Pre-History, A Deceptive Term
Study of Pre-History is a part of the study of history of Human Beings. I have pointed out in this writing that Pre-History is nothing but a deceptive term as there is no Pre-History in the lives of Human Beings.
It is said in our Holy Book Quran "And when your Lord told the angels that I am creating my Khalifah on Earth (the appointed one who would put My commands in practice) they said: wilt Thou place therein one who will do harm therein and will shed blood, while we, we hymn Thy praise and sanctify Thee? He said: Surely I know that which you know not. And He taught Adam all the names, then showed them to the angels, saying: Inform me of the names of these, if you are truthful. They said: Be glorified! We have no knowledge saving that which Thou has taught us. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Knower, the Wise. He said: O Adam! Inform them of their names, and when he had informed them of their names, He said: Did I not tell you that I know the secret of the heavens and the earth? And I know that which you disclose and which you hide? (Surah Baqr-30 to 33). This is how the Life of Man began as we Muslims believe, with a great touch of Knowledge, Information and Wisdom.
From these verses, it is clear that Adam was the first man created so that mankind may become able to put the commands of Allah upon Earth by the Teaching, Knowledge and Wisdom given to Adam and through him to his children. The basic point that comes to light here is that the beginning of the life of man was in the light of knowledge and not in the darkness of ignorance. This is the basic difference that is between the mind that takes its guidance from the Word of the Creator and the mind that takes its guidance from its defective observation and erroneous judgment. The glaring example for the error in judgment that such people make is in the taking of "Prehistory", a term coined to tell the times in which Human Beings were living in the world in different animal forms in their opinion but without any knowledge of reading, writing and communicating except by the ways of animals. Frankly writing, I don't believe that there is any prehistory in the man's life and presently I would come to it but for that, we have to see what most of the modern historians who have their leaning towards the foolish concept of evolution (that they take as "scientific") inform us about the times that they consider to be the prehistory of mankind.
These modern historians tell us that:
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Human Beings, "Homo sapiens", came into existence at a time lost in antiquity just before 200,000 years BCE and from that time went on to refine much. Even before this Homo sapiens who had features much like human beings of today, there were other beings who were a form of Human Beings again i.e. "Homo erectus" and this Homo erectus was living on Earth before 200,000 years from the present, from which stem out by evolution these more human types "Homo sapiens" at that time. Homo erectus again had come forth by evolution from "Homo habilis" and this Homo habilis was a graceful, fairly human-looking primate that stood about 4 feet 3 inches tall and weighed about 80 pounds so its features enabled it to grip branches and swing in the trees, a sign that our earliest ancestors spent considerable periods of time off the ground. Originally, it was assumed that Homo habilis was a hunter and a plant food forager, who behaved just like today's hunter-gatherers. But microscopic examination of the stone artifacts and food remains from the scatters at Koobi Fora and Olduvai paint a picture of a much more apelike life-way. As for Homo erectus, it is known to have lived over a wide area of the Old World. These hominids had a brain capacity between 775 and 1,300 cc, showing much variation. It stood about 5 feet 6 inches tall and had hands fully capable of precision gripping and many kinds of tool-making. The earliest Homo erectus fossils come from East Africa and date to around 1.8 million years ago. Eventually, Homo erectus evolved into a more advanced form, known to anthropologists as early Homo sapiens, around or after 200,000 years ago. As the time went on these Homo sapiens got a refined form of "Homo sapiens neandertalensis" that went on to live from the time of change some 200,000 years BCE to 30,000 years BCE. And at that time came the modern human beings of today "Homo sapiens sapiens". Prehistorians rely mainly on archaeological evidence to study the origins of humanity and the beginnings of agriculture and urban civilization. They have concluded that glacial conditions, resulting from "Wurm" (the last Glaciation that is a period of Ice Age), were especially intense about 75,000 years ago, when the archaic Neanderthal people were flourishing in Europe and when the Americas were still uninhabited. After a brief milder interval about 40,000 years ago, the cold intensified again, peaking about 18,000 years ago. A rapid amelioration began about 15,000 years ago, and the world's climate reached near-modern conditions by 6000 BCE. All humans are members of the order Primates. Our closest primate relatives are the Pongidae, the so-called anthropoid apes, including the chimpanzee and the gorilla. Nearly all Prehistorians agree that tropical Africa was the cradle of humankind, simply because this is where our closest living primate relatives still live. To understand early human evolution means identifying the ecological problems faced by our earliest ancestors at a time of constant climatic change. The first humans were descended from a yet unidentified non-human primate, who lived both in forests and, increasingly, on the open African savanna. Early hominids adapted to open country not only by adopting a more mobile, wide-ranging life-way, but also by walking upright. These both, a social type of life and an upright posture, are characteristic of hominids. Walking upright frees the hands for other tasks like tool-making, while social style favors endurance and the covering of long distances, vital for hominids living in open country.
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Please note that these views do need some presumptions at their base and these modern historians and prehistorians take all these just for granted rarely commenting on their authenticity. Let us see the views they take for granted in the following points.
