Author: Shaykh Muhammad Yunus Khalid
The Divine Education Model in the Family of the Prophets (Part 145)
Educational Lessons from the Life of the Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (PBUH)
The Conditions of the World Before the Birth and Prophethood of the Leader of Both Worlds, the Noble Messenger (PBUH)
The Conditions of the Countries and Nations of the World Before Islam
4. The Arabs
Characteristics and Natural Abilities of the Arabs
Among the nations of the world during the Age of Ignorance (Jahiliyyah), the Arabs were distinguished by unique moral qualities and natural abilities. In many respects, they stood above others. These qualities included eloquence, the power of expression, love of freedom, pride, horsemanship, courage, enthusiasm in defending their beliefs, frankness, a strong memory, a desire for equality, strength of will, faithfulness to covenants, and trustworthiness. [1]
Courage
They were unparalleled in courage and bravery. Even when the entire world was subject to the domination and servitude of Persia and Rome, the Arabs, despite their lack of political organization, were neither subjugated nor enslaved by anyone; they lived freely. They were so fearless and courageous that even the poorest among them would not be intimidated by the greatest king of that time.
Generosity and Self-Sacrifice
They were so generous that they would slaughter a camel even for a single guest. They would go hungry themselves in order to feed their guests.
Strength of Memory and Intelligence
They were exceptional in their strength of memory and intelligence. They could memorize poems consisting of one hundred verses after hearing them only once.
Honor and Zeal
Their sense of honor and zeal reached such a level that they would sacrifice their lives and possessions over even the slightest insult directed at their tribe. Their wars and disputes with one another were largely rooted in such matters.
No language equals Arabic in eloquence and rhetoric, nor is there any book on the art of rhetoric comparable to Arabic literature. If any such work exists, it is nevertheless derived from or borrowed from Arabic books.
Allah (SWT) had instilled these valuable moral qualities, dispositions, and excellences in the Arabs’ innate nature and original disposition. Unfortunately, however, these qualities were squandered in ignorance and lack of knowledge. These people were worse than wild beasts, but when they were honored with the light of faith, they became superior even to angels.
Previously, these very people had been engaged in plundering. When they entered the battlefield, ready to sacrifice their lives in the cause of Jihad, the angels of heaven also appeared on the battlefronts to support and assist them, wearing white, black, and yellow turbans.
In any case, although the Arabs were not commendable in their actions and deeds, they possessed exceptionally praiseworthy moral qualities, dispositions, abilities, and innate characteristics. Correcting actions is easy, but transforming a person’s moral character, innate disposition, and natural constitution is impossible.
Because these people possessed excellent moral character, a sound innate disposition, and a wholesome natural constitution, Allah (SWT) chose this lineage for prophethood and messengership. It is also essential for a prophet to possess perfect moral character so that he can reform people in the best possible manner. [2]
However, in more recent times, as a result of their distance from the era of prophethood and the prophets (peace and blessings be upon them), their isolation within the Arabian Peninsula, and their adherence to the traditions of their forefathers, they experienced severe religious decline and irrational idolatry, the like of which was rarely found among contemporary nations. They also became afflicted with various moral and social disorders.
These developments resulted in a people marked by moral transgressions, a socially dysfunctional society, and a severely weak and unstable social structure. Their society embodied the worst characteristics of life during the Age of Ignorance and remained entirely distant from the virtues found in religions. [3]
To be continued…
[1] Al-Nadwi, Kandokavi dar Awza‘-e Jahan (An Investigation into the Conditions of the World), p. 99.
[2] Kandahlawi, Muhammad Idris, Sirat Mustafa, translated by Muhammad Amin Husainbar, vol. 1, pp. 65–67.
[3] Al-Nadwi, Kandokavi dar Awza‘-e Jahan (An Investigation into the Conditions of the World), p. 99.
