Arabs Before Islam

Arabs Before Islam

Introduction

To distinguish and differentiate the status of the Arabs after the emergence of Islam from that which was prevailed in Arabia before Islam, the pre-Islamic times have been known as al-Jahiliyyah (i.e. Ignorance) and history of Jahiliyyah (i.e. Pre-Islamic Times of Ignorance). The term Jahiliyyah refers to the fact that the pre-Islamic Arabs led nomadic, undeveloped, backward, uncivilized life. "They (the pre-Islamic Arabs) were surpassed in civilization by the countries around them. Most of them were traveling tribes, leading an ignorant, backward life. Neither did they have relations with the outside world, nor did the world have relations with them. Illiterates and worshipers of idols, they did not have prosperous history."[1]

 

The Arabs and the nations of the world

Although the pre-Islamic Arabs were characterized among the world's nations and peoples by some distinct traits and morals, such as eloquence, rhetoric, love of freedom, sense of honor, chivalry, courage, enthusiasm for the faith, frankness, memorization, power of memory, love of equality, willpower, loyalty and faithfulness, the then contemporary Arabs – being long time away from prophethood and prophets, isolated in Arabia, and zealous adherence to their forefathers' religion and traditions of their nation – have been afflicted with severe deterioration in religion and stupid idolatry that may not be recurrent in contemporary world. In addition there were moral and social defects that made them a nation with deteriorating morals, corrupt society, disrupted structure, having the worst Jahiliyyah characteristics. They were completely detached from the virtues of religions.[2]

 

Beliefs of the Arabs

Idolatry prevailed in the Arabian Peninsula, so that each tribe and even each house has had its own idol. Companion Abu Raja' al-`Utaridy narrated: "We used to worship stones, and when we found a better stone than the first one, we would throw the first one and take the latter, but if we could not get a stone then we would collect some earth (i.e. soil) and then bring a sheep and milk that sheep over it, and circumambulate around it."[3]

Beside idols, the pre-Islamic Arabs worshiped other gods, including angels, jinn, and planets. They believed that angels were the daughters of Allah and took them as intercessors with Allah(Exalted and Glorified be He). Associating jinn as partners with Allah, the pre-Islamic Arabs believed in the ability and influence of the jinn and worshiped them.[4]

Moreover, Judaism prevailed in Arabia. Rabbis turned into lords to the exclusion of the Lord. They got involved in the practice of dictatorial subjection of people and calling their subordinates to account for the least word or idea. Their sole target turned into acquisition of wealth and power even if it were at the risk of losing their religion, or the emergence of atheism and disbelief.

Christianity likewise opened its doors wide to polytheism, and got too difficult to comprehend as a heavenly religion. As a religious practice, it developed a sort of peculiar medley of man and God. It exercised no bearing whatsoever on the souls of the Arabs who professed it simply, because it was alien to their style of life and did not have the least relationship with their practical life.[5]

 

Ethics of the Arabs

In terms of ethics, alcohol was widely common among the Arabians, to the extent that a great portion of their poetry, history and literature spoke about it. Gambling also was common in Arabia. Qatadah[6] (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "A pre-Islamic man would gamble on his family and wealth, then he would sadly see his wealth in the hands of another person. So it (gambling) sowed hostility and hatred among them."[7]

Dealing in Riba (usury) was also common among the Arabs and the Jews, so much so that they said: sale is like usury. Natural disposition with regard to the man-woman relationship reversed; where adultery was a common behavior and a man could keep concubines and a woman could do the same.

 

Pre-Islamic marriage

Regarding the pre-Islamic types of marriage, `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated: "There were four types of marriage during the Pre-Islamic period of ignorance. One type was similar to that of the present day, i.e. a man used to ask somebody else for the hand of a girl under his guardianship or for his daughter's hand, and give her dowry and then marry her. The second type was that a man would say to his wife after she had become clean from her period, 'go to so-and-so and have sexual relation with him.' Her husband would then keep away from her and would never sleep with her till she gets pregnant from the other man with whom she was sleeping. When her pregnancy became evident, her husband would sleep with her if he wishes. People do that so they may have a child of noble breed. Such marriage was called Al-Istibda`. Another type of marriage was that a group of less than ten men would assemble and enter upon a woman, and all of them would have sexual relation with her. If she became pregnant and delivered a child and some days had passed after her delivery, she would send for all of them and none of them would refuse to come, and when they all gathered before her, she would say to them, 'You all know what you have done, and now I have given birth to a child. So, it is your child, O so-and-so!' naming whoever she liked, and her child would follow him and he could not refuse to take him. The fourth type of marriage was that many people would enter upon a lady and she would never refuse anyone who came to her. Those were the prostitutes who used to fix red flags at their doors as signs, and he who wished, could have sexual intercourse with them. If anyone of them got pregnant and delivered a child, then all those men would be gathered for her and they would call the Qaifs [8] to them. The Qaifs would let the child follow the man whom they recognized as his father and she would let him adhere to him and will be called his son. The man could not refuse all that. But when Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent with the Truth, he abolished all the types of marriages observed in the Pre-Islamic period of ignorance except the type of marriage the people recognize today."[9]

