The lineage of the Prophet Muhammad-I

The lineage of Prophet Muhammadhas three versions: The first was
authenticated by biographers and genealogists and states that Prophet
Muhammad'sgenealogy has been traced to Adnaan. The second is subject
to controversies and doubt. It traces his lineage beyond Adnaan back
to prophet Ibraaheem)Abraham(. The third version, which definitely has
some inaccuracies, traces his lineage beyondIbraaheem back to Aadam
)Adam(.
The first part: MuhammadIbn 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Abdul-Muttalib )who
wascalled Shaybah( Ibn Haashim, )named 'Amr( Ibn 'Abd Munaf )called
Al-Mugheera( Ibn Qusayy)also called Zayd( Ibn Kilaab Ibn Murrah Ibn
Ka'b Ibn Lu'ayy Ibn Ghaalib Ibn Fahr )who was called Quraysh and whose
tribe was called after him( Ibn Maalik Ibn An-Nadr )so called Qays(
Ibn Kinaanah Ibn Khuzaymah Ibn Mudrikah)who was called 'Amir( Ibn
Elias Ibn Mudar Ibn Nizar Ibn Ma'ad Ibn Adnaan.
The second part: Adnaan Ibn Add Ibn Humaisi' Ibn Salaman Ibn 'Aws Ibn
BuzIbn Qamwal Ibn Obai Ibn 'Awwam Ibn Nashid Ibn Haza Ibn Bildas Ibn
YadlafIbn Tabikh Ibn Jahim Ibn Nahish Ibn Makhi Ibn Aid Ibn 'Abqar Ibn
'Ubaid Ibn Ad-Da'a Ibn Hamdan Ibn Sanbir Ibn Yathrabi Ibn Yahzin Ibn
Yalhan Ibn Ar'awi Ibn Aid Ibn DeshanIbn Aisar Ibn Afnad Ibn Aiham Ibn
Muksar Ibn Nahith Ibn Zarih Ibn SamiIbn Mazzi Ibn 'Awda Ibn Aram Ibn
Qaidar Ibn Ismaa'eel )Ishmael( son of Ibraaheem )Abraham(, may Allaah
exalt their mention.
The third part: beyond IbraaheemIbn Tarih)Azar( Ibn Nahur Ibn Saru'
Ibn Ra'u Ibn Falikh Ibn Abir Ibn Shalikh Ibn Arfakhshad Ibn Sam Ibn
Nooh )Noah(Ibn Lamik Ibn Mutwashlack Ibn Akhnukh ]Prophet Idrees
)Enoch([Ibn Yarid Ibn Mahla'il Ibn QaIbn Anusha Ibn Shith Ibn Aadam.
The prophetic family:
The family of Prophet Muhammadis called the Hashimite family after his
grandfather Haashim Ibn 'Abd Munaf. Let us now speak a little about
Haashim and his descendants:
1-Haashim: He was the one responsible for giving food and water to the
pilgrims. This had been his charge when the sons of 'Abd Munaf and
those of 'Abd Ad-Dar compromised on dividingthe charges between them.
Haashim was wealthy and honest. He was the first to offer the pilgrims
sopped bread in broth. His first name was 'Amr but he was called
Haashim because he had been in the practice of crumbling bread )for
the pilgrims(.
He was also the first man who started Quraysh's two journeys of summer
and winter. It was reported that he went to Syria as a merchant. In
Al-Madeenah, he married Salmah, the daughter of 'Amr from Bani 'Adi
Ibn An-Najjaar. He spent some time with her in Al-Madeenah then he
left for Syria again while she was pregnant. He died in Ghazza in
Palestine in 497 CE. Later, his wife gave birth to 'Abdul-Muttalib and
named him Shaybah because of the white hair on his head, and brought
him up in her father's house in Al-Madeenah. None of hisfamily in
Makkah learnedof his birth. Haashim had four sons: Asad, Abu
Saifi,Nadla and 'Abdul-Muttalib, and five daughters Ash-Shifa,
Khalida, Da'ifa, Ruqyah and Jannah.
