Ilikuwa katika Rasi ya Arabia, miongoni mwa matuta ya mchanga ya Makka, ambapo Allah (swt) alimtuma Mjumbe Wake Muhammad ﷺ kwa wanadamu akiwa amebeba ujumbe wa Uislamu, ulio na mfumo wa maisha ambao Muumba wao amewachagulia. Kabla ya kuja kwake, watu walikuwa wakiishi maisha ya ujinga na ubinafsi, ambapo wenye nguvu walitawala na kuwaonea wanyonge. Hapa kuna muhtasari wa jinsi maisha yalivyokuwa katika zama za ujinga:

It was in the Arabian peninsula, among the sandhills of Makkah, that Allah (swt) sent His Messenger Muhammad (saw) to mankind bearing the message of Islam, containing the system of life that their Creator has chosen for them. Before its advent, people used to live a life of ignorance and selfishness, where the strong would dominate and oppress the weak. Here is a quick look at how life used to be in the days of ignorance :

* Uaminifu wa mtu ulikuwa kwanza kwa familia yake, kisha kwa kabila lake. Chochote msimamo ambao familia au kabila lingechukua, angelisaidia bila kujali kama lilikuwa la haki au la. Vita kati ya makabila vilikuwa vya kawaida sana, na kwa sababu za ajabu kabisa vingeweza kuendelea kwa miaka. Vita kati ya makabila mawili kuhusu ngamia mmoja vilidumu kwa miongo kadhaa.

* A person’s allegiance was to his family and then to his tribe. Whatever position the family or tribe would take, he would support them regardless of whether they were just or not. Wars between tribes were very common and for the most absurd reasons could continue for years. A battle between two tribes over a camel lasted for decades.

Misafara au makabila mengine mara nyingi yalivamiwa ili kuporwa mali zao, na wakati mwingine hili lilikuwa mojawapo ya njia kuu za kujipatia riziki kwa kabila.

* Caravans or other tribes were often raided for their possessions, and this was sometimes one of the main means of subsistence for a tribe.

Unywaji wa pombe, kamari na uzinzi ulikuwa umeenea sana, na maovu haya yalichukuliwa kuwa desturi za kawaida na zinazokubalika kabisa katika jamii.

* Drinking, gambling and prostitution were very much widespread, and these vices were regarded as normal and perfectly acceptable social practices.

* Wanawake hawakuwa na haki zozote kabisa. Kwa kweli walichukuliwa kama mali ambayo mwana angeweza kurithi baba yake alipofariki. Kwa sababu ya mtazamo huu wa chini kuhusu wanawake, tabia ya kuwazika wasichana wakiwa hai mara tu baada ya kuzaliwa ili kuepuka aibu ilikuwa imeenea sana.

* Women had no rights at all. In fact they used to be considered as goods that a son could inherit when the father passed away. Because of this lowly view regarding women, the habit of burying girls alive at birth to avoid shame was widespread.

Biashara katika masoko ilikuwa na sifa ya udanganyifu, ughushi na rushwa. Watu wangewashutumu wengine na kupigana nao iwapo wao ndio waliokuwa waathiriwa, huku wakitumia kila fursa kutenda makosa hayo hayo wenyewe.

* Trading in the markets was characterised by cheating, fraud and corruption. People would accuse and fight against others if they were the victims, while taking every opportunity to perpetrate the same crimes themselves.

* Mkuu wa kabila ndiye alikuwa mwenye uamuzi pekee, na ilimpasa kutiiwa bila kuhoji. Alifurahia manufaa mengi kutokana na hali hii, kwa hiyo nafasi yake ilikuwa ya kuonewa wivu. Hii ilimaanisha kwamba daima kulikuwa na mtu aliyekuwa akipanga na kula njama za kumwondoa madarakani na kuchukua nafasi yake, iwe kutoka ndani ya familia yake au kutoka familia nyingine za kabila.

* The head of the tribe was the sole decision maker and he had to be obeyed blindly. He enjoyed many benefits as a result of this and thus his position was very enviable. This meant there was always someone planning and plotting to depose him and take over from his family or from other families in the tribe.

* Ili kuridhisha silika ya kidini, watu waliabudu vitu kama miti, mawe, wanyama, moto, jua na nyota. Waliposhindwa kuridhika na kile walichokuwa wakikiabudu, walijitengenezea sanamu nyingine kutoka vitu kama tende, au kinyesi kilichochanganywa na maziwa.

* To satisfy the religious instinct people worshipped such things as trees, stones, animals, fire, the sun, and stars. If they were not satisfied with what they were worshipping they would make another idol for themselves out of things like dates or dung mixed with milk.

Katikati ya uelewa uliopotoka kuhusu maisha na katika imani na mifumo mbalimbali ya kuendesha mambo, Allah (SWT) alimtuma Mtume Muhammad ﷺ akiwa na ujumbe kwa wanadamu wa kumwabudu Mungu mmoja pekee. Hii ilimaanisha kwamba Yeye pekee ndiye apaswe kuwa chanzo cha sheria, na ndiye atakayebainisha lipi ni haki na lipi ni batili.

Amid such corrupted understandings about life and amongst such beliefs and systems of running affairs, Allah (swt) sent Prophet Muhammad (saw) with the message to humanity to worship only one God. This meant that only He should be the source for legislation and He would be the one to define what is the right and what is the wrong.