The Message chapter1

The Message

Chapter1

ID Book

The Message

By: Ayatullah Ja'far Subhani

Ansarian Publication

P. O. Box 187

22 Shohada Ave. Qom Islamic Republic of Iran

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

PREFACE

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Since the time immemorial man has been seeking knowledge through his senses. Thus by perceiving things he tried to overcome his problems. In the process he made experiments and ultimately by trial and error he arrived at a workable solution for his problems. Based on this concept and practice, science developed enormously in dimensions and various fields of its applications.

In this modern age of science hundreds and thousands of research laboratories are engaging the attention of scientists who are making wonderful discoveries and inventions of unbelievably accurate gadgets and tools. Yet the only things that science has failed so far to capture is the social problem. Obviously, social problems are the human problems. And human problems are such that they cannot be precipitated in a test tube. To give credence to this fact one knows it very well that for instance, science has not yet been able to offer answers to the discord and hatred that exist among the people or the class distinction that is rampant in various strata of human society.

History tells us of great civilisations that flourished in the past and ultimately perished. We are left with only the mute remains and dumb ruins which tell us the hoary past of the mankind. Science of course is discovering the facts of life through excavations, and by studying the relics and fossils embedded in the rocks. But despite all this no tangible results have come forward with regard to the man's manifold problems.

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Imam Ali gave a bit of his mind to his son which is pertinent to the relevant issue. He said: "My dear son! though the span of my age is not as large as that of some other people who have passed away before me, but I took great care to study their lives; assiduously I went through their activities, I contemplated over their deliberations and deeds, I studied their remains, relics and ruins; and I pondered over their lives so deeply that I felt as if I have lived and worked with them from early ages of history down to our times, and I know what did them good and what brought harm to them. "

True, history has recorded all facts, pleasant and detestable, but what is to be regretted is that nobody ever cared to go into the depth of their root causes. As to the real solution of a problem, big or small, no effort on the part of man is traceable in history. Only unimportant matters have been dwelt upon with uncanny details.

Since history is a recorded statement of events of the past, it owes its existence to its compilers. The people who wrote history were not immune from personal, racial or parochial prejudices and, therefore, its very purpose seems to have been defeated. On the face of the misinterpretation and fabrication of facts, an ordinary reader of history is at a loss to understand the truth of the matter. It is like a doctor who, if he has no correct information about the case-history of his patient, will not be able to diagnose the actual malady of his patient.

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One bright aspect of history of course is that it carries the life sketches of great men of the ancient past. These men in fact created history as they brought about revolution and change in the life pattern of mankind.

Amongst such great personalities no one led as eventful, revolutionary and meaningful a life as Prophet Muhammad did. None of them left such a lasting impression upon the society he sprang from as the Prophet of Islam did. This is a fact which has been acknowledged by almost all the historians whether of the East or of the West.

The study of the life of Prophet Muhammad, the greatest of all men, is thought-provoking, awe-inspiring and self-enlightening. A chain of events before and after the birth of this great man provides food for thought for anybody who has even a slight grain of intelligence and sense of proportion.

The birth of the Prophet as a posthumous child and the death of his mother, Aminah, when he was only six, and his upbringing first by his grandfather and then by his uncle are something extraordinary.

After passing an eventful life, his confinement to the Cave in Mt Hira and the subsequent Divine Revelation, the invitation to the religion of Allah, the resistance of the infidels and idolaters, their oppression and persecution, his continued steadfastness in upholding the Message of Allah during the first thirteen years of his prophethood in Makkah until the time of his migration to Madina, are the events finish have no parallel in history.

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The last ten years of his life in Madina, his intensifying the efforts of his mission for the spread of Islam, his participating in the numerous battles with the infidels and the final conquest of Makkah are still greater events which are seemingly unbelievable, but have been recorded in history as miraculous achievements.

Hundreds of books have been written on the life and mission of the Prophet but these cannot be taken as a complete treatise on his attributes and achievements. Especially the writings of the orientalists are punctuated with prejudices, errors and misinterpretations.

This book not only presents an inspiring material but it is also based on authentic historical documents. One of its salient features is that the author has taken extreme care in narrating historical events and at the same time he has endeavoured as a research scholar, to approach them with an analytical mind also.

Another interesting feature of this book is that it is absolutely free from heresies and concocted stories invented by vested interests. In other words, it is quite in keeping with the required standard of the historical veracity. In short, it is addressed to the Muslims in general without any bias and prejudice.

We hope that this book will serve its noble purpose of enlightening the young generation who has a keen urge to acquire authentic and reliable information about the great Prophet of Islam, and trust our young Muslims will derive inspiration from this book in fashioning their lives in accordance with the dictates of Allah as well as the noble attributes of the Holy Prophet and his Chosen Descendants.

Chapter 1

ARABIAN PENINSULA THE CRADLE OF ISLAMIC CULTURE

Arabia is a big peninsula situated in the south-west of Asia. Its area is three million square kilometres almost double the area of Iran six times that of France ten times that of Italy and eighty times that of Switzerland.

This peninsula is of the shape of an irregular rectangle and is bounded by Palestine and the Syrian desert in the north by Hira the Tigris the Euphrates and the Persian Gulf in the east by the Indian Ocean in the south and by the Red Sea in the west. Hence it is circumscribed on the western and southern sides by sea and on the northern and eastern sides by the desert and the Persian Gulf.

From olden times this territory has been divided into three regions:

(1) The northern and western region which is called the Hijaz.

(2) The central and eastern region which is called the Arabian Desert; and

(3) The southern region which is called Yemen.

Within the Peninsula one comes across plenty of vast deserts and hot sandy tracts which are almost uninhabitable. One of these deserts is Badyah Samawah which is nowadays called Nafud. There is also another vast desert which extends up to the Persian Gulf and is now called ar-Rub'ul Khali. Formerly one part of these deserts was named Ahqaf and the other was called Dehna.

On account of the presence of these deserts about one third of the area of the Peninsula is barren and unfit for habitation. Only at times small quantities of water can be found in a few areas as a result of rains in the heart of the deserts and some of the Arab tribes drive their camels and cattle to those places for grazing.

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The climate of the Peninsula is extremely hot and dry in the deserts and central tracts humid in the coastal areas and temperate in some localities It is dire to its unwholesome climate that its population does not exceed fifteen million.

In this territory there is a mountain range which stretches from south to north. Its maximum height is about 2470 metres.

From times immemorial gold and silver mines and precious stones have been the sources of the wealth of the Peninsula. From amongst the animals the Arabs reared camels and horses. As regards birds pigeons and ostriches were more abundant than others.

In modern times the biggest source of income of Arabia is extraction of oil and gas. The centre of oil reserves of the Peninsula is the city of Zahran which is called Dahran by the Europeans. This city is situated in the Saudi Arabian district called Ahsa' in the neighbourhood of the Persian Gulf.

In order that the esteemed reader may become more acquainted with the conditions of Arabia we now proceed to give a somewhat detailed description of the three regions mentioned above.

1. The Hijaz constitutes the northern and western region of Arabia and extends from Palestine to Yemen adjacent to the coast of the Red Sea. It is a hilly tract which embraces many barren deserts and rugged areas.

This region enjoys more fame in history than all others. It is however evident that this fame has been occasioned by a chain of spiritual and religious matters. For example even during the present times the Ka'bah the House of God which is situated in this region is the Qiblah of hundreds of millions of Muslims of the world.

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The area surrounding the Ka'bah has been reverenced by Arabs as well as non-Arabs for centuries preceding the birth of Islam. As a mark of respect to it they considered warfare within the precincts of the Ka'bah to be unlawful and even Islam has recognised the area circumscribed by these limits to be inviolable.

Makkah Madina and Ta'if are important cities of the Hijaz. Since ages the Hijaz has had two sea-ports. One of these is Jeddah which serves the people of Makkah and the other is Yanbu' through which the people of Madina import most of their requirements. These two ports are situated on the coast of the Red Sea.

MAKKAH

It is one of the most famous cities of the world and the most populous city of the Hijaz and is about 300 metres higher than sea level. As this city is located between two mountain ranges it cannot be seen from a distance. The present population of Makkah is about 200000.

A SHORT HISTORY OF MAKKAH:

The history of Makkah dates from the time of Prophet Ibrahim. He sent his son Isma'il along with his mother Hajar to the territory of Makkah to settle there. His son married in a tribe which lived at a nearby place. Prophet Ibrahim constructed the Ka'bah under Allah's command and thereafter settlement at Makkah commenced.

The land in the suburbs of Makkah is somewhat saline and not at all cultivable. According to some orientalists its poor geographical conditions have no parallel in the world.

MADINA

Madina is a city located at a distance of 90 leagues to the north of Makkah. It has gardens and date-palm all around it and its land is better suited for plantation of trees as well as for cultivation of crops.

Before Islam this city was called Yathrib but after the Holy Prophet's migration to this city it was renamed as Madina tur Rasul (City of the Prophet). Later however the last word was dropped for the sake of abbreviation and it began to be called only Madina. History tells us that the first people who settled here were a group of Amaliqah. Those who followed them were a sect of the Jews and the tribes of Aws and Khazraj who came to be known amongst the Muslims as Ansar (helpers).

Unlike other regions of Arabia the Hijaz remained safe from the raids of the conquerors and the traces of the civilisations of Rome and Iran two big empires of the world before the birth of Islam cannot be observed here. This was so because its barren and uninhabitable lands did not make it worth while for the foreigners to undertake military expeditions to occupy it and then to return empty-handed after facing thousands of difficulties necessarily involved in gaining control over it.

In this connection the following story may be studied carefully. It has been quoted by the Greek historian Diodore (B. C. ): "When the great Greek Chief Demetrius arrived at Patra (one of the oldest cities of the Hijaz) with the intention of occupying Arabia the residents of the city said to him O Greek Chief! Why should you fight with us? We live in a desert in which indigence of all sorts is the source of livelihood. We have selected this dry and barren desert so that we may not have to obey the orders of anyone. So please accept our insignificant gifts and presents and refrain from occupying our territory. And incidentally, if you are inclined to persist in your intentions, we do hereby announce that in the near future you will be confronted with thousands of difficulties and hardships. And be it known to you that the 'Nabtis' are not inclined to give up their way of life. In case, therefore, you held some of our people as captives by force and wish to carry them away this will be of no use to you, because they will be malevolent and misbehaving slaves only and will not be prepared to change their way of life. The Greek chief accepted their message of peace and good-will and abandoned the idea of attacking and occupying the Arabian territory ". [1]

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2. The central and eastern region which is called 'The Arabian Desert' and is inclusive of the Najd Zone is a sparsely populated plateau. After coming into power of the Saudi family the district of Riyaz which is their capital has become one of the important centres of Arabia.

3. The length of Yemen the south-western region of the Peninsula is about 750 kilometres from north to south and about 400 kilometres from west to east and its area has be estimated to be sixty thousand miles. However formerly its area was even more than this and during the last half century part of it (Aden) remained the protectorate of Britain. Thus Najd and Aden constitute its northern and southern boundaries respectively the Red Sea is on its west and on the eastern side it touches the ar-Rub'ul Khali desert.

The most well-known city of Yemen is the historical city of San'a and its most important sea-port is Hudaydah which is situated on the coast of the Red Sea.

The territory of Yemen is the richest in the Peninsula and possessed a brilliant and dignified civilisation in the past. Yemen was the seat of government of Tababi'ah Kings who ruled for a very long period. Before the advent of Islam Yemen was a great centre of business and commerce and was in fact considered to be the 'cross-roads' of Arabia. It possessed very rich mines like gold silver and other precious stones extracted therefrom. They were exported to other countries

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The traces and relics of the civilisation of Yemen of those days are still available. During a period when means for executing burdensome tasks were not available to man the ingenious people of Yemen managed to erect attractive and lofty buildings by dint of their hard labour.

The kings of Yemen though undisputed rulers of the territory did not hesitate from enforcing the constitution drawn up and approved by the learned men of the land and excelled others in the promotion of agriculture and horticulture. Minute regulations were drawn up and enforced for cultivation of farms and irrigation of agricultural lands and gardens. In this respect this country is considered to be one of the distinguished and developed countries of that age.

The famous French historian Gustave Le Bon says In the whole of Arabia there is no region more luxuriant and more fertile than Yemen''.

Idrisi, the celebrated historian of the twelfth Century, writes thus about the city of San'a, Here is situated the capital of Arabia and the seat of the government of Yemen. The buildings and palaces of this city are famous throughout the world. Even its ordinary buildings and houses are built of hewn stones".

These surprising monuments which have been discovered as a result of recent excavations and investigations by the orientalists prove the existence of a wonderful civilisation in different parts of Yemen of olden times namely Ma'arib San'a and Bilqis.

In the city of Ma'arib (the famous city of Saba) there existed many lofty buildings with doors and arches ornamented with gold. Similarly gold and silver vessels as well as bedsteads made of metal were found there in abundance"[2]

One of the historical monuments of Ma'arib was its famous dam whose traces are still available. It was destroyed by a flood which has been referred to in the Qur'an as the 'Iram flood'.

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[1] Tamaddun-i Islam wa Arab pp. 93 - 94.

[2] Tamaddun-i Islam wa Arab page 96.

Chapter 2

ARABIA BEFORE ISLAM

To know the conditions prevailing in Arabia before the advent of Islam we can avail ourselves of the following sources:

1. The Old Testament (notwithstanding all the alterations that have been made in it)

2. Writings of the Greeks and the Romans during the Middle Ages.

3. Islamic history as recorded by Muslim scholars and

4. Ancient relics which have been obtained through excavations conducted by the orientalists which reveal facts to some extent.

Notwithstanding the above-mentioned sources numerous matters relating to the history of Arabia have not yet become fully clear and continue to remain an insoluble enigma. However as the study of the conditions of Arabia before the advent of Islam constitutes a preamble to our discourse; but our real aim is the analysis of the life of the Holy Prophet of Islam therefore we give below a condensed account of some particular and well known aspects of the life of pre-lslamic Arabs.

It is an admitted fact that since times immemorial the Arabian Peninsula has been inhabited by many tribes some of which have become extinct in the course of time. However in the history of this land the following three tribes which were later sub-divided into different clans have attained greater fame than others:

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1. The Ba'idah: Ba'idah means extinct and these people are so named because owing to their continuous disobedience they were obliterated from the face of the earth as a consequence of celestial and terrestrial calamities. Possibly these were the very tribes of 'Ad and Thamud which have been mentioned time and again in the Holy Qur'an.

2. The Qehtaniyans: They are the descendants of Ya'rab bin Qehtan. They inhabited Yemen and other parts of southern Arabia and are called the full-blooded Arabs. The Yemenites of today and the tribes of Aus and Khazraj which constituted two big tribes of Madina in the early days of Islam are of Qehtaniyan descent. The Qehtaniyans possessed many states. They made strenuous efforts for the development of Yemen and have left a number of civilisations as their memorial. Their inscriptions are being studied now according to scientific methods the Qehtaniyan history has thus been revealed to some extent. Whatever is said about pre-lslamic culture and civilisation of Arabia is totally related to this group of the Arabs and is confined to the region of Yemen.

3. The Adnaniyans: They are the descendants of Isma'il son of the Prophet Ibrahim. A detailed account of the genealogy of this tribe will be given at a later stage but briefly speaking the position is this: Prophet Ibrahim was ordained by Allah to settle his son Isma'il and his mother Hajar in the land of Makkah. He therefore moved them from Palestine to a deep valley (Makkah) which was absolutely barren. Almighty Allah was kind to them and favoured them with the spring of Zamzam. Isma'il married in a tribe named Jarham who had pitched their tents at a place near Makkah. His offspring were numerous. One of them was Adnan who was removed a few generations from Ismai'l.

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The descendants of Adnan were sub-divided into many tribes. The tribe which acquired fame from amongst them was that of Quraysh and Bani Hashim formed a part of it.

GENERAL MORALS OF THE ARABS

What we mean by this are the social morals and manners which prevailed amongst the Arabs before Islam. Some of these customs were usually followed by all Arabs. The common and praiseworthy qualities of the Arabs may generally be summarised thus in a few sentences.

The Arabs of the Age of Ignorance (period before the advent of Islam) and especially the descendants of Adnan were generous and hospitable by nature. They seldom committed breach of trust. They considered violation of promise to be an unpardonable

sin. They were very much devoted to their faith and were fully endowed with the quality of eloquence. They possessed remarkably sharp memory. They could easily learn verses and speeches by heart. In the art of versification and poetry they excelled all others. Their bravery was proverbial. They possessed great skill in horsemanship and archery. They considered fleeing from the enemy to be very odious and abominable.

We could also perhaps recount some more good qualities of theirs. However as opposed to this a series of their immoral and mean habits which had to some extent assumed the shape of second nature with them obliterated the splendour of all their achievements and if a window had not been opened for them from the invisible the scroll of their human life would have been rolled up and they would have fallen precipitately into the dreadful abyss of non-existence. In other words if the soul-nourishing sun of Islam had not shone on their hearts in the middle of the 6th century of the Christian era you would not have seen any trace of the Arabs today and the story of Baidah Arabs would have been repeated.

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On account of lack of proper guidance and instruction and prevalence of immorality and superstitions the Arabs were leading a life similar to that of beasts. History has recorded for us stories of their fifty-year wars and hundred-year wars and those too for very small and insignificant reasons.

This anarchy lack of law and order and absence of an authoritative government which might control the situation and deal properly with the rebels became the reason for the Arabs leading a nomadic life and for their migrating every year along with their animals to places in the deserts where water and fodder could be found. Whenever they came across water and greenery at any place they pitched their tents round it. However as soon as they could locate a better place they resumed their wanderings in the desert.

These wanderings and the state of homelessness were occasioned by two things; first of them being the unwholesome geographical conditions of the area and the other being their indulging in excessive bloodshed which obliged them to undertake constant travelling and migration.

WERE THE PRE-ISLAMIC ARABS CIVILISED?

As a result of his studies about the conditions of the Arabs of the age of ignorance the author of the book entitled "Tamaddun-i Islam wa Arab' has concluded that they had been civilised for ages. According to him the dignified and lofty buildings erected by them in different parts of Arabia and their commercial relations with the various advanced nations of the world testify to their being civilised for a people who were in a position to construct such grand edifices even before the appearance of the Rornans and had trade relations with the great nations of the world could not be called barbarians.

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Again at another place he has cited the literature of the Arabs and their possessing a perfect language as evidence in support of his claim that they owned a deep-rooted civilisation. He says: "Supposing that we had not known anything about the ancient history of the Arabs we could even then reject the theory of their being an uncivilised people because whatever applies to the language of a nation also applies to its civilisation and culture. It is possible that they may make their appearance all of a sudden but their elements are undoubtedly very ancient and take shape gradually during a long span of time. It is not possible that an excellent language related with its literature should spring up without any premise. Furthermore establishment or relations with civilised nations is always a means of progress for a talented people".

The said author has allocated a number of pages of his book to prove the existence of an expansive civilisation amongst the Arabs of the pre-lslamic age and has placed reliance in this connection on three things namely (1) their having had an excellent language (2) establishment by them of relations with advanced nations and (3) wonderful buildings of Yemen mentioned by Herodote and Artemidor the two renowned historians who lived before the birth of Prophet 'Isa as well as by Mas'udi and other writers of Islamic history. [1]

There is no doubt about the fact that there did exist civilisations of short duration in different parts of Arabia but the

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arguments advanced by the said author are not sufficient to prove that civilisation and culture were present in all parts of this land.

Firstly the perfection of a language is accompanied by other traces of civilisation but basically Arabic cannot be treated to be an independent language not related with Hebrew Syriac Assyrian and Chaldean because as confirmed by the philologists all these languages were inter-connected at one time and had branched out from one language. In the circumstances the possibility is that Arabic attained perfection along with Hebrew and Assyrian and appeared as a separate language only after achieving such perfection.

Having trade relations with developed nations of the world is of course an evidence of the progress and civilisation of the Arabs. However the question is whether all parts of Arabia had such relations with other nations or possibly the Hijaz was devoid of them? Furthermore relations with Iran and Byzantium of the two provinces of 'Hira' and 'Ghassan' situated in the region of the Hijaz do not also serve as evidence of their possessing a civilisation because their position was that of satellites which may virtually be called colonies. Even today there are many countries in Africa which form a part of the colonies of western powers but do not possess any trace of European civilisation and culture. Nevertheless it is not possible to deny that there existed a wonderful civilisation in Saba and Ma'arib in the region of Yemen. For besides what has been said about it in the Old Testament and by Herodote and others the renowned historian Mas'udi says thus about Ma'arib "It was surrounded on all sides by beautiful buildings shady trees and running brooks. The area of this region was so extensive that even an agile horseman could not cover its length and breadth within a month; and a traveller whether riding or walking on foot did not see the sun while traversing the country from one end to the other because the roads were covered up on both sides by shady trees. The land was developed and prosperous and water was abundant. And its stable government was well known throughout the world". [2]

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It should however be kept in mind that these instances do not guide us to a civilisation which should have prevailed in all regions of Arabia and especially in the Hijaz which certainly did not possess any trace of this civilisation. So much so that even Gustave Le Bon says thus in this behalf 'with the exception of its northern frontiers Arabia remained immune from the raids of foreigners and none could occupy it. The great conquerors of Iran Rome and Greece who ransacked the entire world did not pay the least attention to Arabia".

And even if it is supposed that these stories are true with regard to all regions of the Arabian Peninsula all that can be said with certainty is that at the time of the dawn of Islam no trace of those civilisations was extant as the Holy Qur'an mentions this subject and says: O Arabs! Before accepting Islam you were on the brink of an abyss of fire. He saved you through Islam. (Surah Ale Imran 3: 103)

The pages of Nahjul Balaghah while narrating the conditions of the pre-lslamic Arabs bear living testimony to the effect that from the point of view of way of life intellectual decadence and moral deterioration they were in a very deplorable state. Here we quote an illuminating statement of All the Commander of the Faithful. In one of his sermons he sets forth the state of affairs in pre-Islamic Arabia in the following manner "The Lord appointed Muhammad to warn the people of the world and to act as the trustee of His revelation and His Book. And you Arabs were spending your days with the worst faith and in the worst places. You were residing in stony places and amongst deaf snakes (which did not move because of any sound). You drank muddy water and ate coarse food (e. g. lizards and flour of date-palm stones). You shed the blood of one another and sought separation from your kith and kin. You had installed idols amongst you. You did not refrain from sins" (Nahjul Balaghah sermon 26). [3]

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Here instances of the barbaric conditions of Arabs of the Age of Ignorance have been quoted. As a specimen we reproduce below the story of As'ad bin Zurarah which throws light on various traits of the people of the Hijaz.

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[1] Tamaddun-i Islam wa Arab pp. 78 - 102.

[2] Murujuz Zahab vol. 111 page 373.

[3] This book is published in English by the Islamic Seminary under the caption: Peak of Eloquence.

AS'AD BIN ZURARAH MEETS THE HOLY PROPHET

For quite a long time a furious war had been raging between the tribes of 'Aws' and 'Khazraj' (of Yathrib). During this time As'ad bin Zurarah one of the chiefs of Khazraj made a journey to Makkah for strengthening the power of his tribe. His intention was to seek military and financial assistance from Quraysh to subdue his one hundred years old enemy (i. e. the tribe of Aws). Owing to his old relations with 'Atbah bin Rabiyyah he stayed with him. He told him the purpose of his visit and requested him for help. His old friend ('Atbah) however replied in these words: "Just at present we cannot accede to your request because we ourselves are in a strange fix. A man has risen from amongst ourselves. He insults our gods considers our ancestors to have been frivolous and stupid. With his sweet words he has attracted some of our young men and has thus created a deep cleavage amongst us. Except the Haj period he spends most of his time in Sha'b (Mountain Pass) of Abu Talib. During Haj period however he emerges from there and takes his place in Hajar-i Isma'il. There he invites people to his faith.