2-'Abdul-Muttalib: After the death of Haashim, thecharge of the
pilgrims' food and water went to his brother, Al-Muttalib Ibn 'Abd
Munaf )who washonest, generous and trustworthy(. When 'Abdul-Muttalib
reached the age of boyhood, his uncle Al-Muttalib heard of him and
went to Al-Madeenah to fetch him. When he saw him, tears filled his
eyes and rolled down his cheeks, he embraced him and took him on his
camel. The boy, however, abstained from going with him to Makkah until
he took his mother's consent. Al-Muttalib asked her to send the boy
with him to Makkah, but she refused. He managed to convince hersaying:
"Your son is going to Makkah to restore his father's authority, and to
live in the vicinity of the Sacred House."
There in Makkah, people wondered at seeing 'Abdul-Muttalib, and they
considered him the slave of Al-Muttalib. Al-Muttalibsaid: "He is my
nephew, the son of my brother Haashim." The boy was brought up in
Al-Muttalib's house, but later on Al-Muttalib died in Bardman in
Yemen, so 'Abdul-Muttalib took overand managed to maintain his
people's prestige and exceeded his grandfather in his honorable
behavior, which earned him deep love and high esteem from the people
of Makkah.
3-When Al-Muttalib died, Nawfal usurped 'Abdul-Muttalib's charges, so
the latter asked for help fromthe Quraysh, but they abstained from
extending any sort of support to either of them. Consequently, he
wrote to his uncles of Bani An-Najjaar )his mother's brothers( to come
to his aid. His uncle,Abu Sa'd Ibn 'Adyy )his mother's brother(
marched to Makkah at the head of eighty horsemen and camped inAbtah in
Makkah. 'Abdul-Muttalib received the men and invited them to go to his
house but Abu Sa'd said: "Not before I meet Nawfal." He found Nawfal
sitting with some old men of Quraysh in theshade of Al-Ka'bah. Abu
Sa'd drew his sword and said: "I swear by Allaah that if you don't
restore to my nephew what you have taken, I will kill you with this
sword." Nawfal was thus forced to give up what he had usurped, and the
notables of Quraysh were made to witness to his words.
Abu Sa'd then went to 'Abdul-Muttalib's house where he stayed for
three nights, made 'Umrah )minor pilgrimage( and left backfor
Al-Madeenah. Later on, Nawfal entered into alliance with Bani 'Abd
Shams Ibn 'Abd Munaf against Bani Haashim. When Khuza'a, a tribe, saw
Bani An-Najjaar's support to 'Abdul-Muttalib they said: "He is our son
as he is yours. Wehave more reasons to support him than you." 'Abd
Munaf's mother was one of them. They went into An-Nadwa House )a place
they used to gatherin to discuss serious matters( and entered into
alliance with Bani Haashim against Bani 'Abd Shams and Nawfal. It was
an alliance that was later to constitute the main reason for the
conquest of Makkah. 'Abdul-Muttalib witnessed two importantevents in
his lifetime, namely digging the Zamzam well and the Elephant raid.
Digging the Well of Zamzam
The well of Zamzam originated for the sake ofIsmaa'eelwhen he and his
mother Haajar)Hagar( were overtaken by thirst, Allaah the Almighty
caused a streamof water to flow in the empty desert. Haajar contained
the flowing water by building a mound around it and it turned into a
well. At the time of leaving Makkah, the Jurhum tribe coveredit with
dust and so, for a long time it could not be traced. When the task of
giving water to the pilgrims was entrusted to'Abdul-Muttalib, he
started searching for it along with his elder son Haarith, but their
efforts proved fruitless.
One day, 'Abdul-Muttalib saw the location of the well of Zamzam in his
dream and started digging for it. There were two idols, 'Isaf and
Naa'ilah kept at that spot.The Quraysh resented thisdisturbance and
became hostile and ready to fight. Although they wereonly two, father
and son, they prevailed over them and continued digging the well.
Realizing his isolation, 'Abdul-Muttalib invoked Allaah the Almighty
that in case He gave him ten sons, he would sacrifice one of hissons
in the name of God. After a short period, the well appeared and he was
also blessed with tensons.

The lineage of the Prophet Muhammad-II

The Elephant Raid
The King of Abyssinia )Ethiopia( had capturedYemenfor a very short
period. During the lifetime of 'Abdul-Muttalib,Yemenwas under the rule
of the King of Abyssinia. In those days Abrahah Ashram was the
governor ofYemenon behalf of the king. He built a temple inYemenand
persuaded the Arabs to perform Hajj at thetempleofYemeninstead of the
Ka'bah. However, he was not successful in his endeavor. In order to
put him to disgrace, an Arab defecated in the temple to desecrate it.
