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Arab before and around Islam

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PRE AND EARLY ISLAMIC ARABIA CIVILIZATIONSubmitted as the task of History of Islamic Civilization

Lecturer :Yuanda Kusuma

composed byLia Fatra Senorita K.

(14110234)

Rico Supriyadi

(14110186)

Talqas Syarofa(14110205)

FACULTY OF TARBIYAH AND TEACHINGSTATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MAULANA MALIK IBRAHIM MALANG2015ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

All praises to Allah SWT, because his grace and guidance we are given the opportunity to live and activities as usual. Not forgetting sholawatalways greeting us dedicate to the great Prophet Muhammad, because he was the one who had brought us from the dark ages to the age of this apparent that addinul IslamAlhamdulillah thanks favors of Allah and assistance from several parties, our group was able to complete the task of the history of Islamic civilization paper titled " the history of Islamic civilization in Arabia" in order to fulfill the task of history of Islamic civilization. We have earnestly tries to resolve this paper, but due to the limited capabilities we have, of course there are mistakes and shortcomings in this paper. Therefore, we expect criticism and suggestions from readers and others for the perfection of this paperHopefully this problem can provide benefits and can provide additional knowledge to the reader and hopefully all that we do get Ridlo of Allah SWT.We thank you for your attention and cooperation of all parties in order to achieve the creation of a good and correct papers.

Malang, 12 September 2015

TABLE OF CONTENT

CHAPTER I (PREFACE)Background..4Problem Formulation...4Purpose of the Study4CHAPTER II (CONTENT)1. The Arabia...51.1 What is Considered Arabia?..............................................................................61.2 Paper Focus82. Pre- Islamic Livelihood...82.1 Life Values92.1.1 Tribal Pride92.1.2 Social Inequity.112.2 Prominent Aspects123. After Islam Livelihood..123.1 The Shift in Life Values..133.2 Prominent Changes in Livelihood...154. The Constitution of Medina as a Symbol of Pluralism..16REFERENCES AND RELATED READINGS.18

CHAPTER IPREFACE

1.1 BackgroundThe history of Islamic civilization is the science of the development or progress of Islamic culture. by studying the history of Islamic civilization we will know the glory days of Islam so that we can be proud and confident with the Islamic religion and we can also take lessons that could be used to develop a civilization today. as well as studying the history of Islamic civilization, we will know the period of decline of Islam and we can take a lesson so that it does not recur today. because history is a teacher for life.On this occasion the author will discuss about the civilization that occurred in the area of Arabia from before the arrival of Islam brought by Prophet Muhammad, the national culture of Arabia when Islam came and cultures of Arabia, after Prophet Muhammad passed away. hopefully with this paper, the authors specifically and readers generally can take lessons in order to live a better life than the previous day. 1.2 Formulation of the ProblemFrom the aforementioned problem formulation authors propose the formulation of the problem as follows:1. What is considered Arabia?2. How the civilization of Arabia before Islam came?3. How the civilization of Arabia around the time prophet Muhammad SAW spreading Islam?4. What prominence does the Constitution of Medina?1.3 The Aim1. To broaden the reader about the history of Islamic civilization in Arabia2. To know the culture of the people of Arabia before Islam came3. To know the culture of the people of Arabia after Islam came

