If we want to know the life story of Prophet Muhammad (SW), we need to understand the conditions in Arabia at that time. He was the light of guidance, and without Islam, everything was like ignorance or darkness. We recognize the importance of light when we experience darkness.
So it’s necessary to understand the conditions of the Arabs during that time if we want to know the life story of Prophet Muhammad (SW).
At that time, there was no guidance. A few people worshipped one God, while others associated many partners with God. Arab Mushriks used to make idols from soil and worshipped them, believing these idols would bring them closer to Allah. There were a few dominant religions. One of them was Judaism. They had many rules and regulations in their religion, but in their hearts, they didn’t truly respect or care about them. They followed the religion only superficially, doing what suited them.
Their Rabbis (Religious Leaders) were corrupt and made their own rules in the name of God to serve their own needs and political reasons. They didn’t allow people to read the books.
On the other hand, Christians were divided about Jesus (Prophet Isa) and held different beliefs. Some believed Jesus was God, while others considered him the son of God. Pagans (Mushriks) believed idols were a connection between them and Allah. Christians also treated their priests (religious leaders) almost as gods themselves.
In this way, their monotheistic beliefs were diluted and mixed with Shirk (associating partners with God). Only a few followed a belief in one God. There were also Zoroastrians in Iran who worshipped the sun, believing in two gods—one for good and one for evil. In India and Central Asia, Hindus and Buddhists worshipped idols.
Thus, not only the Arabs, but the whole world was filled with the darkness of Shirk. In this darkness, Prophet Muhammad (SW) came as the guiding light.
At that time, there were two main superpowers, the East Roman (Byzantine) Empire and the Persian Empire. They were dominant political and military forces. The capital of the East Roman Empire was Constantinople (Istanbul), while the Persian Empire’s capital was Ctesiphon, located in what is now Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, and nearby regions. Their territories were expansive and often fought over through conquests and wars over many years, with victories alternating between Romans and Persians.
The Arabs were divided into numerous tribes, known for their brutality and ignorance, which discouraged Roman and Persian interest in conquering their lands. Most Arab regions were independent, while some functioned as vassal states under either the Roman or Persian rule. Among these tribes, the Quraysh tribe held significant prominence in Arabia.
The origins of Arabs can be categorized into three main types:
Arab al Baidah: These were the people of Aad and Thamud, whose Prophets were Hud and Saleh. The kingdom of Saba also belonged to the Arab al Baidah. However, they no longer have any descendants.
Qahtani Arabs: They were Yemeni Arabs who lived in northern Yemen.
Adnani Arabs: This lineage begins with a person named Adnan. They were not purely Arab but were a mix of Arab and non-Arab descent. Prophet Muhammad (SW) belonged to the Adnani Arab lineage, which connects back to Prophet Ismail, going back to the time of Prophet Ibrahim and the miraculous incident of Zamzam water. When Prophet Ibrahim left his wife Hajar and their infant son Ismaeel in the barren desert as ordained by Allah, Allah provided them miraculously with Zamzam water. At the same time, another tribe passing by noticed the water source and decided to settle there with the permission of Ismaeel’s mother, Hajar. This tribe is known as the Jurhum Tribe, and Prophet Muhammad (SW) is descended from them.
The first person who started idol worship was Amr ibn Luhayy Al-Khuza’i, the leader of the Khuza tribe. Everyone in his tribe respected him greatly, and they would follow any of his orders as law. Once he traveled to Shams (currently Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan) for business purposes. There, he saw some impressive idols and asked the locals about them. They explained that these idols served as intermediaries between them and Allah. Different idols were worshipped for different needs, and they believed these idols could plead with Allah on their behalf. Amr ibn Luhayy was intrigued by this idea and felt his people needed such idols. He requested them to give him an idol so he could show it to his tribe and explain its significance. They gave him a large idol called “Hubal”. Amr then took it to Mecca and placed it next to the Kaaba, telling everyone in his tribe that it would help them connect with Allah as an intermediary. Mecca was a central point for Arabs, and soon idol worship spread rapidly. Another reason for its quick spread was the acceptance of Amr Ibn Luhayy. Over time, idol-making and selling became a lucrative business, drawing many people to Mecca to purchase idols.
Prophet Muhammed (SW) said, “’I saw Amr ibn Luhay Al-Khuza’i wandering around in the fire of Hell with his entrails cut open behind him. ‘ When asked why, the prophet replied, ‘He was the first to change the religion of Ismail. ‘”
Once Umar Farooq (Ra) was laughing and crying. Someone asked him, “What happened to you, O Umar?” He said, “Once, I went travelling at night and suddenly felt like worshipping an idol. But I mistakenly didn’t bring one with me. So, I made an idol with my dates and worshipped it. After a while, I became so hungry that I ate those dates. Now I am thinking, how ignorant are those who worship idols! This is how Islam transforms people from ignorance to enlightenment.”