Abrahah grew so furious that he invaded Makkah with the intention of
destroying the Houseof Allaah -- the Ka'bah. He used elephants in his
attack, so the people of Makkah called them thePeople of the Elephant
and the year came to be known as the Year of the Elephant.
When the Quraysh came to know of the attack, they were filled with
fear, as they were no match for such a large and strong army. They
jointly requested their chief,'Abdul-Muttalib to go to Abrahah and
explore a way to avert the battle. When 'Abdul-Muttalib presented
himself to Abrahah, hewas greatly impressed and held him in high
esteem. 'Abdul-Muttalib stated that Abrahah's army had captured 200
camels, which belonged to him. Thereupon Abrahah remarked that he took
him to be a wise person but he obviously was mistaken. He
)'Abdul-Muttalib( was aware that Abrahah had come with the sole
purpose of demolishing the House of Allaah — the Ka'bah. However,
intentionally ignoring the topic, he only spoke of his camels instead
of saving the Ka'bah.
'Abdul-Muttalib said: " I am merely the owner of the camels, but this
House also has an Owner and He will save it."
The answer enraged Abrahah andhe burst out in anger saying he would
see if the Lord of the House would save it. His army was destroyed and
left like an empty field from which all the corn has been eaten up,
and only the straw with stalks and stubblewas left. The complete rout
of Abrahah's forces after 'Abdul Muttalib's daring reply was a
verysignificant event forArabia, which put great fear of Allaah in
their hearts.
After that fateful event, the rule ofYemenwent out of the hands of the
Abyssinian king and Sayf Ibn Dhi Yazin captured the country.
'Abdul-Muttalib took some nobles of Quraysh and went to congratulate
Sayf on his victory. Sayf Ibn Dhi Yazin gave 'Abdul-Muttalib glad
tidings that the last Prophet would be raised from his
)'Abdul-Muttalib's( offspring. This prophecy found wide currency and
fame. All the members of the delegation thought that the last Prophet
would be raised from their progeny. Each of them contacted the
soothsayers and monks hoping for good news but returned disappointed.
We have mentioned that 'Abdul-Muttalib invoked Allaah the Almighty
that in case he was granted ten sons, he would sacrifice one of them
in the nameof God. 'Abdul-Muttalib had ten sons, Al-Haarith,
Az-Zubayr, Abu Talib, 'Abdullaah, Hamzah, Abu Lahab, Ghidaq, Maqwam,
Safar and Al-'Abbaas. He also had six daughters, who were Umm
Al-Hakim, Barrah, 'Atikah, Safiya, Arwa and Omayma.
'Abdullaah was the father of Prophet Muhammad. His mother was Fatimah,
daughter of'Amr Ibn 'A'idh Ibn 'Imran Ibn Makhzum Ibn Yaqdha Ibn
Murrah.'Abdullaah was the most handsome of 'Abdul-Muttalib's sons, the
chastest and the most loved. He was also the son whomthe divination
arrows pointed at, to be slaughtered as a sacrifice toAl-Ka'bah. When
'Abdul-Muttalib had ten sons and they reached maturity, he revealed to
them hissecret vow which they silently and obediently accepted. Their
names were written on divination arrows and given to the guardian of
their most beloved goddess, Hubal.
The arrows were shuffled and drawn. An arrow showed that it was
'Abdullaah to be sacrificed. 'Abdul-Muttalib then took the boyto
Al-Ka'bah with a razor to slaughter the boy. Quraysh, his uncles from
Makhzoom tribe and his brother Abu Talib, however, tried to dissuade
him from consummating his purpose. Aftermuch discussion they turned to
Saja', a famous soothsayer. She pointed out that blood money fortheir
)'Abdul-Muttalib's( clan was ten camels. Thus, they should
put'Abdullaah on one side and ten camels on the other and then draw
the lots.
In case the camels were chosen they would be slaughtered, but
if'Abdullaah was chosen they should add ten more camels and draw
again. They should keep adding to the number of the camels until the
camels were drawn. This exercise went on until the number of camels
reached one hundred. 'Abdul-Muttalib drew the lots twice more for his
personal satisfaction, but each time it fill upon the camels. Hence,
100 camels were slaughtered and 'Abdullaah was saved. Since that time,
the blood money of a person who was killed was fixed at one hundred
camels.
