Abul hasan ‘Ali Nadwi
Need of a New Prophet
The old world was completely disarranged by the middle of the sixth century
and man had fallen to such a depth of depravity that no reformer, revivalist or
religious preacher could have hoped to put a new life in the humanity worn to
its bones. The problem was not to fight any particular heresy or to its reshape
a given mode of divine service, nor the question was how to curb the social
evils of any society; for, there has never been any dearth of social reformers
and religious preachers in any age of place. How to clear the contaminating
debris of idolatry and fetishism, superstition and paganism, piling up from
generation to generation during the past hundreds of years over the true
teachings of the prophets sent by God, was indeed a task, exceedingly toilsome
and unwieldy. It was a Herculean task to make a clean sweep of this wreckage and
then raise a new edifice on the foundations of piety and godliness. In short,
the question was how to remake man who could think and feel differently from his
predecessors as a changed an, re-born or brought back to life again.
Is he who was dead and we have raised him unto life, and set for him a light
wherein he walketh among men, as him whose similitude is in utter darkness
whence he cannot emerge?” (Qur’an 6:123)
In order to solve the problem of man once for all, it was necessary to root out
paganism so completely that no trace of it was left in his heart, and to plant
the sapling if monotheism so deeply that it should be difficult to conceive of a
more secure foundation. It mean to create a penchant for seeking the pleasure of
God and humbling oneself before Him, to bring into existence the longing to
serve humanity, to generate the will to keep always to the right path and to sow
the seeds of that moral courage which restrains all evil passions and desires.
The whole problem, in a nutshell, was ho w to rescue the humanity, then too
willing to commit suicide, from the misery of this world as well as of the next.
It was an endeavour which makes a beginning in the form of a virtues life, like
that of an elect and godly soul, and then leads onto the paradise promised by
God to those who are God fearing and just.
Advent of the holy Prophet was thus the greatest Divine blessing on mankind;
that is hwy it has been so elegantly clothed in words by the Writ of God.
“And remember Allah’s favour unto you; how ye were enemies and He made
friendship between your hearts so that ye became brothers by His Grace; and
(how) ye were upon the brink of an abyss of fire, and He did save you from it.”
(Qur’an 3:103).
No task more delicate and baffling and no charge more onerous and gigantic than
that entrusted to Muhammad (Peace be upon him), the Apostle of God, was imposed
on any man since birth of man on this planet. And never has a man accomplished
such a huge and lasting revolution as the Last Prophet for he has guided
millions of men of many nationalities to the path of justice, truth and virtue
by putting a new life in the humanity at the throes of death in the sixth
century. It was the greatest marvel of human history, the greatest miracle the
world has ever witnessed. The well-known French poet and litterateur, Lamartine,
bears witness to the grand accomplishment of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on
him) in a language of incomparable elegance and facility.
“Never has a man set for himself, voluntarily or involuntarily, amore sublime
aim, since this aim was superhuman: to subvert superstition which had been
interposed between man and his Creator, to render God unto man and man unto God;
to restore t he rational and sacred idea of divinity amidst the chaos of the
material and disfigured gods of idolatry, then existing. Never has man
undertaken a work so far beyond human power with so feeble means, for he had in
the conception as well as in the execution of such a great design no other
instrument than himself, and no other aid, except a handful of en living in a
corner of the desert.”1
Lamartine goes on further to enumerate the achievements of the Great Prophet:
“…And more than that, he moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas
and the souls. On the basis of a Book, every letter of which has become Law, he
created a spiritual nationality which blended together peoples of every tongue
and of every race. He has left us as the indelible characteristic of this Muslim
nationality, the hatred of false gods and the passion for the One and Immaterial
God. This avenging patriotism against the profanation of Heaven formed the
virtue of the followers of Muhammad; the conquest of one-third of the earth to
his dogma was his miracle; or rather it was not the miracle of man but that of
reason. The idea of the Unity of God, proclaim amidst the exhaustion of fabulous
theologies, was in itself such a miracle that upon its utterance from his lips
it destroyed all the ancient temples of idols and set on fire one-third of the
world.”2
This universal and enduring revolution whose objective was rejuvenation of
humanity or re-building of the world anew, demanded a new prophet hood
surpassing the apostleship of the old, for the new Prophet had to hold aloft the
banner of Divine guidance and righteous for all times to come. God has Himself
explained the reason for it.
