Islam an historical perspective by abul alaa mawdudi

2. £(f) The Islamic Foundation
Second Revised Edition
Reprinted - 19S0
ISBN 0 86037 006 2
1974
1977 1397 H
Published by:
THE ISLAMIC FOUNDATION
223 London Road.
Leicester LE2 I ZE.
United Kingdom.
Tel: (0533) 700725.
Islam: An Historical
Perspective
Quran House,
P.O. Box 30611,
Nairobi.
Kenya.
P. M. B. 3193.
Kano,
Nigeria.
Islam began when man’s career on earth began—more
precisely at the time of man’s creation and his descent. Allah
created Adam and Eve and enjoined them to worship Him
and live a life of obedience to the Divine Will.
Allah is the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe and of
human beings. Man must turn to Him for sustenance and
guidance. The very word islam means obedience to God. In
this respect, Islam is man’s natural religion—the only natural
course is for man to look towards Him for guidance.
The day Adam and Eve were sent down to live on earth,
Allah told them that they were His servants and He was their
Master and Creator. He told them and mankind that the best
course was for them to follow His guidance, to obey His
orders and to refrain from what He had forbidden. God said
to them that He would be pleased if they obeyed Him and in
turn He would reward them. If, however, they did not heed
His commands, He would be displeased and would punish
them. This was the simple beginning of Islam.
Printed in England by:
Centaprint of Leicester Limited,
39-41 York Street, Leicester.
Telephone. (0533) 556610 - 553252
ThisisanEnglishrendenngofalalkgivcnbyMawlanaMawdudionRadioPakistanon 6th July, 1948. This
translation has been prepared under the auspices of the Islamic Foundation, England, by Mr. Ashraf
Abu Turab The translator expresses his gratitude to Mr. M. Ally for his comments and suggestions.
3
2

3. rAdam and Eve invited their children to follow the Islamic
way of life. They and their children and their later genera­
tions followed the teachings of Islam as propounded by
Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) for quite a long period of
time. It was only later on that certain people began dis­
obeying Allah. Some of them began worshipping other gods
of their own making, some of them regarded themselves as
gods, while a few others even declared their freedom to do as
they pleased—defying God's orders. This is how kufr
(disbelief) came into being. Its essence lies in refusal to
worship God—pursuing the path of defiance to the Creator.
When kufr (disbelief) began to increase and multiply it
affected the life of society in a number of ways. Exploitation,
oppression, viciousness and immorality emerged in different
forms. Life became intolerable. Allah then appointed some
righteous people to preach the Message of Truth among the
wrongdoers, invite them to the Right Path and convert them
to God-fearing people—worshipping and obeying God
Alone. In short, they were asked to perform a mission—to
make people righteous and true Muslims. These noble
people entrusted with this great mission were called Prophets
or Messengers of Allah. Allah sent these Prophets to differ­
ent nations and countries. All of them were honest, truthful,
and people of noble character. All of them preached the
same religion—Islam. To mention a few names—Noah,
Abraham, Moses and Jesus. All of them were the Prophets of
God and thousands of them were, over the centuries, sent
into the world to guide mankind.
In the history of the last few thousand years, one can see the
recurrent arrival of Prophets whenever kufr (disbelief) in­
creased and assumed menacing proportions. The Prophets
tried to stop the tide of disbelief and invited people towards
Islam. Some people adopted the Islamic way of life, but
others rejected it. The people who followed the Prophets
became Muslims and, after learning higher ethical and moral
disciplines from them, began to preach and spread nobility
andgoodness. Having forgotten the teachings of Islam, later
generations of Muslims themselves gradually sank into dis­
belief. Whenever such a situation arose, God sent a Prophet
or Messenger to revive Islam. This continual arrival of
Messengers of God continued for thousands of years. In the
course of those long years, Islam was revived by those
Prophets, who restated the Message forgotten by their
people. At long last God sent the Prophet Muhammad
(peacebe upon him) who revived Islam in such an outstand­
ingfashion that it still exists today and will continue to exist
(God willing), till eternity.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born in
571 C.E. in the now famous city of Arabia called Makkah.
Islamhad no following in Arabia at that time nor did it have
any following anywhere else in the world. Although the
traces of teachings of the earlier Prophets could be found
amonga few pious people who tried to worship one and only
oneGod and live a life of obedience to Him, the true religion
of God was lost in a maze of paganism and pantheism. The
pure worship of God, unadulterated by shirk (worship of
false gods), was nowhere to be found. Moral values had lost
their grip and people were indulging in all sorts of lax
behaviour and wickedness. Such was the situation in Arabia
as also in the whole world at the close of the sixth century
when God decided to send the Prophet Muhammad (peace
be upon him) as His last Messenger. He spent forty years of
hislife as a patient observer in the city of Makkah. Everyone
respected him for his noble qualities of head and heart. But
theywerenot aware thatthis man was destined to become the
world’s greatest leader.
4 5

