theme 1 - religious figures and sacred texts COPY Flashcards
pre-islamic arabia, night of power and makkan reaction, how muhammad (s.a.w) was influenced by pre- islamic arabia, persecution of muslims, hijra, madinah and muhammad (s.a.w) as a leader, quran source of wisdom and authority, quran use and treatment, quran as externally relevant
pre- islamic arabia
-also called jahilliya
-which refers to any society in which there is religious, social & moral chaos.
-such a society is characterised by human rule and not one characterised by submission to god
religion in pre- islamic arabia
-was polytheistic, animistic, and driven by human greed
-idols were sold that they believed would cause their enemies to fear them and served to deliver protection to individual tribes.
-religion was practical and through sacrifice and ritual it served the needs of the ignorant public.
moral features of pre- islamic arabia
-society was rife with immorality
-the tip of this was the feudal system in which
>life was cheap
>there was nothing immoral about killing
>trading only for profit
>raiding other tribes
>robbery not considered immoral unless you stole the goods of kinsmen
political organisation in pre- islamic arabia
-in political terms there was no overall system of government .
-rules were not written or firmly established and were variable and inconsistent
social organisation in pre islamic arabia
-arab culture was grounded in a complex tribal system that was built upon extended families and clans, each tribe being led by a sheikh or cheif.
-the strong ruled and the weak were oppressed & exploited
-poverty was ignored and charity a rarity
-population control was often by female infanticide and the life of a women had little value.
-women & slaves were not treated well and had no
specific rights, human or legal
good about pre- islamic arabia
there were some good qualities of tribal society, such as:
-honour
-bravery
-hospitality
-generosity
pre- islamic arabia key quote by islamweb
with respect to the pre- islamic parent-child relationship, we see that life in arabia was paradoxical and presented a gloomy picture of contrast.
while some arabs held their children dear to their hearts and cherished them greatly, others buried their female infants alive because fear of poverty and shame weighed them down
why the revelation was needed
-religion was varied, unfocused, idolutrous and full of human influence
-human beings were in a desperate moral state
-society was chaotic
-politically there was no stability
-overall there was no unity or identity amongst people
how prophet muhammad was influenced by pre-islamic arabia
-absolute monotheism
-the existing tribal moral codes and social value
-support for the weak in society
what prophet muhammad clearly rejected from pre-islamic arabia
-anything short of absolute monotheism
-immorality
-cruelty and neglect of the weak in society
what happened on the night of power
-laylat ul- qadr is the night towards the end of ramadan when the prophet was given the quran
-muhammad (s.a.w) received the first revelation of the quran by the angel jibril on this night, and here muhammad is regarded as the seal of the prophets .
-it is one of the most significant events in the history of the muslim religion.
-during the time leading up to the night of power muslims remember the giving of the quran to muhammad through increased religious devotion.
the night of power and the makkans reaction
-when revealing early revelations, the makkans accused him of being inspired by spirits rather than god.
themes of early revelations
-shirk
-judgement day
-bodily resurrection
-prophethood
-divine utility
-good news & warnings
-revelations and proclamation of the message of islam
-muhammad should be recognised as seal of the prophets
why the makkan leaders began to feel threatened as the number of muslims grew
-the call to serve one god and reject all idols threatened their business
-their power over the city was under challenge as islam was against social injustice and corruption
-their popularity as leading figures in the community faltered as prophet muhammad’s grew.
the prophets message to the makkans
-he called for uncompromising monotheism and so directly challenged and criticised polytheistic practices associated with the kabah
-he spoke of judgement and personal responsibility for actions
-social injustices were challenged- highlighted the corruption in society as a whole
ways in which muhammad (s.a.w) and his followers were persecuted in makkah
-muhammad (s.a.w) was mocked
-he was accused of sorcery and stealing ideas from past religions
-there was a boycott in force for three years
-humiliation- they would tie muhammads neck to a rope and drag him on the floor whilst he worshipped. throw rubbish at him whilst he worked
-assassination attempts
-torture of muslims
the first people to accept the message
-khadija
-ali
-zayd
-abu bakhr