“Those who disbelieve among the People of the Scripture and the idolaters could
not have left off (erring) till the clear proof came unto the, A messenger from
Allah, reading purified pages containing correct scriptures.” (Qur’an 98:1-3).
Footnotes:
- Lamartine, Historie de la Turquie, Vol. II, Paris11, 1854, p. 276 (Quoted from ‘Islam in the World’ by Dr. Zaki Ali, Lahore, 1974).
- Lamartine, Historie de la Turquie, Vol. II, Paris11, 1854, p. 276 (Quoted from ‘Islam in the World’ by Dr. Zaki Ali, Lahore, 276-7).
Arabias Era of Depression
For their manly qualities of head and heart, the Arabs deserved, or, were rather the only people entitled to the honour of the advent of the last Prophet of God amongst them and to be made responsible for propagation of the message of Islam. But, in no part of the Peninsula was there any indication of an awakening or a vexation of spirit showing the sign of life left in the Arabs. There were scarcely a few Hanif,1 who could be counted on one's fingers, feeling their way towards monotheism but they were no more than the glowworms in a dark and chilly rainy night incapable of showing the path of righteousness to anybody or providing warmth to one being frozen to death.
This was an era of darkness and depression in the history of Arabia—a period of darkest gloom when the country had reached the rock bottom of its putrified decadence, leaving no hope of any reform or improvement. The shape of things in Arabia presented a task far more formidable and baffling than ever faced by any messenger of God.
Sir William Muir, a biographer of the Prophet, who is ever willing to find fault with the prophet and cast reflection upon him, has vividly depicted the state of affairs in Arabia before the birth of Muhammad (on whom be peace) which discredits the view held by certain European orientalists that Arabia was fermenting for a change and looking forward to a man of genious who could respond to it better than any other. Says Sir William Muir: "During the youth of Mahomet, this aspect of the Peninsula was strongly conservative; perhaps it was never at any period more hopeless.2
Reviewing the feeble stir created by Christianity and Judaism in the dark and deep ocean of Arabian paganism, Sir William Muir remarks, "In fine, viewed thus in a religious aspect the surface of Arabia had been now and then gently rippled by the feeble efforts of Christianity; the sterner influence of Judaism had been occasionally visible in the deeper and more troubled currents; but the tide of indigenous idolatry and of Ishmaelite superstition, setting from every quarter with an unbroken and unebbing surge towards the Ka’ba, gave ample evidence that the faith and worship of Mecca held the Arab mind in a thraldom, rigorous and undisputed',.3
“One of the most philosophical of historians has remarked that of all the revolution which have had a permanent influence upon the civil history of mankind, none could so influence upon the civil history of mankind, none could so little be anticipated by human prudence as that effected by the religion of Arabia. And at first sight it must be confessed that the Science of History, if indeed there be such a science, is at a loss to find the sequence of cause and is worthy of the name, to trace it.”4
Footnotes:
1 Ibn Is’haq mentions four men and Ibn Qutaybaa\h gives the names of half a dozen other persons of the generation before Muhammad (peace be on him), who had abandoned pagan practices to seek the Hanifiyah, the true religion of Abraham.
2 Sir William Muir, The life of Mahomet, Vol. I, London 1858, p. ccxxxviii.
1 Sir William Muir, The life of Mahomet, Vol. I, London 1858, p. ccxxxix.
2 R. Boswarth Smith, Mohammad and Mohammadanism, London, 1876, p. 105
The Advent
It was the will of God that the glorious sun of humanitys guidance, which
was to illuminate the world without end, should rise from the orb of Arabia. For
it was the darkest corner of this terrestrial globe, it needed the most radiant
daystar to dispel the gloom setting on it.
