If the material development is to dictate where a prophet should be raised, then Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa s.a.w. should have been raised either in Rome or in Constantinople, or maybe in Iran somewhere. What was the capital of Iran at that time? I don’t remember. What was the capital? They were the most developed countries. But he was raised—do you know from among whom? Allah says:
هُوَ الَّذِیۡ بَعَثَ فِی الۡاُمِّیّٖنَ رَسُوۡلًا مِّنۡہُمۡ یَتۡلُوۡا عَلَیۡہِمۡ اٰیٰتِہٖ وَیُزَکِّیۡہِمۡ وَیُعَلِّمُہُمُ الۡکِتٰبَ وَالۡحِکۡمَۃَ ٭ وَاِنۡ کَانُوۡا مِنۡ قَبۡلُ لَفِیۡ ضَلٰلٍ مُّبِیۡنٍ
[(62:3) He it is Who has raised among the Unlettered people a Messenger from among themselves who recites unto them His Signs, and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and wisdom, although they had been, before, in manifest misguidance.]
Not only in the most backward country in the world at that time, but also among the illiterate. And not only that, there was no means available to them for spreading their message—they didn’t know the art of writing either. They were unlettered people. So, this is Allah’s ways. This is how Allah proves that it is I who do things—not you, or not the developed people. They are rejected despite their might, despite their power, despite their developments. And Allah raises His prophets from among the poorest people. Now India—Allah chose Punjab, which is considered as a, you know, dhaga country. They say Punjabi dhaga in Urdu to, you know, to look at it with derision and mocking. So, Punjab was also like Arabia, you know, اُمِّيِّيْن’s (unlettered people’s) place. So, this is why Allah chose it.
