Paganism Ruled the Ancient Civilizations

The history of the mankid is sorrowful. Ever since Adam and his children descended on earth, as time went by and civilizations flourished attd generations rose on the remains of others, humans have been a motley mixture. If one day they are on the right track, they are lost for days soon after, and if they see the light of truth once, then the darkness of falsehood engulfs them many times (thereafter).

If we were to scrutinize the history of the mankind in the light of belief in Allah artd preparation for the Hereafter, we should frnd the world closely resembling a drunkard whose periods of drunkenness exceed his sobriety, or a sick man who is delirious and does not know what he says.

1. Although in experiences with themse3ves and their world, there are men's many deterrents from committing evil and many incenlives to do good, hut overwhelming passion cannot be subdued by knowledge alone.

2. How much of the world’s hfe cxpircd before the appearance of Muhammad Many centuries brought a weatth of expcricnce and knowiedgc and encouraged the growth of the arts and sciences* phiiosophies and ideas. in spite of thaE however, frivolity became the rule and many nations fell without achieving the status to which they aspired.

3. Look at the fate of the civilizaiions of Egypt and Greece, India and China, Persia and Rome. if do not mean their fate Imm the political point of view, but from the aspect of fedings and reason. Contemptible paganism destroyed them and made them fall into this miserable pit.

And the human being, whom Allah appointed as His superior vicegerent in the heavens and on the earth, becamc a slavc subscrvicnt to thc lowliest thing in these places. What clsc could there be after co ws and calves are hallowed, wood and stones are worshipped? Etuire nations becamc polluted with such perversions. Paganism comes from within the self and not from the environment.

Just as sad people apply iheir feelings to their surroundmgs and frightened people imagine objects to be ghosts, similarly deformed personalities will apply their stupidity and slerility to their surroundings, and deify the stones and the animals

4. Only when the small heart widens, the dormant thought awakens and peopie return to their lofty ideals, these pagan impressions will disappear automatically. Thus, the first work for the faith is within men and womcn thcmscl vcs, for it is of no benefit in the Eght against paganism simply to slaughter the holy cows and smash the proud idols while hearts remain in their prcvious darkness. The worshippers will just search for other gods to bow before and make offerings. There are many pagans in this world, though they have never met over an altar, and how quickly they ignore the real presencc of thcir Lord and run after some new iilusion

5. Supcrstition does not follow its course in Iife by announcing its falsehood and exposing its nonsense. It conceals its shamelessness with the clothing of eamestness. It borrows ihc accepted wear of truth and may even adopt some of its premiscs and conclusions before adorning itself for the gullible. This is how paganism acts.

It attacks the true rehgicm and itsplain realitics, not as the bee attacks the Aowcrs of spring, but as the worms break down and waste a fertile soil Or locusts attack the luxurious gardens and turn them into barren wastelands. Now, if it corrupts what it Ieaves, then it will not correct what it takes, and if what it takes was good before it reached its then it will becomc harmful after il has becn turned into poison in its stomach. This is the secret w r hy paganism, which does not know Allah, claims to come closer to Him and seek His pleasure through its idols: a portion of truth in portions of falsehood, in a context which definitely diverts people from Allah and removes them from Allah's presence.

6. The greatest catastrophe which befell thereligiotis on account of thc pagan attack on them was the ternble changes affccling the reltgion of Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), They turned its day into darkness and its peace into distrcss; they tumed unity into idolatry, degraded the human race and hung its upliftment on a sacrifice. They turned thc idcology of Jcsus into a hotchpotch ofunnatural beliefs, mylhs and legends, The mih of the Trinity and redemption was revived after early paganism succeeded in thrusling lt upon the new Chrislianity.

In this way it gained two victories: it strengthened Etself and it led others astray, Thus when the sixth cenlury of the Christian era arrived, the lights of guidance throughout the world had gone out and Satan was traversing the vast expanses of land, admiring the ihorns he had planted and seeing how sturdy they had grown.

7. Magianism in Persia was stubborn vanguard of the widesprcad idolatry in China, India, the Arab countries and all parts of thc ignorant globe. Christianity, which vehemently opposcd it, borrowed most prominent characteristics Teature the myths of the ancient Indians and Egyptians. It ascribed a wife and a chiid to Allah and scduced ils followers in Romc, Egypl and Constantinople with a kind of polytheism more advanccd than that of the fire-worshippers and the idol-worshippers: a polytheism mixed with monotheism and Oghting pure polytheism! What is the value of these contradictions which Christianity coliected together?

8. It scems thal ihe bond of polytheism which iinked the pagan religions to the dlstortcd heaveniy religions is what made them allics in the bid to destroy the Muslims from the day the latter began establishing their community on the basis of the worship ot thc One True God. Allah cautioned this Ummah on the pcrsccution whicli would bcibll them from the idol-worshipers and from the Pcople of the Book at the same time, and He advised them to fortify thcmselves with patience and steadfastness in the facc of this intolcrance:

(Assuredly you wil[ be tried in your propeny and in your persons, and you will hear much wrong fnom those who were gjven the Scripture before you f and from the idolators, Bui if you persevere and ward off then that is of the iteadfatt heart of things.) (Quran 3: 1S6)

9. The darkness which engulted the hearts and mmds inthe absence of the lights of tawhld contained in it also traditions of sociely and thc systcms of govemment. Thus the earth was a den hannted by murder and destruction where the weak had no hope of peace and tranquiiiity, And what good could bc expected from paganism whtch rejected reason, forgot Allah and yielded to the hands of imposters

10. It would not be strange if Allah refused to heip them, as thc Hadlth says:

"Allah verfly fooked at the people on earth ond detested them atl, both Arabs and non-Arabs except some remnonts of the Peopfe of the Book(From a long HadTth narrated by Muslim)

It was these remains which werc tmpenetrable by polythcism in spite of the Eidal wave of unbdief which Hooded the liills and valleys. Before thc prophethood of Muhammad is the world was dTOwned in confusion and misery which weighed heavily on people^s shoulders,

You came, while thc pcople were in chaos: if you had passed by them you wouid have secn them worshipping idol upon idol. The king of Rome oppressed his people and the king of Persia was deaf and biind from pride.

Finally Allah annonnced that He would wipe out these traces and $end His choicest guidance to creation. He sent Muhammad