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Before the Mission
Before The Mission
The Radiance That Shone Forth in The Darkness
The World Before Islam. The chaotic situation of the world prior to Islam is clearly
reflected in the accurate mirror of history. The outline of
decline, oppression, bloodshed, idol-worship is evident in this
mirror. Before Islam, it was as if mankind were leaning over the
edge of the precipice of ruin and destruction, and there was the
fear that at any moment it could roll down and be annihilated in
it. The Religions and Beliefs of .the Peoples.
a) In the Arabian Peninsula.
The Arabs prior to Islam were committed in their hearts to
idols, and what they saw around themselves with their own eyes
they made into idols. Not only did they lower their heads and
prostrate before them, but they donated everything they had, even
gifts of agricultural produce, to their idols (see VI:137). They
believed that apart from the life of this world there was no
other life (see XLV:24). Obviously those who did not see the
wretchedness of their idols whom they had chosen as their gods
could not grasp the idea and truth of the resurrection. So it was
no wonder that they turned the House which Hazrat Ibrahim(A.S.)
had built at the command of and in the name of Allah into
quarters for their idols. As for the origins of idol-worship in
the Hejaz, some believe that the first person to introduce it was
'Amr ibn Luhayy. Al-Ya'qubi writes in his history: "He (ibn
Luhayy) journeyed to Syria and saw all of the inhabitants
worshipping idols. When he asked about the virtues of the idols,
they told him, 'They have befriended us, and they bring down rain
for us.' He took a liking to them and asked them to give him an
idol. They gave him Hubal and he took him to Mecca." Ibn
Hisham writes that 'Amr ibn Luhayy brought this idol from Mu'ab.
In any case, Hubal was the most famous of the gods in the Ka'bah:
he was built in the form of man, and holy arrows, which the
diviners used fot casting auguries, were set in front of him. The
influence of idol-worship grew to the point where idols were
built in the form of animals, plants, men, jinn, angels and
stars; even stones were the object of worship. 'al-Lat' was in
Ta'if in the form of a cubic stone, and had a special field and
meadow near Ta'if which was a holy place, and cutting trees,
hunting and the spilling of blood were not lawful in its
vicinity; the people of Mecca and other places made pilgrimage to
it. 'al- 'Uzza' was a very powerful god equivalent to the planet
Venus, and was situated in Nakhlah east of Mecca, and was
worshipped there. It was given much more honour than the other
idols. The sanctuary of al-'Uzza took the form of three trees and
human sacrifices were offered to it. Manat was the god of
predestination, and its original place of worship was a black
stone at Qudayd (on the road between Mecca and Medina). It
belonged especially to the tribes of Aws and Khazraj. Bal was
the embodiment of the spirit of wells and underground waters.
Sometimes a well with clean, invigorating water became worshipped
in the dry desert. A cave, when it had connections with the gods
and the underground powers, was also sanctified. The temple of
Ghabghab in Nakhlah (see above) was in such a place. Dhat Anwat,
from which things were hung, was in Nakhlah, and in some years
the Meccans made pilgrimage there. Dhu'sh-shara was respected in
the form of a heap of black shining cubic stones. The spirit of
arable lands was the god of good works and sacrifices had to be
made to it. The spirit of barren land was a wicked devil who had
to be avoided. They had idols made of wood or metal or stones
with no definite form round which they made several turns
whenever they went into their houses, and from which they took
permission when they went out on a journey, and then took with
themselves. The town of Harran, where Ibrahim had started his
campaign against star-worship, was the center of the Sabaeans. In
this town, stars were the object of veneration. Belief in the
stars and in the connection between the movements of the stars
and earthly destiny was very strong. Each star was the god of one
event Images of Mars, Jupiter, Venus, etc. were erected in the
temples, and they asked for help from them, and sometimes
sacrificed to them. The thoughts of the Sabaeans sometimes turned
to angels and jinn. The angels were the daughters of god, and
were thought to influence events. They imagined that god had a
wife who was one of the jinn.
b) In Iran.
In Iran also many religions were being practiced, but the one
which most people followed was Zoroastrianism, the official
religion. If we accept that Zoroaster was a true prophet who had
a religion based on tawhid, we must also acknowledge that his
true teachings had been changed by the passage of time.
