Abdul Awal :
Great historians of Islam bear witness to three great events which took place’ at time of the Greatest Prophet’s birth in the world : the idols of house of the Ka’ba broke, the fire of the Fars fire-temple was extinguished and the Arch of Kasra cracked. These incidents, despite their supernatural and the fact that they are indicative of the relation between this honoured child and Allah’s created world, foretold of a great social event in the history of mankind which was caused by the birth of this noble Messenger of Allah.
As we know, idols and idolatry are manifestations of the thoughts and culture of human. The breaking of the idols was meant to change this culture and thought to a culture in which man is freed from servitude of all except Allah and submits to Allah Who is the Creator of nature and all of existence. The destruction of the idols meant the transformation of a human culture to a culture within which the Divine talents of man could blossom.
The fire of the Fars fire-temple was a manifestation of the distortion of religion; a religion which should have been the spirit and inciter of society towards great gnostic, philosophical, cultural and social creativities, but was not. Religion was superficial in the world of those days and of promoting man’s existence and personality, was used as an instrument in the hands of the hegemonising powers to justify their oppressive domination.
Isn’t it true that throughout the history of mankind, Caesar and other Roman emperors were called the ‘sons of God’ in attempts to justify these distorted religions, and that Kasra of Iran was entitled ‘Divine glory’ so that they would be able to enforce their oppression without any protests, the kings and emperors the manifestations of imaginary class privileges who dominated the society? The Arch of Kasra also signified the oppression the kings and dominating powers and was a military, political and economic power base which weighed heavy upon the shoulders of the deprived.
By the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (SM) the idols of the idol-house of the Ka’ba fell down and the fire of the Fars fire-temple was extinguished, and the Arch of Kasra collapsed. Humanity was faced with a great change; a change under the shadow of which the slaves and servants of materialism and nature submitted to the Will of Allah, Who, in Islamic ideology, is Absolute Justice, Absolute Knowledge,’ the Absolute. Creator, Power, Beatuty, and Perfection : Such a change is not a minor thing.
With the birth of the Prophet (SM) the world witnessed a great transformation within which religion, instead of being a tool in the hands of the pleasure seeking oppressors, became an instrument for the spiritual and materialistic evolution of society. Also at that time, the Arch of Kasra collapsed in order to show that in the future, and by the blessings of the religion of the Prophet, (SM) social affairs would be directed by pious and virtuous people instead of by the hegemonising oppressors.
Not long after, the secret determined on the night of the Prophet’s birth turned into the reality of history. Following the appointment of the Prophet (SM) the nucleus of that united society was formed in the small city of Yathrib, which later called Madinatunnabi and became the base of a modern human-making civilisation. Piety and virtue ruled that city instead of barbarism and tribal disputes. From the ignorant and barbaric Arabs, men were created and trained, who, even today, are considered as models of humanity and lofty examples of the personality of Allah-seeking men and women.
In Madina following the demise of the Prophet, (SM) this transformation was manifested within the soul of an ignorant man who, by the blessings of Islam, was greatly transformed in his mind and deeds, and was called Rabi-ibn-Arnir. He was present in the gaudy place of the representative superpower of the time, Rostam Farrokhzad, a representative of Iran’s king who, by relying upon his humanistic and Islamic faith and not attracted by the apparent gaudiness and luxury of the palace.
He entered the palace astride his horse and decisively responded to Rostam’s question when “What for have you come here?” by saying ‘Allah has created us … to free us from the servitude of His servants and guide us towards His worship and greatness; from the narrowness of this world and lead us towards justice from the oppression of religions.
“Isn’t this great change a miracle? An Arab whose great pride was once to be favoured by the puppet representative of Iran’s ruler, within less than half-a-century declares his global message, which is founded on three principles, the secret of which is manifested in three incidents occurred on the night of the Prophet’s birth. He came to free Allah’s servants from the servitude of men and invited them to serve and worship the Most Powerful Creator Allah. “He came to save man from the pressures of the world caused by oppression and the excessive, pleasure seeking nature of the servants of God, to open new gates for him, grant all existing facilities for the growth of man’s inherent talents, save human society from the oppression of religions which called blood-devouring kings the sons of God; and brought Divine glory and Islamic justice.
