The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume I — Page 3
1. ط ِ بِسْم ِ اللّٰه ِ الرَّحْمٰن ِ الرَّحِیْم 2 - ط ِ نَحْمَدُہ ٗ وَنُصَلِّی ْ عَلی ٰ رَسُوْلِه ِ الْكَرِیْم I Early Sources of Sīrat & Islāmic History Introduction The origin of Islām is traced to a period in time which, for most nations, held no real historical significance. It was when, not only the invention of printing was yet to come into existence, but also, the art of writing and composition was still in its preliminary stages of development. Based on the famous Christian calendar system, the time period of the Holy Prophet sa is stated to be from 570 A. D. to 632 A. D. It is that period in time when a majority of the nations of the world were absolutely unacquainted with the art of composition and it was prevalent to some extent in such nations who, in one form or another, were advanced politically or literally. However, as shall soon become apparent, prior to Islām not only was Arabia entirely isolated from the outside world, it was also completely devoid of every kind of educational, political and social movement internally as well. Therefore, prior to Islām, although educated individuals could be found in Arabia, the level of their knowledge was merely limited to basic reading and writing. Moreover, no literary work of the Pre- Islāmic era or historical record of ancient Arabia from this period has been preserved. Although relics and inscriptions belonging to some of the nations of ancient Arabia are present today, this source cannot, by any means, become the basis of sound and comprehensive information. 1 In the name of Allāh, the Gracious, the Merciful (Publishers) 2 We praise Allāh and invoke blessings upon His Noble Messenger (Publishers)