Arabian Peninsula: Pre-Islamic Society

• The Arabian Peninsula is a hot, dry region surrounded by the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, and the Indian Ocean.
• Despite political insignificance, the Arabian Peninsula was a crucial trade route.
• Jahiliya refers to the pre-Islamic society's chaotic state, marked by tribal conflicts, idol worship, and corruption.
• Pre-Islamic society maintained values like hospitality and loyalty.
• Islam transformed Arabian society by introducing monotheism, justice, and ethical principles.

Sociocultural Aspects

• Arabian society was based on tribal structures.
• Bedouins were nomadic people who relied on camels.
• Hadari communities were settled people who thrived through trade and farming.
• Mecca became an economic and religious hub, attracting traders and pilgrims.
• Poetry played a key role in preserving history and values.
• Women faced oppression, lacking inheritance rights and autonomy, and were treated as property.
• Female infanticide was common due to social and financial fears.
• Step-marriages involved a widow being inherited by her late husband's son.
• Polyandry was practiced, where a woman had multiple husbands, sometimes up to ten.
• Values like bravery, loyalty, and generosity shaped early Islam.
• Bravery aided in battles, loyalty strengthened support for Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and love for poetry amplified the Qur'an’s impact.

Religious Beliefs

• Polytheism dominated pre-Islamic Arabia.
• Idol worship was introduced by Amr ibn Luhay, who brought the idol Hubal to Mecca.
• The Kaaba contained 360 idols, including Lat, Manat, and Uzza.
• Arabs acknowledged Allah as the ultimate creator but used idols as intermediaries.
• Religious practices included prayer, Kaaba circumambulation, animal sacrifices, and charity.
• Judaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism coexisted with polytheism.
• Hanifs rejected idol worship and followed Abrahamic monotheism.
• Islam abolished idol worship, restoring pure monotheism through the Qur'an and Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) teachings.

Historical Context

• Civilizations like the Nabateans and Himyarites shaped trade and culture in Arabia.
• Constant tribal warfare occurred due to the absence of a central government.
• The Quraysh tribe controlled trade and the Kaaba.
• Arabia had contact with major empires like the Persians, Romans, and Abyssinians.
• Islam unified warring tribes and established a powerful civilization that expanded beyond Arabia.

Political Structure

• Arabia lacked a central government; each tribe was led by a sheikh, emir, or sayyid.
• Tribal leaders resolved disputes, led armies, declared wars, signed treaties, and distributed war loot.
• In Mecca, governance revolved around the Mela (tribal council) and the Kaaba administration.
• The Quraysh elite held power by managing pilgrimage services.
• Arabian society was hierarchical, consisting of tribal chiefs, merchants, the poor, and slaves.
• Women, except for elite figures like Khadijah, were marginalised.

Explore the Arabian Peninsula's geography and its significance as a trade route. Understand Jahiliya's chaotic state and pre-Islamic society's tribal structure, Bedouin and Hadari communities, and the pivotal role of Mecca. Also, learn about the oppression faced by women.