# The Darkest Century **Author:** Sh. Mohammad Elshinawy **Series:** Proofs of Prophethood **Published:** 2021-02-10 **YouTube:** https://youtu.be/6lXG-nePW_E **URL:** https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-darkest-century **Topics:** Faith, Prophets ## Description In order to further understand the importance of Muhammad’s ﷺ prophethood, we must take a look at the state of the world in which he was sent to mankind. In this episode, Sh. Mohammad Elshinawy takes us around the globe as we discover the atrocities that prevailed during the 6th century. Muhammad ﷺ... ## Transcript **[0:00]** In 1349, the Black Death wiped out nearly half of Europe. And in 1918, the Spanish Flu rocked the world in four consecutive waves, killing 50 to 100 million people. And yet, despite that, historians seem to agree **[0:18]** that it was actually the sixth century that was the darkest hour of all of the Dark Ages, as you can find in the writings of Professor Michael McCormick, who chairs Harvard University's Initiative for the Science of the Human Past. **[0:35]** This episode will cover the atmosphere in which the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was sent to the world, and how a most merciful God would not and did not leave a crumbling world without intervention. Rather, he sent to them the guidance they needed **[0:52]** at that moment more than ever. In the sixth century, wherever a person would turn, darkness prevailed. In a Roman Colosseum, crowds would cheer as a lion mauled at a screaming prisoner, or gladiators hacked away at each other in a brutal fashion. **[1:09]** In Persia, incest was widespread, rampant even in the royal family. Private ownership was threatened under Mazdakite ethics, and plagues would ravage the world one wave after another. In India, sectors of society were rendered inferior **[1:26]** to rodents and vermin. In Arabia, it was common to find someone whose heart was so stony he could stomach burying his own daughter alive as an infant. In Eastern religions, people could be found worshiping fire, water, weapons, genitalia, **[1:44]** writing instruments. In Christianity, mystery prevailed regarding the identity of Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, some claiming that he was God incarnate, others alleging that he was an imposter prophet born out of a legitimate wedlock. **[2:00]** Nearly everywhere, a woman had no soul to begin with or was given an inferior spirit solely to serve the man, and she could be pawned off by her own husband in a recreational game of gamble with one of his friends, or she would have to burn herself at his funeral **[2:16]** in solidarity with him as if there is no meaning to her existence after he's gone. In that age, few people would survive birth, and even fewer would make it to adulthood. The slave populations in some of those major civilizations were 75% of the population, **[2:34]** and if you were born into that class, that meant you were doomed for life. With that being the condition of the world, how could an all-aware, all-compassionate, all-capable God leave the world without a remedy? He certainly did not. **[2:50]** Rather, he sent the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, as a guiding light with a message that was here for humanity's wellbeing, for good. In one authentic tradition, the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, spoke about this period and said, **[3:05]** Allah looked, meaning at that darkest hour, upon the earth and despised the people for the evil and corruption that was there. All of them, Arabs and non-Arabs alike, except for a few that remained from the original people of the book. And so he sent his Prophet, **[3:21]** peace and blessings be upon him, and he said, I have sent you, O Muhammad, to test you and test people through you. Will they make use and avail themselves your beautiful message? And I have sent with you a book that the water of the oceans can no longer wash away. ## Other Episodes in "Proofs of Prophethood" - [A Mighty Book: The Inimitable Qur'an](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/a-mighty-book-the-inimitable-quran.md) - [Knowledge Of The Lost Past : The Inimitable Qur'an](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/knowledge-of-the-lost-past-the-inimitable-quran.md) - [Muhammad ﷺ or Shakespeare? : The Inimitable Qur'an](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/muhammad-or-shakespeare-the-inimitable-quran.md) - [A Linguistic Wonder: The Inimitable Qur'an](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/a-linguistic-wonder-the-inimitable-quran.md) - [Behold God's Power: The Prophet’s ﷺ Miracles](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/behold-gods-power-the-prophets-miracles.md) - [Possible And Provable: The Prophet’s ﷺ Miracles](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/possible-and-provable-miracles-the-prophets-miracles.md) - [Signs of The End Times: The Prophet’s ﷺ Prophecies](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/signs-of-the-end-times-the-prophets-prophecies.md) - [His Companions' Deaths: The Prophet’s ﷺ Prophecies](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/his-companions-deaths-the-prophets-prophecies.md) - [Flawless Accounts of The Future: The Prophet’s ﷺ Prophecies](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/flawless-accounts-of-the-future-the-prophets-prophecies.md) - [A