Muhammad (Peace and blessings of God be on him.) had been teaching a profound yet very simple message for 13 years in Mecca: There is but one God. The concept was definitely not new. Muhammad attributes it to Jesus, Moses, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Noah and others. Yet the beauty of its expression in the enchanting verses of Quran -- revealed from God to Muhammad -- appealed to many, unlettered slaves and tough warriors alike.
Prophet Muhammad introduced God as the most compassionate, ever-merciful God, whose love flows out with such abundance that it encompasses everything. Muhammad talked about Him, to Him, in Him all the time -- while sitting, standing, lying down and even in his sleep. He spoke the Word of God verbatim, as recited to him by the archangel Gabriel, under oath: "In His name. In the name of Allah, the Gracious and Ever-Merciful." The prophet used this verse to begin everything he did. Every action of man must be clothed in the love and mercy of God.
Muhammad introduced this God as the only hope for mankind, which was steeped in the worst kind of inequities all over the world. Unity of mankind originates from the unity of its creator, he declared. "He is Allah, the One, the Independent and Besought of all. He begets not, nor is He begotten. And there is none like unto Him." Muhammad pointed to the unity in the laws of nature to argue for the unity of all humans and their equal status in the sight of God. He stated, "If there had been in them (the heavens and the earth) other gods besides Allah, then surely both would have gone to ruin. Glorified then be Allah, the Lord of the Throne, above what they attribute" (Holy Quran 21:23). Muhammad's declared mission was to save humanity from this certain total ruin; thus, setting the world on the path of justice and equality, on the basis of unity through persuasion and exemplary conduct.
The message appealed to many. The slaves, the women, the poor, the weak, the orphans and other downtrodden of the society were naturally attracted to his message. They wondered how this miracle, an impossible feat, would ever come to pass. Muhammad had no power or financial means to do this by force or by offering largesse as despotic kings do. But, the concept of the undivided unity of the benevolent God had filled the people with certainty of faith in the new heaven and the new earth that Muhammad was promising them. They fell in love with this God, submitting wholly to Him. And God responded with such grace and reassurance that they never faltered thereafter, despite cruel and inhumane treatment at the hands of their enemies for years. A single stroke of love had turned many into saints overnight. They knew the Kingdom of God would certainly arrive, but only through peaceful conduct and self-sacrifice.
In Medina, the situation had suddenly and dramatically changed -- or so it seemed. The Arab tribes of Aus and Khazraj -- as well as the Jews -- had agreed to accept Muhammad as their ruler and arbiter. He had become a king. In situations of weakness and helplessness, everyone teaches patience. True character can only be judged when kindness and forbearance are shown upon attaining power. Muhammad did not change; his message did not change. In fact, he put together the foundation of a state built on absolute justice, emerging from the unity of mankind, based on the unity of its creator. In the state of Medina, slaves and women had rights, Jews and pagans could worship as they pleased. The color of the skin or the nobility of blood did not count. Rich and the poor were equal in front of the law. Certain issues could be settled within the communities, be they Jewish, Muslim or pagan, while others that affected the society as a whole were to be dealt with at the state level. No one was to be forced to change his or her own religion. The defense of the city was the common responsibility of all of its citizens. Thus, a highly structured government ensued, resolving many of the issues that resulted in incessant civil wars in the past.
The Jews were also intrigued by Prophet Muhammad's teachings. After all, he taught love and respect for all of the Old Testament prophets. Muslims even faced toward Jerusalem in their daily prayers. Some of the Jews accepted Muhammad as the prophet -- like unto Moses -- that was promised to them from among their brothers, fulfilling the prophesy in Deuteronomy 18.
Over time, Muhammad's high regard for absolute justice and his wisdom affected most of the pagan Arabs of Medina to leave their old polytheistic ways to join the nascent Muslim community.
NAN Religion on 08/15/2015