Arabian
Ignorance and Other Countries
What has been described in the
previous sections refers to the condition of Arabia and its people before the
appearance of Islam and the advent of the Prophet (صلى
الله عليه وآله وسلم). What has been stated regarding
character, habits, living, religion, and beliefs reflects the conditions from
one century before the era of the last Prophet (صلى
الله عليه وآله وسلم) and remained unchanged until he was
declared a Prophet. The reader can ponder over what kind of environment the
Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was sent to and how
depraved were the people when Islam came to them. The following pages will give
a picture of the magnificent revolution brought about by the teachings of the
Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and the
impact of Islam as a force. This assessment may be correctly made when we cast
a glance at the overall situation prevailing in the world and to see how Islam
brought about change in the existing situation. It is appropriate at this time
after assessing the situation in Arabia to take a look at what condition the
world contemporary to that time was experiencing.
Persia
(Iran)
Persia was reckoned among the most
renowned, ancient and venerable civilizations. During the ancient times the
people worshipped the moon, and a large number of religious guides came on the
scene one after another to reform the situation. Before the end of this period
Zoroaster gave currency to the fire worship. [The religion of Zoroaster was
free from fire worship and proclaimed oneness of God but fire worship took over
this religion later on.] He offered himself as a true guide and very soon it
became the state religion and that of its subjects.
The Persians, possibly surpassed all
other countries in terms of progress and development. During the height of its
greatness and glory, Persian rule had stretched from Egypt to Mongolia and from
the Himalayan range and Persian Gulf to the Altai Mountains. Persian society
ruled over the whole of the Asian continent and their culture, civilization and
ethical standards were considered worth following in every Asian country. At
the time of the appearance of Islam, they had become so low and depraved that
they had lost most of their good qualities after falling into the dark quagmire
of polytheism. They had given Zoroaster divine attributes and enlisted him
among their false deities. The creators of good and evil were worshipped in the
name of Yazdân (Ahura Mazda—god of goodness) and Ahriman (Angra Mainyu—god of
evil and darkness). They worshipped fire and light openly and fervently. The
worship of the moon, the sun, the stars and the planets was also in vogue.
Theft and highway robbery were rampant. Adultery was so much in force that the
wicked Mazdak asked for a liaison with the Princess of Kisra (Chosroes) openly
in the court and the ruler of Persia did not think it necessary to oppose this
most unreasonable and immodest demand. Mutual dissension and bestiality, malice
and enmity, cheating and deceit, treating the weak by the strong more
disgracefully than even the animals were some of the defects that had sent
Persia to the lowest level of depravity and degradation. Persia was bereft of
all ethical and human qualities, and the country that was once the center of
culture and civilization was groping in the dark. Not only that worship of
stars, fire and heroes was their custom, the kings, ministers, commanders and
nobles also made the people worship them. The Persian subject rose to freedom
from this torment and the darkness was dispelled only when the Muslims marched
into the Persian territories and brought it under their control.
Greece
and Rome
Another great power and rival of
Persia was the Roman Empire. Greek and Roman civilizations were also very
ancient and magnificent and their arts and sciences and grandeur and glory had
been universally known. No country of the world could surpass Greece in the
spheres of medicine, mathematics, astronomy, logic, and philosophy. This
country had produced Socrates, Hippocrates, Luqmân, Plato, and Aristotle. It
was in this country that a conqueror and king like Alexander was born. The
Roman Caesar whose capital was Constantinople, was not only an emperor but
considered also a religious guide. But, despite all these material and scientific
developments, both Greece and Rome had, during the sixth and seventh centuries,
become steeped in such degradation and depravity that the darkness prevailing
in Persia was in no way deeper than in Greece and Rome. As every indebted
person in Persia would sell himself like a slave, Greece too had several kinds
of slaves. One kind of slave could not be sold outside Greece, but all other
kinds of slaves were sold in foreign lands like horses, oxen, camels, and
goats. Any master had the right to kill his slave as anybody has the right to
slaughter his animal. Parents would sell their children and make them slave of
others. In Greece and Rome, slaves had no right to marry and there was no legal
relation between the slaves and their children.
Depravity
of the Christians
For the first two hundred years
after the birth of Isa (Jesus) (صلى الله عليه وآله
وسلم), there was no trace of a monk among the Christians. But during
the sixth century, the number of monks rose to such an extent in Syria, Greece
and Rome that anybody desirous of being held in high esteem became a monk.
Gradually this custom prevailed among the womenfolk with the result that
monasteries became centers of all kinds of shameful acts. Some monks lived in
deserts.
Respect of women and parents had no place
in their lives. Theft, adultery and cheating were most common. Begging was not
a matter of shame which was in fact the logical result of being a monk. The
concept of the oneness of God and divine worship was virtually lost.
Certificates of deliverance could be had from the monks and religious guides by
pleasing them through services. The rich considered it their legal right to
have the poor serve them. Kings and commanders treated their subjects like
animals and took control of the efforts of their labor and left them very
little to live on.
Egypt
To assess the ancient position of
Egypt and its social greatness, the mammoth construction of the Sphinx, the
Egyptian pyramids and objects and articles recovered from the many excavations
in recent times have a lot to tell about the glory and grandeur of ancient
Egyptian society. Since Egypt is an agricultural country, it became the target
of successive foreign attacks when it had grown weak. Persians, Greeks and
Romans invaded it time and again and kept it under their control for long
periods. It is a matter of conjecture that the society and civilization of the
invaders favorably influenced the Egyptians.
Christianity was followed by a large
section of the Egyptians during the reign of Romans. But, before the advent of
Islam in Egypt, it was a country immersed in darkness and depravity.
Christianity in Egypt was in no better position than pure idolatry. All the
defects that had been part of Egyptian idolatry could be found among the
Christians. The Romans and the Greeks who were known as ruling nations treated
their subjects more disgracefully than even their animals. The defects found
among the Greeks and the Romans took their worst forms among the Egyptians.
Slavery was rife in the most wretched form. Alluring principles and rules were
instituted for committing adultery and pillage. Human killings served as a
source of entertainment. Women were encouraged to commit suicide. In short, the
darkness prevailing in Egypt was not less than that of anywhere else. Egypt was
replete with all the forms of degradation that could be thought of.
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