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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Conditions of Arabia Before the Prophethood of the Messenger ﷺ - A Research-Based and Well-Reasoned Study
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The advent of the Messenger ﷺ was a great historical turning point that guided nations from darkness to light. Before his advent, Arabia was a society plagued by ignorance, polytheism, social anarchy, moral degradation, and cultural collapse. Religion had deteriorated, worship had become superstition, and human dignity was trampled upon. The purpose of this research is to review the real situation of Arabia before the Prophethood and to compare it with the revolution that was implemented through Mustafa ﷺ.
Religious Conditions: Polytheism, Idol Worship, and the Business of Religion
The religious system of Arabia was decaying and based on superstition.
Each tribe had its own separate idol, and there were 360 idols in the Kaaba. The concept of worship was tainted with polytheism and shame—a cradle of Judaism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Sabianism, and various local and foreign beliefs—but the practical situation was based on polytheism and idol worship. People bowed down to self-made gods, asked them for their needs, and offered sacrifices in their name. Traces of the monotheism brought by Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S.) remained only in names, but its true spirit had disappeared. This very fact is stated in the Holy Quran as follows:
أَفَرَأَيْتُمُ اللَّاتَ وَالْعُزَّىٰ
وَمَنَاةَ الثَّالِثَةَ الْأُخْرَىٰ
أَلَكُمُ الذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ الْأُنثَىٰ
تِلْكَ إِذًا قِسْمَةٌ ضِيزَىٰ
Surah An-Najm, Part 27, Verse 19, 20/21/22/
Translation: Have you then considered Al-Lat, Al-'Uzza, And Manat, the other third? Is it for you the male, and for Him the female?
Al-Lat and Al-'Uzza: These were the names of idols. Polytheists who worshiped them. They thought that the angels were the daughters of Allah and that these idols were the temples of the angels. Some people said that the women of the jinn (fairies) were the daughters of God and that these idols were their dwellings.
This is mentioned in the meaning of Surah An-Najm, verse 19 in Tafsir Mazhari.
Jewish and Christian scholars had also distorted religion in their selfishness:
Allah Almighty says:
فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يَكْتُبُونَ الْكِتَابَ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ ثُمَّ يَقُولُونَ هَٰذَا مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ لِيَشْتَرُوا بِهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا ۖ فَوَيْلٌ لَّهُم مِّمَّا كَتَبَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَوَيْلٌ لَّهُم مِّمَّا يَكْسِبُونَ _Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 79
The Condition of Women and Weak Classes
Before the Prophethood of the Prophet (PBUH), women in Arabian society were subjected to severe oppression and deprivation. She had no right to vote, no education, and no respectable position in society. In that era of ignorance, the birth of a daughter was considered a disgrace, even the cruel act of burying innocent girls alive was common.
The Holy Quran describes this horrific attitude as follows:
﴿وَإِذَا بُشِّرَ أَحَدُهُمْ بِالْأُنثَىٰ ظَلَّ وَجْهُهُ مُسْوَدًّا وَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ يَتَوَارَىٰ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ مِن سُوءِ مَا بُشِّرَ بِهِ ۚ أَيُمْسِكُهُ عَلَىٰ هُونٍ أَمْ يَدُسُّهُ فِي التُّرَابِ ۗ أَلَا سَاءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ﴾
(Surah An-Nahl: 58–59) Surah At-Takwir Verse 8/9
Before the advent of the Messenger ﷺ, the society of Arabia was immersed in ignorance, oppression, and immorality. Women and weak classes were subjected to severe oppression, even to the point that faces turned black at the birth of a daughter and they even thought of burying her alive. The Quran exposed this cruel attitude and shook humanity against it.
Tribal Wars and Sedition
Arab society was constantly engaged in war and conflict. Fights would last for generations over small matters.
What to say of killing someone's honor, even killing someone's camel would ignite the fire of war."
The Birth of Mustafa ﷺ and Miraculous Signs
At the time of the appearance of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, miracles occurred that marked the beginning of a new era:
Fourteen battlements of Noshirwan's palace fell.
The fire temple of Persia went out.
The Sawa River dried up.
"These events were the harbingers of a change in the world order."
The Birth of Mustafa ﷺ — Miraculous Signs and Reformative Revolution
The blessed birth of the Holy Prophet ﷺ was the great moment that ushered the universe into a new era of light and guidance. With the appearance of the Prophet ﷺ, such miraculous signs appeared that announced that the darkness of oppression, ignorance, and injustice was about to end.
Miraculous Signs — A Herald of a New Era
1. Fourteen Battlements of Noshirwan's Palace Fell
Fourteen strong battlements of the magnificent palace of the great Persian Empire suddenly collapsed. This was a sign that the high-rise buildings of falsehood were now about to fall and a new global leadership was being born.
2. The Fire Temple of Persia Went Out
The fire that had been burning for a thousand years suddenly went out that night. This was a sign of the arrival of the light of truth, which was about to extinguish every false light.
3. The Sawa River Dried Up
The river that people considered sacred suddenly dried up, as if it was announcing that the course of human destiny was about to change and that the person had come into the world at whose feet springs of guidance would gush forth.
The Reformative Revolution of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ — A Universal Message of Mercy
The birth of Mustafa ﷺ was not only the appearance of miracles, but also the beginning of the greatest reform movement of humanity.
The Mercy of the Worlds ﷺ came as such a mercy that he taught the world the lessons of honor, justice, morality, peace, and equality.
You ﷺ:
Gave man the respect of being human
Gave women status, honor, and the right to inheritance
Showed slaves the doors of freedom and equality
Gave society a system of justice and equality
Made a nation plagued by ignorance a model of high morals
The Holy Quran describes this fact in these words:
"وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ"
"And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds."
(Surah Al-Anbiya, Verse 107)
The advent of the Holy Prophet ﷺ not only ended the religious decline of Arabia but also established new foundations for social justice, religious freedom, rights of voice, and moral reforms. This revolution is a turning point in human history, the impact of which still exists on the civilization, law, and morality of the world.
The miracles of your ﷺ birth gave the message to the heavens and the earth that the sun of truth has risen, and your ﷺ reform movement taught the whole of humanity that justice, mercy, and morality are the foundations on which a peaceful and dignified society is built.
Thus, the arrival of the Prophet ﷺ is not just a historical event, but a new dawn for humanity.
:Note:
All other parts of this article are taken from authentic books of Sirah, historical references, and authentic Islamic sources.
By: Mahmood ul Bari
mahmoodulbari342@gmail.com
The right to object is reserved, but it must be reasoned. There is no room for irrelevant talk, incoherent claims, and extraneous matters.