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As'ad decided to return home without contacting other chiefs of Quraysh. However in keeping with the old Arab custom he decided to perform the pilgrimage of the House of Allah (the Ka'bah) before his departure. But 'Atbah warned him lest while he was going round the Ka'bah he should hear the bewitching words of the new Prophet and be attracted to him. To solve this problem 'Atbah suggested to As'ad to thrust cotton in his ears so that he might not hear the Prophet.

As'ad slowly stepped into Masjidul Haram and began going round the Ka'bah. During the first round he glanced at the Holy Prophet and saw him sitting in Hajar-i Isma'il while a number of Hashimites were guarding him. Fearing the magic of the Prophet's words he (As'ad) did not go to him. Eventually however while going round the Ka'bah he reflected within himself and felt that he was doing a very foolish thing in avoiding the Prophet because people might question him about this affair on his return to Yathrib and it would be necessary for him to give them a satisfactory reply. He therefore decided to obtain first-hand information about the new religion without any further delay.

He came forward and saluted the Prophet with the words An'am Sabahan (Good Morning) according to the custom prevalent in the Age of Ignorance. The Holy Prophet however said to him in reply that Allah had prescribed a better form of salutation. He said that when two persons meet each other they should say Salamun Alaykum. Then As'ad requested the Holy Prophet to explain and clarify to him the aims and objects of his religion. In reply the Holy Prophet recited for him two verses: Muhamad say Let me tell you about what your Lord has commanded: Don't consider anything equal to God; Be kind to your parents; Don't murder your children out of fear of poverty (for We give sustenance to everyone) Don't even approach indecency either in public or in private. Don't murder for no reason anyone whom God has considered respectable. Thus your Lord guides you so that you may think. Don't handle the property of the orphans except with a good reason until they become mature and strong. Maintain equality in your dealings by the means of measurement and balance. (No soul is responsible for what is beyond it's ability). Be just in your words even if the party involved is one of your relatives; and keep your promise with God. Thus does your Lord guide you so that you may take heed. (Surah An'am 6 152 - 153) which in fact draws a true picture of the mentality and ways of life of the Arabs of the age of ignorance. These two verses which mention the ailment as well as the remedy for a people who had been at logger-heads with one another for as many as one hundred and twenty years made a very deep impression on As'ad. He embraced Islam immediately and requested the Holy Prophet to send some one to Yathrib in the capacity of a missionary of Islam.

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We feel that if we go deep into these two verses it will be sufficient to make us dispense with discussions and studies about the conditions of the Arabs of the Age of Ignorance for they abundantly clarify the extent to which chronic moral ailments were threatening the very existence of those people. We give below the contents of those verses with very brief explanation:

1. I have been sent on my Prophetic Mission to obliterate polytheism and idol-worship.

2. Goodness to parents occupies the top-most place in my message.

3. According to my sacred law killing of children due to fear of poverty is the worst possible deed.

4. I have been appointed to restrain human beings from doing bad deeds and to keep them away from every uncleanliness whether it be open or hidden.

5. My law provides that man-slaughter and bloodshed without just cause are absolutely forbidden.

6. Misappropriation of property belonging to orphans is prohibited.

7. My law is based on justice. Hence according to it selling under-weight is unlawful.

8. I do not charge anyone with more than he can bear.

9. The tongue and speech of man which are a resplendent mirror reflecting his mentality should be utilised in support of truth and reality and a person should speak nothing but the truth even though it may cause him loss.

10. Be true to the covenants which you have made with Allah. This has been ordained by your Lord and it is essential for you to follow it. [1]

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From the contents of these two verses and the manner in which the Holy Prophet conversed with As'ad it can very well be realised that the Arabs had developed all these base qualities and for this very reason the Holy Prophet read but at the very outset these two verses for As'ad as the aim of his mission. In the circumstances is it possible to agree to the claim made by some persons that an expansive civilisation existed for ages in all parts of Arabia?

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[1] A'lamul Wara' pp. 35 - 40 and Biharul Anwar vol. XIX pp. 8 -11.

RELIGION IN ARABIA

When Prophet Ibrahim hoisted the standard of the worship of Almighty Allah and raised the foundations of the Holy Ka'bah with the assistance of his son Isma'il some people gathered round him and the rays of his sun-like personality illuminated their hearts. However the extent to which this great soul could combat with idol-worship and form compressed rows of the worshippers of Allah is not known for certain.

During many periods and especially amongst the Arabs belief in the worship of God was mostly accompanied by polytheism and by the faith that idols were manifestations of the Deity. Out of their various beliefs the Holy Qur'an has mentioned one such belief saying If you ask them who created the heavens and the earth they are bound to answer: "The Almighty the All-knowing created them (Surah al-Zukhruf, 43: 9). We serve them (i. e. idols etc. ) only that they may bring us nearer to God. (Surah al-Zumar, 39: 3).

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Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, describes the religious conditions of the Arab peoples in the following words:

People of those days possessed various creeds and different heresies and were divided into many sects. One group likened Allah to His creatures (and believed that He possessed limbs). Others brought about changes in His names (for example the idol-worshippers who had adopted 'Lat' from Allah and 'Uzza' from Aziz). There was also a group who pointed to those other than Him. Later He guided them through the Holy Prophet and made them conversant with the knowledge of Divinity"[1]

The enlightened people amongst the Arabs worshipped the sun and the moon. The renowned Arab historian Kalbi who died in the year 206 A. H. writes thus: "The tribe named Bani Malih worshipped the genii and the tribes of Humayr Kananah Tamim Lakham Tai Qays and Asad worshipped the sun the moon the Dabran (a star in the sign of the zodiac named Taurus) the Jupiter the Canopus the Dog-star and the Mercury respectively. However the degraded section of the society which formed majority of the inhabitants of Arabia besides worshipping the idols of their own families and tribes worshipped another 360 idols and ascribed the daily happenings to one of them".

The reasons for the birth of idol-worship in the areas of Makkah after the passing away of the Holy Prophet Ibrahim will be discussed later. However it is an admitted fact that in the early days this practice was not so perfect. In the beginning the Arabs considered the idols to be mere interceders and gradually imagined them to be possessing power. The idols arranged round the Ka'bah were entitled to affection and respect by all tribes but the idols of the tribes were adored by a particular group only. Every tribe allocated a specified place to its idols to ensure their safety. The office of custodian of the keys of the temples in which idols were installed was hereditary and was handed down from one person to another.

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Family idols were worshipped by the members of a family every day and night. While proceeding on journey they rubbed them with their bodies. While travelling they worshipped the desert stones. When they reached a halting place they selected four stones. Out of these they worshipped the most beautiful one and used the remaining three as a stand for the fire-place to cook food.

The people of Makkah had great attachment for the sanctuary. While proceeding on a journey they picked up stones from its precincts and installed and worshipped them whenever they broke the journey. Possibly these were the very 'ansab' (the installed ones) which have been interpreted as smooth and amorphous stones. As opposed to these were the 'awthan' which meant well shaped and painted idols made from hewn stones.

As regards 'asnam' however they were idols made with moulded gold or silver or carved out of wood.

Humility of Arabs before the idols was really surprising. They believed that by offering sacrifices they could win their good-will. And after offering sacrifice of an animal they rubbed its blood on the head and the face of the idol. They also consulted the idols in big and important matters. This consultation was through sticks on one of which they wrote 'Do' and on the other 'Don't do'. Then they stretched their hand picked up one of the sticks and acted according to the writing on it.

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[1] Nahjul Balaghah Sermon 1.

THINKING OF THE ARABS ABOUT MAN AFTER DEATH

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The Arabs explained away this difficult philosophical problem in this manner: After the death of a person his soul comes out of his body in the shape of a bird called 'Hamah wa Sada' which resembles an owl and it laments continuously by the side of the corpse its lamentations being very dreadful and frightening. When the dead person is buried his soul takes up its abode in the aforesaid manner by his grave and stays there for ever. At times it goes and sits on the roof of the house of his children to get itself acquainted with their conditions.

If a person dies an unnatural death the said bird incessantly cries "Asquni....... Asquni......... " (i. e. quench my thirst with the blood of my murderer) and does not become quiet till revenge is taken on the murderer.

It is here that the real position becomes crystal clear to the esteemed reader and he learns that the history of Arabia before Islam and that after the dawn of Islam are antithetical to each other. Whereas the former is the tale of killing and burying alive of female children plundering woe and misery and idol-worship the latter tells us about kindness to orphans generosity and sympathy for humanity and worship of the One.

Of course a group of the Jews and the Christians also lived in the same society but displayed aversion to idol-worship. The principal seat of the Jews was Yathrib whereas the Christians resided in Najran. Unfortunately these two communities had also become involved in deviations with regard to the Oneness of Allah.

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LITERATURE OR THE STEREOSCOPE OF THE MENTALITY OF A NATION

The best means of analysing the spirit and intellect of a nation is the literary works and stories inherited by it. The literature poetry and stories of every community represent its beliefs serve as criteria for its culture and display its way of thinking. Literature of every nation is like a painted tableau which makes us visualise the life of a family as well as a chain of natural scenes and tumultuous multitudes or theatres of war and plunder.

The poetry of the Arabs and the proverbs current amongst them can more than anything else show the real character of their history. A historian desirous of becoming fully acquainted with the real spirit of a nation should not as far as possible ignore its various intellectual monuments like poetry prose proverbs stories etc. Fortunately the Muslim scholars have as far as possible recorded the literature of the Arabs pertaining to the age of ignorance.

Abu Tamam Habib bin Aws (died 2 31 A. H. ) who is reckoned to be one of the Shi 'ah men of letters and has to his credit verses in praise of Shi'ah leaders of faith has collected a large number of poems composed during the age of ignorance and has arranged them in ten sections as Epic poems -Threnodies Literature - Lyric poems pertaining to the period of youth - Satires of individuals and tribes - Verses appropriate for hospitality and generosity - Eulogies - Qualities natural disposition and character - Wit and humour; and Maligning women.

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The Muslim scholars and literary men have written many commentaries on this book to explain the meanings of the words and the intent of the poets. The book itself has been translated into many foreign languages some of which have been mentioned in Mu'jamul Matbu'at (page 297).

POSITION OF WOMEN AMONGST THE ARABS

The tenth section of the above-mentioned book makes it abundantly clear that women were subjected to a peculiar degradation amongst these people and led the most tragic life. In the Holy Qur'an also verses have been revealed condemning the actions of the Arabs and throwing light on their moral degradation. It mentions their loathsome practice of killing the girls and says When the infant girl buried alive is asked for what crime she was slain. (Surah al-Takwir 81: 8). i. e. the girls buried alive will be asked this question on the Day of Judgement. Evidently it is the height of moral debasement that when one's own child has grown up or has just arrived in the world one should bury it under tons of dust and should not be moved in the least by its cries and lamentations.

The first people who resorted to this practice were the tribe named Bani Tamim. No'man bin Munzir the ruler of Iraq attacked his enemies (including Bani Tamim) at the head of a big army and routed them. He confiscated their properties and took their girls as captives. Representatives of Bani Tamim approached him and requested for the return of their girls. However as some of the girls had contracted matrimonial alliances during the period of their captivity No'man gave them the option either to sever their connections with their parents and stay on with their husbands or to obtain divorce and return to their homes. One of the representatives of Bani Tamim was an old man named Qays bin 'Asim. His daughter preferred to stay on with her husband. The insult cut the old man to the quick and he decided that in future he would finish his daughters as soon as they were born. Gradually this practice penetrated into other tribes also. When Qays bin 'Asim had the honour of presenting himself before the Holy Prophet one of the Ansar enquired from him about his daughters. Qays said in reply "I buried all my daughters alive and was not touched in the least while doing so (except once! ). At one time l was journeying and the time for my wife being delivered of a child had drawn near. By chance my journey was prolonged. On return home l enquired from my wife about the issue. she replied that owing to some illness she had been delivered of a still-born child. In fact however she had given birth to a female child and fearing me had entrusted it to her sisters. Years passed by and the girl attained her youth. l did not have the least information about it. However one day while l was sitting in my house a girl stepped in all of a sudden and inquired about her mother. It was a very beautiful girl. Her tresses were knit together and she wore a necklace round her neck. I enquired from my wife as to who the lovely girl was. With tears in her eyes she replied She is your own daughter. She is the same girl who was born while you were journeying. Fearing you I had concealed her. My silence was taken by my wife to be a sign of my acquiescence and she thought that I would not besmear my hands with the blood of the girl. Hence one day she left the house with a confident mind. Then according to my solemn promise and vow I caught the hand of my daughter and took her to a far-off place. There l began digging a pit. When l was engaged in this task my daughter asked me repeatedly as to why I was digging the earth. Digging over I caught the hand of my daughter pushed her into the pit and began throwing dust on her head and face without paying any heed to her heart-rending cries.

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She continued groaning and saying. "Dear father! Are you burying me under earth? Will you return to my mother after leaving me here alone? " But l continued pouring the dust till it enveloped her completely. It was only on this occasion that I had some scruple of conscience".

When the narrative of Qays came to an end tears were flowing from the eyes of the Prophet and he remarked: "This is an act of hard-heartedness and a nation which does not possess feelings of pity and kindness is not entitled to Divine mercy". [1]

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[1] In 'Usudul Ghaba' Ibn Athir quotes Qays as saying that the Holy Prophet asked him as to how many daughters he had buried alive and he replied that they were twelve in number.

SOCIAL POSITION OF WOMEN AMONGST THE ARABS

Amongst the Arabs woman was just like merchandise which could be bought and sold and did not possess any individual or social rights - not even the right of inheritance. The enlightened persons among them put woman under the category of animals and for this very reason considered her to be one of the chattels and necessities of life. On account of this belief the proverb: 'Mothers are only as good as vessels and have been created to serve as receptacles for sperm' was fully current amongst them.

Usually on account of fear of famine and occasionally dreading embarrassment they beheaded their daughters on the very first day of their birth or hurled them down from a high mountain into a deep valley or at times drowned them in water. The Holy Qur'an the great heavenly Book which is admitted even by non-Muslim orientalists at least to be a historical and instructive document which has not been tampered with contains a strange narrative on the subject. It says When the birth of a girl was announced to one of them his face grew dark and he apparently swallowed his anger. Because of the bad news he hid himself from his kinsmen and did not know whether he should keep the new-born with disgrace or bury her under dust? How ill they judge? (Surah al-Nahl 16: 60).

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Most deplorable of all things was their marriage system which was not based on any law in vogue in the world of that time. For example they did not believe in any limit in the number of wives. To avoid payment of dowry they maltreated women and in case a woman ceased to be chaste she lost the dowry in toto.

At times they took undue advantage of this rule and calumniated their wives to be able to refuse the payment of dowry. In the event of the death of a person or his divorcing his wife it was treated to be lawful for his son to marry her and the story of Ummayyah bin Shams in this regard is preserved in the pages of history. When a woman obtained divorce from her husband her right of second marriage was dependent on the permission by the first husband and such permission was usually accorded on her surrendering her dowry! In the event of the death of a person his successors took possession of the woman like other household chattels and declared themselves to be her owners by throwing a head-dress on her head.

A BRIEF COMPARISON

If the esteemed reader takes notice of the rights of woman in Islam and ignores the quarrels and disputes which at times crop up all of a sudden he will certainly acknowledge that the rules and regulations and the effective steps for the improvement and normalisation of the rights of woman which were taken through the Holy Prophet of Islam are themselves a glaring testimony of his truthfulness and communication with the world of revelation. For what sympathy and good treatment could be greater than that (besides proclaiming the rights of women in various verses of the Holy Qur'an and in Ahadith (traditions) and also setting practical examples in this behalf for his followers to act upon) in the sermon of the last Haj performed by him whereby as ordained by God Almighty he reiterated his message in a concise form nominated his successor and at that very time also recommended women to men in the following words:

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"O people! You have rights over your women and they too have rights over you. Enjoin them to do good for they aid and assist you. Give them to eat such as you eat yourself and give them to wear such as you wear yourself".

ARABS AS WARRIORS

There is no doubt about the fact that the Arabs possessed extraordinary martial spirit and excelled many other nations in the art of warfare. This spirit was certainly commendable and worthy of appreciation so much so that even Islam made wide use of this tendency of theirs after harmonising it. And it is a matter of great honour for Islam that after making proper adjustments in the tendencies of various nations it utilised them for the achievement of very noble aims and objects. However before the appearance of Islam this spirit of the Arabs was always put into action to destroy the structure of life of different tribes and did not produce any result except bloodshed murder and plunder.

The Arabs had developed the habit of bloodshed and pillage to such an extent that at the time of self-glorification they counted plunder as one of their honours. This fact is quite evident from their poetry and literature.

One of the poets of the Age of Ignorance while observing the lowly condition and humbleness of his tribe in the matter of murder and plunder felt very much aggrieved and expressed his aspirations in these words: "O' that instead of belonging to this weak and worthless tribe I had been the member of a tribe whose men whether mounted or on foot always indulged in pillage and plunder and put an end to the lives of others".

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CONCLUSION

We have now acquired a general idea of the civilisation of the Arabs of the Age of Ignorance. In the meanwhile it has also become clear that no just and well-informed person can accept the view that the social conditions of the Hijaz with all the chaos savagery and general moral degradation could give birth to such a great universal movement which should assimilate all the apparent intellectual powers of the world of that time and should restore peace and order in that troubled area by means of a sublime programme. And it has also become evident that the assertion made by some short-sighted persons that Islam was a natural outcome of that society is really surprising. Such a view would of course have been justified if this great movement had made its debut in some civilised regions but it would be mere wishful thinking to make such a claim about the Hijaz.

Now with a view to complete our discussion on the subject we give below an account of the beliefs and thinking of the Arabs of the Age of Ignorance about different matters.

SUPERSTITIONS AND MYTHS OF THE ARABS

SUPERSTITIONS AND MYTHS OF THE ARABS

The Holy Qur'an has mentioned the objectives of the prophetic mission of the Holy Prophet of Islam in short sentences. One of those precise sentences which deserves careful scrutiny is this: He shall relieve them of their burdens and of the shackles that weigh upon them. (Surah al-A'raf 7: 151) viz. the Prophet of Islam relieved them of difficult exercises and removed the chains with which their hands and feet were tied. Now it should be clearly understood as to what is meant by the chains with which the hands and feet of the Arabs of the Age of Ignorance were tied at the time of the dawn of Islam. Certainly they do not mean iron chains and shackles but denote the very groundless beliefs and superstitions which had restrained their intellects from making any advancement. And the fact is that the chains and cords which are tied to the intellect of man are more dangerous and harmful than the iron chains themselves because after some time has passed the iron chains are removed and the imprisoned man emerges into life once again with a healthy mind free from all extravagant ideas but the chains of superstitions and futilities which wrap up human intellect and reason like tangled thread keep man fastened till his very death and prevent him from making any effort - even an effort to remove these ties and shackles. And whereas a man with a healthy mind can contrive to break any iron chains or bars with the help of his reason and intellect the activities and efforts of one devoid of healthy reasoning and imagination come to nought and remain absolutely futile.

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One of the greatest honours and distinctions of the Holy Prophet is that he fought against superstitions extravagant beliefs and myths and cleansed the human intellect and reason of the disgusting faith of superstitions. He used to say "I have come to strengthen the intellectual power of human beings and to put up a strong fight against all types of superstitions even though they may be helpful for the advancement of my mission".

Politicians of the world who have no aim or object other than ruling over the people always use every occurrence to their own advantage. So much so that if ancient myths or superstitious beliefs of a nation are helpful for their state and government they do

not hesitate about propagating them. And if they are reflective and logical persons then they lend support to irrational myths and superstition under the presence of appreciation of common thinking and respect for the beliefs of the majority. However the Holy Prophet of Islam not only repressed the superstitious beliefs which were harmful for himself and for the society but even if a local myth or a baseless idea was helpful for the advancement of his mission he campaigned against it with full force and endeavoured that people should follow truth and not myths and superstitions.

Ibrahim a male child of the Holy Prophet passed away. The Prophet was sad and grieved on account of his demise and tears trickled from his eyes involuntarily. Solar eclipse took place on the day the child died. The superstitious and myth-loving Arabs considered the eclipse to be a sign of the greatness of the affliction of the Holy Prophet and said "The sun has been eclipsed on account of the death of the son of the Prophet". The Holy Prophet happened to hear these words. He mounted the pulpit and said: 'The sun and the moon are two great signs of the Omnipotence of Allah and obey His orders. They are not eclipsed on account of the death or life of anyone. Whenever solar or lunar eclipse takes place offer signs prayers". Having said this he dismounted the pulpit and offered signs prayers along with others. "[1]

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Although the idea that the solar eclipse had taken place on account of the death of the son of the Holy Prophet could strengthen the belief of the people in him and could consequently help in the advancement of his mission he did not at all like that his position should be strengthened in the hearts of the people by means of a superstition.

His campaign against myths and superstitions an outstanding example of which is the fight which he put up against idol-worship and all kinds of spurious divinity was not peculiar to the period of his prophetic mission. He had fought against superstitions throughout his life - even during his childhood days.

One day when the age of the Holy Prophet Muhammad did not exceed four years and he was spending his days with his foster- mother Halimah he expressed a desire to accompany his foster-brothers to the jungle. Halimah says "On the following day I bathed Muhammad oiled his hair and put collyrium in his eyes. I also put round his neck for the sake of his safety a Yemen bead which had been fixed in a thread so that he might remain immune from the evil spirits. Muhammad removed the bead from his neck and spoke thus to me: "Dear mother! Be comforted. My God who is always with me is my Protector and Preserver! "[2]

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[1] Biharul Anwar vol. XXII page 155.

[2] Biharul Anwar vol. Vl page 92.

SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEFS OF THE ARABS OF THE AGE OF IGNORANCE

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At the time of the dawn of Islam the beliefs of all the nations and societies of the world were entwined with different sorts of superstitions and myths and the Greek and Sasanian mythologies ruled the minds of the nations which were considered to be the most advanced in those days. And even now many superstitions are in vogue amongst the developing nations of the East and the modern civilisation has not been able to eradicate them from their minds. However the growth of myths and superstitions is in proportion to the extent of knowledge and learning in a society. The more backward a society is in the matter of education and learning the larger would be the number of superstitions prevalent in it.

History has recorded a large number of myths and superstitions pertaining to the Arabs and Sayyid Mahmud Alusi the author of the book "Bulughul adab fi ma'rifat ahwalil 'Arab"[1] has collected many of them in that very book along with a chain of authorities who have referred to them in their verses. Going through this and other books one comes across a multitude of superstitions. This baseless train of groundless beliefs was one of the reasons for this nation lagging behind others. It was absolutely natural that a nation the number of whose literate persons in the centre of the region of the Hijaz did not exceed seventeen [2] should be preoccupied with superstitions and myths.

These myths were the greatest impediment in the way of the progress of Islam and for this reason the Holy Prophet endeavoured his best to eradicate the signs of 'ignorance' which consisted of these superstitions and myths. While sending Mu'az bin Jabal to Yemen he gave him the following instructions:

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"O Mu'az! Remove from amongst the people the signs of ignorance and the superstitious ideas and beliefs and revive the traditions of Islam which call upon us to reflect and be reasonable. "[3]

As against the great masses of Arabs who had been ruled for ages by superstitious beliefs the Holy Prophet used to say: "All the traces of ignorance are under my feet" i. e. by the advent of Islam all the baseless customs beliefs and means of distinction have been annihilated and have been trampled under my feet. [4]

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[1] Biharul Anwar vol. II pp 286 - 369.

