JAHILIYYA PRACTICE AND NEO-JAHILIYYA IN THE PRESENT SOCIETY

SSI ISLAMIC STUDIES NOTE
TOPIC: TA’ARIKH (Historical development of Islam)
Sub-topic: Arab before Islam, life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his qualities, and brief biography of four rightly guided caliphs.
Introduction
During Jahiliyyah period, Arab could be divided into in to two groups; the dwellers of town and cities who engage in trade and cultivation. The nomad Arabs who wandered from one place to another in the Arabian desert in search of pasture and water for their animals such as horses, camel, and sheep.
Definition of Jahiliyya period
Jahiliyya literary means ignorance. Technically means absence of religious guidance as a result of which corruption dominates the life of a given people. Arab before Islam is also known as the period of ignorance, barbarism, infanticide, alcoholism, gambling, enslaves etc.
Characteristics of the jahiliyyah period (Arabs’ way of life)
The way of life of Arabs before coming of the prophet Muhammad ﷺ are: 1. the good practices 2. The bad practices.
Bad practice of the jahiliyya period
Polytheism: Jahiliyya Arabs worshiped idols, stones, and heroes.
Inhuman treatment of women: women were maltreated in the following areas:
a. They were denied inheritance by stepsons.
b. Female daughters were buried alive.
c. They were made subservient to men.
Social corruption: Jahiliyya Arabs indulge in alcoholism, adultery, and gambling.
Warfare: Jahiliyyah Arabs were enjoyed willful destruction through wars.
Tribalism: Jahiliyya Arabs were great tribalists. They consider their tribe first before anything.
Good practices of Jahiliyya Arabs
Courage: They were courageous people. They protected the image of their tribe on the battlefield.
Hospitality: They were hospitable people. They helped the needy and strangers.
Fulfilment of promise: Arabs honored their promises. They gave protection to individuals when a tribal member pledge his oath.
Intellectual attainment: They produced exceptionally and highly qualitative poets and orators.
Reforms carried out by Islam
Polytheism: They were changed from polytheists to monotheists.
Inhuman treatment of women: Islam stopped inhuman treatment of women by:
a. Prohibition of burying female daughters alive.
b. Inheritance of stepmothers.
c. Islam raised the status of women by making it compulsory for them to get inheritance and dowry.
d. Given them similar rights to those of men in marrying union.
Social corruption: Islam prohibited all forms social corruption. These Arabs’ indulgence in alcoholism, adultery, and gambling were by the Islamic prohibition which made them unlawful.
Warfare: Islam forbade stopped all forms of tribal wars, plundering (destroying all goods) and willful attack on tribes and destruction of crops.
Tribalism: Islam brought unity to Arabs. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ forbade tribalism by saying ‘’there is no superiority of an Arab over a non-Arab and there is no superiority of a non-Arab over an Arab. You are all from Adam and Adam was created from clay.’’
Al’adl (justice): Islam replace injustice with justice and prohibited cheating and maltreatment of orphans.
Neo-Jahiliyya practices in the present society
Despite the success of Islam in reforming the Jahiliyya practices, some of its elements could be seen in the present Muslims society. They include:
i. Corruption of our belief in Allah.
ii. Denial of rights to womenfolk.
iii. Wide spread of economic injustice in offices, markets, and on the street.
iv. Widespread of social insecurity at home, on the street, and on the high way. Armed robbery, ritual murder and raping are being perpetrated (responsible for a crime) by even some Muslims.
v. Widespread of social vices such as prostitution by both sexes, and open consumption of alcohol.