The religion of
Islam was founded by Prophet Muhammad. He established the Islamic state in the
desert land of medina. Initially Islam was by and large the answer to the
problems which were faced by a tribal society. It was undergoing a transitory
period. But in course of time Islam spread out over a vast area. Areas which
had highly developed cultural and political traditions of their own
deliberately adopted the thoughts and principles of Islam. The principle of
Islam was a new principle of solidarity and unity. Prophet Muhammad mission was
to bind or unify the divided section of the Arab society in accordance with the
unifying principle of Islam. His mission, first unconscious and then deliberate
was followed by his personal realization of almighty’s presence. Before him
man’s only response could be of worship and gratitude. Muhammad was personally
aware of god’s mercy and benevolence when he was alone and meditating. He
realizes that one had to submit himself totally to lord. He would judge him one
day. This concept of personal obligation and responsibility to god was alien to
the wealthy merchants and different tribes who were glorified with their own
narrow-minded obligations. Muhammad’s conception of god was a weak tradition of
monotheism. Muhammad was convinced that he had been chosen by Allah as Rasul
Allah, Muhammad began to spread messages which condemned unfair practices and
stressed on the social obligation of the wealthy people. Commerce was not in
the centre of condemnation. He sought to establish a new sense of community
based on the realization of the man before the creator. One of the first
disciple s who accepted Prophet Muhammad’s mission was his wife khadija and his
cousin ali. In course of time Muhammad could manage to gather a group of
followers around him who shared his ideals. Most of his followers in the
earlier stages were the members of the weaker clans, the junior member of the
powerful clans, women and outsiders, slaves or client. In the beginning ideas
of Muhammad were ignored. Gradually strict opposition began. In hard times his
clan and its leader Abu Talib protected Muhammad and his followers. In 615/16
Muhammad decided to send some of followers to Ethiopia to protect weaker section
among the Muslims from persecutions. They didn’t have clan backing. To resist
this step other clans continued to exert pressure on Abu Talib. An economic and
martial boycott was also instituted against the clan of hashimites(Hashemite
may be). But finally all attempts failed and Muhammad was successful in
converting the major opponent of Islam region umar ibn al khattab.the most
significant crisis for Muhammad came in 619 A.D. when Abu Talib died and Abu
wahab succeeded him. The later denied giving any clan protection to Muhammad
and his followers. The prophet was therefore forced to look for a new home for
himself and his community. Muhammad realized that to survive and let his new
religion survive he had to migrate some other place. Islam had to harness the
political and economic power of a major tribe or an alliance of tribes.
Ultimately the migration to the oasis of yathrib which was later renamed medina
took place. It was seen as a turning point in the history of Islam. The Mecca’s found Muhammad and
his new religion intolerable. They also resented the attack on usury. In 620
A.D. Muhammad had began a dialogue with a delegation from medina and in 622
after prolonged negotiation, they pledged physically protection to Muhammad and
his followers. Thereafter, Muslims began to emigrate to medina. Muhammad left Mecca secretly because he feared that the Mecca’s
might stop him from leaving Mecca.
Muhammad reached medina on the twenty fourth of September 622. It is same year
which was symbolised by the decision to begin the Islamic calendar. Around the
oasis in medina a group of Jews had settled. It was not a compact commercial
hub like mecca. Rather it was an oasis inhabited by different tribal groups and
a number of smaller but influential Jewish groups, Later Muslims emigrated at
medina. They could not suddenly become agriculturists. To keep in competition
and also to survive they resorted looking, kept one fifth to him to be spent on
community affairs. The rest was the rest was distributed among the Muslims. The
rest was distributed among the Muslims. Muhammad’s prestige was at its peak
when he proved himself to be the most successful military leader. As a result
more Arabs began to convert. In medina dissensions appeared between the Jews
and the Muslims because the Jews didn’t believe in Muhammad’s claims. Some
Jewish tribes also conspired with the Mecca’s.
In 625 A.D. a major attack was launched against the Muslims. Seventy five
Muslims were killed in the war that followed. The war an uhud failed to prove
victorious for the Mecca’s.
Later Muhammad encouraged Muslims to take four wives to solve the problems of
the widows of those killed the war. The Mecca’s
tried again with a much larger force but failed again. Muhammad’s success
attracted more tribes to embrace Islam. The meccan’s realized that to survive
and prosper they had to reach a treaty with the Muslims. Muhammad himself was
not interested in destroying mecca and its people. He realised that any
prolongation meccans by going to Ka’ba to perform hajj. Finally a truce was
arranged and Mecca
surrendered without a fight in 630 A.D. Muhammad tried to reconcile old a news
ideas in his new religion. When mecca fell, the people were graciously accepted
into the umrah. Most of treated as zimmis or protected people.
The people of medina embraced Islam after the fall of Mecca. Those who didn’t
were.
No comments:
Post a Comment