The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page cxxxix
GENERAL INTRODUCTION Only the biological mother was regarded as a mother in Arab society. Stepmothers were not regarded as mothers and there was no ban on a son's marrying his stepmother on the death of his father. Polygamous marriages were very common, and there was no limit to the number of wives a man could take. More than one sister could also be taken to wife by the same person at one and the same time. The worst treatment was meted out by combatant sides to one another in war. Where hatred was strong, they did not hesitate to split the bodies of the wounded, take out parts and eat them in cannibal fashion. They did not hesitate to mutilate the bodies of their enemies. Cutting off the nose or ears, or plucking out an eye was a common form of cruelty practised by them. Slavery was widespread. Weak tribes were made slaves. The slave had no accepted status. Every master did as he liked with his slaves. No action could be taken against a master who maltreated his slave. A master could murder his slave without having to answer for it. If one master murdered another's slave, even then the penalty was not death. All that was required of him was to compensate the aggrieved master suitably. Women-slaves were used to satisfy sexual desires. The children born of such unions were also treated as slaves. Women-slaves who became mothers remained slaves. In terms of civilization and social advance the Arabs were a very backward people. Kindness and consideration to one another were unknown. Woman had the worst status possible. Still the Arabs possessed some virtues. Individual bravery, for instance, sometimes reached a very high level. It was among such people that the Holy Prophet of Islam was born. His father 'Abdullāh had died before his birth. Accordingly, he and his mother Aminah had to be looked after by the grandfather, 'Abdul-Muṭṭalib. The child Muḥammad was suckled by a countrywoman who lived in a place near Ṭā'if. It was a custom in Arabia in those days to hand over children to women living in the countryside, whose duty was to bring up the children, to train their speech and to give them a good start in bodily health. When the Prophet was in his sixth year, his mother died while travelling from Medina to Mecca and had to be buried en route. The child was brought to Mecca by a woman- servant and handed over to the grandfather. When he was in his eighth year, his grandfather also died, after which Abū Ṭālib, his uncle, became his guardian, this being the wish expressed in a will by the grandfather. The Prophet had two or three opportunities to travel out of Arabia. One of these occurred when, at the age of twelve, he went in the company of Abū Ṭālib to Syria. It seems that this journey took him only to the south-eastern towns of Syria, for in historical references to this journey there is no mention of places like Jerusalem. From now onwards until he grew up to young manhood he remained in Mecca. From very childhood he was given to reflection and CX111