BELIEFS&PRACTICESThemostobviouschangetothecultureandsocietyofArabiacausedbytheintroductionofIslamwastheintroductionofnewreligiousbeliefsandpractices.“InthenameofGod,theEntirelyMerciful,theEspeciallyMerciful.AllpraiseisduetoGod,Lordoftheworlds-TheEntirelyMerciful,theEspeciallyMerciful,RuleroftheDayofJudgment.ItisYouweworshipandYouweaskforhelp.Guideustothestraightpath-ThepathofthosewhomYouhavefavored,notofthosewhohaveearnedangerorofthosewhoareastray.”Source:Quran1:1-7(reciteddailyinprayer)Islamhasbeenbuiltonfivethings:testifyingthatthereisnogodworthyofworshipexceptGodandthatMuhammadistheMessengerofGod,establishingthesalah(prayer),payingthezakah(yearlycharity),makingtheHajj(pilgrimage)totheHouse(Kaaba),andfastinginRamadan.”Source:ProphetMuhammad,fromSahihBukhariHadithCollection,narratedbyAbdullahibnUmarREJECTIONOFPOLYTHEISMComingintoasocietythatwasbuiltupontheworshipofmanygods,theIslamicteachingofmonotheismwouldhavebeenadramaticchange.ThiswasespeciallytrueinMecca,whichhadbeenacenterforpolytheisticworshiptowhichpilgrimstraveledyearly,bringingagreatdealoftradeandwealthtotheleadersofthecity.“Andyet,insteadof[God],theyproduceforthemselvesgodsthatcreatenothing,butarethemselvescreated;thathavenopowertoharmorbenefitthemselves;andnopoweroverlife,death,orresurrection.”Source:Quran25:3TRIBALISM&RACISMInpre-IslamicArabia,peopleweredividedintodifferenttribes,andinter-tribalhostilityandviolencewerenotuncommon.Peopletendedtothinkoftheirowntribeassuperiortoothers.ThisattitudeoftenextendedtothosewhowerenotArab,whowereviewedasevenlower.“AllmankindisfromAdamandEve,anArabhasnosuperiorityoveranon-Arabnoranon-ArabhasanysuperiorityoveranArab;alsoawhitehasnosuperiorityoverablacknorablackhasanysuperiorityoverwhiteexceptbypietyandgoodaction.”Source:ProphetMuhammad,FinalSermon,fromSahihBukhariandSahihMuslimHadithCollections“Heisnotoneofuswhocallsfortribalism,orwhofightsfortribalism,orwhodiesfortribalism.”Source:ProphetMuhammad,fromAbuDawudHadithCollection

COMPARISONWITHCHRISTIANITYAlthoughSouthernArabiawasmostlypolytheistic,NorthernArabia,especiallySyria,washeavilyChristianatthetime,aswasEgypt.Insomeways,IslamalignedwithChristianteachings,whileinotherways,itshowedcleardifferences.

ChristianTexts“Praytheninthisway:OurFatherinheaven,hallowedbeyourname.Yourkingdomcome,yourwillbedone,onearth,asitisinheaven.Giveusthisdayourdailybread,andforgiveusourdebts,aswealsohaveforgivenourdebtors.Andleadusnotintotemptation,butdeliverusfromevil.”Source:GospelAccordingtoMatthew,6:9–13,NewTestamentoftheBible“Oneofthe[Jewish]scribescamenearandheardthemdisputingwithoneanother,andseeingthat[Jesus]answeredthemwell,heaskedhim,‘Whichcommandmentisthefirst(mostimportant)ofall?’Jesusanswered[quotingtheTorah],‘Thefirstis,“Hear,OIsrael:theLordourGod,theLordisOne;youshalllovetheLordyourGodwithallyourheart,andwithallyoursoul,andwithallyourmind,andwithallyourstrength.”Thesecondisthis,“Youshallloveyourneighborasyourself.”‘Thereisnoothercommandmentgreaterthanthese.’”Source:GospelAccordingtoMatthew,5:17,NewTestamentoftheBible“ForGodsolovedtheworldthathegavehisonlySon,sothatallwhobelieveinhimmaynotperishbutmayhaveeternallife.”Source:GospelAccordingtoJohn,3:16–17,NewTestamentoftheBible