God had chosen the Arabs as the standard bearers of Islam for propagating its
message to the four corners of the world, since these guileless people were
simple hearted, nothing was inscribed on the tablets of Their mind and heart,
nothing so deep engraver as to present any difficulty in sweeping the slate
clean of every impression. The Romans and the Iranians and the Indians,
instinctually thrilled by the glory of their ancient arts and literatures,
philosophies, cultures and civilizations were all crushed by the heavy burden of
the past, that is, a conditioned reflex of touch notism had got itself indelibly
etched in their minds. The imprints in the memory of the Arabs were lightly
impressed merely because of their rawness and ignorance or rather their nomadic
life, and thus these were liable to he obliterated easily and replaced by new
inscriptions. They were, in modern phraseology, suffering from non-receptiveness
which could readily be remedied while other civilized nations, having vivid
pictures of the past filled in their minds, were haunted by an obsessive
irrationality which could never be dismissed from their thoughts.
The Arabs, simple minded and straightforward, possessed the will of iron. If
they failed to entertain a belief, they had no hesitation in taking up the sword
to fight against it; but if they were convinced of the truth of an idea, they
stayed with it through fire and water and were ever prepared to lay down their
lives for it.
It was this psyche of the Arab mind which had found expression through Suhayl b.
Am, while the armistice of Hudaybia was being written. The document began with
the words: "This is what Muhammad, the Apostle of God has agreed". Suhayl
promptly raised the objection, "By God, If I witnessed that you were Gods
Apostle I would not have excluded you from the House of God and fought you".
Again, it was the same Arab turn of mind which is reflected in the summons of
Ikrama b. AbuJahl. Pressed hard by the assailing charge of the Byzantine forces
he cried out, "What a dolt you are! I have wielded the sword against the Apostle
of God. Will I turn my back upon you?" Thereafter he called out to his comrades,
"Is there anyone to take the pledge of death on my hands?" Several persons
immediately offered themselves and fought valiantly until they were all maimed
and came to a heroic end.1
The Arabs were frank and unassuming, practical and sober, industrious,
venturesome and plain spoken. They were neither double dealers nor liked to be
caught in a trap. Like a people true soured, they were always out spoken and
remained firm once they had taken a decision. An incident, occurring before the
hijrah of the Prophet, on the occasion of the second pledge of Aqaba, typically
illustrates the character of the Arabs.
Ibn Ishaq relates that when Aus and Khazraj plighted their faith to the Prophet
at Aqaba, Abbass b. Ubada of Khazraj said to his people, "O men of Khazraj,
do you realise to what you are committing yourselves in pledging your support to
the Prophet? It is to war against one and all. If you think that in case you
lose your property and your nobles are killed you will give him up to his
enemies, then do so now; for, by God, it would bring you shame in this world and
the next. But if you have decided that you will be true to your words if your
property is destroyed and y our nobles are killed, then pledge yourselves; for,
by God, it would bring you profit and success both in this world and the next."
The Khazraj replied: "We will pledge our support even if we lose our property
and our leaders are killed; but, O Apostle of Allah, what will we get in return
for redeeming our pledge" "Paradise", said the Prophet in reply. Thereupon they
said, "Stretch forth your hand"; and when the Prophet did so, they took their
oath.2
And, in truth and reality, the Ansar3 lived up to their word of honour. The
reply given to the Prophet on a subsequent occasion by Sac1 b. Muadh perfectly
expressed their feelings. Sad had said to the Prophet, "By God, if you continue
your march and get as far as Bark al Ghimad,4 we would accompany you and if you
were to cross this sea, we would plunge into it with you."5
"My Lord, this ocean has interrupted my march although I wanted to go ahead and
proclaim The name in all the lands and seas6 were the words uttered despairingly
by Uqba b. Nafi on reaching the shore of the Atlantic ocean. What Uqba said
on finding his victorious advance blocked by the ocean speaks volumes of the
seriousness, absolute trust and iron will of the Arabs in accomplishing the task
considered truthful by them.
The Greeks, the Byzantines and the Iranians were peoples of a different mettle.
Accustomed to improving the shining hour as a godsend opportunity, they lacked
the grit to fight against injustice and brutality. No ideal, no principle was
attractive enough for them: no conviction or call was sufficiently potent to tug
at their heartstrings in a way that they could imperil their comfort and
pleasure.