[2] Vide 'Futuhul Buldan' Balazari' page 458.

[3] Tuhaful 'Uqul page 29.

[4] Seerah-i Ibn Hisham vol. III page 421.

SUPERSTITIONS 1-5

Now in order to elucidate the worth of the teachings of Islam we give below a brief account of the beliefs of the Arabs of the age of ignorance:

1. BURNING FIRE FOR THE COMING OF RAINS:

Many areas of the Arabian Peninsula are usually faced with drought. To ensure coming of rains the people of such places used to procure the branches of the trees named Sala' and 'Ushr which catch fire easily. They tied these branches to the tail of a cow and drove it to the top of a mountain. Later they set fire to these branches. On account of the presence of inflammable material in the branches of 'Ushr flames rose from the fire and burnt the body of the cow. Owing to the pain caused by burning the cow began running and crying. These people committed this foul act treating it as a token of resemblance with the celestial thunder and lightning. They treated the flames of fire and the cries of the cow as representing lightning and thunder respectively and considered this act as effective for rainfall.

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2. IF A COW DID NOT DRINK WATER THEY BEAT THE OX:

The Arabs took the cows and the oxen to the bank of a stream for making them drink water. At times it so happened that the oxen drank water but the cows did not. Thereupon they thought that this was due to the evil spirits which had accommodated themselves between the horns of the oxen and which did not permit the cows to drink water. In order therefore to drive away the bad spirits they hit on the faces of the oxen.

3. THEY BRANDED HEALTHY CAMELS SO THAT OTHERS MIGHT RECOVER:

If a disease appeared amongst the camels or ulcers or blisters were observed on their lips or throats a healthy camel was procured and its lips upper leg and thigh were branded so as to prevent the disease spreading to other camels. However the reason for such action is not clear. It may be considered probable that this action has a preventive aspect and was a sort of scientific treatment but in view of the fact that out of many camels only one was selected for being subjected to such affliction it may be said that this too was a superstitious practice and was resorted to on fictitious grounds.

4. A CAMEL WAS CONFINED BY THE SIDE OF A GRAVE:

When a person of distinction died a camel was confined in a pit near his grave and was not given any water or fodder so that it might die and the dead person might be riding on it on the Day of Judgement and might not rise on foot.

5. THEY CUT OFF THE FEET OF A CAMEL NEAR A GRAVE:

Keeping in view the fact that a person while alive used to slaughter camels to entertain his kinsmen and guests and as a mark of respect and recompense to him his successors cut off the feet of a camel near his grave in a manner very painful to the animal.

ISLAM COMBATS WITH SUPERSTITIONS

Such acts (besides the fact that none of them conforms with logic and scientific reasoning because rains do not fall by kindling fire striking an ox does not have any effect on a cow branding a healthy camel does not cure sick camels etc. ) are a sort of cruelty to animals. If we compare these beliefs and actions with firm rules prescribed by Islam for the protection of animals we shall certainly say that this religious law had declared an open war against the thinking of the society.

There are numerous Islamic regulations regarding the protection of animals and it may be mentioned in this behalf that the Holy Prophet has said "An animal for riding has six rights on its master:

(1) When he breaks his journey he should provide the animal with fodder.

(2) If and when he passes by water he should let the animal drink it.

(3) He should not strike the animal on its face.

(4) When he indulges in a lengthy conversation with someone else he should not remain seated on the back of the animal.

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(5) He should not load excessive burden on the animal.

(6) He should not compel the animal to traverse a distance which is beyond its capacity". [1]

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[1] Man la Yahzaruhul Faqih page 228.

6. TREATMENT OF THE SICK

If a person was bitten by a snake or by a scorpion gold ornaments were put round his neck. They believed that if such a person carried copper or tin on his body he would die. As regards rabies (i. e. the ailment which is caused by dog-bite) they treated it by rubbing a small quantity of the blood of the chief of the tribe on the wound. And in case signs of madness appeared in anyone he took refuge in dirt and dirty rags and bones of the dead were hung round his neck to drive away the evil spirit.

To ensure that their child should not sustain injury from the evil spirits they tied the teeth of a fox and cat to a thread and put it round his neck. As and when a child developed boils or pimples on his body his mother put a sieve on her head and went round the houses of the tribe to collect bread and dates which she gave to the dogs so that the boils and pimples of her child might be healed. Other women of the tribe took care that their own children did not eat those dates and bread lest they too should contract the same ailment.

If a person contracted a skin disease (for example a disease which had a rasping effect on the body) he used to treat it by rubbing his saliva on the spot.

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If the illness of a person was prolonged they imagined that the patient had killed a snake or some other animal having connections with the evil spirits. In order to beg forgiveness of the evil spirits therefore they prepared clay images of camels and loaded them with barley wheat and dates. They left all these things opposite a hole in a mountain and then visited that place on the following day. If they found that the said things had been consumed they considered it a sign of the acceptance of the presents by the evil spirits and concluded that the patient would be cured. If however the position was otherwise they thought that the presents being insignificant the evil spirits had not accepted them.

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[1] Man la Yahzaruhul Faqih page 228.

HOW ISLAM CAMPAIGNED AGAINST THESE SUPERSTITIONS:

Islam campaigned against these superstitions in various ways. There were some nomadic Arabs who used to treat their sick with magical appendages and collars studded with stones and bones. When they appeared before the Holy Prophet and endured the treatment of the sick with herbs and medicines the Holy Prophet said "It is necessary for every sick person to find out the medicine because Allah who has created an ailment has also created a medicine for it. [1]

And when S'ad bin Abi Waqqas developed heart trouble the Holy Prophet said to him "You should go and see Harith Kaldah the famous physician of Thaqif". Later the Holy Prophet himself suggested a particular medicine to him. [2]

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There are other narratives also declaring the magical appendages to be devoid of any effect whatsoever. Here we quote two of them:

"A person whose son was suffering from pain in his throat came before the Holy Prophet with magical appendages. The Holy Prophet said to him Do not frighten your children with these magical appendages. You should treat this ailment with aloe-wood oil''. [3]

Imam Sadiq has said "Most of the amulets and appendages amount to polytheism". [4]

By guiding the people to the use of numerous medicines (the particulars of all of which have been collected by the great Muslim narrators of Hadith under the headings Tibur Rasul (Medicine of the Prophet) Tibur Rida (Medicine of Al-Rida etc. ) the Holy Prophet and his Holy successors once again hit out against these superstitions and had so to say collared the Arabs of the Age of Ignorance.

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[1] at-Taj vol. III page 178. The Holy Prophet meant to say that the appendages were not an effective treatment.

[2] at-Taj vol. III page 179.

[3] at-Taj vol. Ill page 184.

[4] Safinatul Bihar root word raqa.

7. SOME OTHER SUPERSTITIONS

They employed the following means to ward off anxiety and fear:

Whenever they arrived in a village they were afraid of some contagious disease or evil spirits. To get rid of this fear they brayed ten times like a donkey at the gate of the village. At times they also hanged the bones of a fox round their necks. If they lost their way while travelling in the desert they wore their shirt after turning it inside out. While travelling they feared immorality on the part of their women. To gain assurance in this behalf they tied a thread to the stalk or branches of a tree. If the thread was intact at the time of their return they were satisfied that their women had not been guilty of immorality. If however they found the thread untied or missing they slandered their women.

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If the teeth of their children fell they caught them with two fingers and flung them towards the sun saying "O sun! Give him better teeth than these".

In case the children of a woman did not live (i. e. died during infancy) they believed that her children would live if she walked seven times over the slain body of a distinguished person.

This is a brief account of the innumerable superstitions which had darkened the lives of the Arabs of the Age of Ignorance and had restrained their intellects from flying high.

Chapter 3

CONDITIONS OF ROMAN AND IRANIAN EMPIRES

It is very important to study the following two environments in order to evaluate the sacred Islamic movement:

1. The environment of the revelation of the Holy Qur'an i. e. the area in which Islam originated and developed.

2. Way of thinking of the people who inhabited the most civilized areas of that age and whose thoughts manners morals and civilisations were considered to be the most developed and the best. History tells us that the most enlightened spots of those times were the Roman and the Iranian Empires.

To complete the discussion it is necessary that we should study the conditions of these two Empires separately so that it may become possible to make an estimate of the value of the civilisation introduced by Islam.

In those days Rome did not enjoy a better position as compared with its rival viz. Iran. Internal strife and continuous external wars with Iran over Armenia etc. had prepared its people for accepting a revolution. More than anything else diversity of religious opinions had made these differences much wider. Strife between the Christians and the idolaters did not subside. When the dignitaries of the Church took reins of government in their hands they pressed their opponents hard and this by itself paved the path for the creation of a dissatisfied minority; and the thing which could be counted to be the great factor for the acceptance of Islam by the Roman nation and warm welcome accorded by them to this movement was the deprivation felt by different groups on account of the harshness of the dignitaries of the Church.

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Day after day the awe and power of the Roman Empire was diminishing owing to differences amongst the priests on the one hand and existence of various religious orders on the other. Besides the white and yellow nations of the north and the east respectively were always very keen to acquire the fertile areas of Europe and at times they did great harm to each other by their mutual warfare. This in itself became the reason for the division of the Roman Empire into two blocs viz. the eastern bloc and the western bloc. The historians believe that the political social and financial conditions of Rome in the sixth century were very much disturbed. So much so that they do not consider even the supremacy of Rome over Iran to be an evidence of its military power. They attribute the defeat of Iran to the maladministration of the Iranian Government. These two Empires which had been the leaders and rulers of the world were in a state of chaos and anarchy at the time of the advent of Islam. Evidently such conditions create an unusual longing and desire in the hearts of the people for a proper law which may ensure their welfare.

SEASONAL DISCUSSIONS IN ROME

In some countries some idle and sensual persons put forward for discussion a number of meaningless and futile problems with the object of keeping back people from all sorts of scientific and industrial progress and thus render the precious lives of the people useless. In this context we have a large number of specimens and precedents in many Muslim countries which it is not possible to recount at present. It so chanced that Rome of those days was more than anything else entangled in problems of this kind. For example the emperors and the statesmen held under the influence of some religious institutions the belief that Prophet 'Isa had two natures and two wills whereas some Ya'qubi Christians were of the view that he had only one nature and one will. This baseless proposition hit out the independence and harmony of Rome and created a deep cleavage amongst those people for the government was obliged to defend its beliefs and therefore subjected its opponents to severe persecution. As a consequence of pressure and mental aversion some of them took refuge in Iran. These were the very people who on encountering the Muslim army quitted their trenches and greeted the Muslims with open arms. Rome of those days was just like the Europe of the Middle Ages. The famous French astronomer Camile Flammarion relates this story about the level of learning in Europe in the Middle Ages:

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"The book entitled 'Majmu'a-i Lahutiah' (Theological Collection) was a perfect manifestation of the scholastic philosophy in the Middle Ages and was taught in Europe for four hundred years as a text book. A part of that book discusses whether it is possible for a few angels to settle themselves on the point of a needle or how many leagues apart the pupils of the right eye and of the left eye of the Heavenly Father are? ".

How unfortunate for Rome! Just at the time when it was entangled in foreign wars torrents of internal differences most of which were manifested in the garb of religion were drawing it day after day nearer to the precipice. When the Jews who were a wicked and intriguing people saw that the pressure by the Christian Emperor of Rome had crossed the bounds they drew up plans to topple down the Roman Government and even occupied the city of Antakia at one time and cut off the ears nose and lips of the Archbishop. After some time the Roman Government avenged itself by massacring the Jews of Antakia. Such merciless slaughtering was repeated in Rome a number of times between the Jews and the Christians and at times this revengeful feeling had its repercussions even beyond the frontiers of the Empire. For example once the Jews purchased eighty thousand Christians from the Iranians and slaughtered them like sheep with the object of taking revenge on the Christian community.

It is here that the learned reader can visualise the dark and chaotic background of the world contemporaneous with the dawn of Islam and acknowledge that these sublime teachings which ensured deliverance of mankind from that dark atmosphere are not the outcome of human brain and this exhilarating breeze of unity and unanimity and this message of peace and sincerity which is the object of Islamic religion has no source other than the occult one. How can it be said that Islam which has given right of existence even to the animals is the child of such a blood thirsty environment?

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Islam set aside all these baseless and frivolous discussions about the will of 'Isa and introduced him in the following words: 'Isa the son of Maryam was no more than a Prophet. Other Prophets passed away before him. His mother was a chaste and truthful woman. They both ate earthly food and were human beings. (Surah al- Ma'dah 5: 75).

By means of this verse Islam put an end to a large number of silly discussions of the dignitaries of the Church about the spirit blood and individuality of 'Isa. At the same time it dissuaded man from disputes and bloodshed by imparting sublime teachings to him and reviving his excellent human attributes.

IRAN OR THE CRADLE OF CIVILISATION OF THAT AGE

The scholars of sociology are of the view that the weak point about the government of the Iranians of that age was its despotic nature and the rule of an individual over the masses. The ignorant Arabs with all their savagery and barbarism possessed a sort of democratic government. With the establishment of 'Darul Nadwah' which enjoyed the position of the National Consultative Assembly they had to some extent eliminated the defects of despotic rule. Although a government whether constitutional or despotic cannot solve the difficulties without the rule of religion and faith and the protection of secret police and cannot also maintain law and order which is the aim of every government but it is an admitted fact that the wisdom and prudence of one person cannot equal the sagacity of a group of persons. Collusion and violence are comparatively lesser in a democratic government. It is for this reason that the grandeur and supremacy or weakness and humiliation of the Iranians have been closely related with the weakness or strength of their one-man government. A study of the Sasanian period of government and the oscillations which took place during that period fully justifies this statement.

GENERAL CONDITIONS OF IRAN SIMULTANEOUS WITH THE DAWN OF ISLAM

The advent of Islam and the appointment to the prophetic mission of the Holy Prophet (611 A. D. ) was concurrent with the reign of Khusro Pervez (590-628 A. D. ). The Holy Prophet's migration

from Makkah to Madina also took place during his time (Friday the 16th July 622 A. D. ) and this event became the beginning of the history of the Muslims.

In those days two big and powerful states (Byzantium and Sasanian) Iran ruled a large part of the civilised world of that time. They had been quarrelling and fighting with each other for long in order to dominate and rule the world. [1]

The prolonged wars which the Iranians fought against the Romans started during the reign of Anushirwan (531-589 A. D. ) and continued for twenty four years i. e. till the time of Khusro Pervez. The great losses and enormous expenditure which Iran and Rome had to bear on account of these wars dealt severe blows to both of these powerful states and nothing except only form without any substance was left of them.

In order that we may understand clearly the conditions of Iran from different angles it is necessary for us to study briefly the conditions of various governments from the end of the rule of Anushirwan onwards till the time when the Muslims made their appearance.

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[1] Tarikh-i 'Ulum wa Adabiyat dar Iran Dr Safa pp. 3 - 4 Iran dar Zaman-i Sasaniyan Christensen page 267.

FONDNESS FOR LUXURIOUSNESS DURING SASANIAN PERIOD

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Sasanian kings were usually fond of luxuries and voluptuousness. The pomp and gradiloquence of the Sasanian court dazzled the eyes.

During the Sasanian period the Iranians had a flag which was called 'Dirafsh-i Kavyani'. This flag was hoisted in the battlefield or was installed at the top of the palace at the time of ceremonial celebrations by the Sasanians. It had been decorated with very precious gems. According to a writer this peerless flag was studded with gems and other precious things whose cost has been estimated to be 1 200 000 dirhams (or 30 000 pounds). [1]

In the fabulous palaces of the Sasanians so many gems and other precious articles and wonderful drawings and paintings had been collected that the eyes of the onlookers were dazzled.

If we wish to become with the wonders of these palaces it would suffice if we have a look on a big white carpet which they had spread in the hall of one of the palaces. This carpet which was called 'Baharistan-i Kisra' had been got made by the Sasanian rulers for the purpose that at the time of merrymaking they might be in good pirits and might always have the beautiful and enlivening scenes of spring before their eyes. [2]

It has been said that this carpet was 150 cubits long and 70 cubits wide. Its entire wrap and wool had been woven with gold and gems were embedded in it. [3]

Amongst the Sasanian monarchs the one who was most fond of luxuries was Khusro Pervez. He had thousands of wives slave-girls singers and musicians in his palace. In his book entitled 'Sanii Mulukul Arz' (grand kings of the earth) Hamza Isfahani describes the luxurious life of this King in these words:

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"Khusro Parvez had three thousand wives and twelve thousand slave-girls who were musical performers. He had six thousand men who served as guards. As many as 8 500 horses were earmarked for his riding. He had 960 elephants and 12 000 mules for carrying the baggage. He also had one thousand camels". [4]

Then Tabari adds to this "This king was more fond of gems and valuable vessels etc. than anyone else". [5]

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[1] Payambar-i Rehnuma vol. I pp. 42 - 43

[2] Payambar-i Rehnuma vol. I pp. 42 - 43

[3] Payambar-i Rehnuma page 43. "In the book 'Ganj-i Danish' Muhammad Taqi Khan Hakim 'Mu'tamadus Sultan' has described the carpet 'Nigaristan' very minutely while making research about the court of Khosroes".

[4] Sanii Mulukul Arz wal Ambiya page 420

[5] Tarikh-i Tabari as quoted by Christonson page 327

SOCIAL CONDITIONS IN IRAN

The social conditions in Iran in the days of the Sasanians were in no way better than the political conditions prevailing in the royal court. Class rule which had existed in Iran since long assumed the most acute shape during the Sasanian period. The aristocracy and the clergy were absolutely superior to other classes. All the important public offices and vocations were reserved for them. The craftsmen and peasants were deprived of all social rights and privileges. Except making payment or revenue and taking part in wars they had no other function to perform.

Nafisi writes thus about class distinctions during the period of the Sasanians: "The thing which was mostly instrumental in sowing discord amongst the Iranians was the very harsh class distinction which was established by the Sasanians in Iran. It had its roots in the past civilisation. but was much more tightened during the Sasanian period ".

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Originally seven aristocratic families and after them five other classes enjoyed privileges and the common man was deprived of them. Almost the entire 'ownership' was confined to the seven families. The population of Iran during the Sasanian period was about 140 million persons. If we suppose the number of each of these families to be one hundred thousand persons their total number would cone to seven hundred thousand. And if we assume that the frontier officials and proprietors who too enjoyed possessory rights to some extent were also seven hundred thousand in number the position would be that out of a population of 140 millions only a million and a half possessed rights of ownership and all others were deprived of this natural right granted to man by Allah. [1]

The craftsmen and peasants who were deprived of all rights and privileges but had to bear on their shoulders the heavy burden of the expenses of the aristocracy did not consider it worthwhile to preserve these conditions. Hence most of the peasants and the people of the lower strata renounced their professions and took refuge in monasteries to escape payment of onerous revenues. [2]

After giving an account of the misfortunes of the craftsmen and the peasants of Iran the author of the book 'Iran-dar Zaman-i Sasaniyan' quotes this remark of one of the European historians named Amyan Marcilinos: "The craftsmen and the peasants were leading a very miserable and degraded life during the Sasanian period.

In the event of war they walked on foot and formed the rear of the army They were considered to be so mean and worthless as if perpetual slavery had been pre-destined for them and they could get no wages or reward for the work done by them". [1]

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In the Sasanian Empire only a minority which formed less than 1. 5 per cent of the population was the owner of everything whereas others whose number exceeded 98 per cent were just like slaves and had no rights of life.

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[1] Tarikh-i Ijtimai'i-i Iran vol. II pp. 24 - 26

[2] Limadha Khasir al 'Alam bi inhitatil Muslimin pp. 70 - 71

[3] Iran fi 'ahdis Sasani'in page 424

RIGHT OF OBTAINING EDUCATION WAS RESERVED FOR THE UPPER CLASSES

During the Sasanian period only the children of the rich people and the aristocrats were entitled to receive education and the masses and the middle class were deprived of the acquisition of knowledge and distinction.

This grave defect in the culture of ancient Iran is so patent that even the writers of epic poems (Khudainamah and Shahnamah) have mentioned it in expressive terms although their real subject had been the narration of the achievements of the heroes.

Firdausi the famous epic poet of Iran has mentioned a story in Shahnamah which bears a clear testimony to this fact. This story belongs to the time of Anushirwan i. e. exactly to the period when the Sasanian empire was passing through its golden age. And this story shows that the majority of the people consisting of almost the entire masses had no right to become educated and even the lover of wisdom and justice Anushirwan was not prepared to grant the right of education to other classes of the public!

Firdausi says "A shoemaker turned up and offered to give a large amount of gold and silver to meet the expenses of the Iranian-Roman war. At that time Anushirwan was in great need of financial help because about thrity thousand Iranian soldiers were faced with shortage of food and armour. There was a clamour amongst the soldiers who made their grievances known to the King himself. Anushirwan was disturbed by this state of affairs and became alarmed about his own end. He immediately called his wise minister Buzurg Mehr to find out a remedy and ordered him to proceed to Mazandran at once to procure money to meet the expenses of war. However Buzurg Mehr said "The danger is imminent hence something should be done immediately to remedy it". At that juncture Buzurg Mehr suggested a national loan. His suggestion was liked by Anushirwan who ordered that steps in this behalf might be taken without any delay. Buzurg Mehr sent officials to the nearest cities and towns and made the position known to the wealthy people of those places.

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A shoemaker offered to provide the entire expenses of the war. The only recompense that he desired for this service was that his only son who was very fond of education might be permitted to obtain it. Buzurg Mehr considered his request to be quite insignificant as compared with the money offered by him. He hurried to the king and made the request of the shoemaker known to him. Anushirwan got annoyed rebuked his minister and said "What a strange request you are making! This is something inexpedient for when he gets out of the classification the tradition of class system in the country will topple down and the harm caused by this will be much more than the gold and silver which he is prepared to give".

Firdausi explains Anushirwan's Machiavellian philosophy in the king's own words:

"When the son of a merchant becomes a secretary and also acquires skill wisdom and intelligence.

Then when our son ascends the throne he will need a secretary endowed with good luck.

If the son of one who deals in shoes acquires skill it will lend him eyes which can see clearly as well as ears.

In that event nothing will be left with a wise man of noble descent except regret and cold sighs".

Thus the money of the shoemaker was returned to him under the orders of the "Just Monarch". This made the helpless shoemaker very unhappy and as is usual with the oppressed he complained to Allah Almighty at night and made the "bell of Divine justice ring".

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In the words of Firdausi "The messenger returned with the money and the shoemaker became very unhappy on account of that money.

He was very much grieved at the words of the king and when night came he rang the Divine bell". [1]

When speaking about the causes of the decline unrest and disorder of the Sasanian period the author of the book "Tarikh-i Ijtima'i Iran" who is himself one of the forerunners of the nationalists draws a picture of the right of education being restricted to the higher circles in these words:

"During this period education and instruction in the usual branches of learning was the monopoly of the children of the aristocrats and the clergy and almost all the other children of Iran were deprived of it". [2]

Indeed this tradition of keeping the masses ignorant was so important in this eyes of the Sasanians that they did not wish to forsake it at any cost. Hence the majority of the Iranians were deprived of the right of education as well as of other social rights so that the opportune and improper desires of this pampered minority might be fulfilled.