1- First of all, they assume that the theory of evolution is an established fact that must never be challenged as "scientific research" has proved its validity. The "scientific research" that is presented for the proof is more of a fairy tale than an established fact as it is clarified time and again by experts in their studies that a living being of a certain form is not able to change due to the Genetic Limitation, because of fixed number of chromosomes in each and mutation only accounts for deterioration and not for development even if number of years are given for it. This theory leads them to take the creation of man to occur when man was totally ignorant of all decency, morality and wisdom thus taking their own selves as animals being the descendants of animals. Psychologically this type of thinking is capable to cause much immoral attitude as all creatures tend to conform to their base. When you take the attitude of animals as your base you would have no option but to conform to that attitude and this is one of the reasons that we find much immoral acts like "Injustice" (might is right) and "Adultery" (the consent of an adult lady is enough to have sexual relations with her) to occur at such scale that the History of True Man has never seen. No doubt, the theory of evolution is one of the weapons of Satan among other weapons (but the Truth has always been the same since all times and that is Allah is the Only True Creator who has created all the creatures giving them their due form) and that is why those who avoid the theory of evolution are much better people in morals and attitude.
2- Second, they assume that life is only represented in Plants and Animals (man included) thus animals may go on to develop to become a human being (this has caused the term "hominids" to come into use including animals that are taken as related to humans due to a common ancestor in their opinion and including also the true human beings). Strictly by the Islamic Viewpoint, Plants and Animals are different life-form from Human Beings and they must not be confused with it. There is a fourth and fifth form of life too as we Muslims understand that can not be perceived by physical capability. These are "Jinn" (beings made basically with Fire by Allah) and "Malaikah" (angels, beings made basically with Light by Allah) respectively. Allah is the Life-Giver, who has one of His Names as AL-HAYEE meaning the True Living One. Man, according to Islam, is created by Allah in a spiritual level that is naturally between animals and angels so they have the flexibility to better their selves developing spiritual side to such level by keeping the right Faith and working in accordance with that Faith that they might rise above angels who never disobey Allah or to deteriorate their selves ignoring spiritual side to such level by wrong beliefs and evil deeds that they might fall below the levels of animals who even kill each other for their physical survival displaying a detestable philosophy with regards to human beings namely "might is right" in action. Thus, Man has the power to rise to the head of all the creation for sure with his true Knowledge, Faith and Right Deeds.
3- Third, they assume that the method of their timing of events is much near to actual while in truth, timing is a controversial factor. Prehistorians have only Archaeology for their reasoning and the bodies of the apes found by it that are said to be living in the Pre-historic period (excuse me for being blunt as I know well that Prehistorians take these apes as a form of human beings though they do know well themselves that they are not human beings and that is why they have coined "scientific" words like Homo habilis, Homo erectus and Homo sapiens but please note and mind it that Simple is always the Best and always the Truth for that matter, so let us call a spade a spade without caring what the "scientific" community thinks of this "unscientific" attitude), are dated by Carbon-14 or potassium-argon dating method that are so much erroneous that to base any kind of argument on such for Human Beings (rather apes as far as pre-history is concerned) that assumes the date and not tells it for sure, is certainly an insult to Human Beings. The assumption that is taken for these dating methods is that the body would have acquired the element from the environment it lived in, according to a complementary ratio with it. But with its death the element tends to come to its normal condition (for example, Carbon-14 would tend to come to Carbon-12 position that is its natural status with 6 Neutron disregarding its isotopes), so the transitory position of the element at its find would tell the date at which it was alive as the half and total period for the element to come to its normal position is well-calculated and well-known. The problem with such dating is great indeed and Prehistorians do accept that this dating method has the chance of error by 2500 years going back to the end of the Old Stone Age around 8000 years ago from the present. Though I do not find this statement about the margin of error as accurate, as I take this margin to be much higher for sure even for that time, yet even if this statement is accepted at face, the margin of error is even greater for the times before the end of Old Stone Age. Please note that Pre-history as it is taken is somewhat similar in period that is named "the Old Stone Age" and when I comment that there is no Pre-history of mankind, I also mean that there is no old stone age in the study of history of mankind. Moreover, how can a person get to the knowledge of the complementary ratio with the environment that is to be taken for the period a body is said to be alive in. If you match it from today's standard, there is no guarantee that it holds good for the period the body was really alive in as the changes in environment is totally accepted by all the Prehistorians indeed. Another point to note is the fact that the bodies are said to be different from Human Beings (or modern Human Beings as the Prehistorians put it) so how do you know that their ability to gain the element of choice would be same as you assume by your "scientific" knowledge. So it seems that there is much yet to know relating the Subject (the ape in consideration) and Object (the environment in consideration) and there is no way in Truth to get such information whatever "scientific" methods you apply. Again, Carbon does not have the stable position at exactly 12 that is taken to be its actual atomic weight and decimals matter when you talk about million years or more with a margin of error that you do accept yourselves. In fact, atom is yet an object of study and with the present knowledge of three particles of importance, its study is not over for sure. Again, please do not mind my remark that Astronomy and History of Man are different subjects and we must not go for the astronomical figures where the study of History of Man is concerned though the study of apes or animals for that matter is another thing as by Islamic Teachings, we know well that Allah had created them much before Adam, Salam on him, and so they were living here much before the advent of Adam to the Planet Earth. Please mind it that "Human Beings" and "Jinn" are the only two creatures that are answerable on the day of judgment for the faith they kept and the deeds they committed here in the world. Animals and Plants are not held answerable at all and the angels that are NOORI (the Creatures created by Light), are again not answerable as they do whatever is commanded by Allah and have no power (IKHTIAR) to do otherwise. So the timing of life of Human Beings and also of Jinn do matter though it is again clear to Muslims that even Jinn were living before Human Beings as "Iblees" (Diabolos), the head of satanic people, is a Jinn, who was also commanded to prostrate in front of Adam with the angels. He refused and did not comply even when Allah asked him the reason for such deviation from the righteousness and due to this, he was termed as "Satan" and he would pay the price for this wrong-doing in the hereafter though he was granted a very long life by Allah on his request so that he might take his revenge from humankind whom he blamed for his fall if he could. It is known that he would die in a period very near to the end of the World.
