IIPH (International Islamic Publishing House)

page no : 1THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD(PBIJII)öI-1AAbbas TawfiqINTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC PUBLISHING HOUSEPage no :2Social life25The nature of sncial life in the Arabian Peninsula during thepre-lslamic period was characterised by the same features thatcoloured social life in other parts of the world at that time, thougheach was stamped to differing degrees by the dominant cultures ofthat period.Arab society was run according to a class system thatconsisted of free people and slaves. The former were constantlyvulnerable to enslavement if their own tribe was defeated byinvading tribes. Although this risk can be deduced from examiningArab history, a clear illustration is provided in the statement of al-Mugheerah ibn 4 Shu'bah when he was received by Rustum, thePersian commander: "We the Arabs do not enslave each otherunless there is a war." SThe second social class consisted of slaves who had beenpurchased, subjugated in war or who became enslaved due tobeing isolated for snme reason from the protection of their owntribe, In order to be released, a slave had to reach an agreementwith his or her master in order to buy liberty. Alternatively, theslave could wait in the hope of being released during a subsequentcounterattack by his or her fellow tribesmen. Counterattacks wereimportant in upholding the honour of Bedouins in the eyes of othertribes, especially if they had forfeited female prisoners. Moreover,if an enslaved female bore a child to her enemy, for instance withher master who had captured her, then the ignominy would clingnot only to herself and her children, but also to the whole of heroriginal tribe. 6 This dreaded fate, in addition to the fear of poverty,underpins the fact that many Bedouins would feel ashamed if theyproduced a female child, and would hasten to bury her alive. TheNoble Qur'an mentions this in the following verses:Page no : 3PROPIILTMUHAMMAI)An Inspired Life informs and inspires with itsinsights into the birth of the Islamic Faith andthc tribulations encountered by its ProphetMuhammed 113BUH) and his steadfast follow-ers prior to the acceptance and establishmentof the religion, The author has provided afascinating glimpse into the life Of theProphet Muhammed (PBUH}, which clarifieshis role of Divine Messenger and extols hisattributes and personal qualitiesas a modelMuslim. The work is very relevant today, as inthe current political and sociål climate theintended ethics Of Islam have become blurredand somewhat distorted. Dr. Abbas Tawfiqhas highlighted the essence of thc faiththrough his focus on the behaviour of itsProphet. This book is a must for anyone whois drawn to further their knowledge of Islamand will appeal to both Muslim andnon-Muslim alike.About the authorProfessor Abbos Tawfiq, originally from Iraq,has been lecturing in the VK for a number ofyears. He not only specialises in Arabiclanguage and literature, but is also active inthe field Of Islamic studies, Professor Abbashas made a substantial contribution (both inArabic and English) to research in numerousfields; including Qur'anic Studies, IslamicHistory and Islamic Research Methodology.His academic background and intimateknowledge Of Islam have inspired the writingof this fascinati ng and instructive work on thelife ofthe Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).