IslamicTexts“Say:HeisGod,One.God,theEternallySelf-Sufficient.Hedoesnotbeget*andwasnotbegotten*,andthereisnothingcomparabletoHim.”Source:Quran112:1-4(*beget=tohaveachild)“OPeopleoftheBook!Donotexaggerateinyourreligion,anddonotsayanythingaboutGodexceptthetruth.TheMessiah,Jesus,thesonofMary,istheMessengerofGod,andHisWordthatHeconveyedtoMary,andaSpiritfromHim.SobelieveinGodandHismessengers,anddonotsay,“Three.”Stop—itisbetterforyou.GodisonlyoneGod.GlorybetoHim,Heisabovehavingason.”Source:Quran4:171“Thosewhobelieve,andthosewhoareJewish,andtheChristians,andtheSabeans—anywhobelieveinGodandtheLastDay,andactrighteously—willhavetheirrewardwiththeirLord(inheaven);theyhavenothingtofear,norwilltheygrieve(besad).”Source:Quran2:62“WhoevertrulybelievesinGodandtheLastDayshoulddogoodtohisneighbor.”Source:ProphetMuhammad,fromSahihMuslimHadithCollection,narratedbyAbuHurayra

STATUSOFWOMENBeforeIslam,thestatusofwomeninPagan(Polytheistic)Arabsocietyvaried.Somewomenwereactiveinreligion,trade,orpolitics,however,asinmostsocietiesatthetime,mostwomenhadlimitedrightsandwerenotseenasequaltomen.Arabwomencouldnotinheritpropertyandhadtoobeyamaleguardian.Amongafewtribes,unwanteddaughtersweresometimeskilledatbirthbyburyingthemaliveinthedesert,viewingthemasashameandafinancialburden.“Andwhenoneofthemisinformedof[thebirthof]afemale,hisfacebecomesdark(withshame),andhesuppressesgrief.Hehideshimselffromthepeoplebecauseoftheillofwhichhehasbeeninformed.

Shouldhekeepitinhumiliationorburyitintheground?Unquestionably,eviliswhattheydecide.”Source:Quran16:58-59“Anddonotkillyourchildrenforfearofpoverty.Weprovideforthemandforyou.Indeed,theirkillingiseveragreatsin.”Source:Quran17:31“Indeed,theMuslimmenandMuslimwomen,thebelievingmenandbelievingwomen,theobedientmenandobedientwomen,thetruthfulmenandtruthfulwomen,thepatientmenandpatientwomen,thehumblemenandhumblewomen,thecharitablemenandcharitablewomen,thefastingmenandfastingwomen,themenwhoguardtheirprivatepartsandthewomenwhodoso,andthemenwhorememberGodoftenandthewomenwhodoso-forthemGodhaspreparedforgivenessandagreatreward.”Source:Quran33:35“Tellthebelievingmentolowertheirgaze(avoidstaringatwomen),andtoguardtheirprivateparts(avoidsexoutsideofmarriage).Thatispurerforthem.Godisawareofwhattheydo.Andtellthebelievingwomentolowertheirgaze,andtoguardtheirprivateparts,andnotdisplaytheirbeautyexceptwhatisnormallyvisible,andtodrawtheirheadscarvesovertheirchests,andnotexposetheirbeautyexcepttotheirhusbands,[theirnearmalerelatives,women,andyoungchildren]…”Source:Quran33:35

SOCIALCLASSThecityofMeccawaslocatedalongimportanttraderoutesbetweenSyriaintheNorthandYemenintheSouth.SyriawasconnectedtothetradewiththeMediterraneanandEurope,whileYemenlinkedtotheIndianOceanandthewidertradewithAsia.Forthisreason,somepeopleinMeccabecamequitewealthy,yetmostdidnot.Asthewealthdividegrew,therewaslessandlessfocusontheneedsofthepoor.Slaverywasalsoacommonpracticeatthistime.TheQurandidnotbanslaveryoutrightbutdidlimitformsofenslavementandencouragedfreeingslavesasanactofcharity.

“Noneofyoutrulybelievesuntilhelovesforhisbrotherwhathelovesforhimself.”Source:ProphetMuhammad,fromSahihBukhariHadithCollection,narratedbyAnasibnMalik“…Righteousishewho…givesmoney,thoughdear,tonearrelatives,andorphans,andtheneedy,andthehomeless,andthebeggars,andforthefreeingofslaves…Source:Quran2:177“Yourslavesareyourbrothers!Godhasplacedtheminyourcare.So,whosebrotherisunderhiscare,heshouldfeedhimwhatheeatsanddresshimhowhedresses.Anddonotburdenthembeyondtheircapacities;butifyouburdenthem,thenhelpthem(bysharingtheirextraburden).”Source:ProphetMuhammad,fromSahihBukhariHadithCollection“TherearethreecategoriesofpeopleagainstwhomIshallmyselfbeaplaintiffontheDayofJudgment.Ofthesethree,oneishewhoenslavesafreeman,thensellshimandconsumesthismoney.”Source:ProphetMuhammad,fromSahihBukhari&IbnMajjahHadithCollections