—peace and blessings be upon him—across the farthest reaches of East and West constitutes the greatest event ever witnessed on earth; never in history has a religion spread and endured with the breadth and permanence that his has.

The Law of Moses, although long-lasting, never attained such diffusion or durability; at its height it was confined to parts of al-Shām.

As for the Law of Christ, before the reign of Constantine it possessed no sovereignty at all; Christians survived only in certain Roman territories and elsewhere, living in weakness—at many times their leading figures, and often the masses, were put to death. When the religion finally did spread, its adherents fragmented into divergent sects, each pronouncing the others outside the fold.

By contrast, the Law of Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—asserted itself in the East, the West, and the populous heartlands of the world, that is, the third, fourth, and fifth climatic zones. His community prevailed over the Christians in the lands they considered the finest and most illustrious—al-Shām, Egypt, the Jazīrah, and other regions. His Law has endured; to this day it has stood for more than seven hundred years.

It is also evident that anyone who claims prophethood, whether he is truthful or a liar, must