THE WORLD’S SITUATION IN ANTIQUITY AND ITS REFORMATION BY ISLAM

Yusuff Ademola A

The world was seriously submerged in a state of debasement before the advent of Islam. In fact, the history of the world before Islam is lamentable. The messages and guidance brought by the earlier prophets and messengers, before Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be Upon Him), were distorted and ignored. As time went by, civilization flourished and declined, and humanity slumped into an age of darkness. There were disbelief, corruption, oppression and injustice everywhere, and the darkness of falsehood engulfed the world. As a matter of fact, the whole world in the period before Islam perhaps presented the gloomiest picture ever of human society.

If we were to scrutinize the situation of the world before Islam in the light of religiosity and salvation, we would find that the world closely resembles a drunkard whose periods of drunkenness exceed his sobriety or a sick man who is in a state of delirium and unaware of what he utters. Hence, Islam termed the chaotic state of affairs before Muhammad’s era as ‘Jahiliyah’ meaning ‘The Period of Ignorance’.

This article aims at analysing the world’s situation before the advent of Islam and highlighting some major changes brought by Islam to reform it.

The World’s Situation before the Advent of Islam

The world, prior to the advent of Islam, was engulfed in oppression and corruption. This could be attributed to a number of salient features of that time which include: disbelief, deviation and breach of divine messages brought by the past prophets; and spread of vices such as injustice, alcoholism, gambling, adultery and all forms of immoralities.

The Arabs, among whom Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was raised, were fragmentized into various tribes. Hence tribal rivalry was at its peak in the region. They ignored and replaced the monotheistic religion taught by Prophets Abraham and Ishmael with worship of idols and other natural phenomena such as the sun, the moon and stars. The society was completely patriarchal. There was no status and position given to women other than being conceived as sex objects, and there was no limit to the number of women a man could marry. Hence, women were treated as sub-human. Infanticide of baby girls reigned supreme; drunkenness, adultery and usury also climaxed in the Arab society before the advent of Islam.

However, this debilitating and appalling situation was not confined only to the Arabs. The lack of monotheism and salvation, and deviation from the divine teachings could also be seen among the Persians, the Byzantines and the Jews. The Persians were known for fire-worshipping and their strange concept of dualism. They accepted the doctrine of Zoroastrianism which propagated communal ownership and ruled women to be a common property of all men! Their clergy was steeped in pleasures imposing heavy taxes on the oppressed masses of the community. 

Similarly, the Byzantines, who claimed to follow a divine religion, polluted the monotheistic commandments of Prophet Jesus with the sediments of the ancient Greco-Roman pagan thoughts which led to the birth of Christianity. Additionally, weirder beliefs and concepts such as Holy Ghost and trinity cropped up which caused trouble in Syria, Egypt and North Africa, where a sect of Christians held 'god the father' to be unlimitedly superior to 'god the son'. In short, the era of Christendom was characterized by terror, oppression and sectarian persecution.

In furtherance, there were colonies of Jews to whom numerous outstanding messengers had been sent by the Almighty God. However, this divine favour failed to reform the crimes of the Jews whose name seemed (seems) synonymous with treacherousness, even till date. They deviated from the messages of Allah, distorted the laws brought by Prophet Moses and slew numerous prophets sent to them.

It is worth noting that despite this mind-troubling situation of the world, many centuries brought a wealth of experience, and knowledge emboldened the growth of sciences, arts and philosophies. However, frivolity became the rule and many nations fell off without achieving the status to which they had aspired – despicable paganism destroyed Egypt, Greece, India, China, Persia and Rome, and condemned them into miserable pit. And human beings became submissive to the lowliest things by worshipping cows and calves, woods, stones, among others.

Summarily, corruption, wars, oppression, slavery, bloodshed, deprivation of the rights of women held sway everywhere. The world was in lamentable distress but no religion or ideology could deliver it from the shackles of utter darkness and offer any vista of hope to the agonies and torments of humankind. It was in this shambolic situation that Allah sent Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to re-establish the monotheistic religion preached by the past prophets and reform the world to save human beings from ignorance and darkness, and set their foot firmly on the path of light and salvation.

Major Reformation brought by Islam

Allah raised Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to re-establish monotheism and guide the world from the darkness which had overwhelmed the hearts and minds of men in the absence of the lights of Tawheed (monotheism). Allah ensured that the message revealed to Muhammad (PBUH) contained principles to guide all living people to goodness and inspire them with uprightness. Muhammad was not sent to gather a set of people around him but to forge a link between creation and the truth, and to distinguish between darkness and light; falsehood and truth; damnation and salvation. Hence Muhammad is a mercy to the world as asserted in Q21:107: “And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.”

Islam is fundamentally a system of building and not one of destruction as its goal is reformation. Islam has not come to destroy human civilization, morals and customs, but it (Islam) was re-established to reform human conditions and erase all facets of corruption and customs which are harmful to human race.

Islam reforms the hideous species of religious worldview(s) through its spiritual reawakening (Tawheed, Salah etc.) as religiosity is the only everlasting means to salvation and resounding success in this world and the hereafter. It propagates monotheism; demands that men should believe in the oneness and unity of Allah and shun all forms of Shirk (polytheism). Islam raised the status of humankind from being a subservient servant of the lowliest things to an enviable status by admonishing man to worship nothing but his Creator alone. It demands him to rely solely on Allah, observe His commandments, and refrain from His prohibitions. Hence Islam explains to mankind how to lead a meaningful life and opens for man the road to true salvation. “O mankind, there has come to you a conclusive proof from your Lord, and We have sent down to you a clear light. So those who believe in Allah and hold fast to Him – He will admit them to mercy from Himself and bounty and guide them to Himself on a straight path.” (Q5:174-5)

Furthermore, Islam raised the status of women. It gave women equal social, religious and financial rights, and gave them the rights to inheritance. Islam forbade usury, fornication, alcoholism and tribalism. It promotes and emphasizes social justice and equal treatment of every member of a community. It preaches mutual respect as against mutual animosity among humans and teaches that everyone deserves to be cared for, loved and respected, and prohibits discrimination and prejudice.

In conclusion, the world, before Islam, was a den haunted by murder and destruction where the weak had no hope of peace and tranquility. The situation was a chaotic state that dragged humanity towards self-annihilation. However, the advent of Islam restored the light of guidance and salvation, raised the status of humankind and re-established true civilization.