4- Fourth, they assume that changes in apes are a development towards becoming human beings with regards to their physique yet no remark or concentration is ever given to this point that with such foolish hypothesis, why do different animals not take changes that transform them to other of the animals. Survival of the fittest is not enough reason as there is such diversity of form in the animal kingdom even at present living well by their own manners that acceptance of change ought to have been taken generally but there seems a problem of Psyche to specify mankind for the ultimate result. As for myself, I don't believe in any changes whatsoever in any of the creation being a Muslim, except for individual adaptation living within its own form to spend the life in a better way because the change said to have occurred by the term "evolution" is against the fundamental law of life.
5- Fifth, they assume that many items that are just simple stones found at hunting grounds of apes in the pre-historic period are "artifacts" (man-made objects) though these objects could easily be assigned to apes for sure as they are just fragments of stone. Though the Prehistorians do talk about paintings and some other household stuff that has the dates some 30,000 years back from the present according to most of them yet as I take the matter, these are again inaccurate assumptions due to the timing technique. That is why they themselves hold different views about the dates for the art found in the caves at different places, some taking it to be 18000 years old from the present. Please note that I pointed out this difference of view in timing for the sake of argument though even this timing of 18000 years is unacceptable to me of course as the facts point out that the life of man is not more than 7500 or 8000 years old from the present here on the planet Earth. I would present a brief account of the advent of Messengers in this writng to present my viewpoint insha Allah (by the will of Allah) as it would clarify the moral development of mankind. According to the Prehistorians and Archaeologists, the most abundant things that have been found by Archaeology are simple stone flakes at places said to be the hunting ground of the Prehistoric Man namely Homo sapiens (rather Ape) that they term as "artifacts" some 200,000 to 30,000 years back according to them from the present. If the claim is accepted with reservation that these stone flakes were certainly used on the animals they found butchered at the place, the best it shows is that the apes had trained themselves well by trial and error to use such simple stones to break the bones of their kill. We still find animals that do put such things to use in their hunt as you would be well aware of. At most, the apes of those times could be given the credit of acquiring this "technique" IF, and its a big IF, we do accept that they did use it on their kill to break bones (though of course they forgot to take these "artifacts" with them when the work was done). The point to note is that the objects that really may be included in artifacts like cave paintings, household items, clothes, buildings and burial places etc. are all found in the period inside some 30,000 years from the present according to Prehistorians except where they have written their "Pre-history" loosely without considering the timing normally given for artifacts, and due to this reason the Prehistorians time the advent of "Modern Man" to 30,000 years back or so, giving him a general name of Homo sapiens sapiens, and this in actual is the Human Being. However, its a moot point that the timing is right or not as these all may well be inside 8,000 years from the present, according to common sense. They may have taken the timing for the things that were near to artifacts or considered attached to them and those nearby things may have been present for thousands of years or may have been taken as such by the timing technique used thus presenting the results that are not valid though considered as such. Allowing the margin of error/s for the timing technique used, it may well be within the 8,000 years from the present specially when quite a debate prevails regarding dates of these true artifacts even within the Prehistorians too. Please note that the timing technique that takes trees for the research do not challenge the view that the true Human Beings are present here in the world for some 8,000 years, as its application is limited though much better in results than the Carbon method within 8,000 years. The ecological condition of the Earth as taken at 8,000 years back is also said to be very near to the today's position thus favourable for the Human Beings just like the present times while the condition of the environment before that is generally taken as adverse to Human safety for it is accepted that the last part of the Ice Age was in progress from some 30,000 years to 8,000 years back from the present.
6- Sixth, they assume that evolution is the base of Prehistory and taking it as an exact science, they defend evolution as if it is a established belief to them putting camouflage to it by using the term "scientific". This attitude seems to me as if a blind is leading a blind for there is no Prehistory of mankind and there is no evolution for sure. This attitude has inevitably caused the close of doors of knowledge for them due to their intolerance to the challenge to this belief of evolution. Please note well that evolution is not an accepted theory even in the scientific community but a controversial matter and some other view may well be the Truth about the Prehistory of Man for sure even by the true scientific standard. Though the Prehistorians blame religion that it is an obstruction in the way of knowledge yet I consider this to be a case of projection of one's own error to the account of others taking them intolerant of development and "scientific" enlightenment. When you do accept that grave errors are possible at many a place regarding what you take as Prehistory of Man and there is no eye witness to evolution except for your "scientific" deductions that still let it remain a theory and not a principle of science then why be so bold as to consider others as wrong for sure in their deduction that evolution is a false notion. We are told in our Holy Book by Allah that Allah created Adam and Allah sees everything, hears everything and knows everything so we are much better than those who take their own senses and methods as the only source to understand facts (and only come to cheap theories by them) as we take the account of creation by Allah, our True Lord, who is the Only Creator of all the creatures around. I would present here an excerpt from a writing of an expert in History without any comments on it and though I respect his acceptance that Prehistory is just a hazy era even to the Prehistorians, I do not find much tolerance in his words for the persons who do not accept the notion of evolution. However, it does clarify the mental inclination the Prehistorians keep without fail for sure, disclosing their intolerance and injustice towards the true religious belief.
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The historian must respect the facts, avoid ignorance and error as far as possible, and create a convincing, intellectually satisfying interpretation. The earliest written records go back about 5,000 years in the Near East, in Mesopotamia, and the Nile Valley. Elsewhere, written history begins much later: in Greece, about 3,500 years ago; in China, about 2,000 years ago; and in many other parts of the world, after the 15th century CE. From mankind's origin to 10,000 B.C. or so is a period of time largely lost to history. This "primeval" or "prehistory" period is when mankind was closer to the wonder of creation (or nature) and possibly the supernatural truths that we so often debate in modern times. Was knowledge greater in those times as some suggest? Were the people guardians of lost technology? Probably not, but a greater understanding of who was behind the creation may have existed. Future discoveries may reveal insight to these times. For now we rely on tidbits of information on this era gleaned from ancient sources that are closer to lost antiquity. After 10,000 BC humans settled down in villages. One of the best preserved is the Neolithic village at Chatal Huyuk in Anatolia (now modern Turkey). The partial reconstruction of the village gives an idea of buildings. The prehistoric era is also called the Stone Age. The Stone Age is divided into two parts -- the Old Stone Age and the New Stone Age. The Old Stone Age started about 2 million years ago and ended about 10,000 years ago. We know about the Stone Age because researchers have found artifacts like tools, skeleton remains and cave paintings. The beginnings of agriculture and the rise of the first civilizations occurred within the past 10,000 years. Scientists have abundant evidence of human evolution from fossils, artifacts, and genetic studies. However, some people find the concept of human evolution troubling because it can seem to conflict with religious and other traditional beliefs about how people, other living things, and the world came to be. Yet many people have come to reconcile such beliefs with the scientific evidence. All species of organisms originate through the process of biological evolution. In this process, new species arise from a series of natural changes. In animals that reproduce sexually, including humans, the term species refers to a group whose adult members regularly interbreed, resulting in fertile offspring-that is, offspring themselves capable of reproducing. Scientists classify each species with a unique, two-part scientific name. In this system, modern humans are classified as Homo sapiens sapiens. They built rafts or canoes to cross deep water by at least 40,000 years ago, for artifacts of this age have been found in southern New Guinea. By 32,000 years ago, people were living on the islands of the Bismarck Archipelago in the southwestern Pacific, and by 28,000 years ago people had reached the Solomon Islands. Line-of-sight, island-to-island voyaging was all that was needed to colonize these landmasses. It was to be many thousands of years before the peoples of the southwestern Pacific developed the agriculture, outrigger canoes, and the navigation skills needed to reach islands much farther offshore. The first human settlement of Australia came at least 35,000 years ago, perhaps somewhat earlier: the dating is controversial. Hunter-gatherer groups, the ancestors of the modern aboriginal population, were dwelling as far south as Tasmania before 31,000 years ago. At the time, Tasmania was joined to the Australian mainland by a land bridge. Late Ice Age Tasmanians were hunting wallabies in an open landscape that became dense forest at least 20,000 years ago. These late Ice Age Australian populations continued to evolve without interruption into recent times, developing increasingly more elaborate cultures that are remarkable for their sophisticated art traditions, social organization, and ritual life. The highly diverse and sophisticated Australian aboriginal cultures encountered by Dutch and English explorers in the 17th and 18th centuries C.E. are the direct result of more than 30,000 years of continuous cultural evolution in an isolated, remote landmass.
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Without any comments on this quote, I present here my viewpoint as a Muslim about History by narrating the advent of Messengers as appointed by Allah to deliver His Message as that would automatically bring the misleading notion of prehistory and much false views about the history of mankind to light. The dating is based at the Advent of Adam on earth (AA i.e. after advent), taking the advent of Adam on earth at some 7500 years from now, at 5400 BC.
