Pre Islamic Arabia Flashcards
What was a caravan?
A group of people travelling together in a nomadic manner. Arab = Nomad
What did Bedouin tribes believe in?
Bedouin tribes held animistic beliefs and worshipped local deities and native spirits. Spirits were believed to inhabit desert sands, sacred stones as well as trees and springs were venerated.
What was the Arabian peninsula made up of (people and faiths)?
The Arabian peninsula was made up of 25% desert. Inhabited by Bedouin (nomadic) tribes as well as settled communities, & sophisticated civilisations in South Arabia and Yemen. Arabian Peninsula homed a wide range of faiths (inc. Judaism, Christianity and Zoroastrianism) though they had limited political influence.
What was the major city and who inhabited it? What were they interested in?
Mecca, the major city was dominated by the powerful Quraish urban society tribe which was not a nomadic tribe and had interests in trade/commerce, handicrafts and pagan religions.
What did the Meccans believe in?
People of Mecca worshipped the High God Allah and a pantheon of polytheistic pagan Gods.
What was the Ka’aba?
Ka’aba became an early centre of Pagan, Polytheistic worship. It was the first house of worship dedicated to Allah, the one God.
What was the social structure like?
Social structures revolved around tribal, family connections. Due to their strong sense of tribal identity and loyalty, as well as their belief in avenging wrongs, the peninsula intermittently broke out in feuds.
What is the name of the pre-Islamic period and its characteristics.
The period is known as “Jahiliyyah” or the “age of ignorance”. This period saw high immortality, sexual abuse, promiscuity, brawling, gambling, drinking. Muslims see the enlightenment brought by Muhammad/Islam as that which ends the period of unenlightenment.
How were classes determined?
Flourishing centres of trade and culture existed, including pastoral, agricultural and trading activities. Wealth resulted in class differences. A person’s identity was determined by membership into clans.
What empires did Arabia border?
Byzantium: NW
Sassanid Empire: NE
Yemen/Yemenite: S
Quraish had ___ over Mecca? What was Mecca the annual site of?
The Quraish had religious stewardship over Mecca. Mecca was the site of annual worship, pilgrimage and social occasion.
