Laura Veccia Vaglieri (1893-1989)

She was a prominent Italian researcher and one of the pioneers of Arabic and Islamic studies in Italy. She was an honorary professor at the Naples Eastern Institute. She dedicated herself to the study of Islamic history and Arabic language and literature. She wrote many articles, conducted much research about Islam and contributed in the Islamic Encyclopedia. Her writings in the field of oriental studies are widely accepted in the West.

Her most famous works include a textbook on Arabic grammar: Grammatica teorico-pratica della lingua araba (Istituto per l'Oriente, Rome, 1937, 2 vols.); Apologia dell’ Islamismo (An Interpretation of Islam) (Rome, A. F. Formiggini, 1925) translated from Italian into English by Dr. Aldo Caselli, Haverford College, Pennsylvania (Zurich: Islamic Foundation 1980); A synthesis on classical Islam: L'Islam da Maometto al secolo XVI, in: Storia Universale (dir. Ernesto Pontieri), Milan, F. Vallardi, 1963); Rules of Arabic (2 vols.); and others.

From Apologia dell’ Islamismo = An Interpretation of Islam:

Well-memorized and too impossible to imitate

“The first duty of man is to reflect upon the phenomena of nature in order to ascertain that Allâh exists and, from this main principle, one has faith in the Prophets and divinely revealed books. There is something amazing in Islam’s revealed book. The great miracle of Islam lies in the Qur’an, which proves too impossible to imitate even in its substance. Another proof for the Qur’an’s divine source lies in the fact that the Qur’anic text has remained pure and undistorted along the centuries from the very moment it was revealed till these days of ours.”[1]

Hijâb (veil) is of priceless benefit

“This (imposition of Hijâb) does not mean to have disrespect for women or to endeavor to repress their will in so much as to protect them from the lusts of men. This very ancient rule of screening women from men with its consequent moral life was the reason why the systematic trade of prostitutes was not known in eastern countries except wherever there was a power or authority of foreigners. Since one could hardly deny the value of these gains, we should conclude that the practice of Hijâb is of priceless benefit for Islamic society.”[2]

All this took place by virtue of Islam

“By virtue of Islam, paganism in all its forms was defeated. Man has ultimately perceived his high position. All priests, false keepers of holy talismans, brokers of salvation and all those who claimed to be mediators between Allâh and man, and consequently thought their authority was beyond the wills of others, fell from their thrones. Man has become a slave of Allâh Alone and Islam has pronounced equality between all men.”[3]

Depth and pleasantness

“Islam’s great miracle lies in the Qur’an, which transmits to us, through a proven and contiguous narration, certain news and stories. It is a book which there is no way to imitate. Although each of its expressions is comprehensive and all-encompassing, in total it is of suitable size: neither very long nor extremely short. Its style is genuine, unique and matchless in the Arabic literature handed down to us from the time prior to it.

It influences the human soul only by virtue of its inborn loftiness with no need for any occasional or additional supplement. All its verses are at the same level of eloquence even when treating subjects whose effect should be done by their external music and resonance like those of commandments, proscriptions etc. Although it repeats the stories of the Prophets, descriptions of the beginning and end of the world and attributes of Allâh and their interpretations, it does so excitingly that it never weakens their effects. It moves from one topic to another without losing its power.

Here, we come upon both depth and pleasantness which usually never gather together (in any work) where every rhetorical form is completely applied. How should this miraculous book be produced by Muhammad, the unlettered Arab man?”[4]

The pious never gets tired of it

“This noble book, which is recited daily across the Islamic world, never bores the believer. On the contrary, the more it is recited repeatedly, the more it is loved by the believers day after day. It develops a deep sense of awe and fear in the soul of him who recites or pays attention to it. A man may memorize it very easily so that, in spite of the circumscription of the wave of faith in those days, thousands of people are capable of keeping it by heart. In Egypt alone, the memorizers of the Qur’an outnumber those able to recite the Bible in the entire continent of Europe.”[5]

The purest faith

“The Arab Messenger invited the idolaters and those of distorted Christianity and Judaism to the purest monotheistic faith. He was ready to enter into a bare struggle with some human regressive tendencies which associate other deities with the Creator.”[6]