'Abdul-Muttalib chose Aaminah, daughter of Wahab Ibn 'Abd Munaaf Ibn
Zahrah Ibn Kilaab, as a wife for his son, 'Abdullaah. In the light of
this ancestral lineage,she stood eminent in respect of nobility of
position and descent. Her father was the chief of Bani Zahrah, to whom
great honor was attributed. They were married in Makkah, and soon
after 'Abdullaah was sent by his father to buy dates in Madeenah where
he died. According to another version, 'Abdullaah went toSyriaon a
trade journey and died in Al-Madeenah on his way back. He was buried
in the house of An-Nabigha Al-Ju'di. He was twenty-five years old when
he died. Most historians state that his death was two months before
the birth of Prophet Muhammad. Some others said that his death was two
months after the Prophet's birth. When Aaminah was informed of her
husband's death, she composed a heart-rending elegy in his memory.
'Abdullaah left very little wealth --five camels, a small number of
goats, a woman servant called Barakah Umm Ayman, who would later
serve as the Prophet's nursemaid.

The world before the Prophet Muhammad

When Almighty Allah sent His lastand greatest Prophet,
Muhammadsallallaaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, , humankind was immersed in a
state of degeneration. The messages of the past prophets had been
distorted and ignored, civilizationwas on the decline and humanity had
slumped into an age of darkness, with disbelief, oppression and
corruption prevalent everywhere. The condition of the world at that
time presented the gloomiest picture ever of human history.
At the time of the birth of Prophet Muhammad,, there existed two great
powers on earth: one in the East and another in the West. In the East
there was the Persian Empire, and in the West, theRoman Empire. As it
might be expected, these two powers were actively hostile and almost
permanently at war with one another. As a result, they were weak and
disunited, though appearing to be otherwise. Despite their disunity
and weakness, they made no serious effort to eradicate the causes of
their instability.
The Arabs were living under no better conditions. They were families
and tribes comprising different attitudes and feelings; but they were
all similar in one respect: they were slaves of habits and impulses.
They used to take pride in invasion and plunder. Moreover, they were
so low in their moral affairs that a number of them used to bury their
daughters alive.
Religiously speaking, the Arabs of that era were mostly idol
worshippers. Some of them used to make their own gods from sweets, and
subsequently, they would eat them when they got hungry. They had
replaced the monotheism of Ibraaheem)Abraham(with the worship of
idols, stars and demons, turning the Ka'bah, which was built for the
One and Only Creator,into a pantheon of idols. In addition, tribal
rivalries and blood feuds ran among them likethe burning desert sands
ofArabia.
The people of Makkah used to practice usury on a large scale with very
high interest rates -- sometimes a hundred percent. When the debtors
were not able to repay -- and that was most often the case -- they
were enslaved or obliged to force their wives and daughters to commit
certain sins, in order to be able tocollect enough money to repay the
debt.
Ignorance was not confined to the Arabs alone. On the fringes
ofArabiawhere the desert gives way to hospitable lands, met the
ever-changing borders of 'world arrogance', the two superpowersof the
age: the Persian and the Roman Empires.
The fire-worshipping Persians, with their strange concept of dualism
were further plagued by the still weirder Mazdakite doctrine )i.e. a
socio-religious movement that flared up in the Sasanian Kavad )488-531
CE( founded by Mazdak son of Bamdad(, that advocated communal
ownership and even ruled that women were the common property of all
men. LikeMani a few centuries earlier, who had claimed a new religion
by combining the teachings of Jesusand Zoroaster, Mazdakite's movement
was also a reaction tothe corruption of the traditional priestly
class. Both creeds died away after the execution of their proponents,
who more or less depended on royal patronage. Onthe other hand, the
Sasanian aristocracy aligned with the Zoroastrian clergy was steeped
inpleasures, burdening the oppressed masses with heavy taxes and
oppression.
At the other end was the Byzantine world, which though claiming to
profess a divinely revealed religion, had in fact polluted the
monotheist message of Prophet Jesuswith the sediments of ancient Greek
and Roman pagan thoughts, resulting in the birth ofChristianity. In
381 CE, the Greco-Roman Church council rejected the doctrine of Arius
of Alexandria, to which most of the eastern provinces of the empire
adhered, and in its place the council had coined the belief thatGod
and Jesusare of one substance and therefore co-existent. Arius and his
followers had held the belief in the uniqueness and majesty of God,
Who Alone, they said has existed since eternity, while Jesuswas
created in time.