4. Adam and Eve invited their children to follow the Islamic
way of life. They and their children and their later genera­
tions followed the teachings of Islam as propounded by
Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) for quite a long period of
time. It was only later on that certain people began dis­
obeying Allah. Some of them began worshipping other gods
of their own making, some of them regarded themselves as
gods, while a few others even declared their freedom to do as
they pleased—defying God’s orders. This is how kufr
(disbelief) came into being. Its essence lies in refusal to
worship God—pursuing the path of defiance to the Creator.
When kufr (disbelief) began to increase and multiply it
affected the life of society in a number of ways. Exploitation,
oppression, viciousness and immorality emerged in different
forms. Life became intolerable. Allah then appointed some
righteous people to preach the Message of Truth among the
wrongdoers, invite them to the Right Path and convert them
to God-fearing people—worshipping and obeying God
Alone. In short, they were asked to perform a mission—to
make people righteous and true Muslims. These noble
people entrusted with this great mission were called Prophets
or Messengers of Allah. Allah sent these Prophets to differ­
ent nations and countries. All of them were honest, truthful,
and people of noble character. All of them preached the
same religion—Islam. To mention a few names—Noah,
Abraham, Moses and Jesus. All of them were the Prophetsof
God and thousands of them were, over the centuries, sent
into the world to guide mankind.
In the history of the last few thousand years, one can see the
recurrent arrival of Prophets whenever kufr (disbelief) in­
creased and assumed menacing proportions. The Prophets
tried to stop the tide of disbelief and invited people towards
Islam. Some people adopted the Islamic way of life, but
disciplines from them, began to preach and spread nobility
and goodness. Having forgotten the teachings of Islam, later
generations of Muslims themselves gradually sank into dis­
belief. Whenever such a situation arose, God sent a Prophet
or Messenger to revive Islam. This continual arrival of
Messengers of God continued for thousands of years. In the
course of those long years, Islam was revived by those
Prophets, who restated the Message forgotten by their
people. At long last God sent the Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him) who revived Islam in such an outstand­
ing fashion that it still exists today and will continue to exist
(God willing), till eternity.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) w-as borni in
571 C E in the now famous city of Arabia called Mak .
Islam had no following in Arabia at that time nor did it have
anv following anywhere else in the world. A thoug
Ses o? teachmgs of the earlier Prophets could be found
imnne a few pious people who tried to worship one and o y
oneGodandlivealifeofobedience toHimUhe true religion
of God was lost in a maze of paganism and pantheism. T e
pure worship of God, unadulterated by shirk (worship of
false gods), was nowhere to be found. Moral values had lost
their grip and people were indulging ir. all sorts of lax
behaviour and wickedness. Such was the situation in Arabia
as also in the whole world at the close of the sixth century
when God decided to send the Prophet Muhammad (peace
e upon him) as His last Messenger. He spent forty years of
reBs^.Sahi^,|?bSe^rin'heci‘yofMakkahEven'one
C X 2quafe °ftod and BUt
bma"WaSdesli"edloto~the
5

5. During the early years othhifc
(peace be upon him) felt very ow'd, gnc^">
immorality of the world ofhis time Theresa^''
man by man. There was injustice and tyranrn h?».
grieved and anxious, but was somewhat silent a*ht t<» »*
unable to devise a remedy for the ailinghumanity ot oj
At long last, God chose him as His Messenger Ufo,
attained the age of forty, God entrusted him with thi Mm.
of spreading Islam, the true religion of God, the rtlipM j
peace and justice, by means of the Revelations »
now know as the Qur’an.
Having been appointed as the Messenger of (»<»d
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) started1 iou*
m unicate God's Message to his people in Makkah He htp.
by inviting them to worship none but God their**
Creator and Master. People in general oppsedhim andu*
to prevent him from spreading Islam, e.
tinned his work with unflinching determination»nd^
tion. As a result, many honest people gathcre rou
They became his staunch supporters. The teaching ol»
Messenger of God spread slowly hut surely outside his natiu
Makkah to Arabia at large. Those who had a reputation to
honesty and moral excellence began to accept the hath
while opposition to them came from many ignorant peiipk
and vicious quarters. This continued for thirteen
There was a gradual breaking of new ground Islam /
gaining a following all over Arabia. This is one side ot the i
story. On the other hand, the defenders of the old iwdri
people with vested interests and steepedin ignorant cusMn*
were hardening their opposition to Islam. Whenever ne»
converts to Islam were presented, they were abused humih
ated, beaten, tortured, expelled and een put to death
Nevertheless, they remained firm and steadfA, a. i T
Makkan eiders devised a plot to asJassin^.K L ‘ thc
God in order to nip the IdaZticnun ementm^b^^'
H her

