Mouood Mouood English Edition
In fact, Mab’ath was the day when the flag of a mission was raised, a mission whose characteristics are outstanding and unique for humanity. Mab’ath raised the flag of knowledge and understanding in the world. Be’that started with the divine order, “Read”:
“Read in the name of your Lord Who created.” 1
And it continued with the following order:
“Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation.” 2
That is to say, the call was accompanied by wisdom. The Islamic call is in fact an effort to promote and spread wisdom to different parts of the world and to different historical eras. Be’that was an effort to raise the flag of justice and to establish justice among believers, God’s servants and all human beings. And the mission is to raise the flag of noble human values. “I was appointed to complete moral virtues.” 3 Addressing the Holy Prophet (S), Allah the Exalted says:
“And We have not sent you but as a mercy to the worlds.” 4
That is to say, all the things that human beings need at all times, in all conditions, in any part of the world have been included in Be’that, namely knowledge and understanding, wisdom and mercy, justice and brotherhood, and equality, which are the essential things that the healthy course of life depends on.
Even though Islam has required its followers to engage in Jihad, it has also announced:
“If they incline to peace, then incline to it and trust in Allah.”5
That is to say, Islam prefers peace to war when the conditions are appropriate. Of course, Jihad means standing up against bullying and transgression, but some people maliciously announce that Islam is the religion of war because it has required its followers to engage in Jihad.
Today humanity is in need of these teachings. We Muslims are responsible for certain shortcomings and we should admit this. First of all, we have neglected our responsibility to promote genuine Islamic teachings throughout the world. Second, we have failed to present appropriate Islamic role models in the world. If Muslims regulated their actions, their social and personal behavior and their political models on the basis of these teachings, they would be promoting Islam in the best possible way. Of course, there is no doubt that today complicated waves of global propaganda campaigns have focused on Islam. 6
The Signs that signified the Holy Prophet’s (S) birth
On a day like this, Allah the Exalted bestowed the greatest blessing on creation, namely the Holy Prophet (S). This was the beginning of a decisive stage in the destiny of mankind. Regarding the birth of the Holy Prophet (S), it has been said that when he was born, the battlements of the Persian king’s castle collapsed, the fire of the Temple of Azargoshnasb which had been burning for centuries, went out, that Saveh Lake which was considered sacred by some people at that time, dried out and the idols which were hanging from the walls of Ka’bah, collapsed.
These signs which are divine codes show that the Holy Prophet (S) was about to be born. The meaning of these significant events was that the birth of the Holy Prophet (S) would put an end to the humiliation which had been imposed on mankind as a result of the actions of autocratic and oppressive rulers such as those in Iran and Rome of that time and as a result of worshipping things or people instead of God.
Human beings will be saved by the Holy Prophet (S). They will be saved from the injustice that has been imposed by tyrannical rulers on oppressed people over the course of history, and from humiliating superstitions and wrong beliefs that forced human beings to bow to and worship lowly creatures or other human beings. For this reason, there is an Ayah regarding Be’that of the Holy Prophet (S) which says:
“He it is Who sent His Messenger with the guidance and the true religion that He may make it prevail over all the religions, and Allah is enough for a witness.” 7
No time has been specified for “that He may make it prevail over all the religions” and it only shows the direction. This event should cause human beings to move towards spiritual, social, genuine and intellectual freedom. This movement was started and we human beings are responsible for continuing it. This is another law of creation.
If human beings make more determined efforts, they will achieve divine goals faster, the goals that Allah the Exalted has specified for them. But if they fail to do so and show that they are weak, they will waste years on this path, just like the Children of Israel:
“For forty years, they shall wander about in the land.” 8
The Children of Israel caused such conditions that they were forced to wander in the desert. They could have prevented that hardship and bitterness. They could have made their journey shorter. The same is true of our destiny as well.
The reason behind creation of man and the philosophy behind the sending of divine prophets and scriptures have been announced to Muslims as well. It is human beings themselves who can make this journey longer or shorter. The time that it will take to reach the final destination depends on human beings. 9
Be’that of the Holy Prophet of Islam (S) was the beginning of a new path for humanity. The atmosphere in which that prophetic message was revealed was very bad and intolerable. That message was revealed in a world of materialistic tendencies, a world of subhuman characteristics, a world in which powerful and domineering people were not restricted, a world of discrimination, corruption, oppression and immorality. These conditions were not particular to the Hijaz region. The two powerful governments around the Arabian Peninsula namely, the Sassanid dynasty in Iran and the Roman Empire –were suffering from the same problems.
