Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless and greet him) was born in the 6th century in Arabia, 570 years after Jesus Christ, to become the last ring in the golden chain of Messengers of Allah. He reconfirmed and renewed the eternal message of God to mankind to submit and surrender to Him and follow His Divine Guidance. This was the eternal message which was given to different generations of mankind at different stages of history by countless Prophets and Messengers.
He was the greatest among the Messengers as his message is destined to guide mankind up to the end of the world. History has never known any other man whose influence has been so durable and pervasive on human thoughts and actions. He changed the fate of Arabia within a short span of 23 years of his Prophetic mission. Besides this, he gave permanent values and laid down firm foundations for the future course of human civilization. He was truly the greatest conqueror of ideas and the greatest revolutionary of all times.
The historians are amazed and startled at the great task which he accomplished in such a short time with so meagre resources. They feel forced to conclude that the supernatural power of God was behind him, which gave him immense power and strength to accomplish this stupendous task. There can be no other explanation to his amazing achievements of enduring nature.
His message was to liberate man from the tyranny of shirk (polytheism) and Godlessness. He enabled humanity to break the chains of superstitions and false notions. He taught the lesson of using the faculty of reason for implementing the Divine instructions. His message was essentially to return to God and utilise reason. He led the revolt against false gods and false thoughts. His charge was especially directed against the tyrant rulers and false faiths which had appropriated the power to decide the destiny of human beings. He said that only God deserves to be worshipped and obeyed and there can be no obedience to anyone other than God in the disobedience of God. He restored to God what actually belongs to him. He destroyed the false gods and directed man to God, the Real Ruler. Thus he gave God back to man and man back to God.
He waged a virtual jihad against tribal, geographical and racial prejudices and united the whole mankind on the basis of God-consciousness and human brotherhood. The barriers of prejudices and claims of superiority based on race and place were demolished by him in no time and the world, for the first time, witnessed the long period of true piety, human dignity and real equality.
Today, in spite of tall claims of enlightenment, man is still groping in darkness. He is still searching for the meaning of life. Life is more or less a meaningless pursuit for him. His life is bereft of direction and objective. Crass materialism has so overpowered him that he has lost all sense of any lofty purpose of life. He is blindly treading the path of his carnal desires.
Our age requires the grace of God and a genuine return to His Mercy. The message of Prophet Muhammad can put the directionless man on the right track. It is his guidance which can restore human dignity by overthrowing the tyranny of man upon man, tyranny of the strong upon the weak and the tyranny of materialism upon morality.
Come, let us join hands in this month of Rabi-ul-Awwal, the month in which Prophet Muhammad was born, to rejuvenate human life by renovating his message, by fully putting into practice his message in our individual as well as collective life. This only can enable the world to solve its long standing problems in the best possible way.