Gradually, they changed their direction and even their form and
identity to the benefit of the ruling classes. Its very general
and pleasant maxims were covered by a veil behind which the
foundations and principles were transformed by the Magi and the
priests to the advantage of themselves and the ruling classes.
Thus it was that tawhid became polytheism, and the pure sweet and
excellent teachings did not stay: the shell remained, but the nut
was thrown out, and the empty shells were filled with the ancient
gods of the first times of the Aryan tribes.
c) In Europe.
The religious situation in Europe was like it was in Iran.
Christianity had given up its original form, and had become stuck
in polytheism and the dogma of the Trinity. In France, Britain
and Spain, people did not believe in a Unique God.
d) In India.
There were various religions, but idolatry prevailed.
Class and Racial Differences. In Iran people were divided into classes, and each class had
special restrictions and privileges. The class connected with the
ruling council had the most privileges. Similarly in Europe and
India, society was divided into classes and the right to possess
land, to trade, and the exemption from taxes was the prerogative
of the nobility. At that time also, everyone of the people of the
world thought themselves superior in terms of race over everyone
else.
The Situation of Women in Pre-Islamic Society. In Arabia, woman was a commodity, counted in the wealth of the
father, husband or son; and after death she was inherited like
the other possessions and became the property of the descendents.
It was a disgrace to have a daughter, and in some tribes the
family buried this shameful thing with their own hands (see XVI:
59). In Iran, also, the form of class society did not bring
anything better for women. In Greece, woman was a creature of
perpetual filthiness, a child of Satan, similar to an animal. In
India, throughout her life, she was under the control of her
father, husband or son, and had to address her husband as god,
master and lord, and, like a slave, she had no right to ownership
- after the death of her husband she had no right to take another
husband. The revolting custom of Sati, the burning of the widow
alive with the funeral pyre of her husband, was also practised at
that time. In Japan, as well, woman was under the control of her
father, husband or son for the whole of her life, and the
daughter had no share in inheritance. In China the father was
master of the house and had so much power that he could sell his
wife and children into bondage and slavery, and sometimes he even
had the right to kill them. On top of this, daughters had no
esteem and sometimes they were left in the desert to be the prey
of the wild pigs. The Romans also considered women to be the
incarnation of evil and as harmaful spirits, and kept them like
children under their control. So every human society at that
time, wherever it was, was sunk in darkness, decline and
oppression. Throughout the whole of the world, no glow or gleam
of light met the eye, and although the desire for goodness and
virtue still flickered in the depths of the heart of human nature
covered by a dark opaqueness, it had been almost extinguished on
the one hand in the blackness and gloom of humiliations, passions
and oppression, and on the other hand in the prominent features
of poverty and wretchedness. It could not illuminate the path for
the seekers after light, purity and felicity. A darkness like a
thick heavy cloud in the sky had submerged the daily life of all
societies of the time in a deep sleep; and a horrible, powerful
obscurity reigned which only the rising of a radiant sun could
disperse. This darkness was more overpowering in Arabia than in
any other place, as if they had been invaded to the depths of
degradation and debasement. Hear what Imam 'Ali (A.S.) says about
those days: "...You people of Arabia followed the worst
religion; you dwelt amongst rough stones and poisonous serpents.
You drank putrid water and ate filthy food. You shed the blood of
one another and payed no heed to relationships. Idols were
established among you, and sins clung to you."
(Nahjul-Balaghah, Sermon 26). (The Roots of Religion, p. 111-117)
The Birth of Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam (S.A.)
Muhammad (S.A.) opened his eyes to the world on the 17th of
Rabi' al-awwal of the 53rd year before the Hijrah (570 A.D.). His
father, 'Abdullah, was from the family of Hazrat Isma'il, and had
died before he could see his son. His mother was one of the most
pious women of that time. Muhammad (S.A.) was entrusted to a
virtuous woman called Halimah, who suckled him and nursed him.