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[1] Firdausi has narrated this story in Shahnamah as an event of the reign of Anushirwan with reference to the war between Iran arid Rome (Shahnamah vol. Vl pp. 257 - 260). Dr Sahib al-Zamani has analysed this story in a very fascinating manner in his book "Dibacha-i bar Rehbari" (pp. 258 - 262) See also Guzarish Nama-i Iran Mehdi Quli Khan Hidayat (page 232).

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[2] Tarikh-i Ijtima'i-i Iran vol. II page 26

VERDICT OF HISTORY ON THE SASANIAN KINGS

Most of the Sasanian monarchs adopted a harsh policy of government and desired to subjugate the people by force. They extracted very heavy and onerous taxes from the people. The people of Iran were therefore usually dissatisfied but for fear of their lives they could not utter any words of protest. So much so that even the learned and experienced persons were not accorded any recognition by the Sasanian court.

The Sasanian rulers were so despotic and self-willed that no one could express his own opinion in any matter.

Although history is always tampered with through the persons wielding authority stories have been told about the injustice and cruelty of the tyrants.

Khusro Pervez was so hard-hearted that Tha'labi writes about him: "Khusro was told that a particular governor had been asked to come to the royal court but he had made excuses. The king immediately ordered: "If it is difficult for him to come before us with his entire body we shall be satisfied with only a portion of it so that matters may become easy for him. Tell the persons concerned to send only his head to my court". [1]

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[1] Iran dar Zaman-i Sasaniyan page 318

UNREST DURING THE SASANIAN RULE

While studying the last part of the Sasanian period the thing which should not be lost sight of is the maladministration of government and the prevalence of arbitrariness intrigue and chaos in the Sasanian regime.

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The princes the nobles and the army chiefs were at loggerheads with one another. One group elevated one prince and the other group removed him and selected another.

When the Muslims of Arabia decided to occupy Iran the Sasanian royal family was very weak and was deeply involved in discord.

During four years ranging from the time of assassination of Khusro Parvez and ascension to the throne of Sheroya to the assumption of kingship by the last Sasanian monarch Yazd Gard numerous kings ruled Iran. Their number has been stated to be from six to fourteen. Thus the government of Iran passed from one hand to the other about fourteen times during the span of four years. It can well be imagined what the condition of a country would be when coup d'etat is staged in it fourteen times during a period of four years and every time one person is assassinated and another is installed in his place.

Everyone who assumed reins of government did away with all other claimants to the throne and committed all sorts of atrocities to secure his own position. The father killed the son the son killed the father and the brother extirpated his brothers.

Sheroya assassinated his father Khusro Pervez [1] to occupy the throne and also killed forty sons of Khusro Pervez (i. e. his own brothers). [2]

Shehr Baraz killed everyone about whom he was not certain whether or not he would be a danger for his throne.

Eventually all those who came to occupy the throne whether they were men or women and whether old or young killed their kith and kin (viz. the Sasanian princes) so that no pretender to the throne might remain alive.

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In short chaos and anarchy had assumed such dimensions during the Sasanian period that children and women were elevated to the throne then killed after a few weeks and others installed in their place.

In this manner the Sasanian monarchy notwithstanding its apparent pomp and grandeur was speedily moving towards decadence disintegration and destruction.

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[1] Murujuz Zahab vol. I page 281

[2] Tarikh-i Ijtima'i-i Iran vol. II pp. 15 - 19 by Sa'id Nafisi

ISTURBED CONDITIONS OF SASANIAN IRAN FROM RELIGIOUS VIEW-POINT

The greatest reason for the chaotic conditions of Iran during the Sasanian period was differences and diversity of opinions in religious matters.

Ardshir Babkan as the founder of the Sasanian dynasty was himself the son of a Mubid (Zoroastrian priest) and had reached the throne with the assistance of the spiritual people of Zoroastrian faith he employed all means to propagate the religion of his ancestors in Iran.

In the days of the Sasanians the official as well as the popular religion of the Iranian nation was Zoroastrianism and as the Sasanian Government had been established with the help of the priests the Zoroastrian clergy received every support from the royal court. Consequently the Zoroastrian clergy acquired great strength in Iran during the Sasanian period so much so that they enjoyed the position of the most powerful class in the country.

The Sasanian rulers were always mere satellites of the priests and if anyone of these rulers did not obey the spiritual people he met with their serious opposition and consequent disgrace. Hence the Sasanian Kings were more attentive to the clergy than to any other people and on account of the support which the priests received from the Sasanians their number increased day after day. The Sasanians utilised the spiritual people a good deal for the strengthening of their empire. They erected many fire-temples in every nook and cranny of the vast dominion of Iran and in every temple they accommodated a large number of priests.

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It is said that Khusro Pervez constructed a fire-temple and appointed twelve thousand priests in it to sing hymns and to offer prayers. [1]

Thus the Zoroastrian faith was the court religion. The priests tried their utmost to keep the deprived and afflicted masses quiet and to create an atmosphere in which the people should not feel their adversities.

The oppression by the priests and their unlimited powers were driving the people away from the Zoroastrian faith and the common man was desirous of finding for himself a religion other than that of the aristocracy.

The author of "Tarikh-i Ijtima'i Iran" writes: ".... forced by the pressure exerted by them (i. e. the priests) the Iranian people were making efforts to get rid of these hardships. For this very reason as opposed to the official creed of 'Mazdesti Zartushti' which was the religion of the government and the court and was called 'Behdin' two other schools of thought had also appeared amongst the Zoroastrians". [2]

Of course it was due to the severity and harsh treatment of the nobility and the priests that in Sasanian Iran different religions were appearing one after the other. Mazdak and before him Mani [3] had tried to bring about a change in the spiritual and religious conditions of the land but their efforts were not successful.

It was in about 497 A. D. that Mazdak came into prominence. He declared nullification of restricted ownership abrogation of polygamy and formation of harems to be the front piece of his reformatory programme. As soon as the deprived classes came to know about Mazdak's programme they flocked towards him and put a great revolution in motion under his leadership. The sole purpose of all these risings and movements was that the people should achieve the legitimate rights granted to them by Allah Almighty. Eventually Mazdak had to encounter the hostility of the spiritual people and the opposition of the army and this resulted in trouble and destruction for Iran.

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The Zoroastrian faith had also completely lost its reality in the last days of the Sasanians. Fire had been accorded so much sanctity that it was considered unlawful to hammer iron which had assumed the nature of fire for its having remained in its vicinity and most of the principles and beliefs of Zoroaster were given the shape of superstitions and fables. During this period the realities of this religion had given place to certain futile prosaic and absurd rites. Their formalities were continuously enlarged upon by the priests to increase their own strength. Fables and silly superstitions had penetrated into this religion to such an extent that they made even the spiritual people uneasy. And there were persons amongst the priests also who had realised the hollowness of Zoroastrian rites and beliefs and were divesting themselves of their burden.

From the time of Anushirwan onwards the path of reflection had been opened in Iran and as a result of the penetration of Greek and Indian learning as well as the contact of Zoroastrian beliefs with those of Christianity and other religions such reflection was gradually becoming more intense and was occasioning the awareness of the Iranian people. Hence more than at any other time they felt grieved on account of the superstitions and the vain and baseless propositions of the Zoroastrian faith.

At last the deterioration which had appeared in the Zoroastrian spiritual community and the superstitions and silly fables which had made inroads upon the Zoroastrian faith became the cause of diversity and dispersion in the beliefs and views of the Iranian nation. The appearance of these differences and the prevalence of various religions made the spirit of doubt and indecision run into the minds of the intellectuals and from them it gradually penetrated into others. Consequently the masses totally lost the absolute faith and the perfect belief which they possessed previously.

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Thus chaos irreligion and carelessness completely engulfed Iran. Barzuyah the famous physician of the Sasanian period has drawn a complete picture of the diversity of beliefs and disturbed conditions of Sasanian Iran in his introduction to 'Kalilah wa Damnah'.

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[1] Tarikh-i Tamaddun-i Sasani vol. I page 1

[2] Tarikh-i Ijtima'i-i Iran vol. II page 20

[3] Mani's religion was a combination of Zoroastrianism and Christianity. He had thus invented a new religion by the admixture of a local and a foreign faith.

WARS BETWEEN IRAN AND ROME

Buzurg Mehr who was an efficient and clever man and enjoyed the foremost position in the organization of Anushirwan saved Iran many times from grave dangers by dint of his prudent policy and experience. At times however crafty people and tale-bearers darkened his relations with Anushirwan and having instigated the King to take action against him got order of his arrest issued.

The same mischief-mongers poisoned Anushirwan's mind with regard to the Roman Emperor and instigated him to ignore the treaty of permanent peace and to attack the Romans in order to widen the frontiers of the country and weaken a dangerous rival. Eventually war started and in a comparatively short period the Iranian army conquered Syria put Antakia to fire and ravaged Asia Minor. After twenty years' warfare and bloodshed both the armies lost their strength and chances of success and after sustaining heavy losses made peace treaties twice and agreed to maintain their respective former frontiers subject to the condition that the Roman Government would require the Iranian Government with the payment of twenty thousand dinars annually.

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The extent to which such long wars and those too fought in areas far away from the centre of a country can do harm to the economy and industry of a nation can well be imagined. Keeping in view the resources of those times it was not possible to repair speedily the effects of such a long war. This war and invasion provided the preliminaries for the sure fall of the Iranian Government. The wounds of this war had not yet been healed when another seven years' war started. After ascending the throne the Roman Emperor Tibrius with a view to take revenge made severe attacks on Iran and threatened its very independence. The position of the two armies had not yet become decisive when Anushirwan breathed his last and his son Khusro Pervez ascended the throne. In the year 614 A. D. he too relying on some excuses attacked the Romans afresh and as a consequence of the very first onslaught conquered Syria Palestine and Africa; plundered Jersusalem set on fire their sacred places and destroyed various cities. After the blood of as many as ninety thousand Christians had been shed the war ended to the advantage of Iran.

At this juncture when the civilized world of that day was burning in the fire of war and tyranny the Prophet of Islam was entrusted the prophetic mission. It was 610 A. D. He conveyed the invigorating message of monotheism to the people and invited them to peace sincerity discipline and bliss.

Defeat of the God-worshipping Romans at the hands of fire-worshipping Iranians was taken to be a good omen by the polytheists of Mecca and they thought that they too would be in a position in the near future to subdue the worshippers of God (the Muslims). However the Muslims were very much concerned on hearing this news.

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The Prophet of Islam awaited the Divine revelation and then this verse was revealed: The Romans have been defeated in a neighbouring land. But in a few years they shall themselves gain victory. (Surah Rum 30: 1).

The prediction made by the Holy Qur'an proved to be true in the year 627 A. D. when Hercules attacked and occupied Naynava. The two rivals were breathing the last breaths of their lives and were planning reinforcements. However as Allah Almighty had willed it that these two lands should be illuminated with the worship of One Allah and the depressed spirits of the Iranians and the Romans should be rejuvenated with the invigorating zephyr of Islam it was not long before Khusro Pervez was assassinated at the hands of his son Sheroya and the son too passed away after eight months of the death of his father. During this period Iran passed through such a chaos that after Sheroya there were nine rulers who ruled during four years (out of whom four were women) till at last the Muslim army put an end to this state of affairs. These conflicts spreading over fifty years were of course of great help for the advancement of the Muslim conquests.

Chapter 4

ANCESTORS OF THE PROPHET

1. IBRAHIM THE CHAMPION OF MONOTHEISM

1. IBRAHIM THE CHAMPION OF MONOTHEISM

The object of giving an account of the life of Prophet Ibrahim is to make known the ancestors of the Holy Prophet of Islam for he was a descendant of Ismail who was the son of Ibrahim. And as these two venerable persons as well as many other noble forefathers of the Holy Prophet have a great share in the history of Arabia and Islam it is appropriate that a brief account of their lives may be given here because the events of the history of Islam have like the rings of a chain a perfect relationship with the events simultaneous with the dawn of Islam as well as those which are somewhat remote from it. For example the protection and support accorded to the Holy Prophet by Abdul Muttalib the favours bestowed upon him and the hardships suffered for his sake by Abu Talib the greatness of the family of Hashim and the origin of the enmity of Bani Umayyah (with the family of Hashim) are considered to be very important events on which the history of Islam is based. It is for this reason that a chapter of the history of Islam is allocated to the discussion of these events.

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We come across some very prominent and outstanding incidents in the life of Prophet Ibrahim. It is not possible to forget his struggles to uphold the standard of monotheism and to uproot the worship of idols and men. Similarly his significant and elegant debates with star-worshippers which have been quoted by the Holy Qur'an with the object of education and guidance of the people are the most sublime instruction in monotheism for the seekers of truth.

WHY WORSHIP OF CREATURES CAME INTO EXISTENCE?

The factors which occasioned worship of created things by man were no other than his ignorance coupled with the absolute commandment of nature (which as a general rule believes in a cause for every phenomenon). On the one hand man being controlled by nature was obliged to take refuge in some locality to consider a subduing and powerful authority effective in creating this unique system and to imagine the beautiful paintings in the shape of different phenomena to be the work of a skilful painter. On the other hand however as he wanted to traverse this path without the guidance of the Prophets who are the Divine guides and have been appointed to ensure the completion of the spiritual journey of man he took refuge in inanimate objects as well as in animals and men before he could reach his real object (i. e. the One Allah) and find His trace by observing the signs of creation and seek refuge in Him. He therefore imagined that these were the objects which he had been seeking. In view of this the scholars have acknowledged after studying the Heavenly Books and the manner of the invitation extended to the people by the Prophets and their debates with them that the object of the Prophets was not to make people believe in the existence of the Creator of the Universe. In fact their basic role in the society was to free the people from the clutches of polytheism and idol-worship. In other words they had come to tell the people O people! Allah in whose existence all of us believe is this and not that; He is One and not two. Don't give the creatures the place of Allah. Accept Allah as One. Don't accept any partner or peer for Him.

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The sentence 'There is no god but Allah' bears a glowing testimony to what we have stated above. This was the starting point of the preaching of the Holy Prophet. The purport of this sentence is that there is no one fit to be worshipped except Allah and this necessitates that the existence of the Creator should evidently be an admitted fact so that the people may be invited to accept His 'Unity'and 'Oneness'. This sentence shows that in the eyes of the man of that time the first portion (i. e. the Universe has Allah) was not a matter of dispute. Besides this the study of Qur'anic stories and the conversations of the Prophets with the people clarify this point further. [1]

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[1] But what was their conception about the idols? Did they consider them fit for worship and to be only intermediaries or they thought that they too possessed power like Allah? This point is beyond our discussion for the present although the first view is firm and proved.

BIRTHPLACE OF PROPHET IBRAHIM

The Champion of 'Monotheism' was born in the environments which were permeated with the darkness of idol-worship and man-worship. Man expressed humility before the idols made with his own hands as well as before the stars. In these circumstances the thing which elevated the position of Ibrahim and crowned his efforts with success was his patience and fortitude.

The birth-place of the standard-bearer of monotheism was Babylon. The historians have considered it to be one of the seven wonders of the world and have recorded many narrations about the grandeur and magnificence of the civilisation of this territory. The famous Greek historian Herodote (484 - 425 B. C. ) writes thus: "Babylon was constructed in the shape of a square. Each of its sides was 120 leagues long and its perimeter was 480 leagues". [1] This statement howmuchsoever exaggerated it may be reveals an undeniable reality (when read along with other writings).

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Of those attractive scenes and lofty palaces however nothing can be seen today except a mound of clay between the Tigris and the Euphrates which is covered by the silence of death. This silence is at times broken by the orientalists through the excavations which they carry out in order to gain information about the civilisation of the Babylonians.

Prophet Ibrahim the architect of monotheism was born during the reign of Namrud son of Kan'an. Although Namrud was an idol-worshipper he also claimed to be a deity and taking advantage of the ignorance of the credulous masses imposed his beliefs on them. It may appear somewhat strange that a person should be an idol- worshipper and should also claim to be a deity. However the Holy Qur'an provides us an example of this belief. When Musa son of Imran shook Firaun's authority with his forceful logic and gave the lie to him in a public gathering the supporters of Firaun said to him: Will you allow Musa and his people to commit evil in the land and to forsake you and your gods? (Surah al--A'raf 7 125).

It is well known that Firaun claimed to be a god and used to declare "I am your supreme lord". However this verse shows that notwithstanding his belief and claim he was also an idol-worshipper.

The greatest defence which Namrud acquired was the procurement of the support of astrologers and fortune-tellers who were considered to be the sages of that age. It goes without saying that their humility before Namrud paved the way for the exploitation of the down-trodden and ignorant classes by him. Moreover some relatives of Ibrahim (for example Azar who made idols and was also conversant with astrology) were amongst the followers of Namrud. This in itself was a great obstacle for lbrahim for besides having to struggle against the general beliefs he had to face the opposition of his own Kith and Kin.

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Namrud had plunged into the sea of superstitious beliefs. He had spread the carpet of feasting and drinking when the astrologers rang the first bell of danger and said "Your government will tumble down through a person who is the son of this soil". The latent fears of Namrud were awakened and he said. "Is he born yet or not? " the astrologers replied that he was not yet born. He then ordered the separation of women and men (during the night in which according to the prediction and calculations of the astrologers conception of his fell enemy was to take place). In spite of this however his executioners killed the male infants. The midwives were ordered to send reports about the particulars of new-born children to a special office.

The same night conception of Ibrahim took place. His mother became pregnant and like the mother of Musa son of lmran she kept the fact of her pregnancy secret till the very end. After delivery she resorted to a cave situated near the town in order to protect the life of her dear child. She left her son in a corner of the cave and visited it during day or night as the circumstances would permit. With the passage of time Namrud acquired peace of mind as a result of this oppression and believed that he had slaughtered the enemy of his throne and government.

Ibrahim spent thirteen years of his life in the cave which had a narrow passage and then his mother brought him out. When he appeared amongst the people the supporters of Namrud felt that he was a stranger. Thereupon his mother said This is my son. He was born before the prediction made by the astrologers. [2]

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When Ibrahim came out of the cave he strengthened his innate belief in monotheism by observing the earth and the sky the shining of the stars and the verdure of the trees. He witnessed a strange and astonishing society. He saw a group of persons who behaved in a very stupid manner vis-a-vis the shining of the stars. He also saw some people whose level of intelligence was even lower than other. They made idols with their own hands and then worshipped them. The worst of all these things was that a man taking undue advantage of the ignorance and foolishness of the people claimed to be their god and declared himself to be the one who had given life to all the beings and foreordained all events.

Prophet Ibrahim was obliged to prepare himself to combat on these three different fronts. The Holy Qur'an has narrated the story of his campaigns in these three fronts.

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[1] Qamus-i Kitab-i Muqaddas root 'Babal'.

[2] Tafsir-i Burhan vol. 1 page 535.

IBRAHIM'S CAMPAIGN AGAINST IDOL-WORSHIP

The darkness of idol-worship had complereIy permeated throughout Babylon the bitth-place of Prophet Ibrahim. Numerous terrestrial and celestial gods had deprived different classes of the society of their reason and intellect. Some of these people considered the gods as possessing power themselves whereas others treated them to be intermediaries for obtaining favours of the Almighty Allah.

SECRET OF POLYTHEISM

The Arabs before the advent of Islam believed that every being and every phenomenon must have an independent cause and that the One Allah is not competent to create all of them. This was because of the fact that at that time science had not discovered the relationship which exists between different natural beings and phenomena and various events. Consequently those people imagined all beings and various natural phenomena to be separate from and unconnected with one another. On this account they were obliged to assume an indepedent god for every phenomenon like rain and snow earthquake and death famine and dearth peace and tranquillity cruelty and blood shed etc. They had no idea of the fact that the entire Universe is a unity and all its parts are interconnected and everyone of them has a reciprocal effect on another.

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The crude human intellect of those days had not yet realised the secret of worshipping the One Allah and was not aware that Allah who rules over the Universe is an Omnipotent and Omniscient Lord. He is the Creator who is free from every weakness and defect. His power perfection knowledge and wisdom are unlimited. He is above everything which may be assumed for Him. There is no accomplishment which He does not possess. There is no possibility which He cannot create. He is the One Allah who is competent to create all beings and phenomena without the help of any person and without any supports. He can create other beings and phenomena in the same manner in which He has created the present ones. Hence according to reason the existence of the mediation of an authority which may detract from the independence of the will of the peerless Allah is unacceptable.

The belief that the Universe has two creators one of whom is the origin of good and light; and the other is the source of evil and darkness is also not acceptable. And the belief about there having been mediation by some persons like Maryam and 'Isa in the matter of the creation of the Universe or the administration of the physical world having been entrusted to a human being is a manifestation of polytheism and exaggeration. A monotheist is one who with due deference to the Prophets and the saints preserves the position of The Creator of the Universe and does not attribute the work of one to the other.

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The method employed by the Prophets for the teaching and guidance of the people is that of logic and reason because they are concerned with the minds of the people. They desire to set up a government which should be established on the basis of faith knowledge and justice and such a government cannot be established by means of violence warfare and bloodshed. We should therefore differentiate between the goverments of the Prophets and the governments of Firouns and Narnruds. The object of the second group is security of their rule and government by all possible means although their State may break down after their death. On the other hand the divine people wish to set up a government which should have its way in private as well as in public and whether the ruler is strong or weak at any particular time or is alive or dead. Such an object cannot of course be achieved by use of force and pressure.

In the first instance Ibrahim campaigned against the faith of his kith and kin (viz. idol-worship) amongst whom Azar occupied the top-most position. He had not yet achieved complete success in this field when he had to fight at another sphere of operations. The level of thinking of this second group was somewhat higher and clearer than that of the first for as opposed to the religion of the relatives of Ibrahim these people had discarded the mean and worthless terrestrial beings and they worshipped the heavenly stars. While campaigning against star-worship Ibrahim stated in simple words a number of philosophical and scientific truths which had not yet been conceived by the people of that age and even today his arguments command admiration of the scholars well-versed in the arts of logic and debate. Above all this the Holy Qur'an has also quoted the arguments of Ibrahim and the author of the present book has the honour to reproduce them in these pages with brief explanations.

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After coming out of the cave Ibrahim in order to guide the people fixed his eyes one night on the sky at the time of sunset and remained awake till sunset on the following day. During these twenty four hours he debated and conversed with three groups and disproved their beliefs with strong arguments.

The darkness of night approached and hid all signs of existence. The bright star 'Venus' appeared from a corner of the horizon. In order to win the hearts of the Venus-worshippers Ibrahim concurred with them and affected to follow their line and said: "It is my nourisher" However when the star set and disappeared in a corner he said "I cannot accept a god which sets". With this cogent reasoning he rejected the belief of the Venus-worshippers and proved its falsity.

At the next stage his eyes fell on the luminous disc of the moon with its fascinating brilliance and beauty. With a view to win the hearts of the moon-worshippers he outwardly admitted its being the deity but later tore this belief also to pieces with his forceful logic. It so happened that the strong hand of Providence made the moon also sink below the horizon and its light and lustre disappeared from the face of the earth. Ibrahim without injuring the sentiments of the moon-worshippers said with truthful insight "If my real Lord does not guide me I shall surely go astray because this god sets like the stars and is in itself subject to a constant order and system shaped by someone else".