 

Pre-Islamic women

`Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) summarizes the status of women before Islam, saying, "By Allah, in the Pre-Islamic Period of Ignorance we did not pay attention to women until Allah revealed regarding them what He revealed regarding them and assigned for them what He has assigned."[10] Women did not have the right to inheritance and "only those who could bear the sword and protect women" could inherit. If a man died, his son inherited him; if he did not have a son, the nearest relative – whether a father, brother or uncle – could inherit him. The daughters and wives of the deceased person used to be included to the inheritor's daughters and wives to have the same rights and duties of his daughters and wives. A pre-Islamic woman did have any right on her husband. Neither divorce nor polygamy was confined to a certain number. If a man died, leaving a wife and children from other than his wife, the elder son had the right to marry his father's widow, as she was part of the legacy.[11]

 

Pre-Islamic practice of female infanticide

The pre-Islamic Arabians' hatred of girls reached the extent of killing them alive (female infanticide). Female infanticide was one of the worst behaviors of the pre-Islamic times of ignorance. If a girl survived infanticide she would often live oppressed. The Holy Qur'an explains this in the following verses:

{When news is brought to one of them, of (the birth of) a female (child), his face darkens, and he is filled with inward grief!  With shame does he hide himself from his people, because of the bad news he has had! Shall he retain it on (sufferance and) contempt, or bury it in the dust? Ah! What an evil (choice) they decide on?} [Al-Nahl (The Bees) 16:58, 59]

This was the situation in the Arabian Peninsula before the emergence of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

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[1] Jawad Ali: Al-Mufassal fi Tarikh al-Arab qabala al-Islam (History of Pre-Islamic Arabs in Detail) 1 / 37.

[2] Abul Hasan Nadwi: Madha Khasira al-`Alam bi-Inhitat al-Muslimin? (What the World Lost by the Decline of Muslims?), pp 76, 77.

[3] Al-Bukhari: Book of the Prophet's Battles (Al-Maghazi), Chapter of Banu Hanifah Delegation, a Hadith narrated by Thumamah ibn Athal, (4117).

[4] Abu al-Mundhir Hisham ibn Muhammad ibn al-Kalby: Kitab al-Asnam (Book of Idols), p. 44.

[5]  See: Saifur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri, Ar-Raheeq al-Makhtum (The Sealed Nectar) p. 47.

[6] Qatadah al-Sadousi (60-117/8 AH) one of the leading scholar of the Tabi`un (Followers, the generation after the Companions of the Prophet). Abu-`Ubaida said: we have never seen a day passing without a man from Banu Ummaiyah coming to Qatadah's house to ask him about Prophetic reports, lineage, or poetry. He died in Wasit. See: Ibn Khallikan, Wafayat al-A`yan, 4/85, 86; and Al-Dhahaby, Tadhkarat al-Huffaz, 1/122, 123.

[7] See: Al-Tabary: Jami` al-Bayan fi Ta'wil al-Qur'an, 10/573; Al-Azim Abady, `Awn al-Ma`bud, 10/79.

[8] Qaifs are the people who are skilled in recognizing the likeness of a child to his father. See: Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalany: Fath Al-Bary, 9 / 185.

[9]  Al-Bukhary: Book of Marriage (al-Nikah), Chapter of Those Who Said: There is No Marriage without a Guardian, (4834); Abu Dawud (2272).

[10]  Related by al-Bukhary on the authority of Ibn Abbas: Book of Interpretation of the Qur'an, Chapter of the Interpretation of Surah al-Talaq (Divorce) (4629); and related by Muslim: Book of Divorce (al-Talaq), Chapter of al-Ila' (husband's oath not to have intercourse with his wife for four months or more) (1479).

[11] See: Mohammed Ahmad Isma`il al-Muqaddam: Al-Mar'ah bayna Takrim al-Islam wa Ihanat al-Jahiliyyah (Women between the Honoring of Islam and Humiliation of Jahiliyyah) p. 57.

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