The Person and Character of the
Prophet Muhammad (6)

The Social Changes Brought about by the Prophet

Dealing with the social changes brought about by the Prophet, Dr. Noldeke [1] states: “One fact among others by which we can estimate the striking impression the Prophet produced upon the Arabs, is that as each tribe submitted, or adopted his religion, it renounced the right of revenge for the bloodshed in the struggle. Under other circumstances, this abandonment of blood revenge, at least, would have seemed to the Arab the lowest depth of humiliation. This was, indeed so striking a feature of the new brotherhood that it could not fail to make a silent but deep impression upon the unbelieving multitude who now began to feel the new religion power.

“To those who seek miracles, this glorious result, achieved in less than a decade, constitute a real and splendid miracle of Islam, which alone gives it the title, to be ranked as a great religion and a wonderful civilising agency. In an exquisitely beautiful passage, full of grace and wisdom, the Glorious Qu’ran draws a contrast between the life and manners of the Arabs in the shade of Islam and those in pre-Islamic times; and urges upon the true believers a true union of hearts, and dwells on the real purpose of the advent of the new religion. Here is a translation of the verses:

‘O you believers, fear God as He deserves to be feared; and die not but as true Muslims. And hold you fast by the cord of God, all of you, and do not scatter yourselves, and remember God’s goodness towards you, how that when you were enemies. He united your hearts, and through His grace, you became brethren, and when you were on the brink of the pit of fire, He drew you back from it; thus clearly God shows His signs, that you may be guided. And let there be among you a people who invite to the good, and enjoin the right, and forbid the wrong: and these are they who shall succeed. And be you not like those who have broken into divisions and fallen into disagreement, after the clear proofs have come to them; and for those there waits a terrible punishment”. [3:102-105]