The World Before the Birth of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

Summary

The speaker begins by praising and sending blessings upon the Messenger Muhammad ﷺ, then reminds the audience of the importance of studying the life and character of the Messenger Muhammad ﷺ, citing the story of Jabir Al-Ansari and his comparison of the moon to the face of the Messenger Muhammad ﷺ, as well as the words of Abdullah ibn Rawahah. He then transitions to the main topic of this gathering, which is the saying of Allah: "And know that among you is the Messenger of Allah," explaining its meaning and that the Messenger ﷺ is present among us through his Sunnah, character, and teachings in all aspects of life, even in eating, sleeping, and entering the restroom. He points out that unlike modern celebrities who distance themselves from people out of fear of revealing their flaws, the Messenger ﷺ mingled with his companions during the Conquest of Mecca, the Battle of Tabuk, and the Farewell Pilgrimage, instructing them to convey his message and warning against lying about him. He mentions the love of the companions for him, the words of Anas ibn Malik on the day he arrived in Medina and the day of his passing, the testimony of Khadijah r.a. about him, and the words of Aisha r.a.: "His character was the Quran," as well as the testimony of Abu Sufyan to Heraclius before his Islam. He then describes the state of the world before the birth of the Messenger Muhammad ﷺ, discussing the dominance of the Persians and Romans, oppression, tyranny, racial division, taxes, the lack of human value, the ignorance in Europe, and the situation in the Arabian Peninsula marked by vengeance, injustice, banditry, immorality, types of marriage, and idol worship, which reached 360 idols in the Kaaba, as well as the burying of daughters alive. He explains how Islam honored women as daughters, mothers, and wives, citing hadiths on the virtue of kindness towards daughters. He warns against the calls of secularists and atheists regarding women's rights, affirming that women are the foundation of society. He concludes with the words of Ja'far r.a. before the Negus, describing the state of ignorance and what Islam brought, and mentions some noble traits that existed in the age of ignorance, such as generosity and keeping promises.

Key takeaways

• Allah, the Exalted, says: "And know that among you is the Messenger of Allah." This means that the Messenger Muhammad ﷺ is among us through his Sunnah, morals, and teachings, so we should emulate him in all aspects of our lives.
• The Messenger Muhammad ﷺ taught his nation everything, even the etiquettes of eating, sleeping, and entering the restroom. He left nothing in his life unexplained.
• The Messenger Muhammad ﷺ contrasted with the famous figures of his time who distanced themselves from people out of fear of exposing their flaws. He mingled with his companions during the Conquest of Mecca (10,000), the Battle of Tabuk (3,000), and the Farewell Pilgrimage (100,000).
• The Messenger Muhammad ﷺ commanded to convey his message, even if it is just an ayah, and warned against lying about him, saying: "Whoever lies about me intentionally, let him take his seat in the Fire."
• His enemies testified to his truthfulness before they embraced Islam. Abu Sufyan testified before Heraclius that he does not lie or betray, and that his companions increase rather than decrease.
• The world before the mission of the Messenger Muhammad ﷺ lived in oppression, tyranny, racial division, and a lack of human value, to the extent that it was said Europe was like a decaying corpse of a giant man.
• Islam honored women as daughters, mothers, and wives, and the Messenger Muhammad ﷺ promised paradise to those who raise their daughters well (Sahih Muslim, Musnad Ahmad, Sunan al-Tirmidhi).