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The darkness of the night came to an end and the sun appeared tearing the bosom of the horizon and began scattering its golden rays on the face of earth. The sun-worshippers turned their faces to their deity. In order to observe the rules of debate Ibrahim also acknowledged its god-hood. However the setting of the sun confirmed its being subservient to the general system of the Universe and Ibrahim explicitly repudiated its being fit for worship. (Vide Surah al-An'am 6: 75 - 79)

There is no doubt about the fact that while staying in the cave Ibrahim had through an extraordinary divine favour acquired from the fountain of the Invisible that innate knowledge about monotheism which is a speciality of the Prophets. However after perusal and study of these celestial bodies he gave that knowledge the shape of argument. Thus besides showing the right path to the misguided people and providing them with a means of guidance he has left behind a store of invaluable knowledge to be utilised by those who are in search of truth and reality.

lBRAHIM'S LOGIC EXPLAINED

Ibrahim was well aware that Allah rules over the Universe but the question was whether that source of power consisted of these celestial bodies or it was an Omnipotent Being superior to them. After studying the conditions of these itinerant bodies he found that these bright and luminous beings are themselves subject to rising setting decline and disappearance in accordance with a particular system and they rotate on an unalterable path and this in itself proves that they are subservient to the will of someone else and a greater and stronger power controls them and makes them rotate in a specified orbit.

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Let us clarify the point further: The Universe entirely consists of 'Possibilities' and 'Needs'. Various creatures and natural phenomena are never independent of the Almighty. They need an Omniscient Allah during every second of day and night - the Allah who should not at any moment be oblivious of their needs. Now as regards the celestial bodies they are present and useful at one time and absent and useless at another. Such beings do not possess the necessary competence to be the gods of other beings and to meet their needs and requirements.

This theory may be propounded in the shape of various theoretical and philosophical statements. For example we may say 'These celestial bodies are in motion and move on their respective axes. In case their movement is without any option and under compulsion there must he a stronger hand that controls them. And if their movement is in accordance with their own free will it will have to be seen as to what the object of this movement is. If they are moving to achieve perfection and are like a seed which rises from the earth to grow into a tree and to bear fruit this will necessarily mean that they need a kind powerful wise and independent being who should remove their short-comings and endow them with the quality of perfection. But if their movement and rotation tends towards weakness and deficiency and they are just like a person who is past his prime and has entered the wrong side of age then their movement will be an inclination towards decline and destruction and will not at all accord with the position of the deity who should rule the world and all that it contains.

METHOD OF DISCUSSION AND DEBATE ADOPTED BY THE PROPHETS

The history of the Prophets shows that they commenced their reformating programme by first inviting their relatives to the true path and later they extended the 'invitation' to others. This is just what the Prophet of Islam did immediately after his appointment to the prophetic mission. First of all he invited his own people to Islam and laid the foundation of his 'call' on their reformation in compliance with the Divine commandment Admonish your nearest kinsfolk (Surah al-Shu'ara 26: 214)

Ibrahim also adopted the same method and first undertook the reformation of his own kinsfold. Azar enjoyed a very high position amongst his relatives because besides being an educated man and an artist he was an expert astrologer. In the court of Namrud his word was treated to be authoritative and his astrological conclusions were accepted by all the courtiers to be correct.

Ibrahim was aware that if he could win over Azar to his side he would have captured the strongest fortress of the idol-worshippers. He therefore advised him in the best possible manner not to worship inanimate things. For some reasons however Azar did not accept the message and advice of his nephew Ibrahim. So far as we are concerned however the most important thing in this episode is the method of invitation and the manner of conversation of Ibrahim with Azar. Deep and careful study of the Qur'anic verses in which this conversation has been reproduced makes the method of argument and invitation adopted by the Prophets abundantly clear. Now let us see in which way Ibrahim invited Azar to the true path:

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He said to his uncle: Father! how can you serve a worthless idol a thing that can neither see nor hear?

Father the truth has been revealed to me about many mysteries; therefore follow me that I may guide you along an even path.

Father do not worship Satan; for he has rebelled against the Lord of Mercy.

Father I fear that Allah's scourge will fall upon you and you will become one of Satan's minions. (Surah Maryam 19: 44 - 47)

In reply to Ibrahim's invitation Azar said "Do you dare renounce my gods Ibrahim? Desist from this folly or you shall be stoned to death. Begone from my house immediately"

Magnanimous Ibrahim bore this ill-speaking on the part of Azar with perfect calmness and replied "Peace be on you. I shall implore my Lord to forgive you".

Could there be a reply more appropriate and a conversation more mild and agreeable than these words of Ibrahim?

WAS AZAR THE FATHER OF IBRAHIM?

The above quoted verses as well as 15th verse of Surah Tawbah and 14th verse of Surah al-Mumtahinah would give the impression that Azar was related to Ibrahim in the capacity of father and Ibrahim too has addressed him as 'father'. However the idol-worshipper Azar's being his father is not in harmony with the concensus of opinion of the Shi'ah scholars who believe that the forefathers of the Holy Prophet of Islam as well as all other Prophets were pious people who believed in monotheism. The distinguished Shi'ah scholar Shaykh Mufid has in his exquisite book [1] considered this proposition to be one on which all the Shi'ah scholars are unanimous and a large number of Sunni scholars have also concurred with them in holding this belief. The question therefore arises as to what is the real import of the apparent contents of the aforesaid verses and how this problem should be solved.

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Many commentators of the Holy Qur'an assert that although the word 'Ab' is usually used in Arabic to mean 'father' this meaning is not exclusive and at times it has been used in the Arabic lexicon and in the Qurtanic terminology to mean 'uncle' as well. For example in the following verse the word 'Ab' stands for 'uncle'.

Were you present when death came to Ya'qub? He said to his children: 'What will you worship when l am gone' They replied: We will worship your Allah and the Allah of your forefathers (Aba) Ibrahim and Isma'il and Ishaq: He is the only Lord. To Him we have surrendered ourselves. (Surah Baqarah 2: 132).

There is no doubt about the fact that Isma'il was the uncle of Ya'qub and not his father because Ya'qub was the son of Ishaq who was the brother of Isma'il. However inspite of this the children of Ya'qub have mentioned him as father of Ya'qub i. e. they have called him 'Ab' vis-a-vis Ya'qub. As this word carries two meanings it is possible that in the verses related to Azar having been invited to the right path by Ibrahim it may mean 'uncle' and especially so in view of the consensus of opinion mentioned by Shaykh Mufid. And possibly Ibrahim called him 'father' because he had acted as his guardian for quite a long time and he (Ibrahim) looked upon him as if he were his father.

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[1] Awa'il al-Maqalat page 12.

AZAR IN THE HOLY QUR'AN

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With a view to find out the verdict of the Qurtan about the relationship between Ibrahim and Azar we should like to invite the attention of the reader to the explanation of two verses:

1. As a consequence of the strenuous efforts made by the Holy Prophet Arabia was illuminated with the light of Islam. Most of the people embraced this religion whole-heartedly and realized that polytheism and idol-worship would end in Hell and torture. Although they were happy to have come within the fold of the true faith they felt grieved to recollect that their fathers and mothers were idol-worshippers. Hearing of the verses which depict the plight of the polytheists on the Day of Judgment weighed heavily on them. To get rid of this mental torture they requested the Holy Prophet to pray to Allah for the forgiveness of their forefathers who had died as infidels in the same manner in which Ibrahim had prayed for Azar.

The following verses were however revealed in reply to their request

It is not for the Prophet or the believers to beg forgiveness for idolaters even though they be related to them after it has become manifest that they have earned the punishment of Hell. Ibrahim prayed for his father only to fulfill a promise he had made him. But when he realized that he was an enemy of Allah he disowned him. Yet Ibrahim was a compassionate and tender-hearted man. (Surah Tawbah 9: 113 - 114)

It would appear more probable that the conversation of Ibrahim with Azar and his promising the latter to pray for his forgiveness which ended in the severance of their mutual connections and renouncement of each other took place when Ibrahim was young i. e. at a time when he was still residing in Babylon and had not yet intended to go to Palestine Egypt and the Hijaz. After studying this verse it may be concluded that when Azar persisted in his infidelity and idol-worship Ibrahim while still young severed his connections with him and never thought of him thereafter.

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2. During the last part of his life i. e. when he grew old Ibrahim after discharging a great responsibility (i. e. construction of the Ka'bah) and bringing his wife and child to the dry desert of Mecca prayed from the core of his heart for a number of persons including his parents and sought acceptance of his supplication from Allah. At that time he prayed thus:

'Forgive me Lord and forgive my parents and all the faithful (believers) on the Day of Reckoning. (Surah Ibrahim 14 41)

These verses clearly show that the ceremony of supplication took place after the completion of the construction of the Ka'bah when Ibrahim was passing through his old age. If the father for whom he has shown love and devotion in this verse and he prayed for him is the same Azar it would mean that Ibrahim did not remain dissociated from him throughout his life and at times also prayed for him whereas the verse which was revealed in reply to the request of the descendants of the polytheists makes it clear that after some time when he was still young Ibrahim broke off all connections with Azar and kept aloof from him - and aloofness and renouncement means ceasing to be on speaking terms lack of attention and abandoning supplications for each other's salvation.

When these two verses are read together it becomes clear that the person whom Ibrahim came to hate in his young age and with whom he broke off all ties of interest and love was a person other than that whom he remembered till his old age and prayed for his forgiveness and salvation. [1]

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[1] Majma'ul Bayan vol. III page 319 and al-Mizan vol. Vll page 170.

IBRAHIM THE IDOL-BREAKER

The time of the festival approached and the neglectful people of Babylon left for the jungle to get rid of their fatigue and to reinforce their faculties and perform the ceremonies of the festival. Thus the city became empty of them. The antecedents of Ibrahim and his reproaches and criticisms had made them anxious. They therefore insisted that Ibrahim should also go with them and partake in the ceremonies of the festival. However their proposal rather insistence coincided with Ibrahim's illness. In reply to their suggestion therefore he said that he was ill and would not participate in the ceremonies of the festival.

Indeed that was a day of joy for the one who was a monotheist as well as for the polytheists. For the polytheists it meant the celebration of a very old festival and they had gone to the foot of the mountain and in green fields to carry out the ceremonies of the festival and to revive the custom of their forefathers. And for the champion of the monotheism also it was the august day of the first unprecedented festival for which he had longed for quite some time so that the city should be cleared of the opponents and he should break up the manifestations of infidelity and polytheism.

The last group of the people left the city Ibrahim considered this time to be very opportune and with a heart imbued with confidence and faith in Allah he entered the idol temple. He saw from a distance the sculptured pieces of wood and the lifeless idols. He thought of the enormous food which the idol-worshippers used to bring to their temples as offerings to seek blessing and went in search of it. He took a morsel of bread in his hand and pointing it to the idols said jeeringly Why don't you eat these all kinds of foodstuff? Evidently the artificial gods of the polytheists did not posses power to make the slightest movement not to talk of their being able to eat anything. A deathlike silence prevailed over the spacious hall of the idol-temple which was broken only by the heavy blows which Ibrahim was giving on the hands feet and bodies of the idols. He broke all the idols till a big mound of broken and shattered pieces of wood and metal was formed in the middle of the temple. However he spared the biggest idol and placed the axe on its shoulder. This he did purposely. He knew that on return from the jungle the polytheists would understand the actual position and would regard the apparent situation as artificial and unreal because they would never believe that these blows had been given to the other idols by the big idol which possessed no power at all to move or do anything and in that event he (Ibrahim) would utilise the situation for his 'call' and say that when according to their own admission that idol did not possess the least power how could it be possible that it should be the lord of the world?

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The sun moved to the horizon and ceased to throw light on the world. At that time the people began returning to the city in groups. Time for performing the ceremonies of idol-worship arrived and a group of the idolaters entered the temple. The unexpected scene which clearly showed the disgrace and humility of their gods attracted the attention of all of them. There was deathlike silence in the atmosphere of the temple and everyone was impatient. One of them however broke the silence and said ' Who has committed this mischief? " Condemnation of the idols by Ibrahim in the past and his open criticism of idol-worship convinced them that it was only he who had done all this. A tribunal was therefore set up under the supervision of Namrud and young Ibrahim and his mother were brought up for trial.

The mother was charged with the offence of concealing the birth of her child and not reporting it to the special office of government so that he could eventually be executed. She gave this reply to the charge "I found that as a result of the final decision of the government of the time (i. e. killing the children) the human race in this country was being exterminated. I did not inform the government office about my son because I wanted to see how he progressed in the future. In the event of his proving to be the same person about whom the foretellers (priests) had predicted there would have been a reason for me to inform the police so that they might desist from shedding the blood of other children. And if he does not happen to be that person then I have saved a young man of this country from death". The mother's argument fully satisfied the judges.

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Now Ibrahim was cross-examined. He said "The state of affairs would show that the big idol has struck all these blows and if the idols possess power of speech you had better ask him". This vague reply tainted with ridicule and contempt was meant to serve another purpose; and that purpose was that Ibrahim was sure that those people would say in reply Ibrahim! You are well aware that these idols do not possess power of speech. They do not also have any will or intellect. In that event Ibrahim could invite the attention of the tribunal to one basic point. By chance the same thing happened which Ibrahim had anticipated. He spoke thus with reference to the statement of those people which testified the weakness humility and helplessness of the idols "If they are in fact like that as you describe them then why do you worship them and why do you pray to them to grant your requests? "

Ignorance obstinacy and blind imitation ruled the hearts and intellects of the judges and in the face of irrefutable reply of Ibrahim they found no alternative but to give a judgement which conformed with the wishes of the government of the time. They therefore decided that Ibrahim should be burnt alive. A large stack was set on fire and the champion of Divine monotheism was thrown into the blazing. flames. However Almighty Allah extended His hand of Kindness and blessing towards Ibrahim and kept him immune from harm. He (Allah) converted the artificial hell made by man into a green and pleasant garden. [1] (Vide Surah al-Anbiya 21: 51 - 70).

INSTRUCTIVE POINTS OF THIS NARRATIVE

Although the Jews claim to be the forerunners of the Caravan of those who believe in monotheism this story was not well-known amongst them and it does not find place in their present Torah. Amongst the Heavenly Books it is only the Holy Qur 'an which has undertaken to narrate it. We therefore mention below some instructive points of this story which are in fact the very points which the Holy Qurtan wishes to bring home to the people by narrating the stories of various Prophets.

1. This story is a clear proof of the extraordinary valour and bravery of the friend of Allah (Ibrahim). His determination about breaking the idols and destroying the manifestations and means of polytheism was not a thing which could remain hidden from the people of Namrud because by his reproaches and criticism he had already made his extreme aversion and hatred for idol-worship quite manifest and he used to say openly and clearly: "If you do not desist from your shameful practice I will take a decision about them". And on the day people went to the jungle he openly said: By the Lord' I will overthrow your idols as soon as you have turned your backs. (Surah Anbiya 21: 57)

Allamah Majlisi quotes thus from Imam Sadiq: 'The movement and campaign of one person against the rows of the infidels whose number exceeded a few thousands is a living proof of the valour and perseverance of Ibrahim who did not harbour any fear in his mind in the path of the exaltation of Allah's name and strengthening the base of the worship of One Allah ". [1]

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2. While the smashing blows by Ibrahim were apparently an armed and hostile revolt but as is evident from his talk with the judges this movement had actually a propagandistic aspect because he considered the last means of awakening the wisdom and conscience of those people to be that he should break all the idols except the big one and place the axe on its shoulder so that they might make further investigations into the causes of this incident. And as eventually they would consider the scene to be a mere mockery and would not at all believe that the blows had been struck by the big idol he could utilise this thing for propagating his views and say: "According to your own admission this big idol does not possess the least power so why do you worship it? " This shows that from the very beginning the Prophets have used only logic and argument as their sharp weapons which have always borne results. Or else what was the value of breaking a few idols as compared with the danger to life with which Ibrahim was confronted? It was necessary that this act should have carried a great service for his mission in its lap so that it should have been admirable for him from the point of view of reason to sacrifice his life for it.

3. Ibrahim was aware that as a consequence of this act his life would be finished. As a rule therefore he should have become agitated or should have hidden himself somewhere or at least refrained from witticism and humour. Nevertheless however he had complete control over his spirits and nerves. For example when he entered the idol-temple he approached every idol and asked it mockingly to eat food. After becoming desperate he reduced the idol-temple to a heap or broken wood and treated all this as something quite ordinary as if it were not to be followed by his own death or execution. When he appeared before the tribunal he replied to their questioning "Surely (some doer) has done it the chief of them is this therefore ask them it they can speak. ". Such witticism before the court could be expected only from a person who was prepared for all eventualities and did not feel any fear or awe in his heart.

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Even more wonderful is the study of the attitude of mind of Ibrahim at the time when he was stationed on the catapult and knew it for certain that he would soon find himself amidst the flames of fire - the fire for which fire-wood had been collected by the people of Babylon to perform a sacred religious rite and whose flames were rising with such intensity that even a falcon dared not fly around or above it. Just at that time the celestial angel (Archangel Jibreel) descended from the heavens expressed his readiness to render him (Ibrahim) every assistance and said: "Tell me about your heart's desire". Ibrahim replied to him: "I do have a desire. However it cannot be made known to you but to my Lord only". [2] This reply clearly manifests the nobility and spiritual greatness of Ibrahim.

In a big palace situated a few miles away from the scene of the fire Namrud waited anxiously and impatiently for venegeance being wreaked upon Ibrahim and wished to see how the flames of fire devoured him. The catapult was put into operation. With one jerk the body of the champion of Divine monotheism fell into the fire. However the penetrating will of the Lord of Ibrahim converted that artificial hell into a garden in a manner which surprised them all so much so that Namrud turned involuntarily to Azar and said ''lbrahim's Lord holds him dear"[3]

In spite of all these incidents Ibrahim could not preach his faith with complete freedom. Eventually the government of the time decided after holding consultations to send him in exile. This opened a new chapter in his life and became the beginning of his journeys to Syria Palestine Egypt and the Hijaz.

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[1] Biharul Anwar vol. V page 130 Company Print.

[2] al-'Uyun page 136; Amali Saduq page 274 and Bihirul Anwar page 35.

[3] Tafsir-i Burhan vol. Ill page 64.

A NEW CHAPTER IN THE LIFE OF IBRAHlM

The court of justice in Babylon banished Ibrahim from the country and he was forced to quit his birth place and to proceed to Egypt and Palestine. 'Amaliqa' who ruled those territories accorded him a warm reception and gave him many presents one of them being a slave-girl named Hajar.

Ibrahim's wife Sarah had not borne any child till that time and the above-mentioned developments stimulated her sentiments for her honourable husband. She therefore suggested to Ibrahim to marry Hajar so that possibly she might be blessed with a son who should become a source of their joy and happiness. The marriage took place and after some time Hajar gave birth to a son who was named Isma'il. It was not long before Sarah too become pregnant; and bore a son who was given the name of Ishaq. [1]

After some time Ibrahim as commanded by Allah took Isma'il and his mother Hajar towards south (Makkah) and stationed them in an unknown valley. This valley was uninhabitated and only the caravans which travelled from Syria to Yemen and vice versa pitched their tents there. For the remaining days of the year this place remained absolutely isolated and was only a burning desert like other parts of Arabia.

Residence at such a dreadful place was very trying for a woman who had spent her days in the the territories of Amaliqa.

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The scorching heat of the desert and its extremely hot winds presented the scene of death before her eyes. Ibrahim himself was also much conerned about these developments. While he was holding the bridle of his riding animal with the intention of saying good bye to his wife and child a flood of tears began to flow from his eyes and he said to Hajar: "O Hajar! All this has been done according to the command of the Almighty and His command cannot be defied. Rely on Allah's blessings and rest assured that He will not humiliate us". Then he prayed to Allah in these words with perfect concentration: Lord! Make this a land of peace and bestow plenty upon its people those of them that believe In Allab and the Last Day. (Surah Baqarah 2: 126)

When he was descending the hill he looked back and prayed to Allah to shower His blessings on them.

Although apparently this journey was very difficlit and vexatious but later it became evident that it carried momentous happenings in its lap amongst them being the construction of the Ka'bah which provided a great base for the monotheists flying the flag of the worship of One Allah in Arabia and laying the foundation of a great religious movement which was to take shape in future viz. the great movement which came into operation in this land through the last of the Prophets.

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[1] Sa'dus Su'ud pp. 41 - 42 and Biharul Anwar vol. XII page 118.

HOW THE FOUNTAIN OF ZAM-ZAM CAME INTO EXISTENCE?

Ibrahim took the bridle of his riding animal and with tears in his eyes bade farewell to the land of Makkah as well as Hajar and his son. After a short time however food and water available with the child and his mother was exhausted and the breast of Hajar also became dry. The condition of her son too began to deteriorate. A flood of tears flowed from the eyes of the banished mother and moistened her lap. In utter confusion she got up on her feet and reached the Safa mountain. From there she saw the spectacle of a mirage near Marwa mountain and ran towards it. However the bitterness of the deceptive landscape disappointed her very much. The lamentations and uneasiness of her dear child made her run more fanatically in all directions

Thus she ran seven times between the mountains of Safa and Marwa to locate water but eventually lost all hopes and returned to her son.

The child must have reached his last breath by that time and must have lost the capacity of weeping or crying any more. However at that very moment the prayer of Ibrahim was granted. The tired and weary mother saw that limpid water had begun gushing out from beneath the feet of Isma'il. The mother who was looking towards the last breaths of her son and believed that he would pass away after a few moments felt extremely happy on seeing this water. Both the mother and the son drank their fill and the clouds of despair and hopelessness which had cast their shadow on their lives were driven away by the zephyr of Divine blessings. [1]

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The appearance of this fountain which is called "Zam Zam" since that day made the birds of air fly over it and spread their broad wings like a cover on the heads of the afflicted mother and son. People of a tribe named "Jarham" who lived at a distance from this valley saw the birds going to and tro and came to the conclusion that water had become available in the vicinity. They sent two of their men to verify the position. After a good deal of wandering those persons reached the centre of Divine blessing. When they drew near they saw a woman and a child sitting by the side of a pool of water. Thev returned immediately and reported the matter to the chiefs of their tribe. The members of that tribe soon pitched their tents around this blessed fountain and Hajar was thus relieved of the hardship and bitterness of loneliness which she had been suffering. The growth and perfect sociability of Isma'il became the cause of his making a matrimonial alliance with the Jarham tribe and thus benefit from their support and society. Isma'il soon married a girl of that tribe. From their mother's side therefore his descendants are related to that tribe.

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[1] Tafsir-i Qummi page 52 and Biharul Anwar vol. Xll page 100.

THEY MEET AGAIN

After leaving his dear son and wife in the land of Makkah under the command of Allah Almighty Ibrahim thought at times of going there to see his son. During one of his journeys which was perhaps his first journey he reached Makkah and found that his son was not present in his house. By that time Isma'il had grown up to manhood and had married a girl of the Jarham tribe. Ibrahim asked Isma'il's wife "Where is your husband? " She replied He is gone out for hunting. Then he asked her whether she had anything to eat. To this she replied in the negative.

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Ibrahim was very much grieved to observe the rudeness and unkindness of his son's wife and said to her "When Isma'il returns home convey my greetings to him and tell him to change the threshold of his house" He then returned to his destination.

When Isma'il returned he smelt the odour of his father and realised from his wife's account that the man who had visited his house was Ibrahim himself. He also understood from the message left by his father that he had desired him to divorce his present wife and choose another because he did not consider his present wife to be a suitable partner of his life. [1]

It may perhaps be asked as to why after having performed so long a journey Ibrahim should not have waited till the return of his son from hunting and why he went back without seeing him. The historians explain that he returned hastilv because he had made a promise to Sarah that he would not stay there longer and his early return was with a view to keep the promise. After this journey he was also ordered by Allah Almighty to perform another journey to Makkah to construct the Ka'bah there and to attract to that point the hearts of those who believe in monotheism.