6. iWttMbedthat pflthil tied ordered Hu Messenger
v> leave Matt* and migrate to Madinah.
Hnihg learned that the Prophet was planning to migrate
Irw MAkah its traders expedited their plans to murder
h»r wi hs >wne outward However. their disgraceful
•nv£rac coulf no! succeed The Prophet arrived at
Madtnah safe and sound This is the most famous migration
dii|rth) m the fusion of Klim The Muslim calendar begins
from that das the sears being numbered "After Hijrah”
(AH)
Madinah. a cits some 4Mi kilometres from Makkah, was
glowing as a sentie for Islam A number of people had
already been converted to the new faith. Islamic teachings
were winning new supporters every day Leaders of the two
major tribes of Madmah had accepted Islam and were ready
to sacrifice their lives and property for the cause of Islam. At
this point, the Prophet started planning to move to Madinah.
As soon as the Prophet settled in Madinah, the new Muslims
started to fkxk into the city from the four corners of Arabia.
This further strengthened the new centre Islam was no
longer a persecuted religion; it was able to obtain a firm
foothold and was provided with the historic opportunity to
establish an Islamic State and society. This constitutes the
most important development of the post-Hijrah period. The
leaders of Makkah. the defenders of the old order, did not
miss the significance of this change. They realised that a new
model was being set up. which would be a challenge to the
was thes were running their society. This caused great
miielt amongst them They decided to crush this rising force
•bllc • •“ “«»they believed that it would
t* u>) u> ausk the Muslim, »hile they were feu, r
7

7. Ourtnf ths vr»r* hta Mt th, rs..PH, , Mith.^mad
(pcmt hr html if li *vrv Mme h i-»vr*< •! t>« *rr thr rm*
imnvitahh the w.vrM <** hr» »«nr Th. »T *rl. ««ihir»<
m»tl th n»<Mt “Th. • * *■■ • -» »n| nt.-.nin lb »
gjTt< VC Mnd • *"• V »'M1* •■<»it S* *»* v »rr»< * hai *.tl. nt st f»< 1< wl, w mi
unabi. t» •’• ' •'■• '■ ' ' ’■ *' : 4,< h<>r» init% rtf tl>«
v ’14 !•** CScvrf rfhrtw htm •* I’1, Ntr-«mc*l^trr tA'htffl lie
s<tRtm«dl1t< a*"< ••*<»*'■’» (»<xlcnnw»trd him uith iht Mttuitn
j,*t - si»m ‘ h. rw rrli£b>n <tf < »<k| th< religion c4
j-w < stnet -th arw <»f ih< Revelation* *hnh w«
n. t» Kn->» O»t'*n
>tlft |Vm GodrhtehMlHnMevMenitttr
’ OOM* < ■**' MU*Mh
i ,*|l ■«■ «'s ptinroog to migrjtc
P < WsV-x etpedhed then plans to murder
,. --. i wraini Ho*rner. their disgraceful
is- . <«td The Prophet arrived at
rs' *M X.I Tb< is the most famous migration
teteW)olN«' The Mwafea catendat ’’o-irh
-t«* rh< it vs tk'mg numbered After Hi/rah
. _ -. -— j.rtr»sv»nt«~d as the Mcsm ui’ci of <««m1 thi
ri._itu i M.d-wtmmn4 <Pr*'f h< upon him) Marled to turn
r > Mesvaf* t* ‘ hl* peonlr in M.di.di lit In van
muni-al. lartc ■ -. - a .
_ *<‘ worship mini hut ( mil ih< n vil<
*'g fT" V f’* i?IJ.
I t j^n F*rw>f»lc in ^cnci #1 oppoM <1 him .iiuln •< <1
VLi-jnt heir (’*’*•* ^vreadmg Islam Hr. however, con
_ * _ »:'t unflin. hint deter nunul i< >n and di’dii .i
tmur if
* jXX^«i mans hones’ people gathered round him
Titre laemah*' hr siaum'h supfvorters 1 hr leai limps ot th<
of <»-■ *d spread sl<»« Is but surrh outside his name
•< *1 hose who had a icputation for
__ a cmclletut Iml';iii to accept the I aith
ii.tncs i '___________ , r ’
. _____~u*a i« them same from mans irnoiaiit tvropk
itm •■ t *■ . '
! hr *» * an * r *4"
gattmng » frti* ’-
sum O» »» t’rtKi fi
prop* wM» we—rn-
weiC liar
— . rv .
Illis continued for (hit teen can»
tweaking of tie* gtnund Islam was
over Aratviu I his is one stele of the
at*d (Ik dc|< tide is of (he old older.
•> and stce|»ed in ignoiani t ustsiin'
fvpvoMtaoti io Islam Whenever nr*
i>i..ei wex prewriitcd thes *cir abused hunnli
inured capclk-d and even put lo death
£tar<t fecb^oscd firm and steadfast At last the
caa.***•»>"^ k.asMMUlialc the Mcsse ngei ot
e a . -i.iu* t*M Isian.K movement tn die bud Utan
txWtvt'I'li i*
ate*!,
Steve ftl*« M***
Mai.<'■, k™,„e. from M«»Uh.
r^,M n » |.h bum A number of people had
4l (4.s N.n , mc-rred to the nc» f uth Islamic teachings
wrrt swung rx • supporters every day I eaders ot the two
„ ,.ax . ,a Madinah had joepted Islam and were ready
i. smntsc their Ines and property for the cause of Islam. At
ihtspxnt the f’lophet started planning to move to Madinah.
As s» ai as the Pr -phct wttlcd in Madinah, the new Muslims
started t<> floci into the city from the four corners of Arabia.
I hts further stungthened the new centre Islam was no
lunger a prveoited religion it was able to obtain a firm
h>o<ho(d and was provided with the histone opportunity to
cstabtesi aa Islamic Slate and vocietv This constitutes the
most important development of the post-Hi/ru/t period The
►.ask-' t Mallari the detenders of the old order, did not
mm» the M^ufacwkc t this change They realised that a new
» <k was rn«g vet -p. whtdb would be a challenge to the
'.t<» »crt ruandig then society Ibis caused great
micty amoMgst them They decided to crush this rising force
* ■ k •-i >'Jt • ■» j Laney For they believed that it would
t< tw i. ami v* MiaIhbv »hdc they were few and far
K a»d uixd a ccMiaiizcd power Sow things were
>
7