Unspoiled by the nicety, polish and ostentatious ness usually produced by the
display of wealth and luxury of an advanced culture, the Arabs had not developed
that fastidiousness which hardens the heart and ossifies the brain, allows no
emotion to catch the flame and always acts as an inhibition when ones faith or
conviction demands stirring of the blood. This is the listless apathy which is
hardly ever erased from ones heart.
Candidly honest and true soured, the Arabs had no taste for intrigue and
duplicity. They were courageous, intrepid fighters accustomed to a simple and
hard life filled with dangers and spent most of their time riding on horse backs
across the waterless desert. These were the rules of iron essential for a nation
required to accomplish a great task, especially, in an age when adventure and
enterprise were the laws of Medes and Persians.
The common ignorance of the Arabs, exempted from the shame or reproach it
involves, had helped to conserve the natural briskness and intellectual energy
of these people. Being strangers to philosophies and sophistry, ratiocination
and lame and impotent quibbling, they had preserved their soundness of mind,
despatch, resoluteness and fervidness of spirit.
The perpetual independence of Arabia from the yoke of invaders had made the
Arabs free as birds; they enjoyed the benefits of human equality and beauty of
living nature; and were not acquainted with the pomp or majesty or haughty
demeanour of the emperors. The servile temper of the ancient Persia had,
contrarily, exalted the Sasanian monarchs to supernatural beings. If any king
took a medicine or was given phlebotomy, a proclamation was made in the capital
that all and sundry should suspend their trades and business on that day.7 If
the king sneezed, nobody durst raise his voice to say grace, nor was anybody
expected to say Amen when the king sent up a prayer. The day any king paid a
visit to any noble or chief was regarded an event so memorable that the elated
family of the fortunate grandee instituted a new calendar from that day. It was
an honour so singular that the grandee was exempted from payment of taxes for a
fixed period besides enjoying other rewards, fiefs and robes of honour.8
We can imagine what a state audience of the king must have been like for those
who were allowed to appear before him. By etiquette, all the courtiers, even the
highest nobles and dignitaries, were required to stand silently with their hands
folded on the navel, and their heads bowed in reverence.9 Actually, this was the
ceremonial etiquette prescribed for State audience during the reign of Chosroes
I (531-579), known as Anushirvan (of the Immortal Soul) and Adil (the Just).
One can very well visualise the pompous ceremonials in vogue during the reign of
Sassanides kings justly reputed as tyrants and despots.
Freedom of speech and expression (and not censure or criticism, in the least)
was a luxury never indulged in by anyone in the vast kingdom of the Sassanides.
Christensen has related, on the authority of Tabari, a story about Chosroes I,
passing under the name of The dust among the Sassanides kings, which
demonstrates the freedom of expression allowed by the Iranian kings and the
price paid for the imprudence of speaking out the truth.
"He assembled his council and cored the secretary for taxes to read aloud the
new rates of collection. When the secretary had announced the rates, Chosroes I
asked twice whether anyone had any objection to the new arrangement. Everybody
remained silent but on the third time of asking, a man stood up and asked
respectfully whether the king had meant to establish a tax for perpetuity on
things perishable, which, as time went on, would lead to injustice. "Accursed
and rash!" Cried the King, "To what class do you belong?" "I am one of the
secretaries", replied the mall "Then, `ordered tile king, "heat him to death
with pen cases". Thereupon every secretary started beating him with his pen case
until the poor man died, and the beholders exclaimed: "O King, we find, all the
taxes you have levied upon us, just and fail.”(Iran ba ‘Ahd Sansayani, p. 511)
The horrible condition of the depressed classes in the then India, who were
condemned as untouchables by the social and religious laws promulgated by the
Aryans, baffles all human understanding. Subjected to it gruesome indignity,
this unfortunate class of human being was treated pretty much the same way as
pet animals except that they resembled the species of man. According to this
law, a Sudra who .assaulted a Brahmin or attempted to do so, was to lose the
limb with which the assault was made. The Sudra was forced to drink boiling oil
if he made the pretentious claim of teaching somebody. (Manu Shastra, 10th
Chapter) The penalty for killing dogs, cats, frogs, chameleons, crows and owls
was the same as that for killing the Sudras.10
Unworthy treatment of their subjects by the Sasanian Emperors had not been the
lot of the common man in Byzantium, but in their pride and policy to display the
titles and attributes of their omnipotence, the Caesars of Rome had all the
signs of their oriental counterparts.