“An interesting point is that when Rostam asked for reprieve he was told: I give you only three days’. Then Rostam asked, ‘Are you the commander?’ Ibn-Amir replied, “No. I am an ordinary person, Muslims are all equal and brothers, and there is no difference among them. If one of them spares time for one person the others will remain loyal to his promise.’ This means that a man who previously would have been engaged in a war with other tribes for one date, one sheep or minor wealth, wars, which usually lasted many years, now comes and says that under the banner of Islam we have reached to such point that the most ordinary among us can play the same role as the most prominent personality of the world of Islam. The secret of this unity and solidarity is found in the message which the Prophet (SM) brought to humanity. This message was founded on these few principles :
1. Monotheism in the face of infidelity and paganism, meaning that one Power, Who is the Creator rules over the world; a Power Who rules on the basis of wisdom, justice and knowledge.
A united system exists in this world. This ideology, in itself, is the source of great change within human beings.
2. Existence, and even the extent of man’s existence, is greater than the narrow framework of materialistic nature. Man is greater than nature and his life is not limited to this world’ rather after this life, he will continue’ his eternal life in another stage.
3. Man enjoys natural generosity. All human beings possess a divine spirit which Allah has infused within this creature by the blessings of which all creatures of the world even superior creatures, bow down and honour him.
4. This message is not intended for one class, one group or one face rather to man’s nature.
It is on this basis that the strong and eternal foundation of unity is built and a united ummah is created. An Ummah in which all individuals have one motive and one goal and the society, whose members have one motivation and one goal, is united. Like strong steel, the motivation of everyone’s actions and behaviour is Allah’s satisfaction and the goal of all is also satisfaction of Allah and reaching Him : ‘Surely we are Allah’s and to Him we shall surely return.’
What is the duty of Muslims in such a system with such motivation and goals?
Certainly we sent our Apostles with clear arguments, and sent to them the Book and the balance that men may conduct themselves with equity’.
All Prophets, all Messengers, all Books and all invitations are sent so that ‘men may conduct themselves with equity’. This shows the creative ability and decision making nature of man. It does not say that the Prophet (SM) came to force people to be just and equitable.
It says that the Prophets have come to offer intellectual growth to the people. The subject of the uprising is the people themselves’ an aware people who are able to choose. It was on this basis that the united Islamic Ummah and society was established.
These principles are still alive and await our unification around them. The responsibility and duty of human beings is to establish justice and fight against all oppressive elements which prevent man’s growth and evolution and utilise the facilities which should be for all.
Great historians of Islam bear witness to three great events which took place’ at time of the Greatest Prophet’s birth in the world : the idols of house of the Ka’ba broke, the fire of the Fars fire-temple was extinguished and the Arch of Kasra cracked. These incidents, despite their supernatural and the fact that they are indicative of the relation between this honoured child and Allah’s created world, foretold of a great social event in the history of mankind which was caused by the birth of this noble Messenger of Allah.
As we know, idols and idolatry are manifestations of the thoughts and culture of human. The breaking of the idols was meant to change this culture and thought to a culture in which man is freed from servitude of all except Allah and submits to Allah Who is the Creator of nature and all of existence. The destruction of the idols meant the transformation of a human culture to a culture within which the Divine talents of man could blossom.
The fire of the Fars fire-temple was a manifestation of the distortion of religion; a religion which should have been the spirit and inciter of society towards great gnostic, philosophical, cultural and social creativities, but was not. Religion was superficial in the world of those days and of promoting man’s existence and personality, was used as an instrument in the hands of the hegemonising powers to justify their oppressive domination.
Isn’t it true that throughout the history of mankind, Caesar and other Roman emperors were called the ‘sons of God’ in attempts to justify these distorted religions, and that Kasra of Iran was entitled ‘Divine glory’ so that they would be able to enforce their oppression without any protests, the kings and emperors the manifestations of imaginary class privileges who dominated the society? The Arch of Kasra also signified the oppression the kings and dominating powers and was a military, political and economic power base which weighed heavy upon the shoulders of the deprived.
By the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (SM) the idols of the idol-house of the Ka’ba fell down and the fire of the Fars fire-temple was extinguished, and the Arch of Kasra collapsed. Humanity was faced with a great change; a change under the shadow of which the slaves and servants of materialism and nature submitted to the Will of Allah, Who, in Islamic ideology, is Absolute Justice, Absolute Knowledge,’ the Absolute. Creator, Power, Beatuty, and Perfection : Such a change is not a minor thing.
With the birth of the Prophet (SM) the world witnessed a great transformation within which religion, instead of being a tool in the hands of the pleasure seeking oppressors, became an instrument for the spiritual and materialistic evolution of society. Also at that time, the Arch of Kasra collapsed in order to show that in the future, and by the blessings of the religion of the Prophet, (SM) social affairs would be directed by pious and virtuous people instead of by the hegemonising oppressors.