How Christian Religion Came to Arab:
After the death of Prophet Isa (Jesus), many branches of the Christian religion emerged, and many people abandoned Christianity. Only a few remained true to its teachings of Monotheism, as taught by Prophet Isa.
One devout Christian once travelled secretly to Nazran to spread Christianity. At that time, Dhu Nuwas was the king of Yemen. When he discovered this, he banned the religion and ordered the crucifixion of all its followers. This incident is recounted in Sahih Muslim and in the Quran Surah Burooj.
The story is below:
Among the people who came before you, there was a king who had a sorcerer. When that sorcerer became old, he said to the king, “I have become old and my time is nearly over, so please send me a boy whom I can teach magic.” So, the king sent him a boy, and the sorcerer taught him magic. Whenever the boy went to the sorcerer, he sat with a monk who was on the way and listened to his speech and admired them. So, when he went to the sorcerer, he passed by the monk and sat there with him; and on visiting the sorcerer, the latter would thrash him. The boy complained about this to the monk. The monk said to him, “Whenever you are afraid of the sorcerer, say to him: ‘My people kept me busy.’ And whenever you are afraid of your people, say to them: ‘The sorcerer kept me busy.’” So the boy carried on like that for some time.
Then a huge, terrible creature appeared on the road, and the people were unable to pass by. The boy said, “Today I shall know whether the sorcerer is better or the monk is better.” So, he took a stone and said, “O Allah! If the deeds and actions of the monk are liked by you better than those of the sorcerer, then kill this creature so that the people can cross the road.” Then he struck it with a stone, killing it, and the people passed by on the road.
The boy came to the monk and informed him about it. The monk said to him, “O my son! Today you are better than I, and you have achieved what I see! You will be put to trial. And in case you are put to trial, do not inform them about me.” The boy used to treat people suffering from congenital blindness, leprosy, and other diseases. There was a courtier of the king who had become blind, and he heard about the boy. He came and brought a number of gifts for the boy and said, “All these gifts are for you on the condition that you cure me.” The boy said, “I do not cure anybody; it is only Allah who cures people. So, if you believe in Allah and supplicate to Him, He will cure you.” So, he believed in and supplicated to Allah, and Allah cured him.
Later, the courtier came to the king and sat at the place where he used to sit before. The king said, “Who gave you back your sight?” The courtier replied, “My Lord.” The king then said, “I did.” The courtier said, “No, my Lord and your Lord – Allah.” The king said, “Do you have another Lord beside me?” The courtier said, “Yes, your Lord and my Lord is Allah.” The king tortured him and did not stop until he told him about the boy. So, the boy was brought to the king, and he said to him, “O boy! Has your magic reached the extent that you cure congenital blindness, leprosy, and other diseases?” He said, “I do not cure anyone. Only Allah can cure.” The king said, “Me?” The boy replied, “No.” The king asked, “Do you have another Lord besides me?” The boy answered, “My Lord and your Lord is Allah.” So, he tortured him also until he told about the monk. Then the monk was brought to him, and the king said to him, “Abandon your religion.” The monk refused, and so the king ordered a saw to be brought, which was placed in the middle of his head, and he fell, sawn in two. Then it was said to the man who used to be blind, “Abandon your religion.” He refused to do so, and so a saw was brought and placed in the middle of his head, and he fell, sawn in two. Then the boy was brought, and it was said to him, “Abandon your religion.” He refused, and so the king sent him to the top of such and such mountain with some people. He told the people, “Ascend the mountain with him till you reach its peak, then see if he abandons his religion; otherwise, throw him from the top.” They took him, and when they ascended to the top, he said, “O Allah! Save me from them by any means that You wish.” So, the mountain shook, and they all fell down, and the boy came back walking to the king. The king said, “What did your companions (the people I sent with you) do?” The boy said, “Allah saved me from them.” So, the king ordered some people to take the boy on a boat to the middle of the sea, saying, “If he renounces his religion (well and good), but if he refuses, drown him.” So, they took him out to sea, and he said, “O Allah! Save me from them by any means that you wish.” So they were all drowned in the sea.
