Pre-Islamic Arabia

1. Pre-Islamic Arabia Michelle, Mariam and Laura

2. Social Structure • Early pre-Islamic civilisations occurred around one and two thousand BC • At the centre of the Bedouin tribe (Qabilah) was the tent (Khaymah): represents family. A camp of Khaymah formed a Hayy and one member of each Hayy made a clan Qawm. It was these clans that grouped together to form tribes and the members of each individual clan were blood related • The Bedouin tribe was democratic in the sense that they had a leader; one who was viewed as the wisest and most experienced of the other members of the clan was elected and was known as ‘Sheikh’. This position was not hereditary. • There was no unity or nationalism between the Arab people. Each tribe was a separate identity with their own dialects and religion.

3. Religion • Christianity was active in the region prior to the rise of Islam. • Some tribes practised Judaism • The Pagan Arabs made up the majority of Arabia and believed in about 360 Gods and Goddesses. The existence of Allah was a religious reality for a minority of Arabs. • Arabia was profoundly polytheistic environment and were superstitious • Beliefs in a myriad of demons, djinn/ghouls, demigods, gods and goddesses and creatures • Their beliefs are seen through their stories of genies, ghouls, magic lamps, flying carpets and wishes. A famous example of this is the tale of Arabian Nights.

4. Religion • The sun was worshiped and viewed as significant however not as much as the moon, a friend and ally providing them with light, coolness and shade. The moon symbolised a nomadic lifestyle which is what they lived by as opposed to the agriculture sense that the Sun implies. The sun was actually viewed as an enemy to the nomads depriving them of pasture, shade and water, in the scorching heat of the desert. • The Pagan Arabs did not build temples or significant structures for their Gods and did not establish mythology in regards to whom they worshiped. • Most of the 'holy' places of their other divinities were trees, wells, caves or fallen meteors. The pagan Arabs made sacrifices - both human and animal - to 'Venus'. • A sacred cube-like-building known as “Ka’ba” was a place of pilgrimage and viewed as holy long before Islam.

5. Religion • The 360 idols are found in the Kaaba (a building in the shape of a cube found in Mecca). • The Kaaba is where all pagans would go when on a pilgrimage. There they would walk around the Kaaba seven times. It is said that people from monotheistic religions also did this. • The Kaaba is dedicated to Hubal (a Nabatean deity) and the Daughters of God (al-Lat, al-Uzza and Manat). • Mecca wasn’t only a place of pilgrimage but a trading centre especially of spices, leather, cloth and camel butter. • Numerous holy places were natural areas such as trees and caves as well as wells and fallen meteors.

6. Sacrifice was practiced and involved both animal and human sacrifice to the Goddess Venus and it is said that Muhammad also gave sacrifices to Venus himself. • Another belief of the Bedouins was that the desert was home to various living creatures and spirits known as Jinn who were said to fill their lives with mischief and difficulties/hardships. • As the Pagan Arabs were nomadic, there was no specific burial ground for the dead hence no significant reverence was given to those who have died nor did they believe in an afterlife, resurrection, day of judgment or even heaven and hell as all of these beliefs came about with the religion of Islam.

7. Religion • Another belief of the Bedouins was that the desert was home to various living creatures and spirits known as Jinn who were said to fill their lives with mischief and difficulties/hardships. • As the Pagan Arabs were nomadic, there was no specific burial ground for the dead hence no significant reverence was given to those who have died nor did they believe in an afterlife, resurrection, day of judgment or even heaven and hell as all of these beliefs came about with the religion of Islam.

8. Culture • The significant stories of the Qur’an demonstrated that they derived from the new testament and the Hebrew bible. • The Bedouin's love of poetry was Muhammad’s only cultural benefit and legacy. Their poets were held with great respect and were extremely influential because of their mastery of the spoken word. They acted as the historians, propagandists and spokesmen of their tribes. • Muhammad did not create the idea of the one and only God it was in fact the effect of outside influences that acted as an inspiration for Muhammad to develop a scripture that co-coincided with the “people of the book” for the Pagan Arabs.