Why did God send prophets only to Arabia?

Sources

• ✓ 43:6 · Az-Zukhruf

  43:6 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  وَكَمْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن نَّبِىٍّۢ فِى ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ

  How many a prophet did We send among the men of old!

• ✓ 2:213 · Al-Baqara

  2:213 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  كَانَ ٱلنَّاسُ أُمَّةًۭ وَٰحِدَةًۭ فَبَعَثَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّبِيِّۦنَ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ وَأَنزَلَ مَعَهُمُ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ بِٱلْحَقِّ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ ٱلنَّاسِ فِيمَا ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ فِيهِ ۚ وَمَا ٱخْتَلَفَ فِيهِ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوهُ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَتْهُمُ ٱلْبَيِّنَٰتُ بَغْيًۢا بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ فَهَدَى ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لِمَا ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ فِيهِ مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍۢ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

  Mankind were one community, and Allah sent (unto them) prophets as bearers of good tidings and as warners, and revealed therewith the Scripture with the truth that it might judge between mankind concerning that wherein they differed. And only those unto whom (the Scripture) was given differed concerning it, after clear proofs had come unto them, through hatred one of another. And Allah by His Will guided those who believe unto the truth of that concerning which they differed. Allah guideth whom He will unto a straight path.

• ✓ 7:158 · Al-A'raaf

  7:158 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  قُلْ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنِّى رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا ٱلَّذِى لَهُۥ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ يُحْىِۦ وَيُمِيتُ ۖ فَـَٔامِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ٱلنَّبِىِّ ٱلْأُمِّىِّ ٱلَّذِى يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَكَلِمَٰتِهِۦ وَٱتَّبِعُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ

  Say (O Muhammad): O mankind! Lo! I am the messenger of Allah to you all - (the messenger of) Him unto Whom belongeth the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. There is no Allah save Him. He quickeneth and He giveth death. So believe in Allah and His messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write, who believeth in Allah and in His Words, and follow him that haply ye may be led aright.

• ✓ Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 2:213

  Sunni

  Tafsir Ibn Kathir · 2:213

  Ibn Jarir reports from Muhammad ibn Bashar, who narrated from Abu Dawud, from Hammam, from Qatadah, who related from Ikrimah, from Ibn Abbas: there were ten generations between Prophet Nuh (Noah) and Adam, and all were upon a true religion. However, disputes arose among them, so Allah sent prophets as bringers of good news and warners. Abdullah ibn Abbas's recitation similarly reads: "People were one community, then they differed." Al-Hakim also transmitted this narration and deemed it authentic, though he did not include it in his standard collections. Abu Ja'far al-Razi conveyed from Abi al-Aliyah, via Ubayy ibn Ka'b, that the verse was read as: "People were one community, then they differed, and Allah sent the prophets as bringers of good news and warners." Abd al-Razzaq narrated from Ma'mar, relating Qatadah's explanation of "People were one community": they were united in guidance before disputing. Allah then sent prophets to them, beginning with Nuh, as affirmed by Mujahid and initially by Ibn Abbas. Al-'Awfi cited Ibn Abbas's alternative view, interpreting "People were one community" as meaning they were disbelievers, and then Allah sent prophets who brought glad tidings and warnings. The first interpretation by Ibn Abbas is considered stronger in chain and meaning since humanity began on Adam’s religion until idolatry spread, leading to the sending of Nuh, who was the first messenger sent to all people on earth. The verse continues: Allah sent down the scripture with truth to judge among them in their disagreements, and only those who received it later and opposed one another legislated disputes despite clear proofs. "Thus, Allah guides believers by His permission in matters of disagreement, and He guides whom He wills to a straight path." This means that after the clear evidences were established, disputes occurred only from hostility among some groups. Yet Allah, by His will, directs the true believers to the reality amidst their differences. Abd al-Razzaq's report from Ma'mar, via Sulayman al-A'mash, includes a narration from Abu Hurairah in which the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: "We, the last generation, will be the first to enter Paradise. Others before us were given the scripture. Allah guided us to the truth on which they differed. The day of their divergence is our day, and people will follow us—first the Jews, then the Christians." Ibn Wahb, citing Abd al-Rahman ibn Zaid ibn Aslam, explains that the differences among people happened on the day of Friday: Jews observe Sabbath on Saturday; Christians on Sunday. The Muslim community was guided to Friday. Differences also occurred about the Qiblah: Christians faced east; Jews faced the temple in Jerusalem; Muslims were guided to the true Qiblah. Further differences were noted in prayer practices, fasting, and beliefs about Prophets Ibrahim and Jesus (peace be upon them). Allah guided the Muslim community to the truth in all these matters. Rabih ibn Anas said regarding "Allah guides the believers by His permission": before the disagreements, people were upon what the messengers brought, sincere in worshiping Allah alone, maintaining prayer and zakah, remaining on the original path and avoiding disputes. Such believers will bear witness against the peoples of Nuh, Hud, Saleh, Shu'ayb, and Pharaoh on Judgment Day, testifying that their messengers were truthful but rejected. In the reading of Ubayy ibn Ka'b, the verse includes: "to be witnesses against the people on the Day of Resurrection, and Allah guides whom He wills to a straight path." Abu al-Aliyah remarked that this verse provides escape from doubts, misguidance, and trials. Regarding the phrase "by His permission," Ibn Jarir explained it means by His knowledge and what He caused to guide them. He added that "Allah guides whom He wills to a straight path" means He has sole authority and decisive proof. Aṣ-Ṣaḥīḥ collections from Aisha record that the Prophet ﷺ, when praying at night, would say: "O Allah, Lord of Gabriel, Michael, and Israfil, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, You judge among Your servants regarding what they disagree upon; guide me by Your permission to the truth in what they differ about; surely You guide whom You will to a straight path." A famous supplication also includes: "O Allah, show us the truth as truth and grant us following it, and show us falsehood as falsehood and grant us avoidance of it, and do not make it ambiguous to us so we go astray. Make us leaders among the righteous." Thus, the verse describes the history of mankind initially united in true religion, then differing, prompting Allah to send messengers and revealed scriptures to clarify disputes and guide believers toward the truth according to His wisdom and decree.