Because it is the word of truth and the greatest miracle

“The rapid spread of Islam was achieved, not by force, nor by the ceaseless efforts of missionaries. This spread rather goes back to the fact that this book, presented by the Muslims to the conquered peoples who were given the free choice to accept or reject it, is indeed the book of Allâh, the word of truth and the greatest miracle Muhammad was able to present to the hesitant on earth.”[7]

Thinking without restrictions

“Concerning the creation of the universe, the Qur’an, in spite of its references to the origination and primal source of the world, holds no limit whatsoever against the faculties of human reason. It rather leaves them free to take whichever way they like.”[8]

Resentment blinded them

“The strongest enemies of Islam, being blinded by resentment, attempt to launch false charges against the Prophet of Allâh, forgetting that, before the commencement of the Prophetic message, Muhammad was highly respected and revered by his people in view of his honesty and pure life. Astonishingly, they do not trouble themselves by wondering: how did Muhammad have the courage to threaten the liars and doubters with the Qur’anic verses of the enduring fire of Hell if he was himself a liar before that? How dared he give glad tidings in spite of his people’s abuses unless there were, from within himself, internal forces relentlessly urging him to do so, given his simple nature? How was he able to initiate a seemingly hopeless struggle? How was he able to continue this struggle for ten years in Makkah in spite of his little success and immeasurable grief unless he had a deep faith in the truthfulness of his message? How was it possible for that number of noble and intelligent Muslims to believe in him, support him, adopt the new religion and betake themselves to a society mostly consisted of slaves, those manumitted from bondage and the deprived poor unless they touched in his words the heat of truth? There is no need to say more. There is a semi-consensus even among western people on the fact that Muhammad’s truth was deep and certain.”[9]

 The conduct of the just and merciful

“Justice and mercy were mixed within his soul and they were among the noblest characteristics a human mind could conceive. It is not difficult to attest this with the great number of examples in his conduct.”[10]

Was this eroticism?

“During his youth, when sexual instinct was the strongest and, in spite of living in a community like that of the Arabs where marriage as a social institution was missing or so, polygamy was the norm, and divorce was very easy, Muhammad married only one woman (i.e. Khadîjah) who was (15 years) older than him.

And, for 25 years, he remained her loving and sincere husband; and it was not before she died and he was over fifty years old that he married again more than a wife. For each of his marriages, there was a social or political cause. His intent in marrying those women was to honor righteous women or establish marital relations with other tribes and clans as a new way to spread Islam. Apart from ‘Â’ishah, all the women he married were not virgins, young or tempting. Was this eroticism?”[11]

“Nevertheless, he dealt with all of them equally and never applied the right of disparity[12] with any of them.”[13]

Strongly tolerant

“Muhammad, who abided by divine principles, was strongly tolerant, especially with those of monotheistic religions. He knew how to be deliberately patient with the pagans, thinking that time would necessarily complete his constructive work intended to guide them and take them out of darkness to light. He knew well that Allâh would, ultimately, enter the human heart.”[14]

Confirming what was sent before me

“Some claim that Islam introduced no new element to represent the relation between man and Allâh. But, this criticism would be of no value if we knew that Muhammad himself did not claim that he had brought new ideas. He put it powerfully that Allâh sent him to bring the religion of Abraham [peace be upon him] back to its original state after it had been distorted and confirm what was revealed by Allâh to the previous Messengers like Moses and Jesus Christ. He was but the last of the Prophets, the bearers of law.”[15]

References:

[1] Laura Veccia Vaglieri, Apologia dell’ Islamismo, (Arabic translation), 56.

[2] Ibid. 103-104.

[3] Ibid. 45.

[4] Ibid. 56-57.

[5] Ibid. 59.

[6] Ibid. 43.

[7] Ibid. 59.

[8] Ibid. 60.

[9] Ibid. 37-38.

[10] Ibid. 38-39.

[11] Ibid. 99.

[12] It was common in pre-Islamic days, according to which a man had the right not to treat justly any of his wives.

[13] Ibid. 100.

[14] Ibid. 73.

[15] Ibid. 54.

http://300035.dotdothktrade.tech/en/artical/3408784/Laura-Veccia-Vaglieri