Victor Chopart writes about the arbitrary rule and majesty of the Roman
Emperors.
"The Caesars were gods, but not by heredity, and one who rose to power would
become divine in his turn, and there was no mark by which he could be recognised
in advance. The transmission of the title of Augustus was governed by no regular
constitutional law; it was acquired by victory over rivals, and the Senate did
no more than ratify the decision of arms. This ominous fact became apparent in
the first century of the Principate, which was merely a continuance of the
military dictatorship.11
If we compare the servile submission of the common man of Byzantium and Persia
with the spirit of freedom and pride, as well as the temperament and social
conduct of the pre
Islamic Arabs, we would see the difference between the social life and natural
propensities of the Arabs and other nations of the world.
"May you be safe from frailty", and "Wish you a happy morning", were some of the
salutations very often used by the Arabs to hail their kings. So solicitous were
they of preserving their dignity and pride, honour and freedom that many a time
they even refused to satisfy the demands of their chiefs and rulers. A story
preserved by Arab historians admirably describes the rudimentary Arab virtues of
courage and outspokenness. An Arab king demanded a mare known as Sikab from its
owner belonging to Bani Tamim. The man flatly refused the request and instantly
indicted a poem of which the opening lines were:
Sikab is a nice mare, good as gold,
Too precious it is to be gifted or sold.
And, in the concluding verse he said:
To grab it from me, make no effort,
For I am competent to balk your attempt.12
The virtues common to all Arabs, men and women, were their overweening pride,
loftiness of ambition, chivalrous bearing, magnanimous generosity and a wild,
invigorating spirit of freedom. We find all these features of Arab character
depicted in the affair leading to the murder of Amr b. Hind, the King of Hira.
It is related that Amr b. Hind once sent to Amr b. Kulthum, the proud cavalier
and noted poet of Banu Taghlib, inviting him to pay a visit to himself, and also
to bring his mother, Layla bint Muhalhil, to visit his own mother. Amr came to
Hira from Jazira with some of his friends, and Layla came attended by a [lumber
of her women. Pavilions were erected between Hira and the Euphrates. In one of
these pavilions Amr b. Hind entertained Amr b. Kulthum, while Layla found
quarters with Hind in an adjoining tent. Now, Amr b. Hind had already
instructed his mother to dismiss the servants before calling for dessert, and
thus cause Layla. to wait upon her. Accordingly, Hind sent off her servants at
the appointed moment and asked her guest, "O Layla, hand me that dish." Layla
felt insulted and exclaimed in shame, "Let those who want anything, fetch it for
themselves". Hind insisted on her demand despite Laylas refusal. At last Layla
cried, "O shame! Help Taghlib, help !" Amr b. Kulthum got his blood up on
hearing his mothers cry and seizing a sword hanging on the wall, smote the King
dead with a single blow. At the same time, the tribesmen of Banu Taghlib
ransacked the tents and made rapid strides back of Jazira. Amr b. Kulthum has
narrated this story in an ode which is a fine illustration of the pre-Islamic
ideal of chivalry. It was included in the Saba, Muallaqat or the Seven
Suspended Odes.13
The same Arab tradition of democracy tempered by aristocracy is to be witnessed
in the meeting between the Arab envoy, Mughira b. Shuba, and Rustam, the
Sasanian General and administrator of the empire. When Mughira entered the
splendid court of Rustam, he found the latter sitting on a throne. Mughira made
his way direct to Rustam, as was an Arabs wont, and sat down on the throne by
the side of Rustam. Rustams courtiers, however, lost no time in getting Mughira
down from the throne of their chief. Thereupon Mughira said, "We had heard that
you are a sagacious people but now I see that none is more block headed than
you. We Arabs treat everybody as an equal and enslave no man save on the
battlefield. I had presumed that you would also be conducting yourselves
similarly towards your own people. You should have better told us that you have
exalted some amongst you as your gods; for, we would have then known that no
dialogue was possible between us and you. In that case we would not have dealt
with you in the way we have done, nor came to see you, although it was you who
invited us here.. (Tabari, Vol. IV, p. 108)
There was yet another reason for the advent of the last Prophet in Arabia and
it was Kaba, the House of God, built by. Abraham and Ishmael as the centre for
worship of One God.
