Islam Rediscovered
10. Islam As It Is
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monotheism remained at the initial stage; it could
not culminate in revolution. This state continued up
till the time of Christ, the last but one Prophet. The
reason being that in ancient times, the system of
monarchy was entrenched throughout the world.
The kings, in order to secure their political interests,
adopted the course of religious persecution. These
kings suppressed all religious movements, which
were different from the state religion. They would
nip all apostasy in the bud, since they saw religion
as a matter of affirming one’s loyalty to the state. If
a person adhered to a religion other than the state
religion, he was regarded as a rebel.
That is why in ancient times prophetic movements
could go no further ahead than the stage of
da‘wah
.
No sooner would a movement based on
monotheism arise than the coercive political system
would be activated to pull it out by its roots. The
reason for the absence of any historical record of
prophets (besides the Prophet Muhammad, may
peace be upon him) in antiquity is traceable to the
intense opposition of these coercive political
systems. All the Prophets of ancient times,
historically speaking, were like mythical beings,
