Re: If Islam is such a great religion, why did we fail to produce great muslims
Thank you Muqawee. Faris urself and others at their best.
GS futures shot up after market.
Re: If Islam is such a great religion, why did we fail to produce great muslims
yes in the modern age we do not have great Muslims but great artists, great politicians etc. this is because we o not maintain a balance between worldly matters and religious obligations.
there’s no balance between these two, where as Islam gives importance equally to both.
those practicing Islam become too rigid in their direction that they forget the rest and those involved in the worldly affairs forget religion.
Re: If Islam is such a great religion, why did we fail to produce great muslims
modern-day list would help…
Re: If Islam is such a great religion, why did we fail to produce great muslims
- Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
- Muhammad Ali Jinah
- Molana Abul Kalaam Azad
- Miss Fatima Jinah
- Khomeni
- Shah Faisal
- Yasir Arafat
Most of Muslim leaders have been made controversial. Otherwise, Muslims kept on producing great minds in all the periods.
Re: If Islam is such a great religion, why did we fail to produce great muslims
Yes the title needs either clarification or correction.
If Islam is a great religion…assumes it may not be.
But even non-Muslims know (except few hell bent anti-Islam people) that Islam IS a great religion.
The title should say:
“Islam is a great religion but how come … whatever…” No need for “if” there.
The second part of question deals with seemingly lack of “great Muslims”.
We need to define what we mean by “great Muslims” first.
And I think it does not really encompass what is being conjectured in the question. 
I partly agree with X2 and Aijazali.
What X2 said I agree that many of the “great Muslims” may not be in the limelight.
What Aijaz said is true that there in no need for just one or two so called great leaders or icon i Islam.
All people need to be practicing Islam in good way.
If we see other religions and people of other religions, they do seem to have few religious icons, but what about the general population who is not even following their own religion as they profess?
In this regard, both Muslims and Non-Muslims (in general) are alike. 
Re: If Islam is such a great religion, why did we fail to produce great muslims
Bro FBI, thanks for the list, but unfortunately this is our list, not a global list of ‘great people’. Unfortunately, your list started with the people who are controversial (in terms of Heroism) amongst Muslims themselves, yet you are including them in the list of ‘World Heroes’. Ask a core shia person if he thinks that Hazrat Umar was a Hero. All those people were just close friends and family of Prophet, so for us they are respectable people. That is it. Whether we like it or not, there is no great deed they did, that changed the face of the world, or even an era.
If you take your list, and show it to a professor of History of your local university in USA, he would not recognize the 90% of those names. You have Aurangzeb Alamgir in your list, who single handedly turned whole sikh nation against Muslim by killing two sons of their leader, for no reason. If anything, I consider Aurangzeb the biggest enemy of Indo Pak Muslims.
Ibn-e-Batuta has a huge conspiracy attached to him. Many believe that he fabricated many of his journeys without even setting a foot out of his home.
Tariq bin Ziyad was a world hero? Ask European Christians this question and they may have a different answer. For God sake, even the story of him burning his boats so they cant go back is a fabricated one.
Your whole list of reformers is controversial. Even Jinnah was not what our history painted him to be. Mustafa Kamal (I hope you are referring to the father of Turks, and not the MQM leader) was an anti-mulla person and not really a representative of ‘Muslim Ummah’.
Your list is a list of Aqqedat mandi, not a list of real heroes.
Re: If Islam is such a great religion, why did we fail to produce great muslims
ALL RELIGIONS ARE GREAT. OF THAT THERE IS NO DEBATE ( I HOPE)
Re: If Islam is such a great religion, why did we fail to produce great muslims
Non controversial globally acclaimed leaders; that is what I am asking for Muqawwee.
Re: If Islam is such a great religion, why did we fail to produce great muslims
Ali, though my argument is not philosophical in nature, but you may move if you think so.
Although Nation of Islam is not really a religious group, but yes we can take him as a muslim for sure.
I also realized that we can add Omar Khayaam and Al Khwarizmi
Re: If Islam is such a great religion, why did we fail to produce great muslims
Mohammad Ali
Asim Premji the only rich person in India other than Tats who does charity work. Forget the leeches that r the Ambanis
The Bangladeshi who invented microlrnding
CEO OF Schering Plough Hasan?SGP Bought by mrk. Prior to that Hasan a Pakistani was Ceo of warner Lambert which he sold to pfizer fir profit.
Re: If Islam is such a great religion, why did we fail to produce great muslims
Not sure lack of controversy should be a criterion. Most forward thinking progressives are controversial. To that extent the Muslims in the east and west who are thought leaders fighting fir minority rights - whether the minority be of another faith or orientation - qualify.
Ironically they are rejected as ranting and needing mental help!
Re: If Islam is such a great religion, why did we fail to produce great muslims
Tlk,
There are many Western figures/heroes who are lauded on one hand and are shrouded in controversy or some (moral/financial/ethical/legal/sexual) scandal or the other at the same time. In fact some of them are criticized by the people of their own countries let alone internationally.