The Holy Qur'an testified that in the last days of the life of Ibrahim Makkah had grown into a city because having performed his task he had prayed to Allah in the following words:

Lord! Make this (Makkak) a land of safety. Preserve me and my descendants from worshipping idols. (Surah Abraham 14: 35)

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And at the time of his arrival in the desert of Makkah he bad prayed: Lord! make this a land of peace (Surah Baqarah 2: 126).

In order to complete the discussion it would have been appropriate to narrate the circumstances in which the Ka'bah was constructed and also to give a brief history of it. However lest we should minimise our real object we give below the particulars of some of the reverenced forefathers of the Holy Prophet who are well- known in history.

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[1] Biharul Anwar vol. II page 112 as quoted from Qassas-i Anbiya.

2. QUSAYY SON OF KILAB

The following are the names of the father and forefathers of the Holy Prophet in upward order:

Abdullah Abdul Muttalib Hashim Abd-i Manaf Qusayy Kilab Marra Ka'b Loo Ghalib Fahr Malik Nazar Kananah Khuzamah Mudrakah Ilyas Mazar Nazar Ma'd and Adnan. [1]

The genealogy of the Holy Prophet up to Ma'd son of Adnan is as reproduced above. However there is a difference of opinion with regard to the number and names of intermediate persons from Adnan upwards upto Isma'il and according to the report quoted by Ibn Abbas from the Holy Prophet when the genealogy of the Holy Prophet reaches Adnan one should not proceed beyond it because whenever the Holy Prophet himself mentioned the names of his forefathers he did not proceed beyond Adnan and ordered that other too should not narrate the names of his other forefathers upto Isma'il. He also said that what was commonly known amongst the Arabs regarding that portion of the pedigree was not correct. Hence we have also quoted that portion of his genealogy which is admittedly correct and now proceed to give detailed particulars of some of the persons concerned.

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The above-mentioned persons are well-known in the history of Arabia and the history of Islam too has relationship with some of them. Hence we give below an account of the lives of those from Qusayy upto the reverenced father of the Holy Prophet (Abdullah) and refrain from narrating the events of the lives of others who have no concern with the matter under discussion. [2]

Qusayy was the fourth ancestor of the Prophet of Islam. His mother Fatima married Kilab and gave birth to two children named 'Zohrah' and 'Qusayy. ' The second of them was still an infant when Fatima's husband died. She then married another man named Rabi'a and accompanied him to Syria. Qusayy received fatherly support from Rabi'a till differences arose between him and Rabi'a's tribe as a result of which they drove him away beyond the frontiers of their home-land. His mother was touched by the treatment meted out to him and decided to send him back to Makkah. The hand of destiny pulled him to Makkah. His hidden qualities enabled him to establish his superiority over the Makkans and especially the tribe of Quraysh. Within a short time he acquired the high governmental offices in Makkah and also became the custodian of the keys of the Ka'bah and the undisputed ruler of that city. Many remarkable events are associated with his name. One of these was that he encouraged the people to construct a house with the name of 'Darun Nadwah' adjacent to the Ka'bah and thus founded a Council Hall for the Arabs so that their dignitaries and chiefs might sit together in this public centre and solve their problems. He died in the 5th A. D. and left behind two sons named Abdud Dar and Abd Manaf.

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[1] Tarikh-i Kamil vol. II pp. 1 and 21.

[2] Their lives have been discussed by Ibn Athir in Tarikh-i Kamil vol. II pp. 15 - 21.

3. ABD MANAF

He was the third ancestor of the Holy Prophet. His name was Mughirah and he enjoyed the title of 'Qamar al-Bat'ha' (the moon of Bat'ha). He was younger than his brother Abdud Dar but enjoyed great respect amongst the people. He was very pious. He invited people to virtue behaved well with them and maintained very good relations with his kinsfolk. Although he enjoyed a very honourable position in the society he never became a rival of his brother Abdud Dar in the matter of acquisition of high offices connected with the Ka'bah. According to the will of Qusayy the rulership rested with Abdud Dar but when the two brothers died their sons began quarrelling for various offices. After a good deal of contention and conflict they eventually got reconciled and divided the positions amongst themselves.

It was decided that the custodianship of the Ka'bah and the chairmanship of 'Darun Nadwah' would remain with the children of Abdud Dar and the functions of providing drinking water to the pilgrims and their entertainment would be performed by the sons of Abd Manaf. This division of offices was still intact at the time of the advent of Islam. [1]

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[1] lt is an admitted fact that the offices related to the Ka'bah did not exist when the sanctuary was constructed and they came into existence gradually according to the exigencies of time. Till the advent of Islam these offices were divided into four parts:

(1) Custodianship of the Ka'bah and holding charge of its keys

(2) Providing water to the pilgrims during Haj season

(3) Providing food to the pilgrims.

(4) Chiefship of the people of Makkah standard bearership and command of the army.

4. HASHIM

4. HASHIM

He was the second forefather of the Holy Prophet. His real name was 'Amr and he enjoyed the title of 'Ala. He and Abd Shams were twins and their two other brothers were Muttalib and Nawfal. It is narrated by the historians that at the time of the birth of Hashim and Abd Shams a finger of the former was stuck on the forehead of the latter. Blood flowed profusely when they were separated from each other and the people took this occurrence to be a bad omen. [1]

Halabi writes in his 'Seerah' that this bad omen later manifested its effect because after the advent of Islam fierce battles were fought between Bani Abbas who were the decendants of Hashim and Bani Umayyah who claimed their descent from Abd Shams. [2]

This shows that the writer of 'Seerah' has completely ignored the tragic events connected with the descendants of Ali although the bloody drama which Bani Umayyah staged by shedding the pure blood of the progeny of the Holy Prophet is a glaring evidence of the existence of enmity between the two families. It is not however known as to why the said writer has failed to mention these events.

One of the particular points about the descendants of Abd Manaf which are reflected in the battle-cries and literature of Arabia is that they died at different places viz. Hashim died in Ghaza Abd Shams in Makkah Nawfal in Iraq and Muttalib in Yemen.

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To quote an example of the magnanimity of Hashim it may be stated that whenever Zil-Hajj moon was sighted he came to the Holy Ka'bah leaned on its wall and delivered a speech on the following lines:

'O people ot the tribe of Quraysh you are the wisest and noblest amongst the Arabs. Your race is the best amongst all races. Almighty Allah has provided you accommodation by the side of His own House and has granted you superiority in this regard over all other descendants of Isma'il. O my kinsmen beware! Pilgrims of the House of Allah are coming to you this month with extraordinary favour They are Allah's guests and it is your duty to receive them. There are many indigent persons amongst them who will be coming from far off places. I swear by the Lord of this House that if I had been wealthy enough to entertain all the guests of Allah I would not have insisted upon you to provide assistance. At present however I am going to spend all that I can afford and which I have earned bv lawful means. I administer an oath to you in the name of the honour of this House that you will not spend for this purpose anything which you have usurped or give or spend anything hypocritically or under compulsion. If anyone is not inclined to assist he is at liberty not to spend anything. [3]

For all intents and purposes the leadership of Hashim was for the welfare of the Makkans and had a great effect on the betterment of the conditions of their lives. Whenever a famine occured his magnanimity did not permit that people should experience any hardship on this account. One of the outstanding steps which he took for the advancement of the commerce of the Makkans was the conclusion of an agreement with the ruler of Ghassan. It was in the wake of this agreement that similar agreements were concluded by his brother Abd Shams with the King of Ethiopia and by his two other brothers Muttalib and Nawfal with the Ruler of Yemen and the Emperor of Iran respectively. Merchandise could be exchanged freely with various countries. This agreement solved many difficulties and brought into existence a number of shopping centres in Makkah which also existed at the time of the advent of Islam. Besides this one of the beneficial activities of Hashim was the establishment of journeying by the Quraysh to Syria in summer and to Yemen in winter. This practice continued for quite some time even after the birth of Islam.

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[1] Tarikh-i Tabari vol. II page 13.

[2] Seerah-i Halabi vol. I page 5.

[3] Seerah-i Halabi vol. I page 6 - 7.

UMAYYAH SON OF ABD SHAMS FEELS JEALOUS

Umayyah son of Abd Shams was jealous of the greatness and dignity of his uncle Hashim and endeavoured to attract the people to himself by bestowing gifts on them. However inspite of his best efforts and obstructionist activities he could not divest Hashim of his position. On the contrary his vilification and slandering of Hashim increased honour and respect for the latter all the more in the hearts of the people.

The fire of jealousy continued to burn in the heart of Umayyah. At last he insisted upon his uncle that both of them should approach one of the sages (fortune-tellers) of Arabia and only he whom that sage confirmed to be fit for rulership should take the reins of administration in his hands.

Hashim's magnanimity did not permit him to enter into a dispute with his nephew. However as Umavvah was very much insistent he (Hashim) agreed to the proposal on two conditions. Firstly that whoever lost the case should sacrifice one hundred black-eyed camels during Haj season and secondly that he should remain out of Makkah for ten years. Now it so happened that as soon as the Arab sage (the fortune-teller of Asfan) saw Hashim he began praising him and decided the case in his favour. Umayyah was therefore obliged to leave Makkah and spend ten years in Syria. [1]

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The effects of this hereditary enmity continued to exist for 130 years after the advent of Islam and occasioned crimes which are unprecedented in the history of mankind. The above-mentioned story besides bringing to light the fact as to how the enmity between the two families originated also explains the reasons for the influence which Bani Umayyah enjoyed in Syria and it becomes known that their old relations with the Syrians prepared ground for their rule in that area.

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[1] Tarikh-i Kamil by Ibn Athir vol. II page 10.

HASHIM MARRlES

Salma daughter of 'Amr Khazraji was a virtuous woman who had obtained divorce from her husband and was not prepared to remarry. While returning from Syria during one of his journeys Hashim stayed at Yathrib (Madina) for a few days and proposed to Salma. Salma was impressed by the nobility affluence and character of Hashim and by the influence which he wielded amongst the Quraysh. She agreed to marry him on two conditions one of which was that at the time of giving birth to a child she should be amongst her own people. According to this agreement she spent some time in Makkah with Hashim and when the time of her child-birth approached she returned to Yathrib. There she gave birth to a son who was named Shibah and later came to be known as Abdul Muttalib. The historians have mentioned the following reasons for the assumption of this title by Shibah:

When Hashim felt that his death was approaching he said to his brother Muttalib "Brother! Find out your slave Shibah". And as Hashim (father of Shibah) had called his son the slave of Muttalib he later came to be known as Abdul Muttalib (i. e. slave of Muttalib).

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Another version is this: "One day while a Makkan was passing through the streets of Yathrib he saw many children practising archery. When one of the children won the match he said immediately "I am the son of the chief of Bat'ha (Makkah) ". The man from Makkah came forward and asked the boy 'who are you? ". The reply was I am Shibah son of Hashim son of Abd Manaf.

On his return to Makkah that man informed Muttalib the brother of Hashim and chief of Makkah about this incident. The uncle was reminded of his nephew and therefore went to Yathrib. The bearing of the nephew personified before Muttalib the very personality of his brother and tears trickled down his cheeks. Both of them exchanged kisses of love and emotion. The mother was not willing to part with her son and objected to his being carried away to Makkah but her objections and protests made the determination of Muttalib all the more stronger. Eventually Muttalib succeeded in achieving his purpose and after having obtained the permission of the mother made Shibah mount along with himself and proceeded to Makkah. During the course of the journey the scorching heat of the sun blackened the silvery face of the nephew and his dress was also worn and torn. For this reason therefore when the two arrived at Makkah people thought that the young man was a slave of Muttalib. They whispered to one another "This young man (Shibah) is Muttalib's slave". And although Muttalib announced time and again that the lad was his nephew the wrong impression which had taken root in the minds of the people continued to persist. The result was that the nephew of Muttalib came to be known as Abdul Muttalib (the slave of Muttalib). [1]

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Still another version is this Abdul Muttalib was called so because he had been brought up by his uncle and it was usual amongst the Arabs that whenever a person was brought up by another man he was called the slave of his benefactor.

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[1] Tarikh-i Kamil vol. II page 6; Tarikh-i Tabari vol. II pp. 8 - 9 and Seerah-i Halabi vol. I page 8.

5. ABDUL MUTTALIB

5. ABDUL MUTTALIB

Abdul Muttalib son of Hashim the first ancestor of the Holy Prophet was the chief of Quraysh and a renowned person. His entire social life was replete with brilliant attributes. As the events of his chiefship are also related to the history of Islam we narrate hereunder some of them.

There is no doubt about the fact that however resolute and strong a man may be he is eventually influenced to some extent by his environment and the habits and customs of the society affect his way of thinking. At times however some persons have an innate tendency to resist the factors governing their environments with great daring and courage and keep themselves and their surroundings immune from all sorts of contamination.

The hero of our discourse was a perfect specimen of those people in whose lives we observe many brilliant points. If a person who inspite of spending more than eighty years of his life amongst people who are habituated to idol-worship drinking wine usury and homicide does not throughout his life let wine stain his lips and restrains people from committing murders drinking wine and doing wicked deeds and prevents them from marrying the persons with whom marriage is prohibited and from going round the Ka'bah unadorned and remains firm in the matter of vows and promises till the last breath of his life he is certainly one of those ideal men who are born rarely in human society. Of course it was necessary that the person in whose body the light of the Holy Prophet (the greatest guide of humanity) had been deposited should be pure and free from every pollution.

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From the brief anecdotes and instructive sayings ascribed to Abdul Muttalib it is learnt that everin those dark environments he was counted amongst those who believed in monotheism and in the Day of Judgement and used to say "An unjust person is punished in this very world. However if by chance he dies before being duly punished he will meet retribution for his actions on the Day of Judgement". [1]

Har'b son of Umayyah was a near relative of Abdul Muttalib. He was also considered to be one of the distinguished persons amongst the Quraysh. A Jew was the neighbour of Har'b. One day the Jew displayed harshness towards Har'b in one of the bazaars of Tahamah and hot words were exchanged between them. This incident culminated in the Jew being murdered at the instigation of Har'b. Abdul Muttalib came to know about the matter and severed his relations with Har'b. He also made efforts to realise blood-money from him and to pass it on to the survivors of the few. This brief anecdote is a specimen of the enthusiasm of this magnanimous person for helping the weak people and for dispensation of justice.

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[1] Seerah-i Halabi vol. 5 page 4.

RE-EXCAVATION OF THE WELL OF ZAMZAM

From the day the well of Zamzam came into existence the people of the tribe of Jarham had settled round it and benefited from its water during the long years when they ruled over Makkah. However as a result of the advancement of Makkans in business their affluence negligence on their part and lack of any restraint on the use of the water the well gradually dried up. [1]

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Another version is this: When the people of Jarham tribe were threatened by Khaza'ah tribe and were obliged to abandon their homes their chief and distinguished man Mazaz son of 'Amr realised that he would soon cease to be at the helm of affairs and the enemy would attack and destroy his territory and government. He therefore ordered that two deer made of gold and a few precious swords which had been brought as a present for the Ka'bah should be thrown into the well which should then be filled up completely so that the enemy might not lay his hands on these things and later when they (Jarham tribe) recovered their territory and throne they themselves should utilise this treasure. After some time the tribe of Khaza'ah commenced their attacks and the tribe of Jarham as well as a large number of the descendants of Isma'il were compelled to leave Makkah and proceed to Yemen and none of them returned to Makkah thereafter. From that time onwards the tribe of Khaza'ah ruled over Makkah till Quraysh gained ascendancy by the coming into power of Qusayy son of Kilab the fourth ancestor of the Holy Prophet. After some time Abdul Muttalib came at the helm of affairs. He decided to dig the Zamzam well once again but unfortunately the location of the original well was not known for certain. After excavating a good deal he was able to locate the real spot and resolved to take preliminary steps to dig the well with the assistance of his son Harith.

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In every society there is usually a group of negativists who try to find one excuse or the other to prevent the performance of every positive act. Hence the rivals of Abdul Muttalib fearing that this honour might fall to his share began criticising him and addressed him thus "O elder of Quraysh As this well is a memorial of our ancestor Isma'il and all of us are reckoned to be his descendants it is only appropriate that you may let all of us partake in this task".

For certain reasons Abdul Muttalib did not accept their suggestion because his intention was to dig the well alone and let all of them use its water free of cost. He also wished to assume himself the responsibility of supplying water to the pilgrims on specific occasions so that this function could be performed in good order under his personal supervision. This could however be ensured only when he had this job in his own hands being independent of others.

This resulted in a good deal of bickering and it was at last decided that they should approach an Arab sage (fortune-teller) and his decision should be binding on all. Thus Abdul Muttalib and his rivals started their journey. They passed through many barren tracts of land. On their way they were faced with extreme thirst and became almost certain that they would perish. They therefore became anxious about their death and subsequent burial. Abdul Muttalib suggested that every person should dig a grave for himself and as and when anyone of them died others should bury him. And if they continued to be deprived of water and all of them died they would all be buried and be saved from being devoured by beasts and birds except the person who would be the last one to pass away.

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Abdul Muttalib's suggestion met approval and everyone of them dug a grave for himself. Now they awaited death with dejected and pale faces. Suddenly Abdul Muttalib cried out "Men! This will be a very ignominious and disgraceful death. It will be better if all of us move about in the desert in search of water. It is possible that Almighty Allah may have mercy on us. [2] All of them mounted and began moving about. They were not very hopeful of finding water and looked at one another with dismay. By chance however they soon came across wholesome water and were thus saved from certain death. From that very place they returned to Makkah and gladly agreeing with Abdul Muttalib's view with regard to the digging of the well gave him full authority to carry out his project. [3]

Abdul Muttalib began digging the well with his only son Harith and a mound of dust appeared around the spot. Suddenly they touched upon two deer made of gold and a few swords. Now Quraysh kicked up another row and claimed a share in this find. Eventually it was decided to settle the dispute by drawing lots. By chance the two golden deer fell to the share of the Ka'bah and the swords to that of Abdul Muttalib whereas Quraysh received nothing. Noble-minded Abdul Muttalib utilised the swords for constructing a gate for the Ka'bah and installed the deer upon it.

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[1] One of the causes for a society being subjected to adversity is the prevalence of sin and debauchery amongst its people and it is not improbable that shameful deeds should bring famines and other calamities in their wake. This proposition besides being in conformity with philosophical principles has also been mentioned expressly in the Holy Qur'an and in the Islamic traditions.

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[2] The question arises as to why others did not come up with this suggestion? Possibly they had lost all hope of finding water.

[3] Tarikh-i Yaqubi vol. I page 206 and Seerah-i Ibn Hisham vol. I page 45.

STEADFASTNESS IN KEEPING PROMISE

Some of the qualities of the Arabs of the Age of Ignorance merit praise. For example they considered breaking of promise to be the most loathsome act. At times they concluded very onerous and burdensome treaties with the Arab tribes and respected them to the last. And on some occasions they took extremely tiresome and intolerable vows but made an all-out effort to fulfil them.

While digging Zamzam Abdul Muttalib felt that owing to his not having many sons his position was rather weak amongst Quraysh. He therefore resolved and took a vow that when the number of his sons would become ten he would sacrifice one of them in front of the Ka'bah. He did not however make a mention to anyone about his having taken this vow. With the passage of time the number of his sons rose to ten and the time therefore arrived for him to fulfil his vow. The very thought of the proposition was very trying for him. He was however afraid of lagging behind in the performance of this task and thus becoming one of those who failed to keep their promises. He therefore decided to mention the matter to his sons and after obtaining their agreement to select one of them for the purpose by drawing lots. [1]

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The ceremony of drawing the lots was performed and the lot fell upon Abdullah (father of the Holy Prophet). Abdul Muttalib immediately caught the hand of Abdullah and led him to the sacrificial altar. Qurayshite men and women came to know about the vow and the drawing of lots and became very much grieved. A flood of tears was flowing down the cheeks of men. One of them was heard saying: "O that they should have killed me instead of this young man! "

The chiefs of Quraysh were saying "If his life can be redeemed by property we are prepared to place all our wealth at his disposal". Abdul Muttalib was wondering what to do in the face of the roaring sentiments of the people. He was reflecting within himself lest he should be guilty of disobeying the Almighty and breaking his vow. Notwithstanding all this he was also thinking of finding a solution of the problem. One of those present said: "Take this problem before one of the Arab sages. It is possible that he may suggest a solution". Abdul Muttalib and the chiefs of the tribe endorsed the suggestion and proceeded to Yathrib where the particular sage resided. The sage asked for a day's respite to give a reply. On the following day all went to him. He asked ''What is the blood-money fixed by you for one human being? " They told him that it was ten camels. Thereupon the man said: "You should draw lots between ten camels and the person whom you have selected for being sacrificed. If the lot falls on that person then raise the number of camels to twice as many (i. e. twenty). And if the lot falls on that person again then raise the number of camels to thrice as many (i. e thirty) and draw the lots again and continue doing so till the lot falls on the camels.

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The suggestion made by the sage cooled down the emotions of the people because it was easier for them to sacrifice hundreds of camels as compared with seeing a young man like Abdullah rolling in blood. One morning after their return to Makka the ceremony of drawing lots was performed for the tenth time when the number of the camels had risen to one hundred the lot fell on them. The deliverance and safety of Abdullah gave birth to very strange emotions. However Abdul Muttalib said "It is only appropriate that I should draw the lots anew so that I may know for certain that the Almighty is pleased with my action. He then drew the lots thrice and every time the lot fell on one hundred camels. He was thus convinced of Divine pleasure and directed that one hundred camels out of those belonging to him should be slaughtered that very day in front of the Ka'bah and no human being or animal should be restrained from eating their meat. [2]

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[1] The above-mentioned incident has been narrated by many historians and writers of Seerah. This story is worthy of appreciation for this reason only that it manifests the nobility of character and steadfastness of Abdul Muttalib and clearly indicates how ardent he was in the matter of his faith and in keeping his promises.

[2] Seerah-i Ibn Hisham vol. I page 153 and Bihar vol. XVl pp. 74 - 79.

TUMULT OF THE YEAR OF THE ELEPHANT

When a great event takes place in a nation its root-cause is at times religious and occasionally national and political. It is usually admired by the masses and is for this reason treated to be the starting point of their history for past and future events. For example the movement of Prophet Musa the birth of Prophet 'Isa and the migration of the Prophet of Islam are the starting points of history for the Jews the Christians and the Muslims respectively and the followers of these religions reckon the events of their lives with reference to these happenings.

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At times some nations in spite of possessing a basic history also treat some particular events to be the starting points of their history. As we find the great French Revolution and the October 1917 Communist Revolution in the Soviet Union are the starting points of history for many events in the Western countries. Uncivilized nations which are deprived of such political and religious movements naturally consider unusual events to be the bases of their history. For this reason the Arabs of the age of ignorance on account of their not possessing a proper civilisation considered unpleasant occurrences like wars earthquakes famines and other unusual phenomena as the measure and origin of their history. In this way we observe in the pages of history a number of starting points for the history of the Arabs the last of which was the disturbance of the Year of the Elephant viz. the attack by Abraha to destroy the Ka'bah which became the starting point of history for other events. We give below a detailed account and analysis of this great event which occurred in 570 A. D. to be the year of the birth of the Prophet of Islam.

