Were the great works of the prophets of Allah (swt) simply issues that needed addressing for the advancement of mankind? How to determine if an issue is from Allah (swt) or from your leaders? Prophet Muhammad (saw) addressed issues that affected the humanity of Arabs in his life time. One example of how complex those issues were is when the Prophet (saw) destroyed the institution of slavery in Arabia. Prophet Muhammad (saw) never stood for what he wanted unless his desires were inline with the will of Allah (swt).
Prophet Muhammad (saw) never accepted the ugly inhuman acts and occupations of his people. He fought against every indecency and defended every person’s human rights. In many of those situations he was misunderstood until, Allah (swt) delivered to him in Qur’an words that expressed His will. Issues that affected the Arabic people of that day and time were so complex that only Allah (swt) and His Prophet (saw) could have lead them to humanity.
Prophet Muhammad (saw), backed by Allah (swt), made it absolutely clear that slavery would not become an institution in Al-Islam and, helping slaver and slave find agreement? In other words, Allah (swt) gave to slave and slaver an understanding that cause them to find their freedom. Take for example Bilal ibn Rabah, freed from slavery by Prophet Muhammad (swt); after his emancipation he did not constantly make reference to his passed slave conditions or the affects of slavery. Bilal did not outwardly show any hatred for his old slaver nor did he desire anything from him in way of restitution.
Slavery is and has always been an institution about inhumanity. Hatred towards Al-Islam and the Prophet of Allah (swt) was Bilal’s only problem with his slaver. Another issue, one of the most horrible and inhuman acts every known to mankind; bury of female babies, alive. This concept was a tremendous burden on Arabic people’s minds even as they practice it; birth of female babies thought to be a disgrace and a curse on the family. Allah (swt) backed the Prophet again with words that grabbed their humanity by the neck and pulled them from the edge of destruction. In little more than one decade Prophet Muhammad (saw) reformed and raised his people up to the great humanity of the known world.