CHAPTER IICONTENT5. The ArabiaThe Arabia peninsula is a well-known historically remarked land of Islamic civilization. Many studies regarding Islam require scholars to refer thoroughly from arabic literature as well as physically attending the ground and actively researching from the inside for its credibility would be less questioned. Although Arab and Islam is not all that there is, this undisputed characterization has maintained through centuries of long history.These notions show that Islam is the biggest influence among the periods Arab went through. This of course is not detached from the fact that Prophet Muhammad SAW was born, raised, and delivered His messages just above the dry, unlivable land of Arabia, which automatically made Arabia the center of it all despite its harsh nature. The rise of Islam sure pushed Arabia into an established welfare and civilization, but was it brought to life by Prophet Muhammad SAW alone or was there a population before him that is also held accountable?The fact is, Arabia and its surrounding have always been the land where prophets before Muhammad SAW preached Him onto human. Ibrahim AS was the one who built Kaba, and so was Ismail AS, which until generations after, it made Mecca a sacred place for a lot of worshipper. Caravans of merchants are stopping by each time, and in spite of the exhausting desert route, Arabia is still an important mercantile stop for many. The area that now we called Yemen was an oase to those who have roamed the steam-ground that is Arab as well as for the ones taking the ocean route. Some areas even have settled tribal resident living on it. This means that Arabia has been graced by individuals and travelers, nomads and dwellers continuously overtime; in which each one of them have likely contributed in making the Arabia cultured, even before Islam crammed its root in it.

5.1 What is Considered Arabia?According to Jonathan A.C. Brown in his ASQ article, Arabia contains of areas whose people speak arabic. This definition then translated into a vast area on the map, upon where Arabia covers the whole Arabia peninsula, some area of North Africa and a half of what now called Middle East.

Image 1 Arabic-speaking areasHowever, this preposition does not specifically hail to pre-Islamic Arabia era. This then raises a question on whether those countries outside the peninsula have always been arabic-speaking or the nativity comes around much later. There were transcripts that show this group of area is actually indicating the territory of Umar caliphates era, which means it is considered Arabia most likely only after Islam seized the lands.

Image 2 Islam Territory in Caliph Umar ra. era

Being a territory of Islam does not make an area disregarded from being Arabiain fact, in more recent literatures and studies, it carves the title deeper. That being said, this paper is focusing on the era when Islam has yet taken form in any way. This inevitably led us back to the question of what land is considered Arabia; with emphasis in the time border that is pre-Islam.Throughout the first few chapters of his book Islamic Historiography, Chase F. Robinson mentioned Arab in strictly two phrases, north Arabia and south Arabia. Although cannot be takes as granted and too simple to conclude from, it nuanced that Arabia is a land where east and west are far less distinctive than its north and south. If this information is registered to the blank map of Arabia peninsula and around, it seems more logical to eliminate areas outside the peninsula completely. Thus, Arabia would mean to be the Arabia peninsula. This rationalization is also supported by the historical agreement that borders Prophet Muhammad SAWs legacy geographically as the Arabia peninsula itself.

Image 2 Islam Territory in Rasulullah SAW era

5.2 Paper FocusPre and early Islam civilization is arguably a really broad topic to cover. While discussing civilization alone according to Soerjono Soekamto should cater to 7 aspects where each one is eligible for a whole books topic (literature, language, religion, etc.), specifying the population does not make the study any simpler; rather, student should reach out into its community background, geographic condition, how it affects the people, and so on. This makes establishing border for this paper necessary.On understanding a communitys tendency about something, researcher should first and foremost see the objects life through their eyes. There has to be a willingness to submit into their values and their worldview, in which will be more likely to happen when researcher subsides into the objects whole life and the factors that influences it (Hodgson, 1993). That way, decisions and traits would make a lot more sense and justified with values of the right era. Adopting this statement would also mean that researcher would void himself from disruptive prejudices, hence berating the desire to cut off context from the text completelywhich is admittedly tempting as it advocates objectivity but would be misleading as studying literary for history is all about context.Considering the above, this paper would therefore focus on the livelihood of Arabias population before and around early Islam era.

6. Pre- Islamic LivelihoodThere are a lot more transcripts and details in Mecca and Medinas history rather than a more populous area like Hajr. This condition is fetched from the prominence of those two cities to Prophet Muhammad SAW era, where oral heritage is taken down into writings (Cambridge, 2011).The life values and prominent aspects of pre Islam Arabia are affected by number of thingstheir tribal pride, their nomad life and others. These basically rooted from one aspect; their geographical condition.Arabia peninsula contained mainly of desert, savannah and dry land. A large area of it is very scarce of water; the only plants that grow mostly arent edible. This leads to their preference of meat, milk, and other animal product, and their tendency to not settling.

Image 4 Satellite photo of Arabia peninsula that shows the desert6.1 Life Values6.1.1 Tribal Pride

Image 5 Arabian tribes land divisionIn A Brides Story, Kaoru Mori pictures the life of those who live in desertful area would be tribe-oriented. This isnt an absolution, for there are the Incans and other civilization that does not comply; yet her picturesque is not unjustifiable either. Although the background set for A Brides Story is post-soviet Middle Asia, the geographic similarity with Arabia peninsula can be accounted thus taken for reference imagery. The geographic condition is actually the key for understanding many things they (Arabian) hold firmly. If we are to imagine the group of people who started thriving in desert life, wed see the rationalization of why they would keep the closest bond they have; family. This bond serves two very basic function to each individual; physical savage (food and housing) and psychological fulfillment (comfort).The desert life was unquestionably difficult, for waters were barely within reach and plants therefore were hard to be culturedwhich also affects the limitation in animal-breeding. Survival was an issue. People who lived there would jump upon any potential food and plan ahead at the less difficult times. In the manga, Kaoru Mori builds the story around how the Mongolian people cope with desert lifein which, they strive by herding sheep that are owned per kinsfolk. Similarly, sheep-herding would be the Arabians safest bet, as sheep are plenty in meat, have pretty high trade-able quality and, well, they multiply.However, sheep needed grass to be meaty, trade-able and multiplying. This then become another issue as grass were not merrily everywhere either. The difficult nature nurtured a sense of thrift in families, for food supplies were well enough for a family but not that easily gained to act generous toward other group of people. This thrift resulted in land division; each kinship claimed its territory and rage upon territorial violation as that would usually mean less food for my sheep and lesser food for my family. So to survive, they do not survive alone; the value is to always bring the whole tribe to welfare. The manifestations of this bondage were many; intra-tribe marriage, tribal pride, socially emphasized bloodline, etc. This then explains their tendency to stick close with their kinsman.In A Brides Story, sticking close means the individuals would wear similar clothing, recite the same theme of poetry, cook the same food, do the same chore and preach the same valuethe same religion. This, apparently, applies to the Arabians as well.6.1.2 Social Inequity

Image 5 Drawing of pre Islam Arabian glamour lifeThere are sources mentioning how the pre Islam Arabian social norms flourished pride exhibition. These sources associate a lot of wasteful trait the Arabians often do with their well-known untameable pride. This probably has to do with their native tribal instinct, as to proof ability and wealth to other clan who threaten them. The difference is, in later times, those pride exhibitions they do frequently, for a reason or none at all.The large-scale merchants werent afraid to waste resources twice as many as its adversary competitor just to show how much they have, even when the poors are practically crawling of hunger around them (Shabir Ahmed on Islam: the True History and False Beliefs). The rich were ruthless in their behavior towards their lesser. Helping hand is not encouraged and considered pointless; those who do would make the butt jokes in the society. People in the street dont even want to sell things to the poor. This leads to an inevitable condition where the rich are getting richer and the poor poorer.6.2 Prominent Aspects6.2.1 ReligionBefore Islam came, the Arabs inherit their ancestors superstition that is Paganism. Paganism means that the Arabs worship some kind of tangible idol that symbolizes the important things around them, such as cattle, rain, sun, and glory in battles. Paganism media to god is paganwood or metal-made statue. These idols are placed around and inside the Kaaba. Every tribe, even every family has their own idol. The tribe with higher social status gets to place their idol inside Kaaba while the lesser shouldnt (Armstrong, 2002).

Image 6 Lata, Manat and Uzza

The Arabs understood that Paganism is far less sophisticated than their neighborsByzantium and Persiasreligion; Judaism and Christianity. They do see the immorality in their religion, yet they chose not to care since Paganism soothes their ego better. Paganism is also an inheritance, and inheritance, however irrational, is highly valued (Shabir Ahmed on Islam: the True History and False Beliefs).Since Paganism offers no universal god other than Latta, Manat and Uzza (the three daughters of god), there are no religious law implemented in the society except the worshipping itself. Every tribe eventually made its own pagan, collapsing any attempt on just in social structuring at first notice. If one discussion was to construct law, each tribe would deny their participation since they all have different pagan. Paganism in pre Islam Arabia voided the society from law.6.2.2 WomenThere were stories in Quran mentioning pre Islam Arabians who bury their daughters at infant alive. This habit is birthed from their shame of having a daughter, as it is socially seen as disgrace. Where is this premise rooted from?The embarassment of having a daughter comes from no other than Arab society themselves. They despise women from being equalized to the men, as womens role is always degraded into mans attributeas slave, entertainer, breeder, pleaser or trophy. Women are treated like cattle; the more a man has them the better. The only woman who put in comfort is the tribe leaders wives, in which they are bejewelled and decorated with luxury. The prettier the woman, the more she is considered a prize for competing tribe (Robinson, 2011).

6.2.3 PoetryThe tradition of Arabians is oral telling. Illiteracy is not uncommon, even at the Islam era, because instead of writing down, Arabs tell and memorize. This is why the oral heritage is the main source of knowledge in Arab before people started writing them down.Many from the Arabians history sources are in the form of poetry. Social norms and values at that time are extracted from that eras poetry compilations by historians. Poetry is indeed an important part in their livelihood, as it is a symbol of channeling intellectuality for them as science for us. Their expertisement in poetry is also what makes a lot of them recognizes Quran as of beyond human for them to then embracing Islam despite their hard, enormous ego (Brown, 2003).People recite poems in the streets, in the market, to their detested neighbor, to merchants, to enemies. Poetry put emphasize in whatever they have to say. Social elites often pay a poet to recite poems about his wealth and likewise goodness in his events. Poet is as real a job as musician is.7. After Islam LivelihoodThrough a thorough study and close view on historical events, actually not many has changed in Arabia about their worldview during its early stages except that they are becoming less twisted.7.1 The Shift in Life ValuesAfter Prophet Muhammad SAW managed to get half of the peninsula embracing Islam, it is only when the values began to change (Armstrong, 2002). But there has been nothing significant changing in the life values department as their tribal pride and sense of brotherhood is still as strong as ever, except that there has been major change in viewing the disparity.Islam is a religion that advertises equal treatment to everyone and nurturation of the lesser. This religion provises its follower to give part of their income to the weak and vulnerable (zakat). It also has a rule where Muslims should fast in Ramadhan to share the misery of those who cannot eat whenever they please.This significantly breaks the previous social structure in which disparity is hospitable; tribe leaders and their big, big pride felt threatened so they marched against Muhammad SAW, mock him publicly and torture even their own family member who dared to follow the alien concept of new religion.7.2 Prominent Changes in Livelihood