8. changing. Muslims were concentrating at one place and
organizing a new society with its own government. The
prospects of annihilating such a state, once it was firmly
entrenched, looked remote to them. The unbelievers feared
that if the Muslims were allowed to gain momentum they
would become a great power. Consequently they hurried to
band themselves together with a view to eradicating the
embryonic Islamic government at Madinah The Makkan
leaders lost no time in issuing a clarion call to their kith and
kin and to all supporters of the old order in neighbouring
towns and all over Arabia to rally round them to form a force
which could crush the Muslims. They formed a band of
cavalry which invaded Madinah and its environs time and
again with all their military might. They, however, could not
defeat the Prophet and his loyal supporters. In spite of all
efforts on the part of the unbelievers, Islam contined to
spread in Arabia. The good, honest folk continued to forsake
kufr (disbelief) and come into the fold of Islam.
Eventually, Islam gained a crowning success when the
Prophet entered victoriously into Makkah—once the strong­
hold of kufr. This all happened within eight years of the
establishment of the Islamic State of Madinah. No sooner had
Makkah submitted to the Islamic forces than the remaining
hostile groups of unbelievers of Arabia began to surrender.
Within the next year, the whole of Arabia accepted Islam and
the Muslims established a powerful government over an area
consisting of some twelve hundred thousand square miles.
Arabia had the most singular government of the time, based
as it was on the principle of the sovereignty of God and the
vicegerency (Khilafah) of man. The law of the land was
Islamic. The administration of the state lay in the hands of the
honest and pious people. The country had no trace of
violence, oppression, injustice or immorality. Peace, justice,
truth and honesty reigned supreme everywhere. Many of the
people of the country had come to possess the highest moral
attributes because they were honest in worshipping God and
obeying Him.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) changed the
character of Arabian life in a short period of only twenty
three years. He instilled in the people a spirit that helped to
serve the cause of Islam. They set out with the great mission
ofspreading Islam throughout the whole world. The Prophet
passed away at the age of sixty three, after completing the
greatest mission of all time.
The Companions of the Prophet took up the mission of the
Prophet after his death. They travelled to distant lands to
spread the Islamic teachings. They succeeded wherever they
went. Obstacles that stood in their way in spreading Islam
were all surmounted. Islam became so strong in such a short
while that no one dared try to stop its growth. The Muslims
were spread out from India to Spain. They changed the face
of the globe. The entire population of the countries they
visited were so much impressed by their good example and
noble behaviour that they began to enter quickly into the fold
ofIslam. Wherever the Muslims went, they took their highest
moral attributes with them—so much so that immorality and
injustice dissolved in their presence. They transformed
Godless people into God-conscious people and gave them
the Light of Knowledge and strength of character. They
changed their way of life so that virtue and goodness could
prevail. The entire social climate was reformed and re­
moulded. The hands of the oppressors were held and a reign
of justice and fair play established. This was the greatest
achievement in the history of mankind.
9

