exchange of thoughts and ideas. Two great empires, Sasanid and Byzantine, on either side of
the Arabian Peninsula, governed the history of the world. Both were large, rich and power-
ful, and both fought each other constantly; yet, Arabia jealously guarded her independence
and never allowed either of the two powers to lay its hands on it, barring a few territories
lying on its frontiers. Excepting a few peripheral tribes, the Arab of the desert was extremely
sensitive to his regal dignity and untrammeled freedom, and he never allowed any despot to
hold him in bondage. Such a country, unimpeded by political and social constraints, was
ideally suited to become the nucleus of a Universal message preaching human equality,
liberty and dignity.
For all these reasons God had selected Arabia, and the city of Makkah within it, for the
advent of the Prophet (r) to whom divine Scripture was to be sent for the last time to pave
the way for proclamation of peace throughout the length and breadth of the world from age
to age.
"Allah knoweth best with whom to place His message." [Qur'aan 6:125]Yet, in no part of the Peninsula was there any indication of an awakening or a vexation of
spirit showing the sign of life left in the Arabs. There were scarcely a few Hanif, who could
be counted on one's fingers, feeling their way towards monotheism but they were no more
than the glowworms in a dark and chilly rainy night incapable of showing the path of righ-
teousness to anybody or providing warmth to one being frozen to death.
This was an era of darkness and depression in the history of Arabia—a period of darkest
gloom when the country had reached the rock-bottom of its putrefied decadence, leaving
no hope of any reform or improvement. The shape of things in Arabia presented a task far
more formidable and baffling than ever faced by any Messenger of God.
Sir William Muir, a biographer of the Prophet (r), who is ever willing to find fault with the
Prophet (r) and cast derision upon him, has vividly depicted the state of affairs in Arabia
before the birth of Muhammed which discredits the view held by certain European oriental-
ists that Arabia was fermenting for a change and looking forward to a man of genius who
could respond to it better than any other. Says Sir William Muir:
"During the youth of Mahomet, this aspect of the Peninsula was strongly conservative;
perhaps it was never at any period more hopeless."Reviewing the feeble stir created by Christianity and Judaism in the dark and deep ocean
of Arabian paganism, Sir William Muir remarks;
"In fine, viewed thus in a religious aspect the surface of Arabia had been now and then
gently rippled by the feeble efforts of Christianity; the sterner influence of Judaism had been
occasionally visible in the deeper and more troubled currents; but the tide of indigenous