Not long after, the secret determined on the night of the Prophet’s birth turned into the reality of history. Following the appointment of the Prophet (SM) the nucleus of that united society was formed in the small city of Yathrib, which later called Madinatunnabi and became the base of a modern human-making civilisation. Piety and virtue ruled that city instead of barbarism and tribal disputes. From the ignorant and barbaric Arabs, men were created and trained, who, even today, are considered as models of humanity and lofty examples of the personality of Allah-seeking men and women.
In Madina following the demise of the Prophet, (SM) this transformation was manifested within the soul of an ignorant man who, by the blessings of Islam, was greatly transformed in his mind and deeds, and was called Rabi-ibn-Arnir. He was present in the gaudy place of the representative superpower of the time, Rostam Farrokhzad, a representative of Iran’s king who, by relying upon his humanistic and Islamic faith and not attracted by the apparent gaudiness and luxury of the palace.
He entered the palace astride his horse and decisively responded to Rostam’s question when “What for have you come here?” by saying ‘Allah has created us … to free us from the servitude of His servants and guide us towards His worship and greatness; from the narrowness of this world and lead us towards justice from the oppression of religions.
“Isn’t this great change a miracle? An Arab whose great pride was once to be favoured by the puppet representative of Iran’s ruler, within less than half-a-century declares his global message, which is founded on three principles, the secret of which is manifested in three incidents occurred on the night of the Prophet’s birth. He came to free Allah’s servants from the servitude of men and invited them to serve and worship the Most Powerful Creator Allah. “He came to save man from the pressures of the world caused by oppression and the excessive, pleasure seeking nature of the servants of God, to open new gates for him, grant all existing facilities for the growth of man’s inherent talents, save human society from the oppression of religions which called blood-devouring kings the sons of God; and brought Divine glory and Islamic justice.
“An interesting point is that when Rostam asked for reprieve he was told: I give you only three days’. Then Rostam asked, ‘Are you the commander?’ Ibn-Amir replied, “No. I am an ordinary person, Muslims are all equal and brothers, and there is no difference among them. If one of them spares time for one person the others will remain loyal to his promise.’ This means that a man who previously would have been engaged in a war with other tribes for one date, one sheep or minor wealth, wars, which usually lasted many years, now comes and says that under the banner of Islam we have reached to such point that the most ordinary among us can play the same role as the most prominent personality of the world of Islam. The secret of this unity and solidarity is found in the message which the Prophet (SM) brought to humanity. This message was founded on these few principles :
1. Monotheism in the face of infidelity and paganism, meaning that one Power, Who is the Creator rules over the world; a Power Who rules on the basis of wisdom, justice and knowledge.
A united system exists in this world. This ideology, in itself, is the source of great change within human beings.
2. Existence, and even the extent of man’s existence, is greater than the narrow framework of materialistic nature. Man is greater than nature and his life is not limited to this world’ rather after this life, he will continue’ his eternal life in another stage.
3. Man enjoys natural generosity. All human beings possess a divine spirit which Allah has infused within this creature by the blessings of which all creatures of the world even superior creatures, bow down and honour him.
4. This message is not intended for one class, one group or one face rather to man’s nature.
It is on this basis that the strong and eternal foundation of unity is built and a united ummah is created. An Ummah in which all individuals have one motive and one goal and the society, whose members have one motivation and one goal, is united. Like strong steel, the motivation of everyone’s actions and behaviour is Allah’s satisfaction and the goal of all is also satisfaction of Allah and reaching Him : ‘Surely we are Allah’s and to Him we shall surely return.’
What is the duty of Muslims in such a system with such motivation and goals?
Certainly we sent our Apostles with clear arguments, and sent to them the Book and the balance that men may conduct themselves with equity’.
All Prophets, all Messengers, all Books and all invitations are sent so that ‘men may conduct themselves with equity’. This shows the creative ability and decision making nature of man. It does not say that the Prophet (SM) came to force people to be just and equitable.
It says that the Prophets have come to offer intellectual growth to the people. The subject of the uprising is the people themselves’ an aware people who are able to choose. It was on this basis that the united Islamic Ummah and society was established.
These principles are still alive and await our unification around them. The responsibility and duty of human beings is to establish justice and fight against all oppressive elements which prevent man’s growth and evolution and utilise the facilities which should be for all.
