Rome
and Persia
There were two fabulously
magnificent and large empires existing at the time of the advent of the Prophet
(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم), the Roman and the
Persian. The world was then ruled by these two civilizations. Arabia was
steeped in dismal darkness where the last Prophet (صلى
الله عليه وآله وسلم) was raised. It was through Islam that a
new power and a new civilization emerged and engulfed the glittering
civilizations of both Rome and Persia and left its mark as the only important
power.
There was a time when the Persian
Empire had in its fold the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, the Persian Gulf,
the Indus River, Kashmir, Tibet, Mount Altai and the Caspian Sea. Alexander the
Great of Greece tore this large and grand empire to pieces. But Persian culture
and civilization were still going strong. About four hundred years before the
advent of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم),
Ardsher Babkan laid the foundation of the Sassanid dynasty and brought under
its control the Persian Gulf, the Euphrates, the Caspian Sea, the Indus, Oxus
and the whole continent of Asia.
The center of Roman power was Rome,
the city of Italy, which was ruled over by Julius Caesar and his heir Augustus.
Egypt, Asia Minor and the whole of Europe formed part of the Roman Empire. It
was later divided into two parts. While Rome remained the capital of the
western part, the eastern part made Constantinople its capital. The king of
Constantinople was also called Caesar and he ruled over Egypt, Abyssinia,
Palestine, Syria, Asia Minor and the Balkans. The Eastern Roman Rule was far
ahead of Western Rome in grandeur and power. The two parts had no natural
border between them and so they were occasionally at war with one another.
At the time of the birth of the
Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم), Nushirwan Sassani
was the emperor of Persia and his grandson Chosroes (Khosrau) was the ruler
when Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
was honored with Prophethood. Rebellion broke out against Caesar Publius, his
nobles and the subjects dethroned and killed him. Heraclius, the son of the
governor of African territories was enthroned in Constantinople as the Caesar.
In the meantime the Persians and the Romans rose up against each other and the
war between the two dragged on for six or seven years. During the eighth year
of Prophethood, the Persians conquered Syria and took away the Cross when they
captured Bait-ul-Maqdis (Jerusalem).
The polytheists of Makkah expressed
wild jubilation at the victory of the Persians, for the Persians were
polytheists while the Romans were people of the Book. The Muslims naturally had
sympathy for the Romans, so it was sad news for them. Allah the Almighty
revealed the Verses of Surat Ar-Rum and let them know that although Rome had
been defeated at that time, but in a few years they would gain victory to the
rejoicing of the Muslims and so it happened. Heraclius rose from the position
of defeat and frustration and after preparing for six or seven years with
indomitable courage and determination, took his revenge on the Persians on the
battlefield of Syria.
The Romans defeated the Persians on
one hand, and about the same time, the Makkan disbelievers tasted a crushing
defeat at the hands of the Muslims on the other. Thus the prophecy of the Quran
came true word for word. And with this, started a new spate of battles between
the two rivals, which came to an end only in 7 AH, when they at last made peace
after large-scale bloodshed and destruction. After winning peace, both of them
set out on the way to progress and prosperity. It was the same year that the
Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) sent invitation
letters to a number of monarchs.
Chosroes of Persia received the
letter from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
at Madain and he tore it up with disdain, while Heraclius of the Roman Empire
showed due respect to it. Not only did Chosroes show disrespect to the letter
of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
but he sent word to his governor Badhan in Yemen to round up the Arabian
Prophet and send him to Madain. Badhan sent two persons to Al-Madinah who
appeared before the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
and informed him of the royal order. The Prophet (صلى
الله عليه وآله وسلم) said, "Chosroes, whom you treat as
your god, has been killed by his son last night." When both of them went
back to Badhan they came to know that Chosroes was killed by his son, Sherweh.
The assassination of Chosroes took
place the same night the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله
وسلم) referred to as the night when Badhan, the governor of Yemen
embraced Islam. With his acceptance of Islam, the religion of Allah spread
rapidly in the whole country. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
approved Badhan as the governor of Yemen. Sherweh was too deeply preoccupied
with his internal problems to turn towards the Muslims and Arabia. After many
turns of events, Puran, the daughter of Chosroes Pervez and the sister of
Sherweh took the throne but could rule the country only for one year. The
Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله
وسلم) passed away
during her time. After many successors, Yazdgurd was on the throne of Persia
when it fell to the Muslims. In short, the lofty palace of the Persian Empire
kept decaying day by day from the time the letter of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
was torn up with disrespect.
The Persians, being polytheists,
were most arrogant and haughty. They looked down upon the Arabs and
particularly the Muslims, since the news of their strength and patience was a
source of constant mental trouble for them, they wanted to uproot them
completely. But Allah the Almighty had entangled them so deeply in family feuds
that they had no chance to look towards Arabia.
The Jews and hypocrites who were
turned out of Al-Madinah, constantly sent messages to the Persians and the
Romans to attack Muslims in Al-Madinah. Since the Heraclius' court was free from
such plotting and counter-plotting, he was in a position to implement the
conspiratorial suggestions of the hypocrites and the Jews of Al-Madinah.
The time when the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) had sent his letter
to Heraclius, he had also dispatched letters to Busra and Damascus. But both
the rulers ill-treated the emissaries of the Prophet (صلى
الله عليه وآله وسلم). Shurahbil, the sub ruler of Busra had
gone to the extent that he put the emissary to death. In the battle of Mutah,
Heraclius was on the side of Shurahbil Ghassani. Following this, the Romans
invaded Arabia and the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله
وسلم) went to Tabuk along with his army. But the Romans evaded the
battle.
The news of the Prophet's death
stirred the atmosphere throughout Arabia and this sad news brought both the
Romans and Persians to heave a sigh of relief. Since Arabia had risen on the
map of the world for the first time as a country wielding, unity, courage,
power and influence, the Romans and the Persians could not but watch it with a
shade of care and anxiety. The tempest of apostasy added fuel to the flames,
with the result the Romans and the Persians began to collect their forces in
Syria and Iraq respectively. It was the height of wisdom, prudence, military
acumen and the courage of conviction of Abu Bakr (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), which guided him to first eradicate apostasy and then
galvanize the whole country into fighting back the forces hostile to Islam. It
was due to the sterling qualities of the illustrious personality of Abu Bakr
Siddiq (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), the first Caliph of
the Prophet of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم),
that he guided the destiny of Islam with unparalleled determination, firmness,
conviction and trust in such crucial moments, which had brought soul-stirring
challenges to the very existence of Islam, immediately after the final
departure of the Prophet of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله
وسلم).
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