RLG204H5 : Jahiliya question
Document Summary
Discuss the reasons why the arabia"s way of life before islam is called jahiliyya by explaining a) its main characteristics and b) its significance in islamic thought. The society of pre-islamic arabia, that is before the prophecy of prophet. Muhammad, was considered to be a state of jahiliyya, in other words, the society was caught in a state of ignorance. In the society, mecca and medina were growing powers of wealth due to their commerce and mecca"s mercantile centre, creating a new political and social order. To paint a picture of this society, we can look at it in a religious context as well as a social and ethical one. In the religious context, the society was considered to be jahili because there was a lack of tawhid. Instead, the belief was in polytheism, where the people worshiped many gods and goddesses, who were the protectors of the tribes and were associated with objects.
