah exalt his mention, in his true form in which Allah The Almighty created him. {"And Muhammad is not a withholder of [knowledge of] the unseen.} [Quran , 81:24] meaning, suspicious.
{"And the Qur’an is not the word of a devil, expelled [from the heavens]."} [Quran, 81:25] This is similar to what is being said here (which means): {"And it is not the word of a poet; little do you believe. Nor the word of a soothsayer; little do you remember.} [Quran, 69:41-42]
So in one instance Allah The Almighty applies the term messenger to the angelic Messenger and in another instance He applies it to the human Messenger (Muhammad ). This is because both of them are conveying from Allah that which has been entrusted to them of Allah's revelation and Speech. Thus, Allah The Almighty Says: {[It is] a revelation from the Lord of the worlds.} [Quran, 69: 43]
The second is that some others do not believe the Book and the Sharee'ah (Islamic law) to be from Allah The Almighty, trying to impute it to the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ). They are of course at fault in letter and spirit, unlike the previously mentioned party whose only mistake is in their utterance and expression, but they have the right intention.
The great French poet Alphonse de Lamartine said, "Muhammad is less than God, and greater than a normal human, so he is a Prophet". The phrase "Muhammad is less than God" is not accepted in the Islamic doctrine, despite the implication that he wanted to convey is absolutely right. He wanted to underline the fact that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is but a Messenger who received revelation, so he said, "so, he is a Prophet".
In order to make this idea clearer, let us examine some examples of these transgressions:
