Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity
17. Manifestation of Prophethood in the Present Day and Age
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course of human history, the efforts of present-day
Muslims have served only to aggravate their own
plight.
This paradox stems from the differing psychologies
that lay behind the struggle of the first Muslims on
the one hand, and that of modern Muslims on the
other. While the former were moved by a sense of
discovery, the latter have been moved by a sense of
loss. For example, when the Quraysh sent two men
to try to secure the return of those Muslims who
had felt forced to emigrate to Abyssinia, the Negus
(the King) called the Muslims to his court and
questioned them about their religion. Ja’far’s
response provides a vivid picture of the feelings,
which moved the companions. He said: “O king, we
were a people steeped in ignorance, worshipping
idols, eating unsacrificed carrion, committing
abominations, and the strong would devour the
weak. Thus we were, until God sent us a Messenger
from out of our midst, one whose lineage we knew,
and his veracity, his trustworthiness and his
integrity. He called us unto God, that we should
testify to his Oneness and worship Him, and
renounce the stones and idols, that we and our
