Chief of the Prophets — Page 10
Chapter One 10 War had strange customs in Arabia. During a war, a fire would be kindled at a high place close to where the army was stationed. If the fire was extinguished for some reason, the army would consider it a bad omen and became demoralized. During war, first there would be duels of the important persons of both sides, which were followed by general combat. Swords, spears, and bows and arrows were the popular weapons of the Arabs. When the army of a nation would retreat after being overwhelmed by their opponents, the women, loudly singing war songs would appeal to the honour and the pride of the people, which would often result in reviving the spirit of the army. Generosity was thought to be a lofty quality among Arabs. Ḥātim Ṭā’ī, whose generosity is legendary throughout the Islamic world, was an Arab. Muḥammad sa was so fond of this attribute that when Ḥātim Ṭā’ī’s daughter was captured by the Muslim army in a war and presented before him, Muḥammad sa freed her and her people only because she was the daughter of a greatly generous person. The Status of Women In Arabia, the status of women was deplorable before the advent of Islam. A man could have as many wives as he desired, and divorce would occur solely at his whim. In certain tribes, giving a daughter in marriage to someone was considered disgraceful, shameful, and even evil. This is the reason that the despicable tradition of female infanticide was practiced among the Arabs. When a girl reached the age of five or six years and started speaking sweet and adorable words, her merciless and ruthless father, would dress her nicely and take her outside the town to an already dug ditch and push the innocent girl over the edge with his own hands, and cover her with dirt. The poor girl would scream and shout and plead in her innocent tone saying,”My dear father, I am dying, please pull me out, do not bury me!” But the screams and pleas of the beloved daughter would have no effect on the merciless