What was the Arab religion before Islam?

The kingdom of Saudi Arabia holds immense importance for the Muslims. The heart of every Muslim devotee beats with a desire to land their feet on the sacred land of Holy Kaaba, at least once in their lifetime. Every year, millions of Muslims, spend their sleepless nights in the spiritual spree of the grand Haram. The Muslims who have the (a) stronger financial position consult their travel guides to undertake their most important journey of their life. These expert travel guides design different packages to facilitate their Umrah clients from beginning till the end.

There are lots of travel firms that hire competent, knowledgeable and experienced travel guides who burn the midnight oil in making Umrah arrangements from flights, accommodation and transportation. When you go with a knowledgeable travel guide, you not only feel secure but also get plenty of meaningful knowledge about your religious itinerary. Last year, I met an expert travel agent who provided me with the best budget Ramadan Umrah Packages.

He made a flawless arrangement of my flight, transportation and accommodation. My travel agent is a learned person. He is a well-qualified person. He owns a Master Degree in Islamic studies. He told me everything about the Umrah journey. He guided me everything about the Ihram rules and duas and Akzar. While having some general conversation, that expert man started sharing his valuable insights about the history of Arabia before Islam. I am dedicating this blog to him. He made me realize how important it is to learn about your religion. That’s why; I decided to pursue my bachelor’s degree in Islamic studies.

Why I am writing this blog?

I believe that like me, many among us who are reading this blog are eager to know what sort of Arab people were before Islam. What was the religion of the pre-Islamic Arab people? If you are an ardent learner, then this blog is going to enlighten you with the valuable knowledge about the birthplace of the divine religion Islam. However, every Muslim must have plenty of knowledge about Islam and its history. It is because knowledge makes the man learned, modest and disciplined.

After a thorough research and study, I have gathered some insightful components of the history of pre-Islamic Arabia. The Islamic history students would find this blog really helpful.

What is Arabia in fact?

The pre-Islamic Arabia before the presence of Islam was a totally different from what you see today. The pre-Islamic Arabia is known as Arabian Peninsula. Before the beginning of Islam, the present day Saudi Arabia was divided into a number of kingdoms such as Sabaean Kingdom, Iranian Parthians and later Sassanians.

Religion of pre-Islamic Arabia

In terms of Islam, the history of old Arabia before the birth of Islam is known as Age of ignorance or Times of ignorance. The Arabs in pre-Islam were known as Pagans. Before Islam, these were the devotees of many religions and beliefs. These beliefs can be classified into different types.

Idol-Worshippers

Some Arab tribes before Islam were idol-worshippers. They can also be called polytheists. They had multiple idols. They believed that all the idols have their own duties to perform for human life (Na audhu Billah). Each tribe had its own idols or gods. These pagan Arabs even converted the Kaaba of the Prophet Abhraham and Ismail, into the house of 360 idols of stone and wood.

Atheists

There were some Arabs who were the staunch atheists. They had no faith on any God or Supreme Being. They were the materialists and believed that the world is eternal (always present).

Zindiqs

They believed in the Persian concept of duality of Nature. They strongly believed that there are two gods. These two gods symbolize the good and the evil, light and darkness. And for them both were important.

Sabines

These were the Pagans who worshipped stars.

Zoroaster

They were the worshippers of the fire.

Judaism and Christianity

With the passage of time, the pagan Arabs later converted to Judaism and Christianity.

The Division of Pre-Islamic Arabs into different groups
Before the rise of Judaism, the pre-Islamic Arabs were a group as Bedouins. The pagan Bedouins were divided into two main branches, the Yemenis and Qaysis.
By 6th and 7th centuries, there were considerable Jews in Hejaz. It is because the non-Arab tribal leaders such as Abu Karib Asad and Dhu Nuwas accepted Judaism. These Judaic groups also persecuted the Christian converts. Hence the serious conflicts between two factions of Judaism and Christianity were created. Hence before the arrival of Islam, the Kigdom was divided into three Jewish tribes in the city of Madinah. These were the Banu Nadir, the Banu Qainuqa, and the Banu Qurayza. Furthermore, with the passage of time, the Kingdom of Arabia was also inhabited by the other groups the Ghassanids and Lakhmids. The beginning of Islamic traditions is recorded in Mecca from Ishmael’s descendants. The Ishmaels were the descendants of the Bedouin group Qaysis. The pre-Islamic Arabs always promoted family ties. They were male-oriented. All the important decisions were in the hands of male group leaders. The males were regarded as responsible for the continuation of lineage. The Arab females were just there to cook and raise offspring. No importance and rights were given to them before the arrival of Islam.

Cities of Arabia

The main cities of pre-Islamic Arabia are Mecca and Madina. They were the important centers of trade and religion in pre-Islamic Arab. Besides these two cities, there are other cities that became the centers of trade and religion. These were Karbala and Damascus.