*AR-RAHĪQ AL-MAKHTOUM (The Pure Nectar). A Treaties On Prophet Muhammad's Biography.*
*Part 9*
*RULE IN ALL ARABS*
We talked previously about the immigrations of the tribes of Qahtān and 'Adnān. Tribes that were next to Al-Hīra were under the control of Arabs who settled in it. As regards the tribes that inhabited the Syrian Desert (Arabic, Bādeyat Ash-Shām), they were ruled by the Ghassanids. But this subjection was nominal. As for the tribes that inhabited the Steppes inside the Arabian peninsula, they were free and independent.
These tribes chose chiefs and leaders to lead and rule them. The single tribe was in the form of a mini-government whose foundation of political entity was tribalistic unity and reciprocal benefits that might issue from protecting land and repelling aggression.
The chieftains were regarded as kings by their tribes. The tribe used to comply with the views of its chieftain in wartime and peacetime. The chieftain was autocratic and obdurate as if he were a forceful dictator. Also, tribesmen resorted to brutal and unjustified force whenever their chieftain was angry. Rivalry of cousins for authority prompted them to flatter and curry favour with people through hospitality, charity, generosity, clemency, displaying courage and zeal. In doing so, they gained merits achieved feats. Poets were the tongues of their tribes to spread their exploits and talk about their glories.
Masters and chieftains were entitled to take the quarter of booties taken in wars in addition to what he chose for himself before distributing it and the surplus items that could not be distributed among fighters.
*POLITICAL CONDITIONS*
The conditions of the three regions which were inhabited by Arabs and adjacent to foreign people were extremely deteriorated and decadent. People were either master or slaves, and rulers or subjects. Masters, especially, foreign ones were entitled to all advantages while slaves were in distress, humiliation and deprivation. In other words, subjects and normal people seemed as though they were collective farms that supplied governments with crops. While governments used subjects to satisfy their desires, pleasures and commit their acts of oppression and persecution.
People strayed in sheer benightedess. Injustice prevailed. None could complain or express his dissatisfaction. People suffered from persecution, inequity and tyranny, in shameful silence. Rule was despotic and rights were squandered and neglected.
As for the tribes that were close to these regions, they are under the grief of their desires and whims, vacillated between integrating into the people of Iraq and those of Ash-Shām.
The tribes which settled within the Arabian peninsula were disunited and dissociated. Tribal disputes, ethnic and religious differences predominated. They had no king who could back and consolidate their independence or unity. They had no competent authority to resort to in bad times.
As regards the government of Hijaz, Arabs held it in high regard and considered it to be the leader and custodian of the religious centre. This government, in fact, was composed of a mixture of social standings, governmental positions and religious leaderships. It judged between Arabs in the name of the religious leadership and took charge of the Ka'abah and Mecca in its capacity as a government entitled to:
1. Supervising the interests of those who come to the Ka'abah.
2. Implementing Abraham's Shari'ah (law).
But this government was weak and unable to bear more burdens as it turned out when Abyssinians tried to invade Mecca and demolish the Ka'abah.
*... To be continued In-sha-Allah!*
*"And keep reminding, because reminding benefits the believers."* (Qur'an 51:55)
*Part 9*
*RULE IN ALL ARABS*
We talked previously about the immigrations of the tribes of Qahtān and 'Adnān. Tribes that were next to Al-Hīra were under the control of Arabs who settled in it. As regards the tribes that inhabited the Syrian Desert (Arabic, Bādeyat Ash-Shām), they were ruled by the Ghassanids. But this subjection was nominal. As for the tribes that inhabited the Steppes inside the Arabian peninsula, they were free and independent.
These tribes chose chiefs and leaders to lead and rule them. The single tribe was in the form of a mini-government whose foundation of political entity was tribalistic unity and reciprocal benefits that might issue from protecting land and repelling aggression.
The chieftains were regarded as kings by their tribes. The tribe used to comply with the views of its chieftain in wartime and peacetime. The chieftain was autocratic and obdurate as if he were a forceful dictator. Also, tribesmen resorted to brutal and unjustified force whenever their chieftain was angry. Rivalry of cousins for authority prompted them to flatter and curry favour with people through hospitality, charity, generosity, clemency, displaying courage and zeal. In doing so, they gained merits achieved feats. Poets were the tongues of their tribes to spread their exploits and talk about their glories.
Masters and chieftains were entitled to take the quarter of booties taken in wars in addition to what he chose for himself before distributing it and the surplus items that could not be distributed among fighters.
*POLITICAL CONDITIONS*
The conditions of the three regions which were inhabited by Arabs and adjacent to foreign people were extremely deteriorated and decadent. People were either master or slaves, and rulers or subjects. Masters, especially, foreign ones were entitled to all advantages while slaves were in distress, humiliation and deprivation. In other words, subjects and normal people seemed as though they were collective farms that supplied governments with crops. While governments used subjects to satisfy their desires, pleasures and commit their acts of oppression and persecution.
People strayed in sheer benightedess. Injustice prevailed. None could complain or express his dissatisfaction. People suffered from persecution, inequity and tyranny, in shameful silence. Rule was despotic and rights were squandered and neglected.
As for the tribes that were close to these regions, they are under the grief of their desires and whims, vacillated between integrating into the people of Iraq and those of Ash-Shām.
The tribes which settled within the Arabian peninsula were disunited and dissociated. Tribal disputes, ethnic and religious differences predominated. They had no king who could back and consolidate their independence or unity. They had no competent authority to resort to in bad times.
As regards the government of Hijaz, Arabs held it in high regard and considered it to be the leader and custodian of the religious centre. This government, in fact, was composed of a mixture of social standings, governmental positions and religious leaderships. It judged between Arabs in the name of the religious leadership and took charge of the Ka'abah and Mecca in its capacity as a government entitled to:
1. Supervising the interests of those who come to the Ka'abah.
2. Implementing Abraham's Shari'ah (law).
But this government was weak and unable to bear more burdens as it turned out when Abyssinians tried to invade Mecca and demolish the Ka'abah.
*... To be continued In-sha-Allah!*
*"And keep reminding, because reminding benefits the believers."* (Qur'an 51:55)
Comments
Post a Comment