Reviewing the Religions of Pre-Islamic Arabia Based on Material Evidence
Subject Areas :
1 - Department of Quran and Hadith Studies, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Kharazmi University, Tehran/Karaj, Iran
Keywords: Pre-Islamic Arabia, Religions, Judaism, Christianity, Names of God, Raḥmānān (al-Raḥmān), al-ʾIlā,
Abstract :
Abstract: Archaeological explorations in Arabia have led to the discovery of abundant evidence that changes our perception of pre-Islamic Arabia. The traditional notion is manifested in calling it the “Jāhiliyya” era, which comprises two important ideas: First, there was no central government in Arabia and tribal chaos was widespread, and secondly, many idols were generally worshiped, until the eve of Islam. In contrary, the epigraphic texts contain much information that provide a clearer picture of the political situation and religious tendencies of pre-Islamic Arabia. In this article, firstly, the political situation of Pre-Islamic Arabia following the gradual domination of the kingdom of Ḥimyar over the Arabian Peninsula will be briefly reviewed, and then, by examining examples of the material evidence from about three centuries before Islam, the belief in One God is reviewed as well as the name of One God among Jewish and Christian Arabs. As a result, it can be seen that from about two centuries before Islam, not only evidence of worshiping multiple gods is missing in the inscriptions found in different regions of Arabia, but much evidence of Judaism and Christianity has been found, in which only One God, with different names and phrases, is called.