A SHORT NOTE ON THE LIFE of Muhammad (S.A,W)

This chapter gives a brief account of the life of Muhammad (SAW) so as to acquaint the reader with the life history and prophetic advent of that Mercy for Mankind, Leader of Divine Messengers and the last of the prophets who had been raised by Allah as Messenger, Guide, Leader, Pattern and Model of Perfect Man for the entire human race. It is the Excellent Example of this august person which forms the subject of this book. 1. The Condition of Arabia and Ajam (Non-Arab Countries) at the Advent of the Holy Prophet (SAW) (1) On the eve of the Prophetic advent of Muhammad (SAW) the entire human world was enveloped in various layers of darkness. Savagery and brutality were the order of the day. Polytheism and idolatry polluted the atmosphere of the whole world. The once resplendent civilizations of Egypt, India, Babylonia, Nineveh, Greece and China had fallen into decay. Roman and Persian civilizations were still in the ascendant. Their outward glory but masked the rule of jungle law. The rulers had installed themselves as deities of the people. The feudalist-capitalist classes and self appointed guardians of religion were active collaborators of I Adapted from 'Mohsin-i-lnsaniyat', pp. 19-21.these god-kings. This triumvirate preyed upon the people without mercy. They put them to work like beasts of burden and made merry on the fruits of their labour. The blood thirsty fiends, however, had no panacea for the ills of the people. They had no moment to spare for listening to the groans of their victims, let alone feeling sympathy for their plight. (2) The conditions in Arabia were not dissimilar. In the times of the Aad and the Thamud and the Empires of Saba, Aden and Yemen the Arabian civilisation had reached its zenith, yet it too had deteriorated giving place to savagery and brutality. Chaos reigned everywhere. The people were given to fights, plunder, liquor, dice and fornication. Class conflict was raging in full fury. On the one hand the Quraish who were polytheists and idolaters had set themselves up in business as guardians of the Ka'aba; and on the other the Jews were trading in philosophical and legalistic polemics. The bankers of Makkah and Taif had spread the nets of usury on the one side and on the other the business of slav­ery was thriving without restraint. In short it was impossible to recognize man from the beast, nay man had fallen from humanity and sunk below the animal culture. Not justice and equity but the law of `Might is Right' reigned supreme. God's earth was riven with the mischief,' which is portrayed by the Holy Quran thus: "Mischief has appeared in the land and the sea on account of men's doings that he may make them taste some of their (evil) works: maybe they mend their ways. (0 Prophet) say to them; Go about in the land and see what has been the end of those who lived before (you). Most of them were mushriks (idolaters)." (Ar-Rum: 41-42) (3) In short, when the people had forgotten their Lord, when their consciences were dead; when the real beauty of