For us Muslims, the greatest human example is that of Nabi SAWS. But guess what? He is not “globally respected” or appreciated either…at least not by the opponents of Islam or those skeptical about the religion. You can find articles and books and other media sources that vilify the Prophet’s SAWS character, intentions, life, etc. In fact many of Allah’s prophets were ridiculed by their own communities and families, globally to door ki baat hai.
But I have given you the BEST example: Rasool SAWS. He was the best husband, the best family man, the best teacher, the best statesman/politician…and yet even he SAWS is not globally respected/appreciated by everyone. Should I then take this as the “biggest” sign that Islam is not a great religion? There is a problem with the wording of your thread. The use of the words “If Islam is a great religion” sends the message that its greatness depends on how many modern-day heroes there are to show for it. To put it simply: Why feel doubt/despair/embarrassment over the scarcity of “lesser” contemporary Muslim heroes when the very best example (Prophet SAWS) is not globally respected/appreciated or has has been criticized and ridiculed from various corners of the globe? Sochne wali baat hai. Also, there’s a problem with the notion of “globally respected.”
One of the examples that came to mind was Edhi. Now to my knowledge, he was only nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize while Mother Teresa actually received the honor. But who knows? Maybe there is some “politics” behind this as well. The conspiracy theorist in me wonders if the people who pull the strings don’t want Islam to be known globally for humanitarian causes. Also, respect is not perfectly homogenous. And for argument’s sake…what if a hero is criticized by their own people but appreciated on a more international scale? One can ask of what value is that respect or renown when you are not getting it from your own home/people? I consider scholar Nouman Ali Khan as a hero. Does one’s societal accomplishments need to be recognized and awarded by the super-power nations of the world in order to be to be of value? That’s another thing to think about.
Re: If Islam is such a great religion, why did we fail to produce great muslims
I think Edhi’s in par with Mother T because he got the message right: do what you can and he is. You don’t have to go far to do a good deed and that’s his point…a beautiful point. You will find someone in need even in your own neighborhood. He’s a big man in my eyes BUT will a man like Edhi ever get the recognition he deserves? Probably not until he’s gone.
Re: If Islam is such a great religion, why did we fail to produce great muslims
@RV " Also, respect is not perfectly homogenous. And for argument’s sake…what if a hero is criticized by their own people but appreciated on a more international scale? One can ask of what value is that respect or renown when you are not getting it from your own home/people? "
That is the point isn’t it? A reformer may be looked down upon by his own people cause he goes against the grain. The only thing that matters is are his ideas good. Do they better society. Do they represent the future.
Doesn’t matter source of accolades.
Re: If Islam is such a great religion, why did we fail to produce great muslims
RV, I already said that in my first post, so there is not disagreement that Nabi 
was a hero. I also agree that controversial figures are in every religion/communities. That is why I picked non-controversial figures from history, and I like to see at least one Muslim in that list.
Reha/RV,
I think I agree that Edhi sahab is in par with Mother T. Though I also believe that when nations fail to recognize their own heroes, others wont recognize them either. Reha pretty much said that in her last para.
Re: If Islam is such a great religion, why did we fail to produce great muslims
one thing which is hard to ignore is that we don’t have libraries.
ps: only commenting on recent history.
Re: If Islam is such a great religion, why did we fail to produce great muslims
Even worse, most are unable to read. The library becomes pointless anyways 
Re: If Islam is such a great religion, why did we fail to produce great muslims
As for the comment on “great Muslims”, I am curious to see what should be the standard?
Hints or guidelines:
It is not about one or two meter beard. (Appearance)
It is not just about those who pray five times. (Selective acts)
etc.
Fine:
But I do not think it is about passing the standard of media and so called popularity contest in this world at all.
Hence: The question is based on misconception who should be considered great Muslim.
I had talked about the great man Edhi before and said, noble prize should not be his goal and it would be beneath him to even get this worldly award.. Something like that.
It really does not matter if he got this (stupid political) award or not. He has a high place in heaven reserved.
Re: If Islam is such a great religion, why did we fail to produce great muslims
RE: El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz a.k.a Malcolm X
For the record:
By March 1964 Malcolm X had grown disillusioned with the Nation of Islam and its head Elijah Muhammad, and ultimately repudiated the Nation and its teachings. He embraced Sunni Islam and, after a period of travel in Africa and the Middle East, returned to the United States to found Muslim Mosque, Inc
Re: If Islam is such a great religion, why did we fail to produce great muslims
We can also do a survey and ask European/US Christians how they feel about Muhammad . Mostly, you’ll hear negative things. Does that not make him controversial figure “globally” since you are looking for a globally acclaimed figure? This was pointed out by RV below.
Well since you are looking for “globally acclaimed” and “globally respected”, i am afraid even Edhi saab doesnt fall in that category and im sure no history teacher in US has heard of him either.