Islam Creator of the Modern Age
4. Liberty, Equality, Fraternity
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that some people were born of the head of God,
whilst others sprang from His feet. As such, they
were divided into high and low castes. In a similar
way, the concept was formed of the kings being the
offspring of the gods, with the common people
there only to serve them. In many societies, the
concept was formed of some being superior, and
others being inferior, by birth, or by race.
Discriminatory practices, based on the concept of
inequality, had become prevalent under the
influence of polytheism and, over the centuries, had
come to be a permanent feature of human history. It
even came to be believed that just as the night is
destined to be dark and the day to be bright,
similarly the division of human beings on the
above-mentioned bases could never ever be brought
to an end. It was something, which had existed and
always would exist eternally—that being the will of
the gods.
The domination of polytheism and superstition had
to be overcome in order to usher in the age of
equality. But even with the advent of thousands of
prophets, it could not be brought into existence. For