Image 7 left: an image of inside the house of Arabian family after Islam. Right: trade caravansIslam brought women the respect they deserve; daughters are no longer suffering their fathers irrational displeasure. Women nourished and given places in society or kept in their house to avoid discomfort, and their role to give birth to children is no longer frowned upon.Mercantile, on the other hand, stays as Arabs main livelihood. What changes is that honesty in trading valued and celebrated, unlike the old times where everyone knows everyone cheats their trading tool but does nothing about it. Music and other things that indicate lavish lifestyle are banned, which marks an era where seeking pleasure through wasting resources is discouraged from continuing.8. The Constitution of Medina as a Symbol of PluralismThis was coverage by from Sean William Whites about Medina Charter: When the Prophet was forced to immigrate to Medina in later days, the population was a mixture of many different tribes (predominantly Arabic and Jewish), who had been fighting for nearly a century, causing civil strife, and it was for this reason that the Prophet was summoned there. Tribal fighting and a lack of governance in Medina (known as Yathrib) meant disputes were dealt with by the sword on many occasions, which deepened the divides and fueled conflicts. Karen Armstrong, in Muhammad: a Prophet for Our Time, explains aptly the mentality and workings of the tribal system dispersed through war-torn Arabia, the region where the Prophet was striving for peace: The tribe, not a deity, was of supreme value, and each member had to subordinate his or her personal needs and desires to the well-being of the group and to fight to the death, if necessary, to ensure its survival.Such a system was, in a political sense, representative of the little cooperation between the tribes in the Yathrib. In this region reigned power-hungry strategies, an emphasis on arms and strength in the military, and a belief that resolution of differences through mediation was clearly unachievable except by a trustworthy outsider who had no connections to the issues or the tribes. Not only did the Prophet fit these prerequisites, but his personal ambition as given to him by God was also one of spreading peace and unity, creating a community or ummah. The Prophet, in formulating the Medina Charter, was demonstrating Islam in actionusing Divine precepts as the foundation, and then employing reason, discussion, and contemplation. As such, a peace treaty was created.The mere formation of the Charter and the resultant peace were tremendous feats, and the content of the Charter itself reflects this magnitude. The formation of an ummah through respect and mutual acceptance resulting in pluralism shows us one of the ways in which the Prophet combated jahiliyyah, or ignorance the state of mind that causes violence and terror, as noted by Armstrong. Examining some of the clauses in the Charter also shows how the Prophet managed to exemplify outstanding leadership and create a lasting peace. The Medina Charter reflects pluralism both in the content and in the history of the document. F. E. Peters explains that, The contracting parties, although they did not embrace Islam, did recognize the Prophets authority, accepting him as the community leader and abiding by his political judgments. As there is no account of an uprising in the history books, and because the Prophet was instated as leader at the suggestion of the tribes, we know that he was never rejected. Despite the laws he introduced, the existing groups clearly did not feel threatened by his presence or his governance. The society was pluralistic, and it was not repressive. The Prophet never imposed Islam upon the people of Medina, which meant that they could still practice without disruption their religions and customs, aspects of life that were fundamentally important to them. He did not create an ummah through denouncing all ways of life except for Islam or by recognizing Islam as the singular religion; instead he united all inhabitants of the city under one banner of ethical living and moral principlescommonalities between all humans and all religions.

REFERENCES AND RELATED READINGS

Armstrong, Karen. 2002. Islam: a Short History. New York: The Random House PublishingBrown, Jonathan A. C. 2003. The Social Context of Pre-Islamic Poetry: Poetic Imagery and Social Reality in Muallaqat in Arab Studies Quarterly vol. 25 no. 3. City of publication and publisher not specified.Ahmed, Shabbir. 2009. Islam: The True History and False Beliefs. Published online by the author himself. City of publication and publisher not specified.Haekal, M. Husein. Sejarah Hidup Muhammad. Year of publication, city of publication and publisher not specified.Robinson, Chase F. (ed.). 2010. The New Cambridge: History of Islam. Cambridge: Cambridge University PressHodgson, Marshall G. 1993. Rethinking World History. Cambridge: The Press Syndicate of Cambridge UniversityMori, Kaoru. 2014. A Brides Story. Jakarta: Elex Media KomputindoTheHistoryTV. April 2010. Kaaba and Pre Islamic Mecca. Uploaded on youtubeKister, M. J. 1990. Society and Religion from Jahiliyya to Islam. London: VariorumWhite, Sean William. 2010. Medina Charter and Pluralism in The Fountain Magazine issue 76. Published online. The article is also published in Message International websiteFordham University website. Medieval Sourcebook:Pre-Islamic Arabia:The Hanged Poems, before 622 CE. Osman, Fathi. A Q & A on Pluralism: an Islamic Perspective on Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement website. Accessed September 2015

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