Adam (Salam on him) was the first man and the first Messenger of Allah. His advent to the Earth marks a great test for all human beings as now only those persons would get JANNAH (Paradise) back who do good deeds with total Faith in Allah, the One True Lord of all the creatures. After the departure of Adam, Idris (Salam on him) was appointed a Messenger of Allah. This was some 1600 to 1800 years AA (After Advent of Adam). It is said that he was born in Noah's Times and he had great ability to understand characters of people by the position of stars at their birth. At that time, Nooh (Noah, Salam on him) was appointed a Messenger of Allah at some 1600 AA. He was given a very long life of more than 1000 years but even with all his patience and preaching, only a few people who had strayed away from the Truth after Adam, converted to the Truth. Even his wife and one of his sons disbelieved him. Nooh and the other True Muslims of those times were saved from the great flood that came in his time, destroying all the known world of that time so the wrong ones including his wife and his disobedient son, all drowned. It is interesting to note that it is accepted that a flood occurred in Mesopotamia at 2700 AA (and it was 2700 BC as calculated commonly) that devastated the known world of that time. Nooh would be some 1000 years old at that time. After Nooh, Hud (Salam on him) was appointed a Messenger of Allah at some 3000 years AA. His nation was called "AAD" and they were very powerful in Physique. Also they displayed a great talent in works of Architecture. As before, only a few accepted the Teachings of Hud and they were destroyed by a great thunder. Hud and his companions were saved from this curse. After Hud, Saleh (Salam on him) was appointed a Messenger of Allah at some 3200 years AA. His nation was called "THAMUD" and like AAD they also did not accept his message of Truth. They were shown an amazing sight of a She-camel coming out of a big rock but they still did not believe and in fact, killed the She-camel. So the result was the same that they were destroyed by Allah while Saleh and his companions were saved totally. After Saleh, Ibrahim (Abraham, Salam on him) was appointed a Messenger of Allah at some 3400 AA and he holds a very high place in Messengers of Allah as all the Messengers that came after him, were all from his descendants. He left his native land for the sake of living a rightous life and to spread the Word of Allah all over the known world of that time with the help of his nephew Lot (Salam on him) who was also a Messenger of Allah. Lot was afterwards sent to a nation that was totally shameless in morals and manners. Lot tried his best to better these people but they could not be corrected. Allah put a rain of stones on them and so all these shameless people were crushed totally. Allah saved Lot and his companions from this terrible stoning. Ibrahim built KAABA with the help of his son Ismail (Salam on him and he was also a Messenger of Allah) and the Holy Quran tells us that both were praying at that time that a Messenger may come from their descendants to guide all the people of the world towards Rightousness clarifying all the Truth by Wisdom, purifying the hearts of all by the great teachings given to him. This great prayer was answered when after 2500 years of it, Muhammad S.A.W.S. was born among the descendants of Ismail who was the son of Ibrahim, and he was the last Messenger of Allah and the only Messenger from among the lineage of Prophet Ismail. Both the sons of Ibrahim were appointed Messengers by Allah and according to Muslims, Ismail was the one who was to be slaughtered as Ibrahim saw this in his dream. It seemed a Command of Allah to Ibrahim so he asked the opinion of Ismail about this who told him to fulfil the dream. But as Ibrahim was preparing him for slaughter, Allah gave a sheep in his substitution whom he sacrificed in the name of Allah. Ishaaq (Isaac, Salam on him), the other son of Ibrahim, was also one of the respectable Messengers of Allah. All the Messengers of Allah after Ishaq were from among his descendants except for Muhammad (S.A.W.S.). Ishaq's son Yaqub (Israel, the obedient of Allah, Salam on him) was also a Messenger and due to his name, the descendants of Ishaq are called BANI ISRAEL (the children of Israel). His most beloved son Yousuf (Joseph, also a Messenger of Allah, Salam on him, who was put in a well by his brothers yet managed to survive as a procession of merchants saved him and took him to Egypt where they sold him as a slave and where afterwards he rose amazingly to receive a great political power managing matters of the Pharoah of that time as he did not give much attention to his political duties and to gain a great influence over the matters of state bringing Bani Israel to settle in Egypt), was lost for many years of his life and he bore that pain of separation with patience. The period of Shuaib (Salam on him) is just before Moses (Salam on him) who was a Messenger of Allah at some 4000 AA and this was the time when some 400 years had passed since the settlement of Bani Israel in Egypt. Some scholars of Islam even say that Shuaib was the father-in-law of Moses so their worldly periods are very near to each other. The nation of Shuaib used to cheat in business transactions, weighing commodities by fraud giving less for more amount of money. Shuaib asked them to stop this fraud and do all good deeds accepting Allah as the only True Lord but they did not accept the message. They told him that though they considered him a wise man yet they would not accept his teachings about matters and ways in economics and they thought that religion must keep away from such matters (today this philosophy is named as "secularism" and it is interesting to note that it is such an old idea that it was accepted by the wrong ones of ancient times too). The result was that they were destroyed by Allah though He saved Shuaib and his companions from this deadly curse. Ayub (Salam on him, who patiently bore his illness that was put upon him as a test for his loyalty to Allah for many years) and Younus (Jonah, Salam on him, who had to dwell for some time in the stomach of a fish probably a Whale as it is said that he showed haste in leaving his nation when they did not accept his teachings and so he was put in the stomach of the fish when he asked the people in boat with him while crossing the river to throw him into the water as the boat was showing some signs of sinking), were Messengers at most probably near to this time i.e. 3900 AA. At this time i.e. 4000 AA, Moses was appointed a Messenger who had a fiery temper and was a man of great promise. With much time that had elapsed from the times of Yousuf who brought Bani Israel as a respectable people to Egypt, the Bani Israel had been designated slaves when Moses was born in them. Although Pharoah of that time (most probably Ramses ll, a Pharoah of the 19th dynasty of the rulers of Egypt, who ruled the place for 67 years and his body is yet present in the form of a Mummy) was killing the male children of Bani Israel at will yet Moses did not only survive, he was nourished and looked after at the palace of Pharoah itself as his Wife saved him from the waters on which he was flowing in his cradle (he was put in the waters by his mother on the command of Allah to save him from Pharoah). As he achieved his youth, he