Muhammad's emergence saw a renaissance in the Arab world

By Mohammed Naalir

Prophet Muhammad was sent to this world as a gift to mankind. His emergence witnessed momentous renaissance in the Arabian peninsula and the entire world. The advent of Prophet Muhammad saw the transformation of a barbaric society into a well-mannered entity.

Prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca in the Arabian Peninsula nearly 1450 years ago in Ayyamul Jahiliya era. Anti social activities had been the normal occurrences of that society. There was hardly any room for humanity.

Muslims performing prayers around the Kaaba.

A society which violated women's rights turned into a community which taught women's rights to the world. Those who buried female children alive, then began protecting them as treasures. The Arabian Peninsula became the asylum of love, kindness, sympathy and humanity. They gave enough to those who did not have and poor people even though they experienced immense difficulties in their day-to-day lives.

Muhammad received the prophecy in his fortieth year from Allah via the leader of angels, angel Jibreel when he was engaged in meditation in Jabal Hira (Hira mountain). Before the prophecy the chosen prophet used to visit Jabal Hira to beg the Almighty to reform society which was out of humanity and which gave prominence to vice and anti social activities.

The Prophet's Dawa campaign continued for twenty-three-years, thirteen years in Mecca and 10 years in Medina until his demise.

Chapters

Allah revealed the Al-Qur'an to Prophet Muhammad for twenty-three years from time to time when needed as small versions and chapters.

The then society which was not aware of Islam and its supremacy caused obstacles to prevent the Holy Prophet's Dawa campaign and caused physical and mental torture to the Prophet. They made every possible effort to prevent Islam from spreading in the Arabian Peninsula. Amidst their torture and insults, Prophet Muhammad continued his Dawa campaign in Mecca for thirteen years.

When Prophet Muhammad invited the people towards Islam, Abujahl carried out anti-propaganda against the Prophet saying don't believe him. Prophet was calling the people towards Jannah (Heaven) but Abujahl was calling the people towards the abyss. Amidst such difficulties the Prophet carried out the Dawa campaign. At the very outset thirty-nine people had accepted Islam saying the Kalima that Allah is our God and Prophet Muhammad as the messenger of Allah.

While Prophet Muhammad was engaged in introducing Allah to the people, those who did not accept Islam decided to kill the Prophet in his home. They made arrangements to kill the prophet. Prophet Muhammad (Sal) on the directive of Allah then considered Medina as a suitable place to carry out Islamic propaganda. He went on Hijra to Madinah with Abu Bakr as Siddiq (a companion of Prophet Muhammad).

Messenger

The order to leave Mecca on Hijrah came from the Almighty via Angel Jibreel. According to Al-Qur'an no prophet was sent to the world between the era of Jesus Christ and Prophet Muhammad. This era is called by the historians as Ayymul Jahiliya (the era of darkness). During this era there was no one to guide them on the correct path. The people of this era had been addicted to liquor as well as women. One's prestige was measured by the stock of liquor they had. They served more and more liquor during the festive seasons or other important events.

They were spending their lives without any aim. The caste war held prominence in that society. The people of this era were fighting with each other fatally for simple reasons. The strong people enslaved weak people. People who were unable to repay loans had to work for the person who granted the loan until he settled it. If he failed to settle it, his son had to work to complete the loan.

After over five-hundred years of the advent of Jesus Christ, Prophet Muhammad was sent to the world as the final messenger. The era between Jesus Christ and Prophet Muhammad is also called as the era of Fitna (confusion).

At the time when the Prophet was born in the Arabian peninsula there was no room for humanity. There was no harmonious relationship between the people. They lived according to the dictates of their minds. There was hardly any relationship between parents and children, wives, relatives, brothers and sisters and neighbours.

During "Ayyamul Jahiliya" (the era of darkness) The people gave prominence to activities which was the gateway to destruction. There was no one god policy in that society. They venerated idols, sans any religion. They were intellectually blind. They were not aware of religion.

This was the main reason for the word "Ayyamul Jahiliya'" to be used for the then Arabian society. When compared to men, women had no rights during the Ayyamyul Jahiliya era. The fundamental rights of women were violated by men. The birth of girls were considered as shame for the family and society. If a baby boy was born they celebrated it.

They thought the birth of a male-child would protect their generation. Until the emergence of prophet Muhammad, female children were considered a misery to the family and society. For trivia reasons they launched war with other tribes. Even-though they were neighbours. They did not live amicably.

According to history they waged war against other tribes for hundreds of years to show the pride of their family and to take revenge for a prior incident. War took place on the basis of family and tribes. The crude mentality of those people were protected and was passed to next generation. One who was defeated by another tribe would direct his son to take revenge on that tribe. This was the normal practice in that era. This mentality of the community continued from generation to generation.

Prophet Muhammad's family was the only family which lived in a well mannered way without becoming addicted to bad habits. Allah protected that family from idolatry for 21 generations. That was the prime reason a Prophet came to this world from that family. Prophet Muhammad was born as the child of Abdullah and Amina. He lost his father even before his birth and lost his mother Amina during childhood. At the age of eight he lost his grandfather who tended him, after his demise the Prophet's uncle Abu-Talib looked after Muhammad.

Propaganda

The then Arabians who were unable to realise the fact behind the propaganda of the Prophet caused untold obstacles to the prophet to stop his dawa campaign. Even amidst their criticism and tortures prophet carried out his dawa campaign and called the people towards Islam.

Despite the problems and attacks the Prophet approached the people and preached of Allah and Islam in a non violent way. Abu Bakr (Companion of Prophet Muhammad) was the first male who accepted Islam and Mother Kadeeja was the first woman who embraced Islam. Ali ibnu Abu Talib was the first child who accepted Islam. Later the people in Makkah also embraced Islam realising this fact.

The entire Arabian peninsula was brought under one umbrella because of Islam.

He stressed the value of Allah in their minds. Prophet Muhammad said, "I have left two things such as Al-Quran and Al-Hadeeth (the preaching, activities and recognition of Prophet Muhammad) with you as long as you follow it you will not be misled".

He preached that to accept Allah as God by saying Lailaha Illallahu Muhammadurrasoolullah. Then you will triumph in this world and the life after death.

The Arabians condemned Prophet Muhammad in various ways to stop his Islamic propaganda. They taunted Prophet Muhammad. Despite their criticism Prophet Muhammad did not stop preaching Islam. The Prophet invited all to accept Islam saying that Kalimah which is the oath of accepting the Almighty and Prophet Muhammad as the messenger of Allah.