Divine Planning

~ 11 ~ hardships in the mountainous and rocky surroundings of ancient Hijaz, and in that setting innate human qualities had acquired the maximum importance, as external props were totally nonexistent. There, man possessed only one thing, and that was his own existence. In such an environment, it was but natural that man’s inner qualities should be cultivated to the maximum. In this way a nation, characterised by manliness to an amazing extent, came into being through a process spanning two thousand years. In the words of Philip K. Hitti, the whole of Arabia was converted into a nursery of heroes the like of which had never been found before or after in history. The hour had come with the dawn of the 6th century to bring to completion the plan of breaking the continuity of shirk (idolatry). It was then that the Prophet Muhammad was born among the Ishmaelites. These are the words of the Qur’an: It is He who has sent His Apostle with guidance and the Faith of Truth, so that he may exalt it above all religions, much as the pagans may dislike it (61:9).