killed a person of the nation of Pharoah in fight by mistake. So the Pahroah and his companions got a chance to kill Moses and he had to flee towards Midian, the dwelling place of Shuaib. There he found two girls waiting for the crowd to disperse on the drinking water so that they could give water to their thirsty animals. Moses with his good manly powers and decent morals, took those animals and making way to the water in the crowd led them to it. So the girls managed to return to their home early. Their father was a very old man (and it is said that he was Shuaib, the messenger of Allah, in the last of his age) who called for Moses as he came to know the reason of early return of his daughters. Moses was sitting near the water praying Allah for whatever blessing He wills for his ease (some Ulema maintain that this prayer was answered after many years when Moses was appointed a Messenger of Allah). One of the girls came to him and asked him to present himself to her father and he obliged. Hearing his story, Shuaib told him that if Moses works for him for 8 years or 10 years (two years addition would be from Moses own free will), he would marry one of his daughters to him and he would have a shelter here with him. Moses accepted the offer and worked for ten years at Midian. Then as he was leaving Midian with his respectable wife, she felt the cold and asked if he could fetch some fire for her. Seeing a light at a short distance, he asked his wife to wait a bit and as he went there at that holy valley, he heard Allah speak to him there who appointed him a Messenger and commanded him to go to Pharoah and tell him to accept the Truth and release Bani Israel from slavery. Moses was fearful of what he had done there killing a man of their nation mistakenly but Allah told him that he would have no problem as Allah would save him for sure. Moses asked Allah to make his elder brother Harun (Aaron, Salam on him) a Messenger too with him and he was granted this request. At that time and place, Allah gave him two MUAJAZAT (Miracles), one that his cane as he put it down, became a Big Serpent and the other that his hand became totally lighted with a beautiful glow as he hid it in armpit and then took it out. He went on to Egypt and attended the court of Pharoah where he told him to accept the Truth that Allah is the only Creator who has created all and He only is the True Lord who must be worshipped by all. Pharoah mocked him and told him that he, the Pharoah, was the one who should be taken as the true lord so the words of Moses present a concept that is not understandable or acceptable to him (today nations like to call themselves "super power", a version of this same ancient philosophy of "I and only I". It is interesting to note that Moses introduced Allah as the Organizer of all the Universe as no one is and has been able to affect the course of the Sun, the Moon and the Stars. This same bold way and reasoning was chosen by Ibrahim in front of Ur-Nammu, the King of Ur in Mesopotamia, when he boasted that he can kill anyone he wills and forgive any one he wills. The end of such persons have always come by a cruel death, as Ur-Nammu died by the deadly bites of an insect that had made way to his brain while Pharoah and his army men were drowned while following Moses and the Bani Israel, proving that the True Lord is only Allah of all the creatures we find around in the Universe). Moses then showed both the miracles given to him at the court and all there including Pharoah, were amazed and afraid of such powers. However, they did not accept the Truth that was plainly and clearly presented to them and in fact, Pharoah challenged Moses by appointing a day for him to combat the famous magicians of that ancient time as he thought that Moses was some kind of a magician only. In the combat, magicians showed their powers by throwing ropes on the ground that seemed to run like snakes. Though Moses was a bit shaken by such amazing display yet on the command of Allah, he just put his cane down and it changed to the Big Serpent and ate up all what they had thrown there. This was an incredible sight and the magicians, due to their knowledge of the working of magic, realized that this is not magic but something totally other than that, accepted the Truth Moses and Harun had presented. They all were hanged by Pharoah after cutting one hand and one leg of each yet till the last, they maintained the True Faith (May Allah forgive their wrong doings and give them a blessed place in the hereafter). Pharoah and his people were shown many amazing incidents yet they did not accept the True Belief so Moses was commanded to take Bani Israel with him releasing them from the captivity of the Pharoah and his people. Moses did so and as they reached the River, it gave a way to them splitting in two and they went on to the other side without trouble. Pharoah and his people followed them even in this split and as the Bani Israel reached on to the other side, the river began to become normal, filling up the split. At that moment, Pharoah cried out that he is ready to accept the Faith that Moses and Harun were presenting but it was too late as to accept the True Faith when death is seen is not acceptable as indicated in the Holy Quran so he drowned after a reign of 67 years leaving all of his powers, palaces, land, wealth, collection of many wives and a number of children behind. After this, Bani Israel were told to gain a land that was promised to them by their willingness to fight for it bravely. Living in captivity had made them cowards and they totally refused to fight. It took forty years when their new generation was able to shake off the inferiority sense and as such the cowardice that their fathers held and thus fighting for that land after many years of Moses departure from the world, they did achieve the rulership to live their lives with their own system of life, as commanded by Allah. In the valley in which they lived for forty years, they showed trends of the influence that living with the Egyptians of that time had put on them. They rejected to eat the delicious meat of the birds that always came very near to them by the command of Allah and instead, asked for vegetables. Again, they made a buffalo of gold in absence of Moses, as he was gone for forty days to the Mount Sinai where he was given the Ten Commandments (he was also given Torah, a Book from Allah, yet we do not find it any more though a shadow of some of its teachings may be seen in the book that the Christians term as the Old Testament) that they worshipped considering this not against the Truth Moses was teaching (it is interesting to note that there are and always have been people who like to practice their own views yet in the name of principles that have been given to them as the truth and this shows the working of Human Psyche that it tries to satisfy inner self even if committing wrong, calling the wrong as right, and at such occasion only some person whose authority is well established can clarify the Truth correcting the theory and practice of the people around and without such a censure, the Truth is put into mist by the doings of many people). Moses was very angry on his return seeing all this yet he had a nation who had seen slavery for centuries and even with all his displeasure and fiery nature, he had to control himself and go on with the work of making