With the emergence of the Messenger in a society which was deep in violence and corruption, on the one hand, there were the sincerest hearts smoldering with strong faith and on the other hand there were hearts filled with hatred and bias. In other words, those who were chained in slavery and underwent back-breaking labors protested against their masters. No master likes such protests. The slaves were in collision course with their masters by having embraced the new religion which could satisfy their spiritual desire. With the mercy and compassion of this religion, the lumps in the slaves’ throat which were formed through the years erupted like a volcano. Under the severe lashing of their masters, the slaves resisted boldly. Of course, this religion neither treated them as inferiors nor did it have a bias about their race, color or gender. This new faith was rather beyond all that. It welcomed people of any races, colors and gender with open arm. It was moving against the tribal structure of the stereotypical minds of those people.
The simple life of the Messenger among the rich businessmen of Arab Peninsula was astonishing. An uneducated Messenger who grew up in the heart of desert and lacked property, now claimed to rescue the elites and the rich from their dominant inner evil ways! He decided to bring fundamental changes in the cultural structure of this traditional society. Furthermore, he talked about breaking the power of the two prevailing super-powers, Rome and Iran. How surprising! One, who could barely protect himself in such a perilous state, was speaking about impossible matters. Yes, his speech originated in oracles and divine sources. He talked with serious tone and strong confidence. Of course, he would do what he said.
Even though, he had not studied in any school, his fascinating talk captured the minds and hearts of the listeners. His words quenched the strong spiritual thirsts of the truth seekers. Even his enemies, who attended his talks with the intention of insulting, were ultimately convinced by words and joined him.
The new believers who embraced the religion had a strong faith and turned stubbornly against the tortures of the pagans. What a chemical change! With this great faith, they have been changed overnight from lax and feckless slaves into strong religious believers. Their admirable piety was showed through their resistance against the cruelties of the non-believers.
Those who were used to controlling the bodies of the slaves and the poor were furious with the sudden revolution. Their fruitless hostility and futile effort to prevent them from joining the new religion compounded their ire. The masters were suffering from mental pressures for their power mired in collapse – the fact that they had never dreamt of. This religion seriously jeopardized their social position.
The rich who were the rulers for many years had tried to extinguish the sparkles of the revolution by hook or by crook. Therefore, they did not only turn deaf ears to the religious preach of the Messenger but also answered him with stones and foul languages. They taunted and tortured the Messenger and his followers. A serious conflict broke out between slaves and masters, the poor and the rich and the oppressors and the oppressed. The slaves either had to be killed or give up their belief. Ultimately, they started taking refuge in neighboring countries to avoid death. The pagan folk of Makah assaulted the Messenger’s house on a dark night so as to murder him, but did not find him in his bed. Their plot failed and the Prophet had already left for Medina, a city close to Makah.
The Prophet had to humanize the barbaric society of Arab Peninsula. He had a sacred mission to end cruelties, violence and bloodshed. He wanted to bring changes in their tribal stereotypes and violent mentality. He had to preach the equality of the rights for all humankind, irrespective of being slaves or masters, poor or rich, male or female, of high social rank or of no position at all.
The Prophet said that women were the same as men and they had to be held in respect. It seemed very ridiculous in a society where women were treated as total inferior creatures. The fathers whose faces turned black with anger with the news of daughters’ birth in their homes and practiced burying them alive, had to value them from then onwards! But they were used to killing them. Now, they had to change their frames of minds and think differently.
Humans had a great value in his way of thinking. Indeed, his religion paid the utmost importance to human beings. According to him, humans were too honorable to be insulted, tortured or killed. Man was a sacred creature with high social position. In this religion those who trampled upon the rights of others deserved punishment. Yes, everybody is equal in the eyes of Islam.
What about today? It is a big tragedy that his followers are deviating from the right path. In other words, the old symptoms of the dark age of that barbaric society are still seen in our society. The high ranking officials deem themselves superior and commit crime with impunity, the powerful oppress the poor who lack protection, women are again treated as inferior and tortured, their rights are violated and blood is shed without a tinge of guilt. Moral standards and religious laws have eroded. The Prophet’s sunnahs and his religious shariahs have been turned upside down. Crime and corruption are prevailing in our society. Undoubtedly, the vacuum of the Prophet’s absence is felt greatly across all societies. We need the Prophet, Muhammad (PBUH), to revive the Islamic laws and moral codes in this society, urgently.