Cultural conditions in the near East including Arabia before the dawn of Islam

 CULTURAL:

Arabic Poetry:

Arabic poetry was rich in eloquence and imagery but it was limited in range, and was lacking profundity. Its content might be interesting but it was stereotyped. The masterpieces of their poetry followed almost exactly the same sequence of ideas and images. It was, nevertheless, a faithful mirror of life in ancient Arabia. Also, in cultivating the art of poetry, the Arab poets were, unconsciously, developing one of the greatest artefacts of mankind, the Arabic language. The greatest compositions of the pagan Arabs were the so-called "Golden Odes," a collection of seven poems, supposedly of unsurpassed excellence in spontaneity, power and eloquence.

RELIGIOUS CONDITION:

The period in the Arabian history which preceded the birth of Islam is known as the Times of Ignorance. Judging by the beliefs and the practices of the pagan Arabs, it appears that it was a most appropriate name. The Arabs were the devotees of a variety of "religions" which classified into the following categories.

1. Idol Worshippers or Polytheists:

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Most of the Arabs were idolaters. They worshipped numerous idols and each tribe had its own idol or idols and fetishes. They had turned the Ka'abah in Makkah, which had been built by the Prophet Abraham (A.S.) and his son, Ismael (A.S.), and was dedicated by them to the service of One God, into a heathen pantheon housing 360 idols of stone and wood.

2. Atheists:

This group was composed of the materialists who believed that the world was eternal. 3. Zindiqs

They were influenced by the Persian doctrine of dualism in nature. They believed that there were two gods representing the twin forces of good and evil or light and darkness, and both were locked up in an unending struggle for supremacy.

4. Sabines:

They worshipped the stars.

5. Jews

When the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and drove the Jews out of Palestine and Syria, many of them found new homes in Hijaz in Arabia. Under their influence, many Arabs also became converts to Judaism. Their strong centres were the towns of Yathrib, Khayber, Fadak and Umm-ul-Qura.

6. Christians:

The Romans had converted the north Arabian tribe of Ghassan to Christianity. Some clans of Ghassan had migrated to and had settled in Hijaz. In the south, there were many Christians in Yemen where the creed was originally brought by the Ethiopian invaders. Their strong centre was the town of Najran.