THE LIFE OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD (P.B.U.H)
Conditions of Arabia before the birth of the Prophet:
Religious Conditions:
Great religions of the world had spread the light of faith,
morality and learning in the ages past, but everyone of these had been rendered
a disgrace to its name by the sixth century of the Christian era. Crafty
innovators, unscrupulous dissemblers and impious priests and preachers had,
with the passage of time, so completely distorted the scriptures (1) and
disfigured the teachings and commandments of their own religions that it was
almost impossible to recall their original shape and content. Had the founder
or the prophet of any one of them returned to earth, he would unquestionably
have refused his own religion and denounced its followers as apostates and
idolaters.
It had not even remained firmly wedded to its belief in the unity
of God (which had once been its distinguishing feature and had raised its
adherents to a level higher than that of the followers of ancient polytheistic
cults), as commended by the Prophet Abraham to his sons and grandson Jacob
peace be upon him. The Jews had, under the influence of their powerful
neighbors and conquerors, adopted numerous idolatrous beliefs and practices as
acknowledged by modern Jewish authorities:
The thundering of the Prophets against idolatry show, however,
that the cults of the deities were deeply rooted in the heart of the Israelites
people, and they do not appear to have been thoroughly suppressed until after
the return from the Babylonian exile.
Social & Moral Conditions:
This was the plight of the great religions sent by God, from time to time, for the guidance of humanity. In the civilized countries, there were powerful governments and great centers of arts and culture and learning but their religions had been garbled so completely that nothing of their original spirit and content was left in them. Nor were there any reformers or divinely inspired guides of humanity to be found anywhere.
Need Of A New Prophet:
The old world was completely disarranged by the middle of the
sixth century and man had fallen to such a depth of depravity that no reformer,
revivalist or religious preacher could have hoped to put a new life in the
humanity worn to its bones.
Source: http://www.pbuh.us