There were colonies of Jews scattered across West Asia andNorth
Africato whom several Messengers had been sent by Almighty Allaah.
However, even these divine favors had failed to reform them. The laws
sent to Prophet Moseshad been distorted and tampered with.
Further to the east lay the once flourishing cultures
ofChinaandIndiawhich were groping in darkness. Confucianism had
confused the Chinese, robbing their minds of any positive thinking. On
the other hand, Hinduism had no universal pretensions whatsoever, and
waspeculiar to the geographical confines ofIndiaor more
properlyNorthern Indiaand its Aryan invaders. Conversion of foreigners
was difficult because one had to be born in a particularcaste and it
was the mystery of'Karma'that determined one's fate.
In short, wars, bloodshed, slavery, oppression of women and the
deprived held sway everywhere, might ruled over right. The world was
in dire distress but no one seemed capable of delivering it from
darkness. No religion, ideology, creed or cult during those times,
could offer any hope to the agonies and frustrations of humankind.
None of the religions in currency had any universal outlook or
evenpretensions and were limited to insurmountable geographical and
psychological barriers, preaching discrimination and the narrow-minded
superiority of a particular race.
Thus, it was in such a chaotic state of depression that AlmightyAllaah
sent His last great Prophet,with the universal Message ofIslam to save
humankind from disbelief, oppression, corruption, ignorance and moral
decadence that was dragging humanity towards self-annihilation.

Arabia before the Prophet Muhammad –II

Social Life of the Arabs:
Before the advent of Prophet Muhammad, Arabian society was divided
into several social strata, which produced both advantages and
disadvantages in the resultant social structure. Women among the
nobility were accorded an advanced degree of esteem. They enjoyed
considerable free will in almost all spheres of life and their
decision would usually be enforced. They were so highly cherished and
fiercely protected, that very often bloodshed resulted in defense of
real or imaginary slurs to their honor. In fact, women were believed
to be the most decisive factors that ledto bloody fights or friendly
peace among tribes. These privileges notwithstanding, the family
system in Arabia was wholly patriarchal. The marriage contract rested
completely in the hands of the woman's legal guardian whose words with
regard to her marital status could never be questioned.
On the other hand, there were other sectors where prostitution and
indecency were rampant andin full operation. Abu Daawoodon the
authority of 'Aa'ishahreported four kinds of marriage in pre-Islamic
Arabia: The first was similar to present-day Islamic marriage
procedures, in which case a man gives his daughter in marriage to
another man after a dowry has been agreed on. In the second type, the
husband would send his wife – after the menstruation period –to
cohabit with another man in order to conceive. After conception her
husband would, ifhe desired, have sexual intercourse with her. A third
kindwas that a group of less than ten men would have sexual
intercourse with a woman. If she conceived and gave birth to a child,
she would send for these men, and nobody could abstain. They would
come together to herhouse. She would then say: 'You know what you have
done. I havegiven birth to a child and it is your child' )pointing to
one of them(. The man meant would have to accept. The fourth kind was
that many men would have intercourse with a certain woman )a
prostitute(. She would not prevent anybody. Such women used to put a
certain flagat their gates to invite in anyone who liked. If this
woman got pregnant and gave birth to a child, she would collect those
men, and a soothsayer would tellwhose child it was. The appointed
father would take the child and declare him/her his own. When the
Prophetdeclared Islam in Arabia, he cancelled all these forms of
sexual contact except that of present Islamic marriage.
Pre-Islamic Arabs had no limited number of wives. They could marry two
sisters at the same time, or even the wives of their fathers if
divorced or widowed, and divorce was to a very great extent in the
power of the husband.
With respect to the pre-Islamic parent-child relationship, we see that
life in Arabia was paradoxical and presented a gloomy picture of
contrasts. Whilst some Arabs held children dear to their hearts and
cherished them greatly, others buried their female children alive
because an illusory fear of poverty and shame weighed heavily on them.
Another aspect of the Arabs' life, which deserves mention, is the
bedouin's deep-seated emotionalattachment to his clan. Family or
perhaps tribal-pride, was one of the strongest passions within him.