Then the boy returned to the king, and the king said, “What did your companions do?” The boy replied, “Allah saved me from them.” Then he said to the king, “You will not be able to kill me until you do as I order you. And if you do as I order you, you will be able to kill me.” The king asked, “And what is that?” The boy said, “Gather the people in one elevated place and tie me to the trunk of a tree; then take an arrow from my quiver and say: ‘In the Name of Allah, the Lord of the boy.’ If you do this, you will be able to kill me.” So he did this, and placing an arrow in the bow, he shot it, saying, “In the Name of Allah, the Lord of the boy.” The arrow hit the boy in the temple, and the boy placed his hand over the arrow wound and died. The people proclaimed, “We believe in the Lord of the boy!” Then it was said to the king, “Do you see what has happened? That which you feared has taken place. By Allah, all the people have believed (in the Lord of the boy).” So he ordered that ditches be dug at the entrances to the roads, and it was done, and fires were kindled in them. Then the king said, “Whoever abandons his religion, let him go, and whoever does not, throw him into the fire.” They were struggling and scuffling in the fire, until a woman and her baby whom she was breastfeeding came, and it was as if she was being somewhat hesitant of falling into the fire. So her baby said to her, “Be patient, mother! For verily, you are following the truth!
At that time, although all the Muslims were killed, one of them fled and sought asylum in one of the Roman empires. He explained everything to them. The Roman Empire said, “We are very far from Nazran (Yemen), but we can send a message to the Abyssinian king to take action.”
Upon receiving the news, the Abyssinian king sent his commander Aryat with his army to attack Yemen. Dhu Nawas was defeated in this battle, and in the end, he committed suicide by jumping into the Red Sea.
After the Abyssinians conquered Yemen, Aryat became the leader. But another commander, Abraha, wanted to take control. This led to a split among the Abyssinians: some supported Aryat, while others supported Abraha.
To avoid a big battle, Aryat and Abraha decided to have a duel fight instead of a big battle to see who deserved to lead. Abraha, however, had a plan to cheat. He told his followers that if he was losing the fight, they should help him by attacking Aryat.
On the day of the duel fight, Aryat and Abraha faced each other. Aryat was strong and experienced, while Abraha was clever and determined. During the fight, Aryat injured Abraha badly, cutting off part of his nose and lip. Seeing that he was losing, Abraha’s followers attacked Aryat, just as Abraha had planned. With their help, Abraha managed to kill Aryat.
Story of Abdul- Muttalib:
In that Arab society, Abdul Muttalib was the most prominent person. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that they respected him the most after Prophet Ibrahim. Though he did not follow Ibrahim’s Monotheistic religion, they considered him special. His standing grew even more after his death. He was seen as beyond criticism, someone who could not make mistakes. People couldn’t imagine anyone going against him. He was the father figure of pagan Arabs. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SW) was Abdul Muttalib’s grandson. Prophet Muhammad (SW) faced a challenge going against his grandfather’s religion and beliefs. Today, this situation is often referred to as “political correctness”. Prophet Muhammad (SW) taught beliefs and rules that were politically incorrect for pagan Arabs. We often see pagan Arabs discouraging people from Islam by citing Abdul Muttalib’s beliefs. They would ask, “How can you abandon Abdul Muttalib’s beliefs?” This would make everyone uncomfortable. Now, the question is how Abdul Muttalib achieved this position. To understand this, we need to consider three incidents during his time.
Once, a man named Muttalib came to Medina. He was Hashim’s brother and had come to collect his nephew, Shaiba, who was about 8 years old at the time. Initially, Shaiba’s mother was reluctant to let him go to Mecca with Muttalib. However, he managed to persuade her, explaining that Shaiba was the heir of the most respected family in the Quraysh tribe. It was his duty to be with his own family and tribe and take on responsibilities there. Muttalib returned to Mecca with Shaiba. Since no one had seen Shaiba before, and because it was common to buy and sell slaves at that time, everyone assumed he was Muttalib’s slave. Consequently, everyone started calling him Abdul Muttalib, which means “slave of Muttalib.” Abdul Muttalib was the grandfather of Prophet Muhammad (SW).
The first significant incident involves the rediscovery of the Zamzam well. Before leaving Mecca, the Banu Zurhum tribe completely sealed off and erased all signs of the Zamzam well. After this event, for about 300 years, no one knew the exact location of the Zamzam well.
Reinvention of the Zamzam Well:
Once, Abdul Muttalib dreamt that someone was telling him to dig. He asked, “What should I dig?” but received no reply. He dreamt a third time, and this time he was told, “Dig Zamzam.” So he asked, “What is Zamzam?”
