Islam in World Literature

Part (1) The image of Islam and Prophet Mohammed in

World Literature

Module (3) The Representation of Islam

in World Literature

Western Writers and their opinions and ideas about Islam and the Prophet (peace be upon him)

Writer Country1 Dante Italy2 George Sale

England3 Edward Gibbon 4 Lord Byron 5 Bernard Shaw 6 Goethe

Germany7 Cazentakes8 Voltaire

France9 Gustave Flaubert 10 Alexander Pushkin

Russia12 Leo Tolstoy13 Miguel de Cervantes

Spain14 Placeos

ItalyDante• The early signs of interest in Islam go back to the

Divine Comedy by Dante.• Dante defamed Islam and Prophet Muhammad

(peace be upon him) and depicted the prophet as one of the dwellers of the Inferno.

Great BritainGeorge Sale • Sale was the first translator for the meaning of the

Holy Qur'an into English In 1834.

Great BritainEdward Gibbon

• Gibbon talked profusely about the truth of sublime monotheism in Islam.

• Gibbon confirmed that had the west known the reality of Islam civilization, the Roman Empire would not have fallen.

Great BritainLord Byron

• Byron maintained the deepest feelings of respect toward the Turkish and Muslims.

• Byron more than once thought of converting to Islam.

Great BritainBernard Shaw

• Shaw confirmed that he understood the spirit of Islam.

• Shaw confirmed that the basic Islamic value is the call to equality.

GermanyGoethe

• Goethe extolled the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in his poems.

• Goethe will always represent the spirit of tolerance toward and deep understanding of Islam.

GermanyCazentakes

• Cazentakes described the Prophet (peace be upon him) as one of the greatest personalities of the world.

FranceVoltaire• Voltaire praised the Prophet (peace be upon him)

as one of the three great legislators in the history of the world.

FranceGustave Flaubert • Flaubert described Muslims as having a religion

that is not as negative as it is imagined.

RussiaAlexander Pushkin• Pushkin was among the early Russian poets who

were inspired by the Prophet's life.

RussiaLeo Tolstoy• Tolstoy expressed his love of the meanings

contained in many of the sayings of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

SpainMiguel de Cervantes• In Don Quixote , Cervantes distorts the image of

the Prophet (peace be upon him) and Muslims by describing them as "creatures of an inferior quality”.

SpainPlaceos• Placeos wrote an important book about the bad

effort of Divine Comedy and refuted many of the false allegations that Dante attached to the Prophet (peace be upon him).