Tenets of Islamic Beliefs; Prophethood/46

Prophets Tasked with Forbidding Wrong

TEHRAN (IQNA) – After being appointed to prophethood, messengers of God are given various tasks and missions, one of which is preventing people from vices and evils.

News ID: 3486129

Date: 24 November 2023 - 12:21

The Holy Prophet of Islam (PBUH), like other divine messengers, prevented people from vices.

The life of Arabs before the Bi’tha (appointment of Muhammad (PBUH) to prophethood) was in its worst in intellectual, cultural, health, economic, security and social terms. Here is how Imam Ali (AS) described the conditions of life in Arabia before the advent of Islam:

Intellectually, the light of guidance was out and hearts were dark with ignorance: “… guidance was unknown and darkness prevailed.”

Culturally, there were few literate people among them: “There was no one among Arabs who could read a book.”

In terms of beliefs, they would worship idols made of wood and stone: “Idols are fixed among you.”

In terms of health and hygiene, they drank polluted water and ate unclean food.

Economically, they were so poor that most of them had nothing to eat but dry bread.

In terms of security, fear ruled people’s hearts and sword ruled their brain. “They were given) colocynth for eating, myrrh and aloes for drinking, and fear for an inner and the sword for an outer covering.”

They were afraid of one another and lived in fear but put on a courageous face and threatened one another.

Socially, there was so much discord and disunity among tribes that they shed blood for the most trivial pretexts. “You shed blood of each other and cared not for relationship.”

So before Bi’tha, people lived the worst kind of life and were mired in superstitions and the darkness of Shirk (polytheism), discord, oppression and poverty. Then the Holy Prophet (PBUH) came and removed the clouds of vices, injustices and oppressions.

This is one of the mission of divine messengers: Preventing vices and fighting against corruptions. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) fought against all kinds of vices, including murder, child-killing, Riba (usury), drinking wine, worshipping idols and prostrating before kings.

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If people of the world learn about the life and sacrifices of divine leaders and prophets of God, they would never prefer leaders who live in luxury palaces in the name of supporting laborers or pseudo-philosophers who have destroyed the lives of millions in the name of science and philosophy. Instead, they would follow the straight path of divine messengers.

Prophets of God were both truthful and successful, while man-made schools of thought prove to be full of flaws that are exposed more and more with the passage of time.

Moreover, what non-divine leaders and thinkers offer is related to one aspect of life and ignores the other aspects and it is also limited to the worldly life but the teachings of divine prophets are forever and for all dimensions of life.