"Lo! the first Sanctuary appointed for mankind was that at Becca,14 a blessed
place, a guidance to the peoples. (Qur’an 3:96)
There is a mention of the valley of Baca in the Old Testament. The old
translators of the Bible gave this word the meaning of a valley of weeping,
but better sense seems to have prevailed later on. According to more recent of
the Biblical scholars, the word signifies rather any valley lacking water, and
the Psalmist apparently has in mind a particular valley whose natural condition
led him to adopt that name.15 Now, this waterless valley, which can easily be
identified with the valley of Mecca, has been thus mentioned in the Book of
Psalms.
"Blessed are they that dwell in thy house;
they will still be praising thee. Selah.
Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee;
in whose heart are the ways of them.
Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well,” (Ps. 84:4-6) The birth
of the Prophet Muhammad (on whom be peace) in the city of Mecca was really an
answer to the prayer sent up by Abraham and Ishmael while laying the foundation
of Kaba. They had beseeched God in these words:
"Our Lord! And raise up unto them an apostle from among them, who shall recite
unto them Thy revelations, and shall teach them the Book and wisdom, and shall
cleanse them. Verily Thou! Thou art the Mighty, the Wise." (Qur’an 2:129)
A standing norm of God Almighty is that He always answers the prayers of those
who are pious and devoted and pure in heart. The Apostles of God occupy, without
doubt, a higher place than the most devout and the godliest believers. All the
earlier scriptures and prophecies bear witness to this fact. Even the Old
Testament testifies that the supplication of Abraham in regard to Ishmael met
the approval of the Lord. The Book of Genesis says:
"And as for Ishma el, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will
make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he
beget, and I will make him a great nation." (Gen. 17:20)
That is why the Prophet is reported to have said: "I am the (result of the)
prayer of Abraham and prophecy of Jesus. (Musnad Imam Ahmad) The Old Testament
still contains, notwithstanding its numerous recensions and alterations, the
evidence that this prayer of Abraham was answered by God. Mark the very clear
reference in the Book of Deuteronomy to the advent of a prophet.
"The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of
thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken." (Dt. 18:15)
Now, this being a prognosis by Moses, "thy brethren clearly indicates that the
prophet promised by God was to be raised from amongst the Ishmaelite who were
the cousins of Israelites. God again reiterates His promise in the same Book:
"And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. I
will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will
put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command
him". (Dt. 18: 17-18)
The words put my words in his mouth occurring in this oracle very clearly
indicate the advent of the Prophet who was to recite and deliver to his people
the divine revelation exactly as he received them. This prediction has been
substantiated by the Quran also.
"Nor cloth he speak of (his own) desire". (Qur’an 53:3)
Again, the Quran says about the revelation vouchsafed to the Prophet Muhammad :
“Falsehood cannot come at it from before it or behind it. (It is! a revelation
from the Wise, the Owner Praise.” (Qur’an 41:42).
