At a turning point in human civilisation, in the sixth century CE, the world fell into dire misery. Civilisation and humanity were driven out, and society sank into all kinds of superstition. The steamroller of the powerful seemed always to be crushing the huts of the weak, and the weak found no justice anywhere.

People abandoned the worship of the one and only Allah and prostrated themselves like helpless beggars before stone idols made with their own hands. Women had no honour. To escape disgrace, people mercilessly buried baby girls alive. They fought wars lasting generations over trivial matters.

In this pitch-dark age of jahiliyyah, carrying a bright torch of divine light, came the chief of all prophets and messengers, the prophet of the world, the greatest and the last prophet, Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). He was born in the month of Rabiul Awal, but there is disagreement about the date. History records various opinions, including the 8th, 9th, 12th and 18th of Rabiul Awal, so the Prophet's date of birth remains undetermined.

He is the last prophet. No other prophet will come to this beautiful earth after him. Divine revelation through wahi to guide humankind ends with him, and here Allah completes the rules of His chosen religion for His beloved servants. The scope and work of the last Prophet's prophethood are sufficient and fixed for the children of Adam until the Day of Judgement.

He successfully and skilfully carried out the great task of establishing Islam, Allah's eternal chosen religion, and presenting it permanently to the people of the world. The orphan Muhammad (PBUH), Rahmatullil Alamin (mercy to the worlds) and liberator of humanity, lost his father, his mother and his grandfather. When the whole of Arabia came to know him as honest, trustworthy, a social worker and just, and gave him the title Al-Amin, he became the pride of all Arabia and the bright star of the Quraysh tribe's future leadership.

When the young Muhammad (PBUH) received prophethood at the age of 40 and began preaching the word of Allah, telling humanity the message of liberation, people across Arabia, including his own kin, became his opponents and enemies. They persecuted him in many ways and pledged to carry out a plan to kill him. At the time only a few Arabs had accepted Islam, and even the new Muslims could not escape them.

Finally, on Allah's command, he left his beloved birthplace Makkah and made the hijrah to Madinah. The people of Madinah welcomed him warmly and gave the beloved Prophet safe refuge. For 10 years he preached the message of Islam from Madinah al-Munawwarah, which is regarded as the centre of Muslims around the world.

In the eighth year of the Hijri, along with the conquest of Makkah, he performed Hajj. At the Farewell Hajj, addressing the 125,000 companions present, he asked: "O my dearest companions, have I properly carried out the duty Allah entrusted to me?" The companions replied in one voice: "Certainly, you have."

With tears in his eyes he said to Allah: "O my Lord, be my witness. My companions testify that I have properly carried out my duty."

Source: Bangladesh Pratidin. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.