The world before the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) is Himself a great bounty of Allah for all humankind.  Before Him, ignorance ruled the roost.  Along with the Arabian Peninsula, the whole world was submerged in darkness.  People were stuck in the mire of disbelief and polytheism.  They were busy in indecency.

 

Oppression and trampling others’ rights was rampant.  Usury and gambling was the order of the day.  Wine was consumed and blood was shed right in public.  The ties of love between people were almost nonexistent.  Instead, enmity and antagonism was common.  One tribe would be opposed to another.  One family would dislike another.  This hate and opposition would eventually culminate in a war between the 2 tribes.  Each tribe would call upon its supporters for help.

 

In this way, many tribes would fight each other.  They would spend all their energies in trying to wipe out the other tribe.  ‘Aus and Khazraj fought with each other over a trivial issue and the resulting war lasted for 120 years.

 

In such a terrorized atmosphere, how could human life remain safe?  If life itself had become so cheap, then what to say of material wealth and possessions?

 

The hearts had become hardened and mutual relations were straitened.  People would consider selfishness, pride and vanity as their honor.  Humanity itself was on the verge of death.

 

In such a time, to guide humanity back on to the right path, to bring them out from the gloom of disbelief and polytheism and illuminate them with the radiance of faith, to dispel ignorance and grant humanity the wealth of knowledge, Almighty Allah sent the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) to the whole world as the Seal of all Prophets.  With the arrival of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), mercy and benevolence enveloped the whole world.  Humanity was provided succor.

 

Bloodshed and slaughtering was replaced by peace and security.  The hardened hearts were replaced by affectionate and soft-heartedness.  Straitened relations were un-straitened.  Selfishness was replaced by sincerity before Allah.  Pride was replaced by humility.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) smoothed the whole society.  He replaced the differences of the society with unity.  He granted the beacons of knowledge to those who were wandering bewildered in the darkness of ignorance.  He granted life to humanity, which was in the throes of death.

 

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) taught everyone that their strength was not to slaughter others, but to maintain peace by removing threats from the society.  He taught others that their energies should not be expended in creating differences but to promote and maintain unity, that our efforts should not be to deceive people but to sacrifice for their sake, that our very presence shouldn’t be to oppress others but to end falsehood and to raise the banner of truth.