Arnold toynbee (1881-1975)
He was a British historian born in London and became a professor of Greek and Byzantium studies at London University and an administrator of studies in the British Foreign Ministry. His studies were focused on the history of civilizations. Among his famous books is his twelve-volume Study of History which he wrote between 1921 and 1961. In this book, he presented his civilizational vision of history. It was abridged by D.C. Somervell in two volumes under the supervision of Toynbee, after unnecessary examples were omitted.
From the Study of History: The mystery of the gigantic power
By virtue of Islam’s comprehensive regime which combined both unitarianism and executive authority, it had a motivating gigantic power which not only ensured the needs of the Arabs and turned them from an ignorant to a civilized nation, but also caused Islam to flow from the borders of the peninsula and controll the entire Syrian world from the Mediterranean coasts to the Eurasian shores.[1] Organization of all people’s life
The conduct of the Arab Messenger fascinated his followers, and his personality rose up to the highest level in their sights so much that they believed in his message and accepted the revelation sent to him and his acts recorded by the sunnah as the only source of law which not only organizes the life of the Islamic community, but also determines the relations of the Muslim conquerors with their non-Muslim subjects.[2]
[1] arnold Toynbee, the Study of History, abr. Sommervell (Arabic translation), 3:381.