But, quite unlike the Quran, both the Bible and its followers ascribe the
authorship of the Books included in the Bible to the ancient sages and the
great teachers and never to the Divine
Author Himself. Modern Biblical scholars have reached the conclusion that:
"Ancient Jewish traditions attributed the authorship of the Pentateuch16 (with
the exceptions of the last eight verses describing Moses death to Moses
himself. But the many inconsistencies and seeming contradictions contained in it
attracted the attention of the Rabbis, who exercised their ingenuity in
reconciling them.17
As for the Books forming part of the New Testament, the: have never been
treated, either literally or in their contents to be of Divine origin, These
books really contain a biographical account and anecdotes of Jesus, as narrated
by the later scribes, rather than a Book of revelation sent unto the Master.18
We now come to the geographical position of Arabia, which, being connected by
land and sea routes with the continents of Asia, Africa and Europe, occupied the
most suitable place for being chosen as the centre of enlightment for radiating
divine guidance and knowledge to the entire world. All the three continents had
been cradles of great civilisations and powerful empires, while Arabia lay in
the centre19 through which passed the merchandise of all the countries,20 far and
near, affording an opportunity to different nations and races for exchange of
thoughts and ideas. Two great empires, Sassanides and Byzantine, on either side
of the Arabian peninsula, governed the history of the world. Both were large,
rich and powerful, and both fought each other constantly; yet, Arabia jealously
guarded her independence and never allowed either of the two powers to lay its
hands on it, barring a few territories lying on its frontiers. Excepting a few
peripheral tribes, the Arab of the desert was extremely sensitive to his regal
dignity and untrammelled freedom, and he never allowed any despot to hold him in
bondage. Such a country, unimpeded by political and social constraints, was
ideally suited to become the nucleus of a Universal message preaching human
equality, liberty and dignity.
For all these reasons God had selected Arabia, and the city of Mecca within it,
for the advent of the Prophet to whom divine Scripture was to be sent for the
last time to pave the way for proclamation of PEACE throughout the length and
breadth of the world from age to age.
"Allah knoweth best with whom to place His message.” (Qur’an 6:125)
Footnotes:
- Tabari, Vol. IV, p. 36
- Ibn Hisham, Vol. I, p. 446
- Lit. “the helpers” is the name of given to the Medinian followers of the Prophet used in contradiction to those earliest Muslims who migrated to that city with the Prophet.
- Located variously by different people, some say that Bakr al-Ghimad is a far off place in Yemen while others hold that it is in Abyssinia. What S’ad b. Mu’adh meant was that his companions would keep company of the Prophet even if he was to go the most distant place.
- Zad al-a’ad, Vol. I, pp. 342-343, Ibn Hisham, Vol. I, p. 615.
- Ibn Athir, Al-Kamil, Vol. IV, p. 46
- Iran Ba ‘Ahd Sasaniyan, pp. 535-36.
- Ibid., p. 543
- Exact in the way one stands in prayer. Actually the Arabic word ‘Kufr’ means, etymologically, ‘standing in the way Iranians pay respect to their Kings’ (Lisan-ul-‘Arab, Vol. VII, p. 466)
- R.C. Dutt, Ancient Indian, Vol. III, pp. 324 and 343
- Victor Chopart, the Roman World, London, 1928, p. 418
- Diwan Hamasa, Bab-ul-Hamasa, pp. 67-68.
- Ibn Qutaybah, Kitab-us-Sh’ar was Shu’ara, p. 36. These odes were awarded the annual prize at the fair of ‘Ukaz and inscribed in golden letter and suspended on the wall of Ka’ba.
- The sacred city is known both as Becca and Mecca. The Arabic alphabets be and mim are etymologically interchangeable, in many cases, such as, Lazi and Lazib, and balit without any change in their meanings.
- Jewish Encyclopedia, Vol. II, p. 415. Also see commentary on the Holy Qur’an by ‘Abdul Majid (Lahore, 1957), Vol. I, pp. 121-22 and Qazi Sulaiman Mansupuri, Rahmatul-il-‘Alamin (Deoban, N.D.), Vol. I, p. 24.
- The first five books of the Old Testament.
- Jewish Encyclopedia, Vol. IX, p. 589
- For detailed discussion see the Chapter “Finality of Prophethood” in the Islamic Concept of Prophethood.
- Dr. Hussain Kamal Uddin, Professor of Civil Engineering in the Engineering College of Riyadh University informed in an interview with the correspondent of Al-Ihram, Cairo, that according to his researches it could be proved that Mecca lay at the centre of the world. For devising an inexpensive instrument which could show the direction of the Ka’ba, he had started preparing maps showing the distance of various cities om different countries from Mecca. These maps revealed that Mecca lay in the centre of the world, which is yet another reason why it was gselected by God to house the Sacred Sanctuary and to radiate Divine uidance to the four corners of the world.
- De Lacy O’Leary, Arabia Before Muhammad, London, 1927, pp. 179-88.