One day, Muhammad (S.A.), who had not yet reached the age of four
years, asked Halimah if he could go into the desert with the
other boys... Halimah said: "I bathed Muhammad an anointed
his hair with oil. I put collyrium on his eyes and hung a
Yemenite stone on a string and put it round his neck so that no
harm could come to him from the spirits of the desert. But
Muhammad tore the stone from his neck and said, 'Don't worry
about me. My God is taking care of me!"' So we see that from
childhood he was the object of God's favour and grace, and was
always guided by Divine power and help in works that were in
their right time and place. Muhammad's behavior and speech in
childhood were such that everyone's attention was attracted. In
his youth, also, he was far from that which tainted those people
in his environment. He took no part in their riotous poetry
gatherings. He drank no wine, was an enemy of the idols; he was
perfect in speech and act. Years before he became a prophet, the
people called him 'al-Amin' (the trustworthy one). He had a pure
mind and radiant intellect, and a godly and heavenly character.
Every year for one month he went to the cave of Hira and was with
God in His mysteries and in prayer. At the end of the month,
before returning to his home, he went to the Ka'bah and made
seven or more circumambulations. At the age of forty, while busy
in worship in the cave of Hira, he was elevated to the station of
Messengership. For three years the Prophet of Islam (S.A.) received no
command to call people openly to Islam, and during that time only
a few people had faith in Muhammad (S.A.). Among men, the first
person who loved and followed him was Hazrat 'Ali (AS.), and
among women, Khadijahl(Tarikh at-Tabari, vol. I, p. 240 - 245. ).
Then after three years he received the command to invite people
openly to Islam, and he called his close family to be his guests;
about forty of these people assembled together. The food which
the Prophet (S.A.) had prepared was no more than enough to
satisfy the appetite of one man, but by the power of God that
little food filled everyone, and this was the cause of much
amazement. Abu Lahab, without thinking what he was saying, cried
out: "Muhammad is a magician!" That day the relatives
dispersed before the Prophet could speak, so he called them again
the next day. After they had partaken of the food and
hospitality, he spoke: "O Sons of Abdul-Muttalib! No youth
has brought to his people better than what I bring to you. I have
brought you the best of this world and of the world of the
resurrection. I have been commanded by Allah to call you to Him.
Which of you will extend his help to me and become my brother,
executor and successor?" Apart from 'Ali (A.S.), no one
answered. The Prophet placed his hand on 'Ali's shoulder and
said: "This is my brother, executor and successor among you.
Listen what he says and obey him!''(Tarikh at-Tabari, vol.v 3, p.
1171-1173). One day the Prophet (S.A.) went up on Mount Safa and
called the people around him. He said: "If I told you that
an enemy, was going to fall on you this morning or this evening,
would you trust me?" All together they replied: "Yes !
" He said: "I warn you of a severe torment that is soon
to fall on you." Out of fear that the speech of Muhammad
(S.A.) would take effect in the hearts of those present, Abu
Lahab broke the silence and said to him: "Did we assemble
here just to listen to this nonsense?" The Prophet of Islam
(S.A.) started his call with the slogan of tawhid and the worship
of one God, and established tawhid as the basis of all other
beliefs. He made known to men Allah, who is nearer to man than
man himself; he abolished all forms of idol-worship,
revolutionised the atmosphere of Mecca, and drew people to his
religion. Meanwhile, the Quraysh (( the most powerful tribe in
Mecca, to which Muhammad (S.A) belonged,, were becoming ill at
ease with the progress he was making and tried hard to stop his
preaching, even once trying to kill him; but with the help and
protection of Allah and with His care and intercession all their
tortures, persecutions and schemes were without effect and came
to nothing. Day by day the call to Islam, and also the acceptance
by people, spread, even to those who came from outside Mecca.
People rose up with their souls in answer to this Divine
invitation. In the eleventh year of the prophethood, some people
from Medina belonging to the Khazraj tribe came to Mecca to
perform the ceremonies of Hajj. The Prophet invited them to Islam
and they accepted, with this promise that when they went back to
Medina they would call the people to Muhammad's religion. They
went to Medina and spread around the invitation of the Prophet
(S.A.). The next year twelve Medinese accepted the faith of the
Prophet of Islam (S.A.) at 'Aqaba and resolved: not to associate
any with Allah, not to steal, not to fornicate, not to indulge in
infanticide, not to bring malicious accusations against anyone,
not to disobey the Prophet in any thing which he indicated. Then
the Prophet sent a man by the name of Mus'ab along with them to
teach the Qur'an, and thus a large group in Medina pledged their
faith in the Prophet. * * * (The Roots of Religion, p. 117-120)
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