9. I he C ompanions of the Prophet rendered vet another great
service to mankind. Phis consisted in memorising the Qur’an
and presen ing it in its original form as it was revealed to the
Prophet They w rote dow n the Qur’an word for word and did
not miss even a mark in its Arabic orthography. Today, we
are most fortunate in having the Qur’an exactly as it was
revealed to the Prophet, written and read in the same
language and in the same diction as it was written and read in
the time of the Prophet—about 1,4(X) years ago.
Another important aspect of their work was to preserve and
communicate to posterity the most detailed account of the
Prophet's life, speeches, instructions, commands, morals and
behav lour. These accounts by the Prophet's Companions are
grouped together under the all-embracing title of the Sunnah
or Hadith (Traditions of the Prophet). This is the greatest
record ever preserved about the life and activities of a man
and is a great blessing to every generation. For even after a
lapse of l.-UX) years after the Prophet’s death, people can still
see and hear his teachings as the Companions of the Prophet
saw and heard them during his lifetime. Now anybody can
approach hadith literature and find out the Islamic point of
view on any subject. He can learn how to become obedient to
God and what type of man is liked by God.
following forgot the real teachings and drifted towards a life .
devoidofgoodmoralsand norms ofbehaviour. But Islam, as
revivedbythe Prophet Muhammad, is bound to last for ever
because the Book of God and the traditions of the Prophet
are both secure and preserved in their original purity.
The Islamic way of life can be revived and reconstructed
again and again with the help of the Qur’an and the traditions
if ever, God forbid, the freshness of its true spirit wanes.
The world no longer requires any new Prophet to revive
Islam to its pristine glory. It is enough to have among
usthe learned people who know the Qur’an and the traditions
of the Prophet and who are able to apply their teachings to
their own lives and stimulate others to adopt and apply them
in their lives as well. This is how the stream of Islam will
continue to flow, refreshing the eternal thirst of mankind.
The Qur’an and the Hadith are things of greatest importance
to a Muslim. With their preservation and security (God has
promised to secure and preserve them), Islam is protected for
all time to come. In the days before the Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him), Islam was forgotten again and again
after being revived, owing to lack of the necessary care
regarding the preservation and security of the earlier
Revealed Books and the details of the lives of their Prophets.
This was the reason why, after every Prophet, generations
io

10. 1'he Islamic Foundation is a research and educational
organisation devoted to improving human communication. Its
purpose is to develop a better understanding of Islam amongst
all the peoples of the world. The present series on
Perspectives of Islam aims at bringing
aspects of Islamic Religion and Culture.
to focus different
Pt RSPECTIVES OF ISLAM SERIES
♦
*
♦
ISLAM THE ESSENTIALS
ISLAM A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
GROWING LIP IN ISLAM
ISLAM BASIC PRINCIPLES AND
CHARACTERISTICS
WORSHIP IN ISLAM
ISLAM AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
A. A Mawdudi
T B Irving
K Ahmad
Mustafa al-Zarqa
T B Irving
♦
FAMIL’I LIFE IN ISLAM
THE CHILDREN’S BOOK OF ISLAM PART I
THE CHILDREN S WORKBOOK PART 1
Khurshid Ahmad
(English. German
& Dutch
versions)
A
Y TIME TO SPEAK: ANECDOTES OF SADI SHIRAZI
ABU BAKR THE FIRST CALIPH
HUMAN RIGHTS IN ISLAM.
ISLAM ITS MEANING AND MESSAGE
Edited by Khurshid Ahmad/Foreword by Salem Azzam
Second edition 1976
WOMAN IN ISLAM
B Aisha Lemu and Fatima Heeren
(Published in co-operation with the Islamic Council of Europe)
ISLAM FAITH AND PRACTICE Manazir Ahsan
A Mawdudi
THE OUR'AN BASIC TEACHING
T B Irving, K. Ahmad, and M M Ahsan
MUHAMMAD ASPECTS OF A BIOGRAPH Y ZiaSardar
I he Islamic I uundation United Kingdom