The voice replied that Zamzam is a well that will never stop flowing or run dry. All the people who come for Hajj (pilgrimage) will drink from its water. It is located between the dung and blood of a camel, near a crow with white legs and a nest of ants.
Initially, Abdul Muttalib did not understand the meaning of this symbolic message. The next day, while performing Tawaf (circumambulation) around the Kaaba, he noticed dung and blood, remnants from a slaughtered camel. Nearby, he also saw a crow with white legs and a nest of ants. It was then that he realized this was the place indicated in his dream.
He realized this was the Zamzam well of his forefathers. Then he started digging with his son Haris. Seeing them dig next to the Kaaba, everyone kept asking, “Why are you digging here?” They tried to stop Abdul Muttalib and his son, but they didn’t listen and continued digging. After many attempts to stop them failed, the others gave up and left.
Suddenly, they heard Abdul Muttalib scream. Everyone rushed back and saw Abdul Muttalib uncover the Zamzam well. When everyone saw it, they exclaimed, “Yes, this is indeed the well of our forefathers.” By this, they meant that everyone had a right to this Zamzam well.
But Abdul Muttalib insisted, “I dreamt about this well and I dug it, so I am its owner.” However, nobody accepted his claim. Despite this, Abdul Muttalib remained steadfast. As the situation was about to escalate into a conflict, someone suggested, “Let’s not fight over this. Let’s seek the advice of the women magician from Banu Saad. Everyone believes she has a connection with the spirits.”
When they went to her, they found out that the lady had gone to Syria. They decided to follow her there, but their water ran out in the middle of the desert. As they wandered, finding no signs of water, Abdul Muttalib suggested, “If we are all going to die here, then we should dig our own graves. That way, if someone dies, others can bury them easily. At least everyone will have a grave except one.”
So everyone started digging their own grave and lay down there, expecting death. Then suddenly, Abdul Muttalib declared, “It is not befitting for people like us to wait for death like this. Let’s keep looking for water and try our best.” Everyone agreed and searched for water in different directions.
Suddenly, Abdul Muttalib found water. He brought water for everyone. Then everyone said to him, “In this desert, you found water and you dug the Zamzam well. All this indicates that Allah has given you the Zamzam well as a gift. Therefore, you are its owner.”
They returned to Mecca, and thus the Zamzam well was rediscovered under the leadership of Abdul Muttalib.
The Intention to Sacrifice His Son, Abdullah:
While Abdul Muttalib was digging the Zamzam well with one of his sons and facing opposition from everyone, he thought about how having more sons to support him would make him stronger in tribal society, where power often depends on family size and the number of sons. He prayed to Allah, promising that if he were given ten sons, he would sacrifice one in Allah’s name. By Allah’s grace, he was blessed with ten sons and six daughters. True to his promise, Abdul Muttalib decided to fulfil his vow to Allah.
Accompanied by a group, Abdul Muttalib went to the largest idol, Hubal, where sacred arrows were kept nearby, believed to have special significance. He conducted a lottery by writing the names of his ten sons on arrows and throwing them three times. Each time, Abdullah’s name came up. When he moved to sacrifice Abdullah, another son, Abu Talib, intervened, declaring they would not allow it. Gradually, everyone agreed, cautioning that such an act would set a standard for blind obedience in future generations. However, Abdul Muttalib remained firm, affirming that he could never break a promise made to Allah.
After much discussion and no solution, they once again sought the advice of the same magician. Upon hearing their story, the woman asked how much they normally pay as compensation for murder. They replied, “Ten camels.” She proposed a solution: place Abdullah on one side and ten camels on the other and throw the arrow. If the arrow pointed to the camels, slaughter them; if it pointed to Abdullah, add another ten camels and repeat until Abdullah’s name was no longer indicated.
They followed her advice, adding ten camels each time Abdullah’s name appeared. When it reached a hundred camels, the arrow finally pointed to the camels. The people rejoiced, telling Abdul Muttalib they had saved his son. However, he insisted on repeating the process two more times. Fortunately, both times the arrow indicated the camels.
Thus, he sacrificed one hundred camels and bore all the expenses alone, demonstrating his immense generosity. He did not eat any of the camels himself but distributed them among the people. They ate and also took the meat with them. There was still enough meat left to feed
Animals and birds also ate from the sacrificed camels. This increased Abdul Muttalib’s reputation as a man who cared for both people and animals.
His actions set an example in Arab society, where the compensation for wrongful death had previously been ten camels; afterwards, it became a hundred camels. This principle continued in Islam, although later it was not paid with camels but with an equivalent monetary value.