THE ORIGIN OF THIS EVENT

The event of the 'People of the Elephant' has been mentioned briefly in the Holy Qur'an and we shall after narrating the story mention the verses which have been revealed about it. The historians have stated the origin of the event to be as follows:

After strengthening the capital of his government Zu Nuwas the King of Yemen passed during one of his journeys through the city of Yathrib (Madina). At that time Yathrib enjoyed a high religious position. A group of the Jews had concentrated at that place and had built a number of synagogues at different points in the city. The opportunist Jews accorded a warm welcome to the king and invited him to their own faith so that under the protection of his government they might remain safe from attacks by the Roman Christians and the Arab idolaters Their efforts in this regard were fruitful. Zu Nuwas embraced the Jewish religion and made maximum efforts for its advancement. Many persons became inclined to him on account of fear. Some were awarded severe punishments on account of differences. However the people of Najran who were converted to Christianity some time earlier were not prepared at any cost to forsake their religion and follow the teachings of the religion of the Jews. The King of Yemen was very much annoyed on account of their disobedience and defiance and came up with a large army to suppress the rebels. The commander of the army encamped by the side of the city of Najran dug a ditch there lit up a huge fire in it and threatened his opponents with burning. The brave people of Najran who had firm faith in Christianity were not however dismayed. They welcomed death and burning with open arms and their bodies were devoured by the flames of fire. [1]

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The great Muslim historian Ibn Athir Jazari writes thus:

In the meantime one of the residents of Najran named Daws went post-haste to Caesar the Roman Emperor who was a great supporter of Christianity in those days and informed him about the happening. He also requested the Emperor to punish the blood-thirsty man who had extinguished the lamp of guidance in Najran and to establish firmly the tottering pillars of Christianity in that area. The Roman ruler expressed his grief and sympathy and said: "As the principal seat of my government is far away from your country I am writing to the Negus the King of Ethiopia to take revenge on that cruel person for killing the people of Najran. The Najrani took Caesar's letter and proceeded to Ethiopia as quickly as possible. On reaching there he related the complete story to the Negus. The sense of honour of the king of Ethiopia was roused. He despatched an army exceeding seventy thousand men to Yemen under the command of an African named Abraha Ashram. The organized and well-equipped Ethiopian army crossed the sea and pitched its tents on the coast of Yemen. Zu Nuwas was taken unawares. All his activities proved to be of no avail and no reply was received by him to the letters which he had written to the tribal chiefs requesting them to take part in the battle. One brief attack was sufficient to pull down the foundation of his government and the populous country of Yemen came in the possession of the Government of Ethiopia. The Ethiopian king appointed the commander of the army Abraha as viceroy of that area.

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Abraha was very happy for having taken revenge and achieved victory and began leading a free life. In order to win the favour of the King of Ethiopia he constructed a splendid Church at San'a which had no parallel at that time for its grandeur. Then he wrote a letter to the Negus on these lines: "In compliance with the wishes of your Majesty the construction of the Church has been completed. I hope that it will be possible for me to make the people of Yemen abandon the pilgrimage of the Ka'bah whose place will now be taken by this Church". When the contents of the letter became known there was a very unfavourable reaction amongst the Arab tribes. So much so that one night a woman of the tribe of Bani Afqam polluted the precincts of the Church. This act which showed grave disrepect contempt and enmity on the part of Arabs for Abraha's Church made the government of the time very much excited. Besides this the more Abraha endeavoured to increase the apparent adornment and decoration of the Church the more the people were attached to the Ka'bah. These developments made Abraha swear that he would destroy the Ka'bah. He organized an army for this purpose put fighter elephants in the fore-front and decided to pull down the House the foundation of which had been laid by the champion of Divine monotheism Prophet Ibrahim. The chiefs of Arabia realized that the situation was delicate and dangerous and took it for certain that the independence and individuality of the Arab nation was bound to collapse. The past victories of Abraha also kept them from taking any useful decision. Nevertheless some zealous chiefs of the tribes who were facing Abraha fought with great bravery. For example Zu Nafar who was one of the nobles of Yemen exhorted his people with fiery speeches to defend the Sanctuary (the Ka'bah). However the immense army of Abraha soon cut down their organized ranks. Thereafter Nafil son of Habib put up a fierce fight but his people also met with defeat. He himself was captured and requested Abraha for forgiveness. Abraha agreed to grant his request on the condition that he should guide his forces to Makkah. Thus Nafil became his attendant and led him upto Ta'if. There he entrusted the job to one of his friends named Ayurghal. The new guide led them upto Mughmas - a place near Makkah - and there Abraha's army encamped. According to an old custom Abraha ordered one of his officers to plunder the camels and other domestic animals of Tahamah. Out of the camels so plundered 200 of them belonged to Abdul Muttalib. Later Abraha ordered another officer named Hanatah to carry his message to the chief of the Quraysh. He addressed Hanatah with these words: "I can visualize the actual scene of the destruction of the Ka'bah. It is also certain that in the first instance Quraysh will resist. However to ensure that their blood is not shed you should proceed to Makkah immediately. There you should contact the chief of Quraysh and tell him that my object is to destroy the Ka'bah and if Quraysh do not resist they will remain safe from molestation"

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The messenger sent by Abraha arrived in Makkah and saw various groups of Quraysh discussing the matter at different places. On his enquiring about the Chief of Quraysh he was led to the house of Abdul Muttalib. After hearing Abraha's message Abdul Muttalib spoke thus: "We are not at all inclined to fight. The Ka'bah is the House of Allah. It is the House which was founded by Prophet Ibrahim. Allah will do whatever He deems fit".

Abraha's officer also expressed pleasure on hearing the soft and conciliatory words of the Chief of Quraysh which were indicative of his spiritual faith. He therefore requested Abdul Muttalib to agree to accompany him to the camp of Abraha.

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[1] Tarikh-i Kamil vol. I page 253 onwards.

ABDUL MUTTALIB GOES TO THE CAMP OF ABRAHA

Abdul Muttalib proceeded to the camp of Abraha accompanied by a few of his sons. The sobriety grace and dignity of the leader of Quraysh made Abraha admire and respect him. So much so that he descended from his throne took the hand of Abdul Muttalib in his own hand and made him sit by his side. Then he very respectfully enquired from Abdul Muttalib through an interpreter as to why he had some there and what he wished. He said in reply: "The camels of Tahamah which also include two hundred camels belonging to me have been seized by your soldiers. I would ask you to give orders that those camels should be returned to their owners". Abraha replied "Your luminous bearing possessing a holy aspect made me consider you to be a very great man. However the request made by you for insignificant things has diminished your worth in my eyes. Keeping in view the fact that I have come to demolish and destroy the sanctuary of your ancestors I was expecting that you would talk about the Ka'bah and request me to desist from accomplishing my object which will deal a deadly blow to your independence and political and religious life. I did not hope that you would talk about a few insignificant and worthless camels and intercede in that behalf". In reply to Abraha's remarks Abdul Muttalib spoke a sentence whose value and worth is still preserved. He said: "I am the owner of the camels. The House too has a Master who forestalls every intrusion upon it". On hearing this Abraha shook his head and said proudly "There is none so powerful as to keep me from achieving my object". Then he ordered that the plundered property should be returned to the owners.

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QURAYSH AWAIT ABDUL MUTTALIB'S RETURN

Quraysh were anxiously awaiting Abdul Muttlib's return to. learn about the result of his talk with Abraha. So when he met the Qurayshite chiefs he said to then "Take refuge immediately in the valleys and on the hills along with your animals so that you may be safe from every harm". Soon thereafter the people abandoned their homes and found shelter in the hills. At night all the hills and valleys were resounding with the cries of children the lamentations of women and the noise made by the animals. In the very middle of that night Abdul Muttalib and some other Qurayshites descended the summit of a hill and reached the gate of the Ka'bah. He (Abdul Mutallib) with flowing tears and burning heart held the chain of the gate of the Ka'bah in his hand and recited a few verses addressing the Almighty. He spoke thus:

"O Allah! We do not pin our faith on anyone except You for remaining immune from their mischief and harm.

O Lord! Hold them back from your Sanctuary. The enemy of the Ka'bah is he who is inimical to you.

O Nourisher! Cut off their hands so that they may not pollute Your House.

I have right over my own property so I am endeavouring for its safety.

However safety of Your House is Your responsibility.

Don't let that day come when the Cross becomes victorious over it and the inhabitants of their lands encroach upon Your land and conquer it".

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Then he released the chain of the gate of the Ka'bah and took shelter on the summit of a hill to watch the developments.

Early in the morning Abraha and his forces got ready to march towards Makkah. All of a sudden however a flock of birds appeared from the side of the sea holding tiny stones in their beaks and claws. The shadow of the black birds made the sky above the encampment dark and their small and apparently insignificant weapons produced a very strange effect. The birds armed with small stones showered those stones under the command of the Almighty on the army of Abraha in such a manner that their heads were broken and their flesh was severed from their bodies.

One of the stones hit Abraha on his head whereupon fear overpowered him and he began to tremble. He became sure that the wrath of the Almighty had descended on him. Then he cast an eye on his soldiers and observed that their bodies had fallen on earth like the leaves of the trees. He therefore immediately ordered those who had remained safe to return to Yemen and to proceed to San'a through the way they had come. The remaining army moved towards San'a but while on their way most of the soldiers perished on account of wounds and fear. And even Abraha reached San'a in such a condition that the flesh of his body was turn off and he died a very queer death.

This deadful and strange event became known throughout the world. The Holy Qur'an narrates the story of the "People of the Elephant" in these words: Have you not considered how Allah dealt with the Army of the Elephant? Did He not foil their evil plots by sending against them flocks of swallows which pelted them with claystones so that they became like left-over grass grazed by cattle. (Surah al-Fil 105: 2 - 5).

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What has been narrated In these pages is a gist of lslamic history on the subject[1] and that which has been stated specifically in the Holy Qur'an. Now we shall study the comments made by the great Egyptian exegete Muhammad Abdoh and the famous scholar Dr Haikal former Education Minister of Egypt.

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[1] Seerah-i Ibn Hisham vol. I pp. 43 - 62; Faza-il Shazan pp. 52 - 64 Biharul Anwar vol. XV pp. 146 - 155 and Tarikh-i Kamil vol. I pp. 260 - 263.

A THEORETICAL DISCUSSlON ABOUT MIRACLES

Recent surprising advancement of man in various branches of physical sciences and coming to an end of the life of many scientific hypotheses created a strange tumult in the western countries. Although the explanation for these changes lay in scientific transition and revolved on the pivot of physical sciences alone (for example Ptolemy's theorem was falsified) and did not have the least connection with religious beliefs they created a strange pessimism amongst different classes about the theories and beliefs which had still survived. The secret of this pessimism lay in the fact that when the scholars saw that the old theories which had ruled human thought and centres of learning for centuries stood falsified now with the strong hand of knowledge and the might of experimentation and moreover no information was available about different heavenly spheres and minute movements and centrality of earth and also about scores of other theories; they thought to themselves that no one knows the remaining religious and scientific theories might also be like the other ones? This way of thinking gradually sowed the seeds of doubt in the minds of most of the scholars of physical sciences and within a short time this doubt grew and spread to all the European scientific circles of that day like a contagious disease.

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Furthermore 'Inquisition' (Department for the investigation of beliefs) and the severity of the Church authorities had full share in the germination rather the growth of this pessimism because the schoalrs of that time who succeeded in discovering some scientific theory were being annihilated by the Church with torments and torture. And it goes without saying that such pressure and persecution must have had a bad reaction and it was predicted from that very day that if at any time these scholars gained power and made sufficient progress in the physical field they would say good bye to religion and piety on account of the wrong policy of the Popes.

By chance matters did come to such a pass. As knowledge with regard to various matters increased and the scholars penetrated more and more into the inter-relationship of physical beings disclosed the secrets which had remained hidden from man for ages and gained knowledge about the causes of many natural phenomena like earthquakes and rain as well as causes of various diseases they devoted comparatively lesser attention to metaphysical matters. (Origin Resurrection miracles and unusual performances by the Prophets etc. ) and the number of sceptics and deniers increased day after day.

The self-conceit and pride with regard to their learning which some scholars harboured in their minds and the pressure exerted by the Popes and the priests became the cause for some scientists looking upon all religious matters with contempt and disregard. They were no longer agreeable that the names of Torah or Evangel should be mentioned. According to them the event of Prophet Musa's rod and his luminous hand should be treated as a mere story and the breath of Prophet 'Isa which brought to life many dead persons with the permission of Allah was also mere fiction. It so happened because pride on account of advancement of scientific knowledge and the memories of the pressures to which they were subjected in the past made them think within themselves 'How can it be possible that in the absence of a natural cause a piece of wood should assume the shape of a dragon or dead persons may come to life by means of a prayer? ' The scholars who were intoxicated with their successes in the field of science thought that they had acquired the key for all branches of knowledge and had understood the relations between all beings and occurrences. It was for this reason that they could not find the least connection between a piece of dry wood and a boa or between the prayer and attention of a person on the one hand and coming to life of dead persons on the other. Hence they either viewed these matters with doubt and hesitation or denied them totally.

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WAY OF THINKING OF SOME SCHOLARS

Nowadays this way of thinking with slight modifications has been adopted by some Egyptian scholars. These scholars who are in fact a link between the centres of learning of the East and the West and have for years been transferring earlier than anybody else the knowledge and the ways of thinking of the West to the East and are truly considered to be a bridge of learning and educational relationship between these two blocs have been influence more than anyone else by this way of thinking (of course with particular modifications) and follow this method in the matter of explanation and analysis of historical and scientific problems.

Some of them have chosen a method by which they wish to keep satisfied the Muslims who believe in the obvious meanings of the Holy Qur'an and of the decisive Ahadith (reports) and also to adopt the view-point of scientists or at least not to express an opinion which cannot be explained in the light of the laws of physical sciences.

On the one hand they see that the Holy Qurtan comprises a chain of undeniable miracles and this Heavenly Book is the final authority for the Muslims and whatever it says is correct and in conformity with facts. On the other hand they find that the physical sciences and the supporters of material learning do not recognize these phenomena which according to their own thinking (which insists on a natural cause for every natural event) are at variance with scientific laws.

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As a consequence of these two factors none of which according to their belief is flexible they have adopted a course by means of which they wish to keep both the groups satisfied... viz. they safeguard the apparent meanings of the Holy Qur 'an and the decisive reports and also do not say anything against the scientific laws. Accordingly they endeavour to explain away the miracles and unusual performances of the Prophets according to modern scientific standards and account for the miracles in such a way that they appear to be natural occurrences. In this way they have safeguarded the respect due to the Holy Qur'an and the decisive reports and have also freed themselves from every kind of pessimism and protest. We narrate below as a specimen the explanation offered by Muhammad Abdoh the famous Egyptian scholar about the event of the 'People of the Elephant' which has been mentioned in the Holy Qur'an.

"It was the disease of smallpox and typhoid fever caused by petrified dust which spread in Abraha's army through insects like mosquitoes and flies. And by 'clay-stones' is meant petrified infected clay which the wind scatters everywhere and thus contaminates the feet of those insects. As a consequence of the contact of those insects with the human bodies the germs are transferred to the pores of human skin and make painful and dirty wounds appear on it. And these germs are the strong divine soldiers which are called 'microbes' in scientific terminology".

A modern writer says in support of the view expressed by the afore-said scholar that the word 'Tayr' used in the Holy Qur'an means anything which flies and includes mosquitoes and flies.

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Before we take into consideration the remarks of the afore-said writers we consider it necessary to reproduce once again the verses revealed in connection with the 'People of the Elephant'. Almighty Allah says thus in Surah al-Fil: Have you not considered how Allah dealt with the Army of the Elephant?

Did He not foil their evil plots by sending against them flocks of swallows which pelted them with claystones so that they became like left-over grass grazed by cattle. (105: 1- 5)

On the face of it these verses show that the people of Abraha were subjected to Divine wrath and the only cause of their death was these clay-stones which the birds were carrying and which were pelted on their heads faces and bodies. A deep and minute study of these verses leads us to believe that the death of those people took place on account of these very unnatural weapons (apparently worthless and insignificant claystones but in fact very powerful and destructive things). As such these Divine verses cannot be interpreted to carry any meanings given to them by means of an explanation which is at variance with their apparent text unless a positive proof about the correctness of such an explanation is advanced.

NOTABLE POINTS WITH REGARD TO THE ABOVE-MENTIONED EXPLANATION

1. The above-mentioned explanation too cannot manifest the entire event to be natural and some points still remain in the story which can be explained by advancing unnatural reasons. Thus even if we suppose that the death and annihilation of those people took place on account of microbes of smallpox and typhoid fever the question remains as to how and by what means and as a result of whose guidance and training did these birds come to know that microbes of smallpox and typhoid fever had settled themselves in these clay-stones at that particular time and instead of going in search of their sustenance they flocked together towards the clay- stones and holding them in their beaks pelted them at Abraha's people like an army attacking its enemy? In the circumstances can we treat the entire event as usual and natural? If we are prepared to admit that all these things happened in accordance with Allah's command and that a supernatural power was at work in this event where does the necessity lie that we should consider only a part of that event as natural and run after explaining away its causes.

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2. The minute animals called 'microbes" which are enemies of entire mankind did not then have any relationship with anyone. As such how can this thing be explained that they attacked only Abraha's army and ignored the Makkans? The history books which we possess at present are unanimous that all losses were sustained by Abraha's soldiers and the Quraysh and the Arabs did not experience even the slightest harm although smallpox and typhoid fever are contagious diseases and various natural factors transfer them from place to place and at times it so happens that they ruin the entire country. In the circumstances can the event in question be treated as something usual?

3. Diversity of opinions of those who have furnished this explanation about the genus of the microbes itself weakens their proposition. At times they say that they were the germs of cholera and occasionally they assert that they were those of smallpox and typhoid fever whereas we have not yet found any authentic and reliable document concerning this dispute. Amongst the exegetes only Akramah who himself is an object of dispute amongst the scholars has considered this probable and amongst the historians Ibn Athir while quoting this probability as a weak statement has straightaway proceeded to refute it. [1]

Most strange is the explanation given by the author of 'Hayat-i Muhammad' (Dr Haikal former Egyptian Education Minister) while narrating the story of the 'People of the Elephant'. Notwithstanding the fact that the object before his eyes is the verse 'We sent against them flocks of birds' he after quoting Surah al-Fil says thus about the death of the army of Abraha: "Perhaps cholera germs came with the wind and from sea-side". Now if wind had brought the cholera germs why were the birds flying on their heads? Moreover the birds were pelting clay-stones at them; - now what part did those clay-stones play in their death? Hence we should not follow this way of thinking and unnecessarily explain the great miracles of the Prophets and great spiritual people in this manner. In principle the attitude of religion in these matters towards the physical sciences whose sphere is limited to the usual relations of natural phenomena is two fold. We should not therefore abandon our established religious principles to please a few people whose religious knowledge is insignificant and who do not possess information about matters of this type especially when we are under no obligation to do so.

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[1] Tarikh-i Kamil vol. I page 263.

TWO IMPORTANT POINTS

We would like to mention the two important points here.

1. There should be no misunderstanding about the fact that by the above remarks we do not want to correct and explain the things which people attribute to the Prophets and religious leaders by way of hearsay - things which are not supported by any authentic evidence and have usually a superstitious aspect. What we mean to say is that according to the authentic evidence which we have in hand the Prophets of Allah performed some unusual acts to prove their relationship with the supernatural world. Our aim is to defend these kinds of miracles.

2. We do not at all say that a miracle is an exception to the law of cause and effect. We fully respect this law and believe that all events of this world have causes and no phenomenon makes its appearance without a cause. However what we say is that it is not necessary that the causes of the miracles should belong to the category of usual and material causes. thence the miracles and unusual acts of the Prophets have causes which do not conform with the usual natural causes and everyone is not familiar with these mysteries.

AFTER THE DEFEAT OF ABRAHA

The tumult of the 'Year of the Elephant' Abraha's death and the destruction of the enemies of the Ka'bah and Quraysh made the Makkans and the Ka'bah very honourable in the eyes of the Arab world. Now no one could dare think of attacking Quraysh or doing them any harm or destroying the House of Allah.

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The common thinking was to this effect that: "Allah has for the sake of the honour of His House and for the honour and greatness of Quraysh made their sworn enemy roll in dust and blood. In view of this Divine decree Quraysh and the Ka'bah have become respectable in the eyes of the People". They seldom reflected that this development had taken place simply for the sake of the protection of the Ka'bah and the greatness or smallness of Quraysh had nothing to do with it.

This is proved by the fact that the enemy chiefs of that area had attacked Quraysh several times but had never been faced with such a situation.

This victory and success which was secured without any toil and without even a drop of the blood of Quraysh being shed created new thoughts in their minds and their conceit pride and heedlessness increased. They now began to believe in the limitations of others because they considered themselves to be the distinguished group among the Arabs and thought that they alone were the object of attention of three hundred and sixty idols and enjoyed their support.

From the day they became unrestrained their revelry and voluptuousness knew no bounds. They quaffed cup after cup of palm-date wine and occasionally indulged in wine-drinking in the precincts of the Ka'bah and according to their idiom 'spent the best days of their lives' in the neighbourhood of idols made of stone and wood which pertained to the Arab tribes. In these assemblies everyone who had heard any story about the Manzariyans of Hirah and the Ghassaniyans of Syria and the Yemenite tribes narrated it to others and they believed that they owed their own happy lives to the attention of idols which had humiliated ordinary Arabs as compared with them and had granted them (i. e. Quraysh) superiority over all others.

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IMAGINARY FRONTIERS OF QURAYSH

God forbid that this two-footed being (man) should one day find the horizon of life clear and may assume himself to be of an imaginary privileged class. It is on that day that he appropriates existence and life to himself and does not believe that his fellow-beings are at all entitled in the least to any life and worth.

In order to prove their greatness and superiority over others Quraysh decided on that day that they would not extend the least respect to the people of "Hil" (the area extending upto four leagues from the Ka'bah in all the four sides is called "Haram" and the area beyond that limit is called "Hil") because according to them others were dependent on their Sanctuary and had seen with their own eyes that they (Quraysh) were the object of the favours of the gods of the Ka'bah. From that time onwards Quraysh began meting our harsh treatment to others. Exercising perfect dictatorship they decided that whenever the people of "HiI" came to perform pilgrimage they should not utilize the edibles brought by them but should obtain food from the people of the "Haram". They also decided that at the time of going round the Ka'bah only the local dress of the Makkans which had a national aspect should be worn. If a person could not afford to wear that dress it was necessary for him to perform the pilgrimage without wearing any clothes. As regards some Arabs of high rank who did not agree to this arrangement it was decided that after going round the Ka'bah they should take off their clothes and throw them away and nobody was permitted to touch those clothes. As regards women however they were obliged in all circumstances to go round the Ka'bah unclad. They could cover only the sides of their heads with a piece of cloth and were required to hum some particular verses.

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After the event relating to Abraha who was himself a Christian no Jew or Christian was permitted to enter Makkah except as a hired worker of Makkan. In that case also it was obligatory upon him not to utter even a word about his faith and religion.

Things had come to such a pass that they had abandoned some of the ceremonies of Haj which were to be performed outside the sanctuary. For example they were not prepared to perform the ceremony of staying at 'Arafah (it is a place beyond the "Haram" where the Hajis are required to stay till sun-set on the 9th of the month of Zil Hijjah. [1] And this was in spite of the fact that their ancestors (the descendants of Isma'il) considered stay at 'Arafah to be a part of the ceremonies of Haj and for their entire apparent superiority Quraysh were indebted to the Ka'bah and to these very Haj ceremonies because it was on this account that the people were obliged to come to this barren place every year. But for the sanctuary no one would have been inclined to visit this place even once throughout one's life.

