Pre-Islamic Arab Religion in Islam: Difference between revisions

Lindetedt (2023) notes that in all probability the majority of inhabitants of Arabia were Jews/Christians,<ref>Ibid. pp. 322</ref> with the majority in the north Christians, and the majority in the south Jewish.<ref>Ibid. pp. 323.</ref>  

 

It should also be noted that some later, Islamic-era writers (such as historians, commentators and poets) also identified a number of place names in and around Mecca that suggest that there were Christians living in or visiting Mecca such as for pilgrimage.<ref>Ibid. pp. 114-115</ref> For example, al-Azraqī (d. 837 ce) notes that there was a maqbarat al-naṣārā, “graveyard of the Christians,” in Mecca (without qualifying it further); Establishing the date and existence of this graveyard is difficult, but it is difficult to know what motivation the Muslim authors might have had for forging such information (as it goes so against Muslim traditions that paint Mecca as a pagan city).<ref>Ibid. pp. 114-115</ref>

''If one takes into account that no known inscription contemporary to this  period displays an orientation favourable to Christianity, one can conclude that  the H ˙ imyarite rulers had founded a new religion inspired from Judaism, called  ‘Rah˙mānism’ by A. F. L. Beeston, although the term ‘Judaeo-Monotheism’ is  preferable. This new religion formalized a type of belief in Judaism seen  elsewhere in the Mediterranean world, whose followers might be called ‘fearers  of God’ (metuentes and theosebeis).7 It is relevant to note that one H ˙ imyarite  inscription clearly reflects this notion, asking that ‘God, Lord of the Sky and the  Earth, grants | fear (s ˙ bs¹, probably a borrowing from Greek sebas) of His Name’  (see 3.5).''  </ref> Which was later conquered by the Christian Kingdom of Aksum temporarily in the 6th century, spreading their influence until the Persians invaded in the latter half of the century.<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/place/Aksum-ancient-kingdom-Africa Aksum] | ancient kingdom, Africa | Historical Places | Geography & Travel. Britannica Entry</ref> Furthermore, as El-Badawi (2024) records "there is evidence from the Talmud, possibly dating to ca. 400 CE, that priests expelled by Josiah’s purging of the temple fled Jerusalem for Arabia. They reportedly settled among the Ishmaelites and reached as far as Hadramaut in South Arabia."<ref>El-Badawi, Emran. ''Female Divinity in the Qur’an: In Conversation with the Bible and the Ancient Near East (p. 185).'' Springer Nature Switzerland. Kindle Edition.</ref>

As many Islamic scholars with a variety of views on the religions' origins, for example Angelika Neuwirth,<ref>The catalogue of punishment legends that is here presented only in a list form is the first of its kind in the Qur’an. ''It evokes events apparently already known to the hearers,'' wherein the local and Arab (ʿĀd, Thamūd, here mentioned for the first time) are brought together with the biblical (Firʿawn, likewise for the first time in this passage) without differentiation.

''Neuwirth, Angelika. The Qur'an: Text and Commentary, Volume 1: Early Meccan Suras: Poetic Prophecy (p. 117) (Kindle Edition). Yale University Press.''</ref> Robert G. Hoyland,<ref>Hoyland, Robert G.. ''[https://archive.org/details/ARABIAANDTHEARABSFromTheBronzeAgeToTheComingOfIslamRobertG.Hoyland/page/n235/mode/2up Arabia and the Arabs: From the Bronze Age to the Coming of Islam]'' (Peoples of the Ancient World) (p. 222-223). Taylor & Francis.</ref> Nicolai Sinai,<ref>Sinai, Nicolai. Qur'an: A Historical-Critical Introduction (The New Edinburgh Islamic Surveys) (p. 105) (Kindle Edition). Edinburgh University Press.

''Such an allusive invocation of Biblical figures and narratives characterises the Qur’an throughout: familiarity with a broad body of Biblical and Biblically inspired lore is simply taken for granted.²⁷''

Footnote 27 (pp124): ''Thus, Griffith (The Bible in Arabic, p. 57) speaks of ‘the Islamic scripture’s unspoken and pervasive confidence that its audience is thoroughly familiar with the stories of the biblical patriarchs and prophets, so familiar in fact that there is no need for even the most rudimentary form of introduction’.''</ref> Andrew Bannister<ref>''The Qur’an frequently mentions biblical characters and episodes in a manner which suggests that the reader is clearly expected to be familiar with them.''

Shoemaker, Stephen J.. ''The Death of a Prophet (Divinations: Rereading Late Ancient Religion) (Kindle Locations 2691-2694).'' University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc.. Kindle Edition. </ref> have noted, that the Qur'an appears to recall Biblical and Arabian stories in a way that pre-supposes the audience is already familiar with the wider more detailed story and characters. This suggests that these were commonly known in the environment that it was originally preached in.  

{{Quote|{{Quran|9|36-37}}|Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah since the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four months are sacred. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves during them. And fight against the disbelievers collectively as they fight against you collectively. And know that Allah is with the righteous [who fear Him]. Indeed, the postponing [sacred months] is an increase in disbelief by which those who have disbelieved are led [further] astray. They make it lawful one year and unlawful another year to correspond to the number made unlawful by Allah and [thus] make lawful what Allah has made unlawful.}}