﷽
The following are some notes from our new class, The World of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, part of our Middle Ground Summer Dīn Intensive.
The Roman Empire
The state and “default setting” of the pre-modern world was one of exploitation and domination. Those who wielded power had no concept of responsibility towards those they governed over; their only concern was extraction and exploitation. And for the most part this was universal. Islām, as a revelation and a system, comes as a lightning rod and disrupter: those who rule, and those who are ruled, will have a mutually beneficial relationship.
Force was the primary way of negotiating social hierarchies. The author says about Syria, for example:
فَقَدْ كَثُرَتْ فِيهِمُ المَظَالِمُ، وَالرَّقِيقُ، وَلَا يَعْتَمِدُونَ فِي قِيَادَةِ الشَّعْبِ إِلَّا عَلَى القُوَّةِ
“Injustices and slavery were widespread among them, and they relied on nothing but force to lead the people.”
When we consider these historical facts and observations, we can see that Islām was truly a revolutionary force, turning normal social conventions upside down.
The coincidences that we see between the Roman Empire and today’s American Empire cannot be ignored. Much of American foreign policy relies upon interfering in foreign states, attacking them on trumped up charges or aggression or terrorism, imposing our rule over them. Just as Islām was a revolutionary idea (one which recognized the sovereignty of others) at the time of its revelation, so too is Islām today a threat to those who would seek to subjugate under the same false pretenses. Not solely for this reason, but without a doubt, so long as there remains injustice and tyranny in the world there will be those who look to the guidance of Islām as a means of confronting and mitigating that tyranny and injustice.
وَكانَ الحُكْمُ حُكْمَ الغُرَبَاءِ، الَّذِي لَا يَعْتَمِدُ إِلَّا عَلَى القُوَّةِ
“The rule was that of foreigners, relying solely on force.”
Even in today’s world there remains the problem of rulers who see no humanity or worth, beyond resource-extraction, in their ruled populations. This is the world that islam came into, the world it came to confront, and it’s a problem that still needs confronting today.
In America, for example, there is not simply a growing divide between “the have’s and the have-nots” but between the political class and everyone other than the political class.
وَلَا يَشْعُرُ بِأَيِّ عَطْفٍ عَلَى الشَّعْبِ المَحْكُومِ
“And [the ruler] felt no compassion for the ruled people.”
Another aspect of how the pre-modern world of the Prophet’s remains similar to ours is the predilection towards excessive argumentation and esotericism. As for the former, this remains much the same today as it did then only today we have X (formerly Twitter) and social media, as well as podcasts. These have become the arenas by which these debates take place. As for the esotericism, it too has found a home on podcasts and YouTube channels where all manner of exotic topics are explored from aliens to AI. Like its pre-modern progenitor, these debates are not conducted by experts, scholars, and theologians, but rather have become the preoccupation of everyday people:
وَأَصْبَحَ الرَّجُلُ العَادِيُّ فِي البِلادِ يَتَدَخَّلُ فِي الأَبْحَاثِ الدِّينِيَّةِ العَمِيقَةِ, وَالجَدَلُ البِيزَنْطِيُّ، وَيَتَشَاغَلُ بِهِ، كَمَا طُبِعَتِ الحَيَاةُ العَادِيَّةُ العَامَّةُ بِطَابِعِ المَذْهَبِ البَاطِنِيِّ
“The average [Byzantine] man in the land began to involve himself in deep theological debates, engaging in argumentation and busied himself with it. Moreover, everyday public life was marked by the character of esoteric doctrine”
In other words, the notion of there being a Transcendent Truth, an ultimate maxum to which all truth-claims and morality had to appeal to and justify itself by, waned and as a result the common people drifted towards disunity and confusion.
وَلَكِنْ نَرَى هَؤُلَاءِ – فِي جَانِبٍ آخَرَ – حَرِيصِينَ أَشَدَّ الحِرْصِ عَلَى كُلِّ نَوْعٍ مِن أَنْوَاعِ اللَّهْوِ
“We see these people — on the other hand — extremely eager for every kind of entertainment”
Islam comes into this to bring unity and certainty as well as a gravity to life. People were losing the idea that (1) life had a purpose and (2) that that purpose was not to entertain oneself (and soul) to death. This is also central to the mission and character of the Prophet.
You can watch the full video here: