Central University of South Bihar

School of Law & Governance (SLG)

Project Topic: Pre-Islamic Arabia (Ayyam-e-Jahiliya)

Submitted to Course Instructor Submitted by

Dr. Ram Chandra Oraon Raja Raushan Kumar
Assistant Professor, Law B.A. LL.B. (Hons.)
School of Law & Governance Vth Semester
Subject- Family Law II CUSB1713125036
Course code- LAW 300 Session- 2017-22
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The project work of “Family Law” on the topic “Pre-Islamic Arabia

(Ayyam-e-Jahiliya)”. This project is given by our honorable subject professor
“Dr. Ram Chandra Oraon” and first of all I would like to thank her for
providing me such a nice topic and making me aware as well providing me a lot
of ideas regarding the topic and the methods to complete the project. I would
like to thank all the Library staffs who helped me to find all the desired books
regarding the topic as the whole project revolves around the doctrinal
methodology of research. I would like to thank to my seniors as well as class
mates who helped me in the completion of this project. Last but not the least,
thanks to all who directly or indirectly helped me in completing of this project.
I have made this project with great care and tried to put each and every
necessary information regarding the topic. So, at the beginning I hope that if
once you will come inside this project you will be surely glad.
CONTENTS PAGE NO

 INTRODUCTION 1
 CONDITION OF WOMEN BEFORE IN PRE-ISLAMIC ARABIA 2

 MARRIAGE IN PRE-ISLAMIC ARABIA 3

 CONCEPT OF MEHAR IN PRE-ISLAMIC ARABIA 3-4

 DIVORCE IN PRE-ISLAMIC ARABIA 4

 LAW OF INHERITENCE IN PRE-ISLAMIC ARABIA 5

 PRE-ISLAMIC ARABIA LIFE 6

 POLITICAL LIFE 6-7

 SOCIAL LIFE 7

 ECONOMIC LIFE 7-8

 RELIGIOUS LIFE 8-9

 CULTURAL LIFE 9

 THE PROPHET 9

 THE ADVENT OF ISLAM 10

 THE HIJARAT 10

 CONCLUSION 11

 REFERENCES 12
 INTRODUCTION

Before Mohammad became a Prophet and there was no general law of the races inhibiting the
Arabian Peninsula. Each tribe was governed by its own laws, and matters in dispute were
either referred to the Chief, or decided by an appeal to the sword. The conduct of the Arabs
was regulated by customs. Most of the customs of the Arab people were barbarous and
inhuman. Often the parents buried alive their female child. Usury, i.e., taking a very high
interest on the
debts, was common. Gambling was rampant. It was days of superstition and idolatry; the
position of women was not much better than that of animals; they had no legal rights; in
youth they were the goods and chattels of the father; after marriage the husband became their
lord and master. Polygamy was universal divorce was easy and female infanticide was
common. Such was the condition of the Arabian society in which reforms were introduced by
Islam to bring about a complete transformation of the society. The Arabs themselves were so
much conscious of this change, that they began to refer to the period before Mohammad as
the Ayyam-e-jahiliya, i.e., the period of ignorance or rather wildness or savagery in contrast
to the moral reasonableness of a civilized man. 1 According to the Dictionary of Islam the
word “Arabi” signifies a barren place or desert. Arabia (Arabic) the Arabian Peninsula, or
Island of the Arabs. Arabia is a largest peninsula of the world which surrounded by the Red
Sea in the West, the Indian Ocean in the South, the Persian Gulf in the East, and in the North
the Syrian Desert. Before the birth of Islam Arabia was a country of ‘Idolaters’. They were
divided into tribes and used to live in a nomadic state of life and had no organized state and
government amongst them. The only authority which they respected was that to tribal chief.
They were addicted to drinking, gambling and practiced polygamy. The female infanticide
was also prevalent. Women had no recognized place in Arab society. Among the tribes, there
was the Quresh, who had the noble pedigree. The period preceding the rise of Islam is
commonly known as ‘Ayyam-i- Jahiliyah’ or “The days of ignorance”. The period was
called, because the political, religious and social conditions of Arabia were of the worst
order. The Pre- Islamic Arabs had no inspired Prophet, no revealed book; no clear-cut
religious ideology and they had no idea of the system of government, no idea of moral and
descent life. Their religious as well as political life was on a thoroughly primitive level. 2 The
social and religious order organized is Judaism, Christianity and Zoroastrianism had
disintegrated.
1
Ahmad Aqil, Mohammedan Law, Central Law Agency, P- 2
2
Ali K. Studies in Islamic History, 1950, Delhi, P- 50

1
 CONDITION OF WOMEN BEFORE ISLAM
Jewish scholar Flavius Josephus, “Woman, the Law says, is inferior to man in all things.
Hence, she must obey not force but authority, because God has given power to man.”
Although women were subordinated to men, their social, economic, and marital functions
were highly valued. Women were socially weak, but men were obliged to be considerate,
protective, and solicitous of their women. In all the regional pre-Islamic societies, the
authority of men and their social and economic advantages were institutionalized in the
arrangements of marriage and divorce, sexual morality, The authority of men was clearly
expressed in the institutions of marriage. Ancient Iranian, Greek and Roman, and Jewish and
Christian communities had similar concepts of marriage. Marriage was a mechanism for
producing children who would carry on the family name and family fortunes.: Ancient
Roman women, for example, could not marry without the consent or representation of a
guardian. According to Sasanian law, a woman had to give her consent before marriage, but
her father had to represent her in drawing a marriage contract. However, she had the legal
right to keep her wages after marriage. For a Jewish marriage, consent was required, but a
woman’s consent could be tacit. In general, a very young woman was expected to accept her
parents’ wishes – silence was considered consent.3 Women were expected to be faithful and
loyal, to bear children, prepare food, and keep house. In early Roman law, only a husband
could make a declaration of divorce, but by the time of Constantine (fourth century), either
spouse could unilaterally end a marriage In rabbinic law, a husband, but not a wife, could end
a marriage at will, but he was required to return the dowry – unless the wife was judicially
found to be at fault. The rabbis, however, differed on the legal rights of women to initiate
divorce. The majority of Babylonian Talmudists gave a woman the right to divorce in the
case of a major flaw in the husband, such as impotence or a serious disease. The Palestinian
Talmud suggests that Jewish women had the right to sue for divorce. Roman society expected
unmarried women to be chaste. The distinctions between wife, concubine, and mistress were
ambiguous. Zoroastrian, Jewish, and Christian traditions all required virginity in a bride. The
Avesta4 (Zoroastrian scripture) encouraged chastity and forbade sex outside marriage. n late
antique law, with the possible exception of Roman law, women did not inherit equally with
men. However, families commonly arranged to transfer property to wives and daughters by
gifts or wills. Under Sasanian rules wives of full legal status could inherit the same portion as
3
Lapidus M. Ira, 3rd Edition, A Histories Of Islamic studies, P-121
4
Lapidus M. Ira, 3rd Edition, A Histories Of Islamic studies, P-124

2
sons, but lower-status wives and their children could not inherit. Unmarried daughters
received half of a son’s share in an estate; married daughters could not inherit, because,
presumably, they had received a dowry equivalent to their share.

MARRIAGE IN PRE-ISLAMIC ARABIA

Marriage. i.e., nikah in pre-Islamic Arabia, meant different forms of sex relationship between
a man and a woman established on certain terms, In pre-Islamic days, women were treated as
chattels, and were not given any right of inheritance and were absolutely dependent. It was
Prophet Mohammad who brought about a complete change in the position of women. The
improvement was vast and striking and their position is now unique as regards their legal
status. Prophet Mohammad placed women on a footing of almost perfect equality with men
in the exercise of all legal powers and functions, which stand in hold relief when compared
with the state of law amongst the ancient Arabs of the pre-Islamic days. Under the Muslim
law marriage is considered as civil contract. After marriage, woman does not lose her
individuality. She remains a distinct member of the community; her existence of personality
is not merged into that of her husband. The contract of marriage gives no power to anyone
over her person or property beyond what the law defines. Woman remains the absolute owner
of her individual rights; even after marriage, she can alienate or transfer her property in any
way she pleases without any extraneous control of her husband. She can enter into binding
contracts with her husband and proceed against him in law courts, necessary. The woman
enjoys this position through the injunctions of Quran.5

CONCEPT OF MEHAR IN PRE-ISLAMIC ARABIA

In old pre-Islamic Arabia, when the institution of marriage as we know it today was not
developed, many forms of sex relationships between man and woman were in vogue. Some
were temporary and hardly better than prostitution. Men, after despoiling their wives, often
turned them out, absolutely helpless and without any means, The ancient custom to settle
certain sums for subsistence of the wife in the event she was turned out was often
disregarded, as there was no organized system of law. A device was in vogue under the name
of SHIGHAR marriage in which a man would give his daughter or sister in marriage to
another in consideration of the latter giving his daughter or sister in marriage to the former.
Thus, neither of the wives could get a dower. False accusation of unchastity were frequently
5
Ahmad Aqil, Mohammedan Law, Central Law Agency, P-7

3
used to deprive the wife of her dower. In the so called Beena marriage, where the husband
visited the wife but did not bring her home, the wife was called Sadiqa or female friend, and a
gift given to wife on marriage was called, Sadaq. In Islam Sadaq simply means a dowry and
is synonymous with Maher (sale price). But originally the two words (Sadaq and Maher)
were quite distinct. Sadaq was a gift to the wife in the Beena form of marriage and mar was a
gift or compensation to the parents of the wife in the baal form of marriage. Maher belongs to
the marriage of dominion, which is known as the baal marriage, where the wife's parents
(guardian) part with her and have to be compensated. Promulgation of Islam gave a new form
of nikah to marriage abolished this ancient custom and forbade unjust acts towards the fair
sex, as is evident from the Quran. "If you separate yourself from your wives, send them away
with generosity: it is not permitted to you to appropriate the goods you have once given to
them". Thus, the custom originated in ancient times with the payment which husbands often
made to their wives as means of support their old age or when turned out by them. Maher in
the baal form of marriage was also recognized by the prophet to ameliorate the position of
wife In Islam, and it was combined with Sadaq, so that it became a settlement or provision
for the wife.6

DIVORCE IN PRE-ISLAMIC ARABIA

Among almost all the nations of antiquity, divorce was regarded as a natural corollary or
marital rights. Romans, Hebrews, Israelis etc. all had divorce in one or the other form. Even
though the provision of divorce was recognized in all religions. Islam is perhaps the first
religion in
the world which has expressly recognized the termination of marriage by way of divorce. In
England divorce was introduced only hundred years back. In India among Hindus, it was
allowed only by Hindu Marriage Act, 1955. Before the passing of this Act divorce was not
recognized by Hindu Law. Divorce among the ancient Arabs was easy and of frequent
occurrence. In fact, this tendency has even persisted to some extent, in Islamic Law in spite
of
the fact that Prophet showed his dislike to it. It was regarded by the Prophet to be the. Most
hateful before the Almighty God of all permitted things; for it prevented conjugal happiness
and interfered with the proper bringing up of children. According to Ameer Ali, the reforms
of Prophet Mohammad marked a new departure in the history of Eastern Legislations. The

6
Ahmad Aqil, Mohammedan Law, Central Law Agency, P- 163

4
Prophet of Islam is reported to have said "with Allah, the most detestable of all things
permitted is divorce", and towards the end of his life he practically forbade its exercise by
men without intervention of an arbiter or a Judge.
LAW OF INHERITANCE IN PRE-ISLAMIC ARABIA
Pre-Islamic customs and usages occupy a pre-eminent place in the Muslim system in
connection with the law of inheritance. This system has a dual basis as regards the rules
governing inheritance, as it consists primarily of, the rules as laid down in the Quran or the
Hadis, and the customs and usages prevailing amongst the Arab tribes near Mecca and.
Medina at the time of the Prophet in so far as they have not been altered or abrogated by the
said rules and kinship. The Quran gives specific shares to certain individuals on humane
considerations while the pre-Islamic customary law deals with the residue thus left and
distributes it among the agnatic heirs and failing them to the uterine heirs. The customary law
alone can explain the reason why different of Decease classes of rights are given to the
various relations, and why some who might supposed to be equally entitled to similar rights
are debarred from the According to the pre-Islamic customary law, “The nearest male agnate
or agnates succeeded to the entire estate of deceased. Females and cognates were excluded.
Descendants were preferred to ascendants and ascendants collaterals. When the agents were
equally distant to the deceased, the estate was divided per capita. Reforms made by Prophet
of Islam. The Quran and the Prophet did altogether abrogate these Pre-Islamic laws, but only
amended them. The mare forms introduced were that instead of agnate male relations, the
Prophet substituted blood relation of any degree whatsoever together with relation marriage.
The Quran laid down a list of persons of sharers such as husband and wife, and females such
a daughter as well as cognates having a right inherit and secondly parents and ascendants,
who were held competent inherit even when, there were male descendants. These persons
termed 'newly created heirs' are mostly females and cognates as they did not get a share in
pre-Islamic days. The Quran says: "God hath thus commanded you concerning your children.
A male have as much as the share of two females but if they be females only above two in
number, they shall have two-thirds part of what deceased shall leave, and if there be but one,
she shall have the half, a the parents of the deceased shall have each of them a sixth part of
women. She shall leave, if he has a child, but if he has no child, and his parents be his heirs
then his mother shall have the third part and if he has brethren, his mother shall have a sixth
part after the legacies". Person newly entitled to inherit under Islamic law are as follows, The
husband or wife. The females as well as cognates. Parents and ascendants are given a right to

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inherit even when their male descendants. As a general rule, the share of female is one half of
the correspond, male relation's share.7

PRE-ISLAMIC ARABIAN LIFE

Imraul Qays was regarded as the Prince of the Arab poets as his Muallaqat was honoured as
the best specimen of the Pre- Islamic Arabic poetry. This period also produced some wise
man, such as Aktam. Hajib, Hindah, Loqman etc. the existence of these poets and wise man
proves
that the Pre- Islamic Arabia was not completely devoid of an intellectual life.

POLITICAL LIFE
During the age of ignorance, the whole of Arabia was under the subjugation of the Persian
and Roman Empires enjoyed complete independence except certain portion of the north.
Anarchy prevailed in Arab political life and the political life of Arabia, particularly the
southerners, had disintegrated. The Arabs were divided in many tribes. Each tribe had of its
own, generally known as Sheikh to whom they owed their allegiance. The relation between
the members of different tribes were very hostile. The Arab did not hesitate to go any length;
even they were ready to sacrifice their lives for the honor and prestige of the tribe. Tribal
feuds, raiding and plundering of one tribe by the other were the common phenomenon of the
Arab life at that time. This condition of Arabia has been termed as ‘Ayyam al- Arab’. It is a
record of blood feud, raids and irregular warfare among the Arabian tribes.1 In absence of
any centralized government these tribes were always in conflict with each other at the slights
pretext and the war between the conflicting tribes sometimes continued for many years
together. Banu Bakr and Banu Taghlib tribes fought for forty years on a small matter, the
beating of a she during the age of ignorance, the whole of Arabia was under the subjugation
of the Persian and Roman Empires enjoyed complete independence except certain portion of
the north. Anarchy prevailed in Arab political life and the political life of Arabia, particularly
the southerners, had disintegrated. The Arabs were divided in many tribes. Each tribe had of
its own, generally known as Sheikh to whom they owed their allegiance. The relation
between the members of different tribes was very hostile. The Arab did not hesitate to go any
length; even they were ready to sacrifice their lives for the honor and prestige of the tribe.
Tribal feuds, raiding and plundering of one tribe by the other were the common phenomenon

7
Ahmad Aqil, Mohammedan Law, Central Law Agency, P- 369

6
of the Arab life at that time. This condition of Arabia has been termed as ‘Ayyam al-Arab’. It
is a record of blood feud, raids and irregular warfare among the Arabian tribes. 8 In absence of
any centralized government these tribes were always in conflict with each other at the slights
pretext and the war between the conflicting tribes sometimes continued for many years
together. Banu Bakr and Banu Taghlib tribes fought for forty years on a small matter, the
beating of a she camel. The war of Dahis and Ghabra (name of horses) fought between the
Abes and its sister tribe Dhubyan over a horse race continued for several decades, the tribal
raids and wars were thus a matter of everyday life. There was no systematic law in the
country, “Might is right was the law in the land, as being no political unity and organized
government in Arabia.9

SOCIAL LIFE
Greatest anarchy prevailed in the social life of the Arabs. There was no ideal, morality or
discipline in the society. Corruption, Vices, Superstition, Unrestrained freedom and
unrestricted enjoyment ruled supreme in the Arab Society. “Plurality of wives and husbands
was the order of the day. - A man could have unlawful relation with a number of sweet
hearts. Married women were allowed by their husbands to conjugate with others for the sake
of spring”.10 Girls of coquetting disposition often used to go to the outskirts of the city where
they allowed to the men folk to take full liberty with them. Step sons could marry their step
mothers and even the brothers sometimes married their own sisters. Men and women could
have full liberty with their opposites. Women were not entitled to have the share of the
property of their deceased husbands, fathers and other relations. In the advent of Muhammad
(PBUH) who lifted them up from the depth of lowliness to the position of respect and dignity.
The birth of a female child was considered as a great curse and she was often buried alive by
the heartless father. In a word the women of the pre- Islamic days had no status in the society.
A man could marry as many wives as he liked and could divorce as he wished. Slavery, in its
worst form, prevailed in the Arab society. The master had unlimited authority over the slaves.
He could even put them to death. They were generally treated most inhumanly and often left
on the heated sand of the desert bound hand and foot and with eyes towards the sun.11

8
Ali K. -A Study in Islamic History. Delhi, 1950, P-18
9
Dr. Rahim A -Islamic History, 4th edn, Delhi, 2003, P- 7
10
Ali K. -A Study in Islamic History. Delhi, 1950, P- 21
11
Dr. Rahim A -Islamic History, 4th edn, Delhi, 2003, P- 8

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 ECONOMIC LIFE
The economic condition was not so good. The Pre- Islamic Arabian society was very much in
the primitive stage. The land of Arabia was barren. There were no agricultural and mineral
products. So, the people of Arabia generally were economically depressed. The poor and
middle-class people earned their livelihood by tending cattle. But people of a higher status
like Abu Bakr and Uthman carried on in land and foreign business. They were economically
better off but their numbers were few and far between. The practice of money lending based
on the system of ‘usury’ (interest) was in vogue among the Jews who treated their debtor very
severely. So, the lives the Arabs is generally continued to be very miserable.12

RELIGIOUS LIFE
Prior to the rise of Islam, worst anarchy and confusion prevailed in the religious life of the
Arabs. With the exception of the Jews and the Christians, the rest of the Arabs were
idolatrous. But the religious of the Jews and the Christians were in a moribund condition.
Their religions
could not any way contribute to the material and spiritual well-being of the Arabs whole. The
idol-worshippers, adorning many Gods and Goddess, Ka’ba, the House of Allah was adorned
with 360 idols and converted into the most sacred sanctuary and Centre of idolatry in Arabia.
Besides idol worship, they also worshipped the Sun, the Moon, the Star, the Air, pieces of
stone, tree and sand heaps. They did not believe in the oneness of God, the immorality of
human soul and Day of Retribution. Only a section of the people of Medina believed in a
vague monotheism. Every city had its own Gods and Goddesses, Hubal, Lat, Manah and
Uzzah were the principal Gods and Goddesses of the Arabs. Every year men from different
parts of the country used to come to Ka’ba where 360 idols were placed to pay homage to
their Gods and The idol-worshippers, adorning many Gods and Goddess, Ka’ba, the House of
Allah was adorned with 360 idols and converted into the most sacred sanctuary and Centre
of idolatry in Arabia.3 Besides idol worship, they also worshipped the Sun, the Moon, the
Star, the Air, pieces of stone, tree and sand heaps. They did not believe in the oneness of
God, the immorality of human soul and Day of Retribution. Only a section of the people of
Medina believed in a vague monotheism. Every city had its own Gods and Goddesses, Hubal,
Lat, Manah and Uzzah were the principal Gods and Goddesses of the Arabs. Every year men
from different parts of the country used to come to Ka’ba where 360 idols were placed to pay
homage to their Gods and Goddesses. During this time a big fair was held in Arabia and the
12
Ali K. - A Study in Islamic History. Delhi, 1950, P- 18

8
fair was called the “Fair of Ukaz”. The condition of the ‘days of ignorance’ has been well
expressed by Jafar the spokesman of the Muslim emigrant to Abyssinia, in reply to the query
of their King, he said to Negs, “Jahiliyah people were we, worshipping idols, feeding on the
dead animals practicing immortality, deserting our families and violating the covenant term
of mutual protection, the strong among us devouring the weak, such was the state when Allah
sent unto us a messenger”13

CULTURAL LIFE
The educational system of the days of ignorance was not like that of the modem age. The
Arabs of this period were not altogether devoid of culture, they were famous for their
language and poetry. The language of the Pre- Islamic Arabs had been rich that it can be
compared to
the developed languages of modem Europe. The perfection of Arabic language was the
greatest contribution of the age of Ignorance to emergence of Islam. The great historian P.K.
Hitti says, “The triumph of Islam was a certain extent the triumph of a language, more
particularly of a book”. Another cultural achievement of the pagan Arabs was their poetry.
The poetry of this period ‘was national influence but not in spirit’ the theme of poetry was
not the Arabs but the Arab.14

THE PROPHET
Prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca around 570 CE into the clan of Banu Hashim. His
ancestors had been guardians of the sacred well of Zamzam. Muhammad’s father died before
he was born. He was raised by his grandfather and then by his uncle, Abu Talib. Muhammad
worked as a caravanner and at twenty-five married his employer, Khadija, a wealthy, older
widow. They had four daughters and several sons; all the boys died in infancy. In the years
before the revelations, Muhammad was wont to retreat to the mountains outside Mecca to
pray in solitude. In his early life Muhammad engaged in trade as an employee, but gradually
his interest has been shifted to religion. He used to go to mount ‘Hera’ near the city of Mecca
to pass his time in meditation and prayer, later he was successful in receiving the message of
God and to develop his mission. Gradually, he began to preach his religion publicly and
devoted his life for the sake of Islam for emancipation of the distress. In doing this he faced

13
Dr. Rahim A -Islamic History, 4th edn, Delhi, 2003, P- 8

14
Dr. Rahim A -Islamic History, 4th edn, Delhi, 2003, P-20

9
serious opposition from his opponents. But he acquitted power of influence. He told the
people to give up idol- worship and to accept his religious preaching. He also suggested them
to give up their evil social customs and to accept his faith of unity and equality. Through this
way Islam started to spread among the masses of Arabia.

THE ADVENT OF ISLAM

After the age of twenty-five years Prophet spent much of his time in a solitude making a
lonely cave named Hira, his abode, where he is said to have been and meditation. He became
a Prophet at the fortieth year of when he received his first-wahi or message from God. From
that time occupied in his prayer age, devoted himself in replanting the only true and ancient
religion, professed by Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and all the Prophets of the past.
In his endeavors to this end, he met with the most bitter persecution from the idolaters whose
faith he attacked. He was abused, spat upon, covered with dust and dragged from the temple
of Mecca by the hair of his head; but still he assiduously preserved in his undertaking and
ultimately succeeded in spreading his religion over a great portion of the Roman Empire, in
converting the people of Persia, in advancing his dominion to the banks of Indus and the
Oxus and in founding a sect of people that afterwards became the conquerors of India and are
at the present time one of the most numerous, if not the most powerful races of men on the
earth. 15

THE HIJARAT
As a result of the Prophet's condemnation of the paganism, then prevalent in Arabia, he was
compelled to leave Mecca and to take refuge among his followers at Medina. The flight of
Prophet known as 'Hijrat" marks the beginning of Muslim era. Now the Of years humiliation,
of persecution, of failures came to an end and the years of success, the fullest that has ever
crowned one man's endeavors, had begun. The Hijrat makes a clear division in the story of
Prophet's mission which is evident in the Quran. Till then he had been a preacher only.
Henceforth he was the ruler of a State-at first a very small one, which later grew in ten years
to be the empire of Arabia. This absolute supremacy continued till his death in 632 A.D.16

15
Ahmad Aqil, Mohammedan Law, Central Law Agency, P-2
16
Ahmad Aqil, Mohammedan Law, Central Law Agency, P-2

10
 CONCLUSION
The emergence of Islam was based on two basic elements: foreign interference into pre-
Islamic
Arabia, and the internal crisis of pre-Islamic Arabia. Pre-Islamic Arabia did not lack political
and religious conflicts. In fact, late pre-Islamic Arabia was in a quite weak and chaotic
situation. Abraha's invasion of Hijaz was a direct challenge to pre-Islamic Arabian society
and intensified the crisis awareness of Arabs. In this situation, Muhammad initially had a
strong political mission: to unify the Arabs and hold back foreign encroachments. A spiritual
crisis among the pre-Islamic Arabs was a more urgent concern: the balance between Arabian
polytheism and tribalism had nearly collapsed in Arabia, and due to the lack of an
institutionalized belief system, Arabian polytheism was not able to either satisfy the spiritual
pursuits of Arabs or counter the threats of the old monotheisms. But Mecca was an exception
in the chaotic situation of pre-Islamic Arabia, due to its unique religious status in Arabian
polytheism and the prosperous commercial activities that followed the pilgrimage to the
Meccan polytheistic sanctuary. Polytheistic pilgrimage was the basis of Meccan society,
together with trade. Polytheistic religion was so important to Meccans that they strongly
opposed Muhammad as a threat to Mecca's polytheistic tradition. In conclusion, Islam did not
evolve from a monotheistic tendency within Arabian polytheism, nor from a pre-Islamic
native Arabian monotheism. Muhammad's new monotheism was originally a continuation or
reformation of the old monotheisms. Muhammad's new monotheism catered to the needs of
the Arabs, who faced external threats and internal disorder. But the Meccans were an
exception to this general crisis of the Arabian peninsula. This forced Muhammad to bring his
new religion to another town, Yathrib, that had fallen into instability like other Arabian
communities. Muhammad found a suitable soil for his new religion in Yathrib, where there
was an authority vacuum and political disorder. In the course of his increasing arguments
with the old monotheists in Yathrib, Muhammad introduced changes into his new
monotheism, adding more native Arabian elements, which led Islam to be independent from
the old monotheisms. After the Muslim conquest of Mecca and other Arabian towns, and the
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unification of Arabs under the banner of the One God, the Arabian political ambition of
expansion was stimulated. In the process of the Arab Muslim conquest of the Middle East,
Islam absorbed much from local traditions, and Islam as an independent universal
monotheistic religion was finally shaped.

REFERENCES
BOOKS
 Mulla, Principles of Mohammedan Law, 20th Edition, 2014
 BR Verma’s Commentaries on Mahommedan Law, Law Publishers Pvt. Ltd
 Fyzee, Outlines of Muhammadan Law, 5th Edition, 2008
 Ahmad Aqil, Mohammedan Law, Central Law Agency, 26th Edition, 2016
 Dr. Rahim A -Islamic History, 4th Edition, Delhi, 2003
 Ali K. -A Study in Islamic History. Delhi, 1950

 Lapidus M. Ira, 3 rd
Edition, A Histories Of Islamic studies

WEBSITES
 https://www.al-islam.org/restatement-history-islam-and-muslims-sayyid-ali-ashgar-
razwy/arabia-islam
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Islamic_Arabia
 https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-worldhistory/chapter/pre-islamic-arabia/

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