From the point of view of social accountability such corruption and discrimination is unavoidable. It was therefore necessary that the environment of Makkah should have been submerged in corruption and pollution so that the world should have become ready for a basic revolution and a penetrating movement.

All these privations feasting and drinking and lack of restraint were making the environment more and more ready for the appearance of a great reformer of the world and it was not without reason that when Waraqah bin Nawfal the sage of Arabia who had embraced Christianity during the last days of his life and had acquired knowledge of the contents of the Evangel spoke about Allah and the Prophets he had to face the wrath of the Firaun of Makkah in the person of Abu Sufyan who used to say "We Makkans don't stand in need of Allah or the Prophets as we enjoy the mercy and favours of our idols"

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[1] Tarikh-i Kimil by Ibn Athir vol. I page 266.

ABDULLAH - FATHER OF THE HOLY PROPHET

At the time when Abdul Muttalib purchased the life of his son by sacrificing one hundred camels in the name of Allah Abdullah was not more than twenty four years old. This event besides becoming the cause of his (Abdullah's) renown amongst the Quraysh ensured for him a great position and honour in his own family especially in the eyes of Abdul Muttalib. The reason for this was that a person loves specially that thing which proves expensive for him and for which he takes excessive pains. As such Abdullah enjoyed extraordinary respect amongst his friends and kinsfolk.

It goes without saying that when Abdullah was going with his father to the sacrificial altar he was faced with violent antithetical sentiments. The sentiment of respect for his father and appreciation of the great hardships which he had suffered for his sake controlled his entire self and for this reason he had no alternative but to submit to him. On the other hand however as the hand of destiny wished that the spring flowers of his life should wither like autumn leaves a tide of disturbance and agitation rose in his mind.

Abdul Muttalib also found himself struggling betwixt two dominant forces of 'faith' and 'attachment' and this situation had definitely created a chain of acute worries in the minds of both of them. However when the problem was solved in the manner narrated above he thought of making amends for the bitter emotions by immediately marrying Abdullah with Aminah and thus unite his life which had reached the stage of exhaustion with the most basic relationship of one's existence.

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Hence while returning from the sacrificial altar Abdul Muttalib who was still holding his son's hand in his own went straight to the house of Wahab son of Abd Manaf son of Zohrah and concluded Abdullah's marriage with Wahab's daughter Aminah who was well-knowri for her purity and modesty. In the same assembly he (Abdul Muttalib) himself married Dalalah a cousin of Aminah who gave birth to Hamzah the uncle and coeval of the Holy Prophet. [1]

The contemporary historian Abdul Wahhab (Professor of History in the University of Egypt who has written very useful notes on the history of Ibn Athir) has treated the above-mentioned development as something unusual and writes thus: "Going of Abdul Muttalib to the house of Wahab on that very day (when the sentiments of the people were at a high pitch and tears of delight were flowing down their cheeks) and that also with the object of asking for the hands of two girls - one for himself and the other for his son Abdullah - does not conform with the usual standards. The only thing suitable and becoming for them was to take rest so that both ot them could get rid of their mental fatigue and then attend to some other business. "[2]

However we believe that if the said historian had studied the matter in the manner in which we have viewed it it would have been much easier for him to confirm their action. Abdul Muttalib had appointed a time for the consummation of the marriage and according to the custom of Quraysh when that time approached the wedding ceremonies took place at the house of Aminah.

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Abdullah and Aminah remained together for some time and then Abdullah left for Syria for purposes of trade. During his return journey however he breathed his last as mentioned below in detail.

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[1] Tarikh-i Tabari vol. II page 4 and Seerah-i Halabi vol. I page 54.

[2] Tarikh-i Ibn Athir vol. II page 4 - a part of the footnote.

DEATH OF ABDULLAH IN YATHRIB

By contracting marriage Abdullah opened a new chapter in his life and his apartment was lighted up by his having had a spouse in the person of Aminah. After some time he left for Syria for trade along with a caravan which was proceeding there from Makkah. The bell for departure was rung and the caravan proceeded on its way carrying hundreds of hearts along with itself. At that time Aminah was pregnant. After a few months the van of the caravan appeared. A number of people went out of the city to receive their kinsfolk. Abdullah's old father was awaiting him and the curious eyes of his wife were also searching for him amidst the caravan but unfortunately he was not visible anywhere. Alter making inquiries they learned that while returning from Syria Abdullah had been taken ill at Yathrib and had therefore stayed there with his relatives to take rest. On hearing this Aminah became very sad and tears trickled from her eyes.

Abdul Muttalib asked his eldest son Harith to go to Yathrib and to bring Abdullah along with him. On reaching there he learned that one month after the departure of the caravan Abdullah had died owing to the same ailment. On his return Harith informed Abdul Muttalib as well as Abdullah's widow of what had happened. The property left behind by Abdullah consisted of five camels a herd of sheep arid one female slave named Umme Ayman who later nursed the Prophet.

Chapter 5

BIRTH OF THE PROPHET

The dark clouds of ignorance had completely enveloped the Arabian Peninsula. Abominable and unlawful deeds bloody campaigns wide-spread plundering and infanticide had obliterated all moral virtues and placed the Arab society in a strange dclivity. The distance between their life and death had become very short. Just at this time the morning star of prosperity made its appearance and that dark atmosphere was illuminated with the auspicious birth of the Holy Prophet. Thus the preliminary step towards the foundation of the civilization and the advancement and prosperity of a backward nation was taken. Soon the beams of this light lit up the entire world and the foundation of learning wisdom and civilization was laid.

Every chapter of the lives of great men is worthy of study and scrutiny. At times the personality of an individual becomes so great and grand that all phases of his life even his infancy and childhood are mysterious. The lives of the geniuses leaders of the society and the forerunners of the caravan of civilization are usually attractive and contain sensitive and wonderful phases. From the cradle to the grave their lives are replete with mysteries. We read about the great men that the periods of their childhood and youth are admirable and miraculous. And if we accept this proposition about the great men of the world the acceptance of something similar to that about the Prophets and saints becomes quite easy.

The Taurat and the Qur'an depict the childhood of Prophet Musa as very mysterious and say "Hundreds of innocent children were beheaded with the object so that Musa should not be born.

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However as Allah had willed that he should make his appearance in the world it so happened that not only could his enemies not harm him but Firaun his greatest enemy himself became his guardian and supporter". The Holy Qur'an says: We revealed Our Will to Musa's mother saying: Put your chld in the box arid let him be carried away by the river. The river will cast him on the bank safely and he will be taken up by an enemy of his and Mine. I lavished my love on you so that you might be reared under My watchful eye.

The sister of Musa went to the palace of Fir'aun and said Shall I bring you one who will nurse him? Then the mother of Musa was hired to nurse the child and her son was thus restored to her. (Surah Taha 20: 41 - 43).

The period of pregnancy birth and nurture of Prophet 'Isa was even en more wonderful than that of Prophet Musa. The Holy Qur'an narrates the period of growth of 'Isa in this manner:

We sent to her (i. e. Maryam) Our spirit (i. e. Archangel Jibril) in the semblance of a full-grown man. And when she saw him she said "May the Merciful defend me from you! If you fear the Lord leave me and go your way". "I am the messenger of your Lord" he replied and have come to give you a holy son". "How shall I bear a child " she answered "when I am a virgin untouched by man"? "Such is the Will of your Lord" he replied "that is no difficult thing for Him. He shall be a sign to mankind" says the Lord "and a blessing from Ourself. This is Our decree".

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Thereupon she conceived him and retired to a far-off place. And when she felt the throes of childbirth she lay down by the trunk of a palm-tree crying "Oh would that I had died and passed into oblivion! " But a voice from below cried out to her "Do not despair. Your Lord has provided a brook that runs at your feet and if you shake the trunk of this palm-tree it will drop fresh ripe dates in your lap. Therefore rejoice. Eat and drink and should you meet any mortal say to him: "I have cooled a test to the Merciful and will not speak with any man today".

Then she took the child to her people who said to her This is indeed a strange thing! Sister of Harun, your father was never a whore-monger, nor was your mother a harlot.

She made a sign to them pointing to the child but they replied "How can we speak with a babe in the cradle? "

Whereupon he spoke and said "I am the servant of Allah. He has givers me the Gospel and ordained me a Prophet...... (Surah Maryam. 19: 18 - 32)

When believers in the Qur'an and the Taurat and the followers of Prophet 'Isa confirm the above-mentioned facts connected with the birth of the two great Prophets they should not wonder at the extraordinary events which followed in the wake of the auspicious birth of the Prophet of Islam and should not treat them to be superficial. We learn from the books on history and ahadith (reports) that at the time of the birth of the Holy Prophet the walls of the palace of Khosroes split and some of its turrets collapsed. The fire of the fire-temple of Persia extinguished. The lake of Sawah became dry. The idols in the temple of Makkah were turned upside down. A light ascended from the Holy Prophet's body towards heaven and illuminated a distance of many leagues along its path. Anushirwan and the Zoroastrian priests dreamt very horrible dreams. When the Holy Prophet was born he was already circumcised and his navel too had been cut. On coming into the world he said "Allah is Great and all praise is due to Him and He is to be praised day and night"

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All these details are given in authentic historical documents and in the collections of ahadith[1] and keeping in view the facts regarding Prophet Musa and Prophet 'Isa which have been mentioned above there is no justification for hesitation in the acceptance of these events.

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[1] Tarikh-i Ya'qubi vol. II page 5; Biharul Anwar vol. XV chapter 3 pp. 231 - 248 and Seerah-i Halabi vol. I page 64.

YEAR MONTH AND DATE OF BIRTH OF THE PROPHET OF ISLAM

The writers of "Seerah" (biographies of the Prophet) generally agree that the Prophet of Islam was born in the "Year of the Elephant" in 570 A. D. As it is definite that he breathed his last in 632 A. D. when he was 62-63 years old the year of his birth must have been 570 A. D.

Almost all the traditionalists and historians are unanimous that the Prophet was born in the month of Rabi'ul Awwal but they differ about the date of his birth. It is well-known among the Sh'iah traditionalists that he was born after sunrise on Friday the 17th of Rabi'ul Awwal whereas it is believed by the Sunni scholars that his birth took place on the 12th of that month on Monday. [1]

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[1] Miqrizi has collected all the statements with regard to the day month and year of the birth of the Prophet in al-Amta' (page 3).

WHICH OF THE TWO VERSIONS IS CORRECT?

It is a matter of great regret that authentic information about the dates of birth and death of the Prophet of Islam and in fact about most of the religious leaders is not available with the Muslims and on account of this ambiguity most of the celebrations of their birthdays and death anniversaries do not take place on days which should be definite from historical viewpoint. Aithough the Muslins scholars have recorded various events of lslamic history in a very systematic manner it is not known as to why the dates of birth and death of most of the religious leaders have not been recorded after due scrutiny.

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However this problem is solvable to some extent. In this connection let us take an example. If you wish to write the biography of a scholar belonging to a particular city and supposing that this scholar has left a number of children and other relatives behind him would you like to enquire about the details of his life from strangers or from his friends and acquaintances in spite ot there being present his children and other members of his family who naturally possess detailed and exact knowledge about the particulars of his life? It is definite that your conscience will not permit you to do so.

The Holy Prophet departed from amongst the people and left behind himself his family and children. These relatives of the Holy Prophet say If the Messenger of Allah is our revered father and we have been brought up in his house and under his patronage, we say that the head of our family came into this world on such and such

date and departed from it on such and such date.

In the circumstances is it permissible for us to ignore the statement of his children and rely on the version of other people?

CEREMONY OF GIVING A NAME TO THE PROPHET OF ISLAM

The seventh day approached. A sheep was slaughtered by Abdul Muttalib as an expression of gratitude to Allah and a number of persons were invited to the feast. In that magnificent celebration which was attended by most of the Quraysh he gave his grandchild the name "Muhammad". When it was enquired from him as to why he had named his child "Muhammad" while this name was very rare amongst the Arabs he replied "I wished that he should be praised in the heavens as well us on earth". Hassan bin Thabit says thus in this regard:

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"The Creator derived the name of His Prophet from His own name. As such whereas Allah is "Mahmud" (laudable) his Prophet is 'Muhammad' (praiseworthy). Both the words have been derived from the same root and carry the same meaning". [1]

It is certain that occult inspiration had a part to play in the selection of this name because although the name 'Muhammad' was well-known amongst the Arabs very few persons had till then been given this name. According to the exact statistics which some of the historians have collected only sixteen persons had been given this name before the Holy Prophet. [2]

It goes without saying that the lesser a word is used the lesser is the chance of any misunderstanding about it. As the Heavenly Books had predicted the advent of Islam and the name the particulars the spiritual and corporeal signs of the Prophet it was necessary that his signs should have been so evident that the question of any mistake should not have arisen. One of those signs was the name of the Holy Prophet and it was essential that it should be borne by so few persons that no doubt should be left about his identification especially when his qualities and signs were appended to it. In this way the person whose appearance had been predicted by the Taurat and the Injeel could be easily identified.

The Holy Qur'an mentions two names of the Prophet. [3]

In the 138th 2nd 29th and 40th verses respectively of the Surah Ale Imran Muhammad al-Fath and al-Ahzab he has been called 'Muhammad' and in Surah al-Saff he has been called 'Ahmad'. The reason for this difference is that as mentioned in history the Holy Prophet's mother had named him 'Ahmad' before his grandfather gave him the name 'Muhammad'. [4]

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[1] Seerah-i Halabi vol. I page 93.

[2] Mudrak Pesh vol. I page 97.

[3] As regards the words 'Taha' and 'Yasin' some scholars believe that they are the 'moqatta' Ietters of the Holy Qur'an and not the names of the Prophet.

[4] Seerah-i Halabi vol. I page 93.

THE INFANCY OF THE PROPHET

The Prophet was suckled by his mother for three days only. Thereafter two other women had the honour of being his foster-mothers.

1. Suwaybah: She was a female slave of Abu Lahab. She nursed the Prophet for four months and remained the object of appreciation by the Prophet himself as well as of his virtuous wife (Khadijah) throughout her life. Earlier she had also nursed Hamzah uncle of the Prophet. After his appointment to the prophetic mission the Prophet intended to purchase her and sent someone to Abu Lahab to arrange the transaction but he refused to sell her. However she received assistance from the Prophet throughout her life. When the Prophet returned from the battle of Khaybar he came to know about her death and signs of grief appeared in his face. He made enquires about her son so that he might do some good to him but was informed that he had died earlier than his mother.

2. Halimah: She was the daughter of Abi Zuwayb and belonged to the tribe of Said bin Bakr bin Hawazan. She had three children named Abdullah Anisah and Shima'. The last of them also attended upon the Prophet. It was customary with the noble families amongst the Arabs that they entrusted their children to wet nurses.

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The nurses usually lived at places beyond the city so that the children could be brought up in fresh desert air and might grow up strong and healthy. Incidentally while staying in the desert the children remained immune from the contagious diseases of the city of Makkah which were more dangerous for the new-born babies and they also learnt the Arabic language in an untempered region. The nurses who belonged to the tribe of Bani Sa'd were famous in this area. They visited Makkah at a particular time of the year and every one of them took a new-born baby along with her. When four months had passed since the birth of the Prophet the nurses of the Bani Sa'd tribe visited Makkah. That year they were in the grip of a severe famine and were therefore in great need of help from the noble families.

The new-born baby of Quraysh did not suck the breast of any wet-nurse. Eventually Halimah came and the child sucked her breast. At this moment the family of Abdul Muttalib became very jubilant. [1]

Abdul Muttalib turned to Halimah and said "To which tribe do you belong? " She replied that she belonged to the tribe of Bani Said Then he enquired about her name and she told him that it was Halimah. Abdul Muttalib was very much pleased to learn her own name and that of her tribe and said "Very good! Very good! Two good habits and two decent qualities. One of them is happiness and prosperity and the other is meekness and forbearance". [2]

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[1] Biharul Anwar vol. XV page 442.

[2] Seerah-i Halabi vol. I page 106.

Chapter 6

CHILDHOOD OF THE PROPHET

History tells us that the life of the Prophet the noble guide of the Muslims was replete with a chain of wonderful events from his very childhood upto the time when he was entrusted with the prophetic mission and all these events had an aspect of greatness. On the whole these events testify that the life of the Prophet was not a usual one.

As regards the explanation of these events the writers are divided into two groups the materialists and a number of orientalists.

1. The materialist scholars who look at the world from the material point of view and consider the organisation of existence as confined within the four walls of matter and believe that. all the phenomena are material and dependent upon physical causes do not attach any importance to these events and even though they may be supported by a very strong authority they do not pay any heed to them. The reason for such an attitude on their part is that according to the principles of materialism the occurrence of such events is impossible. As and when therefore they observe such happenings recorded in history they adjudge them to be the offspring of the imagination love and devotion of the followers of the particular religion.

2. There is also a group of the orientalists who apparently present themselves to be theists and godly persons and express belief in the supernatural but on account of weakness of their faith their pride about their knowledge and predominance of materialism over their thoughts while analysing events follow the principles of materialism. We frequently come across this sentence in their discourses "Prophethood is the state of being a human genius. A Prophet is a social genius who illuminates the path of life of human beings with his brilliant ideas etc.... " Discourses of this type originate from a sense of materialistic thinking which considers all religions to be the outcome of human reflection although the doctrinal scholars have proved while discussing 'general prophethood' that prophethood is a divine gift which is the source of spiritual inspirations and connections and unless there is a diffusion from the side of the Almighty not the slightest benefit can be derived by this side (i. e. by the Prophets). However as the Christian orientalist looks at these matters from the materialistic point of view and wishes to measure all events in accordance with the scientific principles which have been discovered through tests and expert meets he subjects to criticism all those events which have a supernatural aspect and denies their genuineness.

WORSHIPPERS OF ALLAH

These are the people who believe that the properties and structure of the material world are under the management of another world and another power (the world of solitude and metaphysics) is responsible for the order of the physical world. In other words the material world is not free and independent and all its fixed rules and natural and scientific laws are inspired by another world viz. the Will of the Creator which surrounds all things that exist. It is He who has created matter and enforced sound laws amongst its ingredients and erected it on the basis of a chain of natural and scientific principles.

Along with believing in the scientific laws and whole heartedly accepting the statements of scholars about the connections of physical beings upto the extent to which they have been substantiated by science the people belonging to this group also believe that these scientific rules and principles and the wonderful system of the material world are connected with another organization all parts of which revolve according to the Will of that High Being. Furthermore they do not consider these scientific laws to be permanent and unalterable and believe that watchful Power can change them at any time it likes in order to achieve some special object. It is competent to do so and (not only competent but) has actually done this many times for such aims and objects as it has had in view.

They say that supernatural and surprising acts of the Prophets which do not accord with the natural laws have been performed through this channel. These people do not permit themselves unduly to reject or doubt what they come across in the Holy Qur'an and in the Hadith as well as in authentic and reliable history hooks merely on the ground that it does not conform With the standards of nature and scientific laws. Now we mention two events from the mysterious and wonderful life history of the Holy Prophet relating to his childhood and when this narrative is kept in view no room is left for any improbability or doubt about them.

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1. The historians have quoted Halimah as saying: "When I assumed responsibility for bringing up the new-born child of Aminah I decided to feed the infant with my milk in the same assembly and in the presence of his mother. So I put into his mouth my left breast which contained milk but the child was more inclined to my right breast. However I did not have anv milk in my right breast since I had given birth to my first-born. The insistence of the child made me put my milkless right breast in his mouth and as soon as he began sucking it its dry mammary glands were filled with milk and this incident made all those present wonder. [1]

2. She also says "From the day I took Muhammad to my house I became all the more prosperous and my wealth and herd increased". [2]

Undoubtedly in these matters the judgement of materialists and their followers differs from that of the persons who worship Allah although none of them has observed these events and the only evidence for them is the statement of the nurse of the Holy Prophet. As those who follow materialistic principles cannot explain such incidents through natural sciences they immediately say that these events are the creation of imagination. If they are very much respectful they say that the Prophet of Islam did not stand in need of such miracles. There is no doubt about the fact that the Prophet did not stand in need of these miracles but not standing in need of something is a matter totally different from a judgement on its being true or false. However a godly person who considers the organism of nature to be conquered and subdued by the Will of the Creator of the world and believes that the entire Universe including the smallest being (viz. atom) and the biggest phenomenon (viz. the Milky Way) rotates according to His plan and control. After studying these events and their supporting evidence he looks at all these events with due respect and even if he is not satisfied he does not reject them outright.

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We come across a similiar event in the Holy Qur'an regarding Maryam (mother of Prophet 'Isa) about whom it has been said: When the time for Maryam being delivered of the child drew near she lay down by the trunk of a palm-tree and (on account of throes of childbirth loneliness and fear of accusations) she wished to Allah that she might die. At this moment she heard a voice saying Do not despair. Your Lord has provided a brook that runs at your feet and if you shake the trunk of this (withered up) palm tree, it will drop fresh ripe dates in your lap. (Surah Maryam, 19: 24 - 25).

Although there is a great difference between Maryam and Halimah from the point of view of their respective positions and virtues, but a similar difference also exists between the two new-born babes. And if the personal merit and excellence of Maryam made her an object of Divine blessings it is also possible that the position and rank which this infant (i. e. Muhammad) was to acquire later might have made his nurse worthy of Allah's bounties.

We also learn something more about Maryam from the Holy Qur'an Her chastity and piety had elevated her so much that whenever Zakariyah visited her place of worship, he found heavenly food there, and when he asked her from where that food had come, she used to say that it had come from Allah. (Surah Ale Imran, 3: 32)

On this basis we should not doubt the correctness of such miracles or consider them to be impossible.

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[1] Biharul Anwar vol. XV page 345 quoted from Fazatil-i Waqidi.

[2] Manaqib-i Ibn Shehr Ashob vol. I page 24.

FIVE YEARS IN THE DESERT

The Holy Prophet spent five years amongst Bani Sa'd tribe and was sufficiently grown up. During this period Halimah took him to his mother twice or thrice and eventually made him over to her.

The first time that Halimah took him to his mother was when his suckling period was over. She however insisted on her giving him back to her. The reason for her insistence was that this child had become a source of bounties and blessings for her and the reason why his mother acceded to her request was that cholera had broken out in Makkah at that time.

The second time that she took him to l\lakkah was when a group of Ethiopian clergymen came to the Hijaz and saw Muhammad amidst the tribe of Bani Sa'd. They observed that all the signs of the Prophet who was to come after Prophet 'Isa as given in the Heavenly Books were found in this child. They therefore decided to take hold of him in whatever manner it might be possible and to take him to Ethiopia so that the honour of having the Prophet might fall to the share of that country. [1]

This is not at all unlikely because as clearly mentioned in the Holy Qur'an the signs of the Prophet of Islam had been narrated in the Injeel. It was therefore perfectly in order that the sages of that time should have identified the person in whom those signs were present. The Holy Qur'an says in this regard:

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And of 'Isa who said to the Israelites: "I have been sent to you by Allah to confirm the Taurat already revealed and to give news of an apostle who will come after me. His name is Ahmad". Yet when he (the Prophet about whom 'Isa had foretold) came to them with all the signs and proofs to support his truthfulness) they said: "This is plain magic ''. (Surah al-Saff 61 6).

There are other verses also which show that the signs of the Prophet of Islam were clearly described in the Heavenly Books and the earlier peoples were aware of them. [2]

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[1] Seerah-i Ibn Hisham vol. I page 167.

[2] Vide Surah al-A'raf 7: 157.