RLG204H5 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Wudu, Hajj, Menstruation
Document Summary
Notation one religion and social life pre-islamic arabia, methodological. Problems in the study of islam (note: some reading notes are misplaced) They (along with others) form a separate linguisic group known as semiic, the descendants of. Shen/sem (eldest son of noah), arabs claim that they descend from ishmael, son of ibrahim by his slave girl hagar. The arabs perhaps traded for their well-being and economic prosperity. They were organized into tribes and tribal systems, and this mentality determined ethical values. Life was a constant struggle, with no central authority, the individual had to belong to a tribe for protecion. They had a strong sense of loyalty, hospitality (to gain respect and status amongst the other tribes), and were very mobile. Mainly of the virtues of bedouins: bravery, boundless hospitality, revenge, faith in an immutable fate, but does not display much religious consciousness. A typical tribe consisted of the sheikh (chief) his family, a number of other families, and slaves.