The unity of blood relations as the principle that bound the Arabs
into social unity was formed and supported by tribal-pride. Their
undisputed motto was "Support your brother whether he is an oppressor
or oppressed." They disregarded theIslamic amendment, which statesthat
supporting an oppressive brother implies deterring him from
transgression.
Hunger for leadership and a keen sense of inter-tribal competition
often resulted in bitter tribal warfare, despite their having
descended from one common ancestor. In this regard, the continued
bloody conflicts of many Arab tribes like 'Aws and Khazraj, 'Abs and
Dhubyaan, Bakr and Taghlib etc. are striking examples.
Inter-tribal relationships were fragile and weak due to
continualinter-tribal wars of attrition. The deep devotion of the
tribes to certain religious superstitions and venerable customs often
curbed their impetuous tendencyto quench their thirst for blood. In
other cases, the respect for alliance, loyalty and dependency
sometimes brought about a spirit of companionship, and aborted
groundless bases of dispute. A time-honored custom of suspending
hostilities during the sacred months )Muharram, Rajab, Thul-Qi'dah,
and Thul-Hijjah( functioned favorably and provided an opportunity for
them to earn their living and coexist in peace.
We may sum up the social situation in Arabia by saying that the Arabs
of the pre-Islamic period were groping about in darkness and
ignorance, entangled in a mesh of superstitions paralyzing their mind
and causing them to lead an animal-like life. The common woman was a
marketable commodity and regarded as a piece of inanimate property.
Inter-tribal relationships were fragile. Greed for wealth and
involvement in futile wars were the main objectives that governed
their self-centered policies.
The Economic Situation:
The economic situation ran in line with the social atmosphere, and the
Arabian way of life illustrated this phenomenon quite clearly. Trade
was the most common means of livelihood. Trade journeys could not be
undertaken unless caravan routeswere deemed safe and there was
inter-tribal peace – two imperative necessities unfortunately lacking
in Arabia, except during the prohibited months within which the Arabs
held their assemblies at the annual markets of 'Ukaath, Thil-Majaz,
Mijannah and others.
Industry was alien to the Arabian psychology. Most of the available
industries of knitting and tanneryin Arabia were done by people coming
from Yemen, Heerah and the borders of Syria.
Ethics:
1. Hospitality: The Arabs used to compete with one another in
hospitality and take utmost pridein it. Almost half of their
collection of ancient poetry was dedicated to the merits and nobility
attached to entertaining one's guest. They would sacrifice their
private sustenance for a cold or hungry guest. They wouldnot hesitate
to incur heavy blood-money and relevant burdens just to stop
blood-shed, and consequently merit praise and eulogy.
In the context of hospitality, there springs to mind their common
habits of drinking and serving wine, which was regarded as a channel
branching out of generosity and showing hospitality. Gambling was also
another practice closely associated with generosity, since the
proceeds would always go to charity. Even the Noble Quran makes note
of the benefits that are derived from drinking wine and gambling, but
also says)what means(: "And the sin of them is greater than their
benefit." ]Quran 2:219[
2. Keeping a covenant: For the Arab, to make a promise was like
incurring a debt. He would go through great pains and hardshipto
uphold the deep-rooted tradition of keeping a covenant. The literature
of that period is filled with stories highlighting this merit.
3. Sense of honor and repudiationof injustice: This attribute stemmed
mainly from exaggerated courage, a keen sense of self-esteem and
impetuosity. The Arabs was always quick to rise in revolt and
retaliation against the least allusion to humiliation or slackness. An
Arab would never hesitate to sacrifice himself to maintain his
ever-alert sense of self-respect.
4. Forbearance, perseverance and mildness: In general, the pre-Islamic
Arabs lacked these qualities. They may have regarded these traits with
great admiration, but their impetuosityand war-like spirit led to
their own lives being sadly wanting in them.
5. Pure and simple bedouin life: The bedouin Arab lifestyle, still
untarnished with the accessories of deceptive urban appearances, was a
driving reason to their nature of truthfulness, honesty and detachment
from intrigue and treachery.
Such priceless ethics coupled with the favorable geographical position
of Arabia were in fact the factors that lay behind the Arabs being
chosen to undertake the burden of communicating the Message )of Islam(
and leading humankind down a new course of life.
The most priceless ethics, besidesbeing true to their covenants, were
no doubt their sense of self-esteem and strong determination -- two
human traits indispensable in combatingevil and eliminating moral
corruption on the one hand, and establishing a righteous and just
society on the other.