In the dark days of barbarity, people were in deep hibernation. Their lifeless society would fill one with great disappointment. Violence and bloodshed were their daily practices. Their life was empty of human dignity and moral values. The soulless life of motionless people reflected the picture of a cemetery. Their conscience was almost dead. Is it possible to simply wake them or to inject a new soul to such a community?  

Since they were asleep deeply, it was too difficult to wake each and every one of them. The prophets accosted them to open their eyes. Some didn’t wake up at all, some pretended to be in deep sleep but only a few woke up. In addition, many were spiritually ill; however they refused to practice upon the prescriptive advices of the holy prophets for they didn’t consider themselves ill. Of course, when one refuses to accept illness, s/he will mind being called ill and will raise animosity with you, won’t they?

Just think you are advising a selfish person to give up selfishness. You explain him/her the negative aspects of selfishness and the positive aspects of selflessness. S/he will not be touched by your advice unless s/he has already abandoned it. If they have already abandoned selfishness, there is no need to advise them. However if they persist in this quality, they will not show tendency to listen to you. So, you will face this challenging paradox to deal with. The prophets faced the same issue and put their fingers on the barriers which prevented them from listening to their messages. So as to embrace religious faith, they were asked, first, to change themselves spiritually. If one doesn’t empty himself of negative qualities, there will remain no space for the positive ones.

Undoubtedly, before intending to change the human societies, the prophets changed themselves spiritually. Their ascetic practices and soulful prayers in seclusion polished their soul from evils. The prophets expected the people the same changes. But to be changed, they were supposed to wake up first. They were carrying a tough mission.

Among Islamic mystics, light or sun signifies inner refinement. Prophets are mostly likened to sun that were shining brightly and equally to each and every one. They lightened the world for the people to see what were going around them. Yet, some did not open their eyes intentionally or unintentionally but some directly focused on the sun for long time which led to their blindness.

Now, considering the above explanations, prophets came to enliven the hibernated or dead communities and to beckon the people to the way of salvation. Holy Quran also brings such examples: “Is one who was dead and we granted him life, and provided him with light that enables him to move among the people, equal to one in total darkness from which he can never exit? The works of the disbelievers are thus adorned in their eyes.” (6: 122) It is further said, “Allah is the ally of those who believe. He brings them out from darkness into the light. And those who disbelieve – their allies are Taghut. They take them out of the light into darkness. Those are the companions of the fire; they will abide eternally therein.” (2: 257)

Lucky were the people who experienced the divine revelation conveyed to the prophets by angels and spent life of virtue in the prophets’ presence. They practiced upon the hot and pure messages which were not tinged with misinterpretations. However, many messages are only filtered through our century.

In the prophets’ ideology, there exist nature, super-nature, angel, Satan, hereafter, hell, heaven, etc. When one believes in this ideology, s/he lives contrary to those who disbelieve. For instance, we believe in the existence of germ and virus, we live in a particular way. But in the past, since the people were unaware of such things and germ did not exist in their worldview, they lived in a way as if there was no germ. The same is the case with our religious life. One’s moral and social attitudes will be influenced by his/her worldview and separate the way of a religious person from irreligious one.

A world view is how one perceives and interprets the world in its entirety. It includes a collection of beliefs about things such as life and the world itself. These beliefs can be held by an individual or a group of people. Many people associate worldview with religion as well. Carol Hill says : “By ‘worldview’ I mean the basic way of interpreting things and events that pervades a culture so thoroughly that it becomes a culture’s concept of reality – what is good, what is important, what is sacred, what is real. Worldview is more than culture, even though the distinction between the two can sometimes be subtle. It extends to perceptions of time and space, of happiness and well-beings. The beliefs, values, and behaviors of a culture stem directly from its worldview.”

It is so unlucky to see that after the demise of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Islamic societies gradually diverted from the right path right up till today. His religious teachings have been turned upside down and religion plays its role negatively. To be more exact, Islamic societies are mired in violence by the foul role of the religious extremists. Currently, cruelty and inhuman practices hold sway in our society. Religion is exploited largely by the radical groups.

Of course, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) challenged the social status of Arab lords who were selfish and exploiter of the poor. He questioned the humanity of the masters who felt no mercy for their hardworking slaves.

Challenging of the status quo of his time, Prophet came with lofty religious ideology. He cherished justice and morality. The Prophet’s holy mission was to establish a religious society which treated humans with dignity, and offered them social rights and freedom.