things better. Also, it is said that they did not criticize much on the indecent fashions that their women-folk took to attract men after Moses and that also led them to their downfall in the coming times. Many Messengers of Allah came in Bani Israel after Moses yet they did not give due respect to many of them and even killed some of them. From the times of Moses to a thousand years ahead, it is said that Messengers of Allah came at regular interval in the Bani Israel though they did not respect them well at all. Some of the Messengers at this time are well known as the Holy Quran narrates their stories to us. Dawood (David, a Messenger of Allah at some 4300 AA, Salam on him) rose to become a king and he ruled well with justice. His voice was beautiful and steel used to melt in his hand so he was able to make weapons of war with ease. He was given ZABOOR (a book sent by Allah, not available now) that contained the true teachings. His son Solaiman (Soloman, a Messenger of Allah, Salam on him) was also a great king who even exercised control over air and Jinn and understood the language of birds and animals. He also ruled with justice and was a very wise person like all the Messengers of Allah. Elyas (Elijah, Salam on him) was appointed a Messenger at some 4500 AA and after him Isaiah (Salam on him), Jeremiah (Salam on him) and Daniel (Salam on him) were appointed Messengers at or around some 4750 AA. Daniel even interpreted a dream of Nebuchadnezzar that gave an account of all the important coming events of the world uptil thousand years and even more. Uzair (Ezra, Salam on him) was appointed a Messenger little after them at some 4850 AA. He is said to give the true version of Torah to Bani Israel, that was lost before that time (and again it is not available at the present time as we Muslims believe). After him, though Messengers of Allah may have come uptil Zecharia (Salam on him), Yahya (John, Salam on him) and Esa (Jesus Christ, Salam on him), all three being Messengers of Allah at some 5400 AA, yet we do not have much of information regarding that time in this regard (though Cyrus of Persia, the man who settled Bani Israel in Palestine again, did rise and conquered much of the known world of that time during this period at some 5000 AA who is taken by some scholars to be the one who is named as Zul Qarnain, the man of two periods, in the Holy Quran as he conquered lands at both sides of his country at different expeditions and as such, one of the Messengers of Allah). At 5400 AA, Zecharia, was appointed as a Messenger of Allah. He was totally devoted to remember Allah at the place of Worship he lived in and he brought up Marium (Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ and the only woman that is referred in the Holy Quran by name, Salam on her) in his personal care. Once, he found fruits with Mary that were not of that season and was amazed. Seeing this, he prayed Allah to give him a son though he was an old man and his wife was not able to concieve a child. His prayers were answered and Allah gave a son to them named Yahya by Allah Himself, who was also a Messenger of Allah and he never married but committed himself totally to the teachings given by Allah. Jesus Christ (Salam on him) was much caring person about Humanity and gave emphasis on the aspect of Love and Sacrifice in the true teachings given to mankind by Allah. He had a great spiritual power and could tell what people had eaten and also was able to revive the dead by the Name of Allah, without any difficulty. His arrival to the world was amazing as he was born without a father and that is why Allah remarks in the Holy Book Quran that to create Jesus was just like creating Adam to Him, and his departure from the world was also amazing as he was taken above alive. He was given INJEEL by Allah though it is not found now though a shadow of some of its teachings may be found in what the Christians term as the New Testament. The Christians believe that Jesus Christ was crucified but we Muslims don't believe that as we are told in the Holy Quran that he was never crucified but taken to the heavens alive. All praise is for Allah. After some six hundred years of the departure of Jesus, in April 572 AD that is some 6000 AA, Muhammad PBUH, the last of Messengers of Allah, was born in the Arabian Land in the lineage of the great man and Messenger Ismail, the son of Ibrahim. The Prayers of the father and the son, Ibrahim and Ismail, were answered after 2500 years and his lineage is said to be a pure chain with all the couples right up to Ibrahim always joint in marriage. The time between Jesus Christ and Muhammad is termed as FATRAT and whoever fulfilled the minimum requirement of the True Faith believing that Allah is the One True Lord, Allah would bring the day of Judgment and Allah has appointed Messengers at regular interval for the sake of making the people better, then only with this minimum requirement of Belief, he or she would be pardoned from fire of hell in the coming life. All praise is for Allah. The Last Messenger Muhammad S.A.W.S. was born at Arab who were a fiery nation ready to fight a long war on petty matters. He had a blend of a fiery nature where Islam asked for it just like Moses and was a totally sweet natured man where Islam demanded just like Jesus Christ. His life like all Messengers was very clean and based on great morals. He guided that fiery nation by the Command of Allah to become a great people of high morals that changed the political situation of that time by their amazing advent to spread the word of Islam, the collection of Commands of Allah that were always the Truth yet were totally shown in practice at this Golden Time of Muhammad. It is amazing that in this time of information and technology, the west often takes Islam as founded by Muhammad though Muhammad was the last Messenger of Allah who gave the same message that had been given by all other Messengers of Allah before him since the times of Adam but all the commands of Allah at his time were presented in total in theory and practice and a specific name "Islam" was assigned to them. All praise is for Allah. The Holy Quran descended on him that is the Final Book given by Allah to mankind and it is still in its pure form for guidance of the people as Allah Himself has taken the responsibility to keep it in its original form. Muhammad guided his nation for twenty three years, some twelve years at his hometown Mecca and some eleven years at Medina that he made his homeland migrating for the sake of Islam to that place. In this brief period of time that was a Golden Era for all Humanity, he was able to spread the word of Islam all over Arab by the blessing of Allah. He had received the first verses of the Holy Quran commanding him to Read in the Name of Allah. All his life, he read and clarified the commands of the Holy Quran that descended on him for all these years and so with its Knowledge, Faith and Practice, he indeed changed the world for the better though he was an unlettered man. Note that Islam means to surrender the self to Allah's Commands and it is not named by the name of any human being for sure. May Allah guide all understanding persons to Islam as this only is the Truth that has combated all wrongs well, winning all the battles decisively and would do so again insha Allah, for the final settlement now. All praise is for Allah indeed.
It is a point to note that the History of mankind may be divided into three time periods. One section is from the Advent of Adam to the HIJRAT (migration) of Muhammad PBUH (i.e. 6022 AA or 622 AD; to convert AD to AA, just add 5400 and you would get the dates in AA as the advent of Adam has been taken here to come about 5400 BC) and this marks an age of development as if child grows that has to be guided for its safety and well-being. The second section is from Hijrat to the time America was discovered (6892 AA or 1492 AD) and this period marks the rise of Muslims with a touch of classic morals at that time. In fact, their life style was accepted to be the most decent in morality at that time and so was respected a lot as if child has turned to manhood and now is making his mark in life. From 6892 AA to this time 7404 AA or 2004 AD onwards, Muslims have lost some of their lands that they conquered and even have lost the practice of Islamic teachings much (in fact the lack of adherence to Islamic teachings has caused their physical downfall for sure). This age seems to be the old age of mankind and the world seems to be going towards its end in a few centuries. Its a pity to find Man disregarding whatever morals he had gained with understanding during his history, and going towards the animal philosophies like "might is right" or animal desires may be satisfied by "consent of adults". Please note that even the body of a peson is actually the Possession of Allah so a care about the commands of Allah have to be given in regards to all practice regarding Human Body. Now, it is nearly 7500 years since the advent of Adam here and if we care to take the Octet Rule as presented in Chemistry, it seems that some 8000 years would be the age of the world though exact time for the end can not be predicted.
Also to understand History of Man better, a rule must be observed that there is always a complementary set-up of all human matters that has the staying power if it fulfils the minimum requirement of Humanity. In other words, Human Psyche yearns for a clear pattern in all matters. For example, let us take the areas of Moral values, Political ways, Educational system, Martial order, Economic planning, Health facility and Justice department of a nation. If these seven adhere to rules that are complementary to each other, that nation would rise in the world for sure provided that it does not show any disrespect to the Creator of the Universe who is the One True Lord. In fact, a nation can never achieve a complementary set-up in all these if it disrespects the True Lord. It may rise to become powerful among nations for some time even a century or so, with a complementary set-up among some of the parts but to remain in power needs a total adherence to the Name of the True Lord with Love, Humanity and Sacrifice with a complete integrity among all parts, so its downfall in a short time is inevitable. These great Humane qualities have not been shown much in History of Man so it is the story of rise and fall of nations and it would be so in the future until the Truth is realized that the True Ruler of the world is Allah, the True Lord, and to challenge Him is to put His wrath upon the world for sure. With the power of these Humane qualities, Muslims have made their mark in the whole world for quite a time that is even more than a thousand years yet with the lapse in character that Muslims have shown in the past few centuries, they have lost much of their magical touch. Rise of nations do not depend upon claiming to be Super Powers or displaying better martial strength among all people as these type of things disclose Inferiority Complex only rather than causing a true rise for a nation. If a nation really tries to comply to what is given by the True Lord for making of an order collectively, the blanks are filled well with time making the aspects of life becoming complementary to each other beautifully. As the Physique of Man has a system of defense so the Spirit of Man also has a system of defense. This applies when the spiritual pattern is disturbed to bring the man to normal or to end his worldly story totally. This rule asks everyone to note that History is a clash of Right and wrongs whereas Right has always been one while wrongs have taken many colors to fight it always losing the game totally. At present it does seem that Satan is having his way yet the wrongs would lose the game again soon insha Allah and this time it would be the final settlement ending up the clash for all times and all places indeed. It is said in Quran that "They seek to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths; and Allah refuseth to do otherwise than perfect His light, although the infidels may detest" (Taubah-32). This in actual is the history of Man's life while there is no prehistory in Man's life as there can never be such a thing with the amazing law of Life we live with and the clear pattern of Universe we live in.
Muhammad Saleem Dada
Completed this writing on Friday, November 5, 2004 (afternoon)
e-mail:saleemdada@yahoo.com
e-mail: sdada111@yahoo.com