Shoreless Ocean: The Prophet’s ﷺ Prophecies](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/a-shoreless-ocean-the-prophets-prophecies.md) - [Prohibiting Intoxicants: The Prophet’s ﷺ Message](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/prohibiting-intoxicants-the-prophets-message.md) - [Wise & Merciful Prohibitions: The Prophet’s ﷺ Message](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/wise-merciful-prohibitions-the-prophets-message.md) - [The Ritual Fast: The Prophet’s ﷺ Message](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-ritual-fast-the-prophets-message.md) - [The Islamic Prayer: The Prophet’s ﷺ Message](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophets-message-the-islamic-prayer.md) - [Moral & Intellectual Greatness: The Prophet’s ﷺ Message](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophets-message-moral-intellectual-greatness.md) - [Molding a Modern Generation: The Prophet’s ﷺ Accomplishments](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophets-accomplishments-molding-a-modern-generation.md) - [Revolutionizing Human Rights: The Prophet’s ﷺ Accomplishments](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophets-accomplishments-revolutionizing-human-rights.md) - [Restoring the Unity of God: The Prophet’s ﷺ Accomplishments](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophets-accomplishments-restoring-the-unity-of-god.md) - [A Love Larger Than Life: The Prophet’s ﷺ Accomplishments](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophets-accomplishments-a-love-larger-than-life.md) - [Preface: The Prophet’s ﷺ Accomplishments](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophets-accomplishments-preface.md) - [His Optimism: The Prophet’s ﷺ Character](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophets-character-his-optimism.md) - [His Bravery: The Prophet’s ﷺ Character](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophets-character-his-bravery.md) - [His Mercy: The Prophet’s ﷺ Character](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophets-character-his-mercy.md) - [His Simplicity: The Prophet’s ﷺ Character](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophets-character-his-simplicity.md) - [His Honesty: The Prophet’s ﷺ Character](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophets-character-his-honesty.md) - [The Fruits of His ﷺ Prophethood](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-fruits-of-his-prophethood.md) - [Biblical Prophecies](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/biblical-prophecies.md) - [The Multitude of Proofs of Prophethood](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-multitude-of-proofs-of-prophethood.md) - [Do We Still Need Prophets?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/do-we-still-need-prophets-proofs-of-prophethood.md) - [The Physical Miracles of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ- Infographic](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-physical-miracles-of-prophet-muhammad-infographic.md) - [The Prophecies of Muhammad ﷺ](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophecies-of-muhammad-infographic.md) - [A Miraculous Revelation](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/a-miraculous-revelation-infographic.md) - [The Accomplishments of the Prophet Muhammad](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-accomplishments-of-the-prophet-muhammad-infographic.md) - [The Inimitable Qur’an - The Revelation to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: The Proofs of Prophethood Series](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-inimitable-quran-the-revelation-to-prophet-muhammad.md) - [The Message of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-message-of-prophet-muhammad-infographic.md) - [The Character of Prophet Muhammad (Infographic)](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-character-of-prophet-muhammad-infographic.md) - [Laying the Groundwork for the Coming of Prophet Muhammad](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/laying-the-groundwork-for-the-coming-of-prophet-muhammad-infographic.md) - [The Physical Miracles of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: Proofs of Prophethood Series](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-physical-miracles-of-prophet-muhammad.md) - [The Prophecies of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: Proofs of Prophethood Series](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophecies-of-prophet-muhammad.md) - [The Accomplishments of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: The Proofs Of Prophethood Series](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-accomplishments-of-prophet-muhammad.md) - [The Message of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: The Proofs of Prophethood Series](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-message-of-prophet-muhammad.md) - [The Character of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: How His Noble Qualities and Personality Are Proof of His Prophethood](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-character-of-prophet-muhammad-how-his-noble-qualities-and-personality-are-proof-of-his-prophethood.md) - [An Ethical and Historical Necessity: The Proofs of Prophethood Series](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/an-ethical-and-historical-necessity-the-proofs-of-prophethood-series.md)