Although many Historians and Muslim scholars describe pre-islamic Arabia as a barbaric and

primitive society it was also the perfect location because of these two elements for Islam to develope
and flourish within the population. When scholars talk about this period they refer to it as the
Jahiliyah period ( in Arabic ignorance) and they address this is terms of the social and religious
factors that were present in Arabia at the time. Arabia has had a rich civiliation for many centuries
before the period of Prophet Muhammad and even before the birth of christ. Arabia was the cradle for
the semitic race and by this we mean in terms of being the home for languages such as Hebre, Aramic,
Arabic, Syriac and Ethiopic. Today there are only two remaining languages that are actually spoken in
the middle east. But why did such a rich and variety civilisation become a place of lack of social
order? Why were the arabs whom were such successful in trade and economy remain a paganistic and
polyetheistic soceity? Especially when Ibrahim had already established monotheism as the true
religion. But in theory no idea or group of ideals just arises they must some how be introduced and
then be allowed to develope and expand.
The religious aspects of Arabia had changed and became diluted slowly but surely after Ibrahims
monotheistic concept had been afirmed. Hence since the birth of Jesus we find a period of no daninity
and as Arabia is geographically isolated monotheism had an even less impact on their civiliation.
Consequently there left the impact of the surrounding Byzantine and Sassanid empires to influence
the minds of the Arabs. It is said that the first person to introduce idols or idol worship was Amr Ibn
Luhayy al-Khuzai. The following authentic hadith will allow us to go back to the beginning of
paganism strictly in Arabia;
It is related that Abu Hurayra said that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
"I saw 'Amr ibn Luhayy al-Khuza'i dragging his intestines behind him in the Fire. He was the first to
institute the s'iba."(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Book of virtues)
The word saiba in Arabic means the camel that was dedicated only for the idols and no one was
allowed to load it. Luhayy was the first person, who was the chieftain of the tribe of Khuzaah, to
begin the trend of idol worship in western Arabia and therefore alter the religion of Ibrahim and
ishmael. The tribe Khuzai were the ones in authority of the kabah at the time.Hence this gave Amr
Ibn Luhayy the jurisdiction to place the idol outside of the kabah.
This left scope for new ideas and ideals to be accumulate by other tribes which did not flow or have
any sort of system or unity. This was common though at this time of the world as seen in the Greeks
and Persians surrounding the arabian peninsula their religion was no longer identified as a spiritual or
intelluctal theism.
Some rituals and rights were kept the same from Ibrahims religion such as the four holy months of
truce during which warfare was prohibited before the coming of islam and to date are found in the
Islamic calendar. During these months all feuds and fighting were put on hold and stopped allowing
the social atmosphere to be pleasant and furthermore helped facilitated the Arabs trading. Previous to
islam the Arabs also kept the concept of the talbiyah which is the call made by muslims during their
pilgrimage to mecca responding to the eternal call that they believe Allah has made through time to
make atleast one trip to makkah. However due to the new so called theology at that time each tribe
would have their own Talbiyah referring to their deity. In addition the concept of sacrificing animals
to the deities although far deviated from the monotheistic concept was still practiced and the fact that
the surrounding area of the kabah known as th Haram was still a sanctuary (ADD THE PART
ABOUT THE HADITH OF NO MAN WOULD BE HARMED).
Though christians and jews were among the population they were converters and their version of
christanity, as F.E. Peters states in his book The Arabs and Arabia on the eve of islam, was still
paganised and for them to believe in something that was not commonly practiced in the scoiety
seemed out of norm. Though the concept of a higher God was acknowledged there was no importance
given to strict monotheism at the time.


So as time passed the idols were added some which were made in the images of humans, some
animal including most that were made half human and half animal as you have in the Greek myths.
They also believed that Allah (God in Arabic) had daughters, which were the angels. Which seems
every baffling to the Ibrahamic faiths Islam, Christianity and Judasim concept because this new
religion seemed contradictory how can polytheism and monotheism coexist? In essence the dogma
completely altered. This lead to a new religion with no unified creed, structure and no unified unified
atmosphere in society. The ethics were completely diversified and the Arabs began to behave
differently with one another in society. But as there was a lack of unified creed or religion this led to
tribes becoming more distant forming groups. It may even be from this point feuds began because this
is not just to say about pre-Islamic Arabia but throughout history we have seen this through the
Byzantine and Sassanid empires.

The Arabia peninsula had mean rich cultures, language and traditions. But we know little of their
social lives and their historical events because the lack of an implemented writing system. Those who
were literate who could read and write were seen as great intellects. Education was not a priaseworthy
concept in society rather manliness was encouraged.

Before Islam came into the picture or monotheism was re-introduced to the Arabs there was a lack of
order in other words no law system was established. Hitti (2002) describes in chapter 7 in history of
the Arabs that that south Arabia was a cultured and lettered society. I agree with him about the vast
culture of the Arabs because their trading and nomadic lifestyle lured varieties of ethnic backgrounds
into their society. The trading of the Arab markets you could find frankincense, silk, spices, myrrh,
dates etc. They became such successful traders that Arab merchants would trade with romans and
Byzantines (known as the Greeks at that time). Though i do not see them as a very lettered society
maybe due to the lack of record or orginal manuscripts of that time.They were lettered in the sense of
their ability to memorised hundreds and thousands of poems but this is of no use to us now as we very
little left of this compared to what could have remained through a recorded system. In spite of this we
do know that there would be days where Arabs from different cities would come to Mecca and recite
poetry the winner would have his poetry written on the walls of the kabab. Their poetry was always
to do with the power of men and the acts of what manliness meant to the Arabs. The richness of arabic
language, particularly in mecca as its people had interactions with arabs all around the arabia
peninsula, that Hitti says that Quhan the poet recited such astounding poetry and a language similiar
to the Quran. I must disagree as I feel Hitti is being mischeavous and implying something which
Allah has already challenged in the Quran;

In terms of their culture it was a patriarchal culture so women did not have such a large impact in
society if any. There would be the days of the Arabs (known as ayyam al-Arab) in which there would
be no bloodshed, no violence towards one another and no fighting. This would be their opportunity
for tribes to show one another their power, strength and manliness. However life in the desert was
hard and to make it more difficult there would be disputes between the tribes over very petty things as
Hitti (2002) in history of the Arabs describes that the fight two individuals of different tribes would
cause all to dispute rather than dissolving the matter intellectually leading to death of members of
either tribes.

Due to no law and order these feuds could sometimes go on from generation to generation between
the tribes which not only kept the population low and prevented the Arabs from flourishing but caused
the value of a boy to become even more important than ever. In fact this was so important to the
Arabs that if they had a daughter rather than a son they would bury them alive or killed in some other
method;
3334. It is related that Ibn 'Abbas said, "If it will please you to know about the ignorance of the
Arabs, then read after 130 in Surat al-An'am: 'Those who kill their children foolishly without any
knowledge and make what Allah has provided for them haram, inventing lies against Allah, such
people are lost. They are misguided. They are not guided.' (6:140).
There were at that time seen as acts of goodness for society and anyone who could not commit
infanticide were seen as weak or making the whole tribe vulnerable. The reason being was that
sometimes as a vengeance the members of the enemy would take the females and ask for high
ransoms and if they could not fulfil them then the enemy would do as they pleased with the female.
Therefore it was seen as a burden to have a daughter. Those females that were lucky enough to live
were treated as objects that the father could pass down as inheritance to their sons. Which could be the
wives; slave girls, daughters and the sons could either marry them or keep them as a slave as they
please. The women did not have any right to choose who she wished to marry or any say in divorce.
The Arab men were allowed to divorce and marry the same or different wives as they pleased. There
was no limit on the number of wives. However the women from the upper class were offered much
more opportunities such as education, opinion of marriage and taking part in businesses such as trade.
A peculiarity does occur when it came to the Arabs four months of peace during which there was no
bloodshed allowed or no killing which facilitated trading which is also part of the Islam calendar. The
trading of the Arabs you could kind frankincense, silk, spices, mur, dates etc. There was such a vast
trading of the Arabs because they had rich mix of cultures.
To summarise Pre-Islamic Arabia was no different from the Greeks or Romans at that time. Let us
not just pick faults with the Arabs as this is just the measure of the main characteristics that were
displayed in most of the Arabs however there was the few known in Arabic as the Hanifs which
means to go away from. So these individuals stayed away from the idolatry that was occurring in their
society. They were staying with the monotheistic concept even though Islam had not come about yet.
The main concern is that, just as Islam was strange at the beginning and monotheism became diluted
after the Prophets and the revelations, is how so much change came about with the start of one man
and the mere influence of inferiority complex caused tawhid to vanish and ignorance to prevail.
However it should be duly noted that when the polytheists not just Arabs entered Islam they cannot be
reached in their supremacy in both religious and intellectual achievements.
3304. It is related from Abu Hurayra that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
"You will find people to be like mines. The best of them in the Jahiliyya are the best of them in Islam
when they have understanding. You will find the best of people in this business (of command) to be
those who dislike it the most, and you will find the worst of people are the two-faced who come to
these people with one face and those people with another face."