Muhammad: The Prophet of Revolution

Muhammad: The Prophet of Revolution Part I Chapter II The Emergence of the Prophet Mohammad Poised between Africa, Asia and Europe, the Arabian Peninsula lay at the very heart of the ancient world. Yet no ambitious conqueror had invaded the territory; no ruler had sought to bring it under his domain. All military campaigns had been limited to the area bordering Arabia—Iraq, Syria, Palestine and Lebanon. As for the Arabian Peninsula, no one had considered it worth fighting for. True, its shores were lapped by three seas, but there was nothing on its land but inhospitable desert and barren mountains. Makkah was the central township of this land. It was in this “uncultivable valley” that the Prophet of Islam, Mohammad, may peace be upon him, was born. His father, Abdullah Ibn Abdul Muttalib, died a few months before the birth of the Prophet. He was only six years of age when his mother, Amina, also passed away. For two years he was cared for by his grandfather, Abdul Muttalib, and, when he too died, the Prophet’s uncle, Abu Talib, became his guardian. Abu Talib’s demise occurred three years before the emigration to Madinah. The Prophet, at the most difficult stage of his life, was left without a guardian. Nature had endowed the Prophet with a grand personality. Those who saw him in his youth used to remark: “This boy has a great future.” His dignified and impressive personality grew with age. “Those who saw him for the first time were filled with awe, and those who came close to him grew to love him,” Ali once commented. The Prophet’s noble character was undisputed, yet when in his fortieth year, he announced his prophetic mission, people’s attitude to him changed. They poured scorn on his claim to prophethood. “Look at this village boy who reckons he’s in contact with the heavens,” they would say. His preaching mission extended over a mere twenty-three years. It was during this short time that he brought about a revolution among the Arab tribes, the like of which the world had never seen.