What were the conditions of Arabia before Islam?
The conditions of Arabia before Islam were very bad, dreadful, and terrible. It had been about 3500 years after the demise of Hazrat Ibrahim A.S. As a result, they forgot the teachings of the previous prophets and started following in the footsteps of Shaitan (Satan). Many bad activities had become the part of their society and behavior. Over all the conditions of Arabia and the society were pathetic.
People of Arabia had the following bad activities
Inhumanity in Arab society
The Arab society was the example of inhumanity, cruelty and disgrace. Poor people were treated as slaves. Selling of man, women and even children was common in the markets as other commodities. Particularly women were the target of their brutal behavior. They humiliate and murder them for no reason.They buried them alive, even their own daughters.
Idolatry before Islam
People of Arab used to engage in IDOLATRY of many gods and goddesses made from statutes before Islam. Al-habal was the chief of all idols. Amr bin Luhai was the person from Arab who brought these idols from Syria and introduced them to the people of Arab. He started to indulge them in the practice of worshiping idols. There were 360 idols in the Holy Kaaba at that time.
Men and women used to circumambulate the Kaaba all naked as they used to think that their clothes were unclean. People traveled from all over Arab to pay their respects to these idols. They used to sacrifice animals in honor of these gods, and offered them blood as an offering.
Idolization of other natural objects
The Arabs were engaged in the idolization of the sun, the moon, and the stars, trees, stones, caves, and other natural objects. They were superstitious and barbarous. Gambling, drinking, stealing, usury (riba) were all part of their addictive behavior as well. They used to commit adultery as well. They had not any established government or law but each tribe had their own chief.
People used to fight for years
People used to fight for years over the smallest of reasons. The Arabs enjoyed wars and were not afraid to shed blood. A minor incident could spark a war that lasts for years and kills thousands of people. Then Allah sent His beloved last Prophet to Arabian peninsula and he illuminates the world’s darkness through his dignity and affection.
Human rights in Arabia before the last Prophet ﷺ
There were no human rights in Arab before the last Prophet. Women and girls were regularly buried alive, and treated with disrespect. They considered women as their property, with no right to inherit. They were treated as ans article of trade.
Arabs bought and sold them whenever they wanted. A man could marry and have as many women as he wanted.
Moreover, there was no belief in life after death and no feeling of responsibility for one’s actions. There was no moral code. Widows and orphans were quite helpless and slaves were treated most cruelly and brutally.
The only best thing that the Arabs possessed was their poetry, language and memory. The Arabic language and poetry were fully developed and the Arabs excelled in poetry. They had excellent memories and were proud of their eloquence and regarded all other people as dumb and mute. The Arabs were brave people. Loyalty to their tribe, and courage, were rated as the main virtues.Moneylenders of Makkah and Taif had established networks of money lending in consideration of usury (Riba).
Human trade was the darkest example of Arabia society before Islam. The powerful were so drunk on power that they felt free to do whatever they wanted. They treated the weak like ignorant livestock. This age and condition of the Arabian peninsula are known as the AGE OF IGNORANCE or JAHILIYYA.
Our beloved last Prophet ﷺ is the light to the darkness
Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa was given the legacy of Prophet hood and entrusted with the task of bringing light to the darkness in these conditions of human degradation and corruption.
Quran says,” When those who disbelieved had set up in their hearts zealotry, the zealotry of Age of Ignorance, then Allah sent down His peace i.e the Quran as reassurance upon His messenger and the believers and imposed on them the word of self-restraint, for they were worthy of